Beezus and The Word Blerg

So, I am, admittedly in a funk, and I have no idea where to put the commas in this sentence.  As Tina Fey's character on 30 Rock would say, "Blerg."  That's right, blerg.  

So, for you, on this breezy, January Saturday, a picture of The Second Handsomest Guy in our house.  Beezus, take a bow.  I love how you can see his whiskers and the way his little toesies are all spread out.  He looks very adventurous, in my opinion.                             

He is a good guy- way past his prime at the ripe old age of 13 months so with him, every day he's alive is just simply a bonus.  Strange as it may seem, I spend a tiny chunk of my mornings, checking on him and mentally preparing for the day he turns to dust.  There is just something warm and comforting about the low-maintenence lifestyle of this little guy.  Now, enough about the rodent.  

  
     And back to The Funk.  And I don't mean that play-that-FUNKy-music-white-boy kind of funk.  I just think I've got a bad case of The Mondays that's lasted all week.  Not quite sure what to attribute it to, exactly, but it is here with a vengance, nonetheless. I really hate this  sort of mood because it makes me feel selfish and whiny and rarely matches my shoes.  
   

      Oh, Elusive and Pesky Funk, 

          I've got too much good stuff going on in This Little Corner to have you running amuck in my day.  You are not welcome here, and I plan to combat you with warm, cuddley living things, big hugs, good television and lots of coffee.  So, please leave immediately, you are not welcome here.  

     In-the-process-of-ungrumping,   

             H.  

How do you fill your Blue Days?  What kinds of things do you like to do when you wake up feeling like a Grumpasaurus?  Suggestions?  


I will notify you once the fog has lifted.  :)   


Love, H.  

Make it Yours Day!

Love this new site (the link is the square below). Thought some of you might also. Posted my "Our love it here to stay" wall art, but the link I put up on the site didn't quite work! :( Onward, ho, anyway, right? :) :) :) As always, more later.  


Take Care! 


Love, H.


Currently Listening to: Love Love Love by The Mountain Goats


"Some things you do for money, and some you do for love, love love....the things you do for love are going to come back to you one by one. Love, love is going to lead you by the hand. "

An introduction that is long overdue...

So, I feel it is necessary to share a conversation I had about, oh- five seconds ago. An exchange took place between me and My Guy (Tim, The Big H.  My husband, take your pick).   It went a little something like this:  


My Guy:  You've been reading so many blogs these days, why don't you just start your own...?  
H:  Um, excuse me?  I have my own....
My Guy:  Really?  I never read it....should I be?  
H:  Um, yes.  I'm fantastic.  Just kidding....I guess read it if you want to.  
My Guy:  Well, I guess anything you're going to put on there is something I know about anyway....right?  I don't even know how to get to it...
H: Um...how long have you known me?  This bewilders me. (((taking him to 7 years or so worths of archives from my old, beloved, stomping grounds))))


He immediately wanted to read anything about "him" and anything and everything about me BEFORE him.  


Then he said I was the prettiest girl in the whole wide world, rubbed my feet, and made me cookies.  


Okay, he didn't really do that, but he is oh so amazing that it's not that far away from reality.  

In real life, he got super distracted by WWE Smackdown....or RAW?  Or I don't care.  


So, here he is.  Sweet Readers, meet my husband.  Husband, The Sweet Readers.  


We made several attempts at a "serious shot," but someone always claimed they looked fat or their nose looked weird or the angle was funny.  Believe it or not, he was more high-maintenance than I was during this impromptu photoshoot.  So, we compromised.  


I remember being 23 and thinking I would marry a boy who wore a tie to work and had lunch with important people.  I thought that would make me feel safe.  


Then, I somethinged (dated, talked to, spent time with?)  a boy who was exactly that way, and it was the least safe I have ever felt with a person in my entire life.  


Then I met Tim who is still easing his way into a career and throws socks on the floor and wears big, heavy boots to work, and ended up being The One.  


In some ways, he is not at all who I thought I would end up with, but in a lot of ways, he is exactly what I always wanted and knew I needed.  He is the perfect combination of gentleness and strength.  

Welcome to blogspot, baby.  And if you're actually reading?  Well, Code Word:  Luxembourg.  

Love, H.  

Weight Loss Adventures

As promised, now is the time to talk about weight loss. I can actually type that sentence with a smile on my face.  :)  See?  The holidays were ((ahem)) rough, and I gained 2 pounds.  At my next weigh-in, (last Thursday) I had lost 2.4 so I am STILL officially lighter than when I started going to WW Meetings. (that's the goal right?)  


Overall, I have lost about 12 pounds since early November (I started changing my eating BEFORE actually weighing in-attending the meetings).  Even though this is not earth-shattering, I feel amazing.  For the first time in a LONG time, I don't "just" feel like, "I can do this."  I feel like I AM DOING THIS. :)  Tonight, I have a lot of hope.  Maybe we can get second chances.  Maybe we can change our fate or our destiny or whatever ((insert cheesy, inspirational, classical music here)).


I thought about writing a short list of things I've been "living on" lately in case some of you are interested in mixing up your routine or are looking for some healthier options.  


My only advice for some of the following food items is to be brave. :)  Try it. You might like it.  


Reduced-fat peanut butter
eggs-eggs and more eggs!  
low-fat sour cream
"healthy harvest" applesauce cups (no sugar added)
Fiber Plus applesauce cups (try cran-rasperry!)
celery
peanut-butter-banana smoothies w/ splenda (I can give you the recipe if interested) 
potato bread (Aunt Millie's...higher fiber...fewer calories....all the benefits of wheat bread, all the yummy goodness of white bread!)  
mini packs of m-n-m's (only one...you can only eat one!)  :)  
1/2 slices of Kraft singles (yummy melted over eggs in the a.m.)
bananas
CLEMENTINES! CLEMENTINES! CLEMENTINES!  These are so yummy and delicious...I would seriously classify them as a "dessert."  Super easy to peel, seedless and not messy at all.  I peel them at stoplights and eat them in the car
"Lite" string cheese (again, super yummy)
"I can't believe it's not butter" spray (0 fat, Tim loves it...you know it is good if it is 'healthy' and my husband loves it!)  :)  


Surprisingly, I find I am more satisfied with what I am eating.  Saturday afternoon, we were being lazy about our lunch options, and I made a super-easy, super delicious egg dish with tomatoes, spinach and a little bit of cheese (also added spray butter and seasonings).  Before, I probably would have just settled for a "hodge podge" of snacks over a few hours...chips...cereal...peanut butter and jelly, etc.  


I am also surprised by the fact that I am RARELY hungry.  WW has taught me that when you are hungry, you should eat.  I used to eat around 11 a.m., get home late and make dinner around 7 or 8.  That's about 6-9 hours without eating...that is WAY TOO LONG.  Now, I have learned to prepare for my hungry times.  Instead of "packing a lunch," I pack for ALL DAY.  I leave work prepared for a mid-morning snack (something quick/subtle/easy usually fruit while my kids are working or reading around 9:30 or 10), lunch, and an after school snack (cereal bar, pre-packaged peanut butter and crackers, etc.)  I eat that in the car or at my desk around 4 or 5... after a big bottle of water and my snacky-snack, I am ready to keep on truckin' till dinner...and I don't come home ready to eat anything that's not nailed down. 


YOU DON'T HAVE TO STARVE, in fact, if you are, you are doing something wrong, my friend.  


Example Given:  


Tomorrow, for lunch, I am taking a salad:  spinach/iceberg lettuce mix w/ mixed nuts, blue cheese crumbles, mandarin oranges, strawberries, and lite rasp. vinagrette dressing (fruit on salad used to freak me out, but this is fantastic.  It is copied from O'Charley's California Chix. Salad recipe)  1/2 peanut butter sandwich, carrot sticks w/ fat-free dip, and some kind of fruit or cereal bar.  


Tomorrow night, I have P/T conferences so I am looking forward to eating something healthy and scrumptous from Subway.  


Breakfast is still up in the air, probably toast/coffee in the car  around 6:30 and fruit around 9am.  


In other news, we were napping today and Tim said, and I quote, "You feel skinny."  

I feel skinny? Why not. Let's just go with it.  :)  I am also surprised by my level of energy.  I forgot how it felt, and yowza, it feels good.  Also, there are bones and tendons in my neck?  Did you know hiding under all that softness there was a collar bone down there?  Well, its there in all it's glory, and it's a tad bit sexy if I don't say so myself. 


So, let's re-cap.  Eating healthy can be delicious. You are NOT supposed to spend the majority of your day mimicking a Hungry Hungry Hippo.  You can change your destiny.  Tomorrow is Monday. Think of something you have always wanted to do and take a baby step by the end of this week.  Let me know how it goes.  


Sweet Readers, if a sugar addict can lose 50 pounds, spend a year relapsing, lose 12 pounds and then write an entire blog about how she thinks she could make fruit a dessert then surely YOU can accomplish the impossible. :)  

My best to you...now go buy some butter spray and clementines!  


Love, 
H.  

Here Goes Nothing

I am desperately trying to post more often (if you haven't noticed).  It is hard, but it is good (as I'm finding almost all things in life usually are).  I am the kind of person who needs to sit on things for a couple of days.  Anything else just seems forced.  But, here we are, click-clacking away, anyway.  


So, I guess...here's the scoop, the dish, the tiny list of things I'll let you in on...


Honestly?  I am having kind of a hard time on here.  I can't seem to get settled on blogger, and I'm afraid it shows.  It just doesn't quite feel like home, yet.  I remember feeling that way about Facebook, and now here we are, a year or so later and I Just Can't Quit.  I am hoping that, like FB, spending more time posting will help ease those anxieties (hence a random Saturday post).  


Today, I stumbled upon a headline that read, "Octomom in a bikini,"  and yes...I clicked.  Lay off, she looks good, okay?  And they're right....inquiring minds DO want to know.  


I keep hearing all this nonsense about Leno vs. Conan but am too lazy to find out what's going on.  I just can't bring myself to "google."  


I love walking by Beezus's cage and hearing him crunching in his little nest.  It feels like our house has this whole other little mouse-y world going on inside it...like there is something important going on that we respect, but will never be able to fully understand.  


Mouse's Orange Slice, Paige Keiser

I have been thinking a lot about Nashville and California, and D.C. lately, which is weird.  More on that later, maybe?  (p.s. we're NOT moving).  

I was totally-otally AGAINST owning a snuggie until my dad bought me one for Christmas. It is a large, soft, warm, animal-print blanket of wonderful goodness.  However, it is terrible for productivity.  You don't even have to get dressed.  I am currently wearing a tank top and undies under mine (as if you wanted to know). The Snuggie now falls under the same category as "The Glitten" (i.e. Things I Doubted but and Now Completely Dependent Upon)  I fully intend on staying this way until noon or so (after watching 2 episodes of 30 Rock and eating some cinnamon toast).  Then, cleaning and schoolwork...?  A MUST!!!!!!  








Sadly, I think this is it.  Have a good day. Do something fun, and think of me, kiddos. :)  As always-always-always-thanks for reading.  


Love, H. 

This is love.

This is a picture of my life Right. Now. While the picture itself is no where near perfect in quality, it is an honest photo and, in my opinion, a good one, nonetheless.

Me and the dog. :) This crazy dog and I are attached at the hip. It's ridiculous. Really. While I love Noel (Tim's older dog whom I also "married), she is very cat-like. She is sweet and protective, but tends to sleep...A LOT. She's very, "I love you and all, but if I don't get my 19 and 1/2 hours in, I'm just no good for the whole rest of the day."

Scarlett? Scarlett loves life. She wakes up ready to hit the ground running. Tail wagging, tongue going, as if to say, "TODAY IS FRIDAY AND IT WILL BE THE BEST FRIDAY EVER."

She is an inspiration. Silly, but true.

In other, perhaps less lame news, we are going to Hawaii.

That's right. The Aloha State. Me and My Guy on a cruise.

(((Bliss)))

This trip has seemed like a long time coming. Five or six years in the making, actually, but that's a story for another day.

I have prayed about it a lot (mostly about the financial aspect), and felt guilty at first. Let's face it...God is not Santa. It is not his job to climb down my chimney and leave two round trip tickets in my stocking. It.just.doesn't.work.like.that. And that's okay. Because I know this trip will be good for our marriage (as almost all exploring is), the short amount of time we will spend in California will enable us to (hopefully) see some family and good-good friends. Our intentions are pure. Our finances are stable. Our hula skirts are packed. We're pretty happy. Okay, extremely happy.

There is just oh-so-much-more to say but not nearly enough time or energy to say it. This blogging is serious stuff. Have to keep up, right?

Some things to look forward to: my weight loss adventures and a story about The Love of My Life.

Love,

H.

Fruit

I know I am getting older because I look forward to going to bed. I look forward to it a lot. Just last night, Tim was all curled up reading, nagging me to close down the laptop and head his direction. It was super late, and the dogs were snoozing on the couch and I was (((as usual))) click-clacking away. I yelled to the other room, "Okay, here we come!" and I got excited. Like, the kind of feeling you get when the opening act is over and the band is coming out. It was sort of silly and perhaps a true sign that I am closer to thirty than twenty. I need my 7 hours...give or take.

We painted our room. It was the first room we've ever painted together and it went quite well. It is a dark blue/gray...the color of storm clouds and sleeping in and the ocean in December and I love it more than I actually thought I would. I love the contrast of the walls with the white woodwork. When it is all said and done, I'll put

some pictures up. However, this may will take a while...

One thing you should know about me is that January is a hard month in my book. The excitement of Christmas is over. The weather is cold and spring feels miles and miles away. As a teacher, in February, you have Groundhog Day and Valentine's Day to anticipate and March means tulips and leprechauns and spring break. So, January has spent 27 years or so trying to redeem itself. To this date, not much has worked short of Martin Luther King Day and the occasional blizzard.

Yesterday, I went grocery shopping and hemmed and hawed over buying clementines. I LOVE clementines, but they are a bit pricey. However, I saw this little cutie poking out of the bag and had to snatch them up right away.

Talk about a sign of hope. We are Right Smack Dab in the Middle of Winter and here's living proof that somewhere, the world is green.

Scarlett is funny. Right now, she is focused on anything she can get her little paws into. I recently purchased a jar of decorative, plastic cherries to put in a vase with a candle resting on top. It just occurred to me that a good 3/4 of those cherries now have tiny shallow teethmarks in them. I have been heaving a lot of sighs this month, it seems. What's one more? Oh. Dogs.

In other news, how 'bout this banner (((sheepishly pointing upward)))? I recently dowloaded "GIMP" which is a poor man's version of Photoshop. Overall, I like it. I am not computer-savvy. Basically, I like checking my email. I wanted something a bit more-permanant-looking...something that looked customized. Fun. Intentional. But I have a hard time keeping up with these crazy graphics-design-dark-rimmed-glasses-wearing-kids. I needed to keep it simple. I don't want to look like a.) I'm trying way too hard and b.) a monkey did my banner.

I am on the fence about the fonts, but I like it for now. What say you?

Love, H. (who-hates-sounding-like-she-is-fishing-for-compliments-and-just-wants-an-honest-opinion)

Cold. Play.

Oh, hello.

I wanted to photograph something interesting on the way home today to share with you, but alas. I've got nothing. I did, however, see an adorable, floppy-eared goat LAST WEEK whose fur made him look like he was wearing a tiny, brown t-shirt. Perhaps that's a story for another day.

Today was.

Monday.

It actually went well until the hours around 5-6:30. About 2 months ago, I had a pinched nerve in my arm (long, random story) so I've been going to massage therapy once or twice a week. While the massages are good, they are also hard. Knots. Lumps. Bumps. I ache. They hurt. But it is a good hurt. I had one of those, "Please don't touch me" afternoons, but I braved the cold, plastic table and the poking and prodding anyway.

It was dark by the time I left the office, and I called Tim in the car, begging and pleading for a winter home in Southern Florida. He said now is probably not a good time.

I told him I felt cold and wobbley in the parking lot, like an old woman. To which he replied, "Aw, I'm sorry baby."

He is a good husband.

I came home and said, "Hello." to Beezus (our pet mouse). He peeked his little nose out and went back in his hole as if to say, "Baby, it's cold out there." (Even though he lives in our dining room). He is a spoiled mouse, but he is furry and silly and kind and his face warms my heart.

We made burritos and kissed in the kitchen and it was one of those kisses where you just let yourself get kissed. You know it's okay if you don't kiss back. The other person just knows that you are ice cold and feeling a bit crumbley and that you just need time. That is the kind of safety you get when you finally say, "I do."

Two burritos and 30 minutes later, Tim was finally able to pry me out of my wool coat (seriously) but only at the promise of a quilt and a space heater.

It has just been one of those nights.

So, here we are watching Coldplay "Live" on television and doing nothing. Together. Eventually, I will make coffee and grade papers and thaw out, but for now, I will leave you with a picture and one thought. This is a picture of two of my bestest friends crammed in a phonebooth in Southern California. On the way home tonight, I was dreaming of warmer days and missing the two of them something fierce and this picture instantly flashed in my mind.

All I've got to say is, "Move along, January. Move along."

Secondly, I feel a need to leave you with some kind of substance. Enough with this burrito-goat-space heater nonsense.

Many of you know, I am an investigative sponge lately- a sponge I tell ya'! I have been snooping and digging around for any information I can find about everything from travel to home decor' to motherhood. I want to know pretty much anything from anyone who has done...anything.

I was talking with my mom a while back about money and babies and careers and How They [my parents] Made it Work. She said, "We quit eating out as much...I made a lot of things from scratch...we kept our eye on the big picture."

I have fallen in love with a blog that I will share with you later, but in it, the author writes letters to her unborn daughter. She says they don't have much (and to try to forget about the pony they've already promised) but they have ideas for adventures and a teeny tiny apartment and a whole lot of love.

Now, there's an example of Someone Who Gets The Big Picture.

So, when I finally am an old woman instead of a whiny, too cold, 20 something, I hope people are able to look at me and say the same thing. I hope I am able to finally let the little things go. The dishes that don't get unloaded. The shoes I really, really, really wanted and oh-so-many other things.

(((sigh)))

Love, H.

I was your silver lining, as the story goes.

The newly fallen snow and my parents' enormous backyard provided the perfect backdrop for a quick photo shoot in my bright green coat and new cowboy boots (purchased as a Christmas present by my Highly Fashionable Husband).

Here's to practicing The Fine Art of Making Everyday, Mundane Things Look Interesting.

So, we are petting two birds with one stone (in the interest of non-violence, we're petting). Posting More Often & Taking More Photos. Two new "resolutions" cleanly checked off the list....for today, at least. Welcome to My Little Corner of The World. Today, I Spied: My Sister/Best Pal Sweet Heather Marie, a teeny, tiny icicle, and my parents' snow-loving dog, Kelsey, among other random and fabulous things.

Stay Warm.

Love, H.

Our Love is Here to Stay.

I have started thinking a lot about what I want in a blog. You don't spend hours upon hours updating something without thinking about exactly what you want it to be.

I want it to be super-cozy. I want it to be a place you can come and sit down and have tea and know that someone else has had crummy days before or fallen in love when they thought it was Too Impossible or has a tendency to enjoy their dogs more than they love most humans or whatever. I want you to leave saying, "Dear Goodness, I also love saltines & avocados!" or " Someone ELSE thinks MileyCyrus talks weird, too!?!?!" (It is something about the way she says her s's. No one else seems to hear it.)

I think one of the most powerful things in life happens when you encounter someone who can look at youand say, "I have totally been there before....and you're going to be alright."

It does not need to be a place where I try too hard to be 'cool.' Come on, I know myself well enough to admit that I am tempted to get on here and talk about annoyingly pretentious things like the difference between Philip Pullman and C.S. Lewis or how ticked I am that I can't always tell the difference between Postal Service & Deathcab...and now you give me Owl City!?!?! In an attempt to name this here sight, I was looking up synonyms for the word "awakening" for Pete's Sake.It needs to be a place of truth and honesty...cause anything else is just kind of stupid. So, here's to us.

In other news...I got A Little Crafty and I'm actually quite proud of my handiwork. I fell in love with a piece of wall art from Urban Outfitters but couldn't bring myself to pay the price. I also didn't really feel like it

was a good fit for our place. The print was too modern, the colors weren't right.

So, after hitting three separate craft stores and wasting nearly an entire afternoon (I thought My Husband would file a Missing Person's Report), this is what I came up with.

The alignment looks SO much better in person but still needs a bit of tweaking, AND it looks much more finished WITH the glass (darn glare!) but for goodness sake, it took me long enough to put it together...it was HIGH TIME to get it posted! What projects have you finished lately? What are you hoping to finish now that some of us are (almost) snowed in? Do share!

You are welcome here. Please do come in.

Love, H.

Hellos, Rules & The Glitten

Hello. I think Kathleen Kelly in You've Got Mail says it best, "I like to start my letters to you as if we are already in the middle of a conversation."

Let's do this.

So, my DREAM-DREAM is to be a stay at home mom and do some freelance writing to supplement our income. I know it won't throw us into six figures or anything like that, but if I can make a little money doing something I LOVE while raising our babies then I think that'd be super-fantastic.

So, this blog is equal parts "want" and "need." I "want" it because I think it's fun. It is an easy way to keep up with my homies (homies? That's right.) and a great way to unwind.

I "need" it because it keeps me connected. It gives me ideas. It helps me edit. It encourages me to ((sometimes)) find my voice, use a thesaurus, find new words, etc. It feels as if there is always something new to be discovered.

But, I'm in a tough spot. I will tell you pretty much anything you want to know. A....N....Y....THING. This can be good. This is, more often then not....bad. So, given that I'm new to "blogger" and because I am a teacher and I heart rules and boundaries, here is a list of things I Love to Talk About, Things I Kind of Hate to Talk About and Things I Won't Touch With A Ten Foot Pole. What can I say? I function well under structure.

Things I Love to Talk About (in no particular order)

My dogs. I call them, "tiny miracles with fur." Not really, but its funny to say anyway. I heart them. I heart them a lot.

Music

books

Pop culture

Arts/crafts/our house and related projects

My life- things I'm learning-goals

Jesus

Things I Kind of Hate to Talk About But Will Should It Be Deemed Necessary/ If Pressed

Politics

Gas prices

Miley Cyrus

lima beans

Scary Movies

American Idol ((Sorry, guys))

Survivor (again, sorry)

Health Issues (but seriously, I'm fine)

lima beans

politics

lima beans

Miley

Things I Won't Touch With A Ten Foot Pole

Work (I teach, and I like it and I kind of don't want to get fired so I think this one's pretty obvious)

Sex (As fantastic as this is, see number one in this list)

Anything negative about friends, family, or Tim (although I'm hard-pressed to find any downsides to being His Wife, I try to respect that not EVERYONE likes having their life plastered all over the internet.)

So, we are taking baby steps. In Honor of my First Official Post, I will share with you my most recent and beloved discovery. The Half Mitten/Half Glove. That's right, The Glitten. I have come the conclusion that my mantra during the winter can no longer be, "Look as fashionable as possible." Instead, I'm chanting, "Be as warm as possible while also trying to look the least like an idiot as possible."

You are correct, I'm trading fashion for warmth, and boy, it is fantastic. No more trudging through the snow in tights and ballet flats for this girl. Yesterday, I went to the store in furry boots (jeans untucked, thank you)....a coat AND a puffer vest...over the coat.

Anyway, I find I like to live on the edge and wear mine unbuttoned (oo-la-la, right?). At the risk of looking like a crazy homeless bag lady, the quick-cover-approach is both convenient and toasty.

Some things to look forward to: Me Ending Sentences with Prepositions, What I Want in a Blog, 2010 Resolutions among other things

Yours Truly (and warmly),

H.

2010- THE YEAR OF THE GLITTEN!!!!!

Hello.

"Hello." There is no better way to put it. I have been contemplating "moving" for a long time. My previous "home" was xanga, and it suited me just fine for a LONG time (six or seven years, I think)? However, with A Whole New World of blog sites before me, I started to feel as if xanga was becoming Myspace Part II. Lots of ads. Lots of bells and whistles. I think xanga was the equivalent to living in the heart of a city. It was noisy and fast-paced. Something about it was ALWAYS changing. It overwhelmed me.

I think this is a house. I need a house. Simple. Quiet.

I was scared to move....for a long time and for a lot of different reasons. Let's face it, change is hard. I fashioned a little header in an attempt to take, "baby steps" and clicked, "Preview." The image came up and I thought, "Ah...the chocolate brown...the warm colors...

I'm home."

More later. Much, much more later. :) I hope you feel as welcome as I do.

Love, H.