To Blog or Not To Blog. That is the question.

My husband calls me fickle, which I despise hearing, but maybe he's right. After a little over a month of blogging, I'm kinda over it. It has become more of a burden than a joy. I want my blog to be "a success" - whatever that really means, and I don't feel that mine has been. I don't have the time to invest to make it a success (the fact that my network at work does not allow me to comment on blogspot blogs doesn't help). My life is rather boring and uneventful, so I don't have any funny stories or quirky anecdotes to share. I'm not very opinionated, and when I do have opinions, they aren't "popular" and I'd worry about offending people. So my fickle self has decided to go on a blogging hiatus. I've been thinking of maybe doing a food blog or something, but the idea of maintaining a food blog stresses me out. So... I'm going to take some time to think about it and see what I want to do. My general motto is as follows: "If at first you don't succeed, why keep trying?" Totally lame, I know. I don't actually live by that motto, it's just kinda what ends up happening.

To all of you who have become followers and commented on my little blog, I sincerely heart you. Seriously. You guys kept me going for a while there. If something silly or crazy happens to me, I'll stop by and post a little something. If you have any ideas or advice, feel free to send them my way. I'm still planning on reading and commenting on all those great, little blogs I have discovered and love.

Thankful Thursday

I actually have a lot to be thankful for today, so here it goes...

Yesterday was my birthday. I'm thankful I still have one more year as a twenty-something.

I'm thankful for all the birthday wishes I received and for the awesome loot I got!

I'm thankful that we get to have "birthday weeks" and even "birthday months" if we're really lucky.

I'm thankful tomorrow is Friday AND that it's a vacation day for me.

I'm thankful for the nice, little dinner I had with The Husband last night. We enjoyed ourselves and our food and our beer (yes, we can drink beer in Utah).

I'm thankful that the Olympics start tomorrow. Go USA!

I'm thankful for my Birthday (observed) tomorrow with some great ladies. Looking forward to some yummy dinner and then seeing Valentine's Day!

Terrible (and creepy) Tom Tuesday

Even though I'm not feeling the whole blog thing today, I figured I should continue what I started. Today's reading is one of my favorite sections of Tom's essay. You'll soon see why. Click here to get the background on this segment.

Note: Having grown up in a Christian home, there are a few things here and there that I kinda agree with, but I don't agree with his overall philosophy. He takes things too far and out of context and has an extremely old fashioned view of things, which is why he's creepy.

I am looking for someone who makes every day lovelier just by being there (well, that just goes without saying). She has a sweet, tender heart, and her life touches those around her. She loves to create beauty in her world. She has a character of elegance, tenderness, softness, inter- dependence, and has the goals of being a loving wife and nurturing mother. She rejects the traits of ferocity, arrogance, independence (well, I'm ferociously independent. Take that, creepy Tom.), and the goal of being a liberated woman as modern society defines it (boo).

We as a culture have undermined the traits that make a woman a woman, and have devalued the importance of motherly love (have we, really?). I am looking for a woman who strongly rejects those false notions, and has instead fully embraced her femininity, womanhood, and future motherhood. A feminine woman’s first priorities in life are to be faithful and loving to her husband, to live her life to please him and to serve him (I beg to differ)—the same relationship we as a Church have to Christ.

In the same way, a masculine man's first priorities are to protect and care for his wife, to live with her in an understanding, considerate way, to respect her as the weaker vessel (I have NO words) and as his co- heir to eternal life, to be faithful and loving toward her, and to live his life to please and serve her (well, at least he's being somewhat fair)—the same relationship Christ has with us, His Bride.

Take a minute to soak it all in.

Discuss amongst yourselves (imagine Linda Richmond saying this...).

Tomorrow I will be another year older. The jury's still out on whether I'll be another year wiser...

I just HAD to share this...

I know etsy is all the rage right now, and, honestly, I just heard about it for the first time a few months ago. I've gone on the website once or twice, but nothing really caught my eye. BUT, today I discovered something I just had to share with everyone. Check out KAANG Accessories. The cutest hair clips and headbands I have every seen. Seriously. The green feather clip is called Dizzy Miss Lizzie. It was meant to be :)

Special thanks to Tina @ Little Tots, Big Ideas for enlightening me.

Fridays are Fabulous

Well, I still feel like poo and my ears are so plugged up I feel like my world is under water, so that's fun. Nevertheless, it is Friday and it is still fabulous. In addition to my usual Friday bagel and coffee, I'm wearing my most comfortable (and probably most unflattering) pair of jeans. Fridays are jean days at our office. We're still supposed to dress business casual, which means collared shirts or sweaters no athletic shoes, etc. Well, sometimes I abide by this and sometimes I don't, as you can see from my lovely, red Vans. Who cares? It's Friday and I'm sick and I'll wear my Vans and my oldest pair of jeans if I want.

Sidenote: Is there a point where I'll be too old to wear Vans sneakers? The Husband and I both have various pairs of Vans sneakers and we often wonder if we will have to "move on" at some point. I don't know. I think they're super cute and comfy. What about Converse sneakers? I have a pair of those too. What do you guys think?

Thankful Thursday

Well, it's Thursday. I'm sure we're all thankful tomorrow is Friday. Unfortunately, I'm having a hard time being thankful for much else because I feel like major crap-ola - the first cold of 2010 is in full force. I'm annoyed at myself for taking a sick day yesterday because I feel much worse today, and now I have twice as much stuff do deal with today. Oh well, such is life. Time to be THANKFUL!

Yesterday was my mother's birthday. 28 years ago today she was about ready to pop and I'm sure very anxious to give birth to her first born (my bday is exactly a week after hers). Obviously, I'm thankful to her for bringing me into this world, drug-free, I might add. My child(ren) will not be able to say the same of me, that's for sure. Although, my mom and I are not "close" or "the best of friends" and I have never been one to "tell my mother anything," she's always been a great mom. She taught me a lot, and looking back, had an insane amount of patience. Just the idea of letting an 8 year old in my kitchen to "help" make chocolate chip cookies, makes my chest tighten. But, she did it. I think she actually wanted me in there cooking with her. Well, I thank her because I've always known my way around the kitchen and I believe she (and Food Network, of course) is responsible for my love of all things cooking.

I think the biggest thing I owe her is my sense of independence in every sense of the word. I have always been independent and liked being that way. Once I started working, I paid for a lot of stuff on my own. I was never one of those kids whose parents paid their car payment, car insurance, took them out shopping, or paid for their schooling. Anything financial, I took care of myself. Sure, I had to borrow a little money from the rents here or there, but I never expected it. It was very hard to be in my late teens and early twenties and see many of my friends getting most of that stuff paid for, but I think it gave me a sense of self-reliance earlier on - I was more than ready to move out and become an adult when the time came.

So today, on this Thursday of lameness, I'm am thankful for my mother who sacrificed so much of herself to make me the woman I am today.

Terrible (and creepy) Tom Tuesday

I am starting a new segment for Tuesday. I work with this guy, Tom*, who has a case of the crazies. I've never met him in person (he works in a different location), but I feel like I know his soul. The creepiness is just getting started, people. He has all kinds of odd jobs including, but not limited to: custom cabinet maker, writer, photographer, Certified Lactation Counselor (say WHAT!!!). Three people he'd like to meet in order of importance: Jesus the Messiah, Alanis Morissette, C.S. Lewis. Um.... how does Alanis fit into this equation? Jesus and Alanis. Yeah, ok.

So how do I know all this? In a very random way, I happened upon his two personal websites. They have been fodder for all kinds of jokes and distractions at work. Not until a week ago did I realize I was sitting on a blogging gold mine. This guy is going to give me enough material for months to come. Disclaimer: Since this guy is technically my co-worker and we work in a highly regulated industry, I'm not going to share his website URLs, his last name, or his pictures. He's already put them all out there, but I have no idea what I could possibly get in trouble for.

The following are just a few excerpts from his blog detailing his search for a wife. Read and discuss amongst yourselves. I'm pretty sure most of us wouldn't meet his qualifications, and I'm sure you're all super disappointed.

My name is [Tom], and I am looking for a wife.

I am looking for a woman who is others-centered, who has rejected selfishness on the worldview level of her heart. (Guess I'm not making the cut. Dammit!) Being self- absorbed kills relationships. Life and love do not work right if we're focused on our own desires more than on others'. I am striving to live for those around me, and I'm looking for a woman who lives the same way.

I believe that chivalry is an act of worship. God designed men to treat women with dignity as a way to honor Him, so I will increasingly view you and treat you as a precious treasure entrusted to me by the Lord. I am willing to die for you (who said anything about dying? Was that in my vows?) and, just as important, to live for you. A woman deserves to be treated with courtesy, honor, gentleness, sensitivity, compassion, and love by her man, which is a large part of what chivalry and Biblical manhood are about.

I believe men should be masculine and chivalrous and women should be feminine and ladylike. I’m looking for someone who agrees, and who has a truly feminine heart and life. Femininity is womanly elegance and tenderness. It is a refined mixture of being delicate, elegant, noble, stunning, sometimes flirtatious, sometimes erotic (Oh Tommy! You bad boy, you!), sometimes motherly, sometimes submissive (Excuse me?!!?), always displaying impeccable manners and taste (so, is belching considered bad manners?), and always pursuing and displaying beauty and kindness.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Until next Tuesday...