Saturday, August 30, 2008

Friday, for the Birds!

We're up in San Antonio this weekend.  The kids love it here.  Mostly because the Grandma caters to their every whim and the Grandpa bakes homemade cookies.
This time, Grandma had a craft project waiting for the kids.  Painting wooden bird houses.  They both did a great job and we're planning on hanging them in the back yard after adding a little seed to them.  This is Zuri's first craft project and she enjoyed it a lot.  Aaron has done a few other things but I think this painting one was his favorite.  
A few pictures for you all to enjoy

Zuri, ready to paint-

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Aaron saying 'hi'-

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Masterpieces in progress-

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The finished project-
Zuri's 

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Aaron's

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Thursday, August 28, 2008

Kindergarden

Monday was Aaron's first day of Kindergarden.  We missed orientation so we had no clue where his class was or who his teacher was (they did registration two weeks prior to the first day and orientation was the friday before, very last minute).  Aaron was less than excited.  I think he thought we were going back to Head Start and wasn't having that.  He and Zuri also refused to sleep the night before so they were both very cranky when I took him to class.  It didn't help that he wouldn't be riding the bus this year, we live too close to the school.  Riding the bus was by far one of the best things for him.  I guess when we move, we'll have to get a place far away from school to make him eligible for the bus.
I did good.  I saw a few mommies crying after dropping of their kids, but I managed to keep it together.  Aaron had an okay first few days, the second was hard on the teacher because she wasn't used to Aaron's 'spirit' and actually brought up putting him into pre-K this year because he's not adjusted.  I shot that down, considering he's either at or above the level of the rest of the kids in his class, pre-K would hold him back and make him hate school even more.  Together we decided we'd get some evaluations done and that we'd wait to do anything considering they're going to start a new Kindergarden class because all the current ones have 24-25 students and there's only one teacher.
The first two days were bad because I had no idea how much lunch was (they didn't send the information home until the first day... something that should have been given out at registration), I had no idea when school started and when it ended, I didn't even know how the drop off stuff works.  But I found out lunch is $1.30 (HOLY CRAP!), school was from 8 to 3 and the drop off is a free for all except for kindergarden and pre-k, we're expected to walk our kids in, they're not allowed to go anywhere without an adult (a plan I like).
So, here are a few pictures of Aaron on his first day.  And yes, they do have 'uniforms', royal blue or hunter green polos, jeans only with a 5 pocket maximum, shirts tucked in, belts, and shoes can't be open toed, without a back or a combination of red and black.  Yeah, it's kinda weird.

Aaron on the couch, trying to hide:

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Letting me take a full picture after fighting me:

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In the car:

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In class. Yes, he sucks his thumb and plays with his hair:

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Saturday, August 23, 2008

Craft Closet

Today, after the inlaws came and went, I decided to tackle my newest project.  I was going to save it for during the week while Aaron was at school, but I couldn't stop thinking about how cool the results would be, so I jumped on it now.  I also managed to sweat out two gallons of sweat while working on it, so I'm counting today as a gym day! All of the things I needed to do this were downstairs and where I was doing it was upstairs, so about 40+ trips up and down the stairs, I think I have buns of steels and legs of jelly.
So, here it is, my newest 'renovation' in this apartment...
Before:

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After:

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Later, I plan on buying a 48"X20" table that will fit up against the wall and a folding chair to keep up here.  I'm going to use the landing as a craft area.  I think the total cost of the project was $40, but that was because I needed some of the smaller bins.  I probably could have done without the black and white ones, but they were really pretty and just the right size.  I even found a place for all the uniforms, jackets, prom dresses, christmas decorations, christmas trees and random christmas kitty.
So, this is it, Lisa's Crafting Closet!  All the junk from 3 rubbermaid containers, one storage ottoman and countless boxes all over the house, shoved into a closet and made to look reasonably pretty!

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Oh the HORROR!

I like to let Zuri shower with me, it's quick and easy.  Today, I took her up the the shower, let her get in first and worked on my eyebrows while she played in the water.  I get in, wash my hair and happen to look in the corner
PhotobucketHOLY SHIT!
That's a spider, it's a spider, a spider... OMG it's a spider.  I toss Zuri out of the shower, dripping wet.  For some reason, I continue to wash, rather quickly, but keeping my eye on the devil with 8 legs. (My plan is to finish my shower, then seal off the bathroom, never to open it again.  He can have it). I'm just about done and he starts running at me!  I start screaming and crying and jump out.  I run to my closet, grab a shoe, open the shower stall and throw the shoe at him.  It grazes his legs and I throw it again. And again and again, until SUCCESS, he does the 'curl up and die'.  I have soap on my face, so I rinse it off real quick and go to really squish him, so I can flush him, and he jumps up and runs back to the corner.  I'm screaming 'Why won't you die??' and crying again.  Aaron comes in, wants to see what's going on, but I'm convinced it's a baby eating spider and scream for him to get away (Way to go mom, he already has a fear of bugs.).  I run downstairs, grab my weed killer (it's the only thing in the house that says 'killer' on it, so it's my only option) and run back upstairs... Remember, I'm naked.
I then begin to drown him in weed killer.  Not just one or two squirts, but I empty out the whole bottle on him.  He is now legs up, floating in a sea of Round Up.  Not convinced he's dead, I shut the shower door, stuff a towel under it, just in case and shut the bathroom door, stuffing a towel under it.  He's fooled me once, not going to happen again.
After all this, I come down stairs to check and see what kind he is, convinced that because of his size (with leg span, about the size of a silver dollar) he is highly venomous and I just saved us all from a painful death.
He's a grass spider.  According to Wiki 'They are harmless spiders.'

* the photo is not of my spider, it's off the internet.  Hopefully, my spider is dead.


Wordless Wednesday; Bad Hair Day

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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Another one!

I won another blog giveaway!  Thanks to Who's the Boss? (www.whosthebossblog.com) for my cool box of stuff!
And what a great box of stuff!  Here's what I got:

1 organic Pistachi-Oh Weil bar
2 samples of Taster's choice instant coffee
4 DentaBurst teeth cleaner samples
1 package of Weight Watchers Peanut Butter Cups
1 bag of Soap nuts www.laundrytree.com
1 free pair of underwear from HerRoom www.herroom.com
1 Fresh Wave All Natural Odor Neutralizing Spray
1 Fresh Wave All Natural Odor Neutralizing Crystals
1 Bottle of Emerita Embody Skin Conditioning Massage Oil
1 Sample pack of Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn
1 Box of merci European Chocolate
1 manicure set from cafemom www.cafemom.com
1 internet password organizer from InnoventionLab
Book: Sin in the Second City, Madams, Ministers, Playboys and the Battle for America's Soul    by Karen Abbott
1 Laptop skin
1 DVD with an episode of The Closer and an episode of Saving Grace
1 book: blogher Heros
2 packs of wine charms
And last, a box from Greenopolis www.greenopolis.com for recycling the used Fluorescent blubs.  You can go to www.thinkgreenfromhome.com to get one yourself.

now I just got to try to hold off on devouring the box of chocolates... wish me luck!

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Dumpster Diving: The highlight of my day

No, not the highlight because it's the best thing to happen all day, but it sure was the funniest.
I took the trash to the dumpster and also brought my mail to drop off on the way back.  I threw in the bag, threw in a pizza box I had with me then threw in, OH SHIT, the mail!  I stood there and just stared at my nasty mail.  Settling in at the bottom of the dumpster.  I couldn't just leave it there, it would bother me for months, knowing 6 signed checks were just chilling somewhere, waiting to be found.  Two things went my way at least.  I threw it far enough it went nearly to the other side where the other sliding door was and they had just emptied the dumpster this morning, so at least it hadn't landed on a baby diaper or something equally disgusting.  I walked over to the other door, slid it open and reached in and was able to grab all but one letter.  For this one, I had to bend over and reeeeeeach.  Nope, still not good.  I was about 1/2 an inch too far away.  So I leaned my weight on the edge of the door and see-sawed myself in the dumpster.  I'm sure people driving by found it funny to see my giant ass hanging out of the dumpster, feet kicking while I tried to grab that last letter.  I finally managed to grab it without touching massive amounts of my skin to the bottom of the dumpster, just the tips of my fingers.  I mailed off the letters, covered in strange slimy stuff and then went home and took a HOT shower.  Yucky.
The good thing that happened to me today was that my clothes that I ordered a while back came in.  I ordered 2 pairs of pants and 5 shirts from American Eagle because Nick loves them and said they were awesome.  I measured myself before I bought and according to my measurements, I'd fit in the largest sizes they carry (not too bad, considering they only go up to 18).  The whole time I've been waiting, I've been worried they won't fit.  That they'll be too tight and I'll have to send them back.  I got them this morning and with the exception of one of the pants, they fit perfectly.  The pants that didn't fit were able to be buttoned and sat right on my thighs, but the part around my waist was too tight.  I have to lose about 5-10lbs to get them to feel right.  I'm hoping I can do that before Nick gets home, I wanted to pick him up in the pants with one of the shirts.  It's a really cute outfit.

Friday, August 15, 2008

Ho-hum

I haven't done anything in a few days besides surveys, so it's nice to get back to what my blog was made for.
I signed Aaron up for school on the 12th.  It was actually pretty easy and quick because we missed the regular sign up date and went when no one else was there. He's not excited about school.  When I ask him if he wants to go, he yells 'NO' at me.  I think once he gets there, he'll like it as much as he liked Head Start.  Well, I hope so.  Doesn't matter if he likes it or not.  He's going.
Zuri's learning new words every day.  Today, she worked on 'spaghetti' and calling her brother downstairs when I call him.  Spaghetti comes out like 'C-E-e' and Aaron is 'Anan', so she's doing pretty good with it.
I've missed the gym all week.  Normally, I wake up and want to go.  I can't wait to go.  But this week, every day of the week I've decided that going is the last thing I want to do.  I know, I should suck it up and go, but I just can't seem to force myself.  I have managed to get dressed for the gym everyday, but I'll start cleaning the house, consider the gym and decided not to go again.
Some sad news, one of my favorite sites is closing down.  Maya's Mom is shutting it's doors.  Many people are pissed about it.  I'm a little sad, but considering the people I care about I'll never lose touch with, I'll live.
Nick's NALO flight was approved, so as long as they don't break down in Greece, he'll be home planned.  I'm happy.  I can't wait.  I get a foot run when he returns!  Yay!
So, that's my boring week.  Sorry nothing blew up or anything more interesting happened.  maybe next week!  I have been cooking every day lately, so the chances of me catching the kitchen on fire had gone up two times.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Thursday Thirteen


Thirteen Things about Lisa


My first Thursday 13 will be my 13 favorite books!  In no particular order:

1)Lord of the Flies by William Golding.  We read this book in 11th grade and I've loved it ever since.  Thank you Mr. Ford for making us read it.  I knew there was a reason I liked you as a teacher (well, besides you being hot)

2)The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King.  This was my first King novel.  I read it in 7th grade.  Probably now, it wouldn't be in a Jr. High school, probably because it says the word 'penis' more than a conservative southern school would like it to, but it's the book that made me love Stephen King as an author.

3)The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  This is out of the 'norm' from what I read, but I loved it just the same.  It's a sad book that'll make you cry, but also has happy moments that'll make you cry as well. 

4)The Stand by Stephen King. Another King book that I absolutely couldn't put down.  It's a monster of a book, but it's so addicting I read it straight through only stopping to eat and sleep.  Then I picked it up a few weeks later and read it again.  If you've seen the movie but didn't like it, still read the book.  It's so much better than the movie.

5)Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Prachett.  This is probably the funniest book I've ever read. I love the humor in it, the use of footnotes and just the overall way the book was written.  Just don't loan it out, you'll never get it back.

6)A Child Called 'it' by Dave Pelzer.  This book will make you cry.  It'll make you question humanity and have you saying 'why' quite often.  It's a really good book if you're able to handle extremely sad things.  I had to read it in spurts, never all at once.

7)Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen  This is an emotional book for me as well.  I love how it bounces back from present to past but manages to do it without losing the reader.  Very well written

8)Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden.  Japanese Culture?  Of course I'd love it.  It's also a beautifully written book, full of emotion.

9)Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl  Okay, what woman WOULDN'T love a book about a chocolate factory?  Actually, my love of this book goes back to watching the movie every year as a family when it came on TV.  It's one of my most favorite movies, so the book is of course up there in the rankings.

10)I am America (And so Can You) by Stephen Colbert.  This book is funny if you're a follower of the show.  And since I refuse to miss an episode, I loved it.

11)Hate Mail From Cheerleaders by Rick Reilly  I first fell in love with this comlumnist while reading the last page of DHs Sports Illustrateds

12)The Host by Stephanie Meyer  I just got this book and already it's a favorite.  I love how it's written and the story line.  Glad it's a hard copy cause I can see myself reading it over and over again.

13)Homecoming by Cynthia Voight  I've had this book since I was about 10.  The same copy.  It's well worn and very much loved.  The spine is falling apart from the 100s of times I've read it.  A 'sad at times book with plenty' of good moments kinda book



Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday.  Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged!  If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments.  It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Couples Survey

I stole this Couples Survey from Homeslice:



[1] What are your middle names? Marie and Allen.  I think my first name/middle name combo is the lamest ever.
[2] How long have you been together? Since about May of 2002 
[3] How long did you know each other before you started dating? Only a few weeks.  We worked together and he asked me out after a while. 
[4] Who asked whom out? He asked me out.  Wait, I might have told him he could take me out... I can't remember.
[5] How old are each of you? He's 26 and I'm 26.  
[6] What are your astrological signs? Aries and Virgo (I had to look his up, I don't remember all the signs)
[7] When was your first kiss? I honestly can't remember.  I don't keep track of that sort of thing
[8] Who’s mother do you see the most? Right now, his, but before we moved to TX we were seeing mine at least once a month.  
[9]Who’s father? Always his.  My dad has never come to visit us. 
[10] Do you have any children together? two  
[11] What about pets? No, pets run away. It's because of me.  
[12] Do you have a song? All Along the Watchtower.  It was the first song that played on the radio when we got out of the court house after getting married.
[13] Which bill is the hardest on you as a couple? The electric.  Mostly because we kinda argue over it.  I want to conserve electric by cutting the a/c off more, but he's all about the comfort.
[14] Who pays the bills? I write the checks, it comes out of our bank account, but he's the one with the drive.
[15] Who drives and who sits shotgun? Depends on our mood and where we're going.  If we're in S.A., he drives.  I get lost and freaked out in big cities.  I drive around CC a lot though.
[16] Did you go to the same school? Not the same High School, but we did go to the same 'A' school in the Navy, at the same time but didn't know each other then.  We even had a few mutual friends, just never met each other.
[17] Are you from the same hometown? No, I'm S.C. and he's T.X.
[18] Do you live in the same town now? Right now?  No. He lives in Bahrain and I live in the US, so we're not even in the same country.
[19] Who is the smartest? Depends on what we're talking about.  I think we're about equal though.  Usually we scored the same on tests we took together in the military. 
[20] Who is the most sensitive? I think we're probably equal.  I show it more often, but he's a softy.  He just likes to try and hide it. 
[21] Where do you eat out at most as a couple? As a couple?  No where.  We take the kids to just about everywhere we go.  
[22] Where do you shop the most as a couple? HEB, it's so romantic in the dairy aisle.  
[23] Where is the furthest you have traveled as a couple? Dallas TX from CC Tx.  But, in a work trip while we were dating we both got sent to Key West FLA at the same time.  That was pretty cool...  A paid vacation with a little work during the nights.  
[24] Who has the best group of friends? Hmmm, IDK.  He has more friends than I but I'm closer to my few friends than he is to his  
[25] Who has the craziest exes? Him.  Well, I think anyone who calls a pregnant woman and asks for her man is insane. 
[26] Who has the worst temper? We're equal on that.  
[27] Who does the cooking? I cook and bake, he grills. I probably do the most cooking, but usually when he cooks it's for hours at a time slow grilling something, so it probably evens out in the end.  
[28] Who is more social? Me.  Though, he's better at socializing than I am.  We go some where and he schmoozes better than I do, but I spend more time in the long run talking to the friends I already have.
[29] Who is the neat-freak? I think it depends on what you're talking about us cleaning.  If it's keeping up with the laundry and folding it, he is.  I'm more obsessed with organizing everything.  When we get ready to clean really good, I'm always the one getting told to 'sit down, it's good enough'
[30] Who is the most affectionate? He is  
[31] Who is the most stubborn? He is.
[32] Who hogs the bed? He does... butthead.
[33] Who wakes up earlier? He does, but only be cause he works and I don't  
[34] Where was your first date? Bennigans 
[35] Who said I Love You first? I can't remember.  
[36] Who has the bigger family? I do, but he's closer to his family than I am to mine.  
[37] Do you give/get flowers often? I never give flowers, but he sends them to me sometimes for no reason, but I'll also not get them when I expect them, like for birthdays and anniversaries.  He likes to keep me guessing.  
[38] How do you spend the holidays? Lately with his family because they're so close, but we're supposed to move in the next year, so who knows. 
[39] Do you have cute little names for each other? Yeah, a few.  Well, I have them for him.  I used to call him 'bunny' and 'applejacks'.  Don't ask.  It's stupid.

Monday, August 11, 2008

Twice as Nice

I have gotten two notes from fellow bloggers telling me I 'had to check out their blog'.  Okay, well I did and I'm really happy to see that they've given me this awesome award.
Kick Ass Blogger Award

  Aaaaaaaaawe!  Thanks Dawn and MLC's Mom for giving me this award!
According to the rules, this is what I'm supposed to do next:

Choose 5 other bloggers that you feel are “Kick Ass Bloggers”
Let them know that they have received an award
Link back to both the person who awarded you and also 
http://www.mammadawg.com/
Visit the Kick Ass Blogger Club HQ , to get codes click 
here and it will take you to KABC HQ, sign Mr. Linky then pass it on!

Now, picking 5 is hard for me to do.  If you look down the side of my blog, I have a few blogs that I really like to regularly read.  I personally think ALL my friends have kick-ass blogs, but I'm very partial to them.  And also, a few of them have already received multiple awards.  So, I'll try and pick 5 that I haven't seen awarded anywhere else and hope for the best.

These ladies all jot down some pretty kick ass thought an ideas.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

Back!

Wow, we had a busy weekend.  I went to the in-laws with the hopes of cleaning out some of my MIL's stuff.  She's a pack rat.  We cleaned out her china cabinet and threw away a full trash bag of stuff.  I mean, who needs a used spongebob table cloth from my son's 2nd birthday party?
Besides trashing the junk, we went shopping for Aaron's school clothes, went to the movies, played in the sun in the back yard and spent some time with Nick's grandparents, both of which are 85.
The school clothes thing sucked.  Aaron is in Kindergarden and they have 'uniforms'.  Which, I'm okay with.  Except for Aaron, finding these damn polos is next to impossible.  He wears a toddler size, still.  We actually got three at the children's place in a size 24months.  Yeah, he's that small.  I was only able to find 3 in his size and had to get two more from wal-mart in a size 4/5.  They hand all the way down to his knees, but since we have to tuck it in, it shouldn't be an issue.
We saw the movie 'Space Chimps' on Saturday.  Aaron was enthralled with the movie and really enjoyed it.  Zuri on the other hand was only there for the sodas and the candy.  Other than that she tried running down the aisle, which resulted in a lost shoe.  Good thing the theater wasn't crowded.  Glad we went a few weeks after it hit the theater.
Saturday afternoon, my swimsuit that we ordered arrived and I tried it on by going in the back yard with the kids, playing (er, Laying) in the kiddy pool.  We also had a sprinkler going so that we could get wet and the lawn could get watered at the same time.  I decided to skip the sun block on me and have actually acquired a decent tan.  I'm shocked, normally I look like I've spent all day in an oven after an hour of sunlight, but I think waiting until after 3 helped out a lot.
Every Saturday that we're in town, we go out to breakfast with Nick's grandparents.  It's become a tradition and it's a yummy one at that.  We also try and go Bingo every once in a while, so Saturday night my Mother-in-law, Nick's grandmother and I all went out to play.  Unfortunately all I accomplished was crocheting 10 rows in an afghan I'm working on.  Nick's grandmother usually wins something, but if I go, no one wins.  I'm cursed.  I'm giving up Bingo forever.
Saturday was also mine and Nick's Anniversary.  4 years on the 9th.  He ordered me a jewelry box as a gift, which should be here in a few weeks. It's handmade in an Asian style (he actually met the guy who makes them, he sells them in the exchange on the Bahrain base and other military bases) and will have my name engraved in to it.  It's decorated with mother of pearl butterflies and has gilding on it.  It's really pretty ( I got to see a picture of it at least)
Speaking of Nick, he had a good scare on Friday at work.  There is a big-wig going to Bahrain sometime soon and they had to prep the base for him.  That meant moving lots of random things.  One of them was  jet blast shields.  Nick was in the crew that was unloading them from the truck to their new home.  The shields are solid concrete and weigh aprox. 5 tons.  They have to be lifted by crane.  According to Nick, he was directing the shield and one of the rings that hold it to the crane snapped.  The shield tipped, Nick noticed and ran.  The shield landed about a foot or two behind him.  Scared the crap out of him and everyone watching.  Luckily, he's okay, I'll just have to send him new underwear.

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Videos.

Nick asked me to take some video of Zuri talking.  When he left, she was only saying 'mommy, daddy' and a few other words.  Now, she's saying 'cookies, butterfly, cheese, drink, Dora,' and a whole bunch of other words.
We're both freaking out over this.  I know, she's on par with all other children her age, but Aaron was our first and he didn't talk until he was three.  Needless to say, we're overly excited and convinced she's a genius. 
So, for your viewing pleasure, the two videos I made for Nick:
(please excuse the bangs, we're working on growing them properly)



Sunday, August 3, 2008

Quirky Meme

Homeslice tagged me in her blog to do this 'quirky meme'  I love a good meme, so I'll give it a try!

The Rules 
* Link to the person who tagged you. 
* Mention the rules. 
* Tell six quirky yet boring, unspectacular details about yourself. 
* Tag six other bloggers by linking to them. 
* Go to each person’s blog and leave a comment to let them know that they’ve been tagged.

1) I really hate the shape of my toes.  I've considered getting surgery to correct the look of them.  It's something I kinda obsess over.  Some of them look like ET's head and neck when he extends it.
2) I can't turn down free stuff.  If my mother in law is getting rid of something and offers it to me, I have to take it.  I know I may never use it, but I'll hold onto it for a few months to years then give it to Goodwill.  
3) I sometimes buy the books of 'fill it ins' just to do the number ones.  Usually, they are 6 number puzzles in the whole book and I'll do those then throw the book away.  It's the same for crossword puzzle books, I only do the ones that take up two pages.
4) I like all my nails to be the same length.  If one of them breaks, I'll cut them all down the same size.  It drives me crazy to see someone with one long nail and the rest short.
5) I have a writing implement obsession.  When I go to places like Staples and Office Depot, I actually get a giddy, high feeling over the pens and pencils.  Sometimes, I even giggle with glee because I can't wait to buy something.
6) I feel compelled to buy things in pink.  Just things for myself.  Purses, wallets, pens, hair clips, if it's in pink, I have to get it in pink.  My last three cell phones have been pink and I've actually not bought one that I wanted just because they didn't make it in pink.

And I shall now tag:
(sorry if any of you have been tagged before, but since you haven't done it yet, I'm tagging you on mine)

Guitar Heroine

Cause becoming a rock and roll legend is hard work.


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