Day 30 of the 30 Day Blog Challenge...I MADE IT!

My Dream House
My dream house would be a bungalow style with a pretty open floor plan inside - built in book shelves, 3 levels (upstairs, main floor and basement). I have this picture. This house is right down the road from Ronnie's parents:

This house is really close to my studio:

I haven't seen the inside of either house, but from the outside, I'm pretty sure I could live with whatever the inside looks like because I like the outside so much!

Travel
I have traveled quite a lot in the US. I have family spread out all over the place - West Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee. We had many family vacations (UGH! Car trips SUCK!) - Florida, Georgia, Texas, Kansas. I've been to Iowa. I took a bus trip to NYC (flew every time after that!). Gatlinburg. Branson. Good grief. If it's a tourist spot in the midwest, I've probably been there! I was able to see New Orleans before Hurrican Katrina

I would like to go to Seattle, Las Vegas, Paris, London, Ireland. I want to see Niagra Falls and the Pacific Ocean

I Believe...
I believe that I actually made it through this 30 Day Challenge (barely). I guess I can still blog and be busy. I'm not certain if I've said anything this month that's of any interest to people other than myself, but it's kept me on my toes.

I believe that life is too short to not tell people that you love them.

I believe that dessert should be enjoyed (sometimes that means before dinner since you never know if you're going to be too full after dinner).

I believe that I CAN lose this weight before our wedding (perhaps I should stop eating the dessert).

I believe that we will not always understand why things happen the way that they do but that God most certainly has a purpose in everything.

Computer Giveaway!

Angie Smith posted this awesome giveaway. Check it out!

3-in-1

So, for the next 2 days you are going to get 3 blog topics in 1 blog. I am behind. Imagine that!

20 Favorite Things
1. Fresh's Sugar Lip Balm
2. Chi Flat Iron
3. Chi Blow Dryer
4. Freshly Baked Cookies
5. Laughing
6. Kids being kids - I work in Cairo where everyone grows up a little too quickly. It's fun just to watch them play games and have fun for 5 minutes.
7. My studio
8. Christmas
9. Happy endings
10. My bed
11. Singing
12. Days when I am able to listen to music and not critique the singer
13. Buxom Mascara
14. Urban Decay Eye Primer
15. Shopping (I like shopping for nothing in particular. If I find something it's like a nice surprise.)
16. Simplicity
17. Nook Color
18. Musicals
19. Rainy days where I don't have to get out of bed.
20. Fall

  

Favorite Songs
This blog topic is tough for me. I listen to a LOT of music, but trying to nail down some favorites is a little difficult. Sometimes I will really like songs for a while and then grow a little tired of them. So, here's my list of songs that will never grow old.

• At Last - Etta James
• Respect - Aretha Franklin
• Beat It - Michael Jackson

 Favorite Films

• Singin' in the Rain is my favorite movie musical. I have NO idea why...it just is!
• August Rush was a favorite. I'm a sucker for a happy ending and it had some great music.
• Love Sandra Bullock - Miss Congeniality and The Blind Side
• Cheaper by the Dozen was funny. (The Steve Martin one.)

Cartoons:

• Finding Nemo
• Up

What I Love About Life

Wow, this whole 30 day blog thing has been crazy! I've never blogged this much since I started blogging! So, I guess it's been good, but I may be a little behind the 30 day mark. Sorry for the days of multiple posts...some days are better than others as far as having time.

So, today, I LOVE the fact that I can hang out with family. It's strange how life changes your perspective. For years, I tried to stay away from home (typical teenager) and now I would rather spend time with family than just about anything else.

I love that I have my own studio to teach in and that I have such wonderful, talented students to work with.

I love that the girl who never wanted to get married is now planning her wedding.

I love love love my girls and I love how our friendship has grown and changed through the years. I honestly don't know what I would do without Crys and Kate.

Life has this way of changing you for the better, if you will allow it - that's what I most love about life!

Favorite Websites

A few websites that I frequent:

shirt.woot.com
This website offers one t-shirt everyday for $10. The t-shirts are American Appearl and are often pretty humorous! I have a "Moses Parts the Red Tea" shirt. Moses is a tea bag standing on the edge of a tea cup where he is parting the red tea. Awesome!

http://www.sheetmusicdirect.com/
This website allows you to print sheet music and you can even change keys before you print.

http://www.teavana.com/
Yummy tea!

http://www.kaldis.com/
mmmm....COFFEE!

http://www.newyorkcitytheatre.com/
A great way to keep up with all things musical theater!

Einstein

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein

I've thought about this quote alot over the last few years of my life - different situations, but we really can be creatures of habit. I typically don't have issues with change. I mean, if change is going to make things better, then why not? Don't get me wrong, though, some people insist on change for the sake of change - that's a different kind of insainity.

Others just refuse to change.

I don't ever want to be the person who does the same thing over and over and expects different results.

It happens in education.
"Well, I've done it this way every year and I've taught for 22 years. I am not going to change now. It's worked for others, so it will eventually work for these students."
Are you kidding me? That's INSANE!
I LOVE the educators who say, "This isn't working. Trash it or tweak it, but something has to change. I'm not getting the results I want."

I feel like we frequently do this in churches - not every church, but the church as a whole. We do things because "that's the way we've always done it" not because it's reaching people for Christ or empowering Christians to do more and expect more from Almighty God.

Here's a thought: It is 2010 (almost 2011). While the TRUTH never changes, perhaps our methods should.

Stop the insainity. If something isn't working...STOP. Try something else. Change is ok.

What's in my purse?

What's in my purse? I'm not sure, but it weighs a TON!

Here's a list - no rude comments. You may NEED something from my purse one day!

• phone
• wallet
• checkbook
• keys (2 sets)
• ipod
• 2 packs of gum
• camera
• lotion
• ear plugs
• 3 pens
• 2 pencils
• throat drops
• lip liner
• lip gloss (3)
• lip balm
• glass cleaning kit
• moleskin notebook
• credit card case
• comb
• nasal spray
• medicine
• mirror
• more lotion
• bag with all of the following: wet ones, tide stick, nasal decongestant, perfume, eye drops, splenda, flavored splenda for coffee, propel, band aids, neosporin, nail clippers, nail file, some pills that I don't know what they are (hmm...probably not good), ponytail holders, barrettes, dental floss

No wonder it weighs a ton. Perhaps it's time to clean out the purse, eh?