The Silent Blogger

I have been kind of a silent blogger this week. I've been thinking a lot about different blog topics but they haven't quite made it here. It's been a weird week - I feel like everything in the media is negative, negative, negative. After a while, it's kind of hard to tune it all out. I definitely have a lot to be thankful for and really no reason to let the negativity get to me though. I've also been really tired this week and I'm trying to (slowly) make some headway on all of the projects I want to get completed. The great news is that I think I am on a roll and hope to have a bunch of check marks on my list after this weekend! Anyway, in the interest of not letting this weird week get me down I am going to follow some fellow bloggers (like her and her) in their quest to find the good in every day. Even though I'm starting a couple of days late, starting tomorrow I am making it a priority to show love in unexpected ways and to find the grace in every day. I feel more positive about this week already (it also helps that tomorrow is Friday).

Facebook has jumped the shark

Have you ever heard someone say that a tv show has "jumped the shark?" I had not until my husband said it about Grey's Anatomy about a year ago. It means a show has run its course and does something crazy like the time on Happy Days when Fonzie jumped a shark on a pair of water skis. Anyway, I do believe that Facebook has reached a tipping point and is on its way out. It happened to MySpace over a year ago and everyone migrated to Facebook. Now it seems like everyone's mother has a page (quite literally) and the masses are moving to Twitter. I know many bloggers love Twitter but I'm over it. I deleted my account because it was just too much. Too many accounts to keep up, too many updates, too much information. I think it's wonderful to have so many easy ways to connect with people but I also think it's exhausting. I know many of you reading this are avid users of these sites and I am not making any judgements at all, in fact I'm still active on Facebook and don't have plans to abandon it just yet - I'm just sharing my thoughts on the subject. Now that MySpace is out, Facebook is everywhere, Twitter is the new Facebook ... what's the next big thing for bloggers? My bets are on Plinky

Too Good To Pass Up

I totally stole this post from BlondeMom but I could not pass it up - it's hilarious!

She's Kind of a Big Deal

My baby girl is already a social butterfly. This morning she was mentioned in our local social column because after all, she's kind of a big deal. (I'm kidding ... kind of, lol) The photo (which I borrowed from the website) is of me with my aunt, grandmother (it's Crazy Betty!) and my boss at a recent fundraiser for the organization I work for. This year I wasn't modeling so I got to enjoy the show with Betty who'd had a glass of wine and was ready to dance with the waiters :) That woman cracks me up!

Texas here I come

I signed up yesterday for a photography workshop that is being held in Dallas, TX in early May and I am sooo excited!!! The workshop sold out in under 3 hours so I feel very lucky to have gotten a spot. (It's a good thing we missed church to attend an 8:00 am baptism for my favorite twins or I would have missed the registration window) I struggled with whether or not to go but thanks to my husband and the encouragement of lots of others, I am going to have an amazing experience. Hopefully this will enable me to take my photography to a new level and who knows what the future holds! (no, I'm not quitting my job) Anyone have any suggestions for things to do in Dallas?

But what will I wear?!?!

I was reading Big Mama's Fashion Friday and decided that although I am still wearing my regular clothes, it's only a matter of time before I "pop" and can't zip or button anything anymore. I'll be 5 months on Tuesday and I consider myself very lucky to have made it this far without having to alter my wardrobe yet. I will say that it has been physically painful not to buy any clothes lately in any of my favorite stores, especially since I have gift cards burning a hole in my purse. I know I'll need these gift cards in the Fall when I am in need of a "pick me up" in the clothing department though. I digress ... so I was looking online at maternity clothes tonight and although the options have improved drastically in the past 10-20 years, there are still some UGLY things out there. Do they think that just because you're expecting a gift from heaven, that you want to look like a present?!? Or just because you are craving candy - that looking like a lollipop would be appealing? And can someone tell me why this is even an option? First of all, poly blends are a questionable idea in general but when pregnant, they are particularly inadvisable. Especially in orange florals.

I have been to a lot of websites tonight and found very little that I would actually wear. What on earth am I going to wear? Hopefully the spring lines will provide some hope, otherwise I am in trouble.

All chocolate is not created equal

Today I got a box of Mrs. Fields Dark Chocolate Brownie Truffles at work. Sounds good right? Wrong. They sounded good, looked good, but tasted like plastic sugar. I remember why I don't like cheap chocolate ... because it tastes bad. I know some people like the chocolates that come in a heart shaped box but once you've eaten truffles and chocolates from the good places (good usually also = expensive) there's no going back. Have you ever had a peppermint truffle from Harry & David? Yummm. I have no idea why I am writing a whole blog post about chocolates, probably because I want some right now (and not the icky kind I left in the kitchen at work). I've never been big on chocolates before but I think the baby likes chocolate covered strawberries and truffles :)

Walkin the line

I loved the movie Walk The Line and think Joaquin Phoenix was brilliant in it but seriously? He's acting (and looking) really strange right now ...



I loved when David Letterman called him the Uni-bomber - LOL!

I need more time

I need more time in my days this week. Well, actually I need more energy because I have time left when I get home but these last couple of weeks I feel like I put all of my energy into work and there's not much left at the end. I have about 20 emails I need to send, a bunch of blogs to catch up on, fun and exciting posts to write for my own blog, and a pile of items to list on ebay - but all I want to do is watch tv and fall asleep. I wish I had something humorous to share tonight but today was a doozy and I didn't get home from work until 7:30 tonight. You can start feeling sorry for me now ;)

Concentration is out of the question

Concentration is out of the question for me at work today. Probably because I found out this morning some news that means I'll get to use these ...


(Sorry for the bad photo, I'm at work)

Uncommon Baby is a girl!!! I am so excited!! And I must also thank Lindsay for bringing me the above pictured Mary Jane socks that I have wanted since the moment I saw them, and the giant pink cupcake she brought to my office this morning. Thank heaven for little girls :)

Winner!

The winner of my first stationary giveaway is Praise Junky! I was so happy that the random number generator picked #1 because it seems like the first commentor never wins :) Email your mailing address to Uncommonblonde(at) gmail (dot) com,and I'll get your goodies in the mail. Leave a comment on this post for another chance to win!

Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should

Welcome to my version of Fashion Friday - Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should.

1. Just because you can wear midriff baring tops, doesn't mean you should. (If you have great abs, show them off at the beach or in your pilates class. Otherwise, you run the risk of looking like a tramp and/or making all other women around you want to punch you directly in those fabulous abs.)

2. Just because you can wear your high school child's clothes, doesn't mean you should. Shoes are really the only safe thing to share with your child, trust me.

3. On the same note - just because you can still fit into something you wore in high school, doesn't mean you should. If you are over 25 (and that's pushing it) and still have things in your closet from high school, we need to talk.

4. Just because you can buy clothing with regional flare while you are on vacation, doesn't mean you should. Ponchos in New Mexico, tie dye cover-ups in the Bahamas ... all of these things will seem like a very bad idea when you get home.

5. Since we're talking about vacations - just because you can pay to have your whole head braided while on your caribbean cruise, doesn't mean you should. Step away from the beads white girls.

6. Just because you have a scrunchy, doesn't mean you should put your hair up in it. Ever again.

7. Just because you have nice legs, doesn't mean you should wear short shorts. Women over a certain age (it's much younger than many people think) should be very careful when buying shorts. It's not classy to look like you bought your shorts at Hollister when you are 30 years old.

8. Just because Katie Holmes (or any celebrity) wears something, doesn't mean you should follow suit. Just think what would happen if everyone wore Jessica Simpson's new "mom jeans" look. (that picture is a whole blog post of its own)

9. Just because you own knee-high leather boots doesn't mean you should wear them with all of your dresses in the winter. Walk the line carefully my friends.

Now it's your turn - what is your favorite "Just Because You Can, Doesn't Mean You Should?" Leave a comment and be sure to include your email address and I'll randomly pick a winner on Monday for another goody from my stationary stash.

P.S. I'll be back later this afternoon to announce the winner from Sunday's contest.

We Got Us A Pageant Girl

I'm probably going to offend someone with this post but I have to comment on this. In case you didn't know it I am not a fan of child pageants. Miss America is okay because these are adults making their own decisions to be ranked and rated but when it comes to kids I think it's 100% for the parents. Last night I discovered a new show on TLC called "Toddlers and Tiaras." I'm sure this show will get old after a few episodes but I was fascinated and honestly, horrified by what I was watching. The show follows three families per episode in their quest for pageant glory. The women on last night's show were VERY southern and one said when her daughter was born her first comment was "Now we got us a pageant girl." Hopefully her "pageant girl" will have better grammar because I don't think Miss America would get through the interview process with that kind of language ... then again there was the "Iraq and such as" girl (see clip below).

In my opinion, these people are nuts. My husband's comment about halfway through was "Do you think they realize that this show is popular because people think it's wrong and make fun of what they are doing?" My guess is no. One of the little girls was only 2 years old and was pitching a tantrum the entire time she was backstage. When it was her turn, her mother ran her in circle like a little show pony. Then the 2 year-old was dancing around in diapers while her mom tried to spray tan her. I kid you not. My husband was excited because he has a running joke that he's going to start a business selling baby tanning beds and baby porcelain veneers. This show gave him a whole new sense of validation for his business idea and I have to hand it to him, these women would be a perfect target market. During an interview the mom said "I'll never make her do this, as soon as she tells me she wants to stop that will be her last pageant" Hmmm ... what does it mean when she throws herself on the floor and screams every time you say "wave to the judges" ??? I'm thinking she doesn't like it.

Makes me smile

Two things that make me smile today. These pictures that I took on Saturday and this commercial from the Superbowl ...

My Addiction

I have an addiction. Since we're friends I feel comfortable sharing it with you. I am obsessed with stationary. If I walk into a store and find a beautiful set of note cards, it is almost impossible for me to walk away and not buy them. The good thing is that I also love to write notes, so luckily I actually use stationary. The problem is, I can't seem to use it at the rate that I buy it. To make matters worse, when I really love a particular set of cards I only use them for "special occasions" (in other words I hoard them).

Two summers ago I went to Italy and let me warn you, a stationary addict going to Italy is like letting a fat kid loose on a buffet. There was beautiful handmade paper everywhere I turned! In addition to stocking up big time while I was there, I also received stationary from almost every one of my friends this year for my birthday AND I have continued to buy it every time I see a sale. Soooo, I need to start rehab. I am going crazy on my house and am currently cleaning out and organizing every square inch of space. This weekend I pulled out my big box of stationary to add some cards that I found in my nightstand and I could not fit another thing into the box. I know I will be writing a million thank you notes over the next few months, however, I must admit that I've already scoped out baby stationary and as much as I hate to admit it, I'm probably going to buy more.

There's a reward for lasting through my long story here - since I need to release my hold on some of my stationary I have decided to do a couple of giveaways and today is the first one. Just leave me a comment telling me if you have any addictions or collections and on Thursday, February 5th I'll randomly draw a winner! The winner will receive a couple of boxes of pretty note cards from my ridiculous collection.