How To: Mix An Exploding Drink

I realize I've been neglectful.  My bad.  Super busy over here, what with the bathroom remodel that is still underway and the millions of pictures we've been taking for our photo business (Yay!!).  So, I will simply leave you with this awesome How To from the June issue of Wired.  You are so very welcome, Stephen Lambert.  ;)

Also, a shout out to our neighbor (and loyal reader) Dustin.  I believe we're going to meet new baby Max this evening.  :)  Don't be weirded out when I'm obsessively sniffing him.  I love the new baby smell!

VeryShortPost, kind of

Still reeling from the Idol upset... (I don't care what this article says, it is still an upset.)

We have a lot going on with the bathroom remodel, so I've just got a short post for you.  If you are on Twitter, you must start following VeryShortStory.  If you aren't on Twitter...WHY aren't you on Twitter?!  You can also visit the website.  A guy writes "Twitter-sized" stories.  Perfect for those of us who don't have time to read actual books.  Examples: 

"I bought a jaguar today. Not a car, an ACTUAL jaguar. I figure it will impress women more than a car. I got a two seat saddle for it."

"I could tell by her fur she wasn't from around here. We chit chatted. I put on the moves. We went to my place. In Spring, we had cubs."

"Order up, Wolverine." He spent his time waiting tables now, feeling bitter how fast his life had gone downhill. He blamed Star Trek."

"Ty softly tossed a pebble at Wendy's window. In return, a large rock hit him squarely in the head. He would take that as a ‘no'."

"After losing his job, Nigel lived without caution. Even when the forecast called for rain, he refused to carry an umbrella."

"You want to hold hands?" said Bill. "Umm.......Ok." said Ken. They both needed a little comfort. It had been a tough staff meeting."

GLEE-ful

I am SO excited about the "Glee" preview tonight!  I know I am not the only person that has been singing "Don't Stop Believin'" for a month now.  They have been pimping that boy hard!  Who ever heard of previewing a show 4 months before it actually starts?  Genius!  And right after the "American Idol" final performances?  They couldn't ask for a more receptive audience.  Especially with the knowledge that soon-to-be-crowned winner Adam Lambert started out in musical theater.  And did I mention how I shrieked with absolute JOY when Danny left last week?!  I'm just disappointed that we don't have an Adam/Allison finale, but I'll take what I can get.

I'm going to see if I can dig up some of my high school choir pics because we had some flashy outfits.  I'm remembering with fondness a certain blue sequined dress we wore one year.  Alas, I doubt I will be able to find any video to post, as these were the days before YouTube.  However, for your viewing pleasure today, I have here probably the best show choir performance I've ever seen.  I can't believe these guys are in high school.  Powerhouse from John Burroughs High School in Burbank, CA.

John Burroughs "Powerhouse" 2007 - Journey Medley from Show Choir Community on Vimeo.

If you just can't get enough, you can also enjoy these two choirs.

Wave Connection from Tupelo, MS- "Uptown Girl"

Cutting Edge from Urbana, IL- "Just Dance"

Debbie Gibson saves THE WORLD!!!!!

Destined to be the BEST MOVIE OF THE YEAR (that is released directly to video.)  Now, where can I get some more Electric Youth?

More Macro

I played with the macro lens again, but inside this time.

Princess Potato Head...
Eiffel Tower, obviously...

Anna's jewelry box prince and princess...

Aren't they a cute couple?

Fleur-de-lis necklace...

New washer and dryer? Yes, please.

Want your chance to win? Visit http://tr.im/frigidaire to read the 5 Things I would do with an extra hour and enter to win Frigidaire appliances.

I'll take anything in pink...especially a new washer and dryer from Frigidaire! I don't even want to mention how old our washer and dryer are for fear that they will hear me and go on strike. So, cross your fingers that this very deserving lady wins these lovlies. I'll let you come over and lick them if you want.

I had a Flare up

I had my cry yesterday, but today I've got stuff to do. Just to prove that I'm okee-dokee, here's a completely frivolous post.

I discovered Fred Flare when I was looking for the Twilight jacket several months ago. Yes, you can wear the exact same jacket that Bella wore. (I also know where you can buy her bag, but you'll have to ask nicely. ;)

ANYway...they have such C-U-T-E stuff that I had to share. You may have already known about this website, and if so...Why didn't you tell ME?!

Stuff I Want....

Camera ring, Holly Golightly sleep mask, Hello Kitty nerd wallet, Pac-Man bandages

Stuff for Roy....

Edgar Allan Poe action figure, Pocket Guitar Hero, Jaws shower curtain, #1 Dad trophy

Stuff for Techies....

Mini boombox iPod speaker pouch, USB webcam, Mix tape USB flash drive, Earbuds

I'm blue (da ba dee)

Today is May 11. Da da dum. I've been thinking about this day for a long time, but this past week, I thought of it a lot. Yesterday was kind of hard. I wanted to be happy about Mother's Day, but I kept remembering that I was supposed to be a mother of two.

I knew today would be rough, but I had decided that Anna and I would keep busy. We were going to go to the library, make cookies and paint pictures. She decided it was a pig-tail day, so we both busted some out. Then, she decided that she wanted to play with her animals and didn't want to go to the library. I don't have the strength to force her today, so I thought I'd sit down and wait her out. She loves the library, so I knew she'd come around.

Opened my computer to check Facebook and oh, hi, look at someone's 3D sonogram pics. And, that is all it took to derail me. All this after I said last week that I was "better now" and I "wouldn't break down" if the subject came up and people shouldn't feel bad about mentioning their babies to me. I guess I'm a big, fat liar, liar, pants on fire.

I have some pretty strange dreams. Last night's is easy enough to decipher. We were living in a small house by the ocean. My mom and grandma were there, as well as my friend Julie and her husband, Byron. We were watching a TV movie about Nancy Grace (who was a brunette) which was fascinating. I was holding Anna and the moms were watching our 5 month-old daughter (random), who we kept calling "Susie" (after my sister), even though that wasn't her name. All of a sudden my mom runs into the room and says that Susie just said her first words. I picked her up and she looked at me and said, "Where's Daddy?" I was so elated that I ran the girls out to the beach, where Roy (the fisherman) was returning with the other men with the day's catch. I told him the good news and we all embraced as a perfect, shining family. There are a lot of gaffes in this dream, the least of which being that babies don't speak two-word questions at 5 months, but dreams are silly that way.


Last week, we found out that there was yet another recall on the brand of crib we had purchased. I swear, if we found out that the stupid box sitting untouched in our garage was recalled, we were just going to call it a draw. I will NOT be walking back into Babies R Us until I need to buy something for a real baby with a real due date. No more trips for hypothetical babies. It turned out that our new crib was fine, but the lesson here is, DO NOT buy Jardine cribs from BRU. 60% of the time, they get recalled every time.


Some day I'll get over myself and remember that there are far worse things than losing a baby or babies that I didn't know, but today, I'm just feeling sorry for myself. What stings the most is that no one else around me would remember this date. Just me. Not even my husband. I don't blame him. I would have put this out of my mind if I could. I put the two sonogram pictures in the top of the closet along with the "What to Expect" and "1000 Baby Names" books. I haven't looked at them since October, but today might be the day I decide to face those demons. Maybe tomorrow will be the magic day that I wake up and move on. At the very least, you should all demand a sunnier post...or your money back.

I am SAHM, SAHM I am

This was my fourth week as a "part-time stay at home mom," meaning that Anna is now staying home with me three days a week. This is a big switch from going to school every day. She still goes to preschool two days a week, but that leaves ME in charge of her nutrition and education for three days. ME. The weekends don't count because we just play around. I knew she was getting a good education and nutritious meals five days a week, so we could be more relaxed on the weekends. Now, I'm responsible for making sure she eats veggies and learns to read. YIKES.

Ever since I became pregnant, my dream has been to stay at home with Anna. I was able to work part-time her first year, so I got to spend every afternoon with her and it was fabulous. But, she was a baby then and easy to entertain and easy to feed.

SAHM. The abbreviation is kind of annoying. Heather has her own version. The most fitting one that I could come up with for myself was: Slightly Anal Hell Monster. Roy would argue that "slightly" is not accurate.

Anna's preschool teachers would definitely be able to comment on my new nickname for myself. They have felt alot of my wrath lately as we've had many "incidents" that they needed to address. That is a whole other issue that I can't go into right now, but I'm sure they call me much worse behind my back. But honestly, she only goes two days a week now! You would think they could manage to follow regulations and keep her safe for TWO DAYS!!

ANYway, I'm proud to say that we've been doing pretty good here though. Anna is certainly enjoying more time at home. The first day she was here, I quizzed her on her letter recognition and we've been working on the ones she had trouble with. We do a letter per week and work on recognizing it, drawing it, and associating a sound with it, as well as words that begin with that letter. It really is fun to see her pick out letters she sees now and to know that I taught her that.

She loves the library, the mall and the park, but we've also had a ton of fun playing dress up and dancing around the house. She does a great job of alternating music with me so that we aren't listening to "Bop Bop Dinosaur" all day. She can sing the "Mamma Mia" soundtrack almost as well as I can. Some days are easier than others, of course. There were a couple of times that we actually yelled at each other, but I know we're closer than ever. She tells me everyday that I'm "her best friend," so I take that as a good sign.

Yesterday was a very good day. We made chocolate chip muffins for breakfast. Then, we decorated Mother's Day cards for grandmas. She practiced writing some letters and was very proud of herself. We got out my beads that have been gathering dust in the closet since her birth and made a bracelet. She picked out all the beads and loved the result so much that she wore it to school and showed it to everyone.

This whole experience is weird for me because I feel like I am in limbo. I don't really consider myself a stay-at-home mom because I intend to get a job and am actively looking for one. However, no one wants me, so it could be awhile. I would like to be a full-time writer and photographer, but while I attempt to refine my skills in both on a daily basis, I feel like I'm not getting very far because I have to split my time between so many things. Marketing yourself online really requires a LOT of time. And then there's housework. Ugh. I just can't keep up with everything, so that suffers the most.

All of this plus the drama that I don't write about and the fact that next week would have been my due date makes me a very blue girl sometimes. So...I talked to my doctor and upped my medication yesterday. I hope this gets me over the hump. I really meant for this to be an upbeat post...kind of screwed that one up.

My Little Beauty

I've been going through pics of Anna to hang in adorable mattes in her room. So, I'd like to take a moment to gush over just how beautiful this little girl is. :)

You may notice that I don't share pictures of her face on this website and that is purely because I'm paranoid like that. Take my word for it...she's a keeper.

We were out shopping on Monday and at every store, people were stopping to tell me how cute she is. And, I kept thinking to myself, "They are probably wondering how in the world a gorgeous creature like that could be related to me." And, I'm sure they came to the same conclusion that I did a few years ago...she must have been switched at birth.

ANYway, I love these pics from this past weekend. Sure, I love portraits of her beautiful face, but I also love photos that frame her independence nicely. I still vividly remember the first day she was no longer attached to my hip and suddenly wanted to run and play without me. These pictures just remind me how grown up she is.

Following instruction very well...we said, "Walk over there," and darned if she didn't do just that.

Asking if she could go in and "pet the baby buffalo..."



I LOVE LOVE LOVE her hair. My favorite thing in the world is to brush and stroke her fabulous locks. I WISH my hair had natural curl like this.

I've always thought that it is important to instill confidence in your child. I read it on one of those sappy Mom poems that is hanging on our fridge. You know, the ones that get passed around this time of year and never fail to make you cry? Yeah, so I have been telling her since she was born how beautiful and smart and kind she is. There are times, though, that I wonder if I've gushed too much.

Like when we were at the Tommy Hilfiger store this past weekend. It was the first time I had taken her into a dressing room because I normally just pick out clothes for her. She picked out a pink and white-striped dress and insisted that we buy it. We took it into the dressing room and man did she strike some poses in front of the mirror. Then, she literally strutted out of the room to show her Daddy. I believe there was even a twirl in there. She announced to her reflection, "I look adorable! This is just my size."

At three years old, I don't think I'm going to call it "vanity." We'll wait until she's sixteen and taking a baseball bat to her cheerleading competitors' kneecaps.

I hope I don't pull the short straw

We have WAY too many magazine subscriptions in this house. I don't get a whole issue read before the new one arrives. So, getting caught up on the May issue of Wired, I see this story called "American Stonehenge". Am I the only person on the planet who hadn't heard of the Georgia Guidestones?

If you were in the dark as well, you'll need to read the full story at Wired. Absolutely fascinating. The short version: 30 years ago a man representing a wealthy and very secretive organization had enormous granite stones erected in a cow pasture in northeastern Georgia. The stones were created to be a precise compass, calendar and clock and were built to withstand "catastrophic events." Carved into the slabs were "directions for rebuilding civilization after the apocalypse" in eight of the world's major languages. There were also writings in four long-dead languages.

Since they were unveiled, the stones have drawn attention and visitors from around the world. Yoko Ono was a big fan and wrote a song about them. They also have their share of critics. There have been many guesses as to the purpose of the stones and those opposed have come up their own conclusions. While the organization behind them remains a mystery, there are those who believe they were satanists, Nazis and/or wanting to communicate with extra-terrestrials.

The reason for the opposition may lie in the 10 "guides" that were etched into the stones. Number 1 is "Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature." That means 12 out of 13 of us would need to find another planet to live on. These instructions are meant to be passed down to the survivors left after Armageddon. Who knows how many people that will be, but I'm just saying...who is going to have the job of choosing? Cue ominous music.

ANYway, I found this information very interesting. It sounds like the plot of movie, but someone actually built this thing and the secret organization is probably still protecting their identity and preparing for the end of the world, which may be as soon as 12/21/12? Spooky. (Also, I really loved the opening spread for the article. :) Wired always has such great art design! That font is awesome!)

Razzle Dazzle

I feel the need to post something, anything, so that last post isn't the first thing on my page. So, don't look down there! Look here! Cute animals!! Why, yes...that is Harrison Ford feeding a hippo.

We watch a lot of The Discovery Channel and National Geographic and Animal Planet because those are the only channels (along with The Food Network and HGTV) appropriate for young eyes when PBS Kids and Playhouse Disney aren't on. So, Anna has already seen a giraffe being born. Surprisingly, she was not grossed out. Just wait until I pull out the video of her birth. Guaranteed to make a girl keep her legs crossed for at least 35 years. (Just kidding...there is no video of her birth. But, that video we watched in our Childbirthing Class would have done the trick if I hadn't already been 8 months pregnant. They should show that in high schools.) I had a point...oh, yeah! So, a giraffe's gestation period is 15 months and then they just drop the kid six feet and hope it's okay?!

Seriously, if you don't visit The Big Picture at least once a week, you are missing out on amazing photographs and stories that I didn't even know I should care about. Who loves the internet? I do, I do!