Stuttering Shell

moms don't get grossed out...or do they?

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 14:00:00 +0000

i've said it before..."i'm a mom. nothing grosses me out anymore."

i mean, i can handle potty talk - of the pee & poo kind, but i can deal with the other kind of potty talk, too.

potty talk while eating? no problem. it's gross, i know, but momma's not gonna let anything come between her & her food.

problems with the pee or poo? no sweat. i've potty-trained two children - one of whom had some serious "elimination issues" - so talk about constipation, diarrhea or suppositories don't make me cringe. wiping butts isn't an issue either...unless you are too damn old to be asking someone to wipe your hiney.

projectile vomit doesn't send me running. i will even investigate to see if something was eaten that shouldn't have been {imagine my son's dismay when just a few weeks ago he was busted - post-vomit - for eating airheads of the blue variety}.

boogers & snot? no worries. i'll pick your nose or wipe it...whatever is needed.

dirty sheets? it doesn't matter the accident {well, maybe it does}, but i'll wash them for you.

high fevers? motrin & a tepid bath it is!

funky rashes, bumps & other skin wickedness? i've got some cream in the cabinet somewhere.

i like to feel that i'm pretty immune to most all of what gets thrown my way now that i'm a semi-experienced mother of two {and by semi-experienced i mean that my kids haven't reach the 'tween/teen years yet...that's a whole 'nother ballgame!}.

however...and this is a big however...

i do get grossed out.

did you notice that i did not mention a single word about blood or loose teeth? yep. you guessed it...

if you're bleeding for any reason other than a paper cut or a minor scrape, please go bother someone else. don't even ask me for a band aid. i can't help you. i won't help you. yeah, yeah, yeah...i birthed two babies. there was blood. but that was my blood, people! i don't want to see your blood.

as for loose teeth, don't wiggle them in front of me even if i did ask you, "is your tooth loose?" and, if they are really wiggly & just hanging by a nerve, please don't come running to show me. you'll be asked kindly to "go find your father." i have even been known to bribe my children to get them away from me with their loose teeth {this almost always seems work against me...i still owe my daughter the dress she wanted from target because i told her that if she would just pull out her loose tooth i would get it}.

needless to say, i guess i'm not as 'tough' as i think i am. but, i suppose being squeamish about two out of the many gross things that come along with having children isn't really bad. is it?

GIVEAWAY - tabletopics: girls night out

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 18:22:00 +0000

are you a "steel magnolia?"
if you could do a risky activity once with no risk what would you choose?
which part of having a baby has been or will be most difficult for you?
what do you enjoy eating when you're alone?
what song evokes the strongest memories?

those questions above are just a small sample of what you'll find if you're browsing through the girls night out edition of tabletopics.

{source}

tabletopics - have you heard of them?

tabletopics was founded by cristy clarke who did not want to go to another cocktail party where small talk went absolutely nowhere. tabletopics is a fun way to get people talking. just like their motto says, "great questions to start great conversations." currently, there are many different topics to choose from - family, teen, couples, girls night out, college, decades {60s, 70s, 80s}, etc. and, don't think that you're limited to the tabletopics cube. you can get "to go" versions of tabletopics as well as partytopics {napkins, place cards or coasters} and journaltopics {life, wedding or pregnancy}.

we have the family version in our home & we keep it on our kitchen table. it's definitely a great item to have out when friends come over because someone is going to open up the cube {out of curiosity} and start asking questions.

i was thrilled to stumble across the girls night out version at my local hallmark store and i picked up one for me...and one for you to win!

to enter this giveaway, all you have to do is answer one of the five questions listed at the beginning of this post.

for extra entries, you can blog about this giveaway {sidebar links are fine}, tweet about this giveaway {please include me @maliasma}, follow tabletopics on twitter {@TableTopicsInc} and/or visit tabletopics' website & tell me which product you'd most like to have.

this giveaway will be open until 11:59pm e.s.t. on friday, march 19th & i'll announce the winner that weekend.

good luck & tell your friends...this is definitely something you'll want to have the next time you & your girlfriends get together for some wine & chit-chat!

the fine print:

i was not endorsed by tabletopics in any way, shape or form - they did not contact me and say, "hey, will you feature our product & giveaway one?"
i purchased the girls night out version tabletopics cube with my own moola.
this is simply something fun...from me to you...because i love y'all!
international bloggers are welcome.
winner will be chosen at random using random.org.
did i miss anything else??

small talk six - i hate grocery shopping.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 13:33:00 +0000

really, i do.

i especially hate it because it seems like we're always at super walmart {sundays are the worst!}. i suppose i could shop somewhere else, but i honestly get the most bang for my buck at super walmart. but {and there's always a but} they reel you in & you almost always end up leaving with much more than the, oh...say, SIX items that were on your list.

so, for today's small talk six session over at momdot, name six items that are on your grocery/shopping list every week. are you ready for my list? don't get too excited. it's pretty damn boring if you ask me. {make sure you've had some coffee before reading this because it's guaranteed that you'll yawn...}

bread - i try to buy 'healthy' bread {like a honey wheat or 12-grain} but we recently fell in love with italian sammich bread. i honestly don't remember the brand of italian bread that we usually get, but imagine my surprise when i discovered that pepperidge farm makes an italian wheat loaf. it's very yummy. very, very yummy.
milk - milk consumption has decreased in our home, but we still go through about a gallon a week {it used to be nearly three a week when the kids were much younger}. once upon a time we had our milk delivered, but it just became more cost effective to buy it ourselves from the store. we almost always buy organic milk, too. too bad walmart doesn't sell organic milk by the gallon...yet.
eggs - i swear we just need to get a couple of chickens and keep them in our backyard. i buy eggs by the 18-pack. the 18-pack, people!
coca-cola - we love caffeine. 'nuff said. side story: my husband is notorious for leaving the empty case of cokes next to the fridge...and i always chuckle whenever he reaches into that {empty} box for a coke and is suddenly let down. ha ha ha.
coffee creamer - speaking of caffeine, we need something to pour into our cuppa every morning. we own a keurig & l♥ve it. adam goes through a ridiculous amount of creamer. he prefers international delights french vanilla or caramel brownie whatever or the dulce de leche or whatever other sweet concoction they have. i'm still not over the fact that i can no longer get coffeemate's peppermint mocha creamer anymore. i'm so sad.
lunch meat & cheese - so this is like a 'two for one' kind of thing. and, yes, i'm cramming one extra thing into a list of six. however, this goes with the bread...and lunch meat & cheese go hand in hand. all four of us pack a lunch. needless to say, we eat a lot of sammiches. sometimes, we buy our meat from the deli. other times, we just buy it off the shelf. we love roast beef & turkey. and, imagine my delight when my children declared that muenster cheese was their favorite {because i cannot stand american cheese}.

so, what's on your shopping list?

say what?

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 16:00:00 +0000

please head on over to kaitlin's blog, life of a busy wife, to participate in her new blog hop...

today is the inaugural edition. you know, the very first one. me, feeling exceptionally lazy & lame this morning, took the easy way out and posted a link to a blog post from earlier this week. i'll get 'on the ball' next weekend. i promise. {i blame it all on the lack of coffee this morning & the serious mountain of laundry that is waiting for me in the mud room.}

anyways, get over there! i know you guys have some 'say what?!' moments you wanna share.

small talk six - reservations for six, please.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 03:43:00 +0000

it's been a very long while since i last participated in momdot's small talk six! i'm excited to be joining in on the fun again...there are some very fun topics for 2010.

today's topic is...

6 famous people you would love to have dinner with

bradley cooper - so i could just stare at him...and, quite possibly, eat him for dessert.
dale earnhardt, jr. - i like fast cars, the color green {although red is my favorite} & the number 88. and, maybe, just maybe, he would let me shift his gears because i know how to drive a stick. {oh, my gosh people...get your minds out of the gutter!}
kenny chesney - so i could smack him for not having virginia beach on his summer tour schedule this year; although, i suppose things could change, but still...he's not part of the country mega ticket package & i'm just a little bit peeved. summer isn't summer without a kenny show!
dave matthews - i love jammin' to some dmb, but holy moly, mr. matthews, i can't understand a word you say when you talk in between sets. maybe a lovely dinner would help me understand you. and, maybe you can teach me a few of your funky dance moves, too.
jimmy buffett - because it's 5 o'clock somewhere, i do indeed have a license to chill & i think i may have found that lost shaker of salt {salt, salt, salt, salt!}.
jack johnson - *sigh* his music is dreamy. he is dreamy. i just adore him. oh, and maybe he could teach me how to surf.

what a selfish & scandalous list! a majority of these men are either smitten with someone or married. hell, so am i! but, a girl can dream, right? i'm also ashamed that this list is purely for my personal enjoyment only. i didn't invite any historical figures, political types, classy actresses or crazy divas. no presidents {current or ex}, no foreign dignitaries, no television news anchors and no pop stars. although it might be interesting to have lady gaga over {because, really, is that your poker face?}. but, if i invite lady gaga then i would surely have to invite perez hilton because they are like b.f.f.'s or something {and besides, i *love* gossip!}.

damn. that's two people too many. oh, well...the lady, perez & i could just have a g.n.o. {girls night out} or something.

if you could choose six famous people to invite over for dinner, who would YOU choose? head over to momdot & participate!

*if you click on each man's name you will be linked to a picture of that particular manly man.

but he's not a girl dog...

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 13:05:00 +0000

frisco was neutered on wednesday. thank goodness because the 'red rocket' has been causing quite the commotion in our home lately.

as the kids & i drove home from school on wednesday afternoon, i explained to them that frisco did fine with his surgery, that he needed plenty of rest & that he could not play, run or jump. i told them that they needed to help me out with taking care of him & making sure that he was warm and comfortable. they agreed.

easy enough, i thought.

wrong.

always the inquisitive one, aidan had questions. questions that required very specific answers.

aidan: mom, did frisco have to get stitches?

me: yes.

aidan: does he have stitches on his stomach?

me: no. not on his stomach.

aidan: well, where?

me: he has stitches on his goo-goo*.

awkward pause. then aidan turns towards me with the most horrifying grin on his face.

aidan: ugh. on his goo-goo?

me: yes. but he'll be okay.

aidan seems satisfied with the answers he's been given, but he wasn't quite done asking questions.

aidan: but he's not a girl dog.

me: what?

aidan: frisco. he's not a girl dog.

me: no, he's not. he's a boy.

aidan: well, if he is a boy dog how could he have babies? you said he had surgery to make sure he didn't have any babies.

oh, geez. what have i gotten myself into??

fortunately, the conversation ended there. but, who knows when aidan will decide to pick right back up where we left off.

*'goo-goo' is yet another silly term we use in our home when referring to a penis. sad, but true.

#41

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:00:00 +0000

tickets for dave matthews band's july 20th show go on sale tomorrow morning. i hope i can purchase two tickets. adam & i haven't missed a dave show in years.

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

enjoy the video - it's from the 2007 show. adam & i had 8th row seats. pretty awesome. i'll apologize now for the quality. it's hard to take video with a digicam, dance & drink beer all at the same time. the guys in front of us also made it difficult for me, but at least you'll get some amusement out of seeing their arms pop up throughout the video {and thank goodness i'm not singing along either...trust me, my voice makes nails on a chalkboard sound lovely}.

any more what?!

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:45:00 +0000

on tuesday as i drove the kids to school, aidan asked why frisco needed to have surgery.

aidan: mom, why does frisco have to go to the doctor? why do they need to cut him open.

me: because he needs to be neutered. boy dogs get neutered.

silence...

aidan: but, why? what is 'noodering?'

malia: so he doesn't have any more feces.

yeah, right.

career?

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 02:47:00 +0000

you guys know about my job & my commute.

it's no secret that, while i was thankful to find a job, i reluctantly accepted the position due to the pay cut, part-time hours, killer commute & lack of benefits. it's also no secret that, despite loving the job, i was also very overwhelmed & maybe a little intimidated. after all, this was a bit of a career switch for me {key word being 'career'}.

i'm 99.99% certain i've found my forever job. my career. i don't know where it will take me. i don't know if it will entice me to learn more about the field of work i'm involved in {shipbuilding}, but for now i'm happy doing what i do. and, i'm happy doing it for an employer who appreciates me, who says 'thank you' to me, who tells me that i'm doing a good job, who listens, who cares.

and, what makes me even happier than doing what i do is knowing that i will be doing it full-time!

my boss asked me on tuesday {my anniversary, no less!} if i was still interested in working full-time.

duh!

so, for now, i'm enjoying every bit of having monday's & wednesday's off because starting march 15th {adam's birthday} i will be working five full days a week. yay! i'm still waiting on when they will let me move to the office that is 15 minutes from my home, but i'll gladly keep making that commute throughout the week. for now, the mere thought of having freakin' health insurance excites me {but, this is what happens when you & your family have gone without health insurance for over two months...}. oh, and the paid vacation days, paid holidays & flexible working schedule aren't half-bad either.

likes.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:15:00 +0000

last week i wrote about a few of my gripes, so now i'll share with you all some of my likes...yay.

the $1 section of target -- even better is when they have decent stuff in the $1 section on sale.
a husband that cooks...and cooks well.
being caught up on the laundry.
wine. lots of it.
a perfectly made latte.
spring-like weather.
being able to plant flowers in the yard.
growing our own herbs & veggies.
road trips.
weekends in hatteras, nc.
finding a perfect seashell on the beach.
the smell of clean kids.
the smell of cinnamon & cloves.
puppy kisses.
a purring cat.
not having a car payment.
daydreaming of playa del carmen, mexico.
being appreciated at work.
snuggles from the kids.
fierce friends.
a cold beer.
pedicured toes.
flip flops.
watching re-runs of "the nanny."
a night out with the girls.
those rare occasions when adam & i can go out for a date.
blogging.
coming home to a clean house.
scented candles.
homemade chocolate cake fresh from the oven.

what are some of your likes?

eight is not enough.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 12:45:00 +0000

I can see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life.

When you're with me, baby, the skies will be blue
For all my life.

Me and you and you and me
No matter how they toss the dice
It had to be
The only for for me is you
And you for me

So happy together...

{from "Happy Together" by The Turtles}

although adam & i have been together for sixteen years, today we are celebrating our eighth wedding anniversary.

our love story isn't your typical one. we've overcome some odds. we've triumphed together. it hasn't always been blissful nor has it ever been excruciatingly difficult. we've fought. we've loved. we've laughed. we've cried.

for better or for worse...just like we promised in our wedding vows.

he is my guy. i am his girl.

and, we are, so happy together.

happy anniversary, adam...i l♥ve you dearly.

So happy together...

the birds & the bees & the dog?

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 22:15:00 +0000

frisco is an unaltered eight month old dog, and we've seen quite a bit of the, uh, 'red rocket' lately. {are you following me? i mean, it doesn't take a rocket scientist - ha ha ha - to figure that out.}

we've been quite lucky that the kids haven't seen it yet. that is, until this morning.

the kids noticed. and, they were alarmed.

"mom, look. something happened to frisco's wee-nod*. it's hurt or something. maybe one of the cats got him."

"mom, did frisco get shaved? his jack* is red and looks sore."

oh, boy.

7:45 a.m. in the morning is not the time to discuss the sexual organs of the family pet...especially to two kids we have no clue about the birds & the bees just yet.

i immediately distracted them, crated frisco and whisked the kids off to school.

fast forward to this afternoon.

the kids were home & adam was in the kitchen prepping dinner.

"aidan, did you tell daddy about what happened? daddy...aidan can explain. he knows more."

clearly, malia threw aidan under the 'red rocket' bus.

"yeah, dad. frisco's jack* was funny looking this morning. he was sitting on the couch & it came out and went back in. what happened? why did it look like that? is it okay?"

adam looked at me. i smiled at him.

adam's response?

"it's okay son. frisco is fine. that's just how his jack* is. he's okay."

thank goodness frisco meets his 'fate' on wednesday...he's being neutered & hopefully future appearances of the 'red rocket' will be few & far between.

*'wee-nod' & 'jack' are two silly names we use in our home when we refer to a penis. aidan came up with jack when he was about two years old and that name has stuck ever since.

gripes.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 20:42:00 +0000

a cold toilet seat {i swear, the heat in this house doesn't seem to reach the bathroom for some reason}
keeping with the toilet theme: 'falling in' the toilet {you know, when somebody doesn't put the toilet seat down}
people who speed through parking lots like they are cruising down the highway
clothes that look better on the hanger
dry, cracked knuckles despite slathering on gallons of hand lotion
chipped nail polish
a slow computer
finding an empty bag of almond m&m candies on the kitchen counter {especially when you know you've only eaten maybe 10 m&m's from the bag}
dirty dishes next to the sink
laundry that you've forgotten about in the wash {please tell me i'm not the only one guilty of this one}
bickering children {especially when it's over something silly}
finding a hairball in your bed {life with three kitties is never dull!}
even better than a hairball in your bed: coming home to find a bird and a rat in your kitchen...both of which are still very. much. alive.
forgetting something at the grocery store
having to stop for gas when you're already running very late
brake tappers
a bad haircut
hot coffee gone cold
an overflowing trashcan
since we're talking trash: forgetting to take the trashcans to the curb on trash day or completely missing the trash man altogether {we've done both in this house!}
dry, itchy skin
opening your underwear drawer to find that your only clean undies are of the large, granny panty variety
speaking of 'unnawears': uncomfy, thong panties {ha...seems like an oxymoron, doesn't it because - even though i will wear a thong if necessary - there is nothing comfy about walking around with a string of fabric in my buttcrack}
cleaning up after a party only to find that one of your nice painted wineglasses was broken...and no one told you about it
surprise guests {call ahead, please!}

and

writing about your gripes to avoid putting the furniture back into the living room after you had the carpets cleaned.....

got gripes?

keep calm...we have a winner!

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 19:55:00 +0000

it excites me very much to announce the winner of my "keep calm & blog on" giveaway...

brittany ann
{a.k.a. my sista from another mista!}
check out her blog by clicking here...

congrats, girl!!

email me with your preferences {color choice & "blog on" poster size} & mailing addy so that i may get this lovely item to your doorstep a.s.a.p.!!

thank you, thank you to all who entered and welcome to some new faces/followers!!

who won?

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 13:28:00 +0000

i don't even know yet!

i promised you all that i would announce the winner of my latest giveaway on friday morning.

well, friday morning came and went.

the winner will be posted later today. promise.

i had a l-o-n-g thursday. the pup went to the emergency vet on thursday night because he would not stop vomitting. frisco & i returned home around 2:30...on friday morning. needless to say, i was super t-i-r-e-d when i woke up friday morning for work and i did not have time to choose the winner {that and i don't use the internet at work}.

so, after my carpet guy comes to clean my icky carpets {thank you, frisco} i will get back online to choose the winner. okay?

complicated order.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:15:00 +0000

if you don't laugh while watching this, i'll call suh-curity on you.

you're so vain...

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 17:15:00 +0000

...you probably think this blog post's about you.

well, if you meet any or all of the characteristics below, then you're probably right.

superficial charm
a grand sense of self-worth
pathological lying
being cunning & manipulative
no remorse or guilt
shallowness
a cold lack of empathy
inability to take responsibilities for one's actions

i hope & pray that you all out there do not know someone like this...someone with aggressive narcissism.

i do.

and, it's sad, i tell ya. sad, sad, sad. no wonder the name of the 'issue' came from this guy's story {oh, the flashbacks of mythology lessons in school!}.

**the characteristics i listed in this blog post came from an e-mail from a friend who knows the same sad person that i know. see, i told you it was sad.

psst...remember me?

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:34:00 +0000

i feel like it's been an eternity since i last posted when it's only been a few days. i don't know about you, but this week seems to be dragging on...thank goodness tomorrow is thursday. that means the weekend is only a few days away.

a couple things have happened here at mi casa.

best news of all {if you follow me on twitter, you may already know}...

adam started a new job on tuesday. yay!

he struggled with the decision to accept. he was humbled by the pay cut. but, he's absolutely enjoying the stress-free environment and he's very happy doing what he loves. things are not 100% back to what i would consider 'normal' for us, but we're getting there. we still have a long, winding road ahead of us - due to the ridiculousness we're currently dealing with that i can't really talk about here {but some of you know} - but we're going to make it together, hand in hand.

and, just to drive that last point home a bit, adam cracked open a fortune cookie today {leftover from this weekend} and the fortune said:

the road to success is always under construction.

ain't that the truth.

as for me, my work situation changed ever so slightly because of adam's work schedule. i'm very, very, VERY fortunate to work for a family-oriented company. they are okay with the fact that i can no longer come in at the crack of dawn. instead, i arrive to work around 9am...and i just end up working a little bit later in the day. it's been a very, very, VERY long time since i've felt this respected, supported & appreciated at work. VERY LONG TIME. adam and i are truly thankful. and, i, for one, cannot wait to see what opportunities pop up for me along the way as i continue to find my niche with this company.

in unrelated employment news, we have a new addition to our family. however, i suppose it does relate to our employment news because, well, we had to pay for it somehow. we are the proud new owners of an hp touchsmart 300 {we're giving back our current desktop...those of you who know about that unmentionable situation will understand where i'm going with this}.

{source}

i am not ashamed to admit that i purchased this bad boy from qvc who not only participates with ebates {i got some cash back from my purchase!}, but also gave me the option of paying for this sucka in five installments {easy pay is so much easier & better than credit, y'all!}. we're enjoying the computer so far - the picture is gorgie, the touchscreen feature is very cool & i'm loving the fact that microsoft office home & student 2007 {the FULL version} and a 3-year 'script of mcafee antivirus came with the 'puter {among other things}. the computer also came with windows 7...boy, am i lost. but, i'll manage.

another feature we're anxiously awaiting to try out is the tv tuner/dvr feature. qvc offered the computer with the tv tuner feature {it's an upgrade on hp's website}. i cannot wait to see how it all works because i'm ready to call our cable company to tell them 'sayonara' to our stupid cable bill {say 'buh-bye' premium channels!} & dvr box.

hmmm...what else? what else?

that's really it, i suppose.

a new job. a new computer.

other than that, it's the same 'ole, same 'ole around here {oh, yeah...we are lovin' every. last. minute. of 'survivor: heroes vs. villians'}.

oh, and don't forget to enter my giveway. pleaseandthankyou.

love. speed. luck.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 13:00:00 +0000

3 things:

{source}

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY...
to you & your's.

i hope you have a wonderfully red, heart-filled day. valentine's day isn't that big of a deal in our home. no gifts. no cards. just some hugs & kisses. oh, and chocolate-covered strawberries...lots of chocolate-covered strawberries {homemade, of course!}.

{source}

boogity, boogity, boogity...
let's go racing, boys!

today is the 52nd running of the daytona 500. our guy, dale earnhardt, jr., is starting in second. let's hope this is his year to win some races & maybe even the championship!

{source}

gung hay fat choy!

today we are celebrating the lunar new year.

it's chinese new year in our home. today we are ringing in the year of the tiger together...my parents came down on saturday afternoon.

on the menu is peking duck, a whole steamed fish, turnip cakes, steamed pork buns {char siu bao}, sauteed baby bok choy & other dim sum yumminess that my not-even-close-to-being-chinese husband creates {he's been dubbed an honorary chinese guy, though...he fits right in with my mom's side of the family!}.

i ♥ you.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 17:37:00 +0000

{us on Ocracoke Island,NC - July 2009}

...Seems like everywhere I go,
The more I see, the less I know.
But I know one thing,
That I love you.

I love you. I love you.

I love you.

lyrics from Say Hey (I love you) by Michael Franti & Spearhead

GIVEAWAY - Keep Calm & Blog On

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 19:30:00 +0000

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED!

i'm decorating my new desk & crafting area, so i turned to etsy for some inspiration. my mantra here lately has been "keep calm & carry on." i know you've all seen the prints. they are too cute & too wonderful...not only is the message inspirational, but the color choices...oh, the color choices!

anyways, while browsing on etsy last weekend, i came across the keep calm shop. they print the traditional "keep calm & carry on" posters, but they also have a wide variety of fun & whimsical "keep calm" inspired posters as well. i made a list of what i liked & what i wanted to purchase, but i didn't see anything about blogging so i asked.

ask and ye shall receive!

the fabulous people at the keep calm shop created this:

{source}

so what does this mean for you? well, i'm glad you asked.

i'm giving one of my blog readers the chance to own a "keep calm & blog on" poster!

the lucky winner will be able to choose from a wide variety of eye-popping colors & you can choose either a 5"x7", 8"x10" or 13"x19" poster {the poster will not be framed}. the choice is yours. all you have to do, if you are chosen as the winner, is tell me the color, size & where you'd like the poster mailed to...i'll take care of the rest!

how you can enter to win:

leave me a comment telling me what your inspirational mantra is

for extra entries you can:

visit the keep calm shop & tell me which other poster(s) you like
grab my blog button & post it on your blog's sidebar
blog about this giveaway - either a post or mentioning it on your blog's sidebar
tweet about this giveaway

this giveaway will be open until 11:59 pm EST on thursday, february 18th.

i will announce the winner on friday, february 19th.

the fine print:

i was not compensated in any way to endorse the keep calm shop
all fees associated with this giveaway - poster, shipping, etc. - will be paid for by me out of my own lint-filled pocket
the winner will be chosen using random.org
international bloggers are welcome to enter
did i miss anything??

eclairs are evil.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 14:57:00 +0000

evil

chocolately

lucious

awesomeness

indulgent

ridiculous

sweet

{source}
since sunday, three boxes of these evil things have been consumed in my home. three whole boxes. of the mini variety, though, i might add.
three boxes.
obsessed much?
nah. just feeling a little self-indulgent, that's all.

Where in the World Wednesday

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 17:05:00 +0000

happy hump day, y'all!!

it's that time of the week again:

you know the drill...post a picture of you somewhere in the world - here, there, anywhere you consider traveling. then, post the link on this week's post over at classy in philadelphia's blog. also, be sure to use the really cute WITWW graphic that feris made. oh, and then have fun viewing everyone else's pictures...it's like a virtual vacation {and you're meeting new bloggy friends & visiting with old bloggy friends at the same time!}.

this week, i'm posting a throwback...

just a pic of the kids & i from august 2004. we were on a week-long family vacay in hatteras, nc.

i miss those days when my kids were itty-bitty. in the picture, aidan was just over a year old & malia was 3.5 years old. it's hard to believe that next month malia will be n-i-n-e.

random glee.

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:15:00 +0000

during my bout of wallow & self-pity, i neglected to focus on what's good & what's important. duh. so, here i am, doing just that...focusing on good, important things. things that matter...

those two kids pictured above. what a candid moment. on the beach in hatteras, nc circa 2005. they are my greatest joy.

speaking of those two kids:

aidan passed the first round of screening for the gifted program. he will be tested again in march to see if he just might be able to enter our school system's gifted program next year as a second grader.
malia turns n-i-n-e next month! she's heading into her 'tween years quickly. i think we are going to have a bowling party for her. she's also doing ridiculously well in school. she's busy with the s.c.a. and tech club. and, she totally rocked her ancient greece project and got a A+ on the comedy & tragedy masks she made.

{source}

happiness really IS a warm puppy -- and i've got the best lil' puppy by my side, frisco. he's currently snoozing in his teeny bed {his big bed is in his 'house'} while i get some blog posts scheduled.

the fact that it's snowing outside is pretty exciting. three times in three weeks! that never happens here in coastal virginia! it sure is pretty to look at...i feel like i'm living inside of a snow globe! on the flip side, i'm quite thankful that we're not getting walloped like my parents did {and are...again!}. they are digging out of over 2+ feet of snow and they only live 2.5 hours away from me in fredericksburg. my mom wished for snow...i guess you gotta be careful what you wish for!

{today's snow so far}

my new desk & craft area is pretty awesome if i do say so myself. it's still very messy & in need of some good organizing, but it's coming along nicely. it's opened up this room quite a bit and i can't wait to get the rest of the room cleaned up this weekend. what would make me happy is if we could find a nice, cozy chair & side table. hmm...

our good friends, matt & steve, helped adam with every aspect of constructing the new desk from making the executive decision on which laminate counter top pattern to pick {because, really, what guy would pass up a trip to lowe's?} to making saw cuts to spray painting the pvc pipe legs to installing the ginormous desk onto my muraled wall!

this weekend there is a lot to celebrate:

v♥lentine's d♥y
the daytona 500
chinese new year {it's the year of the tiger!}

coincidentally, all of these things fall on the same day - february 14th. so, on sunday, i'll be wearing a red shirt, sporting my dale earnhardt, jr. cap & eating peking duck.

and, after this weekend's fun festivities, this guy & i will celebrate eight years of wedded bliss on the 23rd:

{our happy little family in bah-ston, september 2009}

i found out recently - as in yesterday - that i will be moving to an office closer to home {as in, my 45+ minute commute will become maybe 15 minutes} and that i will become a full-time employee. when that will all take place...i don't know. but, it's guaranteed to happen some time this year. woo hoo!

oh, and did i mention that i have an etsy shop now? it's up & running. it's still very much a work in progress, but at least i did it. i hope to add more items to the shop this weekend. i have a feeling that i will be leaning more towards the pet paintings & painted glassware. however, if you want a custom topiary piece, please let me know!

so, i guess that even with all of my complaints, life really IS good.

hold on a sec...

michellechissler@gmail.com (Michelle) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 14:12:00 +0000

many apologies about yesterday's ~~not exactly nice~~ just plain mean post. i had to get it out of my system. nothing new has transpired as of late, but the sad reality is that the hubs & i are still dealing with a very unfortunate situation. and, we will be for a while.

some of you know about 'the situation.' some of you don't. some of you are brilliant enough to read between the lines. it's too personal for me to discuss in detail here on le blog...mostly because of the legality of the situation {yeah, it's that serious} and mainly because the person i currently love to hate reads this blog {hey, thanks for quoting an excerpt of my blog during my unemployment hearing...i'm flattered}.

besides, why should i bring you guys down by bitching about my drama and other dumb shit?

i shouldn't.

so, from here on out {or until i feel another bitchy spell come over me} i'm moving forward...back to the land of happiness i will go...