Large Family Fun

Today I was watching an episode of The Cosby Show. And this is probably one of my favorite episodes (that I've seen).

Denise and her friend were trying to do a project for school about living in a large family. They end up in Vanessa and Rudy's room, observing...Finally, Denise's friend starts asking questions.

"Rudy, how do you feel about living in a large family?"

"There's never enough cereal."

Oh, I laughed. Because it is so true.

I wouldn't say that my family is the largest. But I am the oldest of 5 girls. That makes 7 people in our house. Along with a dog, 2 birds, and a hamster. And Rudy's statement really strikes a chord with me.

My mom doesn't buy us cereal anymore. Mainly because then all the cereal and milk are gone in one day. It might last 2 days, if not all of us eat the first day.

But living in a large family does end up being a lot of fun. =)

Hey! Calling You!

Hey girls, look at this:

How cool is that? Let me tell you, those mugs are adorable. But so are the totes. So I haven't decided which I would choose...

Here's the deal. Please, please, please!! If you go enter this giveaway, tell her that Jacky @ The Sweetest Petunia sent you. Because if you win, I win. And that would be so much fun for both of us, don't you think? =) This ends August 2nd, so be quick!

Here We Go Again...

Here we go again. Another Vera Bradley giveaway that I desperately want to win. =) This time a Vera Bradley Microfiber City Tote is up for grabs...

Don't you just love it? I do. I've never paid much attention to the Vera Bradley Microfiber collection, but I certainly like this one. It's a retired style, but you can win it on the Discount Vera Bradley Blog. If you like it as much as I do, head on over there!

SewCute for me!

I blogged about the Etsy shop SewCute the first part of June. I ended up winning a giveaway on her blog--an adorable hat! I got it last Saturday and thought I'd model it for you. =)

It's nice and big, so next time I know I'm going to be out in the sun, this hat is going with me! I hate when I end up sunburned. Thanks so much, SewCute!

You can also check out the blog here. =)

Currently Complaining...

Because my parents wouldn't let me go to church tonight. =(

Of course, that's probably better for me. According to my mom, I have a "raging temperature, hot as a firecracker, 100.8 degree fever".

And yes, I feel very warm right now. The laptop isn't really helping my body temperature much.

Here's to hoping I feel much better very soon. Very soon. I not only have a fever, but I've lost my voice and found a terrible cough in the process.

As long as this sickness doesn't last as long as my last sickness, I'll be good. =)

You Know This Already

I'm sure you all know of my penchant for giveaways. But really, don't we all have a sweet spot for amazing giveaways? Really, what's better than free stuff, especially when it's really cool?!

So you should all jump over to Fabulous K right now. This week is her giveaway week (7/27-7/31), and right now there's a Vintage Pearl giveaway happening. I can't even describe to you how much I love The Vintage Pearl. Really. It's amazing.

So go! Right now!



Also, if you need some new stationary or address labels, I have the place for you! Bohtieque Designs. She certainly does some lovely work. I actually won a set a while back, and I get compliments on them. I used some to label my materials for 5 Day Clubs, and everyone wanted to know where I got them. =)



There is also a Bohtieque giveaway going on! You can find it right here. She just came out with some notecards, and you could win. Good luck!

Wait, why am I saying that? I want to win! =)

I Thank My Mother

Today I thanked my mother. My good friend Matthew (whom I've known practically since birth!) and I headed to Chuck E Cheese with our respective younger siblings (4 of them) this afternoon. And I experienced a taste of motherhood.

Having a 5 and a 6 year old running around by themselves at Chuck E Cheese was not sitting well with me. Of course, then that meant that I had to watch them. I didn't really mind. Not too much. It was just a little tiring to stand around watching them. And I thought of when my mom would take us to Chuck E Cheese when we were younger. And I realized that she had to do the very same thing I was doing for Katheryn and her friend.

So I went home and thanked my mommy. And took some Tylenol to combat my headache from standing in the prize line. =)

You Tell Me!

Lately I've been thinking about the "dangers" of flip flops. This stemmed from the fact that my feet had been hurting after wearing flip flops all day, and a friend's mom telling me she had read an article on said subject and immediately thought of me.

Hmmm...

I'm currently wondering if I should invest in a pair of these instead:

Malindi Crocs

I'm preparing a scathingly brilliant post on flip flops and such, but first I want some input. What do you think? Do you wear flip flops all the time? Do they hurt your feet? You tell me. Really, I want to know!

So please, leave me some comments. I'm sure someone is reading this who can weigh in with some wisdom. =)

Currently Wanting: In Stitches

If you've read my blog for (almost) any length of time, you have probably picked up on the fact that I like bags. My penchant is Vera Bradley, but if it looks adorable, classy, cute, sophisticated, etc...I will probably like it!

I just (as in about 2 minutes ago) came across In Stitches. And I'm drooling already. =)

They have so much adorable-ness there! (Yes, I know that's not really a word, but hey.) There's some great bags...

This wallet has lots of room inside, too!

Even kid's clothes! I can totally picture Katheryn in an adorable "peasant dress" like this one...

And then there's this. The item that, when I was looking around on their site, made me stop and say, "Oh. I like that."

Ginger Clutch and mini wallet. Love it. And if the nice folks at In Stitches would like to give me one, I would definitely take it. *wink, wink* =) Go take a look around, I'm sure you'll find something you like!

Don't I Look Pretty?

Oh, well, not me. The blog. Anyone notice? I think it looks fabulous. And it's all thanks to Danielle, aka The Design Girl. She had a giveaway, and I won one of her pre-made templates! I was sooo excited when I saw the email. I really did like my old background, but this one is better because there's even a cute header.

And, since you might be drooling to know how you can get one too, the premade templates are on sale for $25 (that's $10 off!) through the end of July! All of the designs really are super cute. =) And I do believe that Danielle just posted a giveaway for 500 followers...she's giving away 5 of the premade templates! So go try to win one or buy one for yourself!

Thanks for the new look, Danielle! =)

So what do you guys think? Let me know!

And more of IKEA...

On Sunday afternoon, Hayden, my little sister Sarah and I headed over to IKEA Tampa. Yes, indeed. That's 2 visits for me in one week! However, when my friend and I went on Tuesday, I didn't get the chance to buy anything. =)

I think I may have slightly coerced Hayden and Sarah into going. Sarah's 12, and she really only wanted to go out of curiousity. She told me it didn't interest her very much. Hayden? Well, he's a guy, and it wasn't quite his cup of tea. Although I don't think he minded going with me. And he actually found something to get, too!

These are ice cube trays; they had all sorts of shapes. Hayden got the black one in the picture; he though it was really cool that they were long and skinny, so it would be great for water bottles and such. =)

I ended up getting several things, but mostly things that I'm saving for the future. As in, my own kitchen someday. =)

And then, because I needed some instant gratification, I got 3 candles for me to use whenever I want. They smell amazing! I haven't even lit them yet, and I can smell the green apple whenever I walk into my room.

Now it's your turn. Seriously, I would love to hear your thoughts! Have you been to an IKEA? What was your favorite thing? What was your least favorite thing?

Cards are my life at times...

I think one of my favorite phrases is "the best laid plans of mice and men...", because it is soooo applicable! I really was planning on some great posts for this week...

...and then I found out I was house-sitting for a family from church for several days. And their computer is not currently working.

All I ask is patience until Thursday. Or Friday. =)

And since my life seems to revolve around cards, I'll leave you with some pictures.

I actually did not make these, I found them at Walmart. And I love them! Just look:

Are they not just adorable!! I bought 2 packages. I really did. I mean, it's 2 of my favorite things; coffee and cards! Can't go wrong with that. =)

I made this card for a friend to take to another friend's wedding. Sunflowers are special to them, so I think it works really well.

I wasn't totally sure about the gold and turquoise when I bought the paper, but after I figured out what I wanted to do, the combo really grew on me. I love the contrast of it.

Just hope the bride and groom like it!

Well, that's all the time I've got for now, our Bible study is starting up soon. See you on Thursday! =)

Meet Kristen

I randomly clicked over to Kristen's Palace because I saw that she was celebrating her 100th post with a Vera Bradley giveaway. And of course, knowing me, I can't resist anything Vera Bradley. I don't even try. And when I arrived at Kristen's, I knew she must be a fun person. I really enjoyed looking around on her blog. And, we share a love of all things Vera Bradley. =)

Kristen is giving away this adorable handbag. Trust me, you've got to go check it out! You only have until July 20th, so go now!

Things About Me

I know you all are dying to find out more about me and my lovely personality. Aren't you? I saw this over on Mel's blog, and thought I would join in. I love answering random questions about myself!

1. The phone rings. Who do you want it to be? Hayden. But I always welcome phone calls from Katie and Heather, too.

2. When shopping at the grocery store, do you return your cart? I don't do a lot of grocery shopping by myself, but if we go to Aldi's, I have to return the cart and get the quarter back.
3. In a social setting, are you more of a talker or a listener? Depending on the situation, but usually a listener. Hayden typically talks to everyone, and I stand by and look cute. =)
4. Do you take compliments well? Better than I used to. Probably because Hayden compliments me a lot, so I've learned just to smile and accept graciously. For the most part.
5. Do you play Sudoku? Never played...I'm not that smart. =)
6. If abandoned alone in the wilderness, would you survive? If someone came and rescued me...??
7. Did you ever go to camp as a kid? Twice. To a Bible camp that was a LOT of fun! I have very fond memories of those 2 weeks.
8. What was your favorite game as a kid? Hmmm...I think I've liked Monopoly as long as I can remember. I think I also like Candyland a lot.
9. Would you slow dance with someone that you knew was married? If they were married to me!! =)
10. Could you date someone with different religious beliefs than you? I might consider it, but not so sure I'd go through with it.
11. Do you like to pursue or be pursued? Very good question. Probably pursued, because I always need to feel needed and wanted.
12. Use three words to describe yourself? Sweet, simple and stubborn!
13. Do any songs make you cry? A few, but it's usually an instrumental that's filled with emotion. The soundtrack for Prince Caspian gets me every time.
14. Are you continuing your education? Oh, yes indeed! It just may not be in the traditional sense of that phrase...
15. Do you know how to shoot a gun? Um, I could probably figure it out if the situation was dire enough.
16. If your house was on fire, what would be the first thing you grabbed? My piano. I could totally lug that huge thing out of my house all by myself.
17. How often do you read books? Too much. 428 in the since January 2007.
18. Do you think more about the past, present or future? Right now, probably the future more than anything.
19. What is your favorite children's book? I still love reading kid's books to Katheryn! I just can't think of a specific title right now...
20.What color are your eyes? Hazel. A strange mix of green, brown and yellow.
21. How tall are you? 5'4"
22. Where is your dream house located? Wherever the people I love are. =)
23. Have you ever taken pictures in a photo booth? Nope, don't think I ever had.
24. When was the last time you were at Olive Garden? Last year at the end of August for Hayden's birthday. Great fettucine alfredo, great times! =)
25. Where was the furthest place you traveled today? To a Bible club about 20 minutes away.
26. Do you like mustard? Indeed I do.
27. Do you prefer to sleep or eat? Um, both? But I spend more time sleeping.
28. Do you look like your mom or dad? Got my mom's hair, dad's eyes and skin. Everyone says I look like my mom, but I think it's just the hair.
29. How long does it take you in the shower? 10-15 minutes, unless I decide to shave my legs.
30. Can you do the splits? Uh, not a chance.
31. What movie do you want to see right now? Good question. I don't really know...
32. Do you think The Grudge was scary? Never seen it, and don't really care to.
33. Do you own a camera phone? Nope. I don't even have my own cell phone.
34. Was your mom a cheerleader? Not that I know of!
35. What's the last letter of your middle name? A at the end of Alyssa
36. How many hours of sleep do you get a night? Lately, 7. Usually, 5-6
37. Do you like care bears? Not so much. I kind of did when I was younger.
38. What do you buy at the movies? A ticket.
39. Do you know how to play poker? No. But I like to watch it on ESPN
40.Do you wear your seat belt? Only in a car. But always in a car.
41. What do you wear to sleep? Cute pajama pants and old t-shirts. Not that fabulous of a combination.
42. Anything big ever happen in your hometown? Like what?
43. How many meals do you eat a day? Usually 2. I almost never eat breakfast.
44. Is your tongue pierced? Not a chance!
45. Do you always read MySpace bulletins? I have absolutely no association with MySpace.
46. Do you like funny or serious people better? Everyone needs a little balance. =)
47. Ever been to L.A.? Nope.
48. Did you eat a cookie today? No, but I ate a piece of triple chocolate cake that I baked last night.
49. Do you use cuss words in other languages? I avoid cuss words in any language, thank you very much.
50. Do you steal or pay for your music downloads? I don't think I've ever downloaded music. I like to buy CDs. =)
51. Do you hate chocolate? Are you kidding me?! Loooove chocolate. =D
52. What do you and your parents fight about the most? Uh, let's not talk about that one.
53. Are you a gullible person? Not really. My sister is, and it can be quite funny. =)
54. Do you need a boyfriend/girlfriend to be happy? Um, I need Hayden. I guess you could call him my boyfriend, but it's a little more special than that, at least to me.
55. If you could have any job (assuming you have the skills) what would it be? A librarian. =)
56. Are you easy to get along with? Um, for the most part. But not always.
57. What is your favorite time of day? Late at night.
58. Do you have a crush on anyone right now? You could call it that...=)

You survived! Aren't you glad you did? =) Now it's you turn. What do you want to know about me? Leave me a comment and let me know!

Random. Because I can be.

Today as I was mopping the floor (one of the joys of my life...), Katheryn called me into her room where she was "taking a nap". "Taking a nap" is kind of the code phrase for "Katheryn's time to be by herself and then we don't have to entertain her". Not that we don't enjoy entertaining her, but sometime everyone needs a break. Anyway, she calls me in to show me her drawing.

I took one look and my jaw dropped in (almost) utter amazement. Do you see that picture? She drew that all by herself. My 5 year old sister, the artist. I can't even draw that well! It is supposed to be a Hercules Beetle. I think she did a pretty swell job.

I may be a little biased...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am having a pretty exhausting week. I am soooo looking forward to this weekend. Mainly because I can sleep in on Saturday. I'll admit it. I am not a morning person. Not by any stretch of the imagination. And I've had to get up by 6:40 in the morning for the past 2 weeks. Part of me feels good and productive, but the other part of me? Just wants to get some sleep.

But it's all good.

And when Hayden brought me a frappucino last night at church, it made it all better. =)

You know how it is with me and my frappucino addiction.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Last night I took the preschoolers class at church becuase the lady who was supposed to teach was out of town for the day. I don't mind, really. I think the littler kids are a lot of fun. And the Wednesday night class is really laid back. We played with toys, ate cupcakes in honor of an upcoming birthday, listened to a Bible lesson about Naaman (one of my favorites! See II Kings 5 if you're curious), asked about some prayer requests, and then headed outside to blow some bubbles.

I had been hanging on to some bubbles since a VBS we did over 2 years ago. I knew it would be a small crowd (we only had 3 because people were traveling this week), and I had 3 bottles of bubbles. Perfect!

So we all head outside. They each get the color they wanted, and I start opening them and trying to get the seals off. These bottles had never been opened.

There was only a slight problem.

One bottle was missing the wand.

Oh yes. Somehow that poor little bottle had missed the train in the wand department. Fortunately, the kids were really good about sharing, and the lack of wand did not cause any melt downs.

Thank goodness.

The best laid plans of mice and men, huh? =)

Dwelling in Sweetness

Life really is sweet. Lately I've been thinking about the need to capture every moment. Life is uncertain, and I want every moment to be filled with all the love and passion I can give it. It's amazing how I can slip into complaining so very easily. So, without further ado, dwell in the sweetness of life.

The sweetness of 27 preschoolers who all want to give you a hug, all at the same time...

The wonder in a 2 year olds eyes as they blow bubbles into the wind...

The laughter of 14 friends having fun together...

The joy you feel when you're with the one you love...

The accomplishment of creating something special all on your own...

The symphony of life swirling around...Love. Pain. Joy. Sorrow. Laughter.

Life.

Dwell in the sweetness of life.

Not Me! Monday

Is it really Monday already? Again? It seems like only yesterday I was pecking out last week's Not Me! post. And here we are again. If you would like to join in the fun, be sure to visit the lovely MckMama. She knows all about how this works.

First of all, I am not apologizing for my lack of posts over the last week. If you scroll down, you will not find only 2 (TWO!) posts in the intervening days of now and last Monday. Never. I promise it's not my blog.

I am not tired right now. I did not have to deal with my alarm waking me up at 6:40am. It is not a big deal to me because I do not usually sleep until 8:00am. I also do not consider 8:00am early.

In my 5 Day Clubs this week, I did not teach at a club that came complete with a yoga "teacher" with a few...interesting ideas. These ideas did not seem very mystical, and said "teacher" did not try to combine what she believes with the 5 Day Club. I did not grit my teeth and bear it. I also did not then emphasize the difference in what we believe. I am also not a little gun-shy at the though of yoga now.

This morning, I did not drag myself out of bed at 6:30, 10 minutes earlier than usual. I did not have a 5 Day Club full of very disruptive children in a very loud building. I was not seething with anger. Never. And because of this club, I am not absolutely exhausted. Not me.

I have not been completely disregarding my calorie counting since Friday. And, I am not completely fine with it. Imagine that.

Happy Monday, everybody. You'd best get it out of your system now, or it'll have to wait until next Monday...=)

Get Some Excitement Going!

On Friday night, I was hanging out at a friend's house when I spotted it: the IKEA catalog. Of course, I picked it up and started flipping pages. Then proceeded to flip out and make a mental list of all the things I really should have. Or at least think I need to have...

And guess what! I will be heading over to IKEA Tampa sometime late Tuesday afternoon with one of my good friends who has never been there. I can't promise that I will buy something, but it is definitely a good possibility.

In the meantime, here's a few of my catalog favorites...=)

NORESUND mirror

MALLA Clothes Box

BEATA ORKIDE

EKTORP Love Seat

KNUBBIG Table Lamp

Granted, I can't really pronounce any of these things, but I guess as long as I can spell it, it's all good. The lamp is definitely my favorite IKEA product at the moment. I love the frosted cherry blossoms, and just the fact that it's circular. It helps that it only cost $8.99. Do not be too surprised if I come home with one on Tuesday. =)

Let the Madness Begin

I'm unhappy with myself. Really, I am. I mentioned briefly in yesterday's post that I ate waaaay too much on Sunday. It was really a ridiculous amount. And I was (am) pretty disgusted with myself.

Most of my problem is that I eat when I'm bored. And for some reason, I am bored quite often. So I end up eating far too much.

Now, trust me, I really don't think I'm fat. I don't. If I keep telling myself that, it will come true, right? I just know that it's not healthy for me to eat and eat and eat.

So I've decided to do something about it. It's called "counting calories".

About 2 years ago, my aunt started a weight loss group at our church. I don't know exactly how it works, but they count calories and have accountability and such. They meet every week on Thursday evening. I never could join because we have music practice on Thursday nights. But she has lost a TON of weight. Of course, right now I can't remember the numbers, but I'm telling you, it's a lot!

However, I think there is definitely a downside to caring a lot about your weight. My cousin is extremely self conscious. She is very skinny but wants to lose 10 more pounds (she lost a lot of weight, too). And then last week my younger cousin (who is 5) had an article about the group that was in the paper recently. It had a before and after picture of my aunt, and my cousin says,

"I tore off the fat part of the picture. I NEVER want to see that!"

She is 5. And she already hates fat.

I'm sorry dear family, but I think that's a little ridiculous.

Maybe a lot ridiculous.

Anyway, I've decided to embark on the calorie counting "journey". But, I refuse to let it control my life.

So let the madness begin.

Not Me! Monday

Ah, Monday. Of course, I certainly have not been absent from the "Not Me!" party since March 16th. March 16th!! Nope, it wasn't me. And I have not missed MckMama's bloggy party. I am not pining away for wishing to meet her and her sweet kiddos in real life...Of course. It's not me.

I am not totally loving the new "Not Me" logo! I do not think it's perfect and super fun. I never thought the old button was a little weird looking. And I did not think of a bathroom the first time I saw the new arrival...

I am not already super exhausted even though it's only Monday. I do not have a horrible sleep schedule which leaves dark circles under my eyes, and my mother did not comment on such last night. I did not fall asleep on the floor yesterday from sheer exhaustion after refusing to take a nap. Uh, no. It definitely wasn't me.

It wasn't me who finally (after about a week and a half) caught up on her emails and actually sent a brand new one! I always do a supremely stellar job in replying promptly.

I do not have 4 new card set sitting on my shelf that really need to be listed on The Art of Paper. I was not planning on listing them today and then spend the time entering some fun giveaways instead. I am not considering posting a blog announcement that reads "Be back sometime later when I've finished entering every giveaway in the galaxy."

And I did not just say "galaxy". I have not been watching entirely too much of the original Star Trek series. And I do not have a crush on Spock. Ever.

I also did not have an exhausting day teaching 3 Bible clubs for kids. One group was not great. The other group was not odd, inlcuding a yoga teacher who had some "differing" (wrong) ideas. And the last group was not very badly behaved until the threat of no candy was waved over their poor heads.

I did not eat a ridiculously large amount of food yesterday because I was bored. And I am not now disgusted with myself for it. I promise there is not more to come on that later this week.

Oh no. Not me. Not ever.

What have you not been up to this week?

Bridgeport by SEI

If you remember this post, I mentioned that I bought a paper stack from the SEI Bridgeport collection. I hadn't been able to use any of it because I've been very busy. But finally, I pulled it out this afternoon...

I've decided that Bridgeport is a collection for me! I love the colors, and I've found a new love for anything with butterflies. If it includes butterflies, I'm there! If any of y'all want to check it out, you can find the collection here. Seriously, it's really cool. =)

Flexibility

I've been working with Child Evangelism Fellowship for (what seems like) forever. Technically it's been 6 years, but when you start when you're 12, it seems like a really long time. And if there's anything I've learned in my 6 years as a CYIAer (Christian Youth In Action), it flexibility.

Seriously, you can't survive the long summers without it. Flexibility.

A case in point was proven yesterday afternoon. This week, my sister Jessica and I are teaching together. Our club consists of about 20 kids, approximately 6 to 11 years old. When we walk in to the room, they are in the throes of a project. No idea what it was, but they were busy.

As Jessica and I were waiting for them to finish up, the lady who runs the daycare came up to us.

"Can you go teach for the 2 year olds while they finish this?"

And of course, being the flexible CYIAers that we are, we said yes.

I love teaching preschool clubs. I think they are so much fun, and I really enjoy the interaction with the kids. Preschool clubs are 30 minutes and involve more songs, actions and activities because preschoolers tend to have fairly short attention spans.

However, I prefer 3, 4 and 5 year olds. And I prefer to teach prepared, not blindly groping in the dark. With none of my preschool materials.

Needless to say, it was not the best club ever taught. But we somehow struggled through it. And the cute little 2 year olds seemed to enjoy it!

Then came the problem of teaching our scheduled club (an hour long) in only 30 minutes.

In order to understand the problem fully, you must understand the structure of a club, and the schedule that is typically followed...

• Opening (prayer, rules)
• Song
• Memory verse and game
• Song
• Bible lesson
• Song
• Missions time (real life missionary minute and longer story)
• Review game
• Closing (prayer, treasure box, verse cards

Now that's not necessarily set in stone, but that's the general idea. I did not bore you with the minutes listed out, but believe me, it takes up an hour very easily.

And we only had 30 minutes in which to teach the club.

Yeah.

Our schedule ended up looking more like this:

• Opening
• Song
• Bible lesson
• Memory verse and game
• Song
• Closing

And even though it was much shorter than our usual club, the kids still really seemed to enjoy themselves.

As we were getting ready for the club, the lady who had been doing the project came up to me and said something like this,

"They kept asking me if you girls had left yet, they were so worried that you had. Whatever y'all are doing in there, it must be good! All they cared about was if you were still here!"

Now doesn't that just make it all worthwhile?

Flexibility. Yes, because even if you end up with only 30 minutes, the kids need you to be there. You may never know how you've affected their lives.