quick fix

i live in a home that needs some serious updating but i like to decorate on a dime, so i decided to add a curtain instead of requesting to remove the sliding doors, patching, painting, etc.

and since its no secret that i'm a HUGE fan of urban outfitters, when i happened upon a FABULOUS shower curtain COVERED in owls, it was no surprise that my will hadn't a chance of resisting. i immediately clicked on "add to cart" and a week later i was singing soprano vibrato as i opened my package from uo.

before:

after:

...a little definitely goes a LONG way. =)

scribble your heart out

i found a really cool site that lets you DOODLE. how cool is that!

here are a few of my cave doodles:

thanksgiving = nesting?

what is it about the thanksgiving holiday that makes my nesting instinct kick in to overdrive? i think it’s my procrastination, that’s what. i’m not a fan of being in the kitchen, so when i needed a serving platter, i all of a sudden had an overwhelming urge to haul everything out of the cabinet and reorganize it. i’m SUPPOSED to be making stuffing, but instead, i now have an organized cupboard to gaze upon. not to worry, i’ll leave the cupboard door open and perhaps that will distract everyone from the fact that THERE IS NO STUFFING! i really don't think that's gonna work though.

alright, back to the kitchen i go to ACTUALLY make some food, like my fabulous mashed potatoes. but not without first saying "happy thanksgiving to everyone!"

a $300 secret

i have a secret. an amazingly, wonderful secret that is sure to make someone i hold near and dear to my heart squeal with delight and perhaps squeeze out a tear or two. psh! who am i kidding. this person's eyes are going to be swimming for days! (giddy with de!ight)

e.l.f.

i've been trying for a month now to make this little angel smile at me. it doesn't matter that she's only a few weeks old; i want to make her smile NOW. (patience in the inward parts) i spend almost every day with my sister and eva (sorry mama!) and i love every minute of it. the day she starts to recognize me will certainly be one to remember.

i love you little elf!

the next big thing

have you ever gone completely nuts in your car when you were the only one in it? i JUST did. i heard on the radio about a concert in tampa called the next big thing with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE that will be here in LESS than a month! and guess who is going? .....ME!!!!!!

i'd like to call upon my friends from the planet kashyyyk to help me express to you my excitement in this matter:

to say that i am "stoked" is an understatement. i am psyched OUT! a&a and my chem are the two bands i've ALWAYS wanted to see in concert. they are my "must haves." and since i just saw a&a a couple months back, this december 5th will complete me.

ggggggggggggg! (most satisfying smile)

my little elf

i would like you to meet my niece, eva lynne fernandez, aka e.l.f. =) she was born in clearwater on october 19th at 10:38pm after 21 HOURS of (grueling) labor. so incredible. she was 8 lbs, 14 oz and all 20 inches of ADORABLE baby. i still can't believe she's real. sometimes, when i'm not with her, i open her photo on my phone and i just STARE at her. she's completely mesmerizing! i've seen and held TONS of babies, but her? she's.... REAL. i don't know how to explain it. it's just one of the COOLEST things ever.

whenever i get to hold her, i whisper in her ear that i'm her favorite aunt and the one (besides her parents) who loves her the most. how's THAT for subliminal messaging. =D

(she's not even a day old and she's already throwing up gang signs. she is SO the daughter of franklin. hahaha.)

...is it possible to love someone THIS much

even when that someone

has no clue you exist?

(i LOVE you eva!)

cherry red speakers

my little sister and i have an... understanding of sorts. we both LOVE getting stuff in the mail: letters from loved ones, just-because-cards, and now... GIFTS! it all started out small; i mailed her sweet little nothings scribbled onto pieces of paper, she bought me a hat. i bought her a sock coin purse and so on. we NEVER had any intention of making it a "big deal" until she decided to amp up on me. and boy was i GLAD! she mailed me a package and inside was a wicked-SWEET pair of bright red head phones! ...for me to wear at the GYM she says. (gulp.) since she was sweet enough to see them, think of me, AND purchase them, its the least i can do. so that's just what i'm gonna do. i'm gonna wear those FABULOUSLY vibrant red (and large) head phones with PRIDE. i even told her i'd even buy a pair of rainbow leg warmers to make the "look" complete. i think.... =)

a gentile feline

i've got myself a "gentleman" living with me. =)

konnichiha!

remember when i said that i've never eaten japanese food? well NOW i can say that i have! i went to kazu's sushi the other night and tried my hand at a BUNCH of foods i never knew existed. i had a bento (a japanese word for a boxed lunch with individual portions of food), some deep fried vegetables, and white rice, of course. i ate ALL of it with chopsticks. i was SO proud of myself. i EVEN ate the sushi! (also never had that before.)

(my bento.)
(sushi packed with some FABULOUSLY hot wasabe.)
(saki... that sorta, kinda, maybe affected me. hahaha.)
(all done! and boy was i STUFFED!)

200+

i can't believe it.

i've had over 200 posts within the last year and a half.
me! the haters of all things "blog."

i certainly was never one who desired to blog about my opinions. i simply wanted an easier way to stay in contact with my peoples from home. when you're with someone everyday, its easy to share all the meaningless and trivial things that happen to you during the course of a day. and its simply out of the question to call up everyone and say "hey! an old man just zipped through here on a motorized scooter!" i may love talking on the phone but come on! i'd rather just put it out there and if someone wants to read it, they can. and i think it has worked. my "blog" is more of an extention to my 140-character-limit tweets. i can only say so much about an old man scooting through the parking lot in 140 characters.

i hope you have enjoyed reading this

just as much as i've loved writing it. =)

"flying animal metropolis"

this isn't news to any i'm sure but I LOVE OWL CITY. i first stumbled across them on my pandora account and my irrisitable draw to them took off. their music is light and fluffy and no matter how bad a mood i may be in, their music always manages to get me to smile as i sing along and i find my shoulders hopping to the beat. its infectious! i love it. =D

my favorite song...?
fireflies.
hands down.

here's the music video:

i even got to see them in CONCERT! franklin and natalie went to a jack johnson concert in tampa and they were selling john mayer and OWL CITY tickets for TWENTY BUCKS! an opportunity made in heaven. =)

guilty as charged

i understand that my absence has caused "MANY" people, such as yourself, a LOT of grief for not being able to laugh at someone who is MORE ridiculous(ly good looking) than themselves and for that i SINCERELY apologize. who am i to take such a gift away from you?

while i have been without a computer for a couple months now, i would NEVER dream of insulting you with such a pathetic excuse... FALSE! yes, i truly have been without a computer, but i know that it is NO excuse in this day and age. instead, i will simply list out my activities over the last two months as PROOF to you JUST HOW BUSY i have been:

this summer i’ve been so busy with...

eating,
sleeping,
working!
graduations,

baby showers,
shower singing,

alligator chasing,
office relocations,
home renovations,
chipotle shopping,

game director duties,

wicked sweet concerts,
bedroom redecorating,

urban outfitters oogling,
baby supplies shopping,
starbucks mug soliciting,
updating essential documents,
freaking out over being an AUNT!
learning IMPORTANT life lessons,

and..... shoot. i know there's more but i just can't rembmer it all!

UPDATE: 10/12/10 how could i FORGET!?! "assembling puzzling puzzles" that make you want to SWEAR. (scratch that last part....) =)

ode to burt reynolds

chelsey and i went to pf changs last night. we got a LITTLE carried away. i was mooing like an english COW and she was sticking lemon SEEDS up her NOSE. and somewhere along the way, we thought we'd make an ode to burt reynolds with NOODLES. hahaha.

and somehow i'm still single...
how can that be! i might
as well have fun while
i still am. hahaha.

25

by now, you all know about my SICK HABBIT that i'm TOTALLY obsessed over. well..... i've added several mugs and i'm now up to TWENTY FIVE MUGS! (screaming wildly)

two of my most recent additions:

portland, oregon (thank you jason & galilee!)

and one of my FAVORITES from a city i CAN'T wait to visit, new york! (thank you mr. f!!)