Snail Mail

What a cool idea this is-send a letter without an envelope, cutting or glue.

Check it out HERE.

And they have different designs: plain, lilac, easter, christmas, valentine's day...

Who's hiring?

I want a job where I get paid to sit at home all day and make crafty things.

And then when I want to go off to do things like work with kids, volunteer, travel, enjoy great weather, and whatever else....I can.
And when the times comes I get to be a stay at home mom and possibly homeschool my children.

......so, who's hiring for this position?

haha :)

But really, I just found a bunch of different Christmas wreaths I want to make. If only I had that job! But I will do some with our after school kids over Christmas break! YAY! :)

Sitcoms

Lately my new thing, while Joe is not home or is busy doing something else and I am looking for a way to kill time, is to watch random sitcoms on Netflix.

I never realized quite how much of a fan I was of them. Here are a few qualities I enjoy about sitcoms...

• They are pretty short, so you can watch one when you only have a little bit of time or you can fit in a good number when you have a chunk of time--it's a win/win! 

• They are funny. 
• I love the simple, everyday humor in sitcoms.

• Plus, I grew up watching a lot of these..."Everybody loves Raymond" immediately comes to mind. I watched that with my parents all the time. So it's like a past-time for me also.

So yeah, just a few minutes ago when Joe "kicked me off" the t.v. where I had been watching sitcoms before he got home, I decided that before I got on the computer and back on Netflix for more sitcom viewing...I would write about my new pleasure--sitcoms! :)

Rationalizing

Considering my recent posts, and their dealings with cake, I thought this was only appropriate to post.

Check it out & have a laugh:
http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2xDDbe/calmblueoceans.com/18/

:) Happy Monday!

Another gem of a find....

As I continued to peruse the blog I was just discussing in my last post, I saw this comment that a "Dawn" left on one of Kate's posts. It is amazing. Read below:

Dawn responded on 27 Jun 2010 at 3:18 pm#

When my grandmother was 98 1/2 years old she went into a physical decline. In the hospital my sisters and I sat with her, combed her hair & rubbed her hands. I remember a nurse came in and looked at my grandmother. Suddenly I realized that to the nurse my grandmother looked old, haggard, her hair was whisps of white. The nurse could not see my grandmother! She could not see how lovely she was, how funny, how kind. She couldn’t see my grandmother’s long life, her strength thru hard times, her faithful love for her family. The nurse could only see with her eyes. I looked am my grandmother. I COULD see her. It was like magic.

Kate, if you are with people who can’t see you, you are with the wrong people.

Now, read it again...this time, put YOUR name in the blank. I mean it. READ IT AGAIN, NOW!

Dawn responded on 27 Jun 2010 at 3:18 pm#

When my grandmother was 98 1/2 years old she went into a physical decline. In the hospital my sisters and I sat with her, combed her hair & rubbed her hands. I remember a nurse came in and looked at my grandmother. Suddenly I realized that to the nurse my grandmother looked old, haggard, her hair was whisps of white. The nurse could not see my grandmother! She could not see how lovely she was, how funny, how kind. She couldn’t see my grandmother’s long life, her strength thru hard times, her faithful love for her family. The nurse could only see with her eyes. I looked am my grandmother. I COULD see her. It was like magic.

_____________, if you are with people who can’t see you, you are with the wrong people.

Those who are the right people...those true friends, don't think of you like that. They see YOU. They see your beauty. Embrace that and stop the other voices in your head. Don't let them bring you down!

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.
God made you that way.

Flowing Thoughts...quite jumbled. Good luck.

Alright, I'm feeling especially witty tonight and quite in the mood for writing. I know, that's strange right? Since I've wrote about 1 blog/1.5 months for the past year, but tonight I stumbled upon a new blog (not literally stumbled upon using "stumble upon" a new discovery of mine that I love--you should check it out, really after you finish reading this go google stumble upon!) So tonight I found a blog that I want to talk a little bit about.

But allow me to preface with this. If my (future) child/children begin to use "cuss" words, they will receive a pop in the mouth, some soap on their tongue (non-toxic of course ;) ) or at the very least, a good talking to. However, I do not feel that the usage of cuss words is the END of the world, however, I don't think they should be used either....so yeah, that's the preface. *In a moment you'll understand this and the connection*

So, the blog I discovered tonight is called Eat the Damn Cake. I think I found it when I was looking at hair cuts (don't get any ideas about mine, people) and then I started to explore her other posts besides the one the hair cut search on google led me to. I found one about being fired, and I left a comment that was seriously like therapy. I was exaggerative and some-what mean but it was so entertaining and seriously, it was therapeutic. I have learned something about myself in the past few years and that is when something gets to me--like really makes me mad or upset, but I know it's out of my control--I do two things: first, I cry (I'm such a stinkin' girl) and second, I joke it/about it to lighten up the mood, I guess? But it works, I crack myself up and then it's all good...well, it's better. I often don't mean what I say and I only say it around certain people who understand I don't mean it...like my adoring husband who gets me like no one else in the world and laughs at/with me pretty much daily.

And then I went to the "about" section of her blog and that was so entertaining (like everything else I have read of hers so far) and it was also encouraging. I battle with the fine line between "positive body-image" and "WORKOUT! EAT RIGHT! Be healthy, be thin!!!" I'm not afraid to admit that right now I weigh the most I ever have in my life--and that's okay, but not okay <---here is the battle again, people. Yes, I do not exercise and eat like I should right now, but I am also not obese and on the verge of diabetes and tons of health risks because of my weight either, nor am I leading a completely sedative lifestyle. So yeah, should I be confident and let myself EAT THE **** CAKE?! Or should I push myself, be stressed and try to lose an inch a minute? How about a little of both? I mean really, gals...it's about time we learn that there is a happy medium!

Let's let ourselves eat the d*** cake, but let's also not eat nothing but cake. Let's work out, but let's also not chain ourselves to the treadmill. Let's be confident, not consistently self-conscious of an extra 5, 10 or even 15 pounds. Deal??

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So, now that I've amazed myself with where this blog went...it's confession time. I didn't have a clue what I was going to write about. I just knew I wanted to write. I felt inspired. I felt the words flowing--mind you those words are raw and no sand paper has touched their rough edges, please forgive that ;)

Any who, hope you enjoyed the things that apparently flowed from my mind to my fingers tonight & yes, life is grand for Joe & I all-in-all. Hope you are doing just swell, too. :)

Growing Pains

I was just going through our "important papers" box and found a file that brought back feelings and memories from a particularly unpleasant experience in my life. I hate that it's on my mind and has my thoughts racing now, but even more than that I recognize that God used that situation to teach me and to mold me into a better person, leader, administrator and friend for the future...and for now.

I will hold on to the positive even as I struggle to let go of all the negative.

...because that's what life is all about: we have to find the GOOD things, because, let's face it, the bad is easy to see and it's often staring us in the face.

WE have to make the CHOICE to look past the bad and find that glimmer of good and hold on to hope for a brighter day ahead.

****
Contrary to what it sounds like, I am doing very well.

I am just reflecting on a bad time  big trial I faced in my life and sharing some thoughts I am having while doing so. Glad you are here reading, and I hope that these words are helpful to someone who happens to stop by to read.

Have a great day and God bless!

Remember to CHOOSE to see the GOOD! <3

doing lots of thinking lately.

"Often people attempt to live their lives backwards; they try to have more things, or more money, in order to do more of what they want, so they will be happier.  The way it actually works is the reverse.  You must first be who you really are, then do what you need to do, in order to have what you want."
 ~Margaret Young

Summer Time Rain

Just walked out on the back porch in the rain (because sometimes you just have to walk into the rain in the summer time) and there was a little boy next door having a blast jumping on his trampoline.

He waved at me and I waved back.

I REALLY wanted to go jump with him...but I resisted the urge.

Back to work for me...please pray that what I am working on will be a great service to the community & bring glory to God.
...
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........After all, bringing glory to God is what we are MADE to do.

P.S. I plan to blog more, I think. Probably...maybe...

Quote from the past that touches the Present!

Just found a journal I was writing in a few years back...on January 21, 2007 I wrote down this quote...

"Life's too precious and short to wast on the things of this world"

 --Joe Cartwright  

At that time we had only been together for 3 months...I'm so glad that over 4 years later I get to call him my husband.

This coming week we plan to use our time on a mission trip in Mexico and in that we plan to NOT waste time on the things of this world...but to serve God by serving others!

Please pray for us--there are about 15 of us going from our church from ages 8 and up! :)

Now that the school work is over....

I am looking forward to these things:

• Graduation--and seeing the family that will be there. 
• Beth & Kasey's wedding. I love Beth dearly...she's my "longest" friend, as in we've been friends the longest of all my friends and she's priceless to me. So I'm just oh, so happy for them both! :) Okay, done being sappy. 
• Mission trip to Mexico in June. Fundraising is almost done, but continues...prayers for our trip are appreciated!
• Joe & I will be an uncle/aunt for the SECOND time this summer.
• Traveling to Asia. (that one didn't happen, but that's okay.)
• Beach time! 
• Celebrating our one year anniversary! 
• Reading books...because I want to, not because they are listed on a syllabus
• Cooking more and experimenting when I do! 
• Couponing & working on the frugal habits that I let go in the business of school
• 
  

....I plan to continue to add to this post but I wanted to post it now because it helped me get excited about being DONE with school!

Your prayers for our uncertain future would be appreciated! We are just waiting on God to open doors of where He wants us...will you join us in praying for the future? :)

initial thoughts

I JUST finished my last assignment for my undergraduate studies.

I'm not quite excited yet, it will hit me in a few minutes...when Joe is finished and gets to be happy with me, I think.

In the mean time I wanted to post since this blog has taken a back seat to my studies (and rightly so) in the last few months.

I will be back in action soon. I've wanted to write so many times, but the homework was slightly more pressing, just slightly. haha.

So anywho, I'm here and I'm getting excited now just writing this.

I already did the graduate from college thing once, but that was just an associates degree...so now it's the real deal. I'm about to graduate with a major in Leadership and Administration.

Pretty sweet.

Okay, that's really all I can make my poor fingers (that have been typing for the last 3ish hours) type for now.

I'll be back soon friends, thanks for sticking around despite my absence. ....if you are still there! :)

Seriously??

Today it's been 2 months since I've posted.

Not sure how that happened.

I'm still here...promise.

Happy birthday to my husband TODAY! He is 23 and I get to call him old for the next 3 months and 5 days...after that I "catch up" with him! ;)

Also, graduation is in 32 days. woot.

Prayers for our future would be greatly appreciated. More to come...one day. Maybe May 15th, when the school work ENDS...forever, I think!

Have a happy April 12th!

Valentine's Day Decor

I'm about to decorate my house with a simple little banner

It just says " LOVE "  :) 

Although we already have a "love" decoration in our living room that we got (from the lovely Katie) for our wedding, this one is specifically to be festive for valentine's day.

It's SO simple. I haven't finished or I'd post a picture, but you can see it over at (one of my recent favorite blogs) Kind over Matter in a blog titled, "Freebie Alert! Printable Valentine's Love Banner"

I hope everyone has a great weekend & a great Valentine's Day!

Soon I'll post the awesome things we won through the "Cutest Couples Contest" I posted about before--yes, we won! And it's great! :) For now I'll just leave you with a picture of the gorgeous flowers that came in the prize pack...

Do Nothing.

That's not something that we do often...

We are always BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!

I admit that I get caught up in ME. I get caught up in the BUSY.

Today I read a blog over at Kind Over Matter that was entitled "I Dare You: Do Nothing for 2 Minutes"

So I dare you! Do nothing for two minutes.

Click here & do nothing for two minutes. Now, click it!

And then finish this blog....

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Okay, so if you are reading this sentence, you should feel a little more focused...if you didn't cheat that is!

I enjoyed my 2 minutes. My two minutes helped me to clear my mind and realize what I needed to do now, not what I was busying myself with...my two minutes involved thinking, praying and reorganizing what my "to-do" list was based on importance...not the need to feel "busy", and also planning this blog!

Of course all that didn't actually happen in the TWO minutes...but that is where it started. It started when I SLOWED down.

SO I hope that 2 minutes helped you, too!

Julio Diaz...I applaud you!

This story is from NPR and can be read HERE on their site.

It's from 2008 but this is the first time I've heard it....and it's worth the read!

March 28, 2008
Julio Diaz has a daily routine. Every night, the 31-year-old social worker ends his hour-long subway commute to the Bronx one stop early, just so he can eat at his favorite diner.

But one night last month, as Diaz stepped off the No. 6 train and onto a nearly empty platform, his evening took an unexpected turn.

He was walking toward the stairs when a teenage boy approached and pulled out a knife.
 "He wants my money, so I just gave him my wallet and told him, 'Here you go,'" Diaz says.

As the teen began to walk away, Diaz told him, "Hey, wait a minute. You forgot something. If you're going to be robbing people for the rest of the night, you might as well take my coat to keep you warm."
The would-be robber looked at his would-be victim, "like what's going on here?" Diaz says. "He asked me, 'Why are you doing this?'"

Diaz replied: "If you're willing to risk your freedom for a few dollars, then I guess you must really need the money. I mean, all I wanted to do was get dinner and if you really want to join me ... hey, you're more than welcome.

"You know, I just felt maybe he really needs help," Diaz says. Diaz says he and the teen went into the diner and sat in a booth.

"The manager comes by, the dishwashers come by, the waiters come by to say hi," Diaz says. "The kid was like, 'You know everybody here. Do you own this place?'"

"No, I just eat here a lot," Diaz says he told the teen. "He says, 'But you're even nice to the dishwasher.'"
Diaz replied, "Well, haven't you been taught you should be nice to everybody?"
"Yea, but I didn't think people actually behaved that way," the teen said.

Diaz asked him what he wanted out of life. "He just had almost a sad face," Diaz says.

The teen couldn't answer Diaz — or he didn't want to.

When the bill arrived, Diaz told the teen, "Look, I guess you're going to have to pay for this bill 'cause you have my money and I can't pay for this. So if you give me my wallet back, I'll gladly treat you."

The teen "didn't even think about it" and returned the wallet, Diaz says. "I gave him $20 ... I figure maybe it'll help him. I don't know."

Diaz says he asked for something in return — the teen's knife — "and he gave it to me."

Afterward, when Diaz told his mother what happened, she said, "You're the type of kid that if someone asked you for the time, you gave them your watch."

"I figure, you know, if you treat people right, you can only hope that they treat you right. It's as simple as it gets in this complicated world."

Produced for Morning Edition by Michael Garofalo.

Free Compliments & Positivity--spread it!

We all like to receive compliments and we recognize that they can dramatically improve someone's minute, hour, day or week....so here is a pretty neat idea that came from a blog called Kind over Matter  that we can put out in public places to just encourage "NICEness"

 

So print one out....or ten....by clicking HERE for a link to the PDF, but while you are at it, head over to Kind over Matter to see more like this one! She also made one called "Free Compliments for you or your co-workers" as well as a "Free positive thoughts" and a blank PDF very similar that allows you to put in your own sayings!

So get to printing...
....Hang them up at work, at church, in a public restroom, public library...everywhere! :)

MOOLALA & other money-saving sites

A new money-saving site that brings you big discounts AND opportunites to make money! Join me by CLICKING HERE & then inviting your friends to start saving too! 


I'm just getting started but so far, so good. And it only takes a second to sign-up so I figured, why not?! 

Also, here is an article that may inspire you to get on board with Moolala!

Another interesting fact about Moolala: Moolala was started by a couple who were formerly medical missionaries.

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Also if you haven't checked out GROUPON you should! I used groupon to get a great gift for a friend, a massage, for very cheap!

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Also, my newest favorite money-saving blogger can be found at The Simple Dollar. Thanks to my mom who turned me on to this great resource for money-saving tips and ideas.

Contests!

Okay, update time! We are currently in the lead with 410 votes!! Our friends REALLY came through for us! We want to say a BIG thank you! The picture with the next highest amount has 162 votes right now....so we are hopeful but we're not "counting our eggs 'til they hatch!" The contest ends Feb. 9th....hoping we hang on to our strong lead!

Now, I have TWO other friends who are currently in contests very similar to ours. Would you take a minute (literally, it'll only take you a minute!) and help them win? Pretty please?


First, Josh & Sarah Curry are in a contest with "bridal shoes" that ends this Friday, Feb. 4th. If you would please head over to facebook and vote for them by clicking "like" on Contrast Images' page. Then  go to their picture, the awesome white chucks, and leave a comment....any comment! Then you will have voted to help them win a free oversized print of their choice for their home :) What a great gift for newly weds?!





Second, my friend Lynn over at "Musings of a Monster Mommy" has entered her little "Monster J" into a "cutest kids" contest also on facebook. To vote for her & the adorable Monster J head over to Loving Memories Photography's page and vote for Monster J's picture by just clicking "like" (unlike the one above you do NOT have to leave a comment unless you want to).


 ....thanks again for voting for us AND also for going to help out our friends! :D

Last but definitely not least...I would like to say thanks to God for my friend Natali making it safely to MALI! I've blogged about her before, but you can catch up if you don't know about her at her blog called "Here I go". She is truly on fire for the Lord & is giving the year 2011 to Him by serving and sharing the Gospel with those in Mali. Straight out of college at ECU & off to serve...I am proud of her :) & I feel blessed because God allowed us to meet during our time at Pitt Community College! 

I hope everyone had a great weekend...and that you also have a great week!

Lately...

...I haven't sat down to write a lot. But I'm still here, and want to share random things like this. I promise it's worth the 10 seconds to get the LAUGH!!

1. Go to Google Maps and click on Get Directions.
2. Write USA as your start point.
3. Write Japan as your destination.
4. Go to the 31st point on your route.......and when you stop laughing, feel free share this so that others can laugh at it, too. :)

 

The end.

P.S. Jesus loves you.

Forget the single ladies...

 ....how about WRINKLED LADIES?!?!

Just thought I would share the laugh. :)

Better go put some cream on it...while you are still young! haha!!

Last one!

I just started my LAST semester of college.

I will be DONE with my bachelor's degree in about 4 months!

Wow-weeeee.

Me and my husband both will be done actually.

I'm quite excited/nervous/proud/anxious/happy....about this and the future.


This summer is already filling up fast:

• We have to find jobs! 
• A youth ministry position for Joe (waiting on God to open doors) and who knows what for me!
• We are going to Mexico on a mission trip in June (with my whole family & our church).
• We will probably work a week of camp at the end of June/beginning of July...maybe another in August.
• We have a niece or nephew being born in early July!

**UPDATE: This last one didn't happen, but we're okay with that:

• And....we are traveling...some where OUT of the country 
• (yippeee!! for an awesome wedding gift!)
• When, where and for how long is yet TBD.

Okay so...that's all for now. That was just a brain dump that really needed to happen.

Now I'm watching a random movie while I wait on Joe to come home from bball practice so we can spend the evening together.   :)

One more thing, I LOVE being married. I LOVE my husband.
I'm so very, very happy.

"Cutest Couple" Contest

Hey blogger friends!

Joe & I have entered a contest...the "cutest couple" contest on a local radio station's facebook page. It's for a Valentines Day package....candy, flowers, dinner, gift certificates...all that jazz.

So (this is where you come in) we need your help! If you have a facebook, you can vote for us! Here is how:

Go to this page to see the event I made with the directions. You can click on the link that is shown there, which I am also linking here, and go to Dixie 105.7's page where you have to FIRST "like" their page and then SECOND "like" the picture of us, in order to have actually voted for us.

It is easy! Takes less than ONE MINUTE!!

Now, if you want to put in some extra effort, invite your friends to join the group and ask them to vote for us, your friends! :)

Thanks so much!!!! 

Some of you may remember we won a bridal concierge service that was SO helpful with our wedding because of the help of friends like YOU voting online...can we do it again!? I think so! GO!!!!

This is the photo that I've submitted to the contest. You will vote by clicking "like" on this picture on Dixie 105.7's Facebook fan page.

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*UPDATE*
WE WON. IT ROCKED. THANKS AGAIN!
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Anyone else...

...having difficulties with blogger lately?

Mine is just now working so that I can post anything!

(Look mom, I blogged!) ;)