AOTW Time!

Artist of the Week: Tristan Prettyman

Tristan Prettyman is another super chill artist. She a girl with a guitar and a unique, almost bluesy voice. She is phenomenal. I promise.

She has two albums out, Twenty Three and Hello, plus a scattering of live sessions and singles. I love both of her albums however I can't stop listening to her first album Twenty Three. You can listen to her albums at amazon. Just click on the name of the album above. My favorite songs by Tristan are Simple as it Should Be, Madly, and You Got Me.

The lyrics to her songs make me stop and think and I really admire artists that can do that. My favorite lyrics come from her song The Story. Choose the song in the play list on the right and listen as you read the lyrics. It just intrigues me.

Are you feeling Tristan? I am.

Oh Happy Day!

About a month ago the itunes program on my computer randomly got messed up and wouldn't open. Worst day ever. It kept giving me this weird error and I couldn't figure out how to fix it. I finally took my computer to my brother this weekend. My brother is a computer genius and can fix anything. Well, he was able to fix it and I AM SO HAPPY! Thanks Ryan!

I didn't realize how much I missed itunes. I really missed it! I love checking out new artists I hear about, searching through music, using the sweet new Genius side bar, free download Tuesdays, and so much more! So today is a great day!
I already downloaded this Beyonce single, and this Taylor Swift one too. Yeah itunes! Welcome back!

**Side Note: Not having itunes available to me did help with the money spending situation. I need to discipline myself now that it's back. I can do it!**

Google Reader

I use google reader. In fact, I LOVE google reader. I have organized all the blogs I follow into folders in my reader and I am very obsessive compulsive about how it is organized. I don't really know why. So I thought I would share the names of my folders because it gives a little insight into what a huge blogging dork I am (If you didn't already realize this from the NaBloPoMo participation.)

Here are the folders and how many links I have in each one...

• Family (6)
• Half Friends/Blogstalking (15)
• I know someone they know (9)
• Other randoms (22)
• People I don't know at all (15)
• Real Friends (40)

Pretty ridiculous I know! What can I say, I love to read about other people. It gives me material for my own writing.

There are a two blogs I would like to recommend to you today. Check them out, they make me smile.

• Project Domestication This blog is written by a friend from high school. She finds great deals on cool unique items, she finds awesome recipes, cute decorations, etc. She really loves to make cupcakes and always has fun ideas for that. Also, you can find great links to other cooking/domestic websites. It's great!
• Oh! How Lovely! This one is written by someone I don't know and I'm not even sure how I found it. She however, is completely on top of the blogging world and knows about a ton of fun contents, prize giveaways, NaBloPoMo, etc. She even told me about where I could find some cute free blog templates (which I haven't used yet, but will.) She is highly entertaining to read and a good resource to have.

*It has officially been one week of NaBloPoMo and I haven't missed a day yet! 7 DAYS (that's a week in case you forgot)!!!! I am proud of myself!*

**NaBloPoMo gives away prizes through a random drawing to people that meet the goal and post every day. There are a lot of great prizes. I am hoping to win one! Think happy thoughts for me!**

Details

A new obsession I have is shoes. I've always been a flip flop girl. ALWAYS. Then one day I woke up and realized all the amazing shoes the world has to offer. I have cheap shoe tastes. When I find a really cute shoe for under twenty bucks I'm ecstatic. This week I found these at Target. Yellow flats for 19.99.

Super cute right? I thought so to. I'm a size 9, I bought 6's! Somebody teach me to pay attention to detail! I'm so bugged!

Would You Rather

Would You Rather...

1.

-be able to stop time while you slept

or

-never need to do laundry

2.

-be born with a refrigerator on your back

or

-have an elephant as a close personal friend

3.

-be 4'1"

0r

-7'9"

4.

-have 3 eyes

or

-have webbed feet

5.

-have an obscene nickname you hate

or

-have nobody ever remember your name

6.

-always get first dibs

or

-the last laugh

7.

-be forgotten

or

-hatefully remembered

8.

-skip Christmas for a year

or

-skip your birthday for a year

9.

-become uglier

or

-become stupider

10.

-drink blood

or

-drink urine

So what would you rather do? I have my answers but I want to hear yours first! Stayed tuned for mine insights at a later date. :)

Conferences

This post is as good as it's gonna get. Conferences were tonight and tomorrow night. I'm so tired and don't have any patience anymore. They took it all.
Parent-Teacher Conference

by Darren Sardelli

At the parent-teacher conference,

my father made a scene.

He scared my fifth-grade teacher

with his mask from Halloween.
She showed him all my science gradesand

said she was concerned,

but he just stuck his tongue out

when my teacher’s back was turned.
He drew a monster on the board

and claimed it was her twin.

He even shook her soda,

which exploded on her chin.
My angry teacher crossed her arms

and said, “This meeting’s done!

I now see where he gets it from—

you act just like your son!”

And the winner is...

Over the past few days we have been talking about the presidential election in my second and third grade classroom. We have been learning fun facts about the candidates including their birthday, interests, hobbies, etc. Today we did a mock election. If my students were voting the winner would be...

John McCain

The final count was Mccain 23 votes (57%) Obama 17 votes (43%)

My students then wrote a journal entry on why they would vote for the person they chose. *** Remember the following information came from 7, 8, and 9 year olds. It's 100% correct.***

These are the reasons my students chose John McCain...

• "He reminds me of my grandpa."
• "I chose McCain because he has the same birthday as me, August 29."
• "I like him because he has lots of pets, including parakeets which are my favorite."
• "He seems really nice, and really old."

These are the reasons my students chose Barack Obama...

• "Obama was born in the same country as me, Illinois."
• "I like him because his favorite food is chili, YUM.
• "I want Obama to win because my dad says he will take money from rich guys and give it to us. That would be cool."
• "Obama should win because he would be fun to play basketball with."

I bet you wish you would have know all of these amazing reasons before you voted. I wish I had.

Don't you miss the days when life was that simple?

Artist of the Week- AOTW

I love music. In an obsessive, spend all my money on it, hear a song anywhere and have to find it kind of way. I am the person that can listen to one song 100 times in a row and not get sick of it. I just am that obsessive. I am a very ADHD music listener and generally skip a song mid stream if it is mediocre. My absolute favorite feeling is when I find an album that I can listen to every song on it without skipping anything. That's a great moment. All this blabbering is the lead-in into this post.

I'm going to choose an artist of the week. Someone I love and could listen to their entire album without skipping a song. Their music will be featured on my play list and in my heart (sigh).

AOTW- Joshua Radin

If you know me at all you know that this guy snuck his way into my music liking and then took up residence. I love his deep scratchy voice and acoustical sound. He calms me down. I love his lyrics and feel many of his songs explain the craziness of my life.

I first fell in love with his song Winter when I heard it randomly one day. It stuck. Both his albums (We Were Here and Simple Times) are non-song-skipper albums. I love it. If you don't know his stuff, check it out. If nothing else listen to "I'd Rather Be With You." You won't regret it.

Things I hate....

It's officially becoming Thanksgiving time, a time to show our gratitude, to express appreciation, and really reflect on all the blessings we have. I hate to be Debby Downer but I don't really want to do that today. I'm not in a pissy mood and I haven't had a horrible day. It's actually been a great day and I'm feeling good about life, I just don't feel like spreading sunshine to everyone I see.

I love when people post about "things they hate," or "why they suck at life". I think it is empowering when someone outs all their inadequacies or quirks and then moves on. It's entertaining and makes me feel better about myself to read that other people have issues too.

So it's my turn. I just can't get enough of hating the following things....

1. My hair. I feel like a shaggy dog. It's too long, but not long enough. I have this horrible cowlick at my hair line. The hair there doesn't lay flat and it creates this 80's Flock of Seagulls look with my side swooper bangs that is super sexy. My roots are also grown out to my ears. It's gross.

2. I hate my dryer. It shrunk all my pants. Literally. 6 pairs of jeans and 6 pairs of dress pants. It's awful. It had to be the dryer because there is no way I'm gaining weight. The muffin top I've been sporting lately is all due to the dryer. I'm thinking about calling the appliance company. It's getting out of hand.

3. I hate making my bed. Fancy pillows, special bed spread. What was I think. It's so pretty when it's done but I hate feeling like I have to do it everyday.

4. I also am hating all the political talk right now. I'm ready for the election to be over. I know this election is very important and there is a lot to say about. However, every issue and side has been stated, hashed out, restated, mocked, stated differently, and so on. I'm just kind of done hearing about it.

5. I hate that food spoils so quickly when only one person is eating it. I'm trying to be healthy and not eat out. That's really difficult when a half gallon of milk goes bad before I can drink it. I have to put my loaf of expensive 10,000% whole wheat bread in the fridge so it doesn't mold. There's nothing I hate more than fridge bread. My raspberries get spots on them before I can eat the whole container. My apples go soggy. Yuck. If it isn't crisp I won't touch it. I swear I'm not even buying excessive amounts of these items but I just can't make it happen. I'm so annoyed.

6. I hate that my favorite shows (Prison Break specifically) were rescheduled or cancelled during the week because of The World Series. I understood when it was for Presidential campaigns but baseball. I'm just not okay with that. I know it's over so I should move on but I'm still bugged about it.

7. I hate that I still have one room in my new condo that is full of boxes. I have now purchased, assembled, and installed all the bookshelves, drawers, cupboards, and organizers needed to empty the boxes. Yet still they sit.

8. Parent Teacher Conferences.

9. I hate that I compulsively buy an item fully knowing I don't need it, want it, have money for it, or won't use it. I come home feeling like a fool and before it even comes out of the bag it goes by the door to return to the store. Such a waist of time and energy.

10. I hate that it looks like I live out of my car. I kind of do but I hate it still.

11. The whole Hannah Montana obsession. I really hate hearing how awesome/irresponsible/good role model/bad role model/smart/dumb she is all the time. Who cares? It's interesting that I hate this due to my love for High School Musical, Jonas Brothers, and all things cheesy. Plain and simple, Miley just doesn't rock my socks.

12. Scary movies. I hate them. They give me nightmares and make me nervous. I not only have low tolerance for scary movies I have pretty much no tolerance. Give me sunshine, butterflies, and rainbows. No blood, guts, and slasher tales. I've been under pressure lately to watch them and I'm so glad that Halloween is past and people will get over the scary movie desire.

That's it for now. That was fun. I feel free and lighter now. I'm for sure going to do this again.

Why don't you try it too? I challenge you!

Don't think of it as being pessimistic. Think of it as being realistic, getting your feelings out so that you don't snap later on. It's a good idea.

Let me know if you try it!

Hell Month

So in football there is a tradition called "hell week". The players participate in two practices a day. They are pushed hard by their coaches and a lot is expected of them. The point is for the players skills to improve and to unify the team.

I have decided to participate in NaBloPoMo. I will be posting once a day for the entire month of November. I like to think of this challenge as my own personal blogging "hell month".

I realize coming up with a post every day will be challenging however I see it as a great opportunity. I feel like I can definitely improve my skills and become a little bit better blogger. Besides, I feel like I have a ton to say lately. So it's time to make it rain!

***Side note: I liked this challenge anyway but with an abbreviated name like NaBloPoMo, how could I resist?