Happy Birthday to Me

One more reason to be happy today: I have a new follower!
I love you guys!

Birthday Preparations

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We're just a skip, jump, and hop away from my birthday tomorrow. I'm super excited! So excited I don't have much else to write right now.. I'm going to be off shopping soon for groceries for my big day (I love food, and will be eating delicious food all of tomorrow)...
That's all I have time for right now!

-Heidi

The End of Another Week

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I hope everyone's weekend is going well. I've basically been focusing on my summer homework, which I hope to complete by today or tomorrow morning. Otherwise, I've been spending time with blogger and a website I have just fallen in love with: http://weheartit.com
You know how I love pictures.
And to do with the picture in this post: I have recently discovered the wondrous effects of balancing poses and I thought I would pass on a link to a sequence I just tried out...
find it here!

Anyway, back to my homework I go!

Pictures I Love

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Can you believe this is a painting?
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Trying New Things

[Today I decided to try some new things, and do some good deeds in the process.]

First, I offered to do Lilly's hair. (good deed!-usually she has to ask me to)
And then I looked up how to do a fish bone braid, which I have NEVER DONE BEFORE. And it really is more difficult/takes more time than a normal braid.

I was very pleased with the result:

Lilly willingly modeled her lovely locks for me.

She's so beautiful. :)

And then, being inspired by this post over at yes and yes, decided to give myself a fancy manicure.

...which also gave me incredibly beautiful results. (Lilly joined me and did her toe-sies)
What I probably don't need to say (but here it comes regardless) is that doing something different gave my day some spark. It feels so good to get out of the usual. So here it is:

Try something new. It is so worth it.

Why I Love Numbers

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1 is unique. The smallest and only number that is something without being multiple. It is the original. 1 is something we strive for in our lives. We want to be first, to be unique, to be the most important.

2 is the smallest group. It suggests balance and symmetry; we have two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two arms, two legs, two kidneys. If one fails, there is still one more. Without the number 2, there would be no great romances. There is a level of intimacy and connection which can only be had between two people. When to each one, the other is the most important. A one looks at another one and sees them as exactly that: unique. special. the most important.

3 is a magic number. There is something about the number three which has captivated cultures. The spiral of life, which symbolizes life, death, and rebirth. The similar triskele, with its three spheres symbolizing land, earth, and sky (all the aspects of the material world). The holy trinity: Father, Son, and Holy spirit. The three gifts of grace: Faith, Hope, and Love. The majority of the world's national flags have only three colors. Some have more. Few have less. Why is this? The number 3 seems just right.

4 is the square. It is strength and stability. Some of the most powerful words are only four letters. Love. Hate. Hope.

5 is something else. We have five fingers on each hand. And five toes on each foot. (Something new parents are fond of counting on their newborns) We have five senses. As far as counting, 5 is the best. Not too many and not too few. The best numbers for lists, by far. I'm sure everyone in the world has thought of their Top 5 something.

6 is interesting. There are six directions: up, down, north, south, east, and west. (I'm sorry I can't think of anything else for this one!)

7 is lucky. There are seven days in a week. (there are plenty of other sevens, but I thought these were the best and most important)

8 is musical. An octave. It is the first day of another week. It is a number of new beginnings.

And finally: 9. 9 is the mother of the other numbers. It is the wisest, and oldest. Remember back in the "olden" days when there were still nine planets? Well, that is what I would have said here, to defend the number nine. But since Pluto isn't a real planet... (I feel really bad because Lilly told me she doesn't like the number nine, and I haven't really given her a reason to like it!)

Do you have a favorite number? Maybe you guys have things to add to what I've said here... :)

Post Secret

I love that feeling when I am grasping at my knowledge to understand something...
...and then I understand.

I enjoy looking at the French section of Post Secret. Real people are helping me learn a language, and I feel like that is not matched by anything I learn in a classroom.
Hope you like this.

Inspiration Can Come From The Strangest Places...

I love Opera music. Way more classy than the newest hit on the radio. And I feel classier. No picture for this, because this music can only be felt via the ears. :)

Things Which Make Me Happy

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First of all, I would like to thank everyone for their good humor over my last post, which was - admittedly - slightly horrible. :) TODAY will be dedicated to pure goodness! So here is my list:

1. As I have just stated, my readers make me happy! Thank you so very much for reading. You have no idea how much blogging cheers me up- including reading all those blogs I follow.. :D

2. Chow Chows!! (hence the picture) Among my list of life goals (get married, attend and graduate college, etc.) is Own a Chow Chow. I will have fun with it every day and every time I look at it's fluffy face, I will be a little bit happier.

3. Cheese! Being from Wisconsin, it would be completely unheard of for me to dislike cheese, but I would say I love it excessively. So tasty. Cheese can make nearly any food (of course, desserts are omitted- though cream cheese adds so nicely to some...) taste better.

4. Movies. I love movies. And I love going to the movie theatre. Something needs to really be upsetting me if a trip to the movies does not help my mood.

5. Photography. I am a total shutterbug like everyone else in my family. I fully appreciate a beautiful picture. A good picture has the ability to completely cheer me up, motivate me, inspire me, or move me.

Local Bear Falls To Sudden Death: Daily News Takes You Behind the Caution Line

Note to readers: The following is completely a joke, and should not be taken as a sick twist to my humor. I did not just think this up: I saw this teddy bear fall, and thought it was funny and ironic. Keep reading for further explanation.


BEFORE THE ACCIDENT Pictured above, Mr Bear can be seen enjoying a good book, a favored pass-time of his.
[photo contributed by victim's family]

"He had his whole life ahead of him," one family friend managed to comment through tears, "No one could have guessed this would happen." And indeed, there were no precursors to the devastating accident. Mr Bear was an amiable bear, and was not known to have any enemies. However the suspicion of foul play is still under debate, as the investigation has yet to conclude.

THE SCENE After a thorough sweep of the area, police were able to conclude that Mr Bear was in his bedroom - specifically on the top bunk - when something caused him to fall.

This reporter dug deeper to uncover more. The top investigator on the case gave us the dirt: "Truthfully, the fall wouldn't be what caused the death. A strong man like this may have become seriously injured, but fatality was not likely." So what did it? After examining the body, it was clear to all that Mr Bear died of a fatal blow to the neck. As can be seen in the photograph above, there was a compact fridge placed next to the bunks at the time of the accident. Police put two and two together: "...so [Mr Bear] fell from the same end of the bed, falling directly into the edge of the mini-fridge." It was only after this deadly blow that Mr Bear landed on his side, in the position now outlined in police tape. Unfortunately for Mr Bear, he was alone when the accident occurred. Members of the victim's family had no comments to make on this subject. For now, the case continues.

The Songs of My Summer With Amy

You were warned. Now here it is:

Note to Amy: OH YEAH! Hope you like it!

You can find your way to Amy's site here. :P

Moving Day

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Dear Readers,

Today is moving day for Amy who is leaving us after a long and beautiful summer. And after a morning full of packing her junk into the trunk, we're about to leave for Minnesota. It is sad to see her go, and my next post will most likely be reminiscent of the summer with Amy. Expect me back tomorrow.

Ciao,
Heidi

Thanks a Latte!

It started last night when I actively (or in this case, inactively) decided not to set my alarm. This is a lesson that I never seem to learn: Without an alarm to wake me up, I do not wake up when a normal human should. For some reason I continue to suffer from the delusion that I will naturally wake up after 8-9 hours of sleep instead of the more realistic 12 hours I usually take.

SO! In the 10th hour of my snore fest, I was awakened by Amy at my door (I was really half-awake and just unwilling to get out of bed) and the moment she called my name, I yelled (as much as a half-asleep drone can), "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Only slowly, and like I was being called to the other side. I sat up in my bed and after a very intense moment of us not moving...

Amy: "Do you want to go to the coffee shop?"

Me: "....Okay."

Yay for Cherry Almond Lattes. Or any kind of latte for that matter. Afterwards, I took the cute little cups and turned them into little cup-banks for coffee money. One for Amy and one for me. I love being creative, and I'm becoming more prone to it, which is extra good. What do you think?

What was something creative you did recently?

Read Me

Today is a day off, in case you were wondering. I am excusing myself.
Tomorrow I'll be back on track.photo source
or
buy this print

Being the Mom

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So yesterday I was The Mom and prepared lunch (Mexican Chicken Noodle Platter) and dinner (Perfectly vegetarian spaghetti). We even sat at the table instead of in the living room like cavemen! It was great! Bonus points: we rinsed our dishes and prayed beforehand. {Kelly wanted to say Grace but I told her, "No because you're a smartass." It was quite amusing.}

Do you ever 'play mom' to people not your children? {Bonus points if you've mothered people your age or older}

Pictures I Love

flowers

dance

love yourself

merci chocolate

lindt chocolate

Because We've All Tried to Find Him...

I wanted to start with this one, but copyright issues and all that.
So here you go:

And few people will probably get this last one (but I thought it was worth throwing out there)...

Finally,
this one is a good one, but was too big.

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson

I realize it has been a long space between when I finished this book and my review of it, but better late than never, hey?

The format is diary entries. Some brief, and some several pages long. The story is Marie Antoinette's life. From sweet archduchess to inexperienced young queen to mother and wife of the rejected monarchy.

I enjoyed this book for the history, and I thought the diary was very well explained for in it's frequent need to be hidden and how she began writing in it. A couple of characters are fictitious, but otherwise everything is based on research and nothing really goes out on a tangent from that circle.

A sneak peek inside the complicated mind of France's last Queen.

RECOMMENDED FOR: Those interested in Marie Antoinette's life, historical fiction, enjoy reading stories written as journal entries, or who are interested in stories about the end of monarchies (Such as that of Czar Nicolas II).

AND NOT FOR: People who will only have happy endings, or are not really interested in anything previously stated.

Getting To Know You (Think The King and I)

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This has very little to do with the picture, except that I like bunnies. See? You just learned (or re-learned) something about me. Take a moment to fill in the below...

...

Feeling: Subtlely motivated to live better. not enthusiastic for school to start, but extremely enthused to graduate from high school.

*

Loving: My boyfriend, and having him back from his job. Also loving the last bits of being able to do whatever I want (otherwise known as 'summer').

*

Reading: Updates from blogs I follow.

*

Wanting: Food. To not have Mrs K for a teacher for another WHOLE YEAR.

*

Dreaming: Of my birthday (fingers crossed that I will finally get a decent cell phone of my own)

*

Having: a shower. After eating something. I look like I got dressed in the dark, and my hair is dirty.

*

Waiting: for fun.

What about you?

The Weekend

My boyfriend is finally done with his job as a camp counselor, so I went with him and his family to Milwaukee's Irish Fest (which I highly recommend to everyone, Irish or not) both Saturday and Sunday. Since I can hardly recap all the fun here-I'll just give the highlights:

Good Music {I didn't get any pictures of the REAL performances (i.e. Gaelic Storm, Red Hot Chili Pipers), but this parade had some nice bagpipes and I loved the picture on the drums}

Good Food {This eggplant is nothing compared to the other food; Irish Nachos (fresh chips covered by cheese, onion, and bacon pieces), Reuben Rolls (think a reuben sandwich just in a wanton roll), and Turkey Leg (huge leg cooked to perfect mouthwatering excellence)}

And plenty of Irish culture (and shopping). Everywhere you went on the grounds you were sure to see shamrocks, harps, and Celtic knots. Not only were the people friendly, but they had plenty of knowledge on Irish history and interesting facts. {This picture shows my "lucky stone"- made of Connemara marble, which is the traditional gift between Irish families who vow friendship through generations. I also bought a worry stone which is concave and smooth for rubbing, but I gave that to my boyfriend}

But my favorite part was probably the Dance Pavilion, where they had set and ceili dancing. {This is Rich and I after learning three different dances- pretty sweaty thanks to the added bonus of lovely warm weather}

NOT PICTURED HERE: The beautiful Trinity Knot necklace Rich bought me, my Gaelic Storm glow stick (for their 10 year anniversary at Irish fest), my "I'm not Irish but kiss me anyway!" button, or (unfortunately) any of the really awesome stuff like Gaelic Storm or the fireworks on Sunday night. Well, there's always next year!

SO! What did you do over the weekend?

Fashionably Late? Or Just Tardy?

Today (which was warm and beautiful) I was at a water park with my family. And today was absolutely perfect for it. And clearly, we weren't the only people to notice: the place was packed. Few times in my life has the saying 'people come in all different shapes and sizes' been so apparently true. There were muscular people, short people, round people, fruit shaped people (apples and pears), thin people, fit people, young people, old people, really thin people (think 'skin and bones' thin), pudgy people, little people (some pretty cute kids), and everything in between!

So I hope this excuses my late posting... It was a great beginning to the weekend.

And tomorrow ("bum Bah DUM!") IRISHFEST!!

So... pretty excited. I hope everyone has a good weekend. Enjoy the last bits of summer.

How 'bout a pretty picture too?

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To-day

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Quote of the Day: "A writer is somebody for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." -Thomas Mann

...

Woke up. Made coffee for Amy and I (like I said I would). Went on blogger. Checked 'Blogs I'm Following'. Followed a link on Oh Mishka.Got a tumblr account. Organized my Favorites. {Yay for organization!} Maybe I should eat some real food...

How did you start your day?

Oh yeah, and if you haven't already, check out this tip-top post over at yes and yes.

The Seal Wife by Kathryn Harrison

Read it. It's honest.

Also, Kathryn Harrison is one of my favorite authors now.

Let's Play A Game Today

{courtesy of this post by Oh Mishka: http://ohmishka.blogspot.com/2009/08/2-pictures-game.html}

Grab your camera (or any camera, like I did..) and take a picture of two different things. Anything you want. Then post the lovely photos on your blog, including explanations of why you took the pictures you did! Here are mine:

This one ^ shows my most current project. Today, I bought some yarn and learned to knit from my mom just so I could make a huge and warm blanket for my boyfriend. (I am SUPER proud of myself for my progress in one day.)

My second picture is of my beautiful scented oil burner. It was a Christmas gift from my older brother, and I didn't have oil to use in it until recently. Now I use it all the time. My room smells like gardenias. (The figures next to the oil burner are a fairy man and woman. I gave him a red ribbon scarf and her a paper umberella)

If We Were a Family of Muppets

Danny would be a mix between Beaker and Swedish Chef.

Amy would be something like Fozzie Bear... but with a little bit of Animal.

Lilly would be Bean.

I can only assume Kelly would be Rizzo the rat. I think he's funny.

I think Katie would be Zoe.

Davey could only be the Count I think... you know. He works with Math and stuff...

On second thought, he's probably more like Waldorf and Statler...

Moma is pretty girly, so I think she would be Miss Piggy.

Daddy is a bit like Cookie Monster. Except more of an Everything for a Deal Monster.

That's all for now!