early Valentine's day

Daniel and I have a habit of always giving Christmas, birthday, etc, presents to each other early. In fact, I can't remember the last time we gave them to each other on the appropriate day. So tonight I got my very early Valentine's day gift.

The box and card

Close-up of the beautiful bow that Daniel tied himself! I was so impressed that I had to take pictures!

TA DA! My very own spoon bracelet. Basically, a bracelet made of the ends of 2 antique spoons. I have been wanting one of these for a long time.

My face after I saw it (not really. I promise my chin isn't that huge!)

So Daniel is happy because he doesn't have to think about Valentine's Day anymore (he described it as "trying to outsmart Cupid") and I have my spoon bracelet. And they all lived happily ever after.

Food for thought

"It's who you are and the way you live that count before God; your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That's the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship."
-JOHN 4:23-24

I found this verse on the back of an old Christian band t-shirt I found and I looked up the verse in my Bible. The words are much different but this modernized verse really makes me feel good.

The high for today is 24 degrees!

This morning I skipped all of my classes because if MTSU thinks I am going to walk for any extended period of time in 7 degree, negative 5 degree windchill weather they are sadly mistaken!

"A good name is better than fine perfume, and the day of death better than the day of birth."-ECCLESIATES 7:1

I am so happy that my Nonnie is in a better place with the Lord. I know she is up there with my Mema and they are both looking down on me and smiling. I would give everything I own to have them both back and healthy but by the grace of God I know I will see them again someday.

“As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so a life well spent brings happy death.”

-LEONARDO DA VINCI

“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many tomorrows.”

-POPE PAUL VI

Inspired by Katherine...Why I do the things I do.

1. Read! Being named after a princess in a sci-fi novel was my first taste of "literature." I can remember being a kid and making my mom read me the same books over and over again. I started reading stop signs and street names when I was 3 years old. The "Baby-Sitter's Little Sister" books or the "Karen" books as I called them were my favorites. There were something along the line of 150 Karen books and I owned nearly every one of them. My dad is a reader and so I guess I got a lot of that from him. He always had sci-fi books lying around the house but my top favorite types of books are 1) classic lit and 2) chick lit. Reading a funny chick lit book about an overweight British girl trying to find a good man makes me realize that everyone has problems, and reading about Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter makes me realize my problems aren't as bad as they seem.


2. Shop! A lot of this came from my Nonnie, my dad's mom. She always had millions of clothes in her closet, way more than she could ever wear, and every July we would go school-clothes shopping. My best friend Lauren and I used to get matching outfits from the Limited Too. I remember in particular one horrid pink and orange sweater with pink shorts to match....ick! When Lauren and I got old enough to make our own money we started having competitions about who could get the best bargains and we still text message each other bragging about how much our latest shopping spree cost. Shopping is like reading...it makes me feel like I'm in a different world. Even if I can't afford to buy the clothes, I can still be the princess in a ball gown, the stylish city girl in designer clothes, or the tall girl in a pair of stilettos for a few minutes.

3. Nanny! My mom was a Mother's day out teacher for a long time and she used to take care of Lauren and her brothers at our house. But maybe I just have a big maternal instinct. I loved taking care of Henley while we lived in Memphis and I love watching the girls I watch now. It's amazing to me how smart kids are and how fast they learn... and how FUNNY they are! I told one of the girls I watch the other day that the wig she was wearing made her look like Cher and she said "Who?" I about died. Kids are so much fun because they teach you so much.


4. Last but not least... cook! Cooking is something I've just started in the past year. Mostly I am perfecting my cakes, cinnamon bread, cookies, and other sweet stuff, but I've started cooking meals too. I can make a mean Sloppy Joe! I love spending time in the kitchen watching my little TV using my mixer, food processor, and oven. It's so relaxing. Where that came from I have no idea. My mom's mom never served anything that didn't come out of a can and my mom thought an eggplant was a squash. So the cooking knowledge isn't built-in, but it's getting there. :)

"Bart, with $10,000, we'd be millionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things like...love!"-HOMER SIMPSON

Today I traded in some old DVD's and got The Last Samurai, Domino, The Stepford Wives, and Ray. Also, the premiere episode Nip/Tuck Season 5 Part 2 aired tonight and it was really good. Plus Daniel found a video game he has a) been trying to remember the name of for a week and b) since then been looking for in every video game store within 50 miles. Today was good. :)

"Another fresh new year is here . . . Another year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, To love and laugh and give!" -WILLIAM ARTHUR WARD

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
I moved out of Memphis like I always said I would!

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I usually don't make them. This year I am making one to eat better. We'll see :)

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Nichole had Christian in March! And an old friend of mine had a baby girl and our friend Joy found out she's pregnant.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
Thankfully, no.

5. What countries did you visit?
None, but I did go to Panama City Beach and NYC and both were awesome.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Better health and a better state of mind

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
Election Day, both my vacations, the day I brought the cats up from Memphis and Gemma meowed for 4 hours straight, and this will probably be the winter Daniel and I describe to our kids as the winter we spent in our bedroom with the cats because we were too poor to turn on the heat! :)

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Getting out of Memphis!!

9. What was your biggest failure?
Not convincing Daniel to get me a dog. Hahaha

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Well, I was diagnosed with dysthymic depression and an eating disorder but thankfully no injuries for Daniel or I.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
I vaguely remember saying, "This is the most worthwhile thing I've ever spent my money on!" and really meaning it but now I can't remember what that thing was! :(

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?
My brother's! He voted. I was really proud of him.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
Casey's, and a certain right-wing politician.

14. Where did most of your money go?
Rent, electric bills, and car notes. Oh, and clothes :)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Obama winning the election, getting a great new job, deciding to go to grad school.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Probably "Shout Out Loud" by Amos Lee.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) happier or sadder?
happier!
b) thinner or fatter?
thinner. But I am trying to gain.
c) richer or poorer?
probably a lot poorer. Who isn't?

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
Going out with friends

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Calorie counting

20. How did you spend Christmas?
At home in Memphis

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Only with my new nephew Christian! :)

22. What was your favorite TV program?
Nip/Tuck, as always.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nah. I have moments of hate, but not too many.

24. What was the best book you read?
Definitely the Twilight series

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Amos Lee, his old music and new.

26. What did you want and get?
I wanted a new cat and got her! That was in January though.

27. What did you want and not get?
Uhh, a brand new car, my own house, a million dollars?

28. What was your favorite film of this year?
Either Transformers or I Am Legend.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I worked and then went out to dinner. 21 baby!!

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Winning the lottery! Or having all my family move to Nashville with me!

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Not me.

32. What kept you sane?
Music, as always.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Still the guy who plays Nick Stokes on CSI. Ahhh...

34. What political issue stirred you the most?
There are a few.

35. Who did you miss?
My old self. But I like the new me better

36. Who was the best new person you met?
I didn't really meet all that many new people. I can't think of anyone in particular

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.
Don't believe everything you see.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
"I'm looking through you, where did you go?
I thought I knew you, what did I know?
You don't look different, but you have changed
I'm looking through you, you're not the same
Yeah! Oh baby you changed!"
-The Beatles