And the winner is……

August 31, 2012 Leave a Comment

Thanks to the 2 of you who commented for the chance to win one of my 8″ x 8″ albums. I’ve picked a winner at random.

And the winner is…….

Eva Halloween!

“Ha, one thing I adore about southern California is that we are in sweaters and scarves at the first sign of a grey sky, even if it’s weather that the rest of the country would be celebrating in short sleeves. I already have my boots and “cold weather” coats lined up! :-)“ 

Eva, please email me at writecraftbe@gmail.com with your album choice and I’ll send it on out to you.

Thanks for playing!

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Day 22: Where do I see myself in 5, 10, 15 years?

August 31, 2012 Leave a Comment

If I were to have been asked this same question at 22, my response probably would have been being a newspaper columnist for a major paper by the time I’m 40. Get married by 30 and have 2.5 children. The usual.

And then, I went into real estate a short time after graduation and was in the field almost 10 years. I’m also not married, nor have children. This is definitely not where I saw myself back then! Am I happy though about my choices? Yes.

Asking me these questions now makes me laugh. Granted, it’ll be nice to look back on , but life is almost never what you imagine it to be. Never.

Where do I see myself in 5, 10, 15 years though? Positively speaking, I see myself in……

5 years: 

  •  Being married and having children.
  • Running a business.
  • Probably still helping out my elderly parents.
  • Frequently taking vacations, whether they be small or large.
  • Not struggling with my weight anymore.

10 years: 

  • Still married and raising kids.
  • Meeting my goal of a vacation to Europe or Egypt.
  • Probably still helping out my elderly parents.
  • Taking a missions trip with my church.
  • Running a business.

15 years: 

  • Still married and raising kids.
  • Helping out at least one elderly parent.
  • Taking frequent vacations.
  • Running a successful business.
  • Conquering the world. ;)

This got me thinking about what my life was like 5, 10 and 15 years ago. It’s too bad that my scanner’s on the fritz, or I’d show pictures also!

5 years ago, I was: 

Yes, it’s a weird pic, but I like it. :)

  • Working in real estate still; The economy was starting to go south, so I received a pay cut literally this month 5 years ago.
  • A new member of my homeowners association board. The President who appointed me resigned when I stood my ground over an issue. I still have the email somewhere that stated that he quit due to me. I never knew I had so much power!
  • At my great aunt’s 90th birthday party in that stinkin’ hot church.
  • Hosting my first house guest. My friend from Memphis came out to Cali and we spent a few days together.
  • Still using my film Canon Rebel. I guess that literally makes me one? :) I was taking family portraits for dirt cheap.
  • Working on my small business during the holidays. I would participate in craft shows selling Christmas cards and gift tags and would make a killing.

10 years ago, I was: 

  • Working in real estate. That was a good year, as I got 3 raises.
  • Buying a new car, my Honda.
  • In my sister’s wedding.
  • at 2 family get-togethers. My great aunt said she was holding her last one ever-and stuck to her word. :) There was also a get-together a few months later to celebrate her birthday.
  • Heavily involved in my church’s singles ministry.

15 years ago, I was: 

  • Finishing up college.
  • A copy editor on my school paper.
  • Dating Matt. Nice guy, but no connection. I was happy to connect with him later on Facebook and see that he’s happily married with kids.
  • In the midst of moving drama.
  • taking a trip to Brianhead, UT, to go skiing. Beautiful spot.

It’s amazing to look back and see where you’ve been and where you’d like to go.  Here’s to memories, but better yet, here’s to the future.

 

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A sordid confession…..

August 30, 2012 2 Comments

I have a confession to make. It’s kinda sordid, so please don’t tell.

I like politics. GASP!

I got to thinking about this the other day when doing my reading of a local blog. I may not always agree with them, but I respect the fact that they make local politics interesting again. :) It’s almost like an addiction reading that thing! Before reading, I always thought my interest in politics wasn’t that high.

And then, I was proven wrong.

What brought about this change? Was it my Political Science minor in college that emerged from my psyche to be of some use? Nah.

Was it the fact that I basically grew up with political junkie parents who took me precinct walking with them when I was little? Nah.

What was it?

The fact is, I like to stay informed. Whether it be useless information found on TMZ or information pertinent to my life, I like to know what’s going on in my world.

Political coverage can be boring to read or listen to. I like a format that’s engaging and also has good, solid writing. Even though I feel that I want to sock them after reading some posts, I applaud them for helping to make politics interesting for me again. I applaud them for the fact that I do get angry after reading some posts.

Thanks for listening to my confession. Shhh! Don’t tell!

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Hey Ma! Look what I found on Pinterest!

August 30, 2012 Leave a Comment

This week’s Pinterest inspiration focuses on gifts. I love a good gift like everyone else. Even more than that though, I love presenting a creatively packaged gift. Don’t you?

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com

I’ve been seeing doilies on gift bags for awhile now. They’re a cute way to seal the gift up, as this one cutely does. And if you look closely, you’ll see the whole gift is put in a brown paper bag. Cost effective and resourceful to boot! I need to try this sometime!

Source: justmakestuff.com

Pinterest says this is from the above blog also, but I know in fact that this is from another awesome blog I read. Okay, what a great idea this whole basket is. This is probably the most awesome housewarming gift in the history of housewarming gifts! How useful! (And the tag is cute too. :) ) I love it!

Source: michaelannmade.com

I’ve seen this before on other packages and totally have to try it one day. It’s a nice touch on maybe a shower gift or a wedding gift.

It’s fun to peruse Pinterest. Now the question is, will I ever use what I find on there or hoard all the ideas? :)

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Day 21: If I had a superpower, what would it be and what would I do with it first?

August 29, 2012 Leave a Comment

I could have fun with this one! I could fly through the air, give myself a zillion bucks, or make my dream husband appear out of thin air. Instead though, I’d choose something much more fun.

I’d want to have the ability to move objects with my mind-telekinesis. No matter where I was, no matter the circumstances, this would be fun!

I can only imagine the possibilities with this. Forget something at a friend’s house? Consider it brought home! Play a joke on someone and move their TV? Done!

I know I’m downplaying this, but consider the fun!

Filed Under: 30 things

Day 20: Three significant memories from childhood

August 28, 2012 Leave a Comment

This won’t be a therapy session. Trust me!

I’d have to say that 3 significant, non-therapy inducing memories from childhood are:

  • Family get-togethers: 

This 1970s concoction of greatness left a significant impact on me for many reasons. My dad’s side of the family had get-togethers every summer for my great-grandfather’s birthday. Aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins and even my mom’s side of the family were invited to come to these birthday parties. We’d be in the backyard all day eating baked beans and having ice cream with the blueberries grown in Great Grandpa’s backyard. These get togethers continued until 1982. (Great Grandpa died in 1983.) Granted, we still found reasons to get together after that, but not consistently each summer. These get-togethers  were a significant memory because the adults modeled how important family is. A second cousin echoed this when I put this picture up on Facebook and wished his young twins could experience what we did as kids.

  • My father doing the wiring himself for our new home addition: My parents added probably 500 square feet on to their house in the ’80s. My dad, who was a supervisor of the electronics department for a major school district, did the wiring himself. It would have been silly to farm out the job, considering Dad was perfectly qualified to do it himself. This was a significant memory because it taught me young to be prudent fiscally and do what you can always. Never farm out to others what you can do yourselves.
  • Going to Concerts in the Park with my friend Robyn: Robyn’s family had a wonderful tradition of attending the concerts in the park each summer. Being that we were best friends, I’d always tag along. I remember having dinner in the historic park and also asking her dad (RIP) if we could go to the used bookstore. Robyn’s family in the area would also come to these concerts. I think this left an impact on me because it showed me that kids need tradition like this. Kids need to remember those fun occasions with their families.
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Day 19: Where would I like to live? Why?

August 27, 2012 Leave a Comment

I remember taking a houseboat trip almost 20 years ago with the singles group I was involved in through my church. We were on New Melone’s Lake after a great rainfall that year. It’s a beautiful lake that I really enjoyed getting to spend time on.

Source: gocalaveras.com

The feeling was totally mutual among the 60 of us. I remember one guy joking to his fiancee before dinner, “BABE! See that house up there?  I’ll move in there when we get into a fight.” It was a gorgeous mansion that overlooked the scenic, peaceful lake. It’d be a great place to cool off!

Even though I enjoy where I live now and have that beautiful, scenic lake across the street from me at the local park, I’d still love to find a home where I could overlook this peacefulness on a daily basis. I need peace. I love the aura of peace.

How soon would it be though before I’d get sick of it?

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Day 18: The most difficult thing to forgive

August 26, 2012 Leave a Comment

I was debating what to do for this post. I could bring up a situation that angered me for awhile and talk about that.

Nah.

Instead, I’ll just say this. I’m possibly the kindest person to ever exist. I don’t get angry that often. I forgive easily. Hate is a terrible thing to hold onto. I would rather move on and live my life fully and completely instead of mulling over the past.  There is one thing though that takes me awhile to forgive.

Cruelty.

Thank goodness I’ve not had many instances of this rearing its ugly head. It has, of course, but they haven’t been so bad as to sear a scar in my heart.  There was one situation though that I won’t discuss. All I’ll say is that it was mean. I handled it, but it took me awhile before I could forgive the person.

I know that many others would agree when saying this is one of the most difficult things to forgive. Cruelty can take on many different forms, and I know that I am blessed to say that this was an incredibly mild form compared to what others have experienced.

Life is a series of lessons. I believe that each one leaves a positive mark on our soul that can teach us how to act the next time around-including cruelty. (I know that some cruelty is out of our control. I call that evil, which is a different post all together. I’m not talking about that.) We can make a choice to learn from those lessons or repeat them. I choose to learn and move on.

What is your choice?

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Livin’ in the moment……

August 25, 2012 Leave a Comment

Stealing this from Ali Edwards. Loving this new Jason Mraz single! I think we can all use these words of wisdom, especially yours truly….

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Day 17: What do I wish I was great at?

August 25, 2012 Leave a Comment

I wish I was great at being creative with what I cook.

(For those that know me, don’t fall over in shock, please.)

I have the cookbooks. I like to eat. Why in the heck am I not a gourmet cook? What hasn’t the late, great Julia Child channeled herself through me to create gourmet masterpieces?

I like it quick. I like it fast. I also don’t cook Mexican food like my favorite restaurant.

I think I’m like a lot of America when I say this. Why cook when McDonald’s is there? Maybe that’s why this country has such an obesity epidemic.

I’ve been told that the key to losing weight is to cook for yourself more. It sort of makes sense. I bet the calories we make for ourselves doesn’t even compare calorie wise to a meal at McDonald’s. However, we can make something equally calorically high at home.

It’s not as if I don’t enjoy a sale at Williams Sonoma. I have cookbooks. Why don’t I use them?

Why not?

Stay tuned dear blog readers for some cooking greatness!

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