2.8

My Family.

Mitchel & I in Washington DC. I love that Mitchel and I are so close in age. We always have stuff to talk about and we have so much in common. We look a lot alike and hear about it all the time. He is the best little brother in the world and I am so happy that he is mine. He is the happiest person I know. I've never seen him sad for long periods of time and he knows how to make anyone smile. He is a kind person and would help out anyone in need. I love my little brother.

Megan. Although we have 6.5 years between us, we are the closest sisters in the world. We do everything together and now that I am back home, we spend most of our day together after school. We love all of the same things, which is wonderful. It's almost like having a best friend that is exactly like me!  ok... she isn't EXACTLY like me.. she is a lot taller. 

She is beautiful, smart and serious about school. She is so talented at everything and I'm so happy I have her as a sister. I love you Megan.

My mom. Coolest mom in the whole world. She and I do everything together. She is a great listener and a very hard worker. She is funny & smart. I look up to her for so many things, including advice. 

We have so much in common that it might actually be weird. Sometimes I do something that I have to stop and think "I'm turning into my mom." I love it when I have that realization.   

I love my mom so much! 

My dad. we are the two best friends that anyone could have.... nuff said.... 

just kidding.

I love my dad so much. He is the hardest worker I know. It is rare to see him sitting down. After his hip surgery, he has been doing a lot of sitting... I have really enjoyed the time that I have been able to spend with him during his recovery. I feel like we have been able to talk and really get to know each other. I know he is looking forward to getting back to running marathons... haha... but I have really enjoyed having him home 24/7.

This is a picture from our favorite family vacation to Mt. Rushmore.

I love my family. We are so good together and I can't imagine our family in any other way.

our family's favorite place to be is together....

2.7

Ikea Kids Stuff

Especially the fake food...

2.6

I have always loved lawn gnomes. I think they are the most adorable little creatures. 

I can't wait to own a house with a picket fence, flamingos and lawn gnomes.. 

My roommate Rebecca gave me this book for Christmas. 

It has been a lovely addition to my garden gnome literature. 

2.5

I LOVE the smell of BABY LOTION. 

 I can't think of any smell better than baby lotion. 

2.4

Movie theater popcorn. LOVE IT.
nom nom nom....
extra butter and salt please...

2.3

cupcakes!

2.2

It's so hard to believe that she started out this little...

LOOK! she was just barely 2 pounds

Anyway, I'm sure that you may have guessed that today's favorite thing is

 MAYBE.

I love her SO much. 

And you can't forget pal. I love this dog. She is the most cuddly creature on the planet.

2.1

Diet Coke. Only the best drink ever invented.

a month of love

For the month of February, I am going to copy my dear friend Rebecca and post something that I love every day of the month. What better time? Its is after all the month that has everything to do with love!
It shouldn't be too hard? Right??? There are only 28 days and I can think of a million things I love...
so...
    Starting tomorrow, there will be a daily post of things I love.

Crafts

I have had a few requests from people to start selling some of my crafts online. So exciting.

I am going to start taking orders for 

APRONS & COSTUMES...

This is a mermaid costume and a pirate costume I designed and created

Two greek goddess costumes I made on the L & R sides.

This is a witch costume I made.

CAKES & DESSERTS

Fathers Day Desserts

Cupcake/brownie burgers & Sugar Cookie Fries

Beach Party Theme Cake

Corn on the Cob Cupcakes

Homemade Apple Pies

We'll see how this goes!

Music speaks louder than words

           I am sure that as you were reading the title you were wondering, "does she mean actions speak louder than words?" I meant exactly what I said. Music speaks louder than words.
           If a composer could say what he had to say in words he would not bother trying to say it in music.  ~Gustav Mahler
           I have grown up in a family of the musically inclined. I have a sister who can play anything she wants on the piano. A Brother who can play the guitar with ease. A mother who has an appreciation for all music. And a father who surrounds himself with it, from his career to his hobbies.
          I was named after The Beatles album Abbey Road. This is something that I am so proud of. I love telling people that my parents picked my name from music. And not just any music, but the Beatles.
         My dad truly understands how to use music to express his feelings. I remember so many times that he would come into his bedroom and say to my mom that he wanted her to hear something. He would pull a CD out of its case and pop it into the player. He would play the most romantic and adorable songs and then simply turn it off as soon as it was over. I always thought that it was so sweet that he would share his feelings with my mom like that. Things that sound too cheesy to say, or songs that sound much better than he could have said it himself. 
          Some of my most vivid memories with my dad involve music. I remember the first time I heard The Story by Brandi Carlile. It was after midnight on a school night and I was down in dad's office with him working on a project with my dad. We decided to call it a night and go get Frostys from Wendy's, since they are after all open until 2 am. We hopped in the car and dad said "I want you to hear something." He put on The Story and turned it up. This song is my most favorite song in the whole world, and part of that is because it takes me back to that night with my dad. It was a night with just the two of us, and although it sounds simply silly, it is so vivid and I will love that memory forever.  
          Many of the memories I have of my dad are ones that involve music. 
Dances that he took me to where I fell asleep in the back of the van as he drove back late at night. Dancing to I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas at parties. Listening to Love you Madly by Cake in the car. 
         My dad has raised all of us with such a love for all kinds of music and that is something that I will always appreciate. 
          I love you dad. Thanks for all that you have taught me and everything that you taught me through music. Thanks for not just being the best dad in the world, but for being the best EXAMPLE of what a good person is. I look up to you for so many things, but I think the biggest is how you treat others and how much you do for others. You give yourself to everyone and would do anything for any person. You sacrifice your time and energy every day to do things for others.  You are a hard worker, incredibly smart, honest, gentle, kind, peaceful, generous and successful. You are so loving to mom and to us kids. Thanks for being patient. Thanks for being a good dad. Thanks for being you. I love you so much Dad. 


This song is for my dad. It always makes me think of the two of us. 

Valentines Day CRAFTS!!!

ok... so way lame of me, but I can't tell you where I got these ideas from. I did get them from other blogs and saved them in a folder, but now I can't find the original sites... so I apologize to the people that originally came up with them.

HOWEVER...

AREN'T THESE THE MOST ADORABLE VALENTINES DAY CRAFTS EVER?!!?

So Stinkin' Cute!!! I can NOT wait to make them!

 

love this card! So cute!!!

So as you can see, I have plenty to do before 2-14! EEK!

I guess I better get started... 

Finals are OVER!!!

Yay! Finals are FINALLY over!!! YAY! I'm so excited! I'm almost moved home, I have to go back up tonight with Tom to get the rest of my furniture. I'm really looking forward to a new semester at a new school, but for now, I'm just really excited to be on Christmas break. I have a long to do list before Christmas (crafting, cleaning, shopping and wrapping) and I have a lot of Christmas festivities ahead. I will keep you all updated with my adventures. For starters, I just got tickets to Hogle Zoo for the Christmas lights that they put up! I'm so excited! I will take plenty of pictures! Can't wait to go.


I am now home from Logan and I will be attending WSU next semester while living at home! I am very excited to be back home with my family. I'm taking 2 Criminal Justice classes, Public Speaking, Anthropology: People and their Cultures, Business 1010, and International Politics. I am very excited about my upcoming classes, but I am even more excited to be on Christmas Break right now!

cute animal videos

potatoe bug puppy

so stinkin' cute! poor little guy can't get up...

Fun in the Snow

Calvin and Hobbes classics

People I look up to

Rachael Ray

She is not only an amazing cook but she loves animals and is a animal advocate. She has a warm bubbly personality and she is super cute and clever!

Martha Stewart
Composed, organized, prim and proper. Who doesn't love this woman??? She really can do anything and make it look so cute and easy! And SERIOUSLY?! who else can put their name on "the encyclopedia of crafts"



Brandi Carlile
She is my favorite musician. She is such a great artist and I love her sense of fashion.

Nancy Botwin
Yes, I realize she is a fictional character. But I love her. She is tough, sexy and smart. No one messes with Nancy.

My Mom
         She is my mom, so naturally I look up to her. She is funny and SOOO smart! She is creative and crafty (in fact, my roommate Rebecca considers her to be like Martha) My mom is tough, I've only seen her cry a couple of times in my whole life (during Marley & Me and the episode of ER when Dr. Green died). She is gentle, kind and generous. She would do anything for anyone in need. She is a hard worker and gives 110% at everything!
         We enjoy doing all of the same things, crafting, reading the same books, we are even in a book group together. we order our ice cream sundaes the same way- with the sauce on the side. We both share a LOVE for Diet Coke. We both love swedish fish and peanut butter m&ms.. I don't know if these things are genetic or if I just do them because I want to be like her. I'm pretty sure that our family has a genetic predisposition to like Diet Coke, so at least I know that one is genetic.
        She is still married to my dad. I look up to both of them for this, but I really think it's cool that she has stayed married to the same person for 18 years. Everyone says how hard marriage is but they have managed to stay together for my entire life. Even more impressive, they are happy and when you see them together sitting in a booth at OTC you would think that they just started dating. They are still in love with each other and that, is an amazing accomplishment.
        She listens to all of my stories and ramblings. If you know me, you know that I can talk for hours on end. She somehow listens and responds to everything that I say. I know that takes patience, but she does it. Every time I come home we have a MILLION things to talk about, even though we spend our weekends together and we talk on the phone every day.
         She encourages me to stay in school. Even on the hard days, she gives me encouragement and keeps me motivated.
        She has given me EVERYTHING! She has given me every opportunity and chance in the world and I will always owe her for that. She has been patient and kind and has taught me so much throughout my life.
        But my most favorite thing about her is that she is my best friend and I can tell her anything. She is there for me in everything that I do and she knows everything about me. It's great to have a best friend that has already grown up and knows what to tell me. I love my mom SO much and I look up to her more than anyone! Thanks for everything mom!

Who do you look up to?

Thanksgiving Fun