100 Things continued: Items 27-37 (You can find items 1-26/A-Z here).  Sorry for today’s brevity, but my husband has a literature paper due on Friday and I have some heavy editing to attend to.  Back to the regularly scheduled program tomorrow or Friday.

27. I can weave my fingers into something that resembles an ostrich’s head. AND, I can give him a tongue. Maybe I’ll show you sometime, if you’re lucky!

28. I am an only child.

29. I have a 36ish-year-old stepsister, but we’ve never been close and haven’t lived in the same city aside from when I first came into the picture and she was too cool for school. Her loss - I always wanted a big sister, but she wasn’t obliging.

30. I can make 3 loops with my tongue, but I can’t tie a cherry stem despite my best efforts!

31. I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up career-wise, but I know unequivocally that I want to be a mom more than anything.

32. I love love love to rollerskate. I grew up on 8 wheels and even took figure skating classes when I was younger.

33. My father doesn’t have a bellybutton. When I was little, he told me his parents found him under a cabbage leaf. I didn’t believe him.

34. I have been to Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. I’ve set foot in Arizona, California, and Ohio, but not for more than a few hours.

35. I’ve also been to England, France and Spain.

36. I lived in Madrid for 6 weeks in 1998. I had a lot of fun, but was too young and intimidated to take full advantage. I never kept in touch with my host family and I deeply regret that.

37. My first car was a 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. It was a big white land-yacht with a blue vinyl roof and the thing was a tank. Good thing too, because I totaled it 4 months later

I have an hour and a half left of work. It’s been a hum-drum day and I think I’ve come up with just the thing for today’s post. How does my very own personal 100 things sound? I’ll also up the ante by making the first 26 posts related to the corresponding letter of the alphabet in keeping with April’s letters theme. Lets see what we can come up with, shall we?

Items 1-26 (A-Z):

1. I’m an Animal lover - my dogs are 2 of my favorite people and can pull me out of just about any funk!

2.  I can say the complete alphabet Backwards.  My grandfather learned his zyx’s as a Marine standing guard in Pearl Harbor during WWII.  I couldn’t let him show me up!  Also, I got bored in french class in 6th grade and needed to kill some time.

3.  My favorite Color is usually pink, but can occasionally veer to shades of blue or just plain red.

4.  I failed my first Driving test - I turned the onto the road into a (very wide!!) shoulder and was too intimidated to pull into the right lane.  How embarassing!

5.  Much unlike an Elephant, I forget a lot of things.  My husband is often annoyed by my need to get back out of the car and run inside for something on a regular basis.

6.  I have two Fathers.  Not literally, but my step-dad has been around since I was 10 and has never treated me like anything other than his own blood.  When B and I got married, my step-father walked me TO the aisle, where I was handed over to my father, who walked me DOWN the aisle. 

7.  My favorite Game is pictionary.  I reign supreme in my family.  Bring it on, I’ll kick your doodling ass!

8.  I absolutely adore the Harry Potter series and am hearbroken that the misadventures at Hogwarts are over.  I never went to any of the midnight book releases, but I secretly really wanted to.  Does this make me a wee bit losery?  Probably!  Do I give a damn?  Not a bit!

9.  I’m not super duper crazy afraid of Insects, but I usually make my husband take care of any multi-legged friend that wanders into the house.  I view it as his manly duty.  Shh, don’t tell him.

10.  I was supposed to be born in January, but was two weeks late (and breach with the umbilacle cord around my neck 2 times!)

11.  I blow my nose so hard I have to use 2 Kleenexes to avoid a blowout.  Honk honk!  It runs in the family!  I swear! 

12.  I Love many things.  You can read about some of them here.

13.  I make Magnets out of images from magazines.  I like other crafty ventures too.  Hopefully some items will make it into my Etsy store this month.

14.  I’ve always loved names.  I’ve had a running list of baby names in my head since I was a girl.  Various items at my house have names including Bob the Bradford Pear Tree, Thelma and Louise (crepe myrtles planted by my driveway) and Ernesto and Bertrand, the pink flamingos my mom gave me (they’re tucked away in a corner in my back yard where no one sees them but me, stop judging!).  

15.   A sea Otter once attacked my weiner dog.  There’s a sentence you don’t write every day!  Seriously though, it’s bite severed a muscle, she had 50 stitches and a morphine drip.  Poor weenie!

16.  A few of my Pet Peeves are as follows:  people not calling when they say they will, B leaving crumbs on the kitchen counter, people mispronouncing the word library as ”libary”, slow walkers in the mall (when I shop, I’m on a mission!), and yucky teeth. 

17.  Liking/knowing about/being able to work on cars and the ability to do handy things around the house are Qualities that are very important to me in a guy.  Otherwise, they just don’t really seem manly.  Also, he’s gotta be smart, able to make me laugh my ass off and be easy on the eyes:)  B’s a winner!

18.  I am not a Religious person, much to my father’s dismay. 

19.  I’m 5′3.5″ Short and I like it that way

20.  I have a tattoo of stars on my lower back.  It started out as one tiny blue one the size of a dime and is now more of a starburst.  I want to get some little stars running down the insides of my feet.  I have a thing for stars, not tattoos.

21.  One awkward year in high school, I had a case of the Uglies.  I was around 16.   My mom had me put the ornate beaded evening gown she wore years before and pulled my hair up in a french twist.  I felt drop dead gorgeous!

22.  I was born in Virginia Beach, VA in 1980 during a blizzard. 

23.  My parents planted a Weeping Willow in the backyard when I was born.  Odd, huh? 

24.  I’ve never been X-rayed for a broken bone.  Never broken a bone, really.  I think I may have cracked my tailbone in high school, but it was never confirmed by a medical professional, because really, there’s no treatment for a broken tailbone, so why bother!

25.  I’m 28 Years old (in 2008).

26.  I own a Zebra print bikini.  It was purchased on my honeymoon and picked out by my husband.  ‘Nuff said!

Check out 27-50ish tomorrow

The dogs and I went outside for a mid evening potty break (them, not me - I’m a bit more civalized thank you!). Stella ran up onto the deck while Rex lingered in the yard. I yelled for him to wrap it up and come in side, as he was just standing there contemplating whatever it is dogs contemplate while sniffing the wind in the dark night air. As he hustled up to the deck and inside, I busied myself wiping his furry little paws off with baby wipes (for the allergies, not some crazy compulsion). A few minutes later, B asks where Stella-monkey is. I run around the house calling her name. Not in her crate, not on her favorite pillow in the office, not anywhere to be found. I had left her outside - alone, cold and in the dark! I’m a forgetful person. I almost always have to run back into the house after I exit because my cell phone is on the table, my lunch is in the freezer, my shoes are by the door. But my dog??? Look at this face!

She wouldn’t survive a night on the streets. I’m so glad she was waiting by the back door. I would have been absolutely heartbroken if she had disappeared! Lordy I hope this is no indication of how I’ll be with human children!

]]> http://crookedhalo.wordpress.com/2008/04/07/of-all-the-things-ive-lost-i-miss-my-mind-the-most/feed/ Erin Stella and her Christmas toy http://crookedhalo.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/today-is-brought-to-you-by-the-letter/ http://crookedhalo.wordpress.com/2008/04/06/today-is-brought-to-you-by-the-letter/#comments Mon, 07 Apr 2008 03:37:54 +0000 crookedhalo http://crookedhalo.wordpress.com/?p=78

F!

In keeping with the letters NaBloPoMo theme for April, today’s post is brought to you by the letter F (seeing as how today is the 6^th, and F is the 6^th letter of the alphabet. Smart, no?). I was all set to post about the letter E today, but I clearly hadn’t glanced at the calendar…either that or my preschool/kindergarten teachers did a pretty lousy job with my education. Either way, let’s see what the letter F brings to the table, shall we? A little free association? No worries, I won’t drop the f*bomb!

• Football – I’m so fantastically pleased that the season is over! Thank you Jesus that I no longer have to endure the droning of the commentators, the starty-stoppyness of the sport. Though I do get in some excellent reading/napping in during football season. Speaking of reading…
• I’m fond of fiction – I’m currently reading Special Topics in Calamity Physics, a title recommended by a reader on one of Jennie’s posts (www.shelikespurple.com). So far so good – wittily/snarkily written and very enjoyable thus far.
• Fruitloops – writing about f topics made this delicious little o’s pop into my head and I’ve now got quite the craving, yet no loops of the fruit persuasion in the house. C’est la vie!
• Fandango.com – B and I went to see a move tonight. We very rarely treat ourselves to the movie-going experience because we must pinch pennies, and movies are damn expensive, what with the irresistibility of popcorn, Reese’s pieces and whatnot. We saw 21-it was good but not the best. I adore Kevin Spacey in any roll he plays. PG13 brought in lots of teenyboppers on their group dates. But the point is fandango.com – use it for your move time lookup/peruse-y needs. It’s fab.
• Flip-flops – the weather in my neck of the woods has gone bat shit crazy. It’ll be in the low 50’s one day and the upper 70s/lower 80’s the next. My broke out the flip flops on Friday night as the evening was warm and balmy. I’ll probably need a parka for work tomorrow. Crazy ass NC weather!
• Friendship – I hung out with the BFF(back in middle school are we?) on Saturday night, played Phase 10, ate entirely too much, and watched my beloved Heels lose. Oh, and also, the BFF’s toy poodle decided to climb up on me and empty the entire contents of her bladder on my lap. WTF dog? Pee clearly doesn’t start with an F, but really? Her well behaved dog christened my jeans while I was sitting on the couch minding my own business! Friendship is stronger than dog urine.
• Fat – I need to stop falling off the bandwagon and start losing some more of this. I’m headed to the beach the 1^st weekend in May and wish to have a wee bit less of a belly while I’m all exposed in my bathing suited glory. I’m not sayin’ I’m fat, I just have a little collection of it here and there, and could use a little less is all I’m sayin’.
• Fashion – I went to Target today to kill some time and came home with NOTHING! Well, truth be told, I brought home a bottle of chewable vitamins, but umm…hello? Target totally let me down. No dresses fit, no bathing suits fit, no fabulous shoes have made it to the shelves lately that call to come home with me. I did find a couple of super cute bags I could have purchased, but I’d need an item that covered my body in order to validate my purchase. I could pull off a dress purchase, seeing as how it covers top and bottom for a mere $24.99. The only dresses I spotted looked eerily maternity-like when on my body…and we’re just not there yet. Give me a year or two and check back. Meanwhile, I do not intend to look like I have a bun in the oven.
• Fad – I’m a little disheartened by the fact that leggings are making a comeback. What’s next? Tshirt ties and neon slouch socks? Say it ain’t so!
• Federal Income Tax – ok, IRS…where the heckfire is my tax refund? We filed ages ago and the state people were on the ball with the sending of the funds. Show me the money!
• Final exam – B’s finals are the last week in May and then he’s free for the entire freaking summer! I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. The poor man is always sleeping, studying, eating, or working. Always with the business and I just plain miss him. We won’t know what to do with eachother, he’ll have so much free time!  

Are you bored to tears yet? I’ll try to come up with some posts of substance this week. Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. I know I did. Back to the grind tomorrow. Check ya later!

I’m at a friend’s house, stuffing myself with pot roast, strawberry shortcake, and wine while hoping and praying my alma mater makes it to the NCAA championship.  I’m honored to call myself a tarheel…and shall kinda phone in this post by giving you a list of famous(ish) fellow UNC alum.

1.  Marion Jones - too bad she doped up…could have been a hell of a legacy!

2.  John Edwards - he spoke at my graduation.  Too pretty and well-coiffed for my tastes.  Plus, he didn’t drop out of the race for prez when his wife was diagnosed with what may well be terminal cancer.  Bastard!

3.  Andy Griffith - known for his small town utopia and gospel songs

4.  James K. Polk - the 11th president of the US!

5.  Mia Hamm - gold medal soccer player.  Girrl Power!

6.  Thomas Wolfe - short story writer and novelist.  I haven’t ready any of his works, but I admire anyone who can string words together well enough to publish written works!

7.  Michael Jordan - do I really have to explain??

My heels are currently down by 27 to Kansas, but I haven’t lost hope.  Fingers and toes and every other appendage crossed!  Also, WFT is up with your uuuuuuuuuuuuugaly tie, Roy?  Seriously!

Hark the sound of tarheel voices ringing clear and true….singing Carolina’s praises.  Shouting NCU!!!

In an effort to get through April’s NaBloPoMo with my sanity intact, I’ve decided that throughout the month of April, I’m going to institute Fabulous Finds Friday. We’ll see how things go, and perhaps I’ll make it a regular feature.

The internet sure takes window-shopping to a whole new level! I can find drool-worthy things to drool over in my pj’s from the couch! Without further ado, here are some things I’ve purchased and love, or I’ve stumbled across online and am seriously coveting.

1. I bought this gorgeous Jonathan Adler embossed leather photo album for my mother for Christmas and I’ve been jonesing to buy one for myself ever since. The album is just the right balance of funk and class and holds 200 4×6 photos. It’s a steal for $24.95!

2. Last month, B and I visited some friends in Columbia, SC. They’re about a decade and a half older than us, but they’re funky and fun and fabulous hosts! Anywho…back to the product. Mrs. friend in SC has the kind of skin that is healthy and glows, without looking made-up. During a day of shopping, she let me in on her little secret - Bare Minerals by Bare Escentuals.

Apparently this stuff is all the rage right now. We went to Ulta and I tried out the products in their starter kit. I HATE foundation with a passion. It leaves me feeling like I’m wearing a heavy, cakey mask! After about a month of using this stuff, I’ve decided it’s the perfect solution for me - it doesn’t feel like I’m wearing make-up, but I look a heckofalot better after dusting on the mineral foundation. All in all, it’s nice to feel like I’m putting a little more effort into the way I look without making it obvious. It gives my skin a natural looking boost! The only downfall to the loose powders is that it’s easily spillable and you may end up wasting some of the product…but overall, I think I’m in love.

3. I having been carrying my camera around with me more and more, trying to capture moments that would otherwise fall through the cracks. The hope is that eventually I’ll become more skilled and develop a beautiful and expressive collection of photos of friends and family. I think this lovely little brag book type photo clutchwould be the perfect thing to showcase my loved ones.

They’re simple, sassy, and fit perfectly in your handbag! Plus, they’re from Z Gallerie…and really, I don’t think there’s anything that store carries that I don’t absolutely adore!

4. Last, but certainly not least, I’m always looking for beautiful and original artwork for my home. As a crafty person who likes to hock her wares on Etsy, I love the idea of supporting other etsy shops and buying handmade! A week or two ago, I bumped into IS Photography’s shop on a random blog and instantly fell in rapid heartbeat, butterflies in the belly love at first sight! There are so many inspiring images I wish I had the money to buy…I think I could decorate at least half my house in her work! See for yourself!

What are you guys coveting these days?

Whenever I let the animals out at night, I do so in the back yard by the light of our back spotlight. It makes a mean shadow and gives me something to do to pass the time. See below photographic evidence…

Chomp Chomp! Tasty Dog Food!

I’m a genie in a bottle. Vogue!

And…wishing I was in Hawaii hula-ing the night away instead of livin it up in the ‘burbs on a Thursday night…

What do you do to amuse yourself when no one’s looking?

If you aren’t reading Angella at Dutch Blitz, you totall should be.  She’s an amazing photographer, mother, and blogger…and she’s running a little contest that may allow some of us Americans to sample some fab Canadian candy.  I’m all for sampling international chocolate:)  Go check it out for yourself!

Dear Spring,

I welcome you with open arms, runny nose, and achy head. I am pleased you’ve mostly kicked old man winter to the curb and I love the warm breezy weather you bring…but might I ask a favor? Could ya maybe tone down the mushroom cloud explosion of pollen you have unleashed upon my fair town?

I mean, cut a sister a break! My car is yellow, my dog has post-nasal drip, and I have to take 2 medications a day to deal with your attitude. Thanks a million!

Kisses,

Erin

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

Rex and I visited the vet yesterday. The wait wasn’t long and we managed to amuse ourselves until the doctor came in.

She agreed that the poor little guy suffers from spring/fall allergies. He’s got medicine now and is happy as a clam since he gets fed cheese 3 times a day. He doesn’t seem to notice the pill stuffed in the middle - too busy snarfing the cheesy goodness down in a millisecond! Hopefully frequent bathing, foot wiping and anti-allergy drugs will lead to a non-snorty, non-paw-licking animal.

Dear Crooked Halo readers,

Hi! Happy April Fool’s Day! Howthehellareya? I’m pushing my way through the tail end of a Tuesday, about to take my mongrel to the vet. I think he has hay fever. Silly dog allergies! I just hope I don’t spend $$ for the animal doc to tell me Rex needs Benedryl. That sounds like an April Fool’s joke in itself. Has anyone had prankster success today? I’m not smooth enough to pull the wool over anyone’s eyes, so today has been rather uneventful.

Anywho, I’m writing you this little note here, or letter as you will, to share the news. I’ve sold my soul to the NaBloPoMo devil and will be posting every day for the entirety of April. I know, you’re so excited you’re about to pee yourself aren’t you! I think things need a bit of a jumpstart around these bloggy parts and what better time than nature’s rennaissance, spring! So accept this as my hat in the ring.

This month’s theme is letters, so you may see a few of those…or you may not. I’m just gonna wing it. You’ll probably see a lot of dogs, a lot of lists and some horrible self portraits. We’ll call it a learning experience:)  Hang onto your seats…it’s gonna be a long bumpy ride.  Hopefully we’ll have some fun along the way!

Love and hugs and all that jazz,

Erin