Some rules of mine.

1. "weird is good."
My older sister used to say this in defense when I would call her weird when we were younger, when I was trying to use weird as an insult. I have realized over the years that I am completely weird, I love the weird, and that weird really is good. I don't really fit into anyone's stereotype, and I stinking love that about myself. Weird is good.

Weird Al is so sexy.

2. I really don't have enough shoes.
My dad will sigh at that one.

3. Do what you say you're gonna do.
I like to break the "young adults are flakes" stereotype and KEEP COMMITMENTS. Except if I fall asleep, in which case I am eternally sorry.

4. Keep learning.
I really adore learning. Anything. I love that at my new job I learn a ton, and my boss knows that and tries to explain why everything is done the way it is. I pick guys to date that I can learn something from. Like good grammar. (j/k- did you notice that last sentence? Someone needs to set me up with an English teacher.) I love asking questions and figuring out the "why." I'm four years old, apparently.

5. Try it yourself!
People often look at what I wearing/doing/trying to do but not really working it, and say, "I could never  pull that off/do that/have the guts to completely bomb at that like you are." To them I say: YEAH-HUH! The only reason I'm wearing this was because I put it on. I tried it, and I practiced in some cases, and that's how. Just try.
Refer to rule #1.

6. Be happy.
It's my choice. Take responsibility for your mood. My dad taught me this one.
Young Anne: (lamenting) Ugh you're making me so MAD/sad/frustrated, etc.
Wise father: I can't make you feel anything.
Young Anne: UGH.
I get it now. Within reason, I choose my mood. People ask me why I'm happy all the time, and I say it's because I like to be. It doesn't hurt that I'm also kinda awesome. *shrug*

Having adorable nieces and nephews helps.

Lil' bit o' love for Jelly Belly.

As I sit here at my desk eating the bag of Jelly Belly's my parents gave me for Valentine's Day (yeah, you just stop judging me, Mr. Judgy-judge), I contemplate on the wonder and exquisitosity that is Jelly Belly. For the following reasons.

1. Let's just all agree that some kind of witchcraft is going on at the Jelly Belly factory to make them taste as fantastic as they do. There is no human way to make something taste that much like buttered popcorn without a wizard or two hangin' round.
2. The surprise. Is this white one going to be french vanilla, cream soda or *death? (*coconut) It's like Christmas morning with each bean. Or in case you don't like fun, here's the flavor guide.
3. The recipes. It's the closest you can get to Willy Wonka's 3-Course Meal gum but you choose what you want to make. Who says you need to learn how to cook? I don't. Trust me. I would not tell you to go learn to cook, since that might mean I'd have to take my own advice. I shudder at the thought.
4. Sugar.
5. Again, buttered popcorn. I know it's a love or hate, but for me I luuurve it. It's my lactose-free version and the kernels don't get stuck in your gums. Pretty awesome.
6. Also, juicy pear. There are never enough.
7. Jelly Belly made Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans come to real life. Yes, that happened. And it was glorious.

8. I want to try these. They could be disappointing, but I will still eat them, probably.

Look how cute this 1989 ad for Jelly Belly is:

Crazy Pet Names

One of the many things I waste time thinking about are hilarious pet names. You know, the kind of name that makes people laugh. Or actually probably just make them wonder why you drank Windex for breakfast instead of a sensible bowl of cereal. Consider the following:

We had two cats growing up, Mickey and Minnie. They were siblings. Oh, the hilarity. Cats named after mice?!?! Hilarious, I tell you.

I only have a picture of Mickey because Minnie "ran away" years earlier. Mickey died a couple of years ago. I never knew I could miss one animal so much, but I do.


I also like the really-long-and-fussy-sounding-last-name for a name. Like Worthington. Or McGregor. You get the idea.

You may consider naming your pet after food. May I draw your attention to my friend's goldendoodle, Waffle.

She's famous. Watch this video of her as a puppy and try not to say "Aw".






You might try "V8", "Pasta Primavera", or the ubiquitous "Oreo" (although, imo, that one may be a bit overused. Your call, though). The name could correlate with their coloring... or not! Zing! You've now become clever.

For more pictures of pets check out Hello Giggles. I do appreciate that they include the pet's name.


If any of you are so inclined, send me pictures of your pet(s)! I really miss having one and love having many foster pets.

xoxo

Foux de fafa

I made a red tutu for my niece. She'll be able to wear it when she's about a year old. Not sure why the picture makes it look pink, but I promise it's bright red. So beautiful.

What have you guys made for Christmas?

Crayon canvas

I made these for my niece and nephew. I think they look AWESOME and they were really fun and easy to make. The wax just goes all over the place and it's hilarious. I want to make one for myself, too.

Christmas crackle

I can't stop staring at this. I love red, green, and gold together! Gorgeous. I do have to thank my friend Keely for giving me the idea though!

Snowman toes

I am so stinking proud of these. :) ps sorry for the feet picture, can't really get around that.

PS If any of you want your nails done, you know you can ask me. :D

Halloween toenails

Opi decals are on the big toes.

That's a lot of nail polish.

138 bottles. Some people collect stamps. I call those people boring.

Glittery Miu Miu shoes- diy!

I made these last night in our craft group. It was fun, cheap, and frankly, kinda easy! The sneakers are $9 at Target, and some of the supplies I already had. The ones I had to buy were under $10. So I have a pair of $200 sneakers for about $20. :D

Heres the link to the directions.

Vintage pink nails

Loved doing this. So simple!

Ladybug nails

These were super fun to do. And easy, if you have a black striping polish.

It was amazing.

I was so ridikulus...ly pleased with Harry Potter ep 7 part 2!! We were cheering, crying and laughing, and I didn't want it to end you will love it.
Oh and here is my "costume" and the 3d glasses we all got. Harry Potter 3d glasses. *nerding out right now*

Who's excited?

You bet I'm excited. I've got my costume and hopefully going to fit a nap in before I go to the midnight showing! I am such a nerd.

Fourth of july nails

I couldn't decide which design to do so I did them all.

Ombre Nails

This is my version of pink ombre nails. (If you don't know, the term ombre refers to a change of color, either drastically or quickly, but the colors fade into the other.)
This is where I got the idea: http://thebeautydepartment.com/2011/04/oh-hey-ombre/ (thanks, Mandy!)
On another note, does anyone know why these bubbles happened? It happens every now and then, and I can't seem to figure out why.

Yikes!

Do you remember Yikes! school supplies? I didn't. Until I found a collection of colored pencils from my elementary school days, and they brought back such fun memories. They always made crazy stuff, which is why I loved everything they made. See, the trick here was the lead of the pencil was a different color than the painted outside of the pencil. Tricky.

Cursing the fig tree and cleansing the temple

Here are the scriptures for today: Matt. 21:18-19 and Mark 11:12-14 (cursing of the barren fig tree), Matt. 21:12-16, Mark 11:15-18, and Luke 19:45-48 (second cleansing of the temple) and Matt. 21:17, Mark 11:19 and Luke 21:37 (return to Bethany).

On Monday christ reaches a fig tree that has leaves but isn't bearing fruit. He curses it, saying it won't bear fruit again, and it withers.
We have a fig tree at home, and I've noticed that a fig tree is unique (I think) in the way it bears fruit. You know when spring has arrived when the leaves start to grow, but at the same time the fruit starts, although the figs aren't ripe for a while, until they turn purple. (My mom is allergic to the white milky goo that comes out of the stem when you pick them. Just a little random piece of info for ya.) So it stands to reason that a fig tree with leaves must also have fruit. If you look up "fig tree" in the Bible Dictionary it mentions this account of Christ cursing the fig tree. It says "Jesus' cursing of the fig tree for its fruitlessness is an allusion to the fruitlessness of Israel." There is also that time that Christ looked down at Jerusalem and wept because he knew that Jerusalem would eventually be destroyed due to their own wickedness. This of course breaks my heart to think of Jesus so sad that he would weep, but you can also use these instances to remind yourself how deeply he loves, and that his love includes you and me. Or at least I try. Mostly I start getting choked up. This whole time of easter is so emotional for me, which is why I wanted to study it more this year. I want to know more of what Jesus Christ went through for our world so I can better love and appreciate him.

The second thing he did that we know of is he cleansed the temple. He enters and becomes angry at the moneychangers who were selling things (animals, etc. for offerings) dishonestly. And I'm unsure of if they were allowed to sell things like that in the temple in the first place. (If anyone knows more about that, feel free to pipe up! I'm doing this to learn.) Christ goes through the temple and drives them out saying "It is written my house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of theives." Oh boy would I hate to be one of those he needed to drive out. The sad thing is that he had done this same thing 3 years earlier during another passover. Sometimes it takes a couple times for us to learn, huh? Just be sure you don't mess with the Lord's house. Like Texas, but way more hardcore.

The Lord hath need of him

I am reading my mom's Easter binder. She has the scriptures that tell us what Christ did during his last week on the earth and it starts with Palm Sunday, which was yesterday. I'm a day behind, as you can tell, but that's ok.

Just so you know where I'm reading, I'll tell you:
Matt. 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:29-44, and John 12:12-19 all tell about the journey into Jerusalem and Bethany, and when the people wave palm fronds and greet Christ with hosannas. I love this day, even though it's sad since Jesus knows how close the time is when he will have to sacrifice himself for us. 

Christ tells two of his apostles to go into the city and they will find a colt for him that has never carried a man. He tells them that when the owners ask why they are untying (and essentially taking) the donkey, to tell them that the Lord had need of it.  That phrase means so much to me. Its really not a gigantic event, because I feel it happens so quiety in the scriptures. But it is one of many examples of how utterly perfect Jesus was and is, that he knows how to obtain the colt, whom to go to, what to say, and who can help him. The fact that he lets people help him is significant in its own. Christ is the only person who doesn't need help, but he knows he needs to give others the chance to serve him. And he has commanded us to follow and serve him. He could accomplish everything he needs to by himself, because he is perfectly capable of doing it all alone, but he allows us to serve him because we need it. There is no pride on his part, nothing he has to swallow in order to accept our meager offerings. He doesn't look at us as charity cases, either. Its not like he says "ok, I guess you can handle this one thing. But don't screw up, ok? Are you going to be ok with this?" He lovingly gives us what we need by making us grow. Making us go through just about the hardest trials we can take, but never more than we can take, because he will never do that. So even though I feel ridiculously overwhelmed sometimes (read: always), its never more than I can handle.

Sometimes I do feel like a donkey. But as long as the Lord has need of this donkey, I will try my best to do what he wants me to do.

Hosanna!

Bored!

I can tell when I'm bored with life because the grass looks greener EVERYWHERE else. I start thinking dangerous thoughts like, hey maybe I should find a new job. Maybe I could work terrible hours in retail on my feet again. Something needs to change, and I'm thinking way too ambitious of thoughts.

What do you do to give life some variety, but to make sure you don't go overboard?