happy birthday papa bear!

he can fix anything with just a rubber band and paperclip.
he doesn’t give high fives; only high sixes.
when people pay attention to him, he keeps the change.
the contents of his taco never fall out.
a bird in his hand is worth three in the bush.
mosquitoes don’t bite him.

who is he, you ask? he's the most amazingly wonderful papa

in the whole wide world. =)

happy birthday papa bear.

pennies & dimes

my very FIRST itunes purchase on my NEW MACBOOK (merry christmas to me!) is the album "pennies & dimes" by my bestest friend in the whole wide world, stacy lantz!

check her out! ...but don't be gross about it.

eva's first christmas

even though my whole family wasn't together for christmas this year, it was still pretty special because it was eva's FIRST! and while we all weren't in one room, we were all "together" on skype. i loved it. so many faces on so many screens. simply glorious.

eva certainly enjoyed herself too:

i love making her laugh and smile.
it's literally SUNSHINE for the soul.

politically correct carols

10. O Holiday Tree
9. Have Yourself a Merry Little Day of Winter
8. Frosty the Snowperson
7. Chestnuts Roasting on a Safely Contained, Continuously Monitored, Eco-friendly, Non-toxic Outdoor Fire

(for Which I Do Have a Permit)

6. Higher Power Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
5. Grandma Allegedly Got Run Over By an Unidentified

Non-Human Perpetrator
4. Deck the Halls with Boughs of Unendangered Foliage

(If Office Policy Permits)
3. Hark! The Herald Mythical Winged Creature Sings
2. I Saw Mommy Greeting Santa Claus with a Purely
Platonic Expression of Inoffensive Mutual Affection
1. I’ll Be Home for a Short Period of Time in December

shark bait

i get "the itch" every once in a while to change things up. tonight i scratched that itch and i couldn't be happier. i traded in my plain, boring white walls for a fabulous "shark" gray. i blared my mcr and 3 hours later... i was done! its amazing what you can get done when you stay FOCUSED.

before.after!

(ish)

i still have a few things left to do before my "reading/tv/art room" is completed. but don't worry, i'll keep you posted. =)

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!)