From Halloweens past...

Last year I showed you this boo-tiful picture from a past Halloween.



You can read the entire story of how I was ROBBED during a desk decorating/costume contest HERE.

Not to be outdone this year, I have dug up a past year book from MIDDLE SCHOOL and scanned another ghoulish picture from a Halloween past.



This flashback is from 7th grade, circa October 1988. OMGosh! I know it's hard to imagine someone as cool as me being that old but it's true. Sad but true.

Obviously I was a sassy witch with strange wingie things on my cheeks. Hmmm. What can I say? The makeup seemed like a good idea at the time.

As for this year this cartoon has inspired me and with my hormones right now it seems like THE perfect fit.



Happy Halloween ya'll!

I can't help but "fall" in love...

When the leaves change, I can't help but fall in love with my fair town all over again. The colors create a quilt of beauty on the mountains that I just cannot resist.

Take a look for yourself...










Even our high school stadium has a backdrop of fall colors.





Simply. Stunning.

Size DOES matter

At least it does when it comes to decks & that's why we choose to go with a 20'x24' on the back of the house.

We could have gone a little bigger, but I didn't want people to be able to look into my bathroom window. Paranoid much?!

Before:




During:





After:








Big props to our deck guy & S! They made it through this project only sacrificing a thumb. And it was well worth it in my opinion.

From the mind of Me...

*The teen's Jazz band rocked the house on Tuesday.



*Those LATISSE commercials scare me. Why would anyone want longer lashes SO bad that they would risk having their eye color change?! "...there is potential for increased brown iris pigmentation which is likely to be permanent." Um, no thanks. As they say be careful what you wish for.



*I may not know sweaters but I know socks. I'm wearing these today & loving them.



*Counting down the days until December 1st. That's when Virginia goes smoke free. Can I get an amen?! I love playing darts but coming home smelling like an ashtray is not my idea of fun.



*For those naysayers that claim video games are bad for the kiddos, please point them in my direction. The teen is excelling in percussion and I'm attributing it to the hours spent playing Rock Band.



*I totally carved these for our competition tomorrow. Crossing my fingers that the rain holds off.



*Tonight's football game is Senior night. That means S & I are walking the teen down the track in front of everyone, so if you could give a little nod upstairs that I do not trip and fall I would really appreciate it.



Have a great weekend ya'll!

I'd like the WHOLE sweater please.

Cara wrote earlier this week that open toed boots are "just wrong". And I'd have to agree. Much like a sleeveless turtleneck, I don't really get the concept.

Though the "less is more" trend is apparently what's in season these days because yesterday I came upon short sleeved sweaters.



Not cardigans. Not light, summer weight sweaters. But full blown cable knit, WINTER sweaters. With short, and in some cases no, sleeves.

I realize that everyone may not be exposed to the frigid temperatures of winter. However this is ALL I could find in stores yesterday. In VIRGINIA where we do actually have WINTER temps.

Besides the logistics of it, if I pay that much for a sweater I would very much like the WHOLE sleeve. Thankyouverymuch.

I need some guidance on this season's fashion scene or I shall be forced to buy holiday sweaters with pumpkins & Santas bedazzled on the front. Hell, at least they come equipped with full length sleeves.

I beg of you. Please explain this latest trend to me. Or tell me another trend that you are currently hating/loving.

What's up with that pole?

I was surprised so many people commented about the POLE. But since you did here's the boring, but true explanation:

It's a structural pole in my office. I work for my Dad in a home office, so technically my office is part of his basement that he remodeled into an office.



There is nothing kinky going on. The pole is necessary.

Besides if it were that kind of pole, do you really think I'd let my nephew PLAY on it? What kinda girl do you take me for?

Wait. Don't answer that.

Maybe it's time to re-evaluate children's programming

Today I have company.

Cause the school says he has pink eye.


He says doing this makes him feel like a girl.


He wonders where he stepped on the booger that is on the bottom of his sock.



Me? I'm just glad I took my pill today.



The end.

More sleepless nights

I'm plagued with sleep issues. Some of it is that I'm a light sleeper, but a lot of the issues stem from my dreams.

Do you remember when I woke S up in a panic because I thought my house was on fire? Only to realize that it was a dream?

It happened again last night, minus scaring the bejeezus out of my partner. At 3AM I woke straight up and swore I smelled smoke. And again it was nothing more than my imagination.

~sigh~

I cannot tell you the number of times I've woke up believing my dreams. It can take anywhere from a few seconds to minutes to realize it stems from a dream and not reality.


It's so tiring. ~yawn~







I wish there was a solution for these weird dreams that I have. Or that I just get a break from them.

Am I the only freak person that this happens to?

Star sighting?

The weather is very "Fork"-ish* this week in my part of the world. Cold, rainy, windy and foggy.

Not at all my cup of tea.

In the evenings I typically use the Blue Ridge Parkway to avoid the traffic. Besides that, the parkway provides some beautiful scenery for my commute. (Here's the visual.)

However in the mornings I find that the interstate is a lot quicker and it's more convenient if I need to stop to get gas, make a CVS pit stop, or grab breakfast. The interstate doesn't have the same visuals that the parkway does except for this:


The star is our most famous landmark. That is how it looks at night and this is how I see it most mornings.


Now see if you can find it this morning...



Eh, not so much.

So you're thinking that I didn't have a star sighting right?

You would be so wrong. Maybe.

I was following this well known face down the interstate this morning:



Apparently Bret has written a book, aptly named Roses & Thorns which he is actively promoting with a picture of his mug on a travel trailer that is being pulled by a coach bus.

I don't actually know if Bret was on the bus but I was thisclose to beeping the horn & waving at the bus like a mad woman just in case.

As you can see I use the term "star" pretty loosely.

*Why yes, that is a Twilight reference.

My favorite things

A few of my favorite things from this past week:

The teen participating in Homecoming week & dressing up with friends as Kiss.*


Taking a few quick pictures of the kids before the homecoming dance since they were running late.


Being able to walk around my finished deck.


Seeing this gobble-gobble sitting in the corner.


Having these ladies over for a Sunday/Birthday dinner.



*Notice the absence of "Gene Simmons"? The kid that was supposed to the fourth backed out. The guys still had a blast & I still got embarrassing pictures to pass around when he least expects it.

72 days & counting...

If you don't know what is 72 days away then you are like me - clueless. Or you might be the kind of person that was ready two months ago. That means you are now my arch nemesis. I joke. Sorta.

The event I'm talking about - CHRISTMAS.

Can you believe it?! Christmas is only 72 days away and I haven't bought the first gift.

In fact I haven't even given any thought to what gifts I need. And even worse, I've gone over my calendar and every Saturday until December is committed to something.

Every. Single One.

So I may or may not have been freaking out about it last night around the 3AM mark.



I need to get busy. In a total non-sexual way of course. (Sorry S!)

There are lists to make, numbers to crunch and much, much shopping to do in between all my other commitments.

Hold me. Please.

Birthday Babes

Yesterday was Lil J's birthday...

Post cupcake.

And today is my middle sisters.



Happy Birthday Ladies!