day 366

so long.

Goodbye 2012

(source)

And there goes another year. They seem to go by faster and faster. This past year was a particularly good one. As I was editing all the videos for my 'year in review' a flood of memories rushed over me. I am so thankful for all the experiences, the laughs, my friends. It was definitely 'The Year of the Friend".

The year started out with an unexpected yet welcoming reconciliation. This reconciliation lead to a rekindling of a romance between friends. It's been so sweet watching two people Dustin and I care about so much fall in love. It's funny how things work out sometimes. How one message on Myspace back in 2005 can be a life changer for so many people.

There were a lot of firsts for us this year and most of them happened when we went up to Pittsburgh. We were fortunate enough to get to see a Steelers home game at HEINZ FIELD (something that had always been on Dustin's life list - CHECK!). A first for both of us. It was one of those memories that will stay with me forever. There really is nothing like a home game in Steeler Country. It was so fun to be back in Pittsburgh, especially in October. It was the first time I had ever been up north during the fall. The first time I got to witness the beautiful changing of leaves. We also got to hang out with the Buds for the first time. Internet friends turned real life friends. Oh and we got to meet Brent Johnson (former goaltender of the Penguins). No big deal. Basically, our trip to Pitt was the shit.

I am so happy for all of it. For the Food Truck Bazaar's we frequent (and especially The Yum Yum Cupcake Truck), the dinners out with my girlfriends after a hard day at work, for being able to make it to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter again, for the amazing farewell show Thrice put on and the nostalgic reunion show The Starting Line played, to all the fun activities the party planning committee put together at work, for all the sweat yoga and the gym has made me produce, voting in my 3rd presidential election, for every second of it.

There were rough times as is expected with every year but I'm thankful the good definitely outweighed the bad. Friends were there for comfort and I hope I was able to comfort them with their hard times as well.

I'm not sad the year is coming to an end. I'm just grateful more than anything. I think it's so cool that I can just click to a random archive date in this blog and instantly relive details of some of my favorite moments. That's what this blog is for me - a time machine.

Thank you friends. Truly. You made my 2012.

day 365

spent the day in my gators sweatshirt that i've had since 1996,

new PJ pants, and fuzzy socks.

Can't Get Enough...

The Dwarf song (Misty Mountains) from The Hobbit.

Billie Kent's 'King Tut' song and dance from Boardwalk Empire. 

I knew I should have got the Deluxe Edition of 'Red'.

Dustin Says

The great thing about carrot cake is that it's more cake than carrot. I wish all vegetables came in cake form.

Snuggle bear is the Gollum of the laundry room.

I rather you let yourself go than you work out at a gym on OBT.

Who keeps letting Jack Black make movies?

I'm all hopped up on Middle-earth.

Don't you love sleeping next to a champion?

I forgot how badass I look in this game (Skyrim).

day 364

half off at target! yeah!

day 363

nicole knows the way to my heart!

day 362

day 361

park ave. is the cutest.

Found

Dad Someday. This post made me tear up. Probably because I'm on my period but most likely not.

26 Moments That Restored Our Faith In Humanity This Year.

Meredith knows good music.

This kid breaks it down!

Make a "Beerd".

Demand A Plan video. Demand a plan site.

1 Second a Day. I just might try to do this for 2013.

Downton Abbey GINGERBREAD HOUSE! Whoa!

The minute we move, I'm buying one of these!

Bryce Maksel is brave.

HALO 5. WHAT!?!

Really really excited that Sometimes Sweet's 'Tattoo Tuesday' is back, well, kind of. It's now on THIS blog. Yay!

Living in a Mars Colony. Yeah, for real. Kind of.

Courage Under Fire.

day 360

christmas dinner!

day 359

dustin got me christmas flowers that aren't christmasy at all. 

he had the lady specially make them purple because it's my favorite color.

(notice the specs? yeah, she sprinkled glitter on them. strange!)

he knew i was in a bad mood because i had to work on xmas eve for the first time ever.

such a nice surprise to come home to.

i remember like yesterday, the time of my life.

FRIDAY: We had a nice little breakfast/Secret Santa gift exchange at work to start the day off. I got a new Harry Potter calendar! Woo!

I headed over to my grandpa's house to drop off some gifts for my mom to take to Gainsville with her. Dustin and I wont' be going this year since I work on Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas. More on that later.

Afterwards, I made my way to Erin's house for 'A Very Boo Christmas'. I got to finally see if the valance I made her fit and it did! Happy days. She loved it. Success! We ate pizza and discussed life. Then it was time for our gift exchange. She got me the cutest/comfiest PJs (Side Note: I've worn them all weekend.), some Sleep aromatherapy lotion from Bath and Body Works, a candle, and a super cute frame (which at some point will have a photo of the two of us!). I was so happy and surprised by all my gifts. She's the best boo ever.

I was supposed to bring dessert. I actually had made cookies the night before but forgot them. So I suggested we go out for coffee or ice cream - my treat! Erin decided on Marble Slab. I went with their seasonal 'Apple and Spice' ice cream THAT I HAD NO IDEA EVEN EXISTED. Erin suggested I get graham crackers mixed in, which I did. So so good! I'm glad there isn't one on my side of town or I'd be over there every single day. Erin had the always wonderful 'Birthday Cake'. Mmmm!

Erin is new to the iPhone/iTunes/Apple world so I helped her figure out how to put songs from her iTunes onto her iPhone! We had planned on watching Elf but it was getting late and we were both pretty tired.

I got Charlie a little sweater that fit perfectly!

Doesn't he look so studious?

SATURDAY: I left the house around 10AM to run a couple errands and hit the gym. It was still in the 40s! The night before it had gone all the way down to 36. Dustin and I were all bundled up all night! I love it being so cold. It's such a nice change from the sticky, miserable heat that we get most of the year. Plus, it's the best feeling when the cold air hits your face after a workout.

We spent the whole day just bumming around the house until it was time to go to our show. We first stopped at Five Guys for dinner. It was packed at 8PM and I was annoyed. There was a family of 20 that didn't know what the hell they were doing and drove me crazy. They were so indecisive they ended up leaving and going somewhere else. 

We made our way over to House of Blues, which with no traffic only takes about 30 minutes, but of course we got stuck in traffic. I'm pretty sure everyone in Orlando was headed to Disney and all surrounding areas. I had never seen Downtown Disney so packed. It's usually pretty dead. So dead that I'm surprised it hasn't shut down by now! It was tough to find a parking spot. We drove by one of those asshole redneck trucks that took up FOUR SPOTS! I mean, really? We finally found a spot and walked through the chilly. Past Cirque de Soleil and right into the House of Blues. 

The doors for the show opened at 7PM. 'The Starting Line' had posted a photo of their setlist the previous night and since I wasn't interested in the opening bands because I had never heard of them, neither of us wanted to waste our time watching them. We got there at 9:30PM and unfortunately one of the opening bands was still playing. That band was 'The Almost'. They almost made us want to leave. (Apparently, the lead singer/guitarist was in Underoath which does not impress me since I don't like their music either!) The music was boring and the bass drum made Dustin and I both feel sick. The worst part was the lead singer's personality. OMG. He was so annoying. He kept telling the crowd to "clap clap clap your hands" BEFORE EVERY SONG. Clearly, if we felt compelled to clap, we would. Not only that but he wouldn't shut up. He just kept talking and talking. Then he would threaten us with "if you don't put your cell phones in the air like you just don't care The Starting Line isn't going to come out".  Get off the stage you bozos! We want to see The Startling Line and act like we're 17 for an hour. Fuck! 

After they were FINALLY done we had to wait another 30 minutes for TSL to even start playing. WTF. Dustin and I aren't the patient types, can you tell? But once they came out there and started playing, all was well. We were just so happy. It brought me back to 2002, driving in my first car (1987 Isuzu I-Mark). Dustin and I had a blast. Kenny is such a goofball and was so entertaining without even trying unlike the previous band. I can't wait to edit all the video I took. The best thing about an anniversary show is knowing the exact order of the songs. Oh to be 17 again. Thanks TSL for the old and new memories. 

A good article on TSL.

We left happy. It was freezing outside so we booked it to the car. To our horror, we noticed the light inside my car had been left on. Thankfully my car started without any problems. 

SUNDAY: I met up with Sam at Starbucks so she could give me my presents. (I had already given hers to her when we went to Universal a few weeks back.) We both over dressed but we get so excited with the slightest chill in the air. We both think alike in that we should wear boots, scarves and jackets. There were people walking in with short sleeve shirts on. Whatev. 

She got me the coolest stuff. A snitch bracelet (that I actually almost got her!), Advanced Potion Making, and "potions". I think I'll be using the Felix Felicis every day for obvious reasons.

Our house was way colder than it was outside. So I put on what Dustin likes to call my "big baby", gloves and socks. Comfy! 

day 358

Christmas Traditions

Danielle of Sometimes Sweet wrote about some of her family traditions during Christmas and asked her readers what their's were.

For me, we didn't really have family traditions during Christmas. It was hard since my Christmas' were always split in half due to my parents divorce. They divorced when I was four so I don't remember one Christmas of us all together. It sounds much sadder than it actually is. But almost every Christmas was different depending on schedules.

During my younger years, I would typically spend Christmas Eve at my Dad's house and he would drop me off at my maternal Grandma's house Christmas morning. I hated all the driving that came with a split holiday but on the plus side, I got twice the presents which is awesome, especially as a kid.

Once I got a bit older, my mom and I would drive to my Aunt's house in Gainesville on Christmas Eve. We would all get pizza, drive around and look at Christmas lights (the Gator light house was always a favorite!), and come back and watch a Christmas movie (which more times than not ended up being Christmas Vacation). We did this every year for all of my teen years. I really loved that 24 hours spent laughing with family.

Things are much different these days. All of us grandkids/cousins are grown up, our lives have gone in different directions,  and we just aren't as close as we once were. We do still share some Christmas's together but they are fewer now.

The one thing I remember about every single Christmas is my grandpa busting out a Whitman's sampler for us all to share. Every single year. And every time I  pass a Whitman's sampler in the store, I think of him and those Christmas mornings carefully selecting the perfect piece of chocolate.

1974 - Grandma, Mom, Aunt and the trusty box of chocolate

Dustin and I started a couple traditions of our own pretty early into our relationship.

-For the second Christmas we were together, we sent out Christmas cards and we have done so every year since. We always try and make them fun. It just wouldn't suit us to send out a traditional photo. It's not our style. We take them very seriously! We brainstorm months in advance and keep the theme a secret until everyone receives them in the mail.

2006 - The Whole Gang
2007 - Lights
2008 - Steelers
2009 - Naughty/Nice
2010 - Butterbeer
2011 - Sweaters
2012 - TMNT

-We also put our tree up Thanksgiving night (never earlier or later) and it comes down the day after Christmas. I hate Christmasy things up past Christmas for some weird reason.

-We get one new Christmas tree ornament a year that we pick out together. It's one of my favorite things to do during the holiday season.

2007 - Leg Lamp

2008 - Star Wars & Skull (Couldn't pick one!)

2009 - Pig

2010 - Spike lookalike

2011 - Pickle (From Epcot)

2012 - Spiderman

Dustin Says

Why does music today sound like a spaceship falling apart?

Gollum's blog is called 'Precious Things'.

You look like Steven Tyler's mic stand.

Me: She was nominated for a SAG award.
Dustin: Yeah, so were my balls.

I think I've reached the end of the internet. What am I supposed to do now?

day 357

say it like you mean it!

Renting vs. Buying

Recently, Dustin and I were pre-approved to buy a house. We had been discussing the possibility of delving deeper into adulthood by becoming homeowners, for months now. We didn't tell anyone. We didn't get our hopes up. We just kind of weighed our options and discussed it privately. Logically.

When we first moved in together (6 years ago), we were living in PC, a small town suburb of Daytona. It was the first time either of us had been on our own - paying every single bill ourselves. It was exciting and scary all at once. Our rent was ONLY $700/mo for a 3/2/1 (brand new duplex) with 1,200 SF. A FUCKING STEAL! I mean, I felt lucky then, but I know now how lucky we truly were. We lived there for four years. It was our first home, and for that alone I will always be very fond of our time spent there.

But then of course life happened. I got laid off. Then got a job in Orlando - my hometown. We lived apart for 2 months during our first year of marriage. It was beyond tough. When it got to be too much we decided to make the move to Orlando permanently. Everything was so rushed, but worked out. We found another duplex in our price range and moved in immediately. At that fragile time I was just happy to be able to sleep next to Dustin again, to snuggle up on the couch, to eat dinner together. I'm still grateful for all of these things. But moving into something that better suits us is long overdue.

We've been here for almost two years now. It was always supposed to be a temporary house. I had a fantasy in my head that it was "just for a year". But then, we hadn't found anything worth renting so we were pretty much forced to re-sign the lease for another year. I was really sad about it. Depressed even. This house is much smaller than our previous one. We have also had maintenance and neighborhood issues. It has never felt like home to me. There are so many boxes that are still packed up because we don't have the space to accommodate what is inside them. Dustin's drums are stacked up on top of one another. He hasn't played them since we lived in our old house. I have to store my sewing machine in a closet because I don't have enough room to have a little craft area. Yeah yeah, all first world problems. I know.

I have been looking for rentals for over a year. I have a whole folder of apps on my phone labeled 'Rentals'. I feel like it's my second job. We'd find one we liked but it never worked out for a number of reasons; either the price was too high, it was too far away from our jobs, the property management company would not call us back, or it was already rented (but still posted online - I just love that! NOT!)

The thing I have learned about renting in Orlando, is if you want decent square footage, in a nice neighborhood, you are going to have to pay too much for it, and also need to be quick to snatch it up. So because Dustin and I refuse to pay out the ass for a rental we started talking homeownership. This is all kind of strange because when we lived in PC, in our perfect little rental, I never once thought about buying a house. I didn't understand why anyone would buy a house before 30, hell before 40 years of age. It never crossed my mind. But now, that we are in the situation that we are in, the idea started slowly creeping in my mind. It was mostly because I would see "Estimated rent $1,200 / Estimated Mortgage $800" plastered over every realty site. I brought it up to Dustin and it kind of grew from there.

So a couple weeks ago, I made a call to a realty company and Dustin and I spoke with a Loan Processor on a Saturday. That Monday, I received a call that we had been pre-approved for a pretty large sum of money. Much more than we'd ever be willing to buy a house for. He had been able to meet our budget for monthly payments which included everything (tax, insurance, etc.). Everything was great so far. I knew the catch was coming. I could just feel it. We would be able to get some down payment assistance but we would also have to put a lot of cash up front too. He suggested we have a "family member gift it". Um, what? We live in the real world where we pay for everything ourselves and get zero handouts from anyone. Even if people offered, I wouldn't feel comfortable taking it. I'm very independent and always have been. Maybe it's because I'm half only child. Maybe it's just my personality. But I have always been one to do things myself. I take pride in that. I'll take help with a flat tire or finding a job or getting a printer to work or bringing groceries inside, etc but I don't want monetary anything unless it relates to a holiday/birthday/significant life event of some kind. Needless to say, I told the Loan Processor we appreciated him taking the time to look into everything for us but we were going to continue to rent.

I was disappointed but not upset. I don't care if we rent or buy. I just want a bigger, cozier home that we can afford. Apparently, this is a lot to ask for in the area of town we would like to live in. I have become beyond frustrated but Dustin has been a great support.

Renting gets such a bad rap these days. I absolutely HATE when I hear on TV or in random conversations "You're just throwing money away". I don't see it that way at all.  Maybe my money isn't going toward a possible investment but it is keeping my family out of the heat/cold, roof over our heads, a place to hold our stuff and most importantly, a place to enjoy my life and family. So no, I am not throwing my money away. I'm paying for a place to live. AND I have the freedom to move at any time with minimal headache. AND I don't have to pay for any repairs. There are pros and cons to both renting and buying. Buying doesn't mean success or guarantee happiness. I'm a happy renter. But yes, on the other side of things, it would be great to be able to personalize a home (with paint, etc), or turn a profit when it's time to sell. It's one of those things that just kind of depends on where you are in life. Dustin and I have heard from random people/articles/etc. that it's not always so smart to buy a house before you're 30 because you're usually still figuring things out. I feel that to be true. For us.

I can't wait until we find a rental that we can really call home for awhile especially since we have really started to put down roots in Orlando. Then maybe once we save up some more we can buy a house. Or maybe we'll decide to keep renting. I just want the perfect-for-us-home and I don't care how it comes to be just as long as it does.

day 356

i sewed a valance! my very first one.

i'm so excited erin was happy with it.

day 355

MAC squared.

day 354

new shoes!

i am not an animal print kind of gal. at all.

BUT, these suckers just kind of stole my heart.

Tweet Tweet

11/28/12
How cute is @jasonritter on Parenthood? So cute!

11/29/12
My anal retentive personality even annoys me at times.

11/30/12
Yes, I'm judging your juggalo tattoo.

12/1/12
http://half.com  is awesome! @dmaff just made all his money back on assassin's creed.

12/2/12
I can't get enough of 'Parenthood'! Breezing through season 2. Great show. Great parents. Still don't want kids though.

12/2/12
Andrea's stupidity level has reached an all time high! #WalkingDead

I can't make it to February! 😭 #WalkingDead

12/3/12
'Sister Wives' is weird enough but the Darger family?! How do you share a husband with anyone, especially your cousin & twin sister?! 😖

@Orlando_Magic I'll be representing the magic by heading to universal's wizarding world of Harry Potter this weekend.

12/3/12
I thought my sim went outside to look at the Notthern Light but he ended up getting abducted my aliens instead! #seasons

12/4/12
Eating frosted mini wheats is like a race against time.

Got tickets for @taylorswift13 ! Freaking out. Want to jump around but I'm at work.

12/5/12
If Bing is your preferred search engine, we are no longer friends.

I just said "oh you're probably to young to get that joke". Ahhh! 👵

Too** I'm so old I can't even tweet properly.

Listened to @amediocretime at the gym and got a lot of weird looks because of my constant creepy smile and inappropriate laugh!

12/6/12
The Parenthood season 2 Thanksgiving episode is making me tear up. I wish I had family like that!

Saw an elderly man at Publix, playing on his iPhone while waiting for his prescriptions to be filled. 👊

12/7/12
Off to see the wizards, the wonderful wizards of HOGWARTS!

Dustin just told me he fills his gas tank up every 6 weeks! Um, jealous.

12/9/12
Netflix is the worst! It keeps only playing audio with a black screen. Canceling after my free month. AmazonPrime forever!

It's hot! And it really doesn't feel like Christmas at all.

12/10/12
The more I watch @maebirdwing on Parenthood, the more I want to chop my hair off.

Eternity will never be enough for me.

12/11/12
I'm determined to make Mustard Yellow and Seafoam Green friends.

12/12/12
How I Met Your Mother reminds me of Saved by the Bell bc half the time they are sitting around a table doing nothing. SBTB is better though.

I don't get how girls can work out in a regular bra.

As I was driving home, I thought, those are lovely Xmas lights. Turns out it was a cop car.

12/13/12
Slamming your finger in a drawer is so much fun. What a hoot.

12/14/12
The only thing I hate about Parenthood so far, is that they had Cee Lo Green on the show. I mean, come on. Not necessary.

So you want to know the distance between the incomplete and made between the drowning and the drifting between the drowning and the saved

12/16/12
Singing/watching Duck Tales, Chip-n- Dale, and David the Gnome opening theme songs.

Pats lose! I hate Brady and his childish temper tantrums.

12/18/12
Does everyone sing EVERY SINGLE LINE in Les Miserables? It's too much.

Every tweet I read today was about the Instagram shit. Is anyone really surprised? & unless you are a professional photographer, who cares?

Currently

Feeling: Worn the hell out. It's been a hectic week (and it's only Tuesday!) at work with all of our Christmas activities. Fun, yes, but so exhausting. I wanted so badly to go to bed at 8:30PM but I fought through it and now I'm on the computer kind of being productive. This week has been so overwhelming to me and not JUST because of work. Deep breaths.

Hurting: As I was walking hopping back to my car from getting our mail, I whacked my chin on the corner of my car door. My initial instinct was to cry but I didn't. I did however, walk in the door and immediately ask Dustin to grab me some ice. He also had me lay on the couch while he got me a drink. And then he made me watch 'The Circle of Poo' which certainly cheered me up. I am left with a slight cut, a sore, bumpy chin. This has been a fun experiment to see how many times I hold my chin/head up with my hand. Answer: A LOT. Sigh.

Listening to: Sea Wolf's 'Old Friend'. Good stuff.

Recovering: I had a horrible dream last night. It was one of those dreams that felt real. It felt so real I woke up crying. I woke up so scared. I grabbed for Dustin. I hugged him with everything I had. It was traumatic. It's taken all day to get over that feeling and even now it's not completely gone.

Looking forward to: Seeing Erin! Seeing Nicole! Seeing The Starting Line! Seeing The Hobbit!

Excited about: Dustin's grandparents sent us a box of all kinds of goodies. Mostly Steelers stuff. I am in love with our new Steelers salt-n-pepper shakers. And we got new Steelers clothes too! They are the best.

Also, the weather this weekend is supposed to be cold. Well, cold for Florida. High of 60 on Friday. Please be true! I am so sick of this 80 degree weather in December. It just isn't right. 

day 353

goo goo for goggles. 

An Un-Christmasy Christmas Playlist

The Maine - Ho Ho Hopefully
We go together like the winter and a sweater

Hidden in Plain View - Christmas Song
It's so hard to feel anything in the spirit of everything

I Can Make a Mess Like Nobody's Business - Seasons Greetings
Frosty Man
Sorry I have not put you up in years
It gets so hard finding time, growing older every year

Schuyler Fisk - More Than I Wished For
You're the sweetest little thing
You are out of a dream
You are my sugar and my spice
The naughty to my nice

Dustin Kensrue - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

Blink 182 - I Won't Be Home For Christmas
It's Christmas time again
It's time to be nice to the people you can't stand all year

The Maine - Santa Stole My Girlfriend
Santa, you bitch
Didn't get a damn thing from my Christmas list

A Day At The Fair - Here Lies Our Holiday
We signed both of our names and the cards were done,
by acting so old, we felt so young,
and you licked the stamps and I lit the tree

Maria Mena - Home For Christmas
Careful what you say
This time of year
Tends to weaken me

A New Found Glory - Ex-Miss
This holiday is overrated.
It turned our the way I expected.
This holiday is one to forget.

Jack's Mannequin - The Lights and Buzz
It's Christmas in California Florida
And it's hard to ignore that it feels like summer all the time

Sara Bereilles & Ingrid Michaelson - Winter Song
They say things just cannot grow
Beneath the winter snow
Or so I have been told

day 352

homemade.

if it were work appropriate, i would have sewed it 'bows n hoes'.

sippin on sangria

SATURDAY: Dustin and I were so productive. I went to the gym and we got our grocery trip out of the way by 11:30 AM. Once everything was put away we enjoyed the latest TMNT episode. Dustin has been recording the new series. It's actually really good. I like how they have updated everything. Plus Sean Astin, Jason Biggs, and Mae Whitman do some of the voices!

Then we went over to my grandpa's to pick up a dresser. It's old, white, with straight lines and three drawers. I like the simplicity of it. Plus it's pretty sturdy (since things were just built better way back when). I plan on painting it eventually and sticking it in the guest bedroom. I think I want to find a new comforter first and then pick colors from there. I think it would be cool to paint each drawer a different color or maybe do some kind of stripe design. It was kind of a pain in the ass to get in my car. It wouldn't fit in my trunk but we finally got it in the backseat.

I dropped off the dresser and Dustin at home and went out shopping. I had a $10 gift card for Victoria Secret that expired on Thursday that I wanted to put it to use. The mall was insane. INSANE. I think I found the last parking spot in the entire place. Every store was packed with people. Also, I witnessed about three horrific tantrums. So...I got out of there as fast as possible.

I also swung by Target for some last minute Christmas gifts. And now I'm done! I also bought a couple things for myself. New sparkly nail polish. New flats. New wallet. It was a successful day.

I came home and cleaned and relaxed and then cleaned some more before going to my boss's Christmas Party. I was so excited! I had a great time at her party last year, plus Dustin was coming this time. We left the house a little after 7PM and it was just our luck to get stuck in train traffic. We sat in the same spot for 15 minutes. I don't know if the train was super long, stuck on the tracks, or they were doing construction, but I do know it was annoying. Dustin made light of the situation by putting on 'his' music and doing a lot of rocking out with air instruments. We got to the party and had a great time. It was nice to see everyone outside of work enjoying drinks and food. This non-alcoholic drinker even had a couple sips of sangria. All of my co-workers give me a hard time for not drinking and when I mentioned (months ago) that I actually did like sangria (more because it's fruity not for the alcohol) they were hell-bent on watching me drink some. It was good but strong. I didn't even finish the cup. I still prefer Juicy Juice or Motts or Martinellis any day.

SUNDAY: My Sunday was actually busy! I wasn't really happy about it but shit had to get done. I made my 'ugly xmas sweater' so it took a little while to hand sew and hot glue everything. I am pretty proud of how it turned out. Not too shabby for a last minute, homemade sweater. 

I ran out to get a few items I had forgotten the previous day. Big Lots has the BEST deals. You can get name brand stuff for so much cheaper. I also had to go to Target - AGAIN. Twice in a weekend is kind of crazy. I bought my very first bottle of wine which was exciting. Not really sure why, but it was. I got carded and everything. I obviously won't be the one drinking it. I can't even remember if I have ever had wine. Probably not. It doesn't interest me. I bought it as a gift and I'm hoping I got a good one. It is very overwhelming with so many different brands. AND then having to decide red or white? Oh well, I tried!

I also worked on my very first valance, for Erin's kitchen window. I've had the fabric at my house for a couple months, so I'm happy that I finally found some time to finish it. I can't wait to see it up! Erin and I plan on having an unveiling on Friday night. 

day 351

new fave.

goldfinger.

Heartbroken

Friday was an awful day. I felt sick to my stomach the moment I heard the news. I still do. I cried. My heart broke with the rest of the country/world as it does every time these tragedies happen. I can't imagine what those families are going through right now.

I don't know what the answer is but something needs to be done. How many more shootings like this before things change? I just don't have the words but the following links, articles, and tweets really say so much.

- - - - -

Dustin and I re-watched 'Bowling for Columbine' that night. It's on Netflix. Please watch.

These assholes disgust me. Please sign this petition.

Address gun control.

Demand a Plan.

Find your representative.

A Land Without Guns. We need to follow Japan's lead.
To get a gun in Japan, first, you have to attend an all-day class and pass a written test, which are held only once per month. You also must take and pass a shooting range class. Then, head over to a hospital for a mental test and drug test (Japan is unusual in that potential gun owners must affirmatively prove their mental fitness), which you'll file with the police. Finally, pass a rigorous background check for any criminal record or association with criminal or extremist groups, and you will be the proud new owner of your shotgun or air rifle. Just don't forget to provide police with documentation on the specific location of the gun in your home, as well as the ammo, both of which must be locked and stored separately. And remember to have the police inspect the gun once per year and to re-take the class and exam every three years.

 A Timeline of Mass Shootings in the US since Columbine. Enough already.

Captain Mark Kelly.

Busy Philipps ‏@Busyphilipps25

I'm in shock&tears over this LATEST shooting. PLEASE@BarackObama, we need to deal with gun control NOW before another senseless tragedy.

Evanna Lynch ‏@Evy_Lynch

"It seems as if we have no voice/ It's time for us to make a choice".#NoMoreGuns

Andrew McMahon ‏@amslingshots

There are few things more sacred than the life of a child, and I join the rest of the world to grieve this unthinkable tragedy.

Fun_Beard ‏@Fun_Beard

Rest assured, if a crazy guy broke into the Senate chambers and murdered 20 Senators, gun control legislation would be passed within a month

 Retweeted by Judd Apatow

Greg Sargent ‏@ThePlumLineGS

Yes, cars kill people too. But few would advocate for getting rid of traffic lights and crosswalks in the name of freedom.

 Retweeted by The Doe Or The Deer

Kevin Williamson ‏@kevwilliamson

We need gun control. Stop defending your right to bear arms. You're stupid.

 Retweeted by Nina Dobrev

olivia wilde ‏@oliviawilde

It is possible to grieve and take action on the same day. Remove the selfishness from anger and you're left with determination.

rob delaney ‏@robdelaney

If your response to calls for gun control is “Should we get rid of cars too?” the answer is, for you, yes. You should not have a gun or car.

 Retweeted by Busy Philipps

Rashida Jones ‏@iamrashidajones

Everyone, drop your social media vitriol & go show love to your friends & family. And maybe even to someone u don't know.#SadDay

Bill Maher ‏@billmaher

Sorry but prayers and giving your kids hugs fix nothing; only having the balls to stand up to our insane selfish gun culture will.

The Doe Or The Deer ‏@JLYoungsma

Guns in the house are more likely to cause/aid suicide, accidents, violence to fellow residents... NOT protection. Facts.

Jenny Mollen ‏@jennyandteets

If u need a weapon that fires 30 rounds of ammunition per pop to kill ANYTHING you're not a hunter you're a douchebag.

dax shepard ‏@daxshepard1

I love guns. I have several, but I would gladly get rid of them if it would help prevent anything like this from happening again.

Steve Marmel ‏@Marmel

Hey, @BarackObama - you know all those nuts that fear you're going to take their guns? You can take their guns now.

 Retweeted by Michael Moore

day 350

ready to party.

day 349

getting our monthly cupcake fix.

Throwback Thursday

And for my last 'little Dustin' TT compilation - TMNT. A fan from the beginning. A fan to the end.