I'm alive... but not well

I know I've been absent from my blog and I'm sorry for going MIA yet again. I have had a upheaval in my personal life and I'm just trying to get through it. C and I have ended our relationship of almost 5 years. It's been hard. What's harder is that I am the bad guy. I'm not going to be very open about this but there it is. It's over. I'm a 30 year old single mother. This is so not where I thought I'd be. This are the card I've been handed and I'll do my best to play them well.

I hope everyone will understand my absence. I will hopefully be back to blogging soon but right now I don't have it in me.

What does turning 30 look like?

 

I wouldn’t know.I’m not 30.I’m super 29…  Okay I give in I’ll embrace turning 30.

My 30th birthday was Saturday for those of you that didn’t know. I spent the day with my best friend her 9 year old and my little man at the Dallas Zoo. Since we were both keeping kids happy the picture taking was sparse for a lot of the day.  I had a blast and a half though! This was the first time taking Scout were he was super into it.

The coolest part of the day was feeding the giraffes!Scout LOVES giraffes! We were both super excited.

 

We could touch them!So neat! *That hat is Scout*

That was just the first part of my birthday! The rest came in the form of shopping. steak dinner and sprinkles cupcakes.I only have pictures of my cupcakes.. I was too busy just enjoying the day.

 

 

If being 30 starts with this kind of awesomeness…bring it on!

Better late than Never!

I have no idea what happened to my blog swap post I wrote it last night and schedule it to be up by 2pm today! It disappeared! Here I go again!



I have now participated in my very first blog swap! I do believe it was a success! I had sooo much fun picking out gifts for Jessica at Mommy's Sippy Cup.
I must say I LOVED my gifts! Jessica gave me a beautiful blue scarf that I  wore to work today! I also receive a Real Simple magazine which I love because I never buy mags for myself.  She also gave me some yummy chocolate covered pretzels!  The  pretzels disappeared VERY quickly. I MAY have eaten them for a super healthy breakfast….
I think my favorite gift is the wooden painted sign Jessica got me. I hung it up the second it was out of the box!



I’m also linking this up with







Thanks Jessica! I love my gifts!

Music!

My friend Sarah Kate over at Nothing But Blue Skiesdid a post last week and my friend, Janette at The Johanson Journey   did it this week that I thought would be lots of fun!  Oh, Jessica at A Bunch of My Nonsense did it too!


Rules are quite easy....You pick a band, and then answer the following questions using only the titles of that bands' songs, not their lyrics. My band of choice is










Pick Your Artist:

Jimi Hendrix




Are you male or female:

Foxey Lady




Describe yourself:

Bleeding Heart




How do you feel about yourself:

Voodoo Child




Describe where you currently live:
Go Go Place



If you could go anywhere, where would you go:

Red House




Your best friend is:

Wild Thing




Your favorite color is:

Purple Haze



Describe your current love situation:
 Bold As Love



What’s the weather:
 The Wind Cries Mary




If your life was a television show what would it be called:

Who Knows




What is life to you:
Message To Love




What is the best advice you have to give:
Play That Riff




If you could change your name what would you change it to:

Dolly Dagger




Your favorite food is:
 Soul Food (that's What I Like)





Your favorite time of the day is:
Midnight




You know that:

Here He Comes (Lover Man)




That was a lot of fun! I sort of want to do it again... with a different artist..

Make My Monday!

I have made a new bloggy friend and she's having a linky party today!! It's Called Make My Monday.  How come everytime I type that I hear it Dirty Harry style.. "Go ahead punk, Make My Monday".. hehehe










This Monday's Topic is: getting to know you,with the question being..name one word that describes you.....





What is one word to describe you? Nerdy. I'm a big nerdy bookworm.

one word to describe your life? happy. I have a bunch of crappy stuff going on my life but I am happy. I have love, a healthy son and a home.

one word to describe your love? Strong. The love I have for my man and my child are incredible and intense.


one word to describe your body? zaftig (It's yiddish for juicy) I'm a a chubby girl.

one word to describe your cooking? Yumm. I may not be the best cook but I am not the worse. ;)

one word to describe your career? Teacher. I mold young minds Monday thru Friday. At a preschool

one word to describe your hobby? Crafty. I love crafting and diy projects but I pick pretty random ones.

one word to describe your style? Mess. I am a hot mess. I need help here!

one word to describe your blog?
 Random... I am all over the blogging map.


one word to describe your home?  Umm... Is umm a word? Yea. let's go with it..




This is super tough!!
Everything about my life is pretty random but I love it. Don't get me wrong things could always be better but they aren't that bad.

I'm just me doing the best I know how.

Well, that's pinteresting...

I am flat out addicted to pinterest. If you're not following me you should! I give great pins.
Here's what I've been pinning lately...





love these shoes! i need these shoes



love this!

must have/do/make



I love me some RG!

*Wordless Wednesday!*

Pick Your Plum!!!

I am so excited to be teaming up with Johanson Journey and Ashley along with other fab bloggers and Pick Your Plum!  You can find PYP on pinterest, facebook & their website. ( Pick Your Plum is AWESOME)

Janette @ The Johanson Journey is a very crafty lady. I know her in real life and she is awesome.(yes, I am name dropping, thank you very much). This is co-hosted by Ashley @ Cherished Bliss.  I don't know her in real life but her blog is great!

I almost never agree to things blindly but when Janette asked if I wanted to be a part of this I was all like "Yo! Sign me up! I am so down.." or something like that! :)


Janette walked up to me with a Hello Kitty bag that contained my Pick Your Plum package.
I was nervous and excited. What is it?! * prayed of God don't let it be something that needs sewing skills.*


I waited until she was gone to open it. I didn't want her to see the look of panic! I'm not THAT creative of a person. I just get lucky and sometimes I make something very pretty.


*Cue Jaws Theme song or other scary music*

Love the Zebra duct tape.

 And this is where I freaked and stared at it for 10 minutes. No lie!
OK so what's a girlie to do with blank wood? Paint it!

I started out by painting the wood white in a an attempt to "prime" it and because I planned on "aging" it so I wanted some white to show through.

I have a crappy camera but this pink is VERY pink!

I used black paint on the stencil.  Then I had to paint the smaller pieces of wood along with some extras I found.

I HAD to add some blingy little hearts.

 I made the larger rectangle it's own separate item. I LOVE how it turned out.

So what happened to the smaller rectangles?! Well, after I painted them, glued them together added some ribbon.. and presto!

 I am SO SORRY but I can not get this picture to turn the right way!

I am sooo happy with how this project came out. The Pick Your Plum challenge was fun and the items were great quality!

I'm off to see what everyone else made and you should be too!

FYI: You can participate, too!

Starting TOMORROW (Feb 1st) you can link up any craft that you’ve made using a Pick Your Plum product!!!! 1st Party runs from February 1st-February 29th!


And there will be a giveaway from no other than Pick Your Plum!!!! I would love to win!If you enter as well, you are entering to win a PYP Mystery Box full of amazing products!!
 
The winner will be announced on March 7th as the next party begins.
 
 

Thanks for stopping by!

 

Talk To Us Tuesday & 10 Things to Smile About..

I'm linking up with EVERYONE today!!! So here goes... ;)
 Okay it's not everyone but it's a bumch of awesome ladies! :)













Ten Things To Smile about on Talk To Us Tuesday!!1

1. We took Monkey to the ENT today and his hearing is now perfectly normal! He passed their little test with FLYING colors and Dr. Awesome was very impressed that my 2 and a half year old can spell his name! :) It's adorable. I should post a vid of it for ya'll.

2. C is actually getting me a Valentine's Day gift without me picking it out with him at the store this year. He was sooo cute this morning when he asked me a million questions because he wants to do a good job. ** I am still a bit bummed that he refuses to get me flowers because they die.

3. C actually watched a full episode of The Big Bang Theory with me. He hated it. He can't stand Sheldon but he tried so that counts.

4. I found out my favorite perfume has been discontinued BUT my bestie has a bottle to give me because it doesn't smell right on her. So yay for me..

5.I am super excited and SUPER NERVOUS about tomorrow Pick Your Plum Challenge link up. Even more nervous because I know some creative ladies had the same package as I do.

6. I am happy about doing more with my blog.  I'll be trying to update the look soon and I MIGHT be going to the blog confernce in Sept.

7. C and I filed our taxes and I will be getting my driver's license back and be getting a car!!

8. Having little conversations with my kiddo makes me so happy. I love that he can now tell me he played blocks and colored at school. It's soo cool!

9. It makes me smile that C supports all the nutty little things I latch onto.. like this blog. :)

10. My readers make me smile. Your comments, emails and just the fact that someone is reading my drivel makes my day.

Most Romantic Movies...

I was surfing online and thinking about Valentine's Day when I came across this list of the top 10 most romantic movies.

**She is Dallas Top Ten**


1. An Affair to Remember (1957)


2. The Way We Were (1973)

3. The Notebook (2004) ** yes!!**

4. Love Actually (2003) **YES!!**

5. Casablanca (1942)

6. When Harry Met Sally (1989)

7. Ghost (1990)

8. The English Patient (1996)

9. While You Were Sleeping (1995)

10. Shakespere in Love (1998) **YES!!**



I only agree with  3 of them.  I decided I needed to make my own list and share it with you my lovely readers.

Jenn's Top Ten Epically  Romantic Movies :) Not in order of epicness.

1. The Notebook.
2. Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind.
3. 50 First Dates
4. P.S. I love You
5. Before Sunrise
6. Definitely, Maybe
7. The Holiday
8. Stranger Than Fiction
9. Closer
10. Meet Joe Black

I know some of them may be a bit dark or too sexy/sexual but I adore these movies!

What are your favorites? Have you seen any of these movies and what did you think of them?

I have a fever...

and the only cure is more cowbell...


 Okay, not really but I've got a fever. BABY FEVER. Ugh! I miss being pregnant.(not to mention how fun getting preggers is!)  I miss having a little teeny baby.

It's so hard to avoid the fever too when I'm surrounded by some of the cutest babies/toddlers in the world at my job.

I have two family memembers that are expecting and I'm kind of jealous. C and I aren't in a postition to have another baby this year. We're going to aim for next year though!!! If I don't get pregnant in 2013, I'm done. So I guess everyone cross your fingers for me!  I'm hoping to have a little redheaded pistol running around someday. :)

So how about a little hair of the dog? Look at all this cute little ones and cute things for little ones I've found on pinterest!

:)










Too much cute!!!!

37 questions about 2011

37 questions about 2011

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? Ummm I read 100 books and kept track of that

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year? No and yes!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth? Co-workers and friends


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

5. What countries did you visit? I didn't even leave the DFW area

6. What would you like to have in 2012 that you lacked in 2011? Financial stability

7. What dates from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? Um I'm not sure..

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Surviving, everything that was thrown at us

9. What was your biggest failure? Not going back to school or saving more money

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?  Just general ickies

11. What was the best thing you bought? Hmmm, my kindle!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration? Monkeys!

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? I'll keep that to myself

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Monkey turning 2 and speaking so well!

16. What song will always remind you of 2011? Hmm, I don't know. There is a bunch.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: About the same... it's too soon to tell

18. What do you wish you’d done more of? Work out.. spend more time with Monkey and C and take more pictures

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

20. How did you spend Christmas? With my lovable maddening family.

21. Did you fall in love in 2011? yes. I fall in love with my son and my man every day.

22. What was your favorite TV program? Weeds, Dexter and True Blood

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year? I don’t hate anyone.

24. What was the best book you read? The Hunger Games

25. What was your greatest musical discovery? The Black Keys. LOVE them

26. What did you want and get? a new laptop
27. What did you want and not get? a new cell phone

28. What was your favorite film of this year? I didn’t see many movies this year. The final Harry Potter movie was amazing.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I turned 29 and went to Twisted Root Burger Co with friends/family.
30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?  More money.
31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2011? Comfy
32. What kept you sane? my guy and my kiddo
33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?  Ryan Gosling..
34. What political issue stirred you the most? I was relieved that Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was repealed.

35. Who did you miss? My family

36. Who was the best new person you met?  Hmm.. I have no idea...

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. Worry gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere

Closer to 3

Everyday my little man gets closer to being 3.Everyday he becomes less my little baby and more the big boy he will be. Everyday when I hug him close I try to memorize that hug, that moment, knowing that before I know it he won't want to hug me in front of his friends and will stop running to me.I hope that day is far far away.



When did this.....

Become this....

It's going by way too fast...