Ode to Jack Johnson

Last night the young un and I decided to do a little breakfast for dinner. After convincing him that it is indeed allowed, we set about making banana waffles (I'm not a good pancake cook). I had him follow the directions on the Bisquik box.

Mashing up the bananas

Adding the dry ingredients

Mixing it up

The finished product

Yum Yum!

We even had leftovers for breakfast this morning :)

Fun Friday

I have spent at least as much time playing on this site as I have cleaning today. Seriously, I set the egg timer. 15 minutes of cleaning. 15 minutes of photo processing. 15 minutes of cleaning. 45 minutes of photo processing. Picnik is super easy, super fun, and super addictive (yes Monica S., even you can do it). And you get some kick butt pictures when the dust clears. Here's what I did during my "breaks".
HDR-ish

Neon

Pencil Sketch

you can go subtle or get a little crazy....

There are samples for you to play with, or you can use your photos. I did all of these with the free options, but you can also purchase a premium package (nice use of alliteration huh?) that allows a little more customization. Best of all, if you make a mistake up there is an undo button. How fabulous is that? Plus, there's no mess to clean up (clutter free Colleen) and I love no mess creativity :)

5 years ago today...

I was attending my human resources orientation for my first official teaching job (English III). I was living on my own (with a 3 year old) in a new town, and excited about being a "city girl" for the first time in my life (you Ruston folks know what I'm talking about!) Little did I know that the orientation class would do more than just prepare me for the ins and outs of teacher retirement and insurance plans... it would introduce me to my husband!

As I sat at my table with my college friend AJ, she pointed out the cute blonde guy at the back. So sitting through all our paperwork lectures I would glance back at him. When we finally got a snack break, AJ drug me to the back of the room to "mingle". Lo and behold, we were both going to be at the same school... me as an English teacher and he as a band director. And that was it. Orientation wrapped and we headed our separate ways. No numbers were exchanged, just a friendly wave. (I should note here that he had been in town for exactly 12 hours... seriously, all his stuff was still in the U-Haul truck and he was staying at a hotel)

But for the next few days our paths would cross at even more new teacher trainings, breakfasts, and work days and eventually, at the prompting of AJ, he finally asked for my number. And then left town. (This would become a theme...)

Fast forward to the first date: He calls while I'm laying out at the pool in my "the place to live" apartment complex. He's just flown back in from his summer job and wants to know if I'm free that evening. I know, I know, all the dating books advise to say no if it's less than 24 hour notice before a date so you don't look desperate, but I had been living on pb&j and kool-aid. I thought it would be a nice change of pace. So, off to dinner at Chuy's. Don't remember much of dinner except the creamy jalapeno dip, which I ate about a gallon of. Conversation went pretty well as we talked about the new school and how we ended up there. He is not a big fan of the movie theater, so we decided to hit up blockbuster and watch them at his apartment. Here's where it gets fun. Movie starts (think it was a Bourne flick)... 15 minutes in I hear snoring. That's right, snoring. He. Has. Fallen. Asleep. I was a little confused, but really wanted to watch the movie and was sure which of the electronic disc changer gizmos he put it in, much less which of the thousand remotes operated it, so I stayed on the couch till the movie ended.. At which point he woke up, groggily mumbled "I'm really sorry" and went back to sleep. I went home.

So there you have it. Not the most auspicious beginning to our relationship, but I promise it got much much better.

And today, while he's on the road again, I got a little surprise:

Awwww... isn't he the best?

Time Waster Tuesday

As I procrastinate the cleaning of my kitchen/bathroom/bedroom, I haven't been totally useless. I did learn how to get rid of stuff. Need to get rid of sensitive teeth? Tips are here. Need to get rid of hairballs? Yep, they know how. Global Warming? You betcha. Back Fat? Oh yeah. There are a ton of tips to be found in several catagories, but my favorite has to be how to get rid of people (co-workers, stalkers, telemarketers). So go ahead and tell yourself you're being productive. You migt actually surprise yourself and get rid of a few things :)

As I enjoy some quality time with Craig Ferguson

Just more self entertainment on a Monday night. Here's how it works:

1. Open your mp3 library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, shortwave radio from Eastern Europe)
2. Put it on shuffle (or random or whatever else it gets called)
3. Press play
4. For every section of the movie, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button

Opening Title: Crazy for You (Madonna)

Waking Up: Stay Away (The Honarary Title)

First Day of School: Zombie (The Cranberries)

Falling in Love: So Small (Carrie Underwood) *she sings it in the minihorse commercial

Breaking Up: There's a Girl (The Ditty Bops)

Prom: Wave on Wave (Pat Green)

Life's Okay: Details in the Fabric (Jason Mraz)

Mental Breakdown: If I had Eyes (Jack Johnson)

Driving: City of Angels (Gabriel Yared)

Flashback: Coyote (Better than Ezra)

Getting Back Together: Cry Me A River (Diana Krall)

Wedding: The Saints are Coming (U2)

Birth of a Child: Going the Distance (Cake)

Final Battle: All Star (Smash Mouth) *this on my ipod for Will's enjoyment

Death Scene: Wherever I may Roam (Metallica)

Funeral Song: L.A. Song (Beth Hart)

End Credits: Going Back to New Orleans (Dr John)

So, I'm not sure who wrote this particular screenplay, cause I've always imagined my life a little more Pretty in Pink/Sixteen Candles but don't remember Molly Ringwald fighting many final battles (unless we're talking metaphorically). But if this is how its going to go down, can I please have Kirsten Dunst or Reese Witherspoon play me :)

For Mom & Dad

To celebrate 35 fabulous years, here's a look back on some of the highlights. And before you get too stressed out, there's only like 5 people who read this blog and most of them are related :)

Happy Anniversary you crazy kids! We love you and hope you have 35 years more!

Sassy Sunday

As I try to put my living room back together, I caught inspiration here. I'm not a star girl myself, but had a batch of Fleur-de-lis I picked up on a trip to First Monday. They were too dark for the red walls, but with a little paint and some clear coat, I think they just might work. I started with plain metal.

Then I added 2 layers of "linen" acrylic paint with a paper towel.Followed by a shot of clear coat. I was pleasantly surprised by the effect the clear coat had on the acrylic. (I also don't know how to right side up this one).And here they are hanging together in the living room... (sorry about the glare) I have some additional ones I may add in as well.

There ya go, project # 2 done. Yay! Can't wait to see what else I have that can be painted and re-purposed!