Switch

Day 28:  A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day.

I know I probably should think of something more deep and meaningful, but today I really don't feel like that would be true.   You know how I feel about royalty.   I would truly like to trade places with Kate Middleton for one day.   I'd like to see what it's like to be getting ready to become a princess.  It must be exciting and terrifying all at the same time.  Plus, she is in a position to wear fantastic hats that I could never pull off in real life.

And you never know...she might really like to be a student affairs administrator at a small liberal arts college in NY...

THE END.

Of the February Foto Challenge.  Thanks for sticking with me through it. 

Makes Me Smile

Day 27:  A picture that always makes you smile.

This picture reminds me of a really great night in my life (for a few reasons)  awww.  I wish I could relive that night every weekend.  It was amazing!

 

And for the record, I have a LOT of pictures that make me smile.  This was difficult. It's a good thing I watched the Oscars with Gillian (on the left) while I looked through pictures! 

Fear

Day 26:  A picture of something you're afraid of.

Now, this is something that you should all know about me.  I think cottage cheese is perhaps the most disgusting thing ever.  I have never tasted it because I'm so fearful of the taste that I can't even get it close to my face.  YUCK.  I don't even like to be near someone eating it.  So I'd say I have a strong enough dislike that it makes me fearful.  yikes.

But my real fear is fire.  I am always concerned about fire in a building.  I always think of my escape plan in new places.  I really worry about getting my cats out too.  It actually really makes me feel scared thinking about it.  Especially getting my cats out. Ugh.  Terrifying.



This wasn't a very uplifting one today.  I think this has been my least favorite one. 

Bro Joe

Day 25:  A picture of yourself and a family member.

 I bet you thought I was an only child,  huh?  I have been told that before, but I do have a brother, Joe. And the funny thing is I think people think that my brother is an only child as well.  My family is complicated now but before it got complicated, we have a lot of fun memories of our childhood and growing up together.   He's a good guy!   We couldn't be more different.   Which is good...I don't think my family could take two of me.  whoa.  :)

The Rocker

Day 24:  A picture of something that means a lot to you.

This rocking chair belonged to my Grandma G.  She was a teacher and this was in her classroom.  She gave it to me a few years ago and I treasure it.  My Grandma is a great woman and I look up to her.  She and I went to the same college and both were in the elementary education program.  I love that we share that common bond.  Although I loved teaching little kids, my career took a different turn and I have ended up being in higher education.  But I feel that I teach my students every single day and I love my career as much as I think Grandma did.  So every time I look at the rocking chair I think of her and how I hope to be the kind of teacher she was. 

My Day

Day 23:  A picture of your day.


Well, I didn't really think to take a picture of too much today.  It was busy as soon as I walked into my office until about an hour ago. 

I did my director staff meeting with my coffee.  Then I spent the day catching up on stuff in my office.

 I wore a new nail polish (Suzi Loves Cowboys).  If you don't know about the nail polish nook--get on board.

 Since tonight was one of the rare nights that I didn't have a night meeting, a few friends and I went to a Wine night at a local restaurant. 

 Angie, me and, Alli

 Angie & Me

  Sara, Me & Angie.  

 It was a good day.  I was in a good mood, things went well at work and I ended the evening with lovely company.  Next month, I want my other ladies to go to this event.  It was fun!

I Wish I Could Change

Day 22:  A picture of something you wish you could change.

I don't regret much in my life because I feel like some of the forks in the road have brought me to this very moment.

BUT, there is one thing I wish I could change about my past.  I wish I could go back in time and not smoke that first cigarette that caused me to smoke for a period in my life.  I hated it while I was doing it, I hated admitting I did it.  I hated the smell, the taste, everything about it.  Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. 

Happily, I have quit that awful habit (for a few years now) and I will never again be a smoker.  I almost hate to have a picture of cigarettes on here but I think it's important that I'm honest about what I'd really change.  And I'm SO thankful that it's not a part of my life anymore.  Someday I'll write more about quitting and what I learned about myself in the process.  But for now I'm going to gaze upon the cute shoes in my closet that I can afford because I'm not throwing money away on cigarettes.

Nailed It

Well, I think my February Foto challenge is only fun for me.  I don't think it is that exciting for anyone reading my blog.  I don't know why I care if people read because in theory this is supposed to be something for me, but I guess I still want to know people are reading.  Is that bad of me? I sometimes wonder how some blogs get so many people reading.  And some that have a million followers don't write about anything so specific.  hmmmm.  Blog land is a very interesting place.  Oh well, I know there are a few of you actually reading out there.  :)

Anyway, I haven't written about anything in real life for awhile.  My oral surgery went well and I'm still in a little pain at night, but nothing that the good pain meds don't fix.  I am still careful about eating on one side of my mouth and brushing my teeth doesn't feel as satisfying because I'm not brushing as hard as usual.  BUT, overall I feel really good now.  That tooth was not right and it was affecting me a lot. 

Before going back to work and the dental stuff, I had a week off from work so I spent a lot of it reading magazines that had been piling up.  And I've mentioned before that magazine reading is serious business for me.  I clip things out and put them in my special binder of ideas and inspiration. I found something cool in one that I tried out--how to whiten your nails after you wear a lot of dark polish.

I figured I'd take some pictures as I did the process.

Combine in a bowl (I got a clear bowl because it seemed more official for this process):

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 lemon juice

Doesn't it look like an egg mixture?  It's really olive oil and lemon juice, I promise.

Soak your nails for about 10 minutes (or really any amount of time you want).  I watched TV whilst soaking my nails.

I buffed and polished my nails after the soaking was complete. Look how clean they look! haha...I have no idea if it worked or not,  but I feel like they looked really nice and clean.  They felt great after.  The olive oil softens cuticles.

And for good measure, this is after I painted them.  I used Angora Cardi by Essie. 

Okay, I should get back to work this afternoon.  I need to think of more interesting thing to blog about after the February challenge is over. 

Keep it real!

Favorite Book

Day 21:  A picture of your favorite book.

 I love to read.  I love so many books that this is hard.  But the last book I felt I couldn't put down was the Da Vinci Code.  I know it was popular and overtalked about for a few years but I found it fascinating. 

And  just because I don't like to be limited to one, I wanted to share that I loved this book too.

I have so many books to read.  I am looking forward to my vacation coming up in March so I can catch up on my reading...

Happy Monday!

Hair Love

Day 20:  A picture of a physical feature you love.

It's ironic how this comes up after I just said my biggest insecurity is my physical appearance.  But as I said, I do like my red hair.  And to be honest, I think my hair in general is pretty good.  It can be curly or straight.  All in all, I am thankful for my thick head of  hair. 

This picture is after I got a bump it a few years ago.  I do love me some big hair!

Travel

Day 19:  A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel.

I feel like I just talked about my desire to travel a few days ago.  So I'll pick another place I'd like to visit....Greece. 

I think I would love it there.  This may be a sign that I need a new passport.  I'm putting this on my to do list now...

Back in the Day

Day 18:  A picture of you when  you were little.

love the outfit! ha.

Insecurity

Day 17:  A picture of your biggest insecurity.

My physical appearance. Seriously.  It's gotten better as I've gotten older but I think about it all too much.  This includes weight. 

I didn't know what picture to use so I just used my current profile picture.  Don't worry, I don't think it's all bad.  I do like my red hair.  :)

Life Impact

Day 16:  A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently.

This is timely because I  have oral surgery scheduled for tomorrow.  Nothing  serious, just to fix something that isn't working out (a root canal).  But it's been impacting my life a lot in the last few weeks.  I can't wait until it's over. 

Is it sad that I'm looking forward to an afternoon of medicated sleep tomorrow.  And a milkshake.

Inspirational

Day 15:  A picture of someone who inspires you.

Wow.  This is a hard one.  I get inspired by many people in any given day.  But when I think of something that makes me inspired every time I think of it, it's St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. 

My students raise money for St. Jude every year and I'm the advisor to the group so it's become my absolute favorite charitable organization and place to visit.  I've gone to visit the hospital three different times and I feel so humbled every time I'm there.  The life saving work that occurs there is inspirational and the hospital is magical. Every person that works there is incredible and really believes in the work they do.  Every patient shows courage and pure spirit.  And every person that I've ever heard speak about St. Jude has been positive about their experience with the hospital.  It's just inspiring to know that such hope exists for the right reason--to save children and help them have a chance to grow up and experience life.  I don't think there is anything that inspires me more than hope.  I truly do love St. Jude!

Bucket List

Day 14:   A picture of something you want to do before you die.

There are lots of things I'd like to do.  I have a list, actually.  But one that is visually appealing for blogging purposes is to visit Scotland.   Actually, travel in general.  I sometimes regret that I wasn't old enough to really appreciate my travels from my younger years.  I would give anything to go back and see the tulips in Holland now.  I didn't quite appreciate it then.

I need to get a new passport.  I didn't make resolutions but I think that will be the one thing I resolve to do in 2011.  And then...the world is mine. Eventually.

Lovely

I had a nice weekend...except for not feeling well for a bit on Saturday.  Otherwise it was nice.  I had all of last week off so I spent the week catching up on magazines, working out and generally doing whatever I wanted.  Today was back to work for me.  It's been a busy day but I wanted to make sure I shared a few fun things from the weekend (in honor of Valentine's Day)

I love Valentine's Day!  I think it's a cute, fun day to celebrate in the middle of the cold winter. 

I picked up this fun little sign on clearance just in time for the day.  It was $4. 

I also figured out what to do with the X's and O's I painted a few weeks ago.  I saw it on a blog somewhere (I can't remember where).  I loved how it turned out.  It's perfect for the mantle in my bedroom. 

I made a very Weight Watcher friendly cake to bring to the office (one piece is 4 pts).  It's not the prettiest cake ever but the point is made that it's festive, right?

And because I'm trying to think ahead and pick up bargains for the future, I found this football themed stuff for under $5. 

I did watch catch the grammys and relaxed before the crazy Monday that I'm experiencing right now.  I will be back later to do my photo challenge but I wanted to wish all of you friends that I know and blog friends a wonderful Valentine's Day filled with things you love! 

Sadie says Happy Hearts Day too!

xoxo

A Decade Ago

Day 13:  A picture of you taken over ten years ago.

 

Wow. Yes, that's me as a high school senior. I've always had a lot of  hair.  But you know what they say...

"the bigger the hair, the closer to Jesus"

Ha Ha!

Happy Sunday!

Favorite Band

Day 12:  A picture of your favorite band or artist.

Pretend you didn't know.

I didn't always love the DMB.  I came to them a little later (post college actually).  I loved them but I don't think I truly appreciated them fully until a few years ago.  And now, I'd be glad to be a groupie. And just for fun, I thought I'd list the shows I've seen.  I actually had to search through some old photo albums for ticket stubs to remember the first few shows.

May 26, 1999--Giants Stadium

August 4, 1999--Hershey Park

August 29, 2000--Saratoga Performing Arts Center

July 29, 2001--Saratoga Performing Arts Center

August 5, 2009--Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

July 13, 2010--Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

November 5, 2010--Times Union Center Albany

November 6, 2010--Wells Fargo Center Philadelphia

Can't wait for the next show!

Something I Love

Day 11:  A picture of something you love.

I love a lot of things in my life.  Obviously.  I really love animals.  All animals.  I'm the kind of girl that will talk baby talk to just about any animal that I come in contact with.  But today I'm gonna share two little faces that I love the most.  Because every single day, they make me smile. 

Sadie

 She's so chubby and cuddly.  She lets me hold her like a baby and wants to cuddle all the time.  She is sweet and mild.  This is her laying above me on the couch one  night.  And she purrs all the time. 

 Gracie 

She's very smart and naughty, but so cute that it's endearing.  She never wants to cuddle outright, but she's the one that sleeps right next to me every single night.  She pretends she's aloof but she's really sweet and friendly.  She'll always be where action is. 

Something I Hate

Day 10:  A  picture of something you hate.

Photo courtesy of Oprah.com


I know it probably seems really silly, but I absolutely dislike chipped nail polish.  So much so that I can't believe I put this picture up.   It really irritates me to no end.  If you can't keep up with nail polish, don't put it on.  I would much prefer seeing naked nails than to see remnants of nail polish from last week or a month ago.  I once confronted a young woman about it (I know her) and she said, "I don't have time in my life to take it off"  Well, if you took the time to put it on and let it dry...you must have the 42 seconds that it would take to have it removed.  Come on.

I think that it looks cheap, trashy and completely lazy.  I absolutely judge this.  I tend to be so passionate about this pet peeve that college students that I work with hide their nails from me if they are chipped.  I even keep nail polish remover in my office for such instances. 

This will be the first chapter in my future book--Lipgloss Lounge, The Guide for Girls. 

Hahaha.  I'm kidding. 

Maybe...

Gotten Me Through It

Day 9:  A picture of the person who has gotten you through the most.

 Along with being the person that I've been closest to the longest, My Dad is also the person that has gotten me through the most.  I think this is a hard one to answer though.  I would say that I have a lot of stubborn independence that I can usually count on to get me through most situations that I encounter.  I feel lucky about that (on most days) but where did that come from?  I think my Dad has taught me a lot of valuable life lessons that I find myself thinking of when the going gets tough.

 

And of course since he's known me the longest, he's seen me through every phase of my life: 

When I learned to ride a bike, he painted the best bike for me (complete with a flower basket on the front and a banana seat)

When I had to do a science project, he was the one that helped me type the paper and create the poster board (we won honorable mention for "Do Goldfish Grow Larger in a Larger Tank")

When I had my first broken heart, he told me that boy was dumb and there would be others that would be much better for me.

When I ran for class president, he helped me come up with my campaign slogan and made me business cards.

 When I was homesick at college, he told me to give it another day.

When I had my first job interview, he practiced how to give a firm handshake with me.

When I was homesick in graduate school, he told me to give it another day.

When I had a broken heart last year, he told me to be patient because the good stuff is worth waiting for.

When I need to know what channel the basket ball game is on, like tonight, I can call him and he'll look it up for me.

Wow!  I hope this doesn't go to his head.  :)  

Happy Wednesday!

Funny Picture

Day 8:  A picture that makes you laugh.

Look my my brother's face.  I have no idea what we were looking at but his face is priceless! 

and my hair is atually kind of funny too!

Treasured Item

Day 7:  A picture of your most treasured item

Meet my blankie.  Yes, blankie.  I don't sleep with it or anything but I love it.  I loved it so much that when I was little,  it was wrecked.  So much so that I was made to believe it was gone forever at one point.  I was sad by that. 

Then when I was in college, my family and I were at my great aunts house.  She gave me a package and inside was my blankie redone.  I guess my parents had given it to her on the sly to repair.  To this day it's one of my favorite material possessions. 

I am  having a sad night so I think this might to the night that blankie actually stays in bed with me.  You know, for old time sake. wink.

Happy Monday!

She's Crafty

This weekend was really busy.  Friday night was Bunco Night--so fun!  Which sparked the idea that Saturday night was going to be craft night with Angie, Sabrina and Sara.  We had pizza and crafted the night away.  I think I'll always be a the kind of girl that enjoys a night on the town equally as much as I love to stay in on a Saturday and craft.  That's why I love where I am in life.  Both are a possiblility any given weekend.  

So anyway, we all made some fun things.  I'll share what I made...

This cute bird plate. 

 It's fabric and a clear plate.  Thank you mod podge--for making it possible.

A little paint, a litte fabric and ribbon and yet another valentine decoration. 

Angie made this cute frame for me.  This is my favorite saying in life.  Not to get all senitmental but I moved around a lot as a kid and I always thought of this when I had to be the new girl at a new school.  It always made me feel better about that.  Even now, I find myself  thinking of it when I'm put in new situations that I find challenging or when I have to be the new girl at something.  I always want to bloom where I'm planted. :)

By the end of a successful craft night, we all picked out ribbon so that we could make ribbon wreaths next.  I hope I picked out some cute ribbon--I can't remember I was tired after all the crafting and laughing.

Last night I watched the superbowl with friends so it was a very nice weekend! 

How was your weekend?

Someone I Miss

Day 6:  A picture of someone you miss

Don't be offended if your face is not the one featured today.  I miss a lot of people a lot of the time.  I have friends and family spread out over a lot of places and some that have passed on so this is hard to narrow down to one. 

So to keep this simple--I miss my friend Cristina.  She moved about a 1/2 hour away from here in September and we haven't quite been able to coordinate schedules for any real quality time.  And I really miss her.  Thank goodness for facebook.  We need to get ourselves together, girl! 

 And I also wanted to mention that I really miss my parents dog Gabby.  I don't go to their house much anymore so I rarely see her and I miss that face.  She is the sweetest dog, ever. 

xoxo to all my friends and family!  I miss you all....

Favorite Memory

Day 5:  A picture of your favorite memory.

It's really hard to narrow down a favorite memory.  I feel like I've had so many wonderful things happen in my life that I can't say..."ow, that was  my favorite."

I do have a particular fondness for the city of Paris and the fun I had there back when I was in high school.  We played softball there several times. I feel lucky to have had the opportunity to travel when I was younger, so these moments stand out to me when thinking of my "favorite" memories.  My dad was one of my coaches for softball so it adds to the fun memories associated. 

I just love this picture of my softball team in front of the Eiffel Tower. 

I'm a lucky girl.

Happy Saturday!

My Night

Day 4:  A picture of your night.

I actually had planned to share last night with you but since I waited to post until right before bed tonight, I actually have something to more interesting to post. 

I went to my friend, Angie's for a Bunco night.  I have played Bunco once before and had a good time.  It was fun tonight and and it was cute because everyone had to bring a little gift so after the game was over we got gifts out of the grab bag.  And there were ladies that I don't really know there so it was fun to meet new people. 

I love this chalkboard in Angie's dining room.

 Sabrina and Angie

 The whole group after we finished. 

I'll be hosting Bunco next month.  I think it'll be a themed night--I need a theme.  Any ideas?

Have a great weekend!