Favorite Friday... Secret Life of Bees and Lie to Me

Technically I am writing this on Monday but I didn't want to miss a favorite Friday, so better late than never. Finished SLoB finally. Not the first time I've read it, which is probably why it took me so long to finish it this time. It was just as good if not better the second or third time around. Again, I won't give you a synopsis - you can get that on Amazon- but I will say this a fabulous book. I am a bee lover, so I probably enjoyed even more. It's not too long, easy to get into and has a natural pace that kept me wanting to read, even if I didn't get to whenever I wanted.This post is for not only the book but the movie as well. The actors all did a great job. They were entirely believable in their various roles. But Queen Latifah was fabulous as August Boatwright and I was pleasantly surprised by Alicia Keys performance as June. 

The only complaint I had with the book, same as the movie, was the father T. Ray's foul mouth. Why do authors do that? 

The other fav today is a new show I found. It is such an intriguing show. Brief synopsis: A man who has studied people, their facial expressions, body language, verbal cues, etc. for decades now owns a company wherein they are hired to find the truth in many various matters. Through interrogation and observation they watch for signifiers, micro-expressions, gestures - basically anything to determine what is the truth or a lie, what is real or fake, genuine or counterfeit. Check it out on Hulu. It's still early in its first season, so you could catch up quickly.

Ribbons - check! Snowflakes - check!

This is a long one folks! Get a snack before you sit down to read, it could take awhile.

I'm finished! I can't believe it but I am finished. And I am so pleased with the results. The snowflakes have been done for ages, but I didn't want to post pics of them and no ribbons, effectively killing any motivation I might have to finish. So the point is, you get the pics from start to finish on both projects even if I posted them once before. (Now do you see why I told you get a snack?)

Snowflakes

I don't recall where I even got the idea for this, probably swiped it from someone else's creative brain, but they have been so fun. When Esther counted last there were a zillion, but I estimate somewhere in the neighborhood of 300-350. I've said it before, but I love how they dance around with the air currents. It's almost magical.

They started out something like this.

Every night after dinner, we would pull the scissors out and cut away. When the Elders were over, we took advantage of the extra pairs of hands too. Its one of my favorite holiday memories now.

Finally, we attached them to fishing line and then to the ceiling.  I am almost ready to take them down but I have to come up with a replacement idea first. 

The architecture of this place really lends itself to my creative whims. 
I love the flakes against the persimmon hue of the curtains. The contrast is so pretty.

Ribbons

I had so much fun seeing this project come together. It was interesting to see people's reactions to it at different stages.  For awhile I thought I had overshot on the amount of ribbon, but I almost wish I had used more.

So cutting to length 1000 yards of ribbon was my starting point.

Then I had to transport the ribbon from one room to the next, which doesn't seem like a big deal, but I had to keep it from tangling and dragging. 

After attaching it to copper electricians' wire, up it went. It was heavier than I anticipated which made hanging it tricky, but Jon made it possible with a little of his magic. 

I really liked it at this point, but I could see the kids using it to play Tarzan or circus or something crazy. Plus it did nothing to light the room when enclosed. And yes - that is a Christmas tree in the background. :)

So this next part was the most time consuming - hands down. It involved me on a ladder with a staple gun in hand, balancing myself while trying to find the right length or swag for each piece. Furniture had to be moved to accommodate the ladder and I really had to get over my fear of heights.  This post might have been done months ago but for this step. The fact that I am a bit of a perfectionist didn't help either.

Finally it is finished. I think it is so striking. The pictures don't do it justice. The colors are so vibrant and the ribbon has a nice sheen to it. It's fabulous! I think I will keep it up forever!

Short and Sweet

Long story, I'll make short.

The furnace wasn't working well for a day & a half (62 in the dining room/maybe 60 degrees in the rest of the house). We were sitting in the dining room (warmest room in the house) on the floor - kids doing schoolwork, me writing a talk. Why on the floor you ask? The heater vents run along the entire south wall.

I thought Sis fell asleep in her book. It was so freakin' cute. Turns out...
Not sleeping. Just "resting her eyes", zoning, faking, who knows? Still, too cute.
I love this little person and I love this pic. It's so totally, completely her.

(Just a short one today as I am posting my finished ribbon-project tomorrow.)

My Cup Runneth Over

So you've heard the saying March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb... Well it's roaring here! I woke up to snow this morning. All day it snowed. And snowed. And snowed. The schools were closed, MICA (grad school) included. You would think all that snowing would have left piles of snow, but no... maybe 3-4 inches. I loved it though. It is the biggest snow storm we have had this year.

This is all the snow it takes to close down the city for a day. (That little slope in the far left corner is a stump, not a snow drift BTW.)

Today was a busy one. It was Elder Kirk's birthday and we had signed up to feed the Elders, so my natural response? PARTY! I wanted it to be as close to home as possible, so there was some prep involved. The biggest task of the day was making the 16-layer cake. I only make this cake a few times a year. If I ever make it for you, you know you are loved. It isn't difficult to make, just a bit time consuming. I was curious about how long it really took, so I timed it today. Start to finish - under 2 1/2 hours. I know that may seem like a long time, but it flew. I've got it down to a science now. Usually it's 16 layers, but today I managed to get 17. I know you're all wondering - how?! How, if the recipe is the same every time, did she manage to squeeze out an extra layer? It's just been that kind of day my friends. Good things have been happening all day! True story.

We fed 6 hungry Elders tonight. Most of them had seconds and dessert. I thought of the scripture in the Old Testament in Kings 17 when Elijah went to Zarephath. He found the widow the Lord had prepared and asked that she make him a cake first and then for herself and her son. In verses 15 and 16 it says, "and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail according to the word of the Lord.." I tell you every time we have the Elders in our home, I feel that blessing come to pass. Every single time!  I purchased just enough food to feed us, the Elders and one other family we had invited and there were leftovers. We had so many leftovers. I sent food home with the Elders and there was still so much left. My cup runneth over and over and over.

The Sweetest Things

My friend Ingrid gave me a valuable tip once. She told me to make the bed before I leave my room every morning and that my day would go better. Since then I have tried to follow that advice because its true.  Not today. Today my day got a boost because someone else did it for me.

The sweetest little gift I received today was from Sis.  While I cleaned the kitchen this morning, she was secreted away in my bedroom. Later I discovered she had made my bed and left me a sweet note on the pillow. It doesn't get any better than that. Well, maybe if there had been a chocolate with the note...

Favorite Friday... Superfood and Clothespins

I can never make up my mind on Favorite Friday, so you get two again.

#1... Odwalla Superfood looks like pond scum. Check out the next picture if you haven't tried it before or if you don't believe me. It is pretty nasty looking stuff. If it wasn't so good for me and didn't taste so yummy, I might be scared off.  

When I get out of bed every morning, eating healthy isn't always the first thing I think about. Okay, its never the first thing I think about. My solution - smoothies! By the time I get my day going I need something that is easy, good for me, gives me tons of vitamins+energy and let's be honest here - tastes delish. Sounds like an commercial, I know I know! Here's the thing... I love the Superfood.  (Odwalla makes the nasty looking and yet ever so tasty green stuff. Naked has a couple different ones too. Blue Machine is my fav.) Add a little ice, banana, blueberries, spinach, yogurt, protein sup. and whatever else you have in the fridge and you're soon-to-be the luckiest person in the house. It's especially good after a hard workout. 

Seriously looks like sludge on the bottom of a pond or a set a clogged pipes. Give it a shot though before you decide. Its so yummy even if it doesn't look it!
#2... Clothespins. Yep, clothespins. These babies get used everywhere at my house. The pics are not great - phone shots, but you get the gist. I keep them in the kitchen as a closer for everything. I slapped some magnets on the back and they hold masterpieces on the fridge.

The possibilities are endless. I love this idea for them. Today as I repotted my gardenias I used them to hold the plastic bags to the side of the pots as I filled them with dirt. They are in my fabulous hallway closet and are used for a plethora of different things there.  (Sidenote: The one thing I could use them on and don't have is a clothesline. Someday I'll have one in my garden where my laundry can hang as it mingles with the lavender and wisteria. Not today.)

Oh and as if they're not fabulous enough already, you can pick up a big ol' bag of them for a couple of dollars at Kmart.

A Perfect Upside-Down World

Can any of you still do headstands? Handstands? When was the last time you tried?

We are big fans of them here. Just something about being wrong-side up that makes you feel like a kid again. So get out a pillow, change out of your skirt :), and give it a try today. Take a look at the world upside-down. You might find everything to be a little clearer - even with all the blood flowing to your brain. :)

Sis is a quickly becoming proficient in the art of headstands. I remember at her age I spent more time upside-down than I did right-side up. It must be genetic.
Sis' journal page for the day. Doesn't that say it all? Headstands are fun and fun and fun and....

Happiness, Gratitude and Choices

I have been thinking about happiness, gratitude and choices a lot lately and how they are connected. I came across this video on a friends' FB page and wanted to share. I am sure that most of you have already seen it, but I wanted to post it anyway. It's pretty funny and made me smile.

This same friend contributes to a blog I like called Segullah and she wrote an article called How to be Happy that I thought was interesting. Included in hers was a link to a separate article by Wendy Ulrich PhD entitled Harvesting Happiness. In her article, she lists things we can do to find greater happiness and one that I wanted to point out was gratitude. I recognize in my own life the effect showing gratitude has on me and my family. I have had countless experiences where recognizing blessings has brought me peace, joy and a feeling of contentment with everything around me. Truly. 

(On a side note, she talks about a new area of psychology that studies the positive and not the negative. She says, "positive psychology has developed on the premise that the pursuit of happiness deserves at least as much scientific attention as learning how not to be miserable." Isn't that fabulous?!)

So my mind has been occupied with the idea of choices. I believe so much of what makes us happy or miserable, content or disappointed, calm or upset is determined by choice. I am not saying that our choices or the choices of others and their consequences are the sole determinate, but rather how we respond. Try and follow my train of thought on this. During the course of your day, if something occurs that is bothersome, how do you handle it? It could be something small like misplacing your keys or a phone number. On the other hand, it could be much bigger like you or your spouse losing their job. Obviously either of these situations aren't going to make you feel happier, but do they really have the power to effect us like they do? Or do we choose to let them effect us? You see what I am getting at? We have a choice.

A dear friends' husband lost his job recently. I was amazed (as I always am) at her perspective and ability to stay positive and hopeful through everything. She is the kind of person I want to be more like. She has helped me to see things clearly when my own vision is clouded by sadness, frustration or disappointment or even pride. (Thanks Fifi!) 

So I am determined to try harder, no... I am going to do better at choosing happiness in my own life. After all, I have a choice.

A Little Something to Help Someone Else

The Love Swap of 2009

I got this link from a friends' blog and I thought you might be interested. I know if I lived in UT I would definitely be there. My mom has friends who are part of motherswithoutborders and I know this is a fabulous organization worth getting involved with. So check it out and get involved by buying yourself a sassy new piece of clothing.

Garden Blog

Before leaving Utah, I had a pretty lovely little garden I was blessed to call my own.  I would spend many hours in it whenever the weather permitted and sometimes when it didn't. It was my haven, my Eden, mine. 

Here in Baltimore I don't have that. There is a "green" space next to our rowhouse where grass and groundcovers grow, sort of. The landlord has given me permission to do what I want with it, but with only one sure summer here I don't want to invest any money in it, only to leave it next year.

Here's the thing... Leaving Utah meant leaving my garden and I had decided the easiest thing to do was pack away that part of me until I had a home+garden again. Turns out it doesn't work that way. Being in the dirt, planting, pruning, digging and working is part of who I am. It's in my soul. It feeds my soul. I can't be without it. Now with springtime fast approaching I am itching to talk plants and designs and everything else to do with gardening. So I had the thought: I should start a garden blog! I would post links to resources I use and like. I could post pics (yours and mine) of plants and gardens with details/information. There is so much potential for sharing. What do ya think? It would be a place where we could talk about our ideas, problems and thoughts on gardening or anything else we can tie back to life and growing things. :)

This is my plan for now... I will give it a few days to marinate and come up with a name, meanwhile you guys need to give me something to write about. If you have questions, now's the time to ask them. If you want ideas for designing beds, pots or baskets or if you just want to talk about something else, let me know. I am not an expert but I am passionate about gardening/plants/life and I hope that makes up for anything I may not know.  Talk to me!

Claudio vs. (as Dwight would say) my fitness orb

I love my exercise ball. I love it. It might be my favorite piece of exercise equipment, second only to my running shoes. Well sadly today it bit the dust. Claudio, our crazy cat, put a claw through it. I am heartbroken. I know it looks okay, but it is not. The tear is small enough not to let all the air out, but when any pressure is applied, it deflates rapidly. There is another smaller puncture that is likely to grow with pressure too. So birthday $ from my Grammy, that was going to something else, is now going to replace my ball. (I am going to try to patch it up, but the likelihood of it working is not great, so I must face the truth.) Anybody else ever resurrect a ball in this condition? How'd you do it? What did you use? Help!

Birthday cakes and birthday wishes

Yesterday was the big 33. Happy Birthday to me! I realized this week, I don't mind getting older, not one little bit. Yesterday was great. An easy, relaxing day and friends over for cake and ice cream at night. Can't get much better than that. This year I got a great gift from Jon. In addition to a set of gorgeous C&B dishes and a painting, he made my cakes! Not just one, but two cakes. And I have to say... He did a FABULOUS job!! Seriously he did a better job than I could have done.

First the painting (no title yet)... Jon says this pic stinks, but it was taken with my phone so deal with it. The piece is approx. 28x36. It's fabulous! I reminds me of Claudio Bravo's pieces we saw in Italy and I love it!

This is called "Sting of the Bee". A very tasty German cake with buttercream frosting and raspberry jam in the middle. I think there is like 2 lbs. of butter in this cake, but its worth every calorie.

This is a traditional 3-layer "German's Sweet Chocolate Cake"  with coconut pecan frosting. If you're a chocolate and coconut lover - which I am - this is the cake for you, just make sure you have milk.

Seriously amazing from an amazing guy! Love you babe!

PS... Thanks to everyone who wished me a "Happy Birthday". It really made my day! True story.