Alphabet Soup - M & N

So far, I've been sucking on quite a few of the letters. Maybe I just don't have as many favorite things as I thought. Who knows...

Mike - My husband and the love of my life, the father of my fur-babies...Besides being my partner for life, Mike has taught me a lot about life. He taught me that I don't have to worry so much about what others think; that I'm okay just how I am. He taught me how to focus on making myself happy and let other people take care of themselves. For that, I will be forever grateful!

Music - I can't imagine what my life would be like without music. It gets me through the day at work and gives me something to concentrate on when I'm working out. I has marked important moments in my life that I will remember for many years to come.

Musicals - The dancing, the singing, the costumes...it's all fabulous! Some of my all-time favorites are: Miss Saigon, RENT, Wicked, and Les Miserables. I am proud to say that I have seen them all live.

My Mom - It took me many tumultuous years to get to this point, but I can honestly say that my mom is one of my best friends. We have a lot in common and genuinely enjoy spending time together. I don't know how I would have gotten through my wedding without her support!

Naps - I very rarely manage to take a nap myself, but I'm ever so jealous of those that can.

Nature - Whether it's camping for a long weekend or just taking a walk in the sun, I love being outside. I love the fresh air (when the spores in it isn't making me sick) and feeling the warm sun on my skin. It's all good!

Nephews - I love being a Titi (auntie) and have two of the greatest little boys for my nephews. Boy #1 is sensitive and intelligent and so so loving. Boy #2 has a boundless energy that exhausts me, a wide, easy grin, and has been an incredible addition to the family.

November - It's just a good month. Good things happen in November.

What are your favorite things?

Gettin' Wild in Her Old Age...

As you may well know, Barbie, that shining, blonde goddess to little girls everywhere, turns 50 this month. Not only does that b*tch still look pretty good for 50, but she's getting a little wild. The hottest thing on the market is Totally Stylin' Tattoo Barbie. She comes complete with a fake, pink tattoo gun, tattoo stickers for Barbie, and wet-and-stick style tattoos for the girls. I think this is hilarious.

I think my favorite part is how pissed off it is making all those soccer moms out there. Come on, ladies, let's get real! First of all, this doll is not exactly rebellion incarnate. She's still got the long blonde hair and she's wearing mom-jeans and a sparkly pink top. Her tattoos of choice? Smiley faces, puppy dogs, and cupcakes. That's realistic. It's not like we're looking at a biker chick with flaming skulls and Chinese characters! Mattel is simple grasping at straws, trying to keep up with the times and stay on top of the market. What do little girls love? Stickers! How many of those said stickers will probably end up on notebooks and pieces of bedroom furniture rather than the doll? Probably at least half.

I, personally, have two tattoos, not to mention the fact that I have my nose pierced. Am I going to freak out and hide those things from my children in the future? Hell no! Am I going to take them by the hand to get their own first tattoo? Hell no! Am I going to encourage self expression in appropriate ways that are meaningful to them? Absolutely!

I say we should welcome Barbie to this new phase of her life. 50 is the new 40, right? Roll with the times and have some fun along the way. It's not like we're encouraging people to have multiple, painful surgeries to emulate Barbie's look...oh wait...never mind...

Alphabet Soup - K & L

Let's see if I can do better on K & L than I did on J. That was just sad!

Kids - I love working with kids and watching them grow and change. I just can't get enough of that rare sense of wonder and awe that they have for every little thing. Something as small as watching snow turn to water turn to ice...that's amazing to them. I think adults would be a lot happier if they still had a little wonder and awe.

Kohls - This is one of my favorite places to shop...everything is always on sale!!!

Kisses - I'm a total sucker for affection.

KBear - One of my dearest friends. We don't get to see each other as often now that we no longer work together, but we do what we can. She has the biggest heart and the dearest soul. I love to talk to her about things I share with few people. Most of all, though, I love to make her laugh.

LOST - Best. Show. Ever. That's pretty much all I have to say.

Laughter - I love to laugh. I love to make other people laugh. It's just all good and helps me remember what is good in life.

Love - Seriously...who doesn't love love? I'm all about it.

Ummm...I think that's all I got on this one. What are your favorite things?

Alphabet Soup - I & J

I have a feeling that this one is going to be short and sweet...

Ice Cream - I especially like Ben&Jerry's. They had an amazing pumpkin cheesecake flavor this fall. I think they should make it all the time!!!

Internet - Seriously...this is the only thing that gets me through work in one piece some days.

Italian Food - I love it!!! My favorite is chicken parmigiana, but I also really like ravioli, minestrone, and salads with all that fantastic dressing. I'm hungry now.

Indian Food - You like how I used "Ethnic Food" for E, but I'm still going to list out everything on its own? I thought so. India Palace in Lawrence kicks ass!!!

J... just can't think of anything that starts with J. Give me some ideas!!!

Alphabet Soup - G & H

Gilmore Girls - I can't help it, they are just fabulous!!! I own all seven seasons on DVD and still watch it most afternoons at 4:00. It just makes me happy!

Gaea - This is where Mike and I go camping and one of my favorite places in the entire world. It's just so beautiful and peaceful.

Games - We have a fun little game shelf, and I love busting something out when we have people over. Occasionally, Mike and I will play Battleship or Uno for no good reason. Good times...

Home - To quote Laura Ingles, "Home is the nicest word there is!" Whether it's snuggling up for the evening in our little apartment or going to Topeka to visit my parents, there is just no place nicer than home.

Hot Feta Dip - If you ever go to Mad Greek in Lawrence, it is a must-have appetizer. Just a warning, hot refers to taste, not temperature. Good stuff!!!

Hot Wings - I totally go through fazes when I just completely crave hot wings. I don't care where they come from, I just love them. I especially like the boneless wings, though, because you can eat them with a fork and don't have to get your fingers nasty.

Wow...I'm really slacking on this one. Hmmm. Anyway, what are your favorite things?

Alphabet Soup - E & F

And now for something you'll really enjoy...Ladies and gentlemen...E & F.

Email - I check it almost obsessively. Actually, since I've been at my new job, I just have it open at all times while I'm at work. That has drastically cut down on my need to check it when I'm at home. I'll still typically check it once during the course of the evening and once or twice over the weekend. It's sad to say, but the vast majority of my work-related communication is email-based.

Early Childhood Education - Woot woot for the double-E on that one. This is my passion. Though I am no longer in the classroom, I love that I'm still in a related field. What I do every day effects those providing direct services and the children and families they work with.

Ethnic Food - This is a newer one for me. I've always like the boring ones, like Italian and Mexican and Chinese, but I've branched out since living in Lawrence. I love Greek food and Thai food and even Indian food. I love the rich flavors and yummy smells. It's just all so good!

Family - I would be no where without my family. They have always been there for me and are the guiding force in my life. I look forward to celebrating all of life's little milestones with them.

Friends - I truly believe that friends are the family you choose for yourself. I feel so blessed with the array of friends that I have. I am still close with a number of people that I've known for thirteen years or more, and I am always meeting new people that I truly enjoy.

Food - I can't deny it, and what's the use of trying? I love food. Whether it's baby carrots with lite ranch dressing or something completely decadent like cheesecake, I love it. Here lately, we're trying to err on the side of baby carrots, but I don't mind at all. Sad to say, but as long as I get to snack on something, I don't care if it's healthy.

Facebook - It's another obsession, I can't help it. I've really dialed back on using any of the applications, but I still check it all the time. I'll even admit to a bit of Facebook stalking. Who doesn't do it?

Fat Rant - Hilarious!!! This little video and its counterparts will do wonders for a BBW with low self-esteem. I love it.

Firefly - Great show. It was definitely taken off the air way before its time.

I'm terribly disappointed with my lack of ideas for E, but oh well. What are your favorite Es and Fs?

Alphabet Soup - C & D

The next installment...enjoy.

Camping - Mike introduced me to the joys of camping over Labor Day 2007. We have now had three successful camping trips (well, one kind of sucked, but whatever). I love being outdoors, way away where my cell phone doesn't even work. I love sleeping when it's too hot to do anything else and staying up late under the stars. I look forward to many more camping trips with our little family.

Christmas - I'm totally a sucker for the winter holidays (just as long as they don't start before Thanksgiving). My new love is that of the real tree, thanks to my lovely husband.

Cats - I do love the Not-Quite-Nine-Pound Wonder Dog, but I am a cat person through and through. I envy their ability to spend hours and hours just laying in the sun and the fact that they can give you that "piss off" look and you love them anyway. I love that they have so much personality and that they can be so loyal to one person.

Children - Although I'm no longer in the classroom, I love working in the world of early childhood education. Children just have so much hope and promise and unyielding energy. I especially love my fabulous nephews. I look forward to the day that I'll be able to add my own children to this list.

Chi Tea Lattes - Love them. That's it.

Clouds - For some reason, I love looking at clouds...especially when they play with the sun. This phenomenon is my absolute favorite thing to capture pictures of. I have endless pictures of clouds...that and animals.

Cars - I don't love cars in a obsessive, guy sort of way, but I do love the convenience of them. I love being able to walk outside, get into my car, and go wherever I need to go. I know people who, for various reasons, don't have a car, and it takes a lot of effort to do really simple, every-day things.

Dark Tower series - These are some of the only books that I've ever read by Steven King, and they are incredible!!! I've never experienced such a strange mix of fantasy and fairy tale and western. They are just amazing.

Dog Whisperer - He's hilarious and he's hot. (Can you tell I'm having a difficult time with D?)

Dads - Especially mine. He is grumpy and hard to get along with most of the time, but I love him. I enjoy the fact that I'm one of the few people in my family that actually look forward to spending time with him. I love that despite anything he'd say directly to me, I know that he is so proud of me and the person I've become and that he would do absolutely anything for me.

Dominic Monaghan - He is just so hot!!! I may have weird taste, but that's okay. It sound even weirder when I say that I fell in love with Dom as a hobbit. I also have to credit him with my discovery of the wonder that is LOST. I totally only started watching it because of him.

What are your favorite things?

Highly Recommended...

Back in September, I came across LotionLites at the KC RenFest. It is a fantastic candle that is made of a solid lotion rather than wax. When you burn it, it melts down to an incredible treat!!!

So, I had tried it before on my hands and loved it, but that was nothing...I must repeat...NOTHING like last night. My wonderful husband treated me with a back massage with said LotionLites candle.

Let's just say that is was an amazing experience and a good time was had by all.