it's not easy bein' green.

I did one of these surveys...I am not sure why. It's pretty boring. But so is my blog as of late.

What color is your bedspread?
right now it's a white down comforter w/ a white & black duvet/

Pick up the nearest book to you,turn to page 25 & read the first sentence.
"I turned my son's book over to look at his photograph." The History of Love, Nicole Krauss

How many candles are in the room you are in?
8

What was your first word when you were a baby?
"Bombees" I called bugs "bombees."

Are your grandparents still alive?
3 of my grandparents and 3 of my step-grandparents are alive on earth. The other two are still alive in heaven, and in my heart.

How many orange objects are there in the room you are in?
One, my awesome thirftirfic chair.

Have you ever run a stoplight?
Yes, when my sister was passed out, not breathing due to asthma attack.

Do you have any children?
No.

How was your first kiss?
It was at Lake Wassy. I liked it.

Have you completed high school yet?
This question makes me think that I am very immature for completing the survey.

Do you have any relatives in the military currently?
My step-uncle is in the reserves, My cousin is active-duty.

Who got married at the last wedding you went to?
I am not sure. I think it was one of my ex-husband's friends.

What time did you get up today?
6:45am

When was the last time you stayed up all night?
this last friday...keenan's opening night.

How long have you had a myspace, facebook, or whatever you use?
I have had FB for about 4 years.

Who was the last person of the opposite sex you hung out with?
Keenan.

Person of the same sex?
Josie.

What color are your eyes?
Green.

Do you like them?
Absolutely.

Have you ever had braces?
Yes.

Turn on your mp3, cd player, radio, etc.
She Will Be Loved. (I know, a little dated...that song takes me back..."I know that goodbye means nothing at all, comes back and begs me to catch her every time she falls")

What was the last thing you drank?
H2O

Are you better at math or art?
Artsy things...not necessarily "art", but definitely not math.

Science or History?
Science

Who was your 4th grade teacher?
Miss Gault

Who was your best friend in 7th grade?
Sara Mitchell

Is there somebody that knows you inside and out and can practically read your mind?
There are a few of these special sooth-sayers.

Where you go to pre-school, if you went at all?
I didn't go to organized pre-school.

Who was the last person to call you?
Work.

Did you smile in your driver's license picture?
Yep, the little old man who took the picture said I have a "million dollar smile."

Do you have a job?
I'm a boss.

What is your favorite smell?
Grape laffy taffy.

What's your favorite brand of gum?
I don't chew gum.

Have you ever dated someone & then dated their sibling?
Nope.

Who was your crush in 5th grade?
A boy named Ronnie (really does anyone care about this question?)

Who was your first bf/gf?
A boy named Darrel (again, who cares)

What color is the shirt you are wearing?
Grey

What do you think of the 1980's?
Cabbage Patch Kids rocked.

Have you ever dated someone more than 2 years older than you?
Yep.

How about 2 years younger?
Yep.

What brand of shampoo do you use?
Brilliant Brunette (but the generic brand of it)

If you could change one thing about yourself physically, what would it be?
I hate this game.

Is there a box of tissues in the room you are in right now?
Yes (what does that tell anyone about anyone?)

What time is it?
7:41pm

Is their anything living (plant, animal, etc) in your room right now?
A couple green plants.

What color are the walls in your kitchen?
White

Have you ever been in a car accident?
Not really.

Do you have any major plans for today?
Watching Madmen on Netflix after Keenan is done w/ his show.

Who was the first person to tell you to think for yourself?
Probably my 8th grade history teacher Mr. Rathlef. He was pretty awesome.

Do you own a digital camera?
Yes, but it sucks.

How old is the cellphone you have right now?
I got it in May sometime.

What are your initials, using the last letter of each of your names?
NEN

Do you know anyone named Tyler?
One I didn't like.

How about Reese?
Brandy's baby girl.

Diana?
Nope.

Shelby?
Not really.

Have you ever kissed someone who's name started with "C"?
Definitely.

How about "L"?
No.

"E"?
Yep.

"B"?
Sure.

What was the last thing you cooked?
Jam.

How many times have you moved in your life?
colorado, wyoming, kansas, nebraska, concordia, manhattan, salina, missouri.

Do you live within 20 miles of your birthplace?
nope. used to, though.

Can you do a handstand?
heck, no.

Okay, there were a bunch more questions...but I quit at this time, because I really doubt that anyone was interested.

come into my world I've got to show show show you...

So I am on "staycation". My boss forced it really, she looked at what I had used my time off for in the past year (holidays, Keenan's audition, bereavement) and decided I needed some "real" time off, with no commitments. I thought it sounded delicious. Actually, not having a schedule is more difficult than I remembered.

So far I've accomplished some things that are notable on staycation...

reverse happy hour at 180 with Bret & Keenan
chiropractor (ahhhh!)
the end of guiding light (boo-hoo)
drinks w/ Josie & John (coworkers)
received banana bread & cookies from mom (yum)
got my car worked on (it ran great for 2 days, now it's crap again)
coffee at coffee station
coffee, lunch and drinks w/ Josie, Juan & Kim.
football, fantasy football and chili-making
baked banana bread and made green beans from the farmers market
browsed food magazines
Starbucks, again (hey it's my vacation!)
sent Brooks' birthday present (Aug 3)
sent Grandmas' birthday card (only a day late)
paid bills
went to Time Travelers Wife (alone w/ gummy worms, popcorn and a small sprite) (2 stars)
going to lunch with Keenan
sleeping in (much-needed)

also I am required to keep my work phone off, no email, no "checking-in". after detoxing from the ever-ringing I am feeling quite grateful.

She had something breakable just under her skin

antique date stamp, pendant, new MK lipstick & silverware 1.50 for the lot
17.00 total
farmers market, fave thrift store, church sale

onions, tomatoes, green beans, strawberries

Annie record, tin for Mom, vintage pyrex measuring cups, fabric clutch purse

title for these adventures in thriftiness is courtesy of the counting crows: american girls

only love...

although it may seem melodramatic, at best, i lost something today.

When my grandma died unexpectedly in May I began feeling, in a large way, the loss of my childhood. I began to know that things, that were once so real will become just stories, and only exist in my heart & memory.

Who thought that losing a TV show would be another part of that loss? Guiding Light is off the air today. I have watched it my entire life.

I used to pretend to take a nap but listen to the show and sneak into the hallway to get a glimpse of Mindy Sue Lewis, back when she was a prima ballerina.

It is the touchstone for the women in my family, my mother, me and my grandma. (My great grandmother listened to it on the radio)

Every night when I talk to my mom we touch base on GL: what we thought was ridiculous, remembering old storylines & talking about what should happen next. When I visited with my grandma it was likewise. I loved that she subscribed to Soap Digest, when I stayed at her house I would read the whole year of them.

Maybe it's fitting that I lost Guiding Light with my grandma-- the end of my childhood.

Thanks Guiding, for all the fun chatter topics for the last 29 years...thanks for the ridiculous stuff (like cloning Reva: which made my grandma consider quitting watching, or giving Blake's twins two different fathers), for the heartbreak (like when you killed off Maureen Bauer after her last line was "you have broken my heart.") for the unbelievable (bringing back Philip, so that we could all say goodbye in style), for the shameless (Reva baptizing herself the 'slut of Springfield') for the suspense (Reva's on trial for killing Annie Dutton's unborn child) for the torture (wondering if Lizzie would ever reunite with Sarah) and for the sweet (Lillian finally being a bride, letting Fletcher help Alexandra grieve, Sarah & Lizzie jumping rope, Michelle finding her way back to Danny, Bauer BBQs, Harley & Gus' wedding, & Vanessa walking into the house Matt built her).

Farewell.Guiding.Light.

little sister, just remember as you wander thru the blue

play along at Category Stories

title courtesy of Patty Griffin: Kite Song

quote: without her i don't make sense-- In Her Shoes screenplay

just guessin' at numbers & figures

Originally uploaded by TheVoiceThatSaid

I was walking up the front entrance to my building on Sunday, with my IPOD on...opening that big old door & heading up those big stairs and The Scientist (coldplay), as if on cue started to drown my ears. It was the oddest moment.

For one moment it made the past seem more real than now and made me unsure what I would find at the top of my stairs.

Uncomfortable with all of it I firmly pressed the forward button, shattered the illusion and moved on.

"tell me you love me, come back and haunt me. oh, what a rush to the start." coldplay

young enough to know the right car to buy, yet grown enough not to put rims on it

La Bocca della Verita

Italian Resturant in Chicago

It is 4 months before my 30th birthday. I like aging. Really, I do (so far so good). I like it because I get further away from the mistakes I made in the past.

However 30 feels different. It feels like it's got clout. It feels like before turning 30 I need to be able to "back it up". As a little girl, and even a younger woman I had grand aspirations for 30. I imagined like most little girls:

• a perfect husband (insert gorgeous, successful sweetheart here)
• perfect children (insert well-mannered, healthy, green-eyed darlings here)
• a perfect career (insert paid well for my hard work as a drama therapist here)
• a well-kempt green-lawn (insert manicured grass here)
• and a mortgage (insert huge bill for charming bungalow in a nice part of the city here)

Turns out I've accomplished nada on that list.

• I rent a 2 bedroom apartment
• If I was a drinker, my job is the kind of job to drive you to it (actually it would drive you well past "drink" and straight to "drunk")
• I don't even have a pet.

In order not to focus on the above list, I need a list more maneagable. 4 months is not long to accomplish all the above things, therefore the "New 30" list was born. And I must accomplish it in 4 months, but the best part about the New 30 is that I don't have to depend on mortgage companies, realtors, supervisors, the stork or a man to accomplish it.

The New 30

• Forgive myself for my 20's (and hope that others forgive me)
• Learn how to make my great-grandmother's cinnamon rolls & my mama's sugar cookies
• Finish 3 books on my upcoming "staycation"
• Finish paying off debt
• Quit taking everything personally
• Forget about preconceptions about what I should have "accomplished" by 30.
• Quit counting my divorce as my own personal failure
• Quit "keeping score" "taking data" on myself
• Go to the Rivermarket grocery
• Look for a new(er) vehicle & save downpayment
• Talk to my boss about a raise
• Keep in better touch with my grandparents (1 letter per month)

title courtesy of JayZ - 30 something

When you kiss me on that midnight street...

Originally uploaded by TheVoiceThatSaid

title courtesy of David Gray: This year's love

darling, I wish you well, on your way to the wishing well

what I scored this weekend for hardly any $$$
MajRThrift had a big sale...

• vintage pyrex pitcher w/ lemon design (we owned this same pitcher circa 1985) (1.71)
• a big stock pot w/ lid (2.48)
• a book for Keenan (.49) & one for my future offspring (.99)
• a small Peter Rabbit child's plate (.48) (I have a problem: shopping for my non-existent-yet-baby)
• a pair of Gap jeans (14.99) (I have the same pair in a different wash, that cost me 60 dollars & they are my faves!)
• a cream sweater dress (1.50)
• 1 scarf (.50) & one cream pashmina (2.00)
• a black DKNY suede overnight bag (2.50)
• a zip up adorable hoodie (4.00)

Movie lately viewed...

• Sunshine Cleaning- stars my girl, Amy Adams...love it, it moves a little slowly, but it's definitely a 4 star movie
• Facts of Life - 3 stars- Lucille Ball & Bob Hope 1960
• The Way we Were 5 stars- an old fave, but it was on this weekend and I can't resist it

Blogs I recently fancy

• Lisa Golightly -- love her prints on etsy & her posts on her blog
• Smitten Kitchen --unpretentious recipes & wonderful pictures
• Cooking for cock -- sure the tagline makes me blush, but it's got tasty recipes & a sense of humor

title courtesy of Patty Griffin "Nobody's Crying"

Looking at a green sky, sun like a red-eye

photo credit & recipe linky

I made this strawberry jam last night. It's the real deal. And it smells so delicious when it's cooking. Find myself trying all sorts of new things in the kitchen lately...besides thrifting it's my way to deal.

Speaking of thrifting I got an adorably current Vera Bradley (according to the website it retails for 48$) hanging make-up bag (2.99) and a couple cute girl-cut Kansas State t-shirts (1.99). Great way to end my thrift adventures this week, of course I won't be able to resist going on Monday to the 50% off sale. And why should I resist?

I miss these two!

title courtesy of Counting Crows: Another Horsedreamers Blues

the lights are much brighter there

When you're alone

And life is making you lonely,

You can always go downtown

When you've got worries,

All the noise and the hurry

Seems to help, I know, downtown

I found the most adorable one cup vintage Pyrex liquid measuring cup at the thrift store this week (.99). I also got a long cadet blue sweater (2.99), a black sheer ruffle blouse (1.99), a vintage-y seersucker skirt (2.99). I might go back tomorrow. I'll be honest: I will go back tomorrow.
title courtesy of P. Clark: Downtown

truly truly truly outrageous.

play along at category stories!

The prompt is "Saturday morning cartoons", the prize is great and this happens to be my first published layout! Scrapstreet Magazine published all the members of our blog design team!

Work is keeping me quite busy...Blanc Burgers & Bottles is keeping me sane. I will update tomorrow.

title courtesy of Jem & The Rockers: Theme song