Every Day is a New Adventure

Favorite Things Friday

2012-03-09T06:12:00.000-06:00

Why, hello there, you lovely person, you! Yes, you. The one reading this blog. Tell yourself you're beautiful (or handsome, for you manly men out there) right now, because it's true.

I don't know if it's the fact that I stayed up all night last night, or the sunshine and decent weather, but I'm feeling especially content/happy today. Sort of at peace, ya know?

Because of that, I've been able to really enjoy the simple things today. I'm going to share my favorites with you on this Favorite Things Friday.

1. The sunshine on my back as I walk down the street. Sunshine is such a wonderful thing. I think I really took it for granted before I moved out here to Europe and experienced almost 4 straight months without it. I will never take it for granted again.

2. Music. What an amazing thing, right? Music finds ways to express things that words alone cannot. I just love it so much!

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3. Birds chirping. I don't know about you guys, but there is seriously something so cheerful about listening to the birds outside my window. It just screams, "Spring is coming!"

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4. Short conversations with family. I was able to talk to my dad for a few minutes early this morning, and I'm so glad. I have really missed my family lately, so it was nice to have those moments.

5. That feeling. It's so hard to explain. I just feel... happy. I feel an overwhelming love for Mike. I feel an overwhelming love for my parents. I probably look like an idiot, wandering around smiling for no apparent reason, especially here where no one smiles as they're walking down the street.

The Do's and Don'ts of Photo Editing: Part 1

2012-03-08T08:53:00.003-06:00

Whudup. Yo. A-deezy in the heezy fa sheezy.

Gangster moment over.

Oh, the totally made-up word from yesterday is basically the word for the vehicle that a soccer mom uses to tote all her kids around and run errands.

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Okay, so I've been asked to do some Photoshop (which will be known from here on out as PS) tutorials, but I ~~am to lazy to~~ can't figure out how to get my computer to record what I'm doing. This may be a good thing, because I don't want to accidentally post videos of myself looking up pictures of pokemon and have you guys wonder what the heck I do in my free time.

Until I ~~stop being so dumb~~ figure out how to use my computer, I have compiled a list (complete with pictures) of do's and don'ts in photo editing. Note: I'm not a professional photographer, I'm not a professional editor. I am, however, pretty skilled where PS is concerned. No, I don't have a degree in it. I taught myself everything I know. If that discredits me as a resource in your eyes, go ahead and stop reading. Thanks!

DON'TS

1. Spot Color. UGH. Please - this makes me cringe. Yes, I am guilty of it - long, long ago in my "Picnik" days. You may think that this "enhances" your photo. Umm no. Maybe it enhances my fear of or disgust with your photo, but no. It does not make your photo better. Having only your eyes blue or brown looks stupid. Having a random blotch of your photo colored looks stupid.
I'm sure there are 1 or 2 cases out of every 1,000,000,000 where spot color works, but generally it's just a bad idea that should be flushed down your brain toilet the second it pops into your head.

all of the above images via

2. Random cut and pastes. This one can't be done in Picnik (thank goodness), so it's not as common, but once you learn how to use PS, please promise me that you will never do this. Please.

all photos above via

3. Too much airbrush. We've all seen it, and we've all probably been guilty of it at one point or another. You know, the second you saw the airbrush tool on Picnik. You thought, Great! Now I can get rid of all my fine lines, wrinkles, and blemishes! Getting rid of that stuff is fine, but there is a point where it's just too much. I mean, faces have line, people!! That too much - it's about the point where you no longer have pores or any sign of aging. Oh, and your face looks drawn on and totally not even real.

4. Over-editing (specifically the over-use of actions). See, in PS there are these things called actions. In Picnik, they are the little pre-made edits like cross-process, vibrance, etc. Those things are fine. Great, even. But once you can't see the picture, you've gone a little overboard. (Edit: After Megan's comment, I had to re-over-edit this photo... I hadn't over-edited enough! haha, shows you how much I hate it.)

5. Over-use of textures. Textures are freakin' cool, and they can make a great photo even more rockin'. The fact is, though... that if you over-use them, your photos will look silly. People. There is a place where you cross the line and "too much" happens.

That's all for now! I think I will have to have another post with more "don'ts," because I have quite a few that I didn't touch on at all!!

Questions w/ Gentri & an Announcement!!

2012-03-07T17:24:00.000-06:00

No! I'm not pregnant.

I am really excited, though.

I'll tell you why in a minute. First, I wanted to link up with Gentri just so that I could answer her questions. They were so unique that I just had to expose you all to my awesome answers.

Although... she took it to seven. Not five... so it hurts a little bit to do this. :)

1. If you could only eat savory or sweet things for the rest of your life, which would you choose- and why?
Savory. I love me some sweets, but I could never live without things like JIF peanut butter, steak, or bratwurst.

2. Would you rather live in the ocean (underwater), in the sky (on a cloud), or in space?
Have I ever told you all that I wish I was a mermaid? well... I totally do. I would kill to live underwater.

3. Desert, Mountains, Plains, or Tropics?
Mountains. I've lived on the plains all my life, and I think they are beautiful, but I love the mountains more.

4. Would you rather live with chronic pain or the worst pain you can imagine for 24 hours?
Hmmm, let's see here. I'm planning on having kids, and I've heard that's pretty painful. As long as I was guaranteed survival, I would choose the terrible pain for 24 hours.

5. If you had to repeat one of these again, which would it be? Preschool, Elementary, Jr High/ Middle School, High School, College.
Ugh. Do I have to choose? Well, if I do, I'll do... college (as long as I don't have to pay again).

6. Tribal, Floral, Stripes, or Polka Dots?
Tribal.

7. Are you right handed or left handed?
I'm totally not unique in any way and am right handed. Go me.

It's a rule that you have to post a silly picture of yourself, so here it is:

And the moment you've all (okay, maybe only some of you) been waiting for:

I have a new design blog.

And... the 25% off sale is going until Friday. Or Saturday. Or something. I can't really remember. But take advantage of it!

Germans Wash Their Trash [& Other Things]

2012-03-07T08:19:00.002-06:00

Hey party people!

scarf: won from Ma Nouvelle Mode

jeans: alloy shoes: TOMS

sweater & shirt: F21

First: I know this Kony 2012 thing is going viral, but I think it's a really good message, and this is a man (among many others) who needs to be stopped. Let's raise awareness, okay? Watch this video if you need to know who Joseph Kony is. You will be disgusted, and probably want to hunt him down to punch him in the face (or worse).

Second: Ever wanted to learn a really long, slightly ridiculous, completely made-up German word? You have? Okay, here it is:

Berufsmutternachzuchttransportkastenwagen.

I will let you guys stew over its possible meanings and make the big reveal tomorrow.

Third: I have a story to tell you about Germans. Now, something you all should know about Germans in general is this: they are incredibly detail-oriented, and really anal about keeping things picture perfect. They also like to "lecture" if they see you doing something that they don't approve of. I don't have a problem with this - it's simply a part of the culture.

You should also know that they have a very intense (at least to a wasteful American like myself) trash system, the details of which I will spare you. Just know that there is no such thing as a garbage disposal here, and that everyone has like, 5 different waste disposal containers on their driveway. The main point of the story is this: Germans "wash" their trash.

You think I'm kidding? I swear to you - I'm not. Just a couple of weeks ago, our landlord came down and "lectured" us on having too much "Restmüll" (the trash that goes to a dump site as opposed to some sort of recycling plant). I smiled and told him that we were silly Americans and would try to be better. Well, apparently we have gotten better at cutting down our "Restmüll," but that wasn't good enough!

Just last night, my incredibly uptight but oh, so lovable German landlord knocked on our door. I opened, wondering what we did wrong. He informed me that today was "Gelbe Sack" day, so if I had any trash I should bring it up. Then he turned around and said, "Oh, and you should start rinsing your trash before you throw it away." Say wha?! It's trash... I throw it away because... it's trash! Who cares if your trash is dirty?! Isn't that kind of the point of trash?

Moral of the story is this: In a society where a tiny scratch on a car is the end of the world, it is appropriate to wash your trash before throwing it away. The End.

Your Questions Answered! [Part 2]

2012-03-06T00:08:00.002-06:00

Howdy!

If you missed Round 1 of the question answering, you can see it... here.

I'm hoping to answer the rest of the questions in this post. Here goes nothin'!

1. Christie from Ma Nouvelle Mode: What is your favorite book of all time (or books if you're like me and have a hard time choosing)?

A: Hmmm. I think Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand is my all-time favorite book. I'm normally not too into that type of book, but I have read it 3 times now, and it just keeps getting better.

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On the totally opposite side of the spectrum, give me anything Nicholas Sparks and I'm a happy girl. Ya know, I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to books - I just love to read!

2. Kylie from Love Always: Out of all the places you've been in the world, which is your favorite and why?

A: I sort of touched on this yesterday, but I mostly answered in terms of places other than the US. I'd have to say my favorite place I've been is Husker Stadium on Game Day. Wow. I'm lame. It's hard to get. If you're interested... you can read an essay I wrote on the atmosphere here. But... if you haven't lived it, you can't knock it down.

Close seconds are: the bridge over the railroad tracks near my hometown where you can feel the trains pass beneath you, Disneyland, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

3. Kassi from Truly Lovely: If you had to choose TODAY, what would you eat for your last meal?

A: Hmmm. Well, I would probably make it a steak dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy, mac'n'cheese, some tacos, salad with real ranch dressing, apples with JIF peanut butter, and some Vanilla Coke 0. Sound gross? Oh, well. You're not the one filling your belly with all that deliciousness!!

4. Kym from Bitty and Bunny: What things do you miss from America that you can't get in Germany?

A: Oh my goodness. Where do I begin? Pants that are long enough, for one... but normal people don't have that problem, so... moving on. Ranch dressing, anything Mexican, normal pizza (not this thin crust crap that you can't eat with your hands without getting weird looks) mac'n'cheese, JIF peanut butter, skittles, starburst, real potato chips, cheetos, taco bell, in'n'out, papa johns, real beef that doesn't taste like crap. Basically anything that makes you fat... I miss.

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Oh, ICE. And free water in restaurants. And free refills. And cups that a normal human (as opposed to a midget) would drink from.

Oh, and I miss my normal shampoo. I can't for the life of me find a decent shampoo that isn't 15 EUR a bottle. They also don't sell normal athletic socks here because they're freaks. There's probably more, but right now I'm drawing a blank.

5. B. from The Opposite of that: If you won the lottery today, what is the first thing you would do?

A: Pay off my student loans. Then pay for Mike's schooling. Then start a college fund for future babies with $10,000 in each. Then... buy a house. Then put the rest in savings. Okay, not gonna lie... I might buy a really cool tv and a whole new wardrobe somewhere in there.

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6. B. again: What would you name the autobiography of your life?

A: The Adventures of Abnormally Tall Alyx - How I Avoided Getting People Things from the Top Shelf and Other Stories.

7. B. again: What's the hardest thing you've ever done?

A: You mean besides forcing myself to eat carrots so Husband will let me have ice cream for dessert? Ummm. I guess that would probably be pulling a complete 180 and turning my life around. You can read about that here.

8. B. again (overachiever. ha!): What's your first memory of being really excited?

A: Hmmm. This one is kind of a toughy. I think I was maybe 4 or 5 - we were living in Germany at the time. My grandparents had come to visit, and I was able to convince my grandpa to take me to the bakery with him. I was so excited that it was just going to be the two of us, and even more excited when he let me order all by myself and helped me say, "Danke" to the lady at the counter. Almost 20 years later, I still get excited about German bakeries.

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9. Sarah from Shorelines and Sunshine and Sara from Sara in le Petit Village: What are you going to do after you leave Germany in July? Where do you think you will go?

A: Well, we're going to move to Buffalo, NY so that Mike can retake a semester of school there, then it will be off to *hopefully* Utah so that both of us can attend UofU. Who knows where life will send us, though?

Phew! Finished. Props if you stuck with me through that whole post. Hope you all learned a little bit more about me in the process!

March Madness [Sponsor Edition] Pt. 1

2012-03-05T13:47:00.000-06:00

HA! Bet you were all thinkin' basketball, weren't you?!

Allow me to introduce you to three of the lovely ladies on my sidebar this month. As always... click the pic!

when not to call 911. gift guides for nurses. nursing superstitions.

facebook. bloglovin'. pinterest.

Your Questions Answered! [Part 1]

2012-03-05T08:26:00.001-06:00

Yo!

It's your lucky day!!! You get to learn a little bit more about the girl behind the blog.

I decided to do a little Q&A session, and I got some really good questions. I thought I'd go ahead and answer them in today's post.
1. Alex from Ifs, Ands, & Butts: What are your favorite coding tricks you can share with us? A: Okay, so my favorite coding trick is probably how to do a navbar like mine at the top. Husband taught me how to make it look shaded whenever you hover over a certain part. Unfortunately, the code for that is really, really long, and I don't quite understand why you put every single part of it in there - I just know how to do it. I was explaining this to Mike the other night, and he had the bright idea that my blog shouldn't be about HTML/java/CSS tutorials, no siree. His should. So... he started a blog. And he's going to be sharing a new little snippet or tutorial each day. I've told him he'll need to do that one coming up soon, so look out for it! He's really thorough in the way he goes through things, though, so be prepared for that one to be LONG. No, seriously - it'll be longer than the line at walmart on Black Friday.
2. Erin from eef etc.: What made you want to start blogging?A: Ummmm. Hmmm. Well.... I started a blog a few years ago when I came to Germany to do an internship, but didn't stick with it and only wrote a few entries. I decided to take another go at it when I found out I got the Fulbright and we moved out here. I didn't really know there was a blogging community when I started, and intended to just write boring stuff for my family to read, but then other people started reading, and all of a sudden, I had 40 random followers, and no idea where they came from or why they cared about what I was writing. I started blogging to keep in touch with family, but I love that it's morphed into this place where I have friendships and stuff.
3. Erin from eef etc.: What is your favorite place that you've traveled? A: Oh, man. If we're talking Europe, hands down it is Prague. It is by far the most beautiful city I have ever laid eyes on, and I loved it.

I am, however, more of a beaches and sunshine girl, so Dominican Republic could probably tie it if we're talking worldwide travel.

4. Courtney from From Here to Eternity: What made you decide to go to Europe? A: Well... I hadn't applied to grad school and still wasn't really sure what I wanted to study. About a week before the deadline, a professor told me about the Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Germany. I love Europe and I love Germany, so I decided to apply. I wrote some essays, got some recommendations, turned in the app seconds before the deadline, and voila. I was notified in January that I was a finalist, then notified in March that I had been awarded the grant. Husband and I moved out here in August, and will stay until July.

5. Anna from The Days When I'm Not a Nurse: What's the secret to life? A: Bahahahaha! I am totally as wise as a buddhist monk, so good job asking me this. I mean, really. My answer to this question will change your life. Forever. In a really big way (can you tell I'm stalling, trying to think of an answer?). I guess all I can think of is... do what makes you happy. Don't compare your situation to other people's (gosh I suck at that one), and don't do something just because you feel obligated to do it. Love without limits, don't be afraid of failure or disappointment, and treat other people the way you want to be treated. Exercise regularly, but don't be too much of a health freak. Make new friends, meet new people. Try one new thing a month (or more often if you're a daredevil). And my personal success tips: eat lots of chinese and italian food, stay away from mustard and pickles, only eat carrots when your husband forces you to, keep a large supply of JIF peanut butter and macaroni and cheese around, invest in a cat with opposable thumbs, and wear sweats as often as possible.
So.... I'll leave it at that for now, and answer the rest of the questions in another post!
And... if you have any more questions, you can still send them my way!!

Sunday Confessions Linky Party!

2012-03-03T20:35:00.002-06:00

Yello!

Folks, this is the 3rd week in a row that I have this up early enough for your pretty selves to link up. That is probably some sort of record. So... what are you waiting for!? Grab a button and link up!

1. I have not washed our duvet covers in... you know what, I'm not even going to tell you, because I'm embarrassed by how long it's been. Seriously. You don't even want to know. Spring cleaning, I promise I'll get to you eventually.

Instagram makes it look dirty...

2. I have been keeping a secret from you guys. No, I'm not pregnant! But... we are going on a trip! As a combined birthday present (my b-day + Mike's b-day), we have been given a trip to Scotland! I am so excited, and to be perfectly honest, that's the only thing keeping me going right about now. If I didn't have that to look forward to... I would be hopping the next plane to the good old USofA.

3. I [secretly] think ~~racist blonde woman~~ Asian jokes are funny. Jessica H., you'd better be reading this, because you're the reason I wrote that. Guys. Seriously. Watch this video and tell me it's not funny.

Warning: There's a bit of foul language toward the end (and, ya know, in the title).

4. I spend way too much time on certain websites. They are... here. here. and here. If you have a boring job, you're welcome.

5. I have become a blog design-aholic. If you're reading this and you need a new blog design, shoot me an email by March 10th telling me you read this post and I'll give you 25% off a design. *For some reason the layout type similar to mine has been super popular, so that's really all that's in my portfolio, but if that doesn't float your boat, don't worry - it's not the only thing I know how to do.*

PS: If you have any questions for me that you want answered, ask! I'm going to start answering them in tomorrow's post!

Dear 16-year-old Me (A letter)

2012-03-03T08:58:00.002-06:00

Yo (This is an ironic greeting... just read to the end).

One of my bloggy friends, Alana (who, coincidentally, is on my sidebar), wrote a letter to her younger self and is encouraging others to link up and do the same. I thought it was a pretty nifty idea and decided to take a hint from this video and write it to 16-year-old me (no, I don't have skin cancer).

So here goes.

Dear 16-year-old Me,

Let me start of by telling you that you really should have given the parental units an easier time over the past couple years - they're going to go through a lot of hard times and a lot of heartbreak here in a few years, and you are going to be plagued with guilt. Guilt that you can't be there for mom and dad, guilt that you can't fix things, guilt that you treated them the way you did when you were younger, guilt that you set the example that you did. You'll eventually remember, though, that it's not your fault and that we all have agency - we all make choices, whether they are good or bad ones.

Speaking of choices - girl, you will be offered $300 to be in a hair show, and you will agree. I wish you wouldn't. They chopped off 13 inches of your beautiful hair and dyed it platinum blonde. Do you know how hard you're going to have to work to grow those beautiful locks back out? So. not. worth. it. Actually, just quit getting bored with your hair, please, because you'll end up growing it back out, then just chopping 13 more inches off.

You're good at what you do, but you will never be the best. You'll do really well in forensics, but you will miss nationals by one point. This will really upset you and your partner, but it'll be okay. You will also do really well in swimming, but you will miss going to state by half a second. This will really upset you, but it'll be okay. You'll give the speech at your high school graduation, but Matt's will be better. This doesn't really upset you, because you're just happy to be done.

On a totally different note, you're a freaking idiot. You're going to spend a few years making really bad choices, setting a bad example, dating stupid guys, and breaking your parents' hearts. It's going to be really painful for you to take that step and change, and there will be people who hurt you and tell you that change is impossible. You know it's not, though, because you're going to.

Because of that change, you will meet your husband. He will walk into your life one day and you will never look back. He will love you in spite of yourself, and when people tell him that he's an idiot for marrying you, he will ignore them and stick by your side. He will become your best friend and the person you love most in the world. He will have amazing family members who love you, too. Oh, and he's tall, dark, and handsome, because I know that's all you care about right now.

Basically, you will always love pizza, chinese food, and having fun - none of that will change. You still hate pickles and mustard, although you've learned to tolerate carrots. Yeah, you've made bad decisions and you've made good decisions, but you are still you (just a better, smarter version of you). You still have not figured out that you are not a gangsta, you sort of miss playing the oboe and the flute, and you're now fluent in German. Just keep on living life - it will take you where you need to go.

16-year-old me: Don't change a thing. Except maybe the hair - change the hair.

Love,

23-year-old you.

PS: Don't forget to send in questions that you want me to answer! I'm going to start answering them on Monday.

Favorite Things Friday

2012-03-02T06:00:00.000-06:00

Hey there, hi there, ho there!

It has been a crummy week in these parts, filled with sickness, so no fun. But thank you all for your well wishes!

So... I've been toying with the idea of doing a little Q&A thing on this here blog, and I finally decided to just do it. Who cares if I only get one question, or no questions, or questions like, "Why is the sky blue?" I'll answer every question that I get, no matter how offensive, stupid, ridiculous, whatever. Here's how it'll work. You have a question, just leave it in the comments, or email it to me. Hopefully it'll be a way to share more of myself with you guys.

Anyway.

It's finally Friday. Thank the good Lord in Heaven above. Anyway, as per usual... it's time for my favorite things!

1. Learning new stuff from Mike. This dude has taught me a lot about HTML and Javascript (even though I can't for the life of me tell you which is which). I think he sometimes gets frustrated and just wants to take over the code stuff for me, but he's patient and helps me learn. Gosh, I love that guy.

2. Avon's Solutions Plus+ Total Radiance Thermal Cleanser. This stuff is freakin' amazeballs. Seriously. Actually the whole line of Avon Solutions is amazing, and they're all super affordable - this one is only $8.00! Yes, please. So amazing for super sensitive skin, too. And yes, I still use honey on my face.

buy it here.

3. Numbers. Have you seen that show? Husband and I love it. It's got the nerdy guy from my FAVORITE movie, 10 Things I Hate About You.

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4. Pillows. How awful would sleeping be if we didn't have pillows? Let me tell you - really freakin' awful. It's the little things, people!

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5. Cute animals. Dudes (slash sophisticated ladies). Hurry your little tooshies over to this site. You will be met with puppy dog eyes, baby seals, and cuddly kittens. If you have baby fever, this site will somehow manage to increase it exponentially while simultaneously making you want to run to the humane society and adopt every little critter in sight (except for lizards, because they're slimy).

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Happy Friday, and don't forget to send in your questions!

A Froggy Vlog.

2012-03-01T09:00:00.000-06:00

I'm on my death bed.

I wish I sounded like Kermit, but I don't.

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Maybe "dying cow" is more accurate?

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Or something else equally as disturbing?

You decide.

I said, "OH-EE-OH-EE-OH" (And Giveaway Winner)

2012-02-29T06:25:00.001-06:00

I said, Brrr... it's cold in here. There must be some bloggers in the blogosphere!I said, OH EE OH EE OH.BLOG, BLOG, BLOG! Yes, I watched [and liked] Bring It On. So sue me - I can't help it if I secretly wanted to be a high-flying, back-flipping, banana split-doing petite barbie doll clad in a short flouncy skirt and hideous tennis shoes. Isn't that something that every girl wanted at some point in their childhood?
Too bad for me, though. Instead I'm a giant who can't even do a cartwheel without falling on my butt. Ah, such is life. I would say something like, "At least I can reach stuff on the top shelf," but have you seen those girls jump? They're like little super human flying ninja monkeys [they can kick really high, too].

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I don't know how I just did an entire post on cheerleaders... because I totally didn't mean to. But I did, and dang it, you are going to like it [okay, you don't have to]!
Anyway, hope you all are having a fabulous day, and in honor of my cheerleading post, I'm just going to show you a bunch of pictures of stuff I wish I could do [not limited to being a super human flying ninja monkey].
So I guess this would be.... "Oh-ee-oh-ee-oh.... How Pinteresting." <--see how clever I am?!

We all know that I wish I was a ballerina.

I also wish I could be Belle at Disneyland, but according to Ali, they have height requirements, and I'm too tall. Ummm isn't that what affirmative action is for? I say down with tall person discrimination!!

I would LOVE to be on Broadway. Too bad I'm no Kristin Chenoweth.

I also wish I could channel my inner wangsta and learn to hip hop.

Scuba diving would be amazeballs.

Wish I could play for the Huskers. No, I am not a 12-year-old boy... Thanks for asking.

I wish I could go skydiving!

All image sources found here.

What do you wish you could do?
Happy Leap Day!!
Oh, and the giveaway winner was announced here. See if it's you!

February Love. Part 3.

2012-02-28T07:00:00.001-06:00

Happy Tuesday! Hope everyone had a fabulous start to your week. Can you guys believe that tomorrow is the last day of February? Where the heck did this month go?

Don't forget the giveaway that ends tonight!

Anyway, just thought I would take the time to shout out to the rest of my lovely sponsors who have not yet been featured. As always... click the pics!

my blog started out as a way to keep in touch with my college friends when we were apart. today my blog is my daily journal since i am too lazy to actually write in a physical journal. i blog just about everything and anything - my love for music, my religion, friends, crafting, my job, my travels, my heartaches, my triumphs, and what i'm going through. i also love the fact that i don't have to be gramatically correct. i've found a style that's all mine. i have met a lot of great ladies who inspire me to be better and that make me feel better about things in my daily life.

Who is that in your photo, and why do you love them?

the person in my photo is my dear brother, Allen. he recently returned home from serving an LDS mission (Baltic Mission). We have been best friends since i can remember. he is a strength to me and a great example of virtue, honesty, hard work, and a comedian. we always have a good time when we hang out. i love my brother and look up to him so very much.

My name is Sarah. I am the one behind The Fontenot Four! I am in love with God, my husband {Ron}, and my girls {Moira and Peyton}. I am a stay a home mom of two girls (7 and 5), the younger of which is special needs and is medically fragile. I started The Fontenot Four as an outlet for me to write about the blessings in my life. The good stuff. Nothing negative. I figured if I focused on the positive for a change, it might really help me work through life's challenges. I decided somewhere along the way that I could really use my blog to help people. I love to blog about the blessings in my life, my faith, the occasional book review, recipes from time to time, musings about my family, and so on. I also have a little knitting shop on Etsy!

Who is that in your photo, and why do you love them?

My husband and I have been married for almost 12 years. In that time we've gone through many many trials that a lot of couples never have to face - and some that a lot do. He loves me unconditionally and he is an amazing husband, supporter, encourager, and father.

Hi I'm Meg and my blog is henning love in which I love to feature step by step recipes, especially baked goods, a little bit of my fashion sense, some DIYs and my life with my husband and our two dogs. I love to get to know friends through my blog and looking forward to getting to know some more friends through my sponsorship of Alyx's blog this month.

Who is that in your photo, and why do you love them?

The photo is of my husband and I at a concert for his birthday last year. We have been married over 1.5 years and he is absolutely my best friend and who I love to be around more than anyone else. He is such a jokester, he makes my serious side of my personality lighten up and provides so much sunshine and laughter in my life.

facebook. pinterest.

Hello, readers of Alyx! I'm Haley Brianna and I blog over at Inspired Perspectives. I have an overwhelming addiction to photography and tend to carry three cameras with me at all times. I'm a teenage girl who adores Josh Turner and will end up marrying him despite his current relationship status.

One day, when I'm famous and become his new wife, you will be glad you stopped by my blog because then you can say I'm your friend and whatnot. I love the color yellow. Because that color describes my personality exceptionally well. I am a retired ice skater (just kidding, not retired, but.. I was forced to quit). I work at a gas station because that's definitely something to brag about, right?

I love blogging. So come on over and let's love blogging together.

Happy 6 Months to my Blog!

2012-02-27T07:53:00.001-06:00

Happy Blogiversary to ME!!!

Wow. It's been Six months since I started this blog. I had a "blog" before from a couple years ago, but it had like, 3 posts and no followers. I decided to give it another go and created this little gem.

I thought I'd show you how it's "grown up" over the months before anything else...

As you can see, it took some name changes and learning about designing to get to where it is now, but I think I'm happy with it.

I can tell you what I've learned about myself in the past 6 months.

1. I love to write, and I have a very unique writing style. I used to be really self-conscious about it, especially in my upper level English classes. Other people were using huge words and trying to sound as intelligent as possible, and then here I was - writing the way I talk, translating my exact self onto the paper. I've grown to love my writing style now, though, because it's different. It's not better, and it's not worse - it's different.

2. I LOVE to do design. Oh my gosh. Seriously. I never would have learned Photoshop and other Adobe products without this blog. I love it so much that it's hard for me to step away from the computer while I'm working on a blog design. I'm in the middle of a blog right now for someone who just went on a 3 week trip, and it's killing me to just leave her blog there unfinished!

3. I love the friendships that I have made. There are so many wonderful people out there, and I'm so glad that I've "met" all of you through this blog. I'm glad for the Skype "double" dates that we have with Ali and her husband. I'm glad for the real-life game nights that we have had with Daryl and her husband. I'm glad for all of the wonderful emails that I get from readers on a daily basis, and the friendships that have stemmed from those.

4. I have a weird thing about lists of five. Never would have known that if I didn't start blogging.

5. I apparently have lots of other weird things that I do. Most of which have been made public on the blog.

I can give you links to my 5 most popular posts.

1. Sunday Confessions from December 2011

2. Our Engagement Story

3. Favorite Things Friday from January 2012

4. Wedding Mishap of the Century

5. WIWW, SOPA & PIPA

And finally... I can tell you all THANK YOU.

Thank you for finding my blog. Thank you for reading my blog. Thank you for following my blog. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

Oh, and we all know that since you follow my blog, you're obviously awesome, so thank you for being awesome.

PS: You can still enter your awesome self in the giveaway here.

Sunday confessions Link-up.

2012-02-25T18:09:00.002-06:00

Heeeyyyyyy you guys!!!! <-- Goonies, anyone? I know I've used that greeting before, but lemme tell ya - it's so hard to come up with new ones. Seriously.

Anyway, it's Sunday! That means it's time for those confessions, so link up and tell your ridiculous secrets to the world.

1. I'm addicted to Words with Friends. I also find it hilarious to play words like "titty," "hooters," and "pee." I've had this app on my iPhone since forever... but just got into it. I think I was inspired by McKenzie's addiction. Psst... start a game with me: AlyxGarner

2. I found another way to enjoy Nutella. Okay, two more ways to enjoy it. I can eat it on my pretzels (yum!), or I can stuff my french toast with it (thanks to Sabrina for sending me every Nutella recipe she finds).

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3. I have no clue what to do with my life now that I'm done with the Hunger Games. I have gotten some good book recommendations from people, I just need to sit down and figure out where to start next!
4. I slept in until 2:30 p.m. 3 times last week. Yeah, you wish you had a life as lazy as mine. I also spent two entire days in my pajamas.

5. I may or may not be catching the fever... baby fever. Shhh... I don't want to talk about it - I'm in denial. But seriously... look at this random cute baby that I found in Google by searching "cute baby..." isn't it cute??

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PS: Enter the giveaway here.
Happy Sunday!!!

Mockingjay [Flammender Zorn] Thoughts.

2012-02-25T11:11:00.000-06:00

WARNING: This post contains spoilers. If you have not yet read The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, or Mockingjay, go to your local library and check them out, or go here, here, and here and order yourself the ebooks. If you have a Kindle and Amazon Prime, you can read the ebooks for free. Simply not reading these books is not an option.

[Insert District 12 Salute here.] <--yeah, I know I did that last time, but I'm a nerd, and I look so frickin' cool doing that in my brain. I'd probably look stupid if I did it in real life, which is why you get a picture of Katniss doing it, and not a vlog of me.

Anyway. Husband and I stayed up all night last night. Get yo mind out of the gutter. We were reading (and I was working on a blog design that I can't wait to show you all). We weren't just reading any ole books, though... we were finishing book 3 of the Hunger Games series. He was reading Mockingjay, I was reading "Flaming Rage" as it is so eloquently called in German.

Since we read it at the same time, I thought it would be interesting to do a joint blog post with my oh so sexy husband on how we felt about the book. You're welcome.

Mike's Thoughts:

Katniss, get out of the freaking hospital and go talk to somebody. You're gonna turn into a drug addict.

Oh, and at the end, I didn't like the whole "being burned by fire" thing and not actually winning the war. The rebels did it all. It would have been way better if she'd watched Prim die and then gone all hardcore and killed everyone in the mansion, including the president.

I mean, if Prim has to die, anyway. I don't think she should have died.

I think Gale should have died. But... not when he got captured. He shouldn't have gotten captured. He should have died protecting Katniss from the fire bombs or something, enabling her to go to President Snow.

Oh, and Katniss is a whiny little girl - she didn't really seem like a very good symbol for the Rebellion.

I was really hoping the truth about Coin would come out in the trial, and that she'd be exonerated for the right reasons instead of being insane. Then she'd be a hero instead of some lunatic who only wants to kill herself.

All that being said, I was ultimately happy with the ending and happy that she got together with Peeta - I just didn't like how she arrived there.

My Thoughts:

(first of all....) Ditto everything Mike said.

WHAT THE EFF! WHY DID FINNICK HAVE TO DIE?!

WHAT THE EFF?! WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT COIN?

Okay, FINALLY Katniss and Peeta are together. WHY THE EFF DID IT TAKE THIS LONG?!?

HOLY CRAP. SHE KILLED COIN INSTEAD OF SNOW!

Gale, I still don't like you.

Snow, you're a dirt bag.

HOLY CRAP. Those "Mutations" (I don't know what they're called in the English book) are frickin' terrifying.

Katniss - quit being all depressed and stuff.

NOOOOO PRIM!!!!! WHY DID SHE HAVE TO DIE?!

What the eff? One second Katniss is all hardcore and about to save the day, the next second she's in a drugged up stupor dreaming of dead people? Not a fan of that transition. Not a fan at all.

FINALLY. My life is complete - Peeta and Katniss are together.

Some of my Twitter thoughts from while I was reading:

Phew, Peeta is still alive. My life is now complete.

SAY WHAT?!?!?!? District 13, what the eff...

I'm on chapter 4, and so far... these people are freakin' crazy.

can someone with a british accent please do a vlog? I love british accents! (wait, that's not about Hunger Games, I just really want someone to do it...)

OMG PEETA!!! WHAT THE EFF. I WAIT FOR YOU ALL THIS TIME AND NOW YOU TRY TO CHOKE KATNISS?!?!? WHAT THE EFF, WHAT THE EFF!!!

I am seriously about to cry for peeta. Poor guy is off his rocker.

Katniss, you stupid skank. Gale is not for you, so quit makin' out with him just to get some. SHEESH.

ohmygosh. If Peeta and Katniss don't work this thing out, I am gonna be PISSED. Seriously. KATNISS, JUST ADMIT THAT YOU LOVE HIM!

As you can see... I'm a little more... expressive than Mike. He actually got mad at me because I was ahead of him and would randomly shout things like, "WHAT THE HECK?!" and "SERIOUSLY?!" and "OHMYGOSH!"

Have you guys read the series? How did you feel about the way it ended?

Favorite Things Friday

2012-02-24T02:43:00.000-06:00

Howdy, frans!
TGIF. No, seriously. Thank frickin' goodness it's Friday. This week just seemed to drag by for me. I'm so happy it's the weekend!
As you know.. Friday always brings along a sweet little list of my favorite things. This week, I'm going to do a blogger edition.
1. Gentri Lee's interpretation of Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games. Seriously! Gentri just started Esthetician classes, and she's already pretty amazing. Just look at the makeup she did as she interpreted Effie Trinket. So cool, right? Oh, and just to add to the awesome-ness... she recently started doing a Friday feature where she shares some of the cool stuff she's learned at school. Like... about waxing her nose and that fun stuff.

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2. Anything from Erin at Living in Yellow. Guys... I don't know if you follow Erin, but if you don't... you probably should. I almost always leave her blog chuckling to myself. Plus, it helps that she's a fellow mac'n'cheese lover.

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3. Cecilia's toucan shoes. Now... I only follow like, 2 fashion blogs (mostly because I have no hope of ever being as fashionable as those people, so I choose to just give it up), but you know I love me a good pair of shoes. shoes = my drug. So when I saw these puppies on Dearest Lou, I was smitten.

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4. This post by mah friend B. at Different Paths, Same Destination. Okay, so you may have guessed that I am pretty passionate about loving the skin you're in. Hadn't guessed that? Oh, well... now you know. I'm not going to rant about it right now - I'll save you. I don't really have a picture... you just need to read it, because it's that good.
5. The new "Pass it Forward" project by Ashley. You guys remember the movie Pay It Forward? Well, that's what this project reminds me of. It's such a cool idea. It's a simple way to brighten somebody's day (and maybe make you feel a little better in the process). There's this new website, www.spreadtheshine.com, and, according to Ashley, this is how it works:

Pass it Forward is designed around a card. Each card is given a unique ID number. Lets say we're at McDonalds, and I decide to pay for the person behind me in the drive through. I'd give the cashier the card, and tell them to pass it along to the next car when the give them the food that has been paid for. I then go home and log into the website that was on the card, and find my unique ID number. I log into it, and add my information... My first name, city, and a description of what I did....

Let's say the person behind me was you, you would pass it forward to someone else, and then would go home and do the same thing. From the very beginning, you will be able to track where your card goes, and how many people you affect just by doing one simple act of kindness.

This is what the card looks like, so be on the lookout for one of these puppies:

So... there you go! Those are a few of my favorite things from the blogging world this week.

What It's Like: The Awkward and Awesome of Being Bilingual.

2012-02-23T10:11:00.001-06:00

Hallo! Hello!

So... if you follow me on twitter, you would know that inspiration has not reared its pretty little head in a while, so I decided to do awkward and awesome with a little bit of a twist.

You all know that I live in Germany. I also speak German. I like to consider myself fluent, but then I always wonder what fluent is. Obviously I don't speak German as well as I speak English. Duh. It's not my native language. I figure, though, that if I can read 600 page novels and watch movies and carry on conversations without any difficulty, then I must be fluent.

Anyway.

Awkward:

1. Reading books like The Hunger Games in German, and then discussing them in English. I don't know how to translate those made-up words.

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2. Writing blog posts half in English, half in German. This happens quite a bit, people. I then have to go through and replace all the random German words that are dispersed throughout the post.

3. Sleep-talking in German. Apparently this happens.

4. Speaking Germenglish. This also happens. Quite a bit.

5. Going to other countries where they don't speak German or English, and automatically speaking German and expecting people to understand me. I guess since they're speaking a foreign language, my brain just automatically goes to the only foreign language I know. This happened in Italy - I'd ask, "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" People would say, "English, yes. German, no."

Awesome:

1. Reading books and understanding them. Ummm, how cool is this? I can look at a book in a totally different language, and understand it all!

2. Watching movies and understanding them. Again... how freaking cool, right!?

3. Thinking in 2 languages. My brain is kind of confused, apparently, but it's so cool to see how my brain thinks.

4. Dreaming in 2 languages. Sometimes I dream in German, sometimes in English. It's weird, but cool at the same time.

5. Being able to translate for people. I like that I can help other people to understand what's going on around them.

Happy Thursday, and if anyone finds Inspiration, send that sneaky little dude my way - I'm having "blogger's block!"

PS: You can still enter the giveaway here.

Bloody Eggs, Avon, & German Nosey-Pants. Oh, and Our Distorted Perception of Beauty.

2012-02-22T15:49:00.001-06:00

AHOY!!!

Let me tell you something about German eggs. They come in packages of ten (never 12), they sometimes come with feathers or dirt on them, and apparently they are sometimes disgusting and bloody. I am not okay with this. I don't think I'll be eating eggs for a few days.

I ordered some new stuff for my Gesicht ("face" in German). The wonderful and totally awesome Ali sells Avon, and I thought I'd give it a go. Maybe you remember my 99 cent German moisturizer mishap, maybe you don't. Basically, it made my forehead look like a pepperoni pizza for about a month. So... I ordered some new mild face wash to remove makeup and some moisturizer (that hopefully doesn't make your dog mistake me for his dinner).

German mail people are nosey-pants. I got my package with the Avon stuff in the mail today. It had been torn open and repackaged... in a plastic bag. At least it was all still there. No, German mail man, I am not smuggling drugs, thank you very much.

I have had the laziest week ever. I never work on Mondays, we had Tuesday off, I worked today, I have tomorrow off, and I work Friday. That's two days and approximately 5 hours of work, people. Go me.

Yesterday I was messing around with Photoshop, and thought I should enlighten you all. I am by no means an expert photo-shopper. I can, however, see that our society's visions of what is beautiful have been greatly influenced by the media - a media which relies VERY heavily on Photoshop. Let me show you a picture of Kiera Knightley (I think she has the most gorgeous face in the entire world, whether or not it's been photoshopped):

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Okay, do you think she ACTUALLY looks like that? Heck nah. Don't believe that half of her beauty comes from Photoshop? Let me show you a real life example:

Yes, that is me. Photoshopped. This is what magazines do, people. I didn't even change my facial structure or make myself lose weight (which they also do). THIS IS RIDICULOUS. And we wonder why 10-year-olds are suffering from eating disorders and have major self-esteem issues.

PS: Don't forget to enter the giveaway here.

WIWW, Giveaway Winners, and Another Giveaway.

2012-02-22T08:44:00.004-06:00

shirt: Vanity sweatshirt: F21 jeans: Piper's Closet for Alloy Shoes: TOMS watch: Fossil

linking up with The Pleated Poppy.

Aloha! We finally saw some sunshine and warmer weather today. It helped my mood drastically, so 1,000,000 points for God for knowing just what I needed.

In other news... one of my students said something hilarious today, and I meant to write it down, but then I forgot, and so this is really a pointless story - I just wanted you all to know that I did have a funny story for you guys at one point.

In even more other news... I want some colored pants. I saw some in a store window today and they were beautiful. And beautifully out of my budget.

And... the moment you've all been waiting for, the giveaway winners are posted here. Hint: If your name is Courtney you won the necklace, and if your name is Alana you won the mascara (Alana - it was fate).

And now I bring you the wonderful Kassi from Truly Lovely with another giveaway!!

************************************************************************************

How about some FREE Scentsy!!!

The winner of this giveaway will receive THREE Scentsy Scent Circles from Kassi's Scentsy inventory!

Kassi blogs over at Truly Lovely, FYI... :)

Scent Circles are a lovely smelling Scentsy logo with an elastic cord, to hang in your car, closet, lockers...

Pretty much anywhere you'd like to smell nice!

Scent Circles

TO ENTER the GIVEAWAY:

Fill in the Rafflecopter form below.

Sorry peeps, only open to U.S. residents.

If you can't wait and want to order some Scentsy ASAP please visit Kassi's Scentsy website here to place an order.

They ship anywhere in the U.S!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What I Want to be when I Grow Up.

2012-02-21T09:16:00.000-06:00

Hello there, fellow Blog-lovers.

I just read a really awesome story over here that basically says that we should love what we do so much that when we don't have to think about anything, it is what we think about.

Well... that got me to thinking. As a lot of you may or may not know, I'm done with college. I graduated with bachelor's degrees in German and Economics. Throughout college, I bounced around a lot, [officially] changed my major at least five times, and, consequently, changed what I wanted to be when I "grew up" at least that many times.

All of a sudden, about a month ago, it dawned on me. I want to teach high school. When that idea first popped into my head, I may or may not have checked my forehead to make sure I wasn't completely delirious and running a temperature of 105. I mean, who would willingly dive into the pool of psychotic, hormonal teenagers in the feeble attempts to teach them to love learning and knowledge? Umm, apparently me.

This experience has not been what I expected, and I've been kind of disappointed with they way it has gone, but the moral of the story is this: Even with how much this has not been the best experience of my life, I have learned a few things.

1. I want to teach English to a bunch of psychotic, hormonal teenagers. I want to discuss literature, I want to teach kids how to write essays, I want to teach them the importance of paragraphs and commas. It's what I want to do. Will I be a millionaire? No. Will I have days where I want to punch 17-year-olds in the face? Most likely. Those things don't really matter to me when I ask myself another question, though. Will I change or impact someone's life for the better? I sure hope so.

2. Being poor sucks. I have learned that we can not only survive, but live off of $1050 a month, with our rent, electric, tithing, and internet bills accounting for $900 of that. We can live off of $150 a month. I never thought that was possible, but I've been proven wrong. Do I ever want to be in this situation again. No. Not in a million years. Have I learned from it? You betcha.

3. My moods are deeply impacted by the weather and having friends. Guys, I've been in pretty much a deep depression since, oh... November. I've had breakdowns at least once a week, and I have lost all motivation to do anything. It's really hard for me to put out there, but there you have it. Anyone who knows me in real life would be shocked to know that I don't even want to exercise (that's one of my all-time favorite things to do... yeah, it's okay, you can call a sadist, or crazy, or whatever - I won't blame you). I think this depression has been spurred on by the craphole that is Europe when it comes to winter weather (6 days with sunshine since November), but it's also because I don't really have any accessible friends.

4. Being poor, in a foreign country, and in a tiny town really bring you closer to your spouse. I've spent more time with Michael in the past 6 months than I got to spend with him the entire first year of our marriage (I was in 18 hours both semesters, he worked as a traveling salesman).

5. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. It has posed new challenges. I have seen myself deal with a problem that I never dreamed of having. I have learned the value of a dollar (or a euro, I guess).

I have FINALLY decided what I want to be when I "grow up."

Basically, I guess I'm saying that we should be happy, whatever we choose to be when we "grow up." And if you're worried that your career choice might disappoint someone... Think about this:

I know people might disagree with that, but when you're choosing your career, you want to be happy, or else you'll be miserable. If you're miserable, it's really hard for anyone around you not to be.

On Conspiracy Theories.

2012-02-20T16:56:00.001-06:00

Reh-roh!! That's me greeting you like Scooby Doo would if he was on my blog today. I thought it was only appropriate, because today I'm going to talk about dogs.
NO! Don't run away yet. There's a story behind this random blog topic. And I know, I know... I need to stop posting twice in the same day.
So. The other day, I was talking to my mom on Skype, and she was telling me a story about these little rascals.

My parents' backyard is fenced in, so naturally they let the dogs out back to run and play. One day (I think it was sometime last week), however, my mom heard Milo (he's the bigger dog) whining and barking. She went outside to find Milo next to a huge hole whining. Sparky (the smaller dog) was nowhere to be found.
Apparently this was not the first time that this has happened, and that is what has prompted me to talk about a very serious topic:
Doggy Conspiracy Theories.
I promise you, dogs can talk to each other. I mean, really. I am absolutely convinced that Sparky somehow coerces Milo into digging holes for him so that he can escape the backyard. Now, I'm not sure what he promises Milo in return, but it's gotta be something good, because Milo digs the stupid hole for him time and time again, even though Sparky always leaves him behind and goes off on his own adventures. Maybe he promises Milo more treats, maybe he lets him eat more dog food, maybe he lets him play with his favorite tennis ball. I honestly don't know, but dude is a little doggy manipulator. Just look at him!

look how guilty he is- just plotting away...

Anyway. If dogs like Sparky can plan their escape from backyard prison, what else can they plan? What else are they planning while we're not looking? I don't think dogs are as evil as cats, though. Which brings me to another even more important topic:
Cat Conspiracy Theories.
I don't really have any stories about my cat plotting our demise (except for mentioning the 5938472937 times he escaped our apartment, or the time he shredded an entire package of paper towels, or how he knows how to pee in the litter box but somehow always manages to stick his butt over the edge so I have to wipe his poop off the floor [thank goodness for hooded litter boxes], or how he turns on our radio at 4:00 in the morning, or how he won't drink water unless it's fresh, or how he always jumps in the shower, or how he opens bags of cheetos).

He just wants you to think he's innocent...

I've never been a cat person (until Hubby came home and gave me our little bundle of joy one night), but our cat has opposable thumbs, so he's obviously superior. Anyway, I'm pretty sure cats are evil creatures who are planning to take over the world someday. Since my cat thinks he's a dog (he drinks out of the toilet and everything), he won't be part of this plot. Anyone ever seen this picture, though? It's true. Watch your backs, people, because your pets (cats specifically) are out to get you.

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Hubby and I have noticed we like cat humor. We're freaks, I know.

HG: Catching Fire (Gefährliche Liebe) Thoughts

2012-02-20T05:51:00.001-06:00

WARNING: This post contains spoilers. If you have not yet read The Hunger Games or Catching Fire, go to your local library and check them out, or go here and here and order yourself the first two ebooks. If you have a Kindle and Amazon Prime, you can read the ebooks for free. Simply not reading these books is not an option.

[Greets you all by making the salute from District 12]. Yeah, how's that for a new greeting, eh?

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So anyway, I finished Catching Fire yesterday, but because I read it in German, I didn't even know that was the title until... yesterday. [Side Note: the German title translated means "dangerous love." I'm not sure that I like that title.]

Titles aside, let me tell you some of my feelings and thoughts upon finishing this book.

- Sigh, okay. Katniss.... I guess I don't hate you. As much. Anymore.

- WHERE THE EFF IS PEETA, AND IS HE OKAY?!

- Haymitch, you sly, sly dog.

- Katniss - are you stupid? It was obvious that Plutarch Heavensbee was planning something. Did you not see his secret mockingjay?

- CINNA!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

- Ugh. Gale. I don't like you - go away already.

- I KNEW there was a District 13.

- S*%& has hit the freaking fan. I doubt President Snow is going to be happy about this.

- Wait... was Peeta's leg metal? Why didn't it go all rusty in all that water? Okay, it probably wasn't metal.

- I wonder what Finnick looks like in real life - he sounds hot.

- WHERE THE EFF IS PEETA, AND IS HE OKAY?! Yeah, I know I said that already, but I'm sort of "team Peeta," and this is really bugging me...

Overall, I loved it. I can't say anything about Suzanne Collins or her writing style, because I have no idea what it's like. I'm stuck reading translations, which makes life a little more difficult.

I have the 3rd book, but I probably won't start reading until later today, so don't expect it to be finished until Thursday or so. My goal with these books is to read about 100 pp per day so that I can finish them within 4ish days.

What did you guys think? Have you read them? DON'T GIVE ANYTHING AWAY ABOUT THE 3RD BOOK!!!!

PS: I'm over here today.
PPS: You can still win some cool stuff here.

Sunday confessions Link-up.

2012-02-18T17:26:00.001-06:00

Yo. Word to yo' motha.

Guys, be impressed. I remembered at midnight to do my Sunday Confessions so that it'd be easier for you all to link up. I realize that I am speaking to you all from the future (well, most of you). That is yet another reason for you all to be amazed. That's right, these confessions are from (dun, dun, dun...) the future.

That being said... grab yourselves a little button and get to sharing your confessions!

1. Sometimes I'm scared to say what I really want to on my blog because I don't want mean comments. Most of the time I say it anyway, and I'm surprised to hear that the majority of people think what I say. I like it that I'm not the only one.

2. I am fascinated by World War II. I know, I know... I'm a nerd. Whatever. I don't even like history, but I can't get enough of WWII. Maybe that's part of the reason I have such a fascination with Germany, but who knows?

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3. I had a dream about my cat last night. What is wrong with me? I dreamed that I came home and my cat hated me. Issues? Destined to be a cat lady? Check and check.

4. I feel the intense need to vent my frustrations with Katniss via social networks in the hopes that someone will discuss the 2nd book with me. Living in the middle of nowhere with no friends sucks. I actually called my mom yesterday [partially] just to vent about the book. This is one reason I am so excited about the blogger book club that Natasha Louise is starting. No, we will not be reading Hunger Games, but at least I'll have people to talk to about the books that we do read!

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5. I sometimes laugh like a weirdo. Actually, my 13th graders heard me guffaw, and they made fun of me for the next 10 minutes. Good thing I know how awesome I am and can take it. Ha!

Happy Sunday! Don't forget to go here and enter the giveaway.

Blah. Blah. Blah. Blog World. Blah. Sponsors.

2012-02-18T06:38:00.001-06:00

Hello. I have no exciting greeting for you today, because I'm not feelin' it. Sorry!

In other news, I have a complaint about the blog world as of late. Many of us (myself included) have become blah. All I'm seeing everywhere are guest posts and giveaways (see, I told you I was a part of the blah). This has sort of led me to a difficult place.

Enter.... sponsorship. I have been doing sponsors on this here blog since... oh, November, I think. I love helping others to grow their blogs, but this is what I have a problem with. I'm going to sound like an awful person for this, but try to hear me out, okay?

1. People I have never spoken to, who don't comment on or visit my blog, or even FOLLOW my blog asking me to do a sponsor swap with them just because I have more followers than they do. I don't know why, but I feel like I can better recommend people that I actually know and talk to. Like I said, this may be rude of me, but if you claim to "love my blog so much" that you want to sponsor it, shouldn't you do one of the above things?

2. People that ask me to ad swap and then never put my button up on their side bar. This is a 2-way street, people. I have accidentally done this once, but fixed it as soon as I was alerted. Really, though. I tend to think it's not that difficult, and if you've asked me to swap and you don't have my button up, it's not because I didn't get you my button on time.

3. Guest posting. I generally don't have guest posters. It's not that I don't want to feature the people on my sidebar. It IS that I don't want to give 12 days out of the month from my blog to you. Sorry if that's selfish, but people follow my blog for me (or at least I like to think so). If/when I do have guest posters, I try to do my own post in the same day so that I've contributed something to my blog.

4. Giveaways. Oh my goodness I love giveaways. I think, though, that maybe one a week is too many? I don't know, it's really hard to find a good balance with those things. If anyone has a suggestion on how to find a balance, let me know, because I love having fun things to give to my readers.

5. I don't have anything to put here... I'm just OCD about lists. Sorry, it had to have 5 things.

I guess what I'm trying to say is this: sponsorship is great, but I want to know my sponsors. I do swaps for free. Maybe if I had 500 followers and asked people to pay for sponsorship, I wouldn't care who was on my sidebar.

I want to help you grow your blog. I want to help you gain fabulous readers. But I also want to know the person behind the blog.

With that being said, this is the only call for March sponsorship I will do this month. If you want to be a part of it, email me. If you've already emailed me, don't worry about it - you're on the list.

And for the sake of being a hypocrite: enter my giveaway here.

Favorite Things Friday

2012-02-17T09:06:00.001-06:00

Yo homies.

As surprising as this may be, it has been a freaking long week (even though I only worked 3 days). That being said... I am totally in need of my Favorite Things Friday list to make me smile and remember the good stuff in life.
1. Sitting in bed with Husband and a good book. Hunger Games and Hubby, that's all I need to make me happy right now. [Side Note: KATNISS I STILL HATE YOU!!!]

2. Hunger Games. I know, I know. This has been on my list like... every week. But I finally got the second and third books, and I'm so stoked to read them both!

3. Settlers of Catan. I need an intervention. Catan world online has become my go-to boredom fix. It's bad, people. Really bad.

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4. Pronunciation mistakes made by German students. I know I'm awful for saying this, but it is hilarious when my students mess up pronunciation. For example, someone was talking about veggie burgers and kept calling them wedgie burgers. A sweat shop has become a sweet shop. PMS doesn't stand for pre-menstrual syndrome - instead it stands for post menstrual satisfaction. A vacuum is not a cleaning tool anymore - oh, no. It's something much better - a whack-you. I imagine that this is some sort of weapon used to hit people once they start to annoy you. Needless to say, things sometimes get interesting, and that makes me happy.

5. Warm[er] weather. People, it's been in the high 30s all week long. Can I get a Hallelujah and an Amen? Thanks.

PS: There is still time to enter my giveaway hosted by Amy here.

And... I am giving away a free blog design at Truly Lovely.
And... Don't forget to link up this Sunday for Sunday Confessions!

Dear Husband...

2012-02-16T07:56:00.003-06:00

Yo. Howdy. Hello. Hi there. Bonjour. Hola. Hallo.
I realized today that I don't talk about husband a lot. I tend to think that this okay, because my blog isn't a "newlywed" blog, and I don't feel the need to constantly tell the entire world how much I love him, or how perfect marriage is, or any of that stuff. The only problem I have with this is that I think that someday [either when I'm 103 or 28 and I wake up from a car crash and forget that I'm married to ~~Channing Tatum~~ Husband] I'd like to have it written down somewhere who this giant dude that I'm married to is.
Don't worry, it's not all mushy gushy. I tend to keep that stuff just between us. :)
Dear Husband,
I think you're pretty great. When I met you, I thought you were a young'un because you had such a baby face. I was convinced that by dancing with you, I was breaking some sort of law. I mean, really. You did not look 21 at all. Once I found out you were, though, I was a little more okay with asking for your phone number [I got the moves like Jagger...] and consequently having a text-ersation for a few hours after we met.

Haha, yeah... I married that!!

After that night... we never really looked back, did we? Five and a half months later I said "I do" and we were officially stuck together for eternity. I don't mind, though. I've learned a lot about you in these past [almost] two years of knowing you. For example:
- Your favorite place in the world is Scotland

- You still speak British English and say silly things like "flat" and "trousers," and misspell words like "color" and "favorite."
- You have an amazing voice. [don't believe me? Go click his little button on my left sidebar.]
- You think it's hilarious to come fart in my face and then run away (don't kill me for writing that). You also take ridiculous pictures like this:

- You have very strong ears and can handle a ton of loud noises and yelling, because I have yet to figure out what an "inside voice" is.
- You really like babies and are going to be a totally awesome dad.

- [Insert inappropriate comment about making babies here]
- It is very difficult for you to take a photo without a cheesy smile.

- Feeding you is more expensive than feeding 2 midgets (I've never fed two midgets, but I assume this is a true fact).
- You almost always put the toilet seat down [number one husband trait right there, buddy]. Except last night when I almost fell in. You forgot last night. But... every other time, you remember.
- You have a cute butt (please don't kill me for that, either).

- You let me be a bed hog in bed and a water hog in the shower (don't get your disgusted face on, I know I am not the only person who showers with their husband)
- You like how "little" I am compared to you. I think it makes you feel strong.

- You are huge, and with another face would probably be terrifying, but you are really just a big teddy bear who wouldn't hurt a fly (if a big crazy stalker is reading this... he wouldn't hurt a fly unless a fly tried to hurt me. If that happened.... he would murder the fly like the cold-blooded fly killer that he is).
- Lots of other crap, but this is getting long. Ask me later, and I'll list off some more stuff.
Moral of the story is... you're a pretty cool dude, and I'm happy you asked me to dance that one time, because life with you just keeps gettin' better. I like our impromptu singing and ridiculous dancing, I like our stupid and silly conversations (half of which are inappropriate so never end up here). I like it all! And... there's time to enter the giveaway! Go here

A Giveaway. Or: Something Better than What I Wore Wednesday because I Don't Feel Like Making Husband Take My Picture. AKA Meet Amy!!

2012-02-15T07:02:00.001-06:00

Hi Friends!!!!

I'm not doing What I Wore Wednesday (but check out the super cute scarf I won from Ma Nouvelle Mode), and I'm not going to tell you about how I got made fun of by my 13th graders because of my laugh, and I'm not going to tell you that I "danced" my way home while rapping to some Hammer Time and consequently felt the intense urge to make a music video while rapping my heart out and wearing some parachute pants.
Instead, I have my friend and sponsor Amy here to tell you guys a little bit about herself. Stick around to the end... she has a surprise for you!
Oh, and remember last week when Ashley hosted a giveaway? I picked a winner. Go here to see if it was you! ****************************************************************************************

Hello, Hello readers of the lovely Alyx!

today i come bearing two spectacular gifts i would like to give away,

but before we get to that, allow me to introduce myself.

I am Amy and I blog over at Life As I Know It.

i blog about my random life, which generally happens to be pretty great.

i love the color turquoise and purple.

i think elephants are the cutest thing ever,

and i am obsessed with people watching.

check out my latest, greatest encounter.

i recently purchased two things that i love oh so dearly, and i wanted to share them with you today.

one lucky reader will win this beauty.

and

another reader will win my favorite mascara of all time.

it does wonder for the lashes i tell ya

winners will be announced in one week, on February 22nd.
happy winning!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Thoughts. [Fox in Socks?]

2012-02-14T16:57:00.000-06:00

Hello there, friends. I know it's Valentine's Day. I'm not going to tell you all how much I love my husband (I've told him plenty of times today). If you want to know how much I love you, check out this poem that I wrote for you.
Anyway. Allow me to take you on a train ride. This train just so happens to be my train of thought.
I think at 1,000 miles per hour. Sometimes I feel like I talk that fast, too, but I don't know if that's humanly possible. I am, however, a super speed reader. I once read "Green Eggs and Ham" really really fast. Actually, I sort of feel the need to do a vlog showing you guys my speed reading skillz. They're pretty crazy. I wonder if the text is online? Let me go look...Hmmm, I just found a word document. I hope there's not a virus in there. Eh, nope. Looks like it's okay. Look, I told you this was a train ride, so you're getting every thought that pops into my head. Hehehehe. Here it is. Hmmm. Should I do this? Are my speed reading skills as good as they used to be? I guess we'll find out. No! Wait! It wasn't "Green Eggs and Ham!!" It was "Fox in Socks!"

You're welcome.

No Bake Cookies because It's V-Day & You Need More Chocolate.

2012-02-13T22:22:00.001-06:00

Hello, hello, you lovely reader.

I think you're great and there's nothing sweeter

than the comments you leave and the nice things that you say

All those kind words sure brighten my day.

You don't smell like fish

and you aren't a poopy face

I'm so glad we all have blogs

and not a myspace.

So please keep on reading

unless your heart stops beating.

If that happens,

go to a doctor.

I guess all that I'm trying to say

to you my dear readers... is Happy Valentine's Day!

So. Best greeting ever?? I think so. Anyway, as you all probably know, I'm not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day, but I had to make some cookies for my 5th graders, and I thought I would share the recipe with you, because it is delicious and wonderful and super easy. Seriously, it's so easy that Captain Hook could do it.... with only his hook hand.

Total Time Required: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1 3/4 c sugar
1/2 c milk
1/2 c butter
4 T unsweetened cocoa
1/2 c peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
3 c quick cooking oats
1 tsp vanilla extract (or vanilla sugar if you're somewhere vanilla extract doesn't exist)
1/4 c shredded coconut (optional)

Step One:
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, milk, butter, and cocoa.

Step two:

Heat the mixture over medium to high heat, stirring constantly.

Step three:
Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for 1 1/2 minutes, remembering to stir constantly.

Step four: Remove from heat, and stir in peanut butter, oats, coconut, and vanilla. Drop by teaspoonfuls (or giganto spoonfuls if you're like me) onto wax paper. Let cool until hardened.

February Love. Part 2.

2012-02-13T10:25:00.000-06:00

Hey party people!!! It's Monday, and generally on Mondays I introduce you to some of the wonderful people that I have hanging out on my sidebar. This particular Monday is no exception.

I hope that you stop by and give these lovely/supercool/fun ladies a visit! As always, click the pics to head over to their sites!

My blog is about me and my hubs and our crazy (possibly slightly odd) lives ;) I love having fun on my space and for the next little bit I'm gonna be going a little baby crazy ;) We're expecting our first baby in June and it's a GIRL! I'm a Disney freak, LDS, book nerd, movie fanatic, and you should come join in my laughter and frivolity ;)

I also sell Avon (it's a new thing…..we need to pay for this unborn child ya know??) so if you're interested, here's the link to my webpage (and yes international orders can be done too!)

blog. facebook. twitter.
Who's that in your picture, and why do you love them?I love my Andrew a hecka lot ;) We waited for 3 years before we got married (he had to serve his mission after all) and it was worth every tear, lost letter, and all the uncertainty. He is truly my better half in every way. I love that we can laugh and tease each other and we're all the stronger for it ;)

This is the story of a flawed girl. She’s not known for being decisive. She’s honest and unafraid to speak her mind, sometimes to a fault. And she wishes she had more to offer this world. With seven siblings, a knack for writing, and an unhealthy obsession with all things bubbly, she's quite the well-rounded gal you’ll learn. After spending the entire summer in the nation’s capital, the return to the quintessential college town of Oxford was quite the culture shock, I must say. As a finance major, constantly working withnumbers, I don’t get the opportunity to express my creative side much, so this is my outlet to do just that! Join me in the trials and tribulations of this crazy little thing we call life, won’t you?
blog. facebook. bloglovin'. pinterest.
Who's that in your picture, and why do you love them?I love the amazing woman in the picture with me (my mama) because she has been my rock and there for me through thick and thin.

My blog is basically a virtual journal of my life. I even had it made into a book, and then gave it to my hubby (then boyfriend) as a gift for our 1 year anniversary (when we were dating). This is something I plan on doing every year. The internet is so much better than handwriting out your thoughts. This gives the opportunities to share with others. How great is that? I usually post about my life with my hubby and our dog. However, I post on a plethora of topics: likes, dislikes, funny stories, wish lists, DIY tutorials, tons of photos, etc. There is really no recipe to this madness. It usually depends on what tickles my fancy on that particular day.
blog. twitter.
Who's that in your picture, and why do you love them?

He's my hubby and best friend. Whatever I attempt to do, he is always super supportive. No matter if we are sitting on the couch and doing nothing or having a night on the town, we always have fun. Ever since I met him, he has always made me laugh, which is one of the things that made me fall in love with him. He's also pretty handsome.

Sunday Confessions Linky Party!

2012-02-12T06:44:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone!!

Just in case you missed it, yesterday I was over here talking about the pros and cons of living in Europe. Check it out!

And... I really should start writing these up ahead of time and just having them scheduled, but alas, I am not that organized. Forgive me? Great, thanks.
As always, feel free to grab a button and link up!

If you haven't already entered the giveaway, there's still time! Go here. Okay, now for the Confessions.
1. Some mornings when I wake up, I think to myself, Can I call in sick today? This has gotten better since I've contacted Fulbright and spoken with the people at my school - I'm starting to enjoy myself a lot more because I feel needed. I'm not going to lie, though - it still happens every Thursday.

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2. I have started to sort of like chocolate. Oh my gosh. I don't know what's happening to me. Maybe it's the fact that I live in Europe where the chocolate is superior. I don't know, but dark chocolate is starting to be my favorite.

3. I hate mustard and pickles, and I'm afraid of the day that I become pregnant and start liking these two food items. No, I don't know it will happen, but it seems like it happens to everyone else.

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4. I haven't actually put effort into doing my hair in approximately 5.5 months. I discovered that the humidity of Germany would automatically ruin anything I tried to do, so I gave up. Now I just wear it curly or up all the time.

5. I hate the smell of fish. That is why it is a choice insult of mine. Ha.

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Random. Me. You Smell Like Fish. Showers.

2012-02-11T06:51:00.004-06:00

Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to blog I go... err, come? I don't know, but for some reason when I was about to type "Hi," my brain just started singing, because I'm a weirdo like that.

via

If you have not already entered, you can go here to enter the giveaway for a super awesome Hope Necklace. It closes on Wednesday, and that's when I'll announce the winner.
Also... don't forget to link up for tomorrow's Sunday Confessions!
Anyway. I was thinking today (and a lot of this past week, actually), and I realized some crazy stuff about myself. I'm here to share some of that with you, provided you don't take it and use it against me or think I'm smokin' crack or something else crazy like that.
1. I like lists. Ha. Bet you hadn't noticed. I'm not a list person in real life, just on the blog. I mean, I've tried to write up a pretty little list to take to the grocery store with me, but have yet to succeed. Once I see all the yummy goodness, I just go crazy and start throwing stuff in the shopping cart (word vlog rant here). If you're a list person, though... here's a cute little template I made. Click the link under the picture to download or print. It fits to a standard piece of paper.

Click here to download or print2. I am a total German nerd. I believe this is self-explanatory. Or selbsterklärend, if you wanna get all fancy and learn a German word.

3. I can be sensitive. Especially when people try to tell me to do things I already know how to do. I know they are just trying to help, but some flip in me automatically switches, and I assume they think I don't know what I'm doing or that I'm an idiot. I'm working on this. It usually doesn't bother me when it's someone I don't know very well, but it happens with friends or family (or people I can't stand).
4. I have to do lists in groups of 5. I have weird little OCD quirks. Don't believe me? Go here and read about my weird shower thing (it's #2 on the list).

5. I like to come up with weird insults for people. "You smell like fish" and "You are a poopy-headed monster-breath-face" are two of my favorite. Others include, but are not limited to: "poop-eater," "fish-face," "fart-sniffer," etc., etc. Yes, I'm incredibly mature, and I could probably win a name-calling contest against a 5-year-old. Thank you for noticing.

Favorite Things Friday [& a Giveaway]

2012-02-10T07:05:00.003-06:00

A-Dizzle is in the Hizzle fer Shizzle!!!

Hey guys! Just a little fun fact: Hubby and I have officially been married a year and a half!

Today is Friday, and as per usual, I have my favorite things for you!

1. The Hunger Games. Guys, I almost cried when I called the library and they told me that they still didn't have the second book. It's now a week overdue. I'm tempted to go all Hunger Games on that person and hunt them down and give them some poisonous berries so that I can have that book.

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2. Beaches. The colder it gets here in Germany, the more I realize I'm happy that a) faces don't really fall off when it's cold and b) I'm not a dude, because those things (we all know what I'm talkin' bout) would freeze and fall off (no, that's not scientifically proven, just a guess). I also realize that I was made for sunshine and beaches. Oh, Dominican Republic... Can I come visit you again??

3. Anne. You know, the fiery redhead from Green Gables? I love that girl. Those books are fabulous. I feel like I would also be the type of person who would accidentally sell my neighbor's cow. Can you tell I've been reading a lot? Ooh, and in the movies - when Anne and Gilbert finally kiss! I haven't seen that movie in years, but I still remember the kiss!

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4. Monkeys. I read Jane Goodall's book about living among chimps when I was like, 10. I had a slight obsession with chimps and monkeys, but can you blame me? They're freakin' cute. I used to be obsessed with the Aeropostale monkey. I would draw that thing everywhere. Ooh, the Paul Frank monkey is super cute, too.

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5. Giveaways! Guys, I love a good giveaway, and Ashley has so graciously offered to host one for you people!

hope.

verb: to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.

i decided that hope was going to be my motto for the year 2012.

to have hope in all things.

to keep this as a reminder, i decided to get a piece of jewelry that exemplifies this.

i've already given away a hope necklace on my blog, but i wanted to share the wealth with you lovely readers of Every Day Is A New Adventure.

hope is lookin good on you.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What It's Like. (Awkward and Awesome Part Two)

2012-02-09T06:33:00.001-06:00

Greetings, Bloglings!

Remember that one time I told you about all the awkward stuff you would see if you were a ~~creepy stalker~~ fly on our wall?
Well, this is part two of that post, which means this is all the awesome stuff you would see/hear. Oh, and sorry for the crappy webcam pics. Mikey-poo is taking a nap, and I don't want to bother him to take my picture.
1. Little love notes left on computers because we're too lazy to use a pencil and paper.

2. Hubby singing at the top of his lungs. Dude has an amazing voice. I find it comparable to Josh Groban's. He hasn't ever had any professional training (hard to believe, right?), but he is fantastic. 3. Lots of diet coke, poured into jars instead of glasses. I realize our obsession with this beverage is probably borderline unhealthy, but I think it's awesome that our fridge is always stocked, and that I can offer guests a nice big jar of cold diet coke. Mmmm, refreshing.

4. Laundry waiting to be folded. I like to think of this as awesome because it makes me feel better about myself. No, I didn't take a pic of my awesome piles of laundry... I don't want to be judged. :)
5. PRETZELS!!! I freakin' love pretzels. Mmmmm. Add a little PB and you have my favorite snack!

WIWW Purple People Eater. And All Things Ashley.

2012-02-08T08:15:00.002-06:00

YO!!! So.. let me just tell you how freaking cold it was outside. I was shivering hardcore, and when I zoomed in on these photos I had goosebumps.
All this purple makes me feel like a grape. Or a one-eyed, one-horned, flying purple people eater.
Anyway.... I'm busy playing cards with Hubby, so I have something special for you guys. Let me introduce you to one of my lovely sponsors, Ashley. She's got a great post all written up, and I hope you guys stop by her blog and give her some love!! **********************************************************************************
hello to all the dear readers of Every Day Is a New Adventure.

i am so happy that Alyx invited me to be a guest blogger.

now, before you start reading more into the guest blog post, i should introduce myself.

my name is ashley & i blog over at All Things Ashley

my blog is a mixture of all the craziness that my life is.

i don't really have a "themed" blog.

i just blog about what i love to listen to, clothes i buy, projects i make, places i've visited, my friends, family, working out, etc.

today though, i wanted to take a different approach and write about something i've become really interested/passionate about as of late.

that is: traveling.

i recently went on two trips within the past month.

i must admit, i've caught the traveling bug.

while i was in california, i visited balboa pier (near longbeach).

it was the absolute dreamiest little beach-front community.

i decided that i want to travel more.

i am a single lady, therefore i don't have a spouse to take care of.

children to fuss over.

i am a free woman in that regard.

so i've made a bucket list of places i'd like to visit before 2012 comes to a close.

i'll share a FEW of the places i'm interested in going.

- zion national park

- my family cabin (heaven)

- disneyworld (yes, WORLD)

- virginia beach

- seattle

yeah, i would love to visit all of those places so very soon.

the world is a big place and i can't wait to be able to explore and see

all the marvelous things each individual place has to offer.

who knows, maybe i'll stop by germany and visit my dear friend alyx!

i would love for you to come stop by and visit me sometime.

come and say hi, you're always welcome over at my blog.

xo ashley

Dear Parents.

2012-02-07T09:40:00.000-06:00

What's crackin' mah homie G's? I know... I should probably just channel inner valley girl and be like, "Hey girl, hey!!" But I just can't do it.
Warning: this is kind of a long post, so if you don't read the whole thing - I won't hate you. Or blame you.
Anyway, I was looking through some pics of the cruise that my parents just went on, and I realized that I really miss those two lovebirds. I mean, how could I not? See how cute and lovable and missable they are??

Dear Parents,
I'm gonna start off with the mushy gushy stuff so that it's over fast - like ripping off a band-aid, only instead of hurting, I'm sure it'll make you smile and feel all nice inside. You guys are the bee's knees. You're sunshine on a cloudy day. You're like big strong Amazon people (<-- Okay, I realize that's not mushy, but I thought it had a nice ring to it). You are two of the most amazing, talented, loving, caring, and patient people that I have ever met. I love you guys. Oh, and you're weird. I like that you're weird, because now I know where I get it!

DUDE, MOM (we always joked that that should have been her name, because half the time us kids would greet her that way). Thank you for putting up with my witchy 13-14-15-16-17-18-year-old self. I commend you for your patience and love. I would have probably smacked my smart-butt face more than once. You have a lot of self-control. I know we butted heads a lot as I was growing up, but I am so thankful to have you now not only as a mother, but as a friend.

Thank you for acting as a chauffeur until I got my license. Thank you for allowing me to drive, even though it probably scared the living daylights out of you. Thank you for supporting me in all of my endeavors - even the ridiculous ones. You knew I would be too gangly and giraffe-like to ever be a gymnast, but you bought me that leotard anyway, because 5-year-old Alyx was convinced that gymnastics was for her. Thank you for believing in me, and encouraging me to get an education. Thank you for setting that example for me - you are smart, beautiful, strong, successful, and the best mom ever. PS: what the heck is this fuzzy thing you're wearing??? I forgive for this fashion mishap, because I'm sure in the early 80's, this was hip/cool/rad/awesome/whatever word they were using back then.

DADDY!! To this day I am a daddy's girl, and I am proud of it. I get my competitive nature from you (which, let's be honest - it can get a little extreme, but I like it), and I think I get my freakish height from you, too. Thanks for that - because of you, I can always reach the cookie jar. Seriously, though.

Thank you for teaching me how to drive (even though one time you were asleep and I almost hit a deer and slammed on the breaks and you woke up thinking that you were going to die - sorry about that). Thank you for helping me with my math homework, thank you for encouraging me to go to college and get an education. Thank you for humoring my 5-year-old leotard-clad self and teaching me how to do a cartwheel. Thank you for serving your country for 25+ years.

Thank you for loving me no matter what, thank you for the snuggles, and the bear hugs. Thank you for never letting me settle for less than I deserved. Thank you for putting up with the phone call a day for the first three years I was away from home, and the 4 phone calls (at least!) a week after I got married. Thank you for being a great father and a great husband to my mother. Because of you, I knew what kind of man I wanted to marry (obviously the kind that tries to throw his wife off of the cruise ship).

You guys have shown me that marriage isn't always easy, it isn't always fun, and there are plenty of struggles, but it is so worth it. You are still in love after almost 28 years and 4 kids. You are awesome, and I can only hope to be like you someday.

The Random and Ridiculous.

2012-02-06T18:13:00.000-06:00

Hey, hey, hey! (Please read that like Fat Albert.)
Hubby: HAHAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAMe: What's so funny?Hubby: I just watched a GIF of a cat eating spaghetti.
Hubby: So I watched the new Footloose last night. Me: Ummm... the dancing one? Isn't that a girl movie? Hubby: Ummm no. It's not some stupid movie like Step Up. Me: You've seen Step Up? Hubby: Psh. No... that's not the point anyway. It's not a girl movie! Me: Yes, it is. And you watched it alone. Hubby: Well... whatever. I watched it because there was a hot girl in it.
Me: Wanna play another game of Catan?Hubby: No, I'm tired of winning all the time.
And... a vlog that contains information that will change your life. For the better.

Some Love for your February.

2012-02-06T09:35:00.002-06:00

Yo. I'm over here today, interviewing myself... because I'm cool like that.
So, I love blogging. Really, I do. And you know what?! Part of me is glad that I got shoved out in the middle of nowhere like I did, because not only has it allowed me to get to know myself and find new hobbies, but it's allowed me to get to know you people and your awesome selves.
Some of your awesome selves are my sponsors.
As I introduce my sponsors this month... I want to remind you all that it's February, so if you see a bunch of pictures of my sponsors with cutesy hearts all over them, it's because I asked them to give me a picture of themselves with someone they love.
Amy at Life As I Know It

Hello readers of Alyx! I am Amy from life as i know it. Come over and check out life through the eyes of a 24 year old girl. The random, the weird, the funny, I've got it all. Come over and say hello...I'd love to meet you too :)
Who is that in your pic with you? Why in the world do you love them?

A few reasons I love Matthew Brooks Harris:

-He truly is the sweetest boy I've ever met.

-He lets me watch shows and movies with the subtitles on.

-He thinks my ugly faces and weird voices are cute.

-He's not afraid to be himself.

-He brings out the best in me.

-Our sense of humor is so similar its frightening.

-He is my best friend.

-He loves me weirdness and all.

Kassi at Truly Lovely

Truly Lovely is an "all things lovely" blog written by myself (Kassi) with fun little snippets from my sister, Kayli. Things we consider to be lovely are crafts, recipes, DIY, etc. We host a link up party every Friday called Fancy This Fridays where we want to see what you fancied up over the last week! There's a feature post every Monday highlighting our favorite links from the party. Hope to see you over at Truly Lovely sometime soon!pinterest. twitter. google +. Who is that in your pic with you? Why in the world do you love them? Top three reasons why I love my hubs: 1. He's a tall, sexy cowboy. 2. He makes me laugh. 3. He lets me decorate our house however I want! ;)
Kylee at Sincerely, Kylee

Hi! I'm Kylee, I blog at Sincerely, Kylee. I'm a mess most of the time, and that's the way I like it. I love Jesus, my husband, and sharing my musings through my blog. I hope that you'll come by and say hi! facebook. bloglovin'. twitter. Who is that in your pic with you? Why in the world do you love them? I love my husband, Jacob because he's adorable. :P He's my leader, my best friend, and my partner in crime.
Vivian at A Dance for 5

I'm Vivian. I'm a Colombian and a Mormon living in Utah. A Housewife, all things pretty lover, party planner, avid decorator, crafty, world traveler, healthy food fanatic, but above all a MOTHER. I can dance in my dreams as I try to make the world a better place. P.S: And who says Colombians can't have babies with BLUE EYES?Who is that in your pic with you? Why in the world do you love them?

Why I love him:

Because he accepts me and loves me just the way I am. Because he offers me security, forgiveness and a chance of a forever family. Because he gave me my most precious treasures in the world.

Sunday Confessions Linky Party!

2012-02-05T08:04:00.002-06:00

Howdy, frands!!!

Sorry I'm a little late with the confessions today, it's been a somewhat crazier than usual Sunday around these parts.

So... grab one of these buttons, and link on up for today's Sunday Confessions!

1. I’m obsessed with books by Nicholas Sparks. Seriously. After reading the Hunger Games and about 50 other books in German, I decided it was time to read something in English, and luckily my super mommy knows that I love sappy romances. She sent me Message in a Bottle. Yes, I cried. Yes, it was amazing. Yes, I read it in a day.

2. I had a breakdown yesterday. You know the one. Well, I promised a video, so here it is! I really wish I had been wearing actual clothing, because just having the audio is nowhere near as good, but go ahead and have a laugh at my expense, anyway!

3. I always think it would be cool to be organized, but then I try it and realize I’m hopeless. I mean, really. I try doing the list thing, and I have a planner, but I suck. I’m an organizational failure.

4. Whenever I read a good book, I imagine that I’m the main character. I think about what I would do differently in a situation, I feel the emotions, everything – I become the character. I know, I’m a freak. Maybe Einstein would think otherwise, though...

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5. I shoved my hand in our toilet today to retrieve something. I think that doesn’t really need any explanation. Gross. Gross. Gross.

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True Love is...

2012-02-04T12:05:00.001-06:00

Seeing your wife looking like this:

Realizing that she's crying and saying things like this:- I just wanna be a fat American! - I want a sausage McMuffin, donut, and cupcake with frosting!- I want my car!- I'm not ready to go home! - I hate Germany!- I don't want to pack my life up again!
And then promptly grabbing the camera and getting the whole thing on video. I'd share it with you guys, but I was wearing my underwear, curled up on the bed in a ball. Maybe I can get Hubby to separate the video from the audio, and I'll share it with you guys, because it's hilarious. Sadly hilarious. Until then, here's a little gem that he took about a year ago.

Hunger Games Thoughts.

2012-02-03T16:24:00.000-06:00

Yes, I already posted today.
HOLY FREAKING CRAP, PEOPLE!!! That is all I have to say after reading this book:

Yes, I know I'm late jumping on the bandwagon.
Yes, I read it in German... I know, I'm crazy. I could have had it done in a few hours, instead I decided to torture myself and read it at a snail's pace in another language.
All of that aside, let me present this one question:
KATNISS WHAT THE EFF IS WRONG WITH YOU?!?!?!
You make me want to punch a baby. Okay, dude is obviously head over heels for you, RUE FREAKING TOLD YOU HE WAS, and yet you have to go and break his little heart?
You suck.
You better freaking redeem yourself in the second book, because right now, if you and I were together in an arena... I'd let the monster wolf tribute things eat you instead of Cato. That's right, I said it. Or... I'd feed you those poisonous berries. Yeah, that's a little nicer. I'd do that.
Girl... I better be a lot happier with you once I'm done with the second book.
The End.
Now I'm going to go answer emails. Yay for an awesome Friday night.

Favorite Things Friday.

2012-02-03T10:51:00.001-06:00

Hey. I know, I know... more creative greetings with each passing day. Maybe I'll write a rap or something for you guys sometime soon.
So ... it's Friday, which means it's time for some favorite things.
1. Good Friends. I mean, good friends who are there for you, who don't judge you, who listen to your problems and give you advice. They are good to have. That being said, I'm really thankful for all of the friendships I have made through blogging. You guys really ARE the best, and there are times when I'm not sure what I would do without some of you guys and your helpful comments, your emails, everything.

2. Parents. I never would have seen myself saying this 7 or 8 years ago. But honestly - I am so lucky to have amazing parents who believe in me, love me through thick and thin, and support me in all of my endeavors. I am lucky to have amazing in-laws who do the same not only for my husband, but for me as well.

3. Good books. I love to read. Reading helps me keep my sanity. I love being able to escape reality via the pages of a good book.

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4. Laughing. I love to laugh. I love doing silly things to make others laugh. Laughing is the best. I'm not having a good day, and those are the kinds of days where I'm reminded that laughing is a favorite. Anyone have a good joke??

5. Getting nice little notes from my husband. He's the best. I don't like going all lovey-dovey on Blog... but really, he is my pillar. He supports me through everything, good or bad, silly or serious, hard or easy. He is the best thing that's ever happened to me, my lover, my friend, my confidant, my other half. He's the freaking peanut butter to my jelly. You don't like PB&J? You smell like fish.

PS: Let it be known that my ninja skills are not a favorite thing. Remember how I ninja-kicked a jar last week and broke it? Well, I just ninja-elbowed a jar and broke it. Ouch.

What It's Like. (Awkward and Awesome Part One)

2012-02-02T06:30:00.002-06:00

What's up, people? I know, I'm getting really creative here. Funny story - I actually had a different greeting on here that I got from Google, and turns out it was a horrible word. So... lesson learned. Never, ever turn to Google for your silly blogger greetings. Just a word of advice. And thank you to the lovely reader who notified me as to what that meant. Oh my gosh. So embarrassed! You can add that to the awkward list for today.
Anyway. Moving on. If you were a ~~creepy stalker who sat around and watched us in our home for hours on end~~ fly on the wall in our apartment, you would witness some ridiculous things. Some of which are awesome, some of which are awkward. I bring you Awkward and Awesome: At Home with the Garners Edition. Although... there's so much awkward, I think I'll save the awesome for next week.
Part One: Awkward.Let me talk about the awkward first, because there's just so much to go around:
- occasionally coming home to a drunk landlord (at 8:30 p.m.). I feel like this doesn't really need too much explanation.
- coming home from the grocery store with a bunch of frozen goods. You may think, but why is this awkward? Because we have a freezer the size of a shoe box. Watching your 6'7" husband trying with all his might to shut a tiny fridge is actually quite awkward, but also hilarious.

- The tricks Hubby plays on me. It is not unusual for Hubby to jump out from a dark corner at 2:00 in the morning as I'm walking by, fresh out of the shower, wrapped in a towel, humming "Hit Me Baby One More Time" to myself. I then scream at the top of my lungs, drop my towel, and turn to run. Yeah, we're cool.
- having more than 2 guests over at once. I recently invited 5 people over to our 450 sq. ft. apartment without really thinking. We have one table and 4 chairs. Yeah, not enough room for 7 people. We ended up sitting in our bedroom/living room to eat. It was fine, until I accidentally ninja-kicked the jar that I was drinking out of (we only have 4 glasses...) under the couch. It shattered.

the room in which the ninja-kicking took place, and the couch under which the jar shattered.

- How loud we are. Thank goodness for well-built German houses, otherwise we'd be on the street. It is not unusual for us to break out into song (at the top of our lungs), for me to scream at the top of my lungs when I see a huge spider, or for me to yell to Hubby to get my towel for me because I forgot to grab it before I went to shower. And believe me - I am loud. I bet I could beat any of you in a "how loud can you be" contest. Random fact - my mom once told me to use my inside voice, and I yelled back at her, "THIS IS MY INSIDE VOICE!!!"
- The obscene amount of pop that we drink. Guys, it's not only awkward, it's borderline unhealthy. I'm not even going to tell you how much it is because it's awful. Let me just show you our weekly supply.

- How intense games get. I'm really competitive. Really. I get it from my dad. Anyway, it also happens to be that Hubby is really good at games, and he always wins. Every time. This makes me mad. After 5 or 6 games of something, I generally accuse him of cheating, then I throw my hands in the air, tell him I will never play with him again, then go sulk. Three hours later, I feel the need to redeem myself, and the whole cycle repeats itself.
So there you have it. Stay tuned, because next week the theme will be how awesome we are. Ha.
PS Don't forget about the Sunday Confessions Link Party!

Blogging Pet Peeves.

2012-02-01T07:09:00.001-06:00

Hi. I like eggs. <-- [If you know what that is from... leave your answer in the comments and we can be friends.]
Anyway. I'm not doing WIWW today because I didn't have to go to work today and after looking in my closet, I decided I didn't feel like trying to get creative. I mean, I pretty much do the 30x30 thing every day of my life because I'm living out of two suitcases. Yeah, TWO. For a YEAR. Now let's all quit complaining that we don't have anything to wear, because I guess that to some people, two suitcases of clothing would be quite a bit.
So. Moving on... I've decided that I'm going to tell you all a few of my pet peeves when it comes to blogging. I figure that as someone else who probably writes a blog, you might like to know what other blog readers find really annoying. You're welcome in advance. Ha.
1. Word Validation on Comments. You know what, people? I'm not a robot, and when you make your page refresh and have me type a word, chances are very high that I didn't realize I'd have to type a word, and I've already left your page. This is highly unnecessary. I've had that thing turned off since Day 1, and have only had maybe 1 spam comment? Google's spam detection is pretty dang good. Use it. If you don't know how to turn it off, email me. I'll help you.

2. Tiny pictures. Pictures are great - I love pictures. But you know what I don't love? Straining my eyes for ten minutes because I can't tell if your tiny picture has a dog or a horse.

3. Run on paragraphs. People, line breaks in text are not only nice, they are almost necessary. My eyes will hurt, I'll lose my place, I'll get pissed and leave your page within 30 seconds of being there. Do yourself a favor and learn to use the enter button. It is a wonderful thing.
4. Girly text for the body of your posts. Having fun text for post titles is great, I even encourage and welcome it. BUT. When I get to your page and it is any text other than times new roman, arial, trebuchet, verdana, courier, helvetica, or georgia (the default blogger fonts), I will probably leave. Unless I like you. Then I'll read until my eyes get tired (which will take about 30 seconds) and leave a comment about what I read. Do yourself (and the rest of the world a favor) and change your font!!

5. Generic comments with three words and a link. This does not bother everyone, but it makes me so annoyed. As a general rule, I almost never visit people who do this. The standard offense looks a little something like this.

BONUS Pet Peeve: No-Reply Bloggers. We've gone over this already. If you have the new blogger dashboard, email me if you can't figure it out. I'll help you, because I want to reply to your comments that badly!

On Saying No

2012-01-31T06:55:00.002-06:00

Yo, yo, yo, I'ma teach you to say no. Don't say it slow, just let the words flow. Starts with "N" and ends with "O".So let's get on with this show.

How's that for a greeting. I just came up with it on the fly, too. Gosh, I was born to be a straight thuggin' wangsta rappa. Okay, not really, but I sure know how to rhyme!
Anyway, this post is really important, and if someone had written it for me a few years ago, it would have made my life way easier.
Girls (and guys), this post is about learning to tell people, "No." I'm not talking about drugs, alcohol, or sex. I'm talking about general stuff. Those of you that find yourself struggling to have "you time" or do anything for yourself because you're so bogged down in doing things for other people - this is for you.
Dear Do-gooders of the World,
It has come to my attention that the word "no" is actually a very hard word to say, even though it is only two letters and one simple syllable. Why is it so difficult for us to say? What keeps us from being able to say that word to not only friends and family, but mere acquaintances and total strangers? WHY IS IT SO DANG HARD TO TELL PEOPLE NO??!?

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Oh, I know why.
Because it makes you feel bad. You feel like you're being selfish if you tell someone, "Sorry, I can't watch your seven kids because my husband and I haven't seen each other in a week and tomorrow's the only chance we will get to spend time together," or "Sorry, I have had a crazy week, and I have a massage appointment tomorrow - I can't take your shift at work," or, perhaps, something along the lines of, "I'm sorry, I just really can't afford to spend my time and money tutoring kids for free when I could use that time working another job earning money to help me pay my own bills" (not that I've had to say that today).
We feel obligated to say, "yes" to almost every request we get, because we have been conditioned to believe that "no" is a bad word. I'm not saying we should all turn into "NO!!!! NO!!! NO!!! NEVER!!! YOU SUCK AT LIFE AND I DON'T WANT TO HELP YOU!!" Machines... but we should be a little more OK with saying that one little word. If your 5-year-old wanted you to do her homework for her so that she could go play with her friends, would you say no? Probably. If your 80 year old grandpa wanted you to give him a ride to the strip club... would you say no? Hopefully. So, then, why is it so hard for us to say no to someone when we can barely keep ourselves alive? Because we feel like we have an obligation to always always always put others first.

You know what? Sometimes it's okay to put you and your family first. I think service is great - when you're able. In fact, I think everyone should do some sort of service, no matter how small. I do not, however, think we should spread ourselves ridiculously thin or make ourselves miserable just because we feel bad saying "no!"
So friends, I have a proposal. The next time you want to rip all of your hair out because you said yes to babysitting 10 kids, leading the PTA meeting, taking dinner to the old lady down the street, working someone else's shift, and helping someone move to a new house, take a step back and vow to do something for yourself. Be realistic when you're deciding to say "yes" or "no." Don't feel obligated to do everything for everyone else - YOU ARE NOT SUPERWOMAN [Superwoman, if you're reading this... ignore that part]!

Your family is your priority, and believe it or not, you can't truly help others unless you've helped yourself first. Do yourself a favor and learn to say, "no." It'll save you a lot of headaches, a lot of misery, and a lot of all-night caffeine binges and smoothie runs. Trust me.
And once you've learned to say "no," that "yes" will be so much more meaningful.

Pop, Shopping Carts, Tennis Shoes, and a fake British accent (that's for you, Natasha!)

2012-01-30T16:42:00.000-06:00

GUYS! DUDES! HOLY COW. Dude. I did it. I made a vlog.Ignore the breakout. Ignore the fact that I'm a weirdo. Feel free to laugh at my expense. PS: I have not actually watched this video. You will be the first(s)!

January Love!

2012-01-30T07:03:00.001-06:00

What's it do, home skillets?! Yeah, I had to bring out the wangsta in me again. I'm really in need of some greetings that I haven't already used... I've resorted to googling creative ways to say hello. If anyone has any suggestions... toss 'em my way.

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Now that I'm done greeting you people, let's get on to the good stuff, shall we?! It's already the 30, and I have 2 more lovely sponsors that sent me all of their information for a feature post. I realized that the month was almost over and I had not told you all how awesome they are, and that was a shame.
So without further ado, I bring you 2 of the wonderful ladies that sponsored my blog this month. Check them out - I promise they're awesome. As always, click the pics!
For your dose of reality and inspiration:

Hello! I am Carina, and I am an anthropology major turned hair stylist turned mama of 3. I spend my days with three crazy and adorable boys, love thrifting, baking, crafting and watching bad reality tv. On my blog, you'll find me writing about life, faith, adoption, and everything else - hopefully with humor and gratitude! I also have an etsy shop that I started to raise money for our next adoption. Please stop by and say hello!

What are 3 of your New Year's resolutions for 2012?

1. get organized! (i'm kind of ridiculous)

2. say "yes" more than I say "no"

3. run my first race (totally not a runner. yikes.)

etsy. blog.

For your daily dose of funny:

I'm Jennie! I'm 20 years old, brunette of almost one year, lover of all things Target, and probably one of the tallest girls you'll ever meet....seriously. I'm a California girl currently relocating to Colorado, butt-kicker at Super Smash Brothers, closet nerd, and lover of all potato byproducts. Sometimes I’m funny, sometimes I’m serious. But most of the time I am funny. Also, there’s no getting past it: I AM AWKWARD. My blog records my awkward adventures, quirky thoughts, and my all-around awesome life.

What are 3 of your New Year's resolutions for 2012?

1. I am not drinking one drop of soda for the whole year. Currently it’s been 23 days and counting since I’ve had my last Coke Zero.

2. Nightly and morning prayers. I’m pretty good at the night time but I am a grumpy monster in the mornings so most of the time I forget.

3. Get myself out of debt. I currently have about $5,000 in student loans and I want to graduate debt-free, so I’m taking this semester off from school and over the course of the next 8 months I’ll be working full time and then some to pay that crap off and save for my final two years of my undergrad degree.

My Twitter makes me laugh. Sometimes I have the most ridiculous thoughts.

Pinterest is my newest addiction. Basically my whole wedding is already planned.

Also, one time I wrote a novel that I think it prettttty great. You can read the first 10,000 words here.

What are you waiting for? Get to clickin'!

Sunday Confessions Linky Party!

2012-01-29T07:21:00.004-06:00

Aloha! Sheesh, I wish I was in Hawaii. I've never been there, but it looks awesome.

Anyway, it's Sunday, which means it's time for the weekly confessions, along with a link-up! Snag a button, write some confessions, and link them up at the bottom of this post!

1. Since the invention of online shopping, I'm not really a huge fan of shopping in real life. I know, I know. Only old fat ladies that sit on their couches eating bon bons are supposed to be obsessed with online shopping. But ya know what?! I hate trying on clothes, I hate the crowds... I hate it all. Besides, I check measurements of everything before I buy, and I have had no problems!

2. I sing in the shower [sometimes]. Hey - you can't blame me! The bathroom has great acoustics!

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3. Sometimes when Hubby comes to bed after me, I pretend to be asleep so he can't make me move. Seriously... it takes a lot of effort to get comfy on that stupid midget-sized bed [man, I miss our king]. Life is just easier when I get there first and he can't make me move.

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4. I love dipping my french fries in my frosty. That is one of the first purchases I will make upon my arrival in the states - a chocolate shake and fries.

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5. Sometimes I have to try really hard to keep from laughing when people are mad (or when I'm mad, for that matter). Something about anger just makes me laugh at times... Maybe I'm sick and twisted, but come on, some of the things we get mad about are just so ridiculous that once you realize what you [or someone else] is so upset about, you just have to laugh. Sometimes you try to keep yourself from doing it, though, because you don't want the person you're venting to [or at] to know that you realize how stupid it is.

Sometimes.

2012-01-28T09:31:00.001-06:00

What's shakin', bacon? Take this as a reminder to link up tomorrow for my weekly Sunday Confessions! If you have to, go write your post right now!!

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Sometimes....I wake my husband up with crepes.
I look for new musicians on YouTube.I debate whether or not I should try lipstick, and tell myself, "No. You would look like a clown."

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I eat Nutella for breakfast.
I think I like cooking, then I regain my sanity.
I scope Blogland for layouts that I like, and make note of them to incorporate elements into future designs. There's so much inspiration out there.
I go to Deviant Art and search for new brushes and patterns because I'm sick of the ones I have.
I get a little homesick and I miss these peeps (my supercool parental units).

I wake up and say, "Let's take a trip today." Then look at the bank account and see that I haven't been paid, so the trip will have to wait until next weekend. 10 points if you can guess where that is without cheating and following the "via" link.

viaWhat do you do sometimes?

Favorite Things Friday

2012-01-27T10:07:00.000-06:00

Top of the marnin' to ya! Yeah... I just said that out loud, and my Irish accent sounds way better in my head. I hope you'll settle for a picture of a leprechaun, and imagine that he's saying it to you.

As I'm sure you know... it's Friday, and time for my favorite things from this week.
1. Eyebrows. You may or may not know this, but I have a mild obsession with good brows. I know, I'm a freak. But ya know what? You cannot look at this chic's eyebrows and seriously tell me that they're not amazing. On that note, you wanna know what blogger's brows I totally envy? McKenzie's.

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2. Replying to your comments. Yes, I love when you comment, but I love it even more when I can reply to your comments! You know what, though?! HALF OF YOU ARE NO-REPLY BLOGGERS!!! Please check that, and fix it pronto. It's easy. All you have to do is this:

3. Cupcakes and Donuts. Seriously. I have been wanting both of the above for a little over a week now, and it's driving me insane. Anyone want to come visit me and bring some with you??

via4. Spaghetti... made with my new secret recipe. Dude. Seriously. I figured out how to take spaghetti from an "eh, it's okay" meal to a "HOLY CRAP GIVE ME MORE" meal. Want to know how? Sorry, I'm not ready to give out my secrets just yet. I have to keep you guys coming back.
5. Snowy days. You know what, guys?! Snow is magical. Seriously. I had like, at least 5 reasons to have a crap-tastic day today, but every time I looked out the window and saw the first snowfall of this winter... I was just fine with ignoring all the devil children, douchebags, lateness, unpreparedness, and craziness. All I cared about was the pretty snow, and can I just tell you how much Germany looks like it's right out of a fairy tale when those huge flakes are falling on the narrow cobblestone streets lined with houses that are hundreds of years old? Just amazing. I wished I had my DSLR with me.

PS: Thanks for all of your nice comments yesterday. You sure know how to make a girl feel loved! :)

Change is Possible.

2012-01-26T12:13:00.002-06:00

What's up, mah homies? Thanks for all the "Get Betters." I'm pretty sure that you are all the reason I'm not puking today. At least I like to think so.
So I like to keep it real with you guys. I don't like to pretend like my life is perfect (it's not), I don't want to come across as if I don't have a care in the world (I do), and I don't want to come across as "fake" on this here blog.
I hate being serious and talking about serious stuff because, let's face it - I'm anything but serious 99.9% of the time.
But I want you guys to know who I really am, and why I am the way that I am. This is not intended to cause debate - this is my opinion, and you all are just as entitled to yours. I am not judging anyone with this post, it's simply all of my thoughts and an experience put down on "paper."

Once upon a time, I was getting ready to go to college. I didn't want to be the stereotypical Molly Mormon and go to BYU at 18, get married at 19, and drop out to fulfill my life long dream of being a wife and a mother (keep in mind this is my 18-year-old self thinking these thoughts). So instead of high-tailing it to Utah, Idaho, or Hawaii like virtually every other Mormon youth, I headed up north to the University of Nebraska.

viaI went to church once. I hated it. I felt like lots of people there were either weird, judgmental, pushy, or a combination of all three.
I discovered that I really liked to party. I went out every Friday and Saturday night, and sometimes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Instead of being the stereotypical Mormon, I had become the stereotypical sorority girl. Except, ya know, the part where you dress like a skank, act all slutty, and are part of a sorority (I realize not every sorority girl is like this, sheesh). So... I guess I just partied. A lot.
I hated going to church, I hid from "the Mormons" anytime they tried to come "bring me back to the fold." I always knew I'd get back there eventually, I just thought to myself, eh. I can go back to church whenever I want - I can't party like this forever.
Fast Forward a year and a half. I got an internship in Germany. I moved out here all by myself. I lived in the armpit of Frankfurt (aka Offenbach am Main). I had no friends, my coworkers weren't exactly open or inviting. I called my mom in tears, telling her that I hated it here and that I was ready to come home. Good ole Mom. She told me to go to church. I protested and went a couple more weeks being miserable.
Then one fateful Sunday, I decided to do it. I hated it, I felt so alone and awkward, and I was about ready to say "screw it" again when I met someone who turned out to be a sort of lifesaver. Sure, he was cute and tall, but that was not what it was all about. He invited me to go to church activities, and I met more people that I actually enjoyed spending time with. I began to look forward to church.
When I got back to the states, I decided to go to church again, and it wasn't half bad. I kept partying, but I figured, I'll stop eventually - at least I'm making an effort here. Eventually something totally awful happened one night when I was smashed. That was the point at which I kicked myself in the effing face, and said,

After that night... I never had another drink. I got a heck of a lot better about swearing (I used to curse like a sailor), and a month later... I met the man that I would spend forever with. I changed. With a ton of help from God, and a ton of help from others, I changed.
I spent more time on my knees pouring out my soul in those 8 months that I was trying to get better than I ever had before. It was a long and excruciatingly painful process, and I wanted to give up more than once, but I didn't. I prayed, and prayed, and prayed. If I'm perfectly honest here, it sucked. Hardcore. But then... I was happy. For the first time in a couple of years, I was happy with who I was and where I was.
The moral of the story is this: Change is possible.
I have had people belittle me and judge me for the things that I've done. Some have even gone so far as to say that I haven't really changed, that I'm putting on a show, and that eventually I'll go back to the way I was. They've told me that I'm an awful person, and that it doesn't matter how much I try, I will never be worthy of the man to whom I am married. They have told me that people don't change.
I beg to differ. If you don't believe me, look at who I was then, and who I have become.

All you have to do is believe that you can.

What I Wore Wednesday {What a Sick Person Wears}

2012-01-25T04:03:00.001-06:00

Wazzzzuuuuuupppp? Honestly, I can't believe I've never used this greeting.

That being said... I originally wasn't going to do WIWW today because I woke up puking (I told the school I had a fever, though, because let's face it - I don't know how to say, "I'm puking my guts up," and no one really needs to know about my regurgitated late night snack of pretzels and peanut butter).
But then I thought to myself, why only do WIWW posts when I look decent? I mean, I want my readers to know who I really am, bad hair, no makeup, sweatpants, and all. So for the sake of being real, I give you What I Wore Wednesday: Puking My Guts Up Edition.

Note: If you are awesome, you will know that Nebraska football is the best. Hands down. Even if they didn't do all that well this season, I still love them. I am no fair-weather fan.

Blog Critique Review

2012-01-25T03:41:00.003-06:00

Hey there, hi there, ho there!!

I'm going to tell you all about something that I think is extremely important if you want your blog to be a little more... user friendly.

Blog Critiques.
Folks, they're a good idea. I participated in one that was held over at Truly Lovely, and it was so great to get unbiased feedback about my blog design and layout. I had two lovely ladies, Chrissy and Morgan go through my blog and critique it based on the questionnaire at this site.
That's actually one of the reasons I'm changing up the size of my sponsor buttons this next month. I was told that, at first sight, it looked like a little too much, even though it was very well organized. Well, I'm hoping that with those nifty rectangular buttons, it will look a little more uniform and not quite as busy.
Also, I don't know if you're the type to go look at the archives or search for something, but if you are, today is your happy day! I improved my archive so that it's easier to see past posts, and moved my search bar from an obscure location near the bottom of the sidebar to the top left hand side. It is now easier than ever to blog stalk me, folks!
Moral of the story is this: Having somebody else review your blog is such a good idea. You may know what your blog looks like on your widescreen monitor, but did you know that I can't see half of your layout? You didn't? Or maybe your "sidebar" is down at the bottom of your page, and you had no idea, because it all works for you. My point is, don't be afraid to ask someone how your blog looks - it will probably do you more good than harm!

Guest Post: Daryl from Roots, Wings, and Other Things

2012-01-24T08:00:00.002-06:00

Hey guys!!! I have one of my great friends (in real life and in blogland) here posting today. I'm over on her site, tellin' you guys what's up, if you're interested in reading. Until then, read through this, and go show her some love!

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Montpellier, South of France.
Dress: Thrifted
Sweater: Hollister
Tights: H&M
Boots: German Shoe Store (Name Forgotten!)
Necklace: H&M!

Hello New Adventurers!

Just in case you haven't met me yet, I thought I'd introduce myself over on my wonderful friend Alyx's blog. I'm Daryl, and I blog over at Roots, Wings, and Other Things.

I took a leap of love and faith and got married at eighteen years old,
following my (German) husband back to fabulous central Europe to live and adventure.
In this time I've discovered my absolute love for cooking, which really is saying something because before marriage my idea of cooking was heating up a lean cuisine.

I've also discovered my passion for traveling and sightseeing.
No, you don't understand.

I sometimes spend hours looking up cheap flights, hotels, and pinning new location after new location on my pinterest. I have an addiction, sure, but there are worse ones, right?

On my blog, you can read about our travels through gorgeous cities such as Athens, Montpellier, Paris, Amsterdam, and more!

When my blog began, it was a simple way to keep up with my friends and family across the pond. As I continued write it transformed into something more: I realized I could use this blog as a way to connect with other people like me, to share my passions and trials, and prove that putting down roots does not mean you have to sacrifice your wings.

As our wonderful friend Alyx says, every day is a beautiful new adventure.
I would love it if you'd join me on mine!

Wedding Mishap of the Century

2012-01-23T08:47:00.003-06:00

Hiii! So... I'm linking up with Recently Roached, and seeing all these crazy posts about stuff that went wrong at weddings. Well, folks. I'm gonna be the winner. I have two words for you. Car Wreck.Now is the time where I follow those two words with a bunch of words that won't make sense until you read the rest of the story:
crying. wedding dress. jerkface tow truck. yelling. cops. tuxedo. pointing. cell phones. radiator. reception. fender bender. makeup. laptop. music.
Now, I don't feel like writing a novel, so I'm going to give you the quick version. Our wedding ceremony was at 2:00 p.m., and our reception was at 7:00 p.m. We took our wedding pictures right after the wedding, but since it was a thousand degrees outside, we made them as quick as possible. After the pictures were done, we were sent on our merry little way to get some 7/11 slurpies and head back to the hotel to hang out for a while.

The clock rang 6:30, and it was time to hop into the car and make our way to our beautiful reception (that we didn't really ever see).

I insisted on driving. In my wedding dress. I think that slurpie was spiked with a little something extra, because that was a stupid decision. Anyway, we're driving down the I-15 from Provo to American Fork, and we make it to the exit. Husband is picking wedding music, and making a playlist on his laptop.The light is red. There is a car in front of me. .... I stopped in time. PSYCH! But then.... (bum, bum, bum) The car in front of me turned right (or so I thought). I followed him. Oops. He had slammed on his brakes for no apparent reason. I hit him going 5 mph. If even that. We got out of the car (me crying like a maniac on the side of the highway in my wedding dress, Mike being manly and authoritative in his tuxedo), and Hubby went to talk to the guy. We had it all figured out. The damage was almost non-existent. Insurance info had been swapped. We were getting back in the car to leave. The time is now 7:30 p.m.

But then.... (bum, bum, bum)

Enter Jerkface. Jerkface was a tow truck driver. He threatened to call the police and tell them that it was a hit and run. He convinced the other driver to report it then instead of the next day.

Enter police. The time is now 8:15 p.m.

Jerkface lies to police and says he witnessed the accident. Crazy Maniac Zombie Bride with the Running Mascara is not okay with that. She starts yelling at Jerkface, calling him a liar, wedding ruiner, and telling him that he has ruined the most important day of her life and she hopes somebody ruins his wedding day so that he knows how it feels. Police know that this girl is crazy, and decide to feel bad for her and not give her a ticket. Police reports are filled out, and we are allowed to leave.

But then.... (bum, bum, bum)

Enter car trouble. The time is now 8:50 p.m. The car will not start. It becomes apparent that the headlight poked a small hole in the brand new radiator of my in-laws' van.

Enter Father-in-law (also known as the knight in shining armor). The time is now 9:05 p.m. He helped us get the car into a safe place, and took us back to the reception.

We arrived at 9:30 p.m. to a pitch black backyard, scarcely populated reception, and leaning wedding cake. All of my makeup was gone, and I was extremely upset. People said, "someday you'll laugh about this." I resisted the urge to punch them in the face. They were right, but that's beside the point.

As much as I wished the reception had gone differently, the important stuff was there. I got my first dance with my husband, and I got to have cake smashed in my face. And I will never forget the feeling when my husband sat me down and sang the song "Wonderful Tonight" to me (he changed the words to the last verse on a whim, and sang about getting to the reception two and a half hours late).

Sorry for the novel.

Sunday Confessions Linky Party!

2012-01-22T08:22:00.001-06:00

Hey, good lookin... whatcha got cookin'?
... Am I the only one that listens to country? Anyway, it's Sunday, and it's time for the Sunday Confessions, which I recently made into a link up, so feel free to grab a button and join on in - I'd love to have you!

1. I am addicted to peanut butter. Most of you know this already, but seriously. Does it get any better than JIF? Probably not, unless you whip out the Nutella. Then it’s a close call.

2. I don’t really want to inspire anyone with my blog. Maybe I’m a misfit in the blogging world, because I feel like that’s the main reason so many people blog. There’s nothing wrong with that - in fact, I think it's actually really great. It’s just not my thing. I prefer wasting people’s time with my attempts at humor and ridiculous pictures and videos. Once in a great while, I will feel the need to write something on a serious topic, but all work and no play makes for a very exhausted Alyx.

3. I hate fish. Really, I do. Not as pets (even though I don’t really like that, because they always go and kick the bucket after a few days), but as food. You know how in Finding Nemo the sharks say, “Fish are friends, not food”? Well, I totally agree with that statement. Tuna fish is the only fish that I will eat.

4. I actually liked the Twilight series. I know, I know. I’m about to get 5000000 emails that say something along the lines of Wow, you’re even more lame than I thought. We can officially never be friends. It’s okay, I understand.

5. I am almost always eating when I write my blog posts. That would be why a great deal of them mention things like JIF and Nutella. And in case you hadn’t noticed, my eating habits are not the healthiest. Good thing I enjoy ~~torturing myself~~ working out.