Gail's Tales

Simply the best...

2012-01-19T23:12:00.000-06:00

roommates in the world!

My oh my, we have quite a wonderful time together! It's strange to think that three people who had never met could not only be roommates, but perfectly matched roommates and friends. Since moving to The Crown in August 2011, I haven't taken the time to tell you about these lovely ladies (probably because it took us 6 months to take a group picture!). Let me tell you a little about them...

Jillian (in the middle) is our planner and detail person from Houston, Texas. She's always on top of things and whipping us into shape! Jillian is obsessed with running, organic food, boston terriers, and her family. Sometimes, we come home and find Jillian skyping with her sister's dogs, Dolce and Mykonos. Or watching videos of the dogs. Y'all, I can't make this stuff up! (But I must admit, the dogs are adorable!) She's getting her doctorate in Psychology, ruling the world, and taking names.

Callie Ann (on the right) is our story-teller and big dreamer from Tuscumbia, Alabama. (We actually had the same eye doctor as children and her sister dated my 8th grade history teacher's son. Gotta love Alabama!) Callie Ann loves to share crazy happenings and fun times. She's very relational and loves to be around people. Callie Ann is obsessed with Harry Potter and The Hunger Games and has recently revealed her desire to star in a movie. She also likes to put dirty laundry in the closet and clean clothes on the floor. Callie Ann is getting her master's in library sciences. Did I mention she's obsessed with Harry Potter?

And while we may all sound so different, there's at least two things we have in common... we love free things and we love Jason's Deli. Who those two things combine, it's a party! We also love putting Christmas trees up in November and leaving them up until the next November... (see that hawaiian bird we added last week?)

But really. This is my life and it's crazy. But I love it and I love the people in it.

It's simply the best.

I go back to work tomorrow...

2012-01-02T22:59:00.000-06:00

which means I'll suddenly be so busy that I can't blog (translation: too tired and sleepy to think about blogging). But before too much time passes, I wanted to jot down a few details from the 2011 holiday season.

First, I had Christmas in Birmingham with the Anthonys. I received a Keurig, partook of some delicious lasagna and feasted on the best of company. It was a great way to start my break. Plus, I learned that you can roll your hair in a sock. (Ask me later)

Next was Christmas in Double Springs. We celebrated a 25th anniversary, spent time playing cards and watching movies, and then did what we do best... took tons of family portraits. Oh man, do we love family portraits. Also, notice how spirited everyone's Christmas sweaters are...

After Christmas, I headed to Houston to see John. It was simply a wonderful trip, full of laughter and long chats and skypes with Ashley. Friendship is absolutely better than anything in this world. We visited the Mormon Temple, saw the creatures of the zoo, got attacked by creatures at the zoo (ask me for that story too), bought a new car and went shopping for apartments. It was a crazy four days, but we soaked up every minute.

The craziest thing happened tonight...

2011-12-21T22:47:00.001-06:00

... while stalking some of my regular blogs, I stumbled upon a photo of a stranger that I recognized. I actually shouldn't mislead you to believe that's an uncommon occurrence because just today, I recognized someone in a pizza parlor that I felt like I knew, but only knew because of Facebook pictures.

I should stop before I say too much.

Anyways, check out this picture from London in the summer of 2009...

See that Beefeater? Yeah, him. While reading a post on a blog, he showed up again... with people I don't even know.

Isn't that just the craziest thing? I think so.

To celebrate the season...

2011-12-20T10:56:00.000-06:00

...and mainly to force ourselves to think it's Christmastime, Blake and I rode around Tuscaloosa looking at Christmas lights. Isn't funny how we turn into our parents? I remember as children, we begged them to take the quick route home so we didn't have to look at the boring lights. Now, I keep finding myself taking the long road home.

While riding around, I kept replaying the lyrics to Coldplay's Christmas Lights.

Oh Christmas lights, light up the street

Light up the fireworks in me

May all your troubles soon be gone

Those Christmas lights keep shinin' on

I've sent a hybrid arrangement of Christmas cards this year. While I'm absolutely obsessed with the postal service, I simply can't afford to send everyone I love a card that costs $0.50 to send. So in true millennial spirit, I opted to send my coworkers an E-mail. Perhaps you've heard of Paperless Post?

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

My mother was a beautiful woman.

2011-12-19T22:33:00.000-06:00

Even at the tender age of 11, I understood that. I think all my life, I've been worried that 11 years with her wasn't enough to have significant influence on my life, but I'm reminded by friends and family that they see a piece of her in me every day. It's truly my favorite compliment in all the world.

My mother used to read me poetry. Not the kind that children read, because I was always an old soul. She read me verses that spoke to herself, because I think she knew they would one day speak to me.

I remember one particular time when I had been bullied at school - a boy in my class called me ugly and then laughed all the way back to class. It wasn't the first time I'd been made fun of, nor the worst, but it was the first time I'd ever seen someone be so hateful and not have a bit of remorse about it. When I arrived home, Mom could tell something was wrong.

"What's the matter, Loosey-Goosey?" That's what she called me ever since I could recall. (I think it had something to do with roller blading over geese in a park one time, but she claimed it was because I was a free-spirited kid. We may never know.) I just mumbled as I walked to my room.

"Come'ere, I want to show you something." We went into her bathroom and sat on her vanity chair, where she read this poem:

After a while you learn the subtle difference

between holding a hand and chaining a soul

And you learn that love doesn't mean leaning

and company doesn't mean security

And you begin to learn that kisses aren't contracts

and presents aren't promises

And you begin to accept your defeats

with your head up and your eyes open

With the grace of a woman, not the grief of a child

And you learn to build all your roads on today

because tomorrow's ground is too uncertain for plans

and futures have a way of falling down in mid-flight

After awhile, you learn that even sunshine burns if you get too much

So you plant your own garden and decorate your own soul

instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers

And you learn that you really are strong

and you really have worth

And you learn and learn

With every goodbye you learn

I was comforted by my mother's words, but at the time I thought she was crazy. A simple "Boys suck, and girls will always be too good for them" speech would've sufficed. But mom was intuitive, and she knew that one tough day when the world was just too big, I would need to read that poem again and believe in myself.

That same poem has hung in my bathroom since 1999. Some mornings when I'm drying my hair or nights when I'm brushing my teeth, I read that poem and remember the truth my mother spoke into me: I am strong. I have worth. And I'm constantly in process.

I pray that you, too, will let those words spill into your heart: Yes, you are constantly in process, but you are strong and you have worth.

Sometimes you just need to get away...

2011-12-19T13:44:00.000-06:00

...and that time is NOW!!!

Just as cabin fever was starting to set in, I booked myself a ticket to Houston for Tuesday. Ta-da! I will be visiting my heart-of-my-heart friend...

john + gail

Ah, friendship.

Snow.

2011-12-02T14:03:00.001-06:00

Snow is a channel of energy.

A Divine voice speaking to us through visual imagery

so that we can experience it with our bodily senses.

-Kate Bush

I'm just remembering how magical last Christmas was and realizing that we probably won't get a white Christmas for another 24 years. Luckily, I have pictures to prove that it wasn't a dream...

Currently working on my final project for class. (And by currently, I mean as soon as I finish looking through Facebook pictures and blogging!) Hope your Decembers are off to a great start and your holiday season is shaping up to be magical. If you get a chance, shoot up a prayer for snow. :)

Our generation might be ok. Eventually.

2011-11-26T10:37:00.001-06:00

Below are a few interesting articles for those of us in our twenties and trying to figure out this thing called life, or for other people trying to understand our generation. They're probably a tad biased because people from our generation wrote them, but interesting perspectives nonetheless. The second article is pretty long, but definitely worth the read to gain insight into generational differences.

Young, Educated, and Unemployed: A New Generation of Kids Search for Work in their 20s

"I’m not confident that schooling has a direct connection with employment anymore,” he says. “But if I hadn’t received the kind of education I did, I would be less of an active citizen and less engaged in the world in ways I would not have discovered on my own."

The Kids Are Actually Sort of Alright

"I know this might read as very woe-is-us, but these are the facts: Nearly 14 percent of college graduates from the classes of 2006 through 2010 can’t find full-time work, and overall just 55.3 percent of people ages 16 to 29 have jobs. That’s the lowest percentage since World War II, as you might have heard an Occupy Wall Street protester point out. (Not coincidentally, one in five young adults now lives below the poverty line.) Almost a quarter more people ages 25 to 34—in other words, people who should be a few years into their independent lives—are living with their parents than at the beginning of the recession."

Suburbia.

2011-11-25T09:50:00.000-06:00

I spent an evening in the scariest of suburbias. Houses lined a street so close together. Where one started and another began is still unbeknownst to me. Little personal castles that immitated society but showed no actual sign of community. Three and four cars in front of every home. Trimmed Spirea shrubs creating a fortress, a safehaven from the outside world. The streets were well-lit, but the people's lives filled with darkness. I wish it had been a nightmare. Alas, it was reality.

Photo from Faupel Art

Champing.

2011-11-21T15:19:00.001-06:00

I've decided when you beach your boat on an island, pitch a tent, build a fire and pee in the woods, the term "camping" doesn't quite capture the spirit of pwning the great outdoors. Champing. That makes me feel like I accomplished more than a basket of dirty clothes that reak of smoke and a sore back from sleeping on the ground.

On Saturday afternoon, I headed into the wilderness with two friends for a bit of champing. With a few last-minute supplies in hand, we took a boat to a little island in Lake Tuscaloosa. After finally finding a place to tie the boat, we unloaded and foraged the land for a place to sleep and some firewood. But in Grand Gail Fashion, I first slipped on the mud, fell into the lake, and went without shoes for the remainder of the trip.

We built a fire, pitched the tent and cooked some beef, potatoes and carrots. (Quick side note: anything tastes good when camping, but try marinating in equal parts Dr. Pepper and Dale's Sauce. Yum!) After dinner, we explored the island and found some interesting rocks to climb. We just layed around the rocks and chatted about anything that piqued our interest.

Overall, it was a wonderful getaway from the busyness of life. We did joke about the fact that we had iPhones to check the scores of the football games, but we mostly stayed away from technology for 24 hours. Take some time this Thanksgiving holiday to soak up the beauty of nature. God surely manifests himself there (Psalm 24).

There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society, where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and music in its roar:
I love not man the less, but Nature more,
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, or have been before,

To mingle with the Universe, and feel

What I can ne'er express, yet cannot all conceal.

-Lord Byron, from Childe Harold, Canto iv, Verse 178

You guys.

2011-11-08T09:22:00.000-06:00

I read an article this morning about Guy Fawkes (the star of my last post) and had to share it with you. I love learning about linguistics and the origins of things we say everyday. Holy Cow is probably one of my favorites to learn about.

According to the article, Guy Fawkes made quite the impression on the English language, even though his terror plot did not succeed. He was in a cellar below Parliament with barrels of gunpowder ready to blow up the government when police officials arrested him. He and his colleagues were put to death, but his name lived on when Londoners started lighting bonfires and making effigies of him. These effigies were called "Guys." The tradition carried over into Colonial America where the term eventually became part of our everyday slang. Read below to see how it transformed.

"By the mid-19th century, in American English, guy came to have a more neutral meaning, first a strange-looking straw effigy, then a strange-looking man, then just any man, a guy. And so we talk about guys today, a slangy way of referring to men and boys."

Isn't that interesting? I suggest you read the entire article from the Chronicle of Higher Education to learn how it transformed into "you guys."

Remember, remember the 5th of November.

2011-11-03T15:07:00.000-05:00

V for Vendetta... probably one of my movies of all time (Which makes sense seeing as my favorite book is 1984 and I love any other dystopian work in the universe). Every November 5, I like to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day by watching the movie. This year's big day happens to fall on what one might call a local holiday... the Alabama v. LSU game. A rivalry, you might say. The match-up of the year. The "Real" National Championship. The Game of the Century. Armageddon. Ok, you get it.

Needless to say, I doubt Guy Fawkes will be on the minds of the hundreds of thousands of Bama and LSU fans flocking to Tuscaloosa for the match-up, so I have divised a way to incorporate the two. A for Alabama. No, I won't be making a film (there's an idea...) about A for Alabama, but I did painstakingly rewrite V's Famous Speech to include all a-words instead of v-words (see below). May I humbly suggest that Saban use the speech as his half-time locker room pump-up? And that the entire student section weara Guy Fawkes mask to the game. Too audacious of me? Hey, a movement has to begin somewhere.

Besides the fact that this idea supports a mega-institution of football, fame and fortune, I think Guy Fawkes might give a hearty "Roll Tide!" to my idea. I'll be making this little diddy my Facebook profile picture for a while. (Feel free to do the same - I'm not holding any creative rights.) I just want us all to join together in celebrating ~~Nick Saban Day~~ Guy Fawkes Day.

Roll Tide Y'all!

Original V Speech:
Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villian by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished. However, this valorous visitation of a by-gone vexation, stands vivified and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengence; a vendetta, held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me V.

My A Speech:
Abracadabra! In aspect, a humble acrobat, cast assumingly as both aim and anti-hero by the alternatives of fate. This arrival, no mere appearance of arrogance, is an authority of the adversary, now appearing absent. However, this audacious attendance of a by-gone annoyance stands animate, and has asserted to annihilate these amoral and active apexes aggravating annoyances and allowing the aggressively attacking and avid abuse of assessment. The only answer is avengement; an association, held as an average, not in arrogance, for the appraisal and accuracy of such shall one day absolve the attentive and the admirable. Actually, this accumulation of absurdity argues most altered, so let me simply add that it is my awfully good honor to meet you and you may call me A.

Yes, I'm ~~ridiculous~~ Absurd.

Once upon a jury.

2011-11-02T14:33:00.003-05:00

This blog was supposed to be about jury duty, but alas I have allowed a month to pass without writing. I guess I'll just catch you up on life in general.

I did serve on a jury. It wasn't as glamourous as John Grisham or Stanley from The Office made it out to be, but I crossed an item off my bucket list. :) First, there are no catered lunches in a beautiful downtown building. There is a downtown building, but with Tuscaloosa's under construction, I hardly call it glamourous. Second, the judicial system isn't exactly considerate of your personal schedule. I was at the courthouse at 8:30am one day, 10:00 the next, 7:45 the next and 9:00 the next. Seriously judge, you're messing with my schedule. Not to mention, we never got started on time and never followed a typical work schedule. Oh, and the courtroom was as hot as blue blazes (whoa, where did that country reference come from?!) and the juror seats were awfully uncomfortable.

Most cases I heard about weren't actually worth troubling the courts about, but it was interesting to see the process nonetheless. My first case was a domestic violence case. Typical man beats wife, right? Nope. The man was pressing charges against his ex-wife for harrassment in the third degree. That basically means she had intent to alarm or harrass him and she made physical contact. Based on that definition, I'm pretty sure I've committed domestic violence a million times. But on a serious note, I was extremely sad for the children. They were being used as pawns in this great custody battle between parents. Both sides had been married numerous times with numerous kids from other marriages. My heart broke for all those kids as they were being tossed from house to house and parent to parent.

Oh, and did I mention I was elected Jury Forewoman? Yep. The leader of pack right here. I was a little nervous about it at first because I had to sign the verdict, but I was actually very proud to serve as foreperson because I monitored the debate in the jury deliberation room.

After an incredibly busy week of jury duty, I jetted off for a weekend in Nashville. What a wonderful weekend visiting friends and seeing the sites of The Music City. My roommate Callie Ann, and good friends Pair and Amy Kat tagged along to visit Malcolm and Sydney, while Christy drove down from Kentucky to join in on some fun! We visited downtown to see where Malcolm works, the honky tonks and boot shops, and Arrington Vineyards owned by Kix Brooks of Brooks and Dunn. The weather was beautiful and our spirits were renewed from seeing old friends.

And of course, we found a little time to do some Geocaching... :)

The weekend after Nashville, I took a weekend trip to the puddle. Double Springs is not exactly a booming metropolis full of weekend fun, but I love stealing away from the humdrum of my normal 8-5 and enjoying a weekend with the family. We ate literally every meal together and snuck in some time to take engagement shots of Blake and Beth. You can see them all in the Facebook Album (but if you want to print one, email me and ask for an original in high resolution).

It seems I don't work much these days, but I actually manage to hold down a full-time job and take a graduate class when I'm not on the road. Since I work at a medical center for The University, we have plenty of policies "for the good of everyone," including a mandatory flu shot during flu season. The other option was wearing a mask from October until April. I thought about wearing one just for spite...

I'm all talk and no action. This was actually my first flu shot ever. EVER! I didn't catch the flu from the shot... yet... (they say it's impossible, but I don't believe them), but I did get a sinus infection the week after. I, of course, blame the shot.

The next weekend, I took a trip to Memphis to visit my dear friend Mollie. Mollie is in a teaching program called Memphis Teacher Residency. It's similar to Teach For America, but is based on Christian principles and includes an Urban Education Master's Degree in the program. Plus, residents commit to stay in Memphis for 4-5 years. It's a wonderful program and I loved meeting all of Mollie's new friends. Plus, Sydney and Malcolm surprised Mollie by driving over on Saturday so we could enjoy a 'Bama in Memphis' tailgate! :) Mollie freaked out when we had the big friend reveal... literally fell against a wall while her knees gave out. I'll post pics of that once Mollie uploads the photos.

Last weekend was Halloween weekend. I hosted a little shin-dig for my old people friends. Everyone was invited to come over and eat food and watch Hocus Pocus. (I told you it was for old people.) The neighbors hung a flyer on our door inviting us to the "Super Great Party Great Party," but we decided to go ahead with our get-together. Good thing because Super Great Party Great Party was a Super Lame Party Lame Party.

This weekend is LSU... I'm watching the game with about 15 people and I'm super pumped! Friends from every city are descending on Tuscaloosa for a jumbo reunion / tigers butt whoopin. Gonna be great. Next weekend I'm traveling to see the Avett Brothers play for the Mississippi State Game, then home for Thanksgiving and before you know I'll be celebrating Christmas and ringing in 2012. Hopefully, I round out 2011 with a few more blogs than the past few months, but I've learned not to promise anything. Hope all is well for you all.

Happy Fall! Don't forget to set your clock back! :)

Lady Gaga says Roll Tide.

2011-10-07T00:27:00.001-05:00

Ok ok, so Lady Gaga didn't really say that. But she wore an entire outfit dressed in houndstooth. She was basically begging me to add a bubble caption that said, "Roll Tide, Y'all." So I made her wish come true.

I'm heading to Nashville this weekend to see Malchum and SydDog. I promise I'll blog about jury duty as soon as I get back! Happy October Weekend!

Take that, bucket list!

2011-10-02T23:41:00.002-05:00

Well, tomorrow I get to cross another item off my bucket list... Jury Duty!!! (I'm doing my jury duty dance... can you see it?) But really, most people talk about serving on a jury with drudgery. I share the same opinions as Stanley...

Look at his face... so excited! Also, I had a spur-of-the-moment photo shoot with Blake and Beth today for their engagement shots! With the beautiful weather we've had, I couldn't resist. Here's a sneak peak...

With all these pictures to edit and jury duty on the horizon, I'm not sure I'll sleep tonight! Wishing you all a great week!

By Air, Land and Sea(ttle).

2011-09-28T15:25:00.000-05:00

Well, for all you know, I'm still in Seattle spending my nights as a gypsy in the public market and begging for shrimp... But let me calm your fears, I am back and kickin' in Alabama. I just haven't been back and blogging in Alabama. Sorry.

Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners

My how time flies when you jet off to the West Coast in the midst of work and a graduate class... I haven't had time to breathe since I got back from visiting the Northwest. But I did have a wonderful time! Let me recap a few things about life since August. (Wow, has it really been that long?!)

I visited a friend in Seattle for four days in early September (a.k.a., my birthday) with two flying days on each end. All in all, it was a six-day whirlwind that ended in losing a tooth. Yes, you read that correctly. Let me explain...

First, I took a plane to Seattle. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. It made me want to kiss Alabama goodbye. I spent Friday and Saturday seeing lots of Seattle - places like the well-known Space Needle and sports stadiums to hole-in-the-wall bookstores about urban planning and random coffee shops. Seattleites really care about their city, and it shows. Also, I'm pretty sure Sleepless in Seattle is based on a true story.

Space Needle and First Starbucks Ever!

Fish Market and delicious German Coffee!

On Sunday, Dana and I took a train to Vancouver, Canada. Take a moment to see how picturesque this train ride was...

My eyes could hardly behold such beauty. Perhaps my favorite part of the entire trip was this train ride. Transportation via trains and any type of rail transport is my candy shop. I just ooh and ahh the entire time. After we crossed the Canadian border, we entered a small, coastal town called White Rock, Canada. The population might be 1,000... when Justin Bieber swoops in for a visit.

The weather in White Rock was rare. Mid-seventies. Blues skies. Sunshine. Everyone was out on the beach, which just so happened to be where the train passed through. Out of their 1,000 people, about 999 of them were on the beach that day, greeting our train as it passed through. I felt like I was in a movie. Here are these Canadians, taking their once-a-year stroll on the beach and LOOK, Poppy! A train! A train of Americans! Oooh, let's wave. Welcome Americans! Welcome! Welcome to Canada! Oh Poppy, I've always dreamed of seeing a train full of Americans!

Seriously.

I was rolling around the train from laughing and waving so hard. These sweet Canadians were just waving their hearts out welcoming the Americans to their country. And I waved back.

Old Glory, or whatever Canada's flag is named, flies high near the Vancouver Bridge

On Monday, Dana and I took a whale-watching boat to the San Juan Islands. The boat we chose, the Victoria Clipper, was acclaimed for its 95% success rate of seeing whales. I was expecting a photo opp like this...

Instead, I ended up with a tourist photo beside my boat. (I guess someone has to be in the 5% that doesn't see whales...) I allowed myself five minutes to pout about it, then I spit a piece of gum into the ocean to show Free Willy who's boss. Of course, after spitting my gum out, I had to get a new piece. (Couldn't risk meeting cute northwestern boys with bad breath!) So I grabbed my pack of Orbitz and chewed away.

I noticed something crunchy about the texture of my new piece of gum. Almost as if sand was in my gum. (Do you see where this is going? Because I didn't.) Curse you, Free Willy. So I spit that piece into the ocean too, just for good measure.

I decided that missing out on seeing whales wouldn't ruin my experience in the Puget Sound and Salish Sea. There were far more remarkable things about the area... sunrises and sunsets, sea creatures and wildlife, flowing rivers and land masses. And I even found a 1984 copy of 1984 on my birthday! Take that Free Willy.

My six day excusion to the West Coast ended with a 5 hour flight back to Atlanta and a 4 hour drive back to Tuscaloosa. I was back at work the next day and in class the night after. Fast forward a week later and I'm beginning to experience tooth sensitivity. No big deal, I thought. Until I visit my dentist for a routine cleaning and find out half of my tooth is missing. (You can imagine the things I said to Free Willy at this point.) Luckily, Dr. Nelson was able to repair my tooth. If you want to hear more about my trip (or my tooth), I would be happy to share. This post is just much too long. Thanks for waiting out all of September for a blog post!

The Emerald City.

2011-08-31T21:30:00.000-05:00

"Oh, I've always wanted to see the Emerald City!"

Tomorrow I leave for Seattle! Although it isn't exactly the same Emerald City described in Wicked, the musical, I think I have the same excitement to see it that Galinda and Elphaba described in their song, One Short Day (see the YouTube video below). I decided a few months back to use my Labor Day weekend wisely this year. My birthday falls near this weekend every year, as does the start of football season. I typically just use the game as a celebration for my birthday, but I felt I really needed a trip to look forward to, so I booked myself a trip to Seattle.

Although I typically take a big risk and travel solo, that won't exactly be the case this time. I'm flying out of Atlanta by myself, but once I arrive, I will be meeting a wonderful friend that lives in Seattle. She graduated with me in public relations at UA and moved to Seattle to start her career. Since she's been there, I've been saying I wanted to come visit. Now I'm just excited that our wishes are coming to fruition. I'll give you a sneak peek into what we have planned: dragon boat racing, whale watching and a trip to Canada! Grab your popcorn because I'll have tons of stories to share when I return!

Happy Labor Day to you all and Happy Birthday to me!

Mississippi Weekend.

2011-08-30T21:20:00.000-05:00

I had an opportunity to visit some friends in Mississippi this weekend and had the best time! Those Arcola Ladies really know how to treat me right. I love when weekend roadtrips are rejuvenating, not exhausting. That's what good friendships do for you - as my new roommate would say, "Relationships should be life-giving." Here's a recap of my weekend in pictures...

Even after seeing a million sunrises and sunsets

in Mississippi, I never get tired of them!

Making the drive across the mighty Mississippi.

Lake Village, Arkansas

Sweet friends, a good book and sunshine!

On Sunday, I met up with my friend Miles and we took a driving tour of the houses featured in the movie The Help.

Here's Hilly Holbrook's house in the film...

And here's the house in Greenwood... (minus the toilets, of course!)

We also saw Celia's house and Mrs. Leefolt's house. I just love old southern homes. So that was my trip to Mississippi. If you're ever going through Greenwood, I highly recommend driving through the old neighborhoods and seeing these beautiful homes. Next weekend, I'll be in Seattle celebrating my 24th birthday and Labor Day! Can't wait to show you all the sites! :)

Reading frenzy.

2011-08-29T14:34:00.001-05:00

I've been in a reading frenzy lately. Summertime tends to spark something in me that makes me want to pick up a book. Perhaps it's all the free time I have. (Yeah right.) Or all those beach trips. Or perhaps it's that all the books I want to read are coming to theaters. Yeah, that sounds more like it - I've used this entire summer to play catch-up with the motion picture industry. Let me tell you, it didn't disappoint.

It all started with Water for Elephants. Solid book, solid movie. If you get the time, check them both out! I will warn you, there are a few graphic parts, but it doesn't spoil the story. And if you want to fall in love with an elephant and not a human (as I did), this is your book.

After watching Rob Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon fall in love, I dove into The Help. You already know from a previous post how much I loved the movie, but the book was even more worth spending time on. Kathryn Stockett's writing will not disappoint you. She is very gifted at telling stories, so make sure you read this book.

Then I embarked on a trilogy of young adult fiction - The Hunger Games. Some of you may grumble at this point or some of you may be jumping up and down. I've found that I get very widespread reactions when I mention the series. Most people enjoyed reading it, but didn't like the way Suzanne Collins chose to end it. Personally, I loved it. I thought she did a very good job tying up the loose ends and managing to keep some sort of love story. At the very least, it's a quick read because it's written for a younger audience - I finished book one in about 24 hours and the rest of the series in a matter of a few weeks. I haven't seen the movie yet, so I'll give you the full report once it comes out. You can see a sneak peek of the movie here (and believe me when I say "peek" because there's not much to it).

Finally, I'm about to start working on Stieg Larsson's series about The Girl who did a lot of things. I've been told the first 100 pages make you want to rip your eyeballs out, - how exciting - but after that, it's a wonderfully crafted and well-woven story. (Wow, what Ws!) I'll let you know how this series turns out. It could be a while before I finish since I'm starting my graduate courses now and working full-time.

Any good books on your reading list? Let me know if you have any suggestions!

Dear Google+,

2011-08-28T23:33:00.001-05:00

Thanks for making long-distance friendships possible. Because of your innovations in technology and the fact that my friends are awesome, we can do things like ~~7-way chats~~ errrm, hangouts.

Seriously, we thank you.

Love, Gail

MISSISSIPPI...

2011-08-26T15:20:00.003-05:00

...HERE I COME!!!

Have a nice weekend, y'all!

Meet Violet.

2011-08-22T22:10:00.002-05:00

She's enchanting, graceful, instinctive and... Yes, I'm talking about my new plant, an African Violet.

Remember in 2nd grade when you learned about photosynthesis? I remember learning about plants and being awestruck. Since my 2nd grade stint at planting, I haven't had much of the green thumb. There was the times I tried to grow tomatoes (fail) and an apartment herb garden (fail) and the aloe vera plant (once again, fail), so I haven't really got into plants. I've always dreamed of having beautiful flowers and vegetables everywhere and walking through suburbia with a wooden basket giving my neighbors glorious greens and fabulous flowers. Yeah, that never happens.

So a few weeks ago, I was running errands in Pediatrics and ran into Ms. Faye, the sweetest woman in the entire world. I made a comment about how pretty the plant was on her desk and then we had a 15 minute conversation about Saintpaulia (African Violets). I learned that they like to be watered from their base, but if you leave them sitting in water too long, the roots will mildew. I learned that they don't thrive in direct sunlight and if you get water on the leaves, they wilt. I even learned that the flowers bloom for several months and then rest for a few.

Everything Ms. Faye was telling me sounded perfect for an office plant, so I went out after work and bought one of my own. Here's hoping I don't kill Violet and she continues to bring me joy each and every day!

Change begins with a whisper.

2011-08-19T14:07:00.000-05:00

The Help, Kathryn Stockett's 2009 bestseller, gave us all a hard look at the complex bond between privileged white women and the black domestic servants they employed in pre-civil rights Mississippi. I first heard of this book in January when a friend could not stop ranting and raving about it. She just kept telling me I had to read it. So I went to Barnes and Noble and picked up a copy. Then that book went to my bedside table and picked up some dust. It wasn't until June when I saw commercials advertising the movie that I decided it was time to read it.

Once I picked up the book, I couldn't put it down. Stockett's writing flowed beautifully, even though it easily could've been fragmented with so many different narrators. I read the book in less than a week, and then I had to wait over a month for the movie to premier.

Last Saturday, I grabbed my coworker Jessica and went to Birmingham to see the film with Aunt Susan and her friend Trina. (See Trina's take on the movie here!) It didn't take me long to realize I wanted to buy it. It's the kind of movie you take with you to a deserted island or watch a thousand times. One minute we were laughing, another pondering and another crying. It is probably the best screen-writing I've seen for a book of its kind. The movie captured such a heavy topic using humor without cheapening the story.

At the end of the movie, all four of us sat in the movie balling our eyes out. No, not just a tear here and there - the lip quivering, snotty nose, muscle jerking, ugly cry. The whole theater was full of tears and sobs - I'm not sure how you can sit through such a movie without crying.

The entire production was just stunning! My favorite part was the cast of characters. It's pretty rare to have so many well-developed characters in one book - but then to have those characters portrayed with such acuracy and depth in a film - I was floored. I put some of my favorite quotes below with images from the film. If you haven't seen the movie, RUN to your theater now and see it!!

I've drafted the home-health sanitation intitative.

-Hilly Walters Holbrook

These women raise white children. We love them and they love us,
but they can't even use the toilets in our houses.

-Skeeter Phelan

You can write my obituary. Charlotte Phelon, dead.
Her daughter still single.

-Charlotte Phelan

She's wearing a tight red sweater and a red skirt
and enough makeup to scare a hooker.

-Minny

Minny don't burn no chicken.

-Minny

You should read the book. It's quite scandalous.
Sounds like Jackson, if you ask me.

-Missus Walters

You is kind. You is smart. You is important.

-Aibileen

And finally, Mary J. Blige wrote a song for the movie called The Living Proof. I love Mary J, so I'm a little biased, but this song is such a beautiful one! Check out the song set flashes of the film below.

Sweet poison.

2011-08-15T14:29:00.002-05:00

If you've ever had one conversation with me, chances are you know I have an extreme affinity for two things:

Indeed, my true soulmates are diet sodas. I don't drink one everyday, but I do enjoy them quite often. Honestly, nothing makes me happier than cracking open a diet drink. Until today.

Around 10:00a.m., I got a Diet Mtn Dew from our drink room. I brought it back to my desk and opened it. [Insert wonderfully-crafted onomatopoeia so you feel like you know how good it felt to pop the top off the can.] As you can imagine, I enjoyed drinking every ounce of that soda. Every. Single. Ounce.

Until lunch time. This little pinching feeling in my brain started up - that annoying feeling that you know is turning into a headache. And it kept getting stronger and stronger. My head growing closer to exploding with each passing second. (I should also tell you that I rarely take medication, especially for headaches - I have this belief that a headache is my brain growing and getting smarter, so I refuse to take an asprin/acetaminophen/ibuprofin to prevent its growth... probably not my best life theory.) During lunch, I decided to take a nap in the back of our clinic to feel better, except the pulsing in my brain only grew stronger and stronger, preventing me from napping.

I returned to my office angry. Not because this growing headache will probably be the death of me today and not because I was prevented from napping during lunch. I'm angry because I know Diet Mtn Dew is causing these headaches. I know there are numerous claims about risks with digesting aspartame, yet I continue to drink the sweet poison anyway. I just can't imagine life without my soulmates. I don't like the taste of regular sodas, plus I don't need any extra sugar (or corn syrup) in my diet. I've tried Coke Zero and I'm not a huge fan, nor do I like other artificial sweeteners like sucrulose (Splenda).

Any of you out there dealing with the same issues? Thinking of swapping to CokeZero or other artificially-sweetened drinks? Or maybe giving up sodas completely? Let me know your advice!

Pure Imagination.

2011-08-10T11:08:00.003-05:00

This used to be my favorite commercial... not anymore.

This week at work has been impossible. And it's only Wednesday! Our two medical receptionists were out on Monday and Tuesday, so I left my quiet office full of academia for the front desk full of patients and children. (Yikes - kids.) I'm pretty sure the Lord is teaching me to appreciate everyone on Earth, because I never want to be a medical receptionist ever again.

Yesterday was our child clinic, so it's a pretty atypical day for our waiting room. The kids usually hang out in pediatrics, but they like to come visit us ever so often. When they come, we always put on a movie to keep them occupied. It's classic parenting. Yesterday, we chose Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. No, not the remastered version with Johnny Depp. The classic one with Gene Wilder. (It's still on VHS!) Anyways, the kids love the part where "Pure Imagination" plays. So they rewind and watch it again. Rewind it and watch it again. Rewind it and watch it again. If I heard that song once yesterday, I heard it a million times. And those little boogers figured out that even without a remote, they can rewind the tape on the box.

Then, wouldn't you know, I come home, plop on my couch, and my favorite AT&T commercial comes on. Typically, I would watch with a grin on my face, but I just found myself letting Gene Wilder know exactly what I think. I'll let you use your "pure imagination" to figure out what those words could've been.

Moving.

2011-08-05T08:52:00.004-05:00

Packing and moving doesn't look like this...

or this...

It looks like this...

and this...

I'm glad to finally have all my belongings in one place, but it wasn't a pretty sight. Hopefully I can blog about my new house and roommates soon. But before then, I'm heading home to celebrate some family birthdays... Aunt Sharon, Kaci, Granny, Mom, Gran and Pop's anniversary, and Blake and my birthday. Woo, it's gonna be a party!!!

Summer of love.

2011-08-02T21:46:00.003-05:00

Sydney and Malcolm are married!!!

Wow, what a crazy six months this has been! Since Malcolm proposed to Sydney back in November, we haven't stopped going - showers, parties and get-togethers, oh my! I thought I might be relieved when everything ended, but I'm honestly just missing my friends a whole lot. I think the only thing I missed all summer was the stag party... and I probably would've showed up had I been invited! ;) Here's a breakdown of the entire wedding-filled summer...

Shower #1: Tuscaloosa Bridal Shower

Luckily, I remembered my camera because everyone else forgot theirs! I met a lot of the wonderful women that poured into Malcolm's life and got to eat some delicious cucumber sandwiches! Plus, I bought myself a new linen dress for this occasion. (Sorry, I didn't get a picture of myself!

Lingerie Shower

Take some young people, some old people and some awkward questions about the opposite sex and you've got a party! Luckily, Mollie and I were pretty nice to Sydney. And Mollie did us all a favor with that fruit salsa. Ohhhh, fruit salsa.

Shower #2: Tuscaloosa Cookout

A fun night of food and Malcolm's high school friends. Turns out, I knew a lot of them, so it was just one big hang-out. Bonus: homemade ice cream in 4 unique flavors!

Wedding Invitation and Craft Party

When you invite 400+ people to a wedding, you have to do a lot of envelope addressing - luckily, we invited the bridesmaids and family and called it a party! Plus, anytime Mrs. Flowers is cooking, I'm there!

Shower #3: Birmingham Bridal Tea

Christy was my date and we got to meet a lot of the wonderful friends and ladies that poured into Sydney's life as a child. Note: Mrs. Morris makes some mean chicken salad, but watch out for the SunDrop punch.

Shower #4: Birmingham Cookout

Showers are just more fun with you add boys! ;) But really, we had a blast hanging out with the families that Sydney grew up with and eating their food. Best gift? Micaiah's original painting. She's so crafty.

Bridesmaid Beach Weekend

Too many good things to put in one paragraph. It was a weekend to remember! (Shrimp cocktail, shrimp stew, turnips...) :)

Bridesmaid Luncheon @ Evangelines

I wore a ballin' white hat that Sydney bought me for my 23rd birthday, we ate some amazing shrimp and grits, and Sydney bought us Caribbean Topaz necklaces and earrings and a monogrammed handkerchief for the wedding!

Rehearsal Dinner at Chuck's Fish

Everyone is reunited and we're eating some delicious food! What could go wrong? Well, there were a few naked baby pictures of Malcolm, but we're a forgiving group. Best part? All the wedding party got to sit together with The Hendersons (our college music minister) and Ms. Eula made us all behave.

July 30, 2011: The Big Day!

The boys slept and went the lake. The girls got up early and primped all day to look good! There we are at ULTA letting Beth fix our hair. Oh, and Molly Webb picked up herself a wedding date... (Baby, baby, baby... oooooh!)

Besties Fo Life

I might've said a few awkward things during pictures... Malcolm gave me the stink eye.

Congrats Malcolm and Sydney!

I'm so honored you allowed me to share in the celebration

of your marriage. Here's to a new adventure!

Tis the season.

2011-07-27T08:51:00.002-05:00

Whoever thought Christmas was the busiest season was wrong. It's summer! With so many weddings, birthdays and trips, it's a wonder I even make it to work.

This weekend is the big wedding - Mal and Syd's. We have a bridal luncheon and rehearsal dinner on Friday. Then I'll be engulfed in wedding fru-frah-fun Saturday. (Like that word? I just made it up. I think.)

I've also volunteered to host 5 people at my house for the wedding. Not sure why I did that (yes I do, they're my best friends!) because I'm moving out on Sunday. Yes, you read right - I'm moving! All in the same weekend! Saturday I'll be in heels and hairspray, Sunday I'll be in shorts and sweat.

Then, as if things weren't already about to explode, I am going home to celebrate birthdays with the family. Not one, not two, but three birthdays! (Four when we count my mom.) I finally broke down this year and told the family I could only come home one weekend, so we decided to lump sum everything. From July 23 - August 8, my family celebrates four birthdays and one wedding anniversary. Yes, 16 days... 5 family events. It's quite the busy season. And the broke season. Stretch that forward to September 5 and you add myself and Blake or backward to July 8 and you add Papaw. Basically, we were all born in a two-month span. The only person left is Uncle Steve and he was in March... so that's close enough.

Woo. All this to say, please forgive me if I haven't taken care of my blog these past weeks. Or if I don't take care of it the next few. As usual, Blake's been calling me Gail's Fails, but I like to say Gail's Busy. Hope your summers are swell (not sweltering)!

The day I made the New York Times.

2011-07-19T13:55:00.007-05:00

Friday night around 1:00am I got an email from a friend saying they saw a picture of me in the New York Times. NO WAY, I thought. It couldn't be. Earlier that morning, I had submitted a photo to the NYT Arts Beat Editor requesting pictures from the Harry Potter midnight premier - I sent in the picture of me in my Ginny Weasley costume. I never in a million years thought they would publish it.
I quickly jumped online to check it out and sure enough, there I was! Granted, it's not "above the fold" or even in print, but there's some joy that comes from being in the New York Times! Check it out for yourself (online here)...

It didn't end there.

2011-07-15T09:33:00.002-05:00

Harry, H

Look at them... all grown up. These teens have shaped my generation. I feel like a proud mother hen, almost as if I had something to do with their success.

The Harry Potter culture is something I will be proud of for the rest of my life - you know how our parents claimed that they were somehow responsible for great musicians like Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Bruce Springsteen, I feel like a stockholder in inspiring a generation.

Last night, I went to the Harry Potter 7 Part 2 midnight showing and was awestruck at the entire production. Everyone speaking in magical terms, theatre lines wrapped around 3/4 of the building, trending Twitter topics and most movie-goers dressed as their favorite characters (and some dressed like death eaters who I pray wasn't their favorite character).

I personally chose to dress as Ginny Weasley. Despite the obvious reason that I'm a ginger, I also love her character. One of the first times we meet Ginny in the books, she's capturing our hearts with her sweet personality and innocence...

"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny. It was the first time she had spoken in front of Harry. She was glaring at Malfoy.

"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy. Ginny went scarlet...

But the best part about Ginny isn't her shy first impression - it's that she's actually incredibly brave, savvy and self-confident (Of course, all very typical for a ginger!), and being a part of the Weasley family makes her character hard not to love. BONUS! She makes out with Harry Potter. Hah. But seriously. Everyone wants to kiss the hero.

Building up to part two, they've marketted this movie as the end. The end of a series; a saga; a generation. "IT ALL ENDS HERE." I think a part of me (the part that cried last night) realizes that the Harry Potter series is finished (and finished in a way that doesn't satisfy my realistic/pessimistic worldview), but another part of me knows that Harry Potter will live on in our hearts forever. Perhaps Harry Potter will be for our generation what The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were for our parents and grandparents.

All I know is, it didn't end there.

Cartoons.

2011-07-12T10:40:00.005-05:00

I love a good joke or cartoon, especially when they jab at politics or pop culture. Check out these two I found on NPR's website. They were designed by Gary Varvel.

Any good jokes or cartoons you know of? Send them my way!

Summer Moonlight.

2011-07-10T22:16:00.003-05:00

Moonlight, Summer Moonlight

by Emily Bronte

'Tis moonlight, summer moonlight,
All soft and still and fair;
The solemn hour of midnight
Breathes sweet thoughts everywhere,

But most where trees are sending
Their breezy boughs on high,
Or stooping low are lending
A shelter from the sky.

And there in those wild bowers
A lovely form is laid;
Green grass and dew-steeped flowers
Wave gently round her head.

"Moonlight, Summer Moonlight" by Emily Bronte. Public Domain.

Welcome home.

2011-07-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

What an amazingly personal God we serve! I did a study a while back about the Lord's covenants and one of the first ones that was covered was simple - a rainbow that served as a promise that God would never flood the earth again. I remember thinking about how personal that must've been for Noah and his family and future generations that heard the story every time they saw a rainbow.

Lately, I've been frustrated with the Lord and His plans for my life. After a while of wrestling with Him, I decided to just bow out of the fight and take a spectator's seat. I've never felt so alone in my life.

For nearly a month, my best friend John has been telling me to just go on a walk - to take a quiet moment to seek Him in a place of no distractions; to get close to nature and allow time to freeze. I kept saying I would, but just never "found the time." Yesterday, I finally made myself go outside, even though I tried a million excuses. It's rainy... I haven't had dinner... I'm tired...

I begrudgingly put on my tennis shoes and headed outside. As I entered the gates of the downtown park, a lady with the biggest grin on her face pointed and said, "Rainbow." I just stood there in awe.

It's one of those moments where instead of God saying I told you so, he says, Welcome home child, welcome home.

Lucky stars.

2011-07-05T15:24:00.001-05:00

The only problem with The Fourth of July is that it eventually becomes the fifth.

Ahhh, wasn't it just a wonderful day? Even with the rain, I absolutely loved it! It started with no work, which automatically means you're set for a great day. Blake and Ashley came over to hang out that morning. We did some decorating (I'll post a picture of my craftiness soon!) and just prepared for the evening cookout.

Even though it rained, we didn't miss Tuscaloosa's Celebration on the River at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater. It was a really neat event for Tuscaloosa and I definitely enjoyed seeing the community come together to celebrate the 4th. The Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra played while fireworks went off in the background. Many of the songs played were well-known patriotic tunes. The TSO saluted all of our troops during the show, and I couldn't help but tear up a little.

It was a beautiful night and a beautiful show! In Lee Greenwood's words, I thank my lucky stars to be living here today! Check out some pictures (and a video - woo, new media!) below...

Me, Ashley, Blake and Beth in the looooong line for the show!

The reason we can celebrate freedom for everyone!

A table decoration and some delicious sherbet and blueberries for dessert!

My favorite part - fireworks!!!

Hope you had a wonderful Fourth of July!!!

The fourth.

2011-07-01T12:06:00.000-05:00

Stars and Stripes Forever!!

Geocaching with Ole Glory

It's my favorite holiday, y'all - The Fourth of July!!! In the spirit of tradition, I'm going to give you some more reasons why The Fourth of July beats every other holiday. Christmas? Halloween? Wannabes.

First, we have Pandora's Fourth of July Radio Station (check it out here) playing hits from "God Bless the USA" and "American Child" to "We Didn't Start the Fire" and "Free Bird." Classic American never sounded better.

Then we have Old Glory. Nothing screams American like the red, white and blue. And those colors looks ~~good~~ great on everyone - gingers included! Check out my glamour shots from when I was 10... You can't say that doesn't scream freedom.

Oh, and how could I forget? Tom Cruise in Born on the Fourth of July... LOVE it.

This year is going to be full of events! I'm going to the lake on Saturday to celebrate with the fam. Then visiting ol' Mollie Morris in Birmingham on Sunday. And topping off with the grandest of celebrations - a cookout and Tuscaloosa's fireworks show! (I hear they have an amazing show!) Get excited y'all - it's the fourth!

Happy Independence Day Y'all!

Harry Potter.

2011-06-28T12:28:00.000-05:00

I just bought four tickets for the "motion picture event of a generation."

Midnight. July 14th. Get excited. Wahooooooooo!

It's Summatime!!!

2011-06-21T02:00:00.002-05:00

That means some beach time...

and some new jams...

and a roadtrip or two...

and my favorite holiday!!!

It's summer, y'all!

Middle-Class Blues.

2011-06-16T08:52:00.000-05:00

Every morning, I listen to NPR (National Public Radio) on my drive to work... Yes, I'm one of those people. I love public radio! Garrison Keillor does a show called the Writer's Almanac where he presents a poem or reading of the day and then talks about other significant points in history regarding literature. I was struck by today's poem and wanted to share it with you.

Middle-Class Blues

by Dennis O'Driscoll

He has everything.
A beautiful young wife.
A comfortable home.
A secure job.
A velvet three-piece suite.
A metallic-silver car.
A mahogany cocktail cabinet.
A rugby trophy.
A remote-controlled music centre.
A set of gold clubs under the hallstand.
A fair-haired daughter learning to walk.

What he is afraid of most
and what keeps him tossing some nights
on the electric underblanket,
listening to the antique clock
clicking with disapproval from the landing,
are the stories that begin:
He had everything.
A beautiful young wife.
A comfortable home.
A secure job.
Then one day.

May we know how to live when things are difficult and when things are prosperous. May we never be too overcome with worldly belongings, that we fear losing everything.

"Middle-Class Blues" by Dennis O'Driscoll, from New and Selected Poems. © Anvil Press, 2005. Reprinted from The Writer's Almanac.

Freda.

2011-06-13T09:11:00.000-05:00

One of the doctors in the office I work in rescued a baby raccoon this weekend. She claims it was abandoned by her mother, so she simply couldn't leave it there to die. Now she's bottle-feeding it every two hours. And she named it Freda. Why Freda, you ask? Her son named it Fred until they realized the raccoon was a girl. Whoops.

She wants me to adopt the thing. The thought briefly passed through my mind until I saw these pictures in Google search...

No raccoon for me.

50 days and counting.

2011-06-10T11:55:00.001-05:00

Sydney loves invitations! :)

We're closing in on the big day for Sydney and Malcolm! T-minus 50 days until bouquets, tuxes, dresses, ~~shrimp,~~ and dancing. Oh yeah, and wedded bliss for the happy couple. :) (Sydney claims she asked me to be in her wedding because she knew I wouldn't come if there wasn't shrimp... I think she secretly thinks I'm a good friend... :)

Claire - the invitation stud!

I spent Wednesday night in Birmingham helping Sydney and her family address hundreds of invitations. There were 16 pages of excel spreadsheet that needed to be transferred to outside and inside invitations. We had certain names for each envelope and had to write out every word. (Who knew there were so many rules!) When we started, we had 25 extra envelopes for mess-ups. Oh, no big deal I thought. Well, made eight bad envelopes. I think Sydney had seven. Pitiful. Luckily, Claire (bridesmaid) and Syd's mom only had one. ONE!

Writing so many invitations also made me wish I had beautiful handwriting. Claire took calligraphy lessons for her sister's wedding last summer and her invitations looked immaculate! I actually bought a calligraphy book last summer and spent all of 10 minutes working on it. Now it's just collecting dust and my handwriting is getting worse. Perhaps I'll get that book out...

We also worked on tags for her wishing tree. (Instead of a guest book, Sydney is having guests write well-wishes or verses on a tag that she'll hang on a tree.) The tags have to be soaked in tea, air-dried, then burnt around the edges. Luckily, Sydney's sister Brett had already soaked and dried them. All we had to do was play with fire...

And play with fire we did! After Lindsey (Syd's cousin) burnt her fingers using handheld lighters and candles, Syd's dad got the big guns out... a blow torch. We worried that it would incenerate the tags, but it actually worked beautifully!

Nanny, lots of invitations and Mama Flowers

Guest blog and a prize!

2011-06-07T13:56:00.000-05:00

Blake met a [really] famous person today and I'm begging him to write a guest post for my blog. Until he agrees to, I'm only giving hints as to who he met.

First hint: NBA Basketball Two-Time MVP winner

Comment with your guess (and just how badly you want Blake to blog). If you guess correctly, I'll send you a prize!

Steak Burritos.

2011-06-03T15:56:00.003-05:00

I finally got Blake to visit Chipotle with me today. He once visited with me a few years ago, but didn't really like it because it was spicy. I explained to him that Chipotle was similar to Newks - you never like it the first time. Continuous visits are necessary to find what you like.

So we went today for lunch. He got a steak burrito. I got a steak burrito. You'd think we were twins or something. I warned him that steak is spicy and then informed him that cutting your burrito in half would be smart (Ok, perhaps it's not standard Chipotle etiquette, but Blake and I are extremely neat eaters).

He did as I suggested and then ate half of it. No, not half of the burrito. Half of the half burrito. He ate a measly fourth of a burrito and then sat with a runny nose and teary eyes. He claimed the spices were too much. Wimp.

Also, I got a new iPhone app! It's called WordFoto and it does just what it sounds like - adds words to your fotos. So far, I really like it. Definitely an impulse buy, but I think the $0.99 will be worth it! It made this picture fun...

Summer Jams.

2011-05-31T15:22:00.001-05:00

Roll down your window, add some southern sunshine and a glass of sweet tea, and music becomes grand, transcending every care in the world. As I learned from Elizabethtown, "Some music needs air." This couldn't be more true for my top five selections from the summer.

5. Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
Probably the only song worth mentioning on this list. Music just ain't what is used to be...

4. Bruno Mars: The Lazy Song
Awful lyrics, awful meaning, catchy tune. Dang it.

3. Jennifer Lopez: On The Floor ft. Pit Bull
J. LO. IS. BACK. 'NUFF SAID.

2. Leighton Meester: Summer Girl
I loved Country Strong. I loved her.

1. Lady Gaga: Edge of Glory
Yes, I know this performance was controversial on American Idol and yes, I know her Judas song is highly controversial (future post to come), but I just can't help but watch her. And love her.

Any good tunes on your summer playlist?

Dinner Party.

2011-05-26T08:57:00.006-05:00

Yep, that was my dinner date last night. A true class act. There's no chicken soup that can heal the soul like a best friend visiting. You would think that five years after high school (Oh my, has it really been that long?!), we would've moved on by this point. But John is my Bad Romance. Ok, not in that weird, creepy GAGA way, but just that we love each other through thick and thin. (Perhaps I should've quoted Michael W. Smith... friends are friends forever...)

Anyways, last night I needed a dinner party. A good ol' set-the-table-with-your-fine-china dinner party. I also needed a night to cook something delicious. No, not just delicious... DELECTABLE. I decided that a dinner for two is just as easy a dinner for three. So I invited another good friend of ours, Jennifer [Brewer] Price, Doesn't that just looked delicious?! Grilled chicken with caper sauce served on a bed of spinach. YUM!

After dinner, we went out for drinks and then on to Jenn's house. John had never seen her place and I wanted to catch up with her sweet dogs. I just love Rigby (Cocker Spaniel) and Juno (Australian Shepherd). Some of the sweetest, funnest, best-trained dogs in the world. (And yes, I did use a lot of superlatives there... they're just great dogs!!!) If you're up for some more blog reading, check out Jenn's Blog Circus on Wheels. She's a great writer with lots of stories to tell. Her and JohnP, her husband, are constantly getting into something new, most recently including the Gypsy Wagon. :)

Bridesmaids.

2011-05-19T10:38:00.000-05:00

You. Must. Watch. This Movie.

Seriously, so stinking hilarious! Most of us admit, the Hangover was hilarious... but it's a lot of man humor. And while I love those movies, it's nice to have a ridiculously funny comedy that girls can relate to. What better way to show our ridiculous side than through a wedding?! Kristin Wiig is genius in this movie. Sheer comedic genius. Her facial expressions are to die for. And she delivers the perfect I'm-young-and-can't-get-my-life-together-but-still-try performance.

The rest of the cast is amazing as well. Ellie Kemper from The Office (3rd from left) and Melissa McCarthy (1st from left - recently seen in Life As We Know It) play hilarious parts. Ellie playing Miss Innocent and Melissa playing the Wild Card. You seriously can't predict what will happen next in this movie!

And let's talk about the major crush I have on Chris O'Dowd now. HEARTTHROB! Holy cow, he is simply the cutest thing I've seen in a while. That Irish accent. That sweet curly hair. Oh goodness, he's just so great. Check out an interview with him here.

Bottom Line: Get your butt off the couch and watch this flick... you'll be glad you did!

iPhony.

2011-05-18T09:20:00.000-05:00

I admit it... I'm a fraud. A traitor. A phony.

An iPhony that is!

Yes, two weeks ago I made the jump from my Blackberry Curve to Apple's iPhone 4. Gasp. Sigh. Curse the ground you walk on. I know.

I'm one of the most brand-loyal people out there. (Which is odd, considering my commitment issues... another story, another day...) Many times, I've proclaimed my undying love for Blackberrys, and even I can't believe what I'm typing right now.

The unfortunate thing for RIM (Blackberry's mother company) is they didn't have a fair advantage in the situation. My first Blackberry experience was a Pearl - the best phone ever invented. Seriously. Unfortunately, it bit the dust after taking a swim with the dishes one night. (My Moto Razor that sunk in the pool one summer is a close second favorite... anyone noticing a theme of water + phones here?!)

Anyways, after my Pearl jumped ship, I decided to upgrade to a BB Curve. Oh, the wonders of a Curve, I had been told. Except this phone was nearly the death of me. I decided to get a refurbished Curve. Bad decision. Not a day went by where that phone didn't freeze. And of course, always at the most inconvenient time. I'm sure a normal BB Curve would be ok, but why sell a refurbished on if it won't work. Hating that Curve was one thing, but it caused me to curse the very brand. Blackberry Blasphemy.

So when I finally had the chance to upgrade my phone this past month, I made the choice to Apple-out my life. It was a hard switch, but so far I love it! There are the typical complaints - bad battery life, hate texting, wish it didn't take over my life - but I've been very pleased with my experience. It just makes life so easy - from syching my recipes to checking my social media to taking pictures.

It's time I face it... I'm an app-using, Face-Time talking, Blackberry Blaspheming, iPhone user.

Beautiful contrast.

2011-05-16T23:10:00.001-05:00

The sirens pierced the air as dark clouds hovered overhead. Bad weather must be coming. The hair on my arms stood up as I imagined another tornado making its path. But it was just a false alarm - an oversensitivity, if you will.

Just an ambulance responding to a call and a few rain clouds passing by.

It wasn't the actual tornado that reaped the most destruction in my life, but the aftermath of emotions and survivor's guilt. Beyond the inconveniences - favorite restaurants gone, roads closed, etc. - the tornado passed through my town without leaving a single scratch on my life. No loved ones hurt or gone. My power didn't even go out in my apartment. (It was out that morning, but that's a different story...)

To be completely honest, it's made things very difficult to deal with. Survivor's guilt. I survived. Heck, I thrived. Yet all around me, people mourned. People hurt. People died. Yet I, I got to see another day. And that's been hard to reconcile in my mind. We ask why and why not. We wonder if things were directed at people, or even away from us. We question our very being.

-----

The other night, I awoke in a panic. I was covered in sweat and completely shaken up. I had dreamt I was on a mission trip with everyone I loved - family and friends from everywhere and every season of life. Suddenly, without warning, a tornado dropped from the sky. I remember we were all screaming and not sure where to go or how to escape. And then I woke up. I was terrified. And I didn't know what to do. I felt ashamed to admit that I was having trouble dealing with the situation. It just didn't seem fair to be affected by something that didn't hurt me.

-----

After the storm hit, I began looking for ways to get involved. I volunteered in a hard-hit neighborhood and saw people standing in the midst of destruction. But they were laughing. And joking. One mom said, "Well, I can never tell my kids 'It looks like a tornado came through the house... because it definitely never looked like this!'"

The contrast of experiences is unsettling. And yet we live in a world full of contrast. Beautiful contrast.

Wardrobe.

2011-05-10T10:31:00.004-05:00

Warning: Don't try this at home.

In an attempt to assess my wardrobe, I went on a quest to wear a different outfit for a month straight. It wasn't exactly easy.

If you're like me, you have about 5 outfits you really love. Then you probably have around 3-5 that are ok, so you wear them to keep people from asking questions. That will get you about 2 weeks worth of wardrobe differentiation. But I want four weeks. So I delved into the deepest parts of my closet to tackle outifts I haven't seen in years.

My worst days compared to Carrie (left) and Miranda (right). I wore the too-short pants and the over-baggy jacket. I even embraced an old pink top for a day. Speaking of these ladies, have you ever watched Sex and the City? Honestly, never been a fan... until E! went on a six-hour special at 10pm. Amazing how you can get addicted to a show when they put a few episodes in order.

First steps.

2011-05-06T12:44:00.000-05:00

At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say that there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. And what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events may, in fact, be the first steps of a journey.

Persistence.

2011-04-22T16:11:00.000-05:00

Yeah, you've seen that poster. Probably in your dentist's office. Or perhaps at the eye doctor. Motivational posters abound in waiting rooms - I guess doctors just think we need some motivation before we go in for a check-up.

But I would argue, most of these posters are very misleading. The last time I checked, PERSISTENCE didn't have a beautiful view of nature - unless you count rolling around in the dirt and climbing through the mud beautiful? Let me paint a better picture of PERSISTENCE as a little encouragement for all you job-seekers, job-haters, or plain ol' I-need-a-Friday-pick-me-up people out there.

The image below is of my job portal/profile at The University of Alabama. Have I ever mentioned how difficult it was to get hired here? I think I got into TFA easier... (Ok, bad joke.) I first applied for a job at UA on August 6, 2010. Fast forward 36 applications and eight months later, I finally got hired. That's not bragging on my track record... if anything, it's tarnishing it. 1/36 jobs gives me a 2.77% job hiring percentage. I wouldn't call that awesome. Granted, I applied for numerous jobs I wasn't qualified for or even wanted - but it was all in the name of employment. I gritted my teeth and climbed through the mud... and THAT'S what I call PERSISTENCE.

Gail Wears Prada.

2011-04-19T22:03:00.000-05:00

Oh, there's lots to talk about.

I got a new job. No silly, I'm not acting in the next Devil Wears Prada, as much as I love that movie! I'm an administrative assistant, just like Andy (Anne Hathaway) in The Devil Wears Prada. Luckily, Miranda Priestly isn't my boss and I don't have to wear those ridiculous black pumps.

So, what does my job entail as an Administrative Assistant? Well, it may be helpful to know where I work. I'm in the Psychiatry Department at UA's University Medical Center. The most basic description of my job is to support our department in teaching students, researching new practices, and serving as a clinic to the community. It's quite a busy office, as I've found over the past two weeks, and I think I've only seen the tip of the iceberg.

My main task is to foster the medical students, residents and fellows through our department. Thirty six 3rd and 4th-year med students from UAB can apply to finish at UA's campus if they're interested in serving rural areas as a primary physician. As part of that schooling, they rotate through the departments at the UMC - one of those being Psychiatry. In addition, we have 12 residents per year and 2 fellows that rotate through.

It's been quite the steep learning curve with all the medical terminology and fast-paced nature of the medical field, but I'm loving all the learning! I've been told that it's all cyclical and I'll soon have the hang of it, but until then it's "baptism by fire" (in my boss's own words).

Other perks include health insurance (whoa, haven't had that in nearly 2 years!), tuition benefits, and the delicious coffee that our secretaries brew each morning. Oh, and those secretaries are also really cool - so yay for new friends! And a new job! :)

Gail's Fails.

2011-04-13T13:54:00.000-05:00

Blake has begun calling my blog "Gail's Fails" because I never blog. I must admit, I haven't been as adamant about writing as I used to be. It's not that I'm too busy - I've watched a movie the past two nights. And it's not that I don't have anything to say - just ask my friends how much I talk.

Who knows, maybe I'm just over blogging. But that can't be it either, or else I wouldn't care enough to be explaining myself to you all now. (And by you all, I really mean Blake.) Here ya go... for starters, I promise to blog this week. And I promise to try really, really hard to blog at least once per week after that.

Sound ok?

Firsts.

2011-04-03T16:35:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm bloggin' again y'all! Sorry for my long hiatus - I'll explain my brief stint of "life-punched-me-in-the-face-and-I-lived-to-tell-the-story" in an upcoming blog.

Anywho - The Tuscaloosa Amphitheater opened its doors on Friday night, and what a beautiful night it was! They originally had Kenny Chesney as the christening act, but luckily The Avett Brothers stole the show!

Mal, Syd, Mac and I @ Bama Theatre Show

I heard of The Avett Bros a couple of years ago when my friend Malcolm introduced them to me. I wasn't a huge fan, but I appreciated their sound. He kept insisting that if I saw them live, I would never turn back. So I decided to see their show at the Bama Theatre and fell in love - I now own eight of their albums.

So it's no surprise that when they announced their show at the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, I jumped right on board - I actually jumped on board so fast that I was one of the first 30 ticket-buyers for the show!

As one of the first 30 ticket-buyers, I got to enter the show 30 minutes earlier than anyone else and didn't have to stand in the general admission line! I bought two tickets, so my friend Mackenzie got to enter with me. Another bonus - having a last name that begins with an 'A.'

While standing in the early-entrance line, they began calling names alphabetically and mine was first!!! I was the FIRST ticket-buyer to EVER enter the Tuscaloosa theatre for a show!!! It's probably not that big of a deal, but I was STOKED! I'm a HUGE fan of firsts! Apparently, I'm also a huge fan of CAPITALIZING words that I want to emphasize. :)

Mackenzie and I were on the front row and had a considerable amount of screen time for the night. (I kept getting texts and tweets from friends that they saw me on the screen!) I actually felt like a reality TV star most of the night. Cameras were everywhere and we kept being filmed. Luckily I've learned from watching all that reality TV that you never look at the camera... Hah! It was an absolute blast and the show was amazing! We had a few other fun stories from the night too - ask me about the group smoking pot and being asked about "rolling papers."

Here are some pictures of the show from The Tuscaloosa News:

On the front row (right) with some friends I made, including the Daniel Sisco look-alike on my left!

The Avett Brothers on stage - beautiful set!

Some more friends we made in the early entrance line - they got a guitar pick from the Avetts!

Outside view of the Tusc Amp - that's the line I didn't have to stand in! ;)

And here's the video from The Tuscaloosa News Article. You can see me talking with Mackenzie at 1:40 and Malcolm's huge curly hair and glasses at 3:20. The first band is Band of Horses and the second is The Avett Brothers.

Next show? Roma Ro Ma Ma

GAGA is this Saturday in NOLA!!!!!!! (stop judging me...)

Process Schmocess.

2011-04-03T15:53:00.000-05:00

Here's a blog post a wrote a while back for a girls' prayer blog I'm a part of - I never posted it here because I have trouble being vulnerable sometimes and I also forgot. I'm posting it now for a few reasons: First, this blog is mostly for me to document my life, even in the down times. And second, it'll help explain a future post I'm going to write. Luckily it's not where I am right now, but it's an important post in my life journey.

--Gail

THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 2011 12:47AM

God has pressed pause on the movie called "Gail's Life." You laugh. Even I laugh. But seriously, he has. I've even tried going beyond Him and making my own way - doesn't work. Here's the details:

1. I've applied and been accepted to both grad schools. This brings along a whole host of other problems... assistantships, money, housing, moving, etc. I've called and emailed and searched online for any and all information I can get about all of the above - but every answer is dependent on a lot of other factors. So despite my desire to move forward with things, I have to wait.

2. My job is awful. That sounds ridiculously dramatic, and I'm not one for superlatives, but it's pretty bad. I know the Lord must be wanting to teach me something in this job because he isn't opening any other doors right now, but I'm just having a hard time figuring out what the heck I'm doing at T-Town PAWS.

Basically, I feel like I haven't progressed over the past year. I'm back in the same boat I was last year - where will I be and what will I be doing in about 130 days? I have absolutely no idea. Has the past year of my life been a total waste of time? That scares me.

I think for a while, I've made myself believe that all this waiting means I'm not doing everything I should be spiritually - maybe I need to pray more or read more. But I'm beginning to wonder if God is just teaching me to be still. Maybe, maybe not. Pressing pause isn't exactly my forte, so I know it's going to be a long, hard lesson for me to learn.

"Be still and know that I am God." -Psalm 46:10

Maps.

2011-03-27T23:08:00.001-05:00

I can't even formulate words to explain how

much I love these pictures...

Reblogged from junkgarden.

Switcheroo.

2011-03-15T21:26:00.000-05:00

Need a good movie night? Check out The Switch - it just came out today, so you have plenty of time to catch it!

The plot (no spoilers, this is from the preview): Kassie (Jennifer Anniston) wants kids and decides that she doesn't need to be married to do so. (You go girl!) She gets pregnant by a donor, but of course the good stuff gets switched (ahhh, the title of the movie!) by her best friend Wally (Jason Bateman). Nine years later, everything comes spiraling down when the secret is revealed and both friends realize they love each other.

Nothing crazy new about the plot, but it's a seriously good romantic comedy! Bonus: The kid is adorable!

Yummo-licious.

2011-03-10T23:23:00.001-06:00

I'm always in need of a super quick recipe that's doesn't sacrifice taste for speed. You just never know when you need to whip up a quick dessert for a church get-together or birthday party.

While blog surfing, as I so often do, I found this Peanut Butter Pie recipe. My friend, Whitney Alexander posted it on her blog. The instant I saw the picture, I knew I had to make it!

The best part about this divine dessert is it only requires 5 ingredients for the filling - and most of them you have in your fridge/pantry! (I opted for a store-bought oreo pie crust!)

Drooling yet? Check out the recipe here...

Francine Knows.

2011-03-07T12:19:00.000-06:00

I'm currently reading this book...

... and it's awesome.

Francine Rivers is a stud. Seriously though, the woman knows how to write a book. I know many of you are skeptical when it comes to Christian fiction - even I was for a while - but Francine opened me up to another world when I read Redeeming Love. (It's basically mandatory that every woman read this book.)

A Lineage of Grace is a compilation of 5 books about women who influenced eternity - they're all part of the line of Jesus. I finished the first story last night. It was about Tamar and how she influenced the house of Judah. Even after being betrayed by most of Judah's family and Judah himself, she fought for her right to a son... and for belief in the God of the Hebrews. Parts of it seem scandalous (she tricked Judah with prostitution to get her child), but I love seeing how God can redeem. What an amazing story!

I'll post more reviews after I read the other stories. What's up next? Rahab - a woman with a past to whom God gave a future. Wahoooooo!

Gone Away.

2011-03-03T13:52:00.000-06:00

I had the amazing opportunity to see Lucy Schwartz and The Civil Wars in a February concert at Workplay in Birmingham. The show was absolutely amazing - very organic and intimate. Lucy opened for The Civil Wars and I kept telling my friends, "I know I've heard that name before." When she sang her song Gone Away, I realized she was on the Adam soundtrack that I own and love. I usually end up enjoying opening acts because I like discovering new music, but this was a special treat because I already knew her music!It was like two concerts in one!

After the show, our group loitered to chat with the artists and get some photographs. I bought Lucy's newest album and also signed up to be on her mailing list. Lucy sent out a message just a while ago with this little gem inside - a video of her, Joy and John Paul (members of The Civil Wars) harmonizing to her song Gone Away. Take time to watch this amazing video...

The Civil Wars seemingly became a success over night. I heard about them through some friends and absolutely loved their live album from Eddie's Attic in Atlanta. Because of their increased popularity, the Friday night show in Birmingham sold out quickly - so they scheduled three more shows for that weekend in Alabama - two of them were in Birmingham and the other was in Tuscaloosa. "Conveniently," we ran into them again after their show in Tuscaloosa at Oz Music. (We actually dropped in to buy music knowing they might still be there, but not really thinking anything would come of it.)

I was standing around looking at music when I noticed Lucy hanging out up front. I didn't want to bother her so I kept shopping around (I just hate when we can't let stars be normal people). Finally, I decided to walk up and chat again before she left. Joy and John Paul (The Civil Wars) were in a media interview, so I had a lovely conversation with Lucy about where they should go for lunch. We talked about some albums she bought and life in general. As Joy and John Paul hastily exited Oz to head to their next concert, I pointed Lucy towards them before she got left behind. When I did, Joy and JP looked my way and said, "Kayla!"

I absolutely couldn't believe they remembered my name. Amazing artists. Amazing people. If you buy one new album this near, make it Lucy's or The Civil Wars. Or better yet, both.

Me and Lucy

The whole group with Joy and John Paul from The Civil Wars

Kentucky.

2011-03-02T15:13:00.003-06:00

Did I ever tell you about the time I visited Kentucky?! We visited a few weekends ago because we have a friend that is going to graduate school in Wilmore, KY (Population: 6,000). Such a quaint little town with very little to do. Oh man, what a trip! Kentucky has such beautiful landscapes. The drive up was absolutely stunning.

We mainly spent our weekend enjoying each other's time and hanging out in Wilmore. Christy cooked us dinner on Friday night and then we played cards all night long. (My friends like cards... a LOT!) On Saturday, we visited Lexington and the University of Kentucky. Their campus was much more urban than I expected, but I really enjoyed walking around. Then we

I'm going to upload a video we're putting together soon, but until then... check out these pictures from Highbridge Park!

View from Highbridge Park Lookout

The ladies at Highbridge Park

The boys at Highbridge Park

I got the funk.

2011-02-23T16:48:00.000-06:00

Do you ever feel like you're messing everything up? I've been in this panic-mode for the past 24 hours and I can't seem to shake the funk.

You may or may not know, but I've been applying to some graduate programs for Urban and Regional Planning. Before I joined Teach For America, graduate school was the plan, but I got increasingly stressed out because I had to choose only one program.

Last night as I lay in bed reading my urban planning magazine, I started wondering if I had chosen the right path again - granted, I'm not exactly on a path just yet, but I'm only pursuing one graduate degree at two different schools knowing I have multiple interests for degrees.

And then it began - perhaps you've heard me refer to it as paralysis of analysis - I start over-thinking one minor issue and it blows up into a big life problem. And now I'm in a funk - I have absolutely no idea what I want to do.

I think it will be the constant struggle of my life. I have been so blessed with so many interests and talents, but I've never had a passion for just one thing. In my panic I read Joshua 1:9 and just kept focusing on this part: "...the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." It's tough not knowing where I'm going, but it's also comforting to know I have a Savior that lights my path, directs my footsteps, and ultimately goes wherever I do - even if I take the crooked path all the way home.

Loser.

2011-02-21T15:33:00.001-06:00

I have a healthy relationship with losing.

That sounds really odd, but I really do. I've always had a very competitive spirit, and I've honestly always loved winning - but that doesn't mean I hate losing. You see, my family raised me to believe, "You win some and you lose some." For a while, I didn't really like that concept... until I played girls basketball at Winston County High School.

We weren't exactly mini-Lisa Leslies or Sheryl Swoops. Shoot, I was happy when we didn't have totally defeated seasons. (I think our senior record was like 4-20...) So for most of my high school basketball career, I learned some valuable lessons in losing. For instance...

It's unacceptable to spit in your hand before you shake the other team's hand.
(Luckily, I wasn't the one receiving the handshake... or the one spitting.)
You shouldn't throw the ball at a ref when you think he/she made a bad call.
(I once saw a mom drag her kid by the ear out of the gym after he did this.)
Griping and complaining about your teammates won't make them play any better.
(I must admit, I'm guilty of this one... doesn't work.)
If you win by cheating, it doesn't feel any better than losing.
(Granted, I enjoyed the win for a solid 5 minutes, but then I just felt nasty.)

And there are many more, but I learned that losing wasn't so bad - I actually got pretty good at it. I mean, someone has to do it. But it's obvious that some people didn't lose as well as I did in high school, and I certainly respect that. Just like there have to be losers, there have to be winners.

Fast forward to the Queen of Hearts last Saturday night. From a previous post, you all know my family has quite the streak with winning this thing. And being that this is Kaci's senior year, we had high hopes that she would bring home the crown.

The build-up for the winner to be announced was immense. Kaci had won 2/3 awards (Miss Citizenship and Congeniality) before the Queen was revealed, and I was almost certain she had swept the entire event. Unfortunately Kaci didn't win, and I had to relearn a valuable lesson in humility. Losing can be disappointing and discouraging, but I'm thankful that my family doesn't lose hope in the small things. And I'll tell you this, if Kaci is what losing looks like... then I'm A-Okay with being a loser! :)

Congrats on losing Kaci! You have such a graceful and
humble spirit. Your character is evident by how you
don't let losing define your identity. Thanks for
reteaching me a valuable lesson in humility.
I'm so proud of the young woman you've become!

Mental Health.

2011-02-17T15:35:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, my roommate informed me that a mental health center is moving into the office space in the bottom of my apartment building. You can imagine the thoughts that rushed through my head.

Mental health? So crazy people. People that do crazy, irrational things. In the bottom of my home.

I decided to look up the information in the Tuscaloosa News to see if it was true. And it was. (Read the article here.) So of course, I headed over to Twitter to let the world know about it.

"A mental health center is supposed to move into the offices downstairs in my apartments. Umm, I live here. http://tinyurl.com/4ffa9kf"

I figured I might get a few responses, but not really much more. This morning while checking my Twitter, I had some @replies from Melody Moezzi, a writer, attorney, speaker, activist, a United Nations Global Expert and award-winning author. (Pretty legit if you ask me.)

@kganthony People w mental illnesses are statistically LESS violent than our "normal" counterparts. I wouldn't worry.

@kganthony In fact, those of us w mental illnesses are more likely to be victims of violence than we are to be criminals.

These are the replies I expected. People saying, "It's not a big deal," but not really understanding because they don't have a mental health center moving into their home. Then her final reply was this:

@kganthony I'm a mental health advocate; I live w a mental illness & I write about it. This piece may quiet some fears http://huff.to/fCwzea

There, she caught my attention, first because she lives with it herself and second because she writes for the Huffington Post. So I read the piece (and you should too... here). It was some delicious food for thought, but Moezzi really got me when she said this:

"But these aren't the kinds of facilities people want in their backyards -- that is, until they need them. Assumptions about the mentally ill abound: that we're violent, that we can't be trusted around children, that we can't be trusted full stop. The truth is, though, that we are more likely to be victims of violent crime than we are to be violent criminals, and with proper treatment, many of us can and do lead fruitful and productive lives."

Yum, I ate it up. There's nothing I love more than having my mind changed about something. I never really thought about discrimination towards people with mental health issues, but I suppose you could say my eyes were opened to it.

All in all, the frustrating part about the situation isn't the fact that the mental health center is moving in, but that our building managers and landlords aren't contacting us with information about it. With the stigmas that surround the term "mental health," I would think they would want to calm the fears and speculations of residents before they do crazy, irrational things. I guess sometimes we're all a little bit insane.

Melody Moezzi's Biography from the Huffington Post:

Melody Moezzi is a writer, attorney, speaker, activist, a United Nations Global Expert and award-winning author. She is also the Executive Director of the non-profit interfaith organization, 100 People of Faith. Her first book, War on Error: Real Stories of American Muslims, earned her a Georgia Author of the Year Award and a Gustavus Myers Center for Bigotry and Human Rights Honorable Mention.

Moezzi writes and speaks on a variety of issues, particularly those relating to Islam, Iran and mental health. She is a commentator for National Public Radio's All Things Considered, a blogger for the Huffington Post and Ms. Magazine, and a columnist for bp Magazine.

Moezzi has written for many publications, including the Washington Post, NPR, CNN.com, Parabola, the American Bar Association, the Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine, and she has appeared many radio and television programs, including CNN, BBC, NPR and Air America.

Bridget Jones.

2011-02-14T18:15:00.000-06:00

Well, here I am blogging on Valentine's Day. I don't suppose many people will read this post as they are probably out with their significant other. Wow, that sounded a little bitter. Ok, a lot bitter.

Valentine's Day is a funny one - something about it makes singles want to take up arms and revolt. We snub our noses at anything that might be romantic. I must admit, even I have made a few snarky comments today.

I guess Valentine's Day doesn't have to be so different from most other nights, but for some reason it just is. I think it's the thought that everyone else in the world is having a nice dinner with their significant other while we singles are sitting at home listening to the Bridget Jones' soundtrack. ("Alllll by myself....")

The funny thing about being bitter on this day is I'm enjoying the single life right now. I honestly don't know if I could handle a relationship at this point. But here I sit, hating all you out there for enjoying your Monday night while I blog to an empty world.

I promise I'll be less bitter tomorrow. But until then, I'll just keep singing Bridget Jones.

Sweet [Potato] Friends.

2011-02-13T22:02:00.000-06:00

Beth Ann and Dana sharing a sweet potato fry!

This weekend, two of my dearest friends from Teach For America visited me and we had a BLAST!

We became close friends during summer institute and have remained friends beyond my [rather short] tenure with TFA.

We had the chance to spend some quality friend-time together while antique shopping and gallivanting around Tuscaloosa. Dana also bought an electric piano at Best Buy and we got to play with all the fun instruments in the Music Room.

Then they got to meet all of my local Tuscaloosa friends at my 3rd Annual Miss America Pageant Party. (No, "our girl" didn't win, but we had a blast critiquing and pulling for all the contestants!)

What a treat to hang out with them!!!

Sweet Beth Ann and myself!

Glasses twins! Dana and me!

Beth Ann loving life... and her scarf!

Dana... so fashionable with the blue feather hat!

To the moon and back.

2011-02-07T00:43:00.002-06:00

I finally got the family pictures from Christmas uploaded on my computer!

I still can't believe this happened...

LtoR: Blake, Aunt Sharon, Uncle Steve, Kayla, Granny and Kaci... oh, and Frosty is front and center! :)

Completely surreal! It was absolutely the best Christmas ever. And aren't we a cute family?! I'm just a tad biased, but I do love my family.

To the moon and back.

I've actually been thinking a lot about my family over the past week. A little trip to Home Depot last week sparked it... not that I don't think about them all the time, but just this week has been extra reminiscent.

Family Business

I needed some spare keys made for my apartment, so I headed to my local hardware supply store - the Home Depot. I can't believe I just said that - nothing about Home Depot is local, but I've become so "big city" that I didn't know where to find a local store. And I just didn't have the time to search. You see, my family owned a building supply store while growing up, so it's pretty much blasphemy for me to even say I stepped foot in a Home Depot, much less purchased items. My grandfather opened that store with his own sweat and determination over 50 years ago. That place was my home away from home. I'm pretty sure the first word I said was "lumber..." ok, that's exaggerating... but you get the point.

So as I entered the ~~local hardware store~~ Home Depot, my mind was rushed with memories of growing up. The smell of lumber reminded me of hide-and-seek in the lumber yard; the heavy machinery brought me back to the day I learned to drive a forklift; the buzzing and clanking of metal reminded me of my own job at C&H - making and forging keys.

Oh, how I loved growing up in that hardware store! Even though we sold our business a few years ago, it's still one of the many reasons I love visiting home. I always make a point to drive by the old homeplace.

The year Beth won the QofH / Kaci was Princess runner-up

Mmm, just letting that memory rest in my mind.

And while we're talking about memories (Cue Barbra Streisand, Mollie!), let's talk about the event of the year - Her Majesty's Pageant! More commonly called The Queen of Hearts, it's the grandest pageant this side of the Mississippi and my favorite Double Springs "event" of the year - heck, it is the only event of the year in Double Springs! I just love it! And I go home for it EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR.

This year will be Kaci's last year to compete. (Our baby's all grown up!) I just won't know what to do with myself after all my nearest and dearest aren't competing. It's kind of funny... and kind of really small town... The Queen of Hearts runs a little in the family - My cousin Kaylee won, my cousin Haley won, my brother's girlfriend Beth won, and hopefully Kaci will bring it home this year!

Haley won in 2004

Kaylee won in 2006

Woo! That puts a lot of pressure on me to.... bahaha, let's not even kid ourselves. This is the closest I'll ever get to winning Her Majesty's Pageant... or competing in it either!

Perhaps judging is in my future?! :)

Travel, travel, travel.

2011-02-01T23:57:00.004-06:00

Blogging is hard and I just don't have time! I've traveled a lot over the past 10 days (I logged nearly 800 miles this weekend) and will be doing quite a bit more throughout February. I promise I'll blog soon... but until then, here's a picture from my weekend visit in Mississippi with my best girlfriends from Teach For America! Yahoo for weekend trips!

Aren't we sweet?! Girls from all over the country - Alabama to New York, Utah to Chicago, L.A. to Oklahoma!

Glasses.

2011-01-25T14:02:00.001-06:00

Dark picture, the frames are actually red!

I have wretched vision. Since I can remember, it's been this way. When I was in 3rd grade, I told my mom I couldn't see anything. Not only did she think I was being dramatic, she thought I just wanted glasses to be "cool." I must admit, I was the type of child that would do something like that, so I couldn't blame her for being a little hesitant. She finally realized I wasn't kidding when she heard me singing the wrong words off the screen at church.

Amazing goose

how street the sound

that saved a wreath like me

I once was lost

but now I'm found

am blind and still can't see.

Sorry, that was a little dramatic... but seriously.

I remember the doctor was astounded at how poor my vision was at age 9. His judgmental eyes pierced through my mom who stood in the corner with her tail tucked and a nervous grin. You outta be ashamed of yourself. (That quote is for you, Mollie!) She was probably worried he would turn her into child services for not bringing my poor soul in for a check-up. I didn't realize it at the time, but my mom set me up for a lifetime of interesting experiences at the eye doctor.

Remember this post where I all but begged Santa for glasses? Well, ~~Granny~~ Santa came through! The last time I got new glasses, I was a junior in high school. That was 6 years ago. Needless to say, my prescription was a little outdated and my glasses were in awful condition.

I spent over an hour looking at frames and trying them on. I wanted some that said fashion and function. Apparently, the "Optical Specialist"didn't appreciate my philosophy.

"Next pair you touch, you buy," she said.

She was partly joking, but really not. I didn't really know what to say, so I just grinned. I had four pairs in my hand, but just couldn't decide between them. Luckily, one of the other workers had mercy on my indecisiveness. She helped me decide which pairs would work best and we began to place an order for the glasses.

"You know those frames come in red too?"

No way was I buying a pair of red glasses. Red hair + red skin tone + red glasses = one big mess.

"No thanks," I replied.

"No really, you should try them on. I think they'll look great on you."

How can you argue with that? So I did try them on. And I loved them. And I bought them.

What do you think? Did we (Optical Specialist #2 and myself) choose a great pair?

Milestone.

2011-01-20T20:00:00.003-06:00

I once ran two miles. It was the closest I ever came to running a marathon. Or a 5K for that matter. (I did once walk a 5K in my underwear... proof here.)

In high school, I had this austere basketball coach that insisted I could run a mile in under eight minutes. After continuously missing the mark, he gave me a little incentive: finish in under eight minutes or run another mile.

Fine, I thought. I could run with the best of them, right?

I ran as fast as I could. Seriously, I did. My poor eyes were filled with hope as I closed in on the finish line, but without hesitation he held up his finger and signaled for another mile.

Trash.

I didn't dare think of walking part of that extra mile. Even with blind spots on the track, I knew he was watching my every move. So I did it. I ran an entire two miles at one time. I'm pretty sure it took me about 17 days to finish. But I did it. (I'm still not certain I didn't make the mark and he just wanted to torture me...)

Since high school, I haven't been extremely active. Heck, who am I kidding? I flat out quit doing anything except for the occasional frisbee throw. I guess I never realized how much I enjoyed the strict coach who wouldn't let me quit - even if it only meant a judgmental eye.

So as 2011 dawned on me, you can imagine the promises and resolutions that began swirling through my mind.

Perhaps I'll try to workout every day. And then run every other day. And I could run a marathon.

Yeah yeah, ok. Sure all that will happen. So I decided to forgo making a resolution and just become my worst nightmare - that inexorable basketball coach from high school - the one that relentlessly pushed me to new heights.

So I started running. And running. And running. Just like Forrest Gump. For about three weeks I've been running. And I've been doing the same routine for those three weeks - walk part of the course, run some, walk some, jog some, sprint some, etc., just trying to push myself more and more each day.

While I was running today, I started thinking about all those times I ran in high school. And I thought about that time I ran two miles. And I just said, "Today, I'm gonna push myself harder than I ever have before."

Did I run two miles? Absolutely not.

But did I accomplish a huge milestone? Let's just say, observers probably thought I just finished the Boston Marathon in record time.

It was a glorious moment.

Quesadillas.

2011-01-17T23:16:00.000-06:00

My brother went to Arizona this summer and learned a lot about nutrition...

and sports... and sports nutrition... and...

SHRIMP QUESADILLAS!!!

Oh, I'm forever grateful that Atheletes' Performance taught my brother how to make

shrimp quesadillas because it has changed. my. life. It's apparently a protein-packed meal

because they used it for the athetes. Blake could better tell you the nutritional value,

but I prefer to just enjoy my meal!

I don't typically hear "fish tacos" or "shrimp quesadillas" and think "That sounds delicious," but these little gems have become one of my favorite meals of all times! Bonus - they're easy to make! I'll give you a quick run-through!

How to cook scrumptious shrimp quesadillas:

Cook a can each of blackbeans and corn, a helping of rice, some peppers and shrimp (sizes depending on how much you want to make). On a tortilla shell, spread some chipotle sauce (we buy ours from Target) and then layer each of the ingredients you precooked. Top it off with some shredded cheese and fold the taco over like a quesadilla. In a hot skillet, cook briefly so the cheese melts.

So easy, yet so delicious! Good luck finishing the whole thing...

I get to the last 4 bites and nearly fall over.

See ya later.

2011-01-13T00:55:00.002-06:00

Whew! Things have been wild and crazy here lately. So many of my friends have graduated and are moving on to new opportunities. As always, our time spent together went by much too fast, but I know these friends are in my life to stay. I love knowing that our goodbyes are only temporary... that we simply say, "See ya later," even when we don't know when later is. As we like to say, "Friends are friends forever..." Right Pair? ;)

Join me in praying for these folks as they begin their new lives, friendships and ministries. I know the Lord has so many great things in store for them and I'm excited to see where He takes them!

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid;

Do not be discouraged,

for the Lord your God

will be with you

wherever you go.

-Joshua 1:9

Mollie graduated in December and is joining the
Memphis Teacher Residency in May. She will
be pursuing her passion for urban education!

Read her blog here.

Ashley graduated in May and is pursuing her master's degree
at The University of Alabama in Art History. She is
also searching for internships for this summer!
Read her blog here.

Molly (yes, we have multiple Moll-y-ies) graduated

in December. She is one of the most passionate people

I know and I can't wait for her to impact the fashion world!

She is currently living in Atlanta and job searching.

Read her blog here.

Pair graduated in May and is currently a member of

the Forge, affiliated with Pine Cove Ministries! She

will be traveling to the Holy Land this semester, as

well as determining her next steps post-graduation.

Read her blog here.

Sydney graduated in May and actually started the long

drive to Colorado Springs this morning!
(She inspired me to write this blog!)
She will be interning for Engineering Ministries International
until May and will also travel to Kenya.

Read her blog here.

Christy graduated in December and is pursuing her

master's degree at Asbury Theological Seminary in

Wilmore, Kentucky. She just finished moving this weekend!

Hannah graduated in December and is beginning her
career as a nurse... possibly in California! I'm excited to
see where the Lord takes Hannah as she strives to serve
people through Nursing!

Karly graduated from grad school in December and recently
started her new career as an Speech and Language Pathologist.
She also recently got married!

Tory graduated in May and is pursuing her master's degree

at Mercer University in Atlanta, Georgia. (Tory is my geography buddy...
that picture of her is from the Holy Land!)

Anica graduated from the University of Mobile in May
with a degree in Theater. She is currently living and working
in Mobile while exploring her options for showbiz!

My very own brother... Blake will graduate in May from UA with
a Nutritition degree. He's currently looking into graduate school options!

Malcolm graduated in May and is working in Nashville

for Ernst & Young. He's also getting ready to marry Sydney in May!

Read his blog here. (If he'll update it!)

John is finishing up his studies at the University of Mobile and
touring with The Voices of Mobile! He is still deciding what to
pursue after his graduation in May.

Todd graduated in May and is working for Booster Enterprises.
He also leads worship at a local church in Birmingham!

Read his blog here.

Whaley graduated in May and is working for

Booster Enterprises. I don't even want to know the

shenanigans Whaley and Todd get into while working together!

Mark graduated in May and is currently a member of

the Forge with Pair. He will be traveling to the
Holy Land this semester, as well as determining his
next steps post-graduation!

Read his blog here.

What a blessing to have so many friends that are going separate ways. Over the past semester, we all talked about how sad parting ways can be, but also how exciting it is to have people in so many parts of the country that are praying and thinking of each other daily!

I thank my God, every time I remember you.

In all my prayers for all of you,

I always pray with joy

because your partnership in the gospel

from the first day until now,

being confident of this,

that He who began a good work in you

will carry it on to completion

until the day of Christ Jesus.

Phillippians 1:3-6

Bread.

2011-01-11T23:27:00.001-06:00

Did I ever tell you about the time I tried to make bread? It all started with this idea that as a southern woman and cook, I should be able to bake bread. So I went onto my favorite cooking website, Simply Recipes, and found this recipe for Swedish Coffee Bread. I pretty much started drooling when I saw Elise's post and immediately wanted to start baking.

So I did start baking. At 8pm. Little did I know, when you use yeast, you have to let dough rise for hours on end.

8:00pm...

With three pages of instructions, I begin baking bread.

8:45pm...

Dough is mixed, kneaded and ready to sit for its first rise.

9:45pm...

Dough is finished rising. Let the rolling and stuffing begin.

9:55pm...

Dough is stuffed and being rolled into a wreath.

10:00pm...

Dough is cut from its wreath and ready to rise for the second time.

10:40pm...

Dough is finally ready to be placed in the oven... let the sweet smells and drooling begin!

11:10pm...

CELEBRATE!!! The bread is ready!

11:30pm...

After eating one of my delicious treats, I pack up shop and hit the hay. Baking is hard work.

Best Christmas Ever.

2011-01-07T10:32:00.002-06:00

The road in front of the house

I'm alive!!! I know many of you faithful readers have been worried about me during this long hiatus of blogging (I flatter myself...), but I am indeed still moving and breathing. "Why the long hiatus," you ask? No, I'm not depressed... I'm suffering from a Christmas hangover. Whoa whoa whoa, give me a minute to explain.

I woke up on December 25 to the telephone ringing.

"Mfrmfmm, Hello," Granny said.

I tossed and turned in my bed trying to ignore her conversation. If only I can mute the sound...

"Well, Merry Christmas to you too," she continued. "I know, this snow is beautiful."

My ears perked up and my eyes shot open. Snow. Snow? There's no way in the world she said snow.

"It's still coming down pretty heavy over here."

I immediately jumped out of bed, flung my bedroom door open, and bolted to the nearest window.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" I screamed in my shrillest voice. The scream probably lasted about 15 seconds. I couldn't believe it. The ground was solid white and my eyes were solid tears. All my life I dreamed of a white Christmas. I didn't just want the snow to be falling - I wanted heavy white flakes covering the ground. I wanted snowball fights, snowmen and snow cones - and here before my very eyes was a full-fledged white Christmas.

Picture of our house covered in snow

I sprinted down the hall to grab Blake and some warmer clothes. He had obviously heard my scream and was already putting his slippers on. I gave him the biggest hug ever and he just chuckled at my child-like demeanor. We dug through some old clothes and managed to find some long johns, gloves, extra socks and sweatshirts and then headed outside for some fun in the ~~sun~~ snow!

We decided to create a snowman for the first time in our lives, and we realized just how little we knew about making snowmen! We wanted the best snowman ever, so we thought shoveling the top layer of snow from the ground would keep it clean and white. About 50 shovels later, we realized we were going nowhere fast.

"They lied to us in movies," Blake said.

"I know, it looks so easy," I replied.

"They always roll the snow in a ball and it builds up," Blake said. "I wonder how they really make them in movies."

But we really hadn't tried rolling the snow yet, I thought. Maybe if I got a snowball and just started pushing it around the yard it would work.

Blake and I with Frosty... Notice My C&H hat?

About 30 seconds later, I had a snowball so large that Blake and I both were struggling to push it around. Our eyes were full of wonder at the sight of Frosty's bottom. Our entire world changed. Rolling snow really did work.

We finished rolling Frosty's body and added his facial features. I topped him off with Papaw's hat and my scarf. In my opinion, we put together one of the best snowmen I've ever seen. And I'm not one bit biased.

Me with my best Christmas present ever!

After fooling around in the snow, we headed indoors to get ready for Christmas lunch and gift openings. The rest of the family arrived and we had a wonderful time. Something about the snow put everyone in the most joyous mood. I found out my secret Santa was Blake (I knew it all along...), and he got me the best Christmas gift I've ever received! Remember this blog from October? Blake did!

So you see, it was simply the best Christmas ever. EVER. And I've have been so overwhelmed with joy and happiness that I'm still hungover from all the craziness. So I do apologize for not blogging for two weeks, but I simply couldn't contain my joy in a blog post. I do hope your Christmas was the merriest of merries and your New Year is off to a great start!

Granny with Frosty

Blake and I looking at Frosty in our undies!

The snowball that was headed for my face... and camera!

Day 7, 6, 5, 4.

2010-12-21T12:59:00.003-06:00

Whoopsies... I missed a lot of days in a row. Who knew Christmas was so busy? Ok, I did. I knew this would happen because I never complete blog challenges and it's the busiest time of the year. Fail.

So what can I blog about that will cover 4 days worth of Christmas joy? Well, that's no contest... Shopping. Oh, the joys of shopping for Christmas gifts. It's something I dread every year. Gifting things isn't my love language, so it's hard for me to validate our need to shower each other in more items that we don't need.

Because of this dislike for buying presents, I tend to put off my shopping until last minute. In fact, yesterday was the first time I even stepped in a store with the intention of buying for someone other than myself. With 3 quick swoops in 2.5 hours, I was finished. FINITO I tell you!

Most people think they get the best deals on Black Friday, but I tell you the best time to shop is few days before Christmas. Granted everything is picked over, but you have an excuse for buying not-so-gradiose gifts. :) In addition, the prices have plummeted as retailers are trying to get rid of everything left in the store and the malls are less packed because most everyone has finished their shopping. I'm telling you, pick a random weekday 3-5 days before Christmas and see if you aren't happier shopping next year!

Here's an example of how I pwned Christmas shopping this year...

While in Gap last week with Sydney looking for presents, I nearly bought myself a new scarf. I'm quite the finicky shopper, so I ended up putting it down and just leaving without anything. Yesterday, I went back to Gap to buy my brother a gift and found out they were having a sale on scarves... $5 for any scarf in the store! So you can guess what I did... I bought 3 scarves and spent less than I would've the first time around. Shopping win!

Day 8.

2010-12-17T11:40:00.001-06:00

Christmas lights. Just the mention of those words conjure up memories of the hours I spent as a kid looking at holiday lights and nativity scenes from my backseat car window. Granny and Papaw would entice us with a Friday night Pizza Hut outing and then WHAM! we're driving along for hours looking at outdoor holiday decorations. For some reason, we never saw it coming...

I think my favorite part about these holiday light drives were the ridiculous things people used to decorate. They call it festive. I call it tacky. I remember driving past "The Jasper House" every year to see their new interpretation on making Christmas ~~tacky~~ festive. There were so many lights, it looked like it was on fire. One year, I swear I saw smoke rings pillowing off Santa and Rudolph's head.

Then, we have live Nativity scenes. Oh the crazy people that like to do this... Molly Webb... :)

Look at those jokers. Dressed in sheets and head garbs with a live goat and baby doll in a wooden basket. I must admit, at one time I was one of these fools. (I think I was an "Angel of the Lord...") The best part of live Nativity scenes was Ms. Jessie would make her homemade chili or potato soup. I guess I could stand a night of cold for a bowl of delicious.

But I think my favorite outdoor Christmas decoration of all would have to be the white, wooden reindeer gracing the lawns throughout all of Double Springs. Ahh, those people just set themselves up for a dirty joke when they put reindeer in their yard. Nothing screams fun on a boring, Thursday night in Double Puddle like mounting deer in the the neighbor's yard... It's practically torture to see reindeer in a yard that aren't procreating for the next year. John and I consider it our duty to make sure those reindeer don't go extinct. They are, after all, crucial to the Christmas story.

Day 9.

2010-12-16T23:46:00.000-06:00

Can you believe Christmas is in 9 days? NINE! That's insane... and also exciting! I can smell the chicken and dressing cooking already. :) Speaking of ~~drool~~ food, that's one of my favorite things about Christmas. Particularly, the baked goods. My favorite dessert of the entire year comes at Christmastime... Granny's Peppermint Cake. It's the one dessert I request all year long... no pecan, pumpkin or sweet potato pies, no coconut cakes and no macaroons. I wait all year long to eat Peppermint Cake. And in 9 days, I get to feast again!

Last year, I got the bright idea to help Granny make the cake. Let's just say it wasn't our best Christmas Peppermint Cake. (Ask me for that story later...)

I'm especially bad at baking... I like to add more or less of everything that a recipe calls for. This is partly because I'm bad at following directions and partly because I want to prove the recipe wrong. Unfortunately with baking, the recipe usually proves me wrong, but every year around this time, I get this strong urge to bake again. And bake, I do. I decided that this year I would bake bread, a staple of every kitchen. It was quite the feat, but I think it turned out pretty swell! (I actually followed the directions except for a small tweak!) Check out Simply Recipes' Swedish Coffee Bread for a delicious recipe!

Well, my pictures won't load, so I'll have to add them later. Until then... bake something! :)

Day 10.

2010-12-15T21:43:00.003-06:00

Have you ever noticed around Christmastime the strangest movies manage to find their way to your television? For example: Nestor, The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey... Yes, an entire showing of an orphan donkey leading Mary and Joseph around Bethlehem. Or Snow 2: Brain Freeze... Santa gets amnesia and Mrs. Clause must save Christmas. I'm not making this stuff up...

I can't help but think some writers are cashing in on the commercialization of Christmas. But even amongst these crazy titles, Christmas movies can be some of the best all year long. Think about Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer in full claymation... it's the longest running Christmas movie ever, airing since 1964. Or A Charlie Brown Christmas which first aired in 1965. Shows like this give me hope that Christmas isn't all about money.

But even with these wonderful classics, I think my favorite Christmas movie of all time is Home Alone. I mean, who can resist Macaulay Culkin's cute face or the ridiculous babble and chatter from the thieves Harry and Marv? I was about 3 years old when this movie first came out, but I can vividly remember watching it every Christmas since. And I intend to continue that tradition. Looking for a partner in crime to watch it with? (Heh heh, pun intended...) Hit me up for a movie night!

Day 11.

2010-12-14T23:26:00.004-06:00

It's hard to write a blog post about Christmas music when Taylor Swift is blaring from your kitchen. I've been baking bread all night (just wait for that post!) and my kitchen has an under-cabinet radio. I love it. LOVE it. But it doesn't pick up many radio stations... so I typically listen to pop or country when I'm in cooking. That explains Taylor Swift... not that I wouldn't listen to her anyways.

One of my favorite parts of Christmas is the music. Yeah yeah, I know. It starts too early. They replay the same songs. They're all happy. I've heard every excuse. But Christmas music is one of the most joyous parts of the season. The lyrics are rich with meaning, thick with harmony and set to a great tune! And from an instrumental perspective, they are some of the hardest songs to play.

And what happened to Christmas Carolers? Remember the days of old when your mom shipped you off to the grandparents to go caroling with their church? Well, I do. And I sort of miss those days. Perhaps I'll order my costume today...

Anyways, I wanted to give you my top five Christmas songs.

5. Mele Kalikimaka (Bette Midler)

Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like Bette Midler in Hawaii...

4. Winter Song (Ingrid Michaelson & Sara Bareilles)

Beautiful lyrics and voices make this contemporary Christmas song one of my favorites!

3. 12 Days of Christmas (Straight No Chaser)

Seriously, so fun! I first heard this when my best friend John's voices group performed at a Christmas concert. The original is by the group above, and I listen to it almost daily!

2. Do You Hear What I Hear

My brother is pulling his hair out right now, but I just love this song. Something about the lyrics reminds me of the magic of Christmas!

1. Oh Come, Oh Come Emmanuel

The whole reason for Christmas and one of the prettiest songs ever written. Ever.

And the list could go on and on! Do you have a favorite Christmas song you'd like to share? I'm always looking for a new song to purchase on iTunes. :)

Day 12.

2010-12-13T22:18:00.001-06:00

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,

Your branches green delight us!

Christmas is all in the trees. I remember as a kid, the excitement of Christmas began when the Christmas tree went up. Actually, the excitement of any holiday began when the tree went up. My mom was a strong believer in trees. I remember Easter trees, Halloween trees and even Fourth of July trees. To this day, the fact that my mom loved holidays is one of my favorite childhood memories... and it's a tradition I hope to continue in my own house.

In most houses, trees show a history of the past. Ornaments older than me adorn our tree. I have ornaments that say, "It's a girl" and some that I made from grade school. It's a treat to look at the tree and reminisce about the memories they represent.

When I got to college, I was a little sad that I wouldn't have a tree... so, of course I decided to improvise. It was a miniature tree and had some pretty pitiful decorations, but it made my first Christmas away from the nest seem a little more like home and finals week suddenly seemed a little more worth it. My rule is that Christmas trees aren't always elaborate. When I visited Mississippi last weekend, I found a branch on the side of the road and decorated it for the friends I was staying with (<<< picture). Sometimes, it's all about spreading the Christmas tree love, not about the actual tree.

Speaking of actual trees... until this year, I had actually never laid my eyes on a real tree. When I saw one, it was magic. Pure magic. And that smell... so warm and cozy! I wondered why my family had never had a real tree. (Insert Granny's comments about fire hazards, Chevy Chase mishaps, dirtiness, etc...) I guess dealing with a real tree year-round would've been troublesome for my mom, but I still think the hassle would pay off around Christmas time. I'm pretty sure I never want to go another Christmas without a real tree, but even those fake trees prove magical.

"Never worry about the size of your Christmas tree.

In the eyes of children, they are all 30 feet tall."

Larry Wilde, The Merry Book of Christmas

12 Days of Christmas.

2010-12-10T12:05:00.000-06:00

Well, it's the holidays y'all. That means things are gonna get crazy... and they already are. Work is crazy. Family is crazy. Friends are crazy. I'm crazy.

Now that I'm in the "real world," I don't exactly get a Christmas break like I used to. No more 4-week hibernation stretches filled with my favorite things. No, no... now I get 2 lousy days to celebrate the biggest holiday of the year. (And you could argue that I only get one day because Christmas falls on Saturday this year.) Bah Humbug!

(Speaking of Bah Humbug, has anyone read A Christmas Carol? I'm thinking of starting it and reading through Christmas.)

Anyways, since I can't actually enjoy Christmas this year, I thought I would use my blog to talk about the things I used to enjoy about Christmas. My own personal 12 Days of Christmas filled with my favorite things. (Original, I know.) And hopefully, it will be one of those life-changing moments where we realize that Christmas is in my heart and not necessarily about everything else. So, stay tuned for my favorite holiday joys over the next 12 days and see if I can still manage to find joy in this crazy holiday season!

Lust.

2010-12-07T13:05:00.003-06:00

I recently stumbled upon a website called Recreate and I've fallen in love. Katie, the designer, has created some of the most original furniture and interior design pieces I've ever seen.

Just look at that chair. It's as if you could survive a trip by only packing a chair. No extras necessary... just the ability to sit, listen and enjoy. I love that.

Check out more of her stuff here.