15 fun things for a FUN summer!

My husband sighs loudly at the mention of the word summer.  He is bitter sad and frequently remarks about how he will not have another summer for the next 40 years.  I simply reply back "Bless your heart" and tell him that I love him and appreciate all his hardwork (while thinking to myself that sounds horrible and depressing).  His sadness has encouraged me to not waste my days away this summer so I have decided to make a list of things I want to do and accomplish this summer! Some of these are slightly cheating because I KNOW that i will do them, but others will take more effort:)

1. Go on an animal adventure- visit a zoo!
2. Read at least 10 books- 2 must be non-fiction (I never read non-fiction...trying to be more well-rounded!)
3. Take a picture with Mickey Mouse
4. Go antique shopping/estate saleing
5. See a movie at the dollar theater
6. Lay on the beach for an entire day
7. Go to a baseball game
8. Watch fireworks being set off
9. Volunteer somewhere in my community
10. Enjoy a picnic lunch
11. Paint pottery at Color Me Mine
12. Join a bible study at my church
13. Watch the final space shuttle launch
14. Drink a butter beer at Three Broomsticks!!!
15. Have a craft day with my friends

I will update you as I accomplish things, so check back to see my progress!! What fun things are you going to do this summer season??

Buried in the Rubble

On Sunday, May 22nd, an EF 4 tornado wreaked havoc on Joplin, Missouri.  For many in our country, this is just a very sad natural disaster.  But for my family, it is much more than that.  My mother grew up in and around Joplin.  She spent her formative years in that town and we would frequently travel them to visit my Grandma when we were growing up. 

photo by Mike Gullet, AP via National Geographic

getty images

Joplin is a great community. All of my Great Aunts and Uncles still live in the area, as do their children. They are all very close and gather frequently for family events.  Sunday night was terrifying for them.  Not only did the tornado threaten their homes and possessions, it also threatened their lives.  One of our cousins, his wife, and their two children were missing Sunday night after the storm.  Their home had been completely destroyed, total devastation, and they were not accounted for.  My mom couldn't reach her brother either. 

We waited for hours in anticipation of news of their safety.  We first heard from my Uncle that he was safe and the house was relatively damage free.  This was a huge relief and an answer to prayer.  But the waiting continued for many more hours as we prayed for the safety and survival of our other family.  Late Sunday night, my Great Aunt called my mom with the news.  Her son and his family had been found amidst the rubble of their ruined home, it was truly a miracle of God that they were alive.  They had not been able to take proper shelter and were huddled together in the living room of their house when the tornado struck.  The house was demolished around them, but the Lord protected them.  I almost couldn't believe the news when my mom told me.  I just want to keep shouting PRAISE THE LORD!!

I keep thinking about how this image is a great picture of our lives without the Lord.  We are all like my cousins, trapped under rubble and debris from our lives.  Without the Lord's providence, we would all perish in the storm.  But he is our Savior and he delivers us from harm's way.  He takes us out of the debris of our lives, and provides us with his grace and love.   What a great picture of God's love for us! 

Please continue to pray for the people of Joplin.  I cannot imagine losing everything I own in a matter of minutes, where do you even go from there?  But amidst tragedy, people will join together to offer help, love, and support to their neighbors and loved ones.  I pray that people will see the love of Christ and his mercies and grace, that they would find comfort in the middle of this mess in the truth that God is good, he is mighty to save!

Dogs acting like Humans

I am a crazy dog lady...well for my dogs at least.  But they are seriously precious and do some hilarious things.  I think they are part human sometimes.  For your viewing pleasure:

 Dog days of summer...

 "What you lookin' at?"

 Make yourself right at home there buddy...

They do this almost every day.  We have a sun spot from our skylight upstairs that they LOVE to lay in.  They will relocate as the sun moves.  It is quiet comical to me and that is why I have at least 10 similar pictures.

L is for LOVE

Saturday is my engagement anniversary (unfortunately we don't celebrate this really...maybe a dinner but we would do that anyway! It seems like a good excuse for presents to me..) and I can't believe that it has been five years since the hubs got down on one knee. 

Matt is not a planner.  He wasn't then, isn't now, nor will he be in the future.  He is much more likely to do things spontaneously...well at least more than I am these days.  I think he would love it if he could just turn to me and say "Pack a bag, lets leave tonight for Vegas!" and I would immediately think this was the best idea ever.  **I would think this was a fabulous idea...the key word however was immediately** 

Rewind 5 years ago to the proposal.  Matt picked up my ring Saturday morning, and it was on my hand by Sunday night.  Having the ring in his possession caused him great anxiety and overall a state of panic.  The faster he could propose the better!  He proposed to me in a park that we had walked hand in hand through many a time and had sat and enjoyed the weather together on numerous occasions.  It was a special place before and is even more so now. It will forever have a special place in my heart.

I said yes then without hesitating, and I would do it all over again in a heartbeat.  Matty you are truly the love of  my life and I am so thankful that the Lord blessed me with you.  You make me a better person and you have shown me what it truly looks like to follow after the Lord.  Thank you for choosing to spend your life with me 5 years ago.  I love you!

Paint Preview

Here is a quick preview of our master bedroom makeover!

Our walls are now painted this color:

wickham gray- Benjamin Moore

We actually had it color matched at Sherwin Williams because I love the quality of their paint and they have more sales:)  I had read that this color was drab but I totally disagree! I love the way it looks in both sunlight and without natural light.  It has a blue undertone, but its still more grayish.  I will hopefully load pictures of our mostly finished room soon.  We are still looking for bedding, but we are not in a rush so we can find the perfect one!  I am hard to please slightly particular, so it might take a while...

Master Bedroom makeover- part 1

We have been in our house for over a year and a half now.  We have done multiple projects and work to the house and I really LOVE our home.  When we are out of town and come back home, I get such joy walking in to my house.  It is full of love and comfort to me.  With that being said, one room that is not so comfortable and cozy was our bedroom. We had yet to touch our bedroom.  The walls were painter white, we had hung up two things on the walls, and it just looked a little neglected.  Part of the hold up was that we had wanted to upgrade from a queen size bed to a king size bed and that created the "Cookie Effect". 

If you have ever read "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" then you are familiar with this effect. 

But basically, once you change one thing, then another will have to be changed, and then another and another, etc.  So I couldn't paint or decorate really because once we got a king size bed, then we would need new bedding, then we would have to find matching curtains, blah blah blah.  You get the idea.  So this totally stressed me out perplexed me and we just didn't do anything for months and months.  However, we did take advantage of the Black Friday sales at Thankgiving and bought our new mattress.  So for the last 5 months we have been sleeping on a wonderful, new, enormous mattress...on the floor. 

It wasn't as bad as it sounds...the dogs had easy access now (they are short you know), but the main reason was I just couldn't decide on a bed frame I wanted!  Did I want an upholstered headboard? Did I want something that showcased the tall ceilings and get a four poster bed?  I am not the best at making decisions when it comes to long term purchases and so I mulled over this for days...weeks...months. The hubs was no help really either, he just kept saying he didn't care.  I had finally ruled out the upholstered bed frame (two dogs + eventual babies= dirty bed that I don't want to clean) and decided on a four poster.  I even narrowed it down to what I wanted

(farmhouse style-LOVE)

(It is very similar to this one)

but the price wasn't right, so I waited. And waited. And waited.  Then, one miraculous Tuesday while looking at websites instead of cleaning my house, I saw the words SPRING SALE!  I sent the hubs to check it out and it was true!  We jumped at the chance (not to mention my months of indecision had allowed for me to save enough to cover it) and we bought it! I was super excited:) Until I realized the Cookie Effect was now in full swing....the bed was being delivered in 10 days and we needed to paint our entire room, 15 foot ceilings and all. Cue the dramatic music.....

Stopping to Listen

We have had a TON of rain lately.  I love rainy days when I get to be in comfy clothes, inside, watching a movie, and being lazy. I do NOT love rainy days on a Monday morning when I have to go to work.  I travel throughout the day as part of my job, and I am the dorky teacher that has multiple carts dragging behind her with all my supplies.  Getting in and out all day + dragging carts behind me + RAIN= fail.  I didn't even bother doing my hair today...I just went straight to the pony tail.

But I do love rainy days because it makes me feel very reflective...why is that?  I think its because it makes me slow down a little and not run around in such a chaotic state of mind.  You have to drive a little slower, pay closer attention to where you are walking, and the constant pitter patter just lulls your mind into a faraway place.  My head is in that faraway place today.

I think this time of reflection is so neccessary for me and yet I rarely stop long enough to have it.  I am to busy writing to do lists, running errands, making plans.  But all of that is just busyness cluttering my head....and my heart.  If I don't ever slow down enough to just stop and listen, how am I going to ever hear anything?  I often find myself wondering why I don't "hear" the Lord the way other people speak of and yet the answer is right in front of me.  I don't stop to listen.  I ask him for things all the time, yet how am I supposed to hear his response if I dont wait for it? 

In the last few weeks I have really had it revealed to me that I am my own worst enemy...I will write an entire blog post on that at another time....but I get in my own way so much when it comes to my pursuit of the Lord.  I fill my days with fruitless activities and things rather than stopping to spend time in his word and in prayer.  Why do I constantly fail at following Him? Because I am stubborn (and stupid) and am still trying to do it on my own each day.  If it is up to me, then I will continue to fail.  That is my prayer today, that I will remember that I can do NOTHING without Christ, even pursuing Him.

Recipe Roundup 2- Chocolate Bark

I have a favorite dessert that is my go to recipe for parties and potlucks.  At my house we just call it Chocolate Bark, but it is also known as toffee or heath bars.  One of friends has lovingly named them after me in her recipe book:)  It is super easy and DELICIOUS!  I have seen it made a variety of ways, but this way is my personal favorite. 

yummy chocolate bark!!

Ingredients:
1 sleeve club crackers
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (I use light)
1/8 tsp baking soda
1 16 oz. bag of milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Spread out club crackers on a standard size cookie sheet, leaving about 1/4-1/2 inch empty on the edges.  I break crackers smaller to fill in spaces if there is not enough room for an entire cracker.
3. On the stovetop in a medium saucepan, melt butter and brown sugar together over medium heat.  Once the butter is really melting, I start stirring frequently.  The butter and sugar should start to look creamy and will be a light brown color. 
4. At this point, add in the baking soda and stir.  The mixture will get frothy. (**Don't leave the sugar mixture on the stove long after this point or it will start to burn)
5. Pour mixture over the crackers and spread evenly with a spatula.  Bake for 7 minutes or until crackers are golden.
6. Take crackers out of the oven.  Immediately pour the entire bag of chocolate chips over the hot bubbly crackers (I try to evenly disperse over the crackers as I dump them out). Wait about 30 seconds-1 minute for the chocolate to start to melt and then begin spreading the chocolate evenly over the crackers.
7. Refrigerate tray for 4 hours or freeze for 45 minutes.  Break apart into bite size pieces and enjoy! (If waiting to serve, keep refrigerated.  The crackers begin to thaw and become sticky:)
Happy Eating!!

Stella & Dot favorites

I had a request for pictures of my favorite combinations of Stella & Dot pieces (thats my other day job) and I have been too busy lazy to take actual pictures, so this is the next best thing!  I thought I would highlight a few of my obsessions....starting with necklaces!

Statement Necklaces:

    
              Bamboleo                                     Marakesh Bib                                  Revival Tassel


   
 Metropolitan Mixed Chain                        Sofia Cluster Bib                          Turquoise Sea Necklace


These necklaces can be worn with dresses for work or weddings or even with jeans and a simple Target shirt.  I love statement necklaces because it makes getting dressed pretty darn simple!

Delicate Necklaces:

   
               On the Mark                                     After Midnight                                Pave Clover

  
            Signature Clover                            Chelsea (in Hematite)             Personalized Charm collections

I love to layer the delicate necklaces.  I tend to wear the Pave Clover and the On The Mark necklaces together often, as well as the Signature Clover with the Chelsea in gold.  I also combine my charm necklaces with other delicate pieces.  That is one great thing about Stella & Dot pieces is that they are very versatile...can be dressed up or very casual!

I would love to hear what necklaces are your favorites, so go take a look at my website (www.stelladot.com/saraparr) and tell me your picks in the comments!

Recipe Roundup Part 1

We had our wonderful church home group over last night for a cookout and to celebrate one of our friends giving his heart to Christ (PTL!)

(**On a side note, he is a super funny guy.  His name is Saulo and when he was telling us that he had accepted Christ, he said maybe his name shall now be Paulo.  We were cracking up- too funny! Maybe his spiritual gift is humor? He also said that our BBQ should be a "saulo"bration....)

 Anyways, we were having almost 20 people over so to cut down on the cost of food, I decided to make homemade salsa and a dessert from 'scratch'.  They both seemed to be a big hit so I thought I would share them here too!

Restaurant Style Salsa- Pioneer Woman Recipe

(Her directions are way more detailed and she photographs every step.  It will not hurt my feelings if you just go to her website.  Really, its ok.)

Ingredients:

*1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes

*2 cans (10 oz) Rotel (diced tomatoes with green chiles)

*1/4 cup chopped onion

*1 clove garlic, minced

*1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin

*1/4 tsp salt

*1/4 tsp sugar

*1/4 tsp cumin

*1/2 cup fresh cilantro

*1/2 whole lime juice

(I have made this numerous times now, and to be honest I do it a little differently each time.  I also quit measuring and do it all to my taste preference.)

 

Directions:

You will either need a food processor or some type of blender to make the salsa.  I use a hand blender but that is really only because I gave away our blender during our last move because I didn't want to pack it. But all you need to do is combine all the ingredients in your blender/food processor/bowl and blend until it is the consistency you prefer.  Then taste your salsa and adjust ingredients as needed.  I typically add more lime juice and salt to mine, but thats just me:). 

**Side note, this recipe makes a very large batch so its great for parties or for people who really LOVE salsa!

I will post the Chocolate Bark recipe later in the week, so keep an eye out for it soon! Happy Monday:)



stirring of the heart

I can definitely feel the Lord stirring my heart....I just am not sure what for just yet.  Do you ever have times like that?  Where you know something is coming, a lesson or a change of some kind, but you aren't sure what yet?  That is where I am at.  It's been going on for a few weeks now and getting progressively stronger.  Honestly, it makes me nervous, but I am excited at the same time.  What could the Lord have in store for me? What is he preparing my heart for?  I am going to be doing a great deal of prayer in hopes of sorting through the mess of thoughts in my head and the feelings in my heart because right now its all a bit jumbled. 

On a different note, we added to our family yesterday!  No, I am not pregnant.  We sponsored a Compassion child!  He is 8 years old and lives in Ethiopia and I think my heart grew the moment I saw his sweet picture.  I am really excited about this relationship and the opportunity to show the love of Jesus to this boy across the world from me.  The husband and I have already starting brainstorming what we want to send him in his first letter/package.  One thing is a definite- he is going to be overloaded with pictures of the pups because I am a crazy mom with all my picture taking of them.  For example:

 Bo sporting his 3d glasses

 clearly this is old...Tallulah is now almost 4 years old! But is this not the sweetest picture? Precious.

 Bo at Halloween a few years ago....dont you think he loved his costume??

 best friends

This picture is here for two reasons: 1)Do your pets not sit on dining room chairs? No? Just ours? Bad dog.

2) I finally am figuring out photoshop so hopefully my pictures will improve.  We shall wait and see.

I look forward to updating you on our new family member in the months to come and how the Lord is using him to teach us!  If you are interested in sponsoring a child, I highly recommend visiting Compassion International's website.  They are an amazing organization that is sharing the love of Jesus to all the nations!

Have a blessed week!!

P is for projects

I had noticed a new Pottery Barn knock off DIY floating around blog land recently and decided to give it a whirl. Have you seen these in a recent PB catalog?

I LOVE the moss letters.  They are so cute for Spring and Summer and when do I not love using a monogram?? Well PB was charging like $75 or some crazy town price that I was not about to pay...so I decided that I too could have this super cute spring decor the DIY way.  So off to Hobby Lobby I went to hunt for the perfect materials.  I was in luck!  I found everything I needed and on SALE too! 

Here is what you will need:

(ignore the mess in this picture...I haven't mastered the cute staged blog photo yet:)

-hot glue gun

-glue sticks

-Letter of your choosing: I chose the cute gold letters that Hobby Lobby has that are 3D and have more of a type style font.  It was on sale so it only cost $5!

-1 bag of Reindeer moss (in the floral section at HL)

-ribbon (optional)

How to make your own mossy monogram:

1. Cover your work space so that you dont get bits of moss and hot glue strings all over the place.

2. Using small bits of moss (I found quarter size to be best), hot glue the moss to the front of the letter piece by piece.

3. Repeat method on to sides/edges of letter.

4. Fill in any holes where you can see the gold of the letter peaking through.

5. When you are content with the moss coverage of your letter, you can attach the ribbon to the back of your letter.  I used wire gold ribbon because that is what I had leftover from Christmas, but I am sure any ribbon would work:).  I looped the ribbon around the letter and tied it in a bow at the top.  I then hung it from a door hook.  If your letter does not have a circular part, you could easily hot glue your ribbon ends to the back of the frame.  Just make sure if you want a bow to tie your bow BEFORE glueing the ends!

Here is how mine turned out:

Tada!! Cute right? It took less than an hour from start to finish (while watching TV sporatically) and it cost around $10! It makes me happy:) 

Happy crafting!!

Fashion Security Blanket

Do you have a fashion security blanket? Something that you wear (possible frequently!) that makes you feel comfortable and better about yourself? I do...THE CARDIGAN. 

(anthro cardigan...love the mustard color!)

I was so thankful when these came back in style and were no longer designated for dorky librarians (no offense to anyone who knows a librarian who has sported these awesome sweaters...they were just ahead of the times...).  There are so many different options- colors, patterns, lengths, etc.  I probably wear some sort of cardigan at least 3 times a week.  They are perfect for covering up flabby arms and any unsightly bulges, without having to give up any style. You can wear them with skirts, dresses, pants, jeans, ANYTHING! I am going to have find some lightweight cardigans for the summer because I can't imagine life without the security of my cardigan sweater!!  What is your fashion security blanket?? I know you have one- jean jacket? spanx? Fess up!

painting party on my pants

Part of my job is to be flexible with where you have to teach.  I have taught in the cafeteria, the teacher's lounge, the art room, the conference room, the PACE closet (yes CLOSET), etc.  We get shoved in whatever corner is available and proceed like normal.   At the campus where I use the art room, I feel very fortunate to have such a great space.  We have big tables, a sink, and it isn't that big of a deal if we make a bit of mess.  Well yesterday, I had my three classes there like normal, chatted with some of the teachers, the usual daily interactions.  When I got home, I immediately changed into my shorts and t-shirt (I do this promptly when I walk in the door just about every day!) and went to go hang up my pants (don't judge me for not washing them every time...who has time for that??).  It was then that I noticed the party. 

The party of paint on the backside of my pants.  It was as if Jackson Pollack had used my pants as a canvas.  I had hot pink and neon green splatters and splotches all over my backside!!!! I had numerous thoughts run through my mind:
1) How had no one told me about this? Did they not notice??
2)Does this mean no one looked at my bum all day? (yes I realize this is ridiculous because I work with kids and women, but kids tell you when you look weird all the time so they SHOULD have told me)
3)Did I just ruin one of the 4 pairs of pants that I can actually fit into without having a mini meltdown in the morning?? 
I am kicking myself for not taking a picture before I doused them in colorsafe bleach and washed them repeatedly. Imagine something like this though:

 But the good news is after some heavy scrubbing and bleach- they are as good as new:) I am forever grateful to the JCrew chino's washabilty. And the moral of the story: Always check your chair before resting your derrière!!

book nerd

I am a book nerd.  This is not a huge revelation by any means, this has been common knowledge to anyone who has known me since about the age of 4.  I was OBSESSED with the library as a kid, partly because I was partially banned from buying books as a kid because I read them so fast it was a waste of money.  ((I have vivid memories as a kid of visiting the bookstore (pre B&N...we are talking Bookstop here folks) with my mom and sister and sitting on the little step stools in the kid section and read 2/3 of a babysitter's club book while they shopped around. I can see my Mom's point now.))  But if there was any type of reading competition, I was all over it.  BookIt!, Bluebonnet books, summer reading programs, I owned them all.  That is because not only did they involve my love of books, but also a chance for me to crush other little kids and show my literary superiority...I was competitive at a young age ok? 

I still love to read as an adult, maybe not quite as frequently, but its still a great love.  This all being said, I would never claim to be well-read.  I do not read the classics or important books filled with social commentary.  Those that I have actually read were probably required reading for my English classes growing up.  Not that I don't enjoy those (although who really actually liked Moby Dick?) but that is not the genre I lean to typically.  I prefer quick, easy, entertaining reads.  My recently read book list would have quite a few books in common with a 16 year old (without the Bieber biography) and I am quite okay with that.  I love Nicholas Sparks books, Harry Potter, Twilight, most fiction best sellers, you get the idea.  So of course the Hunger Games series was on my MUST list for my trip last week during spring break. 

Now some folks might get embarrased to have to visit the TEEN FICTION/ADVENTURE section at their local bookstore, but I am not one to.  In fact, I make mental notes of other books to look up:)..not really but I probably should.  ANYWAYS.....I was super excited to bust this bad boy out on my flight to visit my sister last week and let me tell you, it did not disappoint.  I loved it!  It was a great story and I couldn't wait to read the next two books in the trilogy and they were equally as entertaining.  It was a really new plot concept with intriguing characters and I didn't want to put them down. So if you are on the market for a new series, I highly recommend this one.  Or if you hate reading and think I am crazy person, they are making the series into a movie(s) and they are currently casting the main characters, so get excited!  

Birthday week

This week is my birthday week! I love my birthday, always have, always will.  I do not dread the day of my birth the older I get...I completely embrace it.  In fact I still celebrate my half birthday much to my husband's chagrin. I am not typically a person who loves being the center of attention...I tend to get very nervous and embarrased.  But for whatever reason it doesn't bother me too bad for this one week.  Yes, week.  Birthdays are to be celebrated for more than a day. 

Last week some of my sweet friends surprised me at dinner with birthday cupcakes and it was perfect.  I have some very thoughtful friends!!  Then Friday we celebrated my birthday at my work.  My birthday buddy had made me some delicious cake balls (her mom actually made them because she is an

 

awesome baker!) and we had chocolate parfaits...soo good.  I felt very loved to say the least.  Did I mention that my birthday is not even till this Thursday??  Its going to be a great week!!

With turning a year older, and taking stock of my life and all that, I have decided to step out of my comfort zone and actually tell people I have a blog.  Because its ridiculous to have a blog and not tell anyone!  So that's a goal for the week....actually let people read this bad boy:)

Wanted: creative outlet

I love reading other people's blogs. It is one of my favorite ways to pass the time. I can spend an embarrasing amount of time reading blog after blog. I just love to get a glimpse into other people's lives...what is going on in the lives of my friends and family, what complete strangers are creating or loving (or as the beloved Pioneer Woman would say, what makes their skirts fly up!). I am truly amazed as to what women out there are doing. The ways that the Lord has blessed these women is truly inspiring and can be somewhat humbling.

I have always felt as though I was a creative person. I am fairly crafty- scrapbook paper and modge podge are two of the best things ever. I can even handle a glue gun without scorching my skin or anything else around me. Growing up I loved nothing more than to create, whether it be drawing, painting, dancing, writing, if I could use my imagination I was there. Somewhere along the way I lost a little of that. I still have this huge desire to be creative and to find the right outlet to release that desire, but I just am not flowing with the same creative juices. I think when I became a boring old grown-up with a real job, I started ignoring my inner creative genius and now she is not sure how to get out. So this is a goal for mine in 2011...to fall in love with creating again. I have lots of ideas in my head but I do not have all the tools to turn them into something tangible...yet. I love to learn new things and I have a long list of things I want to learn. So in no particular order, here are a few things I hope to learn how to do:

*sew- I cannot sew for the life of me...not even a button. My mom is a great seamstress and you would think I would have learned this domestic skill from her...but no such luck. I just take my coats and shirts to her to fix! So I want to learn how to sew so that I can sew my own buttons back on, and make pillows, and curtains, and cute baby clothes when that need arises:)

*graphic design- I would love to be able to create cards, art prints, etc. but I have a LOOONNNGG way to go for this one considering that I cannot even customize my blog design yet!! I do not like to attempt things that I am not good at immediately, but I am determined to learn how to do this one. I just think it would be so handy!

*cake decorating- I want my cupcakes to look like the ones on cupcake wars....with the pretty, puffy frosting and fancy details.

I think I will stop there before I start getting stressed out by all the things I hope to learn! My goal is to learn at least one of these skills by summertime....I shall keep you posted!

Twinkle Lights...

I have been wanting to start a blog for a long time now but for the life of me I could not think of a name for a blog. I realize this seems like a trivial reason to not start blogging, but to me it felt like naming a child. This name would be associated with this blog for forever, would be written in a very cute font in huge letters at the top for all to see, so it had to be a good one! So after months of deliberation...I finally bit the bullet during our Snowpocalypse of 2011....because lets face it, I was bored. So here she is....twinkling of lights....my first blogging experience. I will come back to the name in a minute though.

I haven't quite decided what I want the purpose of this blog to me. Should it be my take on "life"? I am not one to be overly opinionated or political, so what would that even be??? Witty and comical stories about my own life? I feel as though this would be a very boring blog if that was the case. So for now, it will be whatever i feel like:) Which brings me back to the name...if you know me well you know that I LOVE twinkle lights. Christmas is one of my favorite times of year for many reasons, but one main reason is because stores and shopping centers get all pretty with thousands of twinkle lights. I feel like Meg Ryan had the right idea in "You've Got Mail", when life gets tough, all you need is more twinkle lights! Pretty, glittering lights shining in the night sky...sigh...it just makes everything better. Life is all about how you choose to look at things and I choose to add more twinkle lights:)!