My Life People ~Meet Denise!~

The 14th segment of My Life People...

meet Denise Hagan!

1.How do you know me?

I "met" you through our mutual friend, Erin, several years ago through your blog. I've been a fan of you and your blog for years now. I find it pretty funny that we have never met in person because I feel like I know everything about you! I know we will meet one day and I'm totally looking forward to that.

2.What is your favorite recipe at the moment?

Your frosting recipe! I'm hooked and have even started selling these bad boys in my area as well. They are truly amazing! Thanks for sharing and inspiring!!!

3.Do you have junk under your bed? (as in... what's under your bed?)

Nothing. But trust me. If there were a way to fit anything under our bed I guarantee that there would be something. It'd be the stash place when company comes over and I want to paint the picture that my house is always tidy. I'd throw all that junk under there that really has no home but ought to. I hate that stuff.

4.Tell me 5 things recently crossed off your to-do list.

- Finished several valentine's day cookie orders. Phew!

- Sold all three pieces of our nursery furniture.

- Sanded and primed a dresser that I got at a thrift store for cheapy cheap that's going in my oldest daughter's room once it's white and beautiful. I hope.

- Spraypainted a bunch of stuff black. I was tired of the decor around the house (candle holders, fake plant baskets, nick nacky stuff) so I spruced it up with some spraypaint. So cheap. So easy. SO FUN!!! I'm totally addicted. Yesterday I dropped a can off to my friend who was having a lousy day. It's a real smile maker :)

- And my favorite accomplishment is that we FINALLY got a full-time aide for our Delaney. She's in Kindergarten and has sooooo needed an aide the entire year. It took five IEP's meetings, a parent advocate, a clinical psychologist that we hired on the side, and a good fight to make it all come together at last. I hate that money gets in the way of a school district doing what's right from the beginning.

5.Do you think you will have any more babies?

Now that we have sold all of our baby furniture hopefully not. I used to think that I wanted three kiddos but I've come to understand that I'm absolutely sure that two is all I can handle :)

(Would you like me to link a blog/site? If so, please copy and paste your link here:)

Don't keep up with my blog anymore, but this is on my to-do list :)

My notes on Denise:

Ah Denise :)  Just look at her gorgeous family.  Those girls are too sweet.  Denise feels like a friend who I've known forever... even though we have never met in real life.  She cracks me up. Especially when she posts pictures of her with her cardboard Edward (and has no shame in doing so ;)  She loves to have fun... and who doesn't want more fun in their life!!  Denise and I have chatted over a few important things in life.  She has asked for my advise... which is one of the biggest compliments I can get.  I do not even flinch when people roll their eyes about meeting friends online... because this is the perfect example that you can have online friends :)  If we lived closer I know we'd be offline friends too :) I can't wait to meet Denise in the flesh... and I know we will be dancing to whatever music is on!

My Life People (Me - Part 6?)

more anwers to questions from My Life People ;)

15. I would like to know how far your craftiness reaches? You scrapbook, you are super awesome with the embroidery...what other hobbies/crafty fun to you have a passion for? :)
Let’s see here. Besides scrapbooking and embroidery I would have to add sewing, baking and cooking. And I like to say I am pretty crafty at making something from nothing when it comes to having ‘nothing’ in the fridge or pantry.  I'll try anything crafty, once :)  But not everything is for me... and about right now, I cannot let myself get into one more thing ;)

16. What is your favorite organization tip(s)?
Oh geez. Ouch. Who asked this question? ;) This is a hard question for me. I am not the most organized person in the world. In fact, I would not call myself organized in the material sense. At all. (Besides my coupons. In a little sorted plastic case/envelope pouch thing from the dollar store.) But… I am a little more organized in a timely ‘here is my to-do list' sense. I am organized when it comes to keeping a daily schedule, which is a list in my head. (Maybe I should add ‘organize the house’ to my list of things to do?) So… my favorite tips. 1. Keep lists. I am a big lister. Of things to do. Ideas for meals. Lists of what the kids say. Lists of groceries to buy. Lists of what’s on sale. Just make lists!! It gives you a sense of feeling organized, if nothing else ;)  And 2. keep a schedule.  (You can see just how organized I am by the organization of this answer alone ;)

My Life People ~Meet Paula!~

It's My Life People! 

Segment 13 starring...

Paula, aka Aunt Paula!!

1. How do you know me?
The first time I met you was scrapbooking. You were a friend of my sister, Sandra. Over many crops and meals, we got to know each other=)

2. What is the one TV show that you just HAVE to watch every week?
Lost--oh yeah, it's over=( Project Runway, for the few months it's on. Regular season--House

3. Name 3 things always in your fridge.
Water, cheese and ketchup (and no, I don't eat them all together;))

4. What are your top 5 favorite books?

I knew I shouldn't have asked you this, cause it's come back to bite me=) Working at the library, I have too many, but I'll try. In no particular order:

1. My Most Excellent Year: a Story of Love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park by Steve Kluger

2. Shattering Glass by Gail Giles

3. ANYTHING by Sarah Dessen--she's my favorite author and I can't pick just one of her books

4. The Harry Potter series with the exception of number 5

5. The following series, which are similar in there own way: The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, The Lorien Legacies by Pitticus Lore (I Am Number Four is the first book so far, the movie will be released in Feb), and Matched trilogy by Ally Condie (Matched is the first book and was just released in November)

5. Bottomless gift cards to which 3 stores?

Hobby Lobby, Fashion Bug, and while not a store--overstock.com

Check out Paula's Etsy store!   www.etsy.com/shop/psyouneedthis

My notes on Paula:
Paula is pretty much awesome.  I am so glad she is Sandra's sister, and I got to meet her :) (So she is my friend now too!) Paula is one of the most kind, giving, selfless people that I know.  She goes above and beyond as a friend, aunt, sister, employee, artist, crafter... you name it.  She is there!  She opened her home to our little scrapbook group so that we have a girls only place to scrap once a month.  Paula shares her recipes with me, which of course, I love. And she is always there to tell us how to spell our words ;)  Unlike me... Paula has style.  Her house is bright blue.  Definitely cool.  And she always has fun and funky hair.  And I mean funky in a very good way.  Aunt Paula is the best :)

My Life People ~Meet Arminda!~

Hello 12th segment of My Life People...
meet Arminda!!

1. How do you know me?

We met through blogging. Which is weird considering we went to the same church at the time. :)

2. Tell us 5 positive addictions you have.

1. Blogging

2. Photography

3. Baking (it's positive because others benefit from it! ;)

4. Coffee (otherwise mommy doesn't act quite right)

5. Music

3. What is something you find interesting? Beautiful? Intriguing? Perfect?

The sky! I'm a sucker for astronomy and meteorology. Anything and everything up there, it doesn't matter. Clouds, the weather, stars, planets, meteor showers, the moon, all of it. There isn't much else that proves (to me at least) the awesomeness of our God!

4. 5 things recently crossed off your to-do list

1. Make a rag quilt.

2. Plan a lunch date with my mother-in-law.

3. Mail Christmas cards.

4. Finish Christmas shopping.

5. Be chosen for your My Life People. Like for real.

5. If you had to guess right now what do you think your children are going to grow up and become for their professions? and why?

Well my oldest son, R, who is days away from turning six is the most outgoing, friendly person I have every met. People tease that he's going to grow up to be a politician because he just HAS to meet everyone he sees! However I have seen him already witnessing to some of the neighborhood kids this summer so I wouldn't be surprised if he grew up to be a pastor. :)

My youngest, M, who is three is so gentle and quiet. This is a hard one to answer for him because he follows big brother around so much. :) But if I had to pick one thing I would say maybe a veterinarian? Or something with the zoo. He loves animals and is so gentle with our cat. He carries his little stuffed animals around and he "fixes" them when they are sick or have boo boos. So that's my guess. :)

Check out Arminda's blog.   http://www.allthatriffraff.blogspot.com/

(you will be glad you did.)

My notes on Arminda:
Oh Arminda :) I love this girl.  She is one of the few special "Me too.Same here.I hear ya." girls in my life. She has a way of brightening my spirits at the exact moment that I am needing a little sunshine.  She is in my life for a bigger reason than I can imagine and I am so glad that we found each other.  And I am so grateful for that one time I stalked her down at the grocery store to give her a hug in real life ;)  When I think of Arminda... I think of many things.  Her beautiful photography talent.  Her craftsy abilities.  Her heart.  Her true spoken words.  The obstacles that she has overcome and let grow her.  The 3 handsome men in her life.  But mostly I think this of Arminda.  "Beautiful woman of God."  And I am reminded again what a blessing I have in her.

My Life People ~Meet Dave!~

The 11th segment of My Life People...

meet Dave :)

1. How do you know me?

You are my wife, best friend and sweetie girl

2. You get to go to a car lot and pick out whatever you want… what do you pick?

Are you kidding me.. Just one car..WOW..mmmm.. I think I would pick either a Toyota FJ, Subaru WRX, BMW 3 series XI all wheel drive wagon or Subaru Outback sport wagon. How I would pick I have no idea. (My budget would tell me what I would be able to get.)

3. Would you like to have more babies?

Yes, just one but my luck we'll have twins ;)

4. You get to eat out tonight. Where do you go and what do you order?

Starliner Diner and I would order one of their daily specials

5. What do you want for your birthday?

New undershirts ;)

My notes on Dave:

Dave is my best friend. In. the. whole. world.  He has been since we were 17 years old.  Of the (few;) things that frustrate me about him... there are 10 times as many things that I love and admire about him.   He lets me be me, which I love.  Even when I am far from loveable. We balance each other in so many arenas.  He's atheletic.  He's confident.  He's positive.  He is prompt.  He can fix most anything.  He can build about anything.  He grows a great garden.  He does laundry and dishes.  He cleans the toliets and mows the grass.  He tells me the only reason my high heel knee high boots are tight is because my calves are bigger from running.  He tells me I don't need makeup.  And that my cooking is delicious.  He says I am a good mommy.  He lets me cry. And he doesn't get too bothered by my many many oddities.  He works hard so that I can be home with our babies.  And he sacrifies so much because I am home with our babies. He is the perfect husband for me, and the greatest daddy to our kids... I love you sweetie boy. You make me proud. You are my super man. 

And December 6th is his birthday. 
One of my favorite days ever.

My Life People ~Meet Cohen!~

It's back (again)... My Life People!

it's been a while... huh?

My 10th segment starring....

the little man :)

Cohen

You may have seen him around before ;)

1.How do you know me?

Because you’re Mom.

2. What are your top 5 favorite books?

Hockey. All hockeys.

I like that monkey one.

Tools.

Buddy’s Bednight Time.

That one that Snider’s got us.

3. Tell me 3 things you do almost every day.

Play hockey.
Habadada.
Play baseball.
That all.

4. Tell us how to make the perfect sandwich.
Peanut jelly.
I make it with no bread.
Ha. Is that silly mom?

5.  Does daddy play hockey tonight?

C: No.

Me: are you sure?

C: No

My notes on Cohen:

this is my favorite little man. in. all. the. world.  really.  this kid makes me want to have 10 more kids.  his dimples. his spike. his giggle.  too much cuteness.  he is silly. he is smarter than we know. he's always surprising us with what's going on in that little 3 year old mind. he cracks us up. he is just the right amount of toughness and gentleness.  and he's ornery too. he loves his hockey. any sport really. but he's also a great little daddy to the baby dolls.  he smacks our rears. he sings. he dances. he never stops. he holds our cheeks when he gives us kisses. love you little man.

books.

remember my 'my life people' series?
i know. it's been a while.

Paula asked me about my top 5 favorite books.

Well. I don’t have a favorite.
or even 5 top favorites.
And if I did. they wouldn’t even be grown up books.
(sorry to cop out of the question… but here is my answer.)

I love picture books.

Love them. A lot.

It’s probably the thing I miss most about teaching.

Being right there in all the newness of great kid books.

the stories.  the characters.  the pictures.

I think it’s safe to say I collect books.

(picture books, that is.)

I don’t buy them new. Surprise.

I garage sale them. Thrift store them.

Accumulate them.

So... here's a list of a few favorites in our home library.

The ones I really really love.

(As in, it will be really hard for me to ever get rid of them.)

I’m sure I missed a ton. And i will feel bad they aren’t on the list.

(and i will add them later. probably.)

Quiet as a Cricket

The Napping House

In My World

No Baths for Tabitha

My Great Aunt Arizona

In the Tall Tall Grass

One Lucky Girl

Marsupial Sue

The Library

We All Sing with the Same Voice

The Old Woman Who Named Things
Annabelle’s Awful Waffle

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

Have You Seen Birds?

Harvey Potter’s Balloon Farm

Things That Are Most in this World

Stand Tall Molly Lou Melon

A House is a House for me

Roberto the Insect Architect

There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon

A Fish out of Water

I was a 2nd grade Werewolf

The Pain and the great one

(Anything by David Shannon….)

Alice the Fairy

No David

Bad Case of the Stripes

(Lots of Kevin Henkes too…)

Lilly and the purple plastic purse
Julius, the baby of the world

The Bad Good Manners Book

(Jamie Lee Curtis has lots of fun ones…)

When I Was Little
Maisie

There’s one I want to add to our collection.

One book I remember loving when I was little…

And Rain Makes Applesauce.

I’m not sure if we had this book growing up or not.

Or if it was just a book that I loved.

I remember being infatuated with the illustrations.

So much that I remember it still today.

I can still see the pictures in my head.

I’ve been reading and hearing things all over the place about picture books going out of style. Literally. That makes me so so sad.

I enjoy technology as much as the average person.

But come on? No more books!?!
Books should never be replaced.
I can’t imagine a world without them.

We will be supporting out local libraries on the November ballot.

Hope you support yours.

And to prove I do read books for grown ups.

Here’s a little stack.

Garage sale, loaned, and gifted books.

I’m lucky if I read 2 a year.
I like to pass them on when I’m done.
Whoever wants The Notebook and Running with Scissors can have them.

i'd love to know what you are reading.
for yourself.

or to you kids.

My Life People ~Meet Kelli!~

It's back... My Life People!
My 9th segment starring....

Kelli W!

1.How do you know me?

Jen and I met while working together at Gen's Hallmark in Bowling Green. We were both attending BGSU while working there. A funny story that I will always remember is that we both started crying during one of our very first conversations. We had to quickly wipe away our tears before a customer came to checkout. It doesn't take much to get us to cry though! After that conversation, it started a life-long friendship. Even though we are a lot farther apart now, we have remained great friends! I wish we lived closer so we could see each other more often. We became such good friends that I was a bridesmaid in her wedding and she was my Matron of Honor in my wedding. (and she was a GREAT Matron of Honor too, as I'm sure you all can imagine!)

2. Tell me 5 things on your to-do list.

My brother is getting married this weekend, which adds a lot to my to-do list, so here are a few things....

a. manicure/pedicure

b. eye brow wax

c. tanning

d. laser hair removal appt

e. pick up Dan and Caden's tux

3. What song would be your theme song?/What's your favorite song?

Well these days I pretty much just listen to toddler tunes, so as for my theme song/favorite song, I don't really know. I guess the song that I have been playing over and over these days is Forever by Chris Brown. The bridal party for my brother's wedding is entering the reception to this song so I am coordinating a dance routine for the bridal party per the bride and groom's request! So, I have the song playing over and over in my head! It's catchy, I like it!

4. You get to go to a car lot and pick out whatever you want… what do you pick?

Hmmm... well I love cars, especially getting new cars (who doesn't) but the one I would pick right now if I could get anything is the Lexus GX 10. Seems like a great family vehicle!

5. If you could go any where, Where would you go?

Well, you know that I LOVE to travel..... and there are sooo many places I still want to go. However, traveling very far with Caden (our 14 month old) is a challenge. I think a 4 hour flight is about the max, so that limits a lot of places I want to go, and I could never leave him behind! But if I could go anywhere and distance wasn't a factor, I would choose Fiji! Maybe someday!

My notes on Kelli:

Kelli is one of my greatest friends ever. From the very beginning we had so many 'me too!' moments :)  We've been through a lot of big life moments together... dating, engagements, showers, weddings, graduations, moves, pregnancies, babies. Our phone calls are a minimum of one hour long.  We've become a part of each others' families.  And though she lives in the state up north, we still love her :)  We love each other for our similarities, as much as we love each other for our differences.  I'm not sure if there are 2 other people in the world who wanted to be mommies more than Kelli and I.   And now we are :)  Love you Kelli!!!

Forever on the dance floor :)

My Life People ~Meet Katie!~

the 8th segment of My Life People is here!
starring...

the one...

the only...

Katie!!
(or as i like to say in my head... katie j :)

I sent Katie her questions:
1. How do you know me?
2. Tell us how to make the perfect sandwich
3. What is one life long goal you hope to accomplish?
4. What are you the queen of?
5. Tell me 5 things recently crossed off your to-do list?

and here is what she sent back ;)

Dear People in Jen's Life:
I'm also a person in Jen's life. I started to do my questionnaire and decided my answers were a little bit boring - scrapbooking friends, I don't like them, go to the olympics, queen of talking, to-dos - status report, actuals and estimates, laundry, lunch with jill and dishes - are you sleeping yet? I know I am right - not that these aren't great questions but my answers really are nothing special right? So I thought to myself what can I do to jazz this up? (insert thinking katie here)

And it came to me I could write you a letter and tell you about myself. So let's get this underway shall we...

I should probably talk about what I do first - my business cards say Senior Consultant but let's be real this doesn't say boo about what I do - I'm a Training Project Manager/Instructional Designer - which means I manage training scope, budget, quality, people and schedules as well as I write course ware for these projects. My job sends me traveling and I spend anywhere from 50-75% of the time working where I don't live - case and point the last 2+ years I've been working in Boston for two different clients.
I live in a little bungalow in Indianapolis, Indiana. I have a red door, a ugly kitchen, a garage studio, and a whole wall of photos. Two of my brothers live with me - the Schreve and Jono although Schreve isn't here much. Soon we will have a new short term roommate. Indianapolis is great city - rich in history, arts and nice people - although sometimes I think it lacks some diversity.
I have fractured my skull, I sent 50 postcards to other Katie Joneses in December, I make lists of things to do, I cannot sing on key or with the right words, I have a celebrity crush on jason schwartzmen, and I will talk your ear off if you let me - literally.

Things I love - gum, bowls, cooking, sewing, taking photos, thrift store shopping, the color green, travel, meeting new people, water chestnuts, god, bare feet, recycling, quilts, learning new things, painting, 90210 old school style, handmade things, markers, bikes, family, the upper peninsula michigan, cupcakes, flip flops, friends, polar bears, scrapbooking, old pictures, rugby, olympics, soup and more.

I hope I didn't bore you to death this got a lot longer than intended. But I think Jen & her family are the BEST.

Katie Jones
http://katajone.blogspot.com/

My notes on Katie:
as you can tell. katie is fun. funky. fun. creative. fun. crafty. her crafting style is amazing. from her scrapbook pages, her photography, her sewing, her cooking, her thrifting, her love of taking cute feet and shoe pictures ;) just go to her blog people and see how fun she is. 'best of life seen all week'... the name alone is great!! she has fun where ever she goes!! here are some of my recent favorites from her blog. sleeveface (ha!). eggrolls (yum!). postcards to other katie joneses (how fun is this???) as a fellow crafter, i am in awe of katie's originality. her creativity. her spunk. her awesomeness :) she has a wondeful relationship with her mom and siblings. and she has some great friends in her life. thanks katie, for sharing your fun self with me. you make me smile... and want to get my craft on ;)

My Life People ~Meet Karen!~

Another segment of My Life People!

The 7th segment to be specific...

meet Karen :)

1. How do you know me?

Through IDOS scrapbooking. Found out also my mom knew your dad through work and my nephew was on your dad's baseball team that he coached Key Bank I think. It's a small world.

2. What is your most remembered Halloween costume?
When I was kid it was a homemade cleaning lady costume. Recent one is jack o lantern my niece and nephew made me and witch costume.

3. If you could meet one person in history, who would it be and why?
Vivien Thomas the pioneer Dr. who discovered how to fix heart problems. You can watch a movie about him called Something the Lord Made. The next person would be Mother Teresa. She was so giving and endured a lot.

4. Which girls scout cookie(s) could you eat an entire box of by yourself?
Mint Chocolate or tag alongs or the shortbread cookies.

5. What do you want for your birthday?
Gift cards to Hobby Lobby or Joanns besides good heath for family and friends My birthday is kind of far away right now at the end of July.

My notes on Karen:
In 2001-ish, I started posting on an online scrapping site. I 'met' Karen on that site, and we soon realized that she lived in my hometown! We started chatting through there, and eventually we met in real life. Now I feel like she is a part of my family! Karen is one of the sweetest people that I know. She is a great friend... kind and thoughtful. She is also wonderful to her many nieces and nephews. She is so proud of each of them and loves her job as a professional Aunt :) She is a very dedicated scrapbooker, and she keeps albums for the kids. I think her camera is always by her side :) I don't think I have ever seen Karen without a smile, and she has a wonderful giggle that goes right along with that grin. Even after dealing with some pretty heafty surgeries and recoveries, she keeps on smiling... and I really look up to her for being such a strong person, inside and out! We've visited Karen a number of times, but after looking for pictures to share here... I realized that it has been too long since our last visit!! Once this snow melts we will have to plan another visit ;)

p.s. I hope you have a photo of you as a cleaning lady for Halloween. That is priceless! (and can you believe we've known each other for almost 10 years?? is that right?!?)

My Life People (Me - Part 4)

so i dont know if this should really be part of My Life People... but my dear husband did leave me this question, so technically i guess it should go here ;)

The question... What do you want for your birthday?

i guess i can't ignore that one.

turning 30 was pretty horrible for me.

but 31 doesnt really bother me a bit.

yet.

i do hope this birthday is nicer than the last.

i still have 2 months to get there.

but my hubby likes to shop early :)

and mother's day follows shorty after.

so feel free to let this list overflow into May, sweetie boy.

Here is my birthday wish list for my 31st year of life.

in no particular order :)

chamilia April and March birthday stone beads.

the chamilia camera bead :)

a new Vera Bradley backpack.

(i *think* i like the pattern below the best right now.)

i use mine daily and ive been informed that my current one is a bit grungy.

i prefer to say that it is very well loved.oh my.

this cookbook please.

to further my addiction with homemade food.

(which makes running a MUST in my life.)

homemade soup recipes?

yes please.

i'll stop there.

that's plenty.

oh. one more. just remembered.

a new pair of these please.

(arminda... we got them at target the 1st go around)though no need for an ipod now.
we found a used one on craig's list this weekend for $25!

sweet. (who says that anymore? me i guess)

... and this was my last MLP question, so if you want to know anything else, you're going to have to go leave me a question :) and that means i get to interview you too :)

My Life People ~Meet Sandra!~

The 6th segment of My Life People is here!
Meet Sandra Simpson :)

(I had to share a good shot of her hair :)

And now... to Sandra's answers!

1.How do you know me?
We are very good friends. We meet at the Preschool our kids went/go to, then started scrapbooking together and now are just great friends! :)

2. Name 3 things always in your fridge.
Oh...that is a tough one, I have WAY more then 3 things that are ALWAYS in my fridge, but I will go w/filtered water, Mt. Dew (that is all Stacy drinks!) and ketchup... is there any other condiment???

3. What 5 movies should I (meaning Jen) watch very soon?
Well if that isn't a question perfect for me...the only problem is there is no way I can only pick 5...I swear I tried...so here is my list of the top 20 (or so!!!) in no particular order - and none of these are movies that are at the theater right now, I went with all "older" movies - and just all around great movies that I love - all different types of movies too!!! And Jen, I own all of these movies, so if you want to borrow any of them, just let me know.

Pirates of the Caribean 1, 2 and 3
Oceans 11, 12 and 13 (I LOVE George Clooney!!!)
Son-in-law
The Ref
Enemy at the Gate (Great War movie)
UP
Steel Magnolias
Iron Man
Desperado
Wedding Planner
Batman: Dark Knight
Enchanted
Sweet Home Alabama
Outsiders
White Squal
Braveheart
Evita
Gladiator

4. You get a guilt free day… tell me about it.
I would go shopping...and I would buy all new clothes for me and not have to worry about the cost or a budget. I would probably buy all kinds of stuff for the house too, new big screen TV, Wii games, anything really, just not have to worry about how much money I spent or feel bad about spending it...that would be GREAT!!!

5. What is the best vacation you have ever been on?
So before kids, my parents took Me, Stacy and my sister, Paula, on a Cruise to the southern caribbean...it was sooooo much fun. Just the five of us, it was over Christmas too. It was just the best experience ever, the food, the sights, the excursions, all of it. It was just a fabulous trip and we will never forget it.

Check out Sandra with her adorable kids... oh so cute!!

My Notes on Sandra:

I started jotting down some notes on Sandra over the weekend, so I thought it'd be fun to copy and paste them raw right here...

-Sandra and I met through the preschool :) (See I told you I LOVE that place... for so many reasons.)

-Sandra and I share the same type of brain. We think the same way about many many things. You know those people you just connect with, and are constantly saying... "Me too!"? We do that. A lot.

-She tells THE. BEST. STORIES. The kinds that you don't get tired of hearing. The ones you want to hear over and over again.

-She is genuinely funny. Always makes me laugh. She honestly cracks me up… from the list of words she can’t stand, to her 'lack-of-love' for a certain grocery store, glitter, mushrooms, and tomatoes ;)

-She shows her true feelings. There is no hiding it. If she’s happy... you know it. If she’s not... you know it. I love that about her.

-When I'm down, she hears it in my voice. She asks me 'what’s up'. And she really means it. She listens, and asks questions. She truly cares.

-Sandra is so giving. Of her time, her friendship, her scrapbook supplies (like when I need some dinosaur brads), her true opinion, her movie collection :)

-She asks me to help her. She asks for my advice. Which makes me feel special. And I need that.

-She's a tad like me. Check out her list of movies (does that remind you of my song list?) And how about her answer to #4? do you think I could have written that myself? (And she asked me to fix any typos. hello. i am the spellcheck freak. grammer and punctuation, not so much.)

-She makes her own laundry detergent. And gave me the boost (and a sample and the recipe) I needed to make my own too!

Sandra is another 'newer' friend that I am so grateful to have in my life. Amazing how even now, as an 'adult', I am making all sorts of new friends whom I could not imagine my life without!!

(And by the way Sandra, you are not too boring for a blog… but I do know you are a busy lady and you probably do enjoy getting to sleep at night ;)

My Life People ~Meet Julie!~

Moving right along now to the 5th segment of My Life People... introducing Julie!
I'll let you use your awesome deductioning skills

to figure out who she is ;)

Here are Julie's answers to the 5 questions I asked her :)

1. How do you know me?
I met Jen when Lilly was in my class a few years ago. I have really enjoyed getting to know the whole family. I have had so much fun scrapbooking with Jen. It’s has turned into a great friendship.

2. If you could have any job, what would you really like to do?
I really love my job working with all kinds of children from age 3-8 except for the paper work. So I guess if anyone knows a job that I could work with kids and make the same money without the paperwork let me know. I’m all ears.

3. You can have bottomless gift cards to 3 stores, name them.
This is a hard one because I hate to go shopping. I would go to REI because I could get all my fun outdoor stuff from biking, kayaking, and hiking, Joann’s for all the scrapbooking stuff and Giant Eagle for all the groceries since it’s the closest store to my house.

4. What song would be your theme song?
Teach Your Children by Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young Or Times Like These by the Foo Fighters What's your favorite song? I don’t really have one. I love all different kinds of music from Michael Buble, Josh Groban, Social Distortion, Dixie Chicks, The Cure, Brownie Mary (I use to be a groupie when they sang in Columbus) Snow Patrol, American idol singers and much much more.

5. Name 5 things in your purse/bag?
I like to carry a little purse. I’m actually looking for a new one right now. Let’s see Cash, credit card, hand lotion, chap stick and my phone, nothing too exciting.

My notes on Julie:

Julie is one of my newest friends. I am so so grateful to have met Julie through Lilly's preschool!!! (Another reason why I LOVE that place.... have I said that before?) I am so glad that I stepped over the teacher/parent line (and Julie let me...) without being too much of a stalker, to become friends with her! The 1st time that I knew Julie was something extra special was when she brought her kayak into the classroom :) She has proven herself an amazing person time and time again... ice skating in shaving cream at school, coming to Lilly's lemonade stand, her gymnastics class... and then we invited them over for a Wii 'party' and now we feel so lucky to call her and her husband, John, our friends! I so much enjoy my time with Julie.... scrapping (and eating), sharing all kinds of stories about our adorable husbands, my silly kids, and now stories about pregnancy and babies (my old stories... Julie's current stories)! We can't wait till the Spring to meet little Julie or John :) (ps. i LOVE your mix of music and that you are so practical with your bottomless gift cards!!)

My Life People (Me- Part 3)

(part 3 of questions for me... from My Life People)
(and actually, the last of the questions, unless more of you join in ;)

1. What song would be your theme song?/What's your favorite song?
Oh. Tough one. I love music. And many songs speak to me in one way or another (or they don’t speak to me, I just like them), but I don’t think I can single out one over any other.

So…
here is a very random smidgen of some that I love (by scanning through my itunes library)…

Just Fine by Mary J. Blige
Love Rollercoaster by The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Love Story by Taylor Swift
You Belong with Me by Taylor Swift (ok, anything by her… im a sap for the teenage love songs)
Go Light Your World by Chris Rice
Boondocks by Little Big Town
California Love by 2Pac
1, 2, 3, 4 by The Plain White T’s
No Rain by Blind Melon
Carry On Wayward Son by Kansas
Mr. Jones by Counting Crows
Round Here by Counting Crows
Crazy by Gnarls Barkley
Killing Me Softly by The Fugees
Hide and Seek by Imogen Heap
Down in the Hole by James Taylor
Walk by Faith by Jeremy Camp
Mr. Blue Sky by Electic Light Orchestra
Photograph by Nickleback
Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley
Lump by The Presidents of the United States of America
Lose My Soul by Toby Mac
Regulate by Warren G
Stay by Lisa Loeb
All Summer Long by Kid Rock
Cowboy Take Me Away by The Dixie Chicks*
(*eta: as i just heard it on pandora and was reminded!!)

HA! I actually laughed out loud with this mix of music. There is a bit of everything here, but that’s me! and there are plenty more that i love that didn't even make it to this list...

2. What is something you find interesting? Beautiful? Intriguing? Perfect?
Hmmm… the thing that first comes to mind, to each of the 4 adjectives... is the whole process of pregnancy and childbirth… from before conception to after delivery. I have always been overly fascinated with the amazing complexity and pure miracle that it all is. I would call the whole journey interesting, beautiful, intriguing and perfect.

3. How about, what is one life long goal you hope to accomplish?
Yikes. These questions are rough! Wow. Life long goal. I’m just living week to week these days :) I guess life long… my goal is to be truly truly happy. To be proud of what I do. To be proud of what I give. To be self-confident and fearless in whatever life throws my way. To be surrounded by people who love and support me, and to reflect those same things to all who are around me. And most of all, to have raised children that can say the same… that they are happy, self-confident, and proud of themselves.

4. What is the best vacation you have ever been on?
We haven’t been on many diverse vacations, but I can say for sure the best vacation I have been on was this past summer to Atlantic Beach. The sun, the beach, the pools, the napping, the eating… everything was just wonderful! Honestly though, I am not sure that it was as much the location as the fact that it was just us. This was our first vacation as a family, and we really enjoyed having the opportunity to experience that. (Though I am sure being at a beautiful beach has something to do with the overall experience :)

5. Daddy play hockey night?
This is a question I hear daily. Is Daddy playing hockey tonight? Asked in the most sincere and adorable way by the most precious little 2 year old boy that I know. Many times this is the first thing I hear in the morning, and the last thing I hear at night. And to answer the question, for this particular day… No Cohen, Daddy is not playing hockey tonight :)

(if you have more questions for me... you have to play along!)

My Life People ~Meet April!~

Introducing... the 4th segment of My Life People...
April Poknis!!

Here are April's answers to the question I asked her over a month ago... I'm slacking. (So some of April's answers to questions #2 may be obsolete by now...)

1. How do you know me? I am one of Jen's many many cousins :)

2.Tell me 5 things on your to-do list.
1. Grade the papers piling up on my kitchen table
2. Buy and hang blinds for our NEW windows!
3. Re-finish the dresser we bought from Goodwill
4. Pack up my summer clothes and get out the winter things :(
5. Finish my book :)

3. What is the one TV show that you just HAVE to watch every week?
Oh geez, there's so many! I guess my favorite right now would be Glee!

4. What are 3 things you like to find in your stocking or Easter basket?
1. Scratch off lottery tickets - thanks Dad :)
2. Peeps
3. Reese's eggs

5. What movie could you watch over and over and over?
High School Musical...1, 2, & 3...I know it's silly, but they put me in a great mood :)


April says "I don't have a blog! Maybe I should create one!"
Jen says "Yes. maybe you should :)"

My notes on April:
I was so happy to get to see April over Thanksgiving, along with most of our other tons of cousins :) Seems like just yesterday we were those little people in the photos above! Now we are all grown up, and we need to make sure our next visit is not so far between. April and I share a love for Glee and High School Musical. (And we also share the ability to admit that we love those high school singing shows.) April is a teacher, and I am sure all of her kids just love her to pieces. Our Grandma was a teacher, and I know she would be proud :) Though we weren't super close growing up, and even now we are in different states, it is so nice to have kept in touch and I do feel like we are a part of each others lives!! April is always giving me warm fuzzies for the silly things I do here on my blog, and that means a lot to me :) Thanks April!!! (oh, and Sancho is awesome... Chris is too!)

P.S. Thanks Aunt T for those vintage photos ;) Were we not the cutest things ever??