Could They BE Any Cuter?

Halloween Treats

We're all ready for trick-or-treaters at our house tonight.

If you are in the neighborhood, please drop by.

Because if you do we'll give you a choice for your treat-

OR

because choices are good, don't you think?

Happy Halloween!!
May your day be full of treats and NOT tricks!

Come What May

A small group of Godly people decided to make a Christ centered movie. The result is Come What May- a precious film created by a small group of homeschool students and Patrick Henry College students. A timely movie that you don't want to miss.



If you enjoy the preview and want to see more, you can click on the name of the movie at the top and it will take you to a page that will give you a few places where you can watch the entire movie for free. I watched the entire thing on GodTube last night.

Be Honest

So today I wore the shoes that Maddies HATES with a passion like no other.

She can not stand these shoes and makes sure that I know it every single time that I wear them.

The way she carries on you would think that they were some old lady orthopedic type shoes but truly they aren't.

Or at least I don't think they are.

Now I don't think they are the most fabulous shoes EVER- but they are cute to wear with jeans in the winter and are very comfortable.

All of her fussing and complaining about these shoes has made question them. Are they in fact ugly?

Am I wearing a pair of hideous shoes and just not realizing it?

So.........I need your opinion.

And I need you to be HONEST.

Okay?

Are these shoes ugly?

SCORE:

Ugly= 1

NOT Ugly= 14

Links I Love

Whenever I come across a fun or neat new link- I save it to my favorites. Once I blog about it, I move it to a folder so it's organized and out of the way. This evening as I added yet another to the LONG list in my favorites, I realized I simply had to share some of them. That messy old favorites list is WAY too long!!

So here just a few of the cool things I have found recently:

One Pretty Thing- This is an amazing website that is a compilation of the day’s DIY projects and inspiration from around the blogosphere. It's a great place to go for ideas and inspiration and is one of my absolute favorite sites!

Operation Nice- This is another of my favorite places to visit- one that always makes me smile. In the words of it's owner Melissa: Operation NICE encourages individuals to be proactively NICE. Stop by to read some positive, upbeat news stories (yes, they exist) about nice people. Download some tools to help you in your quest to communicate the concept of niceness. Share a story or two about how someone made your day. This site is a precious reminder of the good in the world and a challenge to be kind to others! I love love love it!

PhotoFunia- This is a super fun site that allows you to take your own photo and create something fun with it. You can make it into Superman, the Mona Lisa, a billboard, Santa Claus and even a dress! There are tons of different options- these are just two examples that I created using my scared straight picture.



Worst Analogies Ever Written in a High School Essay Contest- This page is a list of horrible analogies submitted by students for an essay contest. Some of them are absolutely hysterical!

Let Them Eat PIE

I have to take some pies to an event on Sat. evening and can't for the life of me decide what to bake. I have a million (or two) recipes but just can't seem to decide on any of them.

So, will you help me out?

Other than traditional pumpkin and pecan- what are your favorite pies?

Randomness on a Tuesday Morning

Since I've been super busy the past few days, I haven't had much time to write. But since many of you have emailed or left comments with questions for me, I thought I would give you a few quick updates.

So let's see............

Still Straight? Yep- although it's been hard for me to do I have stepped away from the curling iron and have stayed away from it. So far the reactions have been great and very positive. A few people at church almost walked past me without saying anything Sunday because they didn't recognize me. It sure has been easy to do in the mornings- which is an added bonus! Here's another goofy pic for proof :)

Why a Diet Sprite instead of a Diet Coke? I have no idea. The only explanation I have is that I had already had a Diet Coke that morning and I just wasn't in the mood for one (And that my friends have NEVER happened). I tried to be very discreet when ordering so that Maddie wouldn't hear me but that girl has some SERIOUS ears and doesn't miss a thing. I honestly think that is the first time I have ever ordered something other than a Diet Coke at Sonic. Other than water which I sometimes order in addition to- not instead of- my Diet Coke.

Did you come up with an idea for the shampoo and conditioner costumes? Thank goodness yes! Honey and I worked this evening and after I get some clear packing tape to tape the label on- they should be finished. Maddie was at dance while we worked on them and was absolutely thrilled when she got home and saw them. I'll be sure to post pictures once they are done!

Happy Tuesday Sweet Friends!

Quick...............Call 911!!!!

This is an actual phone call made to Honey from the back seat of my car by Maddie on Sat. afternoon:

Daddy, you need to call 911 and get an ambulance for Mommy. We are at Sonic and she just ordered a Diet Sprite- NOT a Diet Coke. Something must be really wrong with her. Seriously wrong. We have got to get her to the hospital. Quick. I don't know who she is but she can't be my mom. She ALWAYS orders a Diet Coke. What do you think is wrong with her?

Scared Straight

Having a daughter who is a pre-teen is kind of like having your own personal stylist in your home. Sometimes this can be a good thing and sometimes it can be a bad thing.

Just about every day Maddie has some sort of comment on my outfit, or my hair, or my shoes. Most days she follows up the comment with a suggestion. My clothes usually are okay with her (now that I only wear what she considers "cool" jeans) but my shoes (I have one pair she especially hates) and hair often are what she suggests I change. Sometimes I listen, sometimes I don't.

Lately she's been after me to wear my hair straight. She likes it best right after I blow dry it- before using the curling iron. I've resisted for a long time because my hair is so stinkin' fine and has almost zero body. However I got my hair cut on Wed. and it's quite a bit shorter in the back than it was before. Because of that it has a little more body in the back and so I decided it was time to try Maddie's suggestion.

So today- I went straight.

And I have to tell you that for a girl who has used a curling iron every single day of her life since she was about 12 years old- that was a hard thing to do. If I keep this up I may have to go through curling iron detox. Seriously.

Now to be completely honest- I did plug in the curling iron- in case Honey or Maddie laughed at me when they saw my hair. Thankfully they both liked it- although it is very different and so I left it. Honey told me that it made me look "hip" which made me laugh. When Maddie saw it she smiled- and that made me feel a little better.

But I have to tell you- I'm about to leave for school and I am scared.

Scared Straight Shannon.

Because when you have to stand up in front classes of 5th and 6th grade kids all day long- it's a little scary to make a change.

Because those kids- they will notice.

And they will comment.

Sometimes not always in a positive and kind way.

So, I'm crossing my fingers- and praying they don't make fun of me (How old am I? I sound like I am about 5).

I'll let you know how it goes.

Update: Y'all are so funny! I purposefully didn't post a pic this morning because if it looked horrible and everyone at school was like....."WHAT did you do to your hair?" I didn't want it on here for the whole world to see. Now that several hours have gone by and I have had a VERY positive response(sEveryone I have seen has been really excited about it- one friend even screamed! I've been told over and over again how "Hip" and "Trendy" I look which cracks me up because I am so NOT!), I'll share a pic with you.

So....be honest.........what do you think?

It's hard to tell from this pic- but the back is really short and stacked!

Pretty Please?

You guys CRACK me up! Seriously.

It's amazing how many of you guessed Shampoo and Conditioner.

I also loved the Sonic drink and Hip-Hop-Drop-Out guesses. Too funny. I'm guessing that I am pretty predictable huh?

But shampoo and conditioner is what they have decided to dress up like.

Specifically coconut shampoo and conditioner.

So now I need your HELP!!!!

Seriously- HELP!

The girls do already have light brown beret hats for their "caps" and some coconut body spray that K's mom has purchased. But so far- that's it.

The only idea I have is to buy those white suits that painters sometimes wear (my thought was that they would be easy to cut off to fit the girls) but that seems kinda lame.

So please, please, please help me.

Pretty please?

Come On...........Guess

One night a few weeks ago Maddie came home from dance. It was rather late and I was already in bed reading when she came in. She came in to tell me all about the night at dance and then she said...............

K and I decided what we want to be for Halloween and you are in charge of the costumes.

OH goodnight nurse I thought.

My mom was the queen of costumes

(Seriously she rocked! One year I was a salad. A SALAD that was amazing and won a prize- along with my friend who was dressed like a can of soup! I had real carrot earrings that were so stinkin' cute! And then one year in college for a Christmas sorority formal- she painted shirts for my sweetie and me. She painted half of a beautiful Christmas tree on each shirt so when we stood together- we formed a whole tree. As if that were not enough- she put real lights (with tiny battery packs inside) on the trees so we made a Christmas tree with lights!! She was AMAZING!!!!!)

But sadly, I am not my mom.

I am so NOT good at costumes.

Not.

Good.

Bad.

Very.

Bad.

(ie I suck)

So of course my next question was :

So what kind of costumes do I have to come up with? What have you two decided you want to dress up like?

And so she told me.

And after I finished laughing my head off I thought:

Well, crap. How the heck am I going to come up with costumes like that?


Seriously.

I am in trouble.

Big TROUBLE.

Right here in College Station.

And that starts with T and that rhymes with P and that stands for POO!
Oops sorry. Got a little sidetracked. (Can you name that musical?)


So before I ask, beg, and plead for your help, can you guess what those two silly girls want to dress up like?

So come on.

Guess.

You know you want to. :)

PS I'll give you a little hint...........I was the inspiration behind the idea.
And it will crack you UP!

A Tennis Equation

PINK HOPE tennis racket= $38.95
(Part of the proceeds go to breast cancer research)

+
PINK HOPE tennis balls= $12.77
(Aren't they adorable? we bought them so that the dogs wouldn't
confuse them with their yellow tennis balls.
Or that's my story and I'm stinking to it!)
+
PINK Nike tennis shoes= $54.11
(a girl needs to look cute even when she's sweating, don't you think?)
+
Tennis lessons= $50.00 per hour



+
Ben gay for my very sore arm= $6.48
(because I am oldish)

+
Watching my big strong husband chasing my PINK tennis balls around
the tennis court while I am practicing my serve=
PRICELESS

Hello, My Name is Boring

I went to the eye doctor last week and then went to pick out a new pair of glasses. I was excited about getting new glasses and knew I wanted black glasses (one year I get brown, the next black- so I always have a pair of each) and that I wanted a more rectangular than round frame.

So I spent over an hour trying on pair after pair after pair of glasses. I deliberated for a long time before finally deciding on a pair that I absolutely loved.

I was so excited when I picked them up and I couldn't wait to show them to my family.

So I showed them to Honey who said...............

Those are nice honey but don't they look like your old ones?

Then I sent a picture of them to Dory who said...............

They look a lot like your old ones don't they?

Then I sent a picture to Maddie on her phone and she said............

They look just like your old ones.


At this point I was a little irritated and kept insisting that the two pairs were totally different and that no one was really paying attention. To be honest I was a little sad that no one liked them as much as I did.

Sunday at church when I asked Debbie what she thought about them and she said..............

If you hadn't told me they were new, I would have thought that they were your old ones

I began to wonder if maybe they were right.


So on the way home from church I took a picture of me wearing my old glasses and a picture of me wearing my new glasses.

old glasses

new glasses

And I realized that they were right.

I picked out almost the exact same glasses.

Good night nurse...........could I be any more boring?

Monday Morning Advice

When sending a text, always DOUBLE CHECK to make sure that you are sending the text to the person you meant to send the text to and NOT to someone else.

Because you never, ever want to send a very private and personal message to the wrong person.


A purely (non) fictional example of this would be............

A man writes a very personal and intimate message that he intends to send to a female "friend". But instead of clicking on the name of his female friend, he accidentally clicks on the name of someone else.

Like his EX WIFE.

That would be bad.

BAD.

Not that I know anyone stupid enough to do that.

Nope.

Not me.

Swirled Cherry Cake

I made this for our pink breast cancer awareness day this past week (I added food coloring to make the whole cake pink) and judging by the empty pan, I think it was a hit. This is an easy way to jazz up a cake mix and make it into something a little more special.

(18 1/4 ounce) box white cake mix

3 large eggs

1 cup water

¼ cup oil

½ cup sour cream

1 (23 ounce) can cherry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 cake pan with Pam. In a large bowl, mix cake mix, eggs, water and oil with a mixer until well blended. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Smooth evenly in pan. Drop spoonfuls of the pie filling on top of the cake batter. With a knife, swirl the cherry pie filling into the cake batter. Try not to touch the bottom of the cake pan with the knife. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake is golden brown on top and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. May be served warm or cooled. May be served with ice cream or whipped topping or frosting.

Marshmallow Cream Frosting

This is a great (and easy) alternative to traditional butter cream frosting!

1 1/3 cups butter, softened
2 cups marshmallow creme
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1-1 1/2 teaspoon milk
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar

Blend margarine and marshmallow creme together till smooth. Add liquids and mix well.
Blend in powdered sugar and beat till smooth and creamy. If thinner frosting is desired, simply add more milk.

Apple or Pear?

Yesterday I was having a discussion with a friend- one that Maddie happened to walk in on the tail end of.

We were talking about how I am pear shaped (my waist is always- regardless of my size- a size smaller than my rear) and my friend is apple shaped.

Later in the afternoon, while on the way to dance, Maddie and I were discussing that women are either apple or pear shaped. We discussed some of the ladies we knew and if they were apple or pear.

She was quiet for a second and then she said.................

So Mom, what am I? An apple or a pear?

I laughed and said................

Oh honey, you are a still a child. You are not yet a fruit. But more than likely you will be a pear when you grow up- just like me.

She was quiet again for a bit and then said................

When I grow up, I don't want to be an apple or a pear. I want to be a banana.

I laughed and said.....................

Me too sweetie, but unfortunately- that is not an option.
Banana is not an option.

PS So what about you? Are you an apple or a pear?

Once Upon a Time............

Once upon a time there was an oldish girl.

She got the ridiculous and insane notion that taking an adult hip hop class would be loads of fun.

Somehow in her excitement she forgot that:

a. she's oldish

b.she has ZERO rhythm. ZERO.

c. the class is at 8:45pm, a time when she usually is in her pajamas and ready for bed

d. she's super stinkin' busy

And so the oldish girl ended up missing the 1st class due to illness and the 3rd AND 4th classes because she was out of town.

She did attend the 2nd class where she was hands down the WORST hip hopper EVER.

Seriously.

She stood behind a super sweet friend (who is GOOD at hip hop) so that she wouldn't see herself in the mirror. She knew she was BAD but didn't need to see proof of her lack of dance ability.

The teacher was sweet, her friends were fun, and the music was great- but man she SUCKED.

Big time.

And so the oldish girl decided to face reality.

The reality that she liked the thought of taking hip hop class much more than she actually liked taking hip hop.

She wasn't good at it and she didn't have time or the energy for it.

And so the girl took the easy way out and she emailed (thank goodness for email) the dance studio and became a Hip Hop Drop Out.

And she lived happily ever after.

The end.

Need Some Balls? How About Some Used Ones?

I'm thinking that the addition of the word GOLF in front of the word BALL might have been a good idea for this sign. Don't ya think?

We passed this sign coming home today from a teeny-tiny school district in East Texas(seriously tiny- they have 203 kids TOTAL in the whole district) where my friend Vicki and I presented a workshop.

Vicki knows me well enough that as I laughed hysterically after reading this sign, she said...............You want me to turn around so you can take a picture of it don't you?

I love friends who know you and love you in spite of your crazy habits!

Meat Filled Manicotti

This is one of Honey's favorite Italian meals. It's a little time consuming but absolutely worth it!

14 manicotti shells
1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb ground Italian sausage
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3/4 t dried oregano
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper
1 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce

Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Cool in single layer on foil or waxed paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large skillet, brown meat and drain. Stir together 1 cup mozzarella cheese, eggs, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, onion, oregano, salt and pepper. Fill each cooled pasta tube with about 1/4 cup meat filling. Spread thin layer of sauce on bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking dish sprayed with Pam. Place filled pasta in prepared dish; cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese and additional Parmesan cheese if desired. Cover with foil. Bake 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Butter Crisp Cookies

I saw this recipe the other day on a blog I love, Rocks in My Dryer,and knew I had to try it. It looked like something Maddie would love, and boy was I right. They are super easy and she loved them!

One box Pillsbury "pudding in the mix" yellow cake mix
1 egg, slightly beaten
3/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup Rice Krispies

Blend all ingredients together. Dough will be crumbly. Form into tight 1-inch balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake in 350 oven for 10-12 minutes.

Vanilla Spice Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting

These cupcakes are easy since they start with a cake mix and they just scream fall! Your house will smell super yummy as they bake!

Vanilla Spice Cupcakes:
1 box spice cake mix

1 small box vanilla instant pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 Cup oil

1/2 Cup water

1/2 Cup sour cream

4 oz softened cream cheese

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place all ingredients into stand or electric mixer and beat on medium for close to 2 minutes, batter will be thick. Scoop or spoon batter into 24 cupcake cups and bake for 18-21 minutes.

Cinnamon Frosting:

1 tub of Pillsbury Vanilla Frosting

4 oz softened cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to sprinkle on top

Mix all ingredients until well combined and spread over cooled cupcakes. Sprinkle additional cinnamon lightly over frosted cupcakes.

The Week in Review

Let's see..............................

-Got a cold............one that won't go away. Stink. I hate colds. They slow me down. Maybe that's the point?

-Got pranked at school which was so fun! Pay backs are heck though so ..................(he he he)

-Won a beautiful bracelet on thotlady's blog! I never win anything so this was such a treat!

-Got a BUNCH of coupons in the mail from my sister! Yeah Sissy!

-Did not go to the gym even once. Man that's awful!

-Got a surprise package from my precious friend Dory. Inside was the cutest pumpkin EVER that says Blessings, a very sweet card, and some yummy chocolate covered raisins! What a sweet surprise from my sweet friend!

-Tried a new cupcake recipe for a wedding shower and they were YUMMY! I'll post the recipe tomorrow- along with two others- one for cookies and one for manicotti.

-Went to my first book club meeting and absolutely LOVED it! We read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen and it was a very interesting read. Not a book I would normally have picked up but I really enjoyed it.

-Found a place to play the game Blokus online and now I'm hooked. I love that game! (If you decide to play let me know and we can play together! :)

-Kept looking at this beautiful teeny tiny initials necklace on Lisa Leonard's website. Isn't it adorable?



Funniest thing I heard all week:

"My goal is to NOT live longer than my teeth."

Happy Friday y'all!

Dear Loreal,

Dear Loreal,

I have been using your hair color for the past 5 and 1/2 years ever since I turned 32 and decided that I wanted to be a red head. That year I went to the store, picked out a Feria auburn hair color box and returned home. I have faithfully purchased a new box of that same hair color every 5 to 6 weeks since then. I love the color, the ease of application, and the great low cost. I've been so pleased with it that I have never considered changing brands.

Not until recently.

Recently I noticed that my roots were starting to show and that it was almost time to recolor my hair. So on my next trip to the grocery store, I walked down the hair color aisle looking for the now familiar box. I was a bit shocked when I found that my normal box with the cute short haired red head was not there. I decided however that perhaps Kroger was just out of that particular color and decided I would check again the following week.

A few days later I found myself at Walmart and decided to pick up a box of the hair color while I was there. I quickly walked down the aisle and glanced over the many Loreal Feria boxes- looking for the cute short haired red head. But once again, I did not find it. I was a tad bit worried but decided that maybe Walmart was also out of my particular color.

This past weekend I was at Target and again decided to look for my hair color. I walked to the hair color aisle hoping that I would find my color. But alas, the cute short haired red head was not at Target either. At this point I began to get a tad concerned.

Monday night as I ran into Walgreens to pick up some pictures, I decided to make another attempt at finding my hair color. I crossed my fingers and went down the aisle full of hair color boxes. I decided that if my box wasn't there, I would simply have to break down and try another brand or color.

Of course, the short haired red head was not there and so I began to search through the many, many boxes of auburn colors. Now I am sad to admit but I never paid attention to the actual color name and certainly not the color #, I just picked up my box based on the model on the front. I honestly had no idea what the color was called or what the number was.

As I looked through the boxes I realized that I was in a pickle. There were many, many shades of auburn. There was dark auburn, bright auburn, auburn auburn, and several others. I began to get very worried because the last thing I wanted to do was pick the wrong color and end up looking like carrot top.

So I started picking up all of the boxes and examining them- trying to figure out what color I needed and still wondering why they had stopped making my favorite color.

Imagine my shock and delight when after 15 minutes of looking- I noticed this little note on top of one of the boxes.

I was so excited to find my cute little short haired red head on the TOP of the box that I did a little dance right there in the aisle!

Oh Loreal you ROCK! Thank you for realizing that some women, like me, are in such a rush that we shop by picture- not by name or by number. That sometimes, about somethings, we are DINGY!

You have earned a customer for life.

Love,

Shannon

Disobedient and Thankful

I bought Lisa Whittle's book Behind Those Eyes back in August and immediately started reading it. I was so touched by it and so convicted by the words she wrote as I saw myself on almost every single page I read.

When I saw that Lisa would be speaking in Houston, I immediately bought tickets and took two friends to hear her speak. She was absolutely wonderful and I hung on every word God spoke through her that evening. I came home excited and ready to continue reading her book and facing the things that I felt God leading me to face.

And then, as much as I loved the book- it became difficult to read.

Really difficult.

Difficult because it was painful to face the truth and to risk being vulnerable and being real.

And so- although I knew that God was prompting me to pick the book back up and face the truth- His truth- I did not.

I put the book down.

And I am embarrassed to say, I left it there.

Occasionally I would see it sitting on my desk and I would think momentarily about picking it up but I never did.

I could feel God calling me to pick it back up and face some things in my life and heart that truly needed to be faced.

But I am ashamed to say I ignored his call.

And then today sweet Lisa wrote a post that so touched my heart and my soul that it honestly made me weep. Her words truly were a gift from God.

As I read her words I could hear God reminding me over and over again that His grace is all that I need.

And as soon as I finished reading her words and drying my eyes, I went and picked that book back up.

And I thanked God for forgiving his daughter who is disobedient and flawed and for loving her always.

Lessons I've Learned

In the past two weeks I've been in four different states and four different hotel rooms. The days I have been home have been full of trying to catch up at work, tennis lessons, laundry, cleaning, grocery shopping, and trying to fight off a stinkin' cold (unfortunately I think the cold is winning).

I've learned a few lessons in those two weeks.

I've learned.....................

1. All hotels- regardless of cost- are NOT created equal. (The Adolphus in Dallas- ROCKS!)

2. Taking tennis lessons at age 38 will definitely make your arms SORE and make you sweat. ALOT.

3. Some people have very interesting fashion ideas. I call this pic: Memphis Man. The Man of Many Colors.

4. My sweet Honey does not make the bed when I am out of town and only makes it the day I am going to return. (Maddie threw him under the bus this time)

5. My dad ROCKS. Who else would come and take Maddie to and from school and dance AND do laundry while I was out of town? He's the BEST!

6. Eating out ALOT and not going to the gym will = a gain of at least 3 lbs. :(

7. No matter how cute your new shoes are, and no matter how comfortable they seem, do NOT wear them when traveling. DO NOT.

8. There are some weird things in Texas. Weird.

9. The Memphis airport has rocking chairs all around for people to sit in while waiting for their flights. How sweet is that?

10. Neiman Marcus is so overpriced it is ridiculous. Wanna guess how much this ugly Santa was? Over $3,000. Three thousand DOLLARS? Are you kidding me? For an ugly Santa? For ANY Santa? Insanity!! I wouldn't have taken him home even if he was free.

11. There's truly no place like home.
12. I am blessed. Blessed.