Tiffinnie - All Around Me

While I sit here on the edge of my bed I can't help but think 'wow... I did this'. I look around at the walls of my room... The dark grey Home Depot bought paint [Not So Innocent] laid down as a perfect little canvas on all the walls. About three feet from the floor there is a huge stripe around the room that is solid on the bottom but the top is wavy rolling hills in a very nice dark green, purchased at the same time with this intent in mind. Little skewed misshapen black houses dance along one wall, over the hills and all the way into the corner which is now hidden by a book shelf... windows and doors painted in high contrast on the little houses, squares, rectangles, triangles, circles... each one hand painted and unique. Nothing in the room is exactly the same as anything else. I can follow the houses from the door of my room, around a corner and down a wall but they stop in the back corner behind the bookshelf where a black stick fence is painted... The fence carries along the side wall across the waves of green that eventually turn into the Spiral Hill of Death Valley where Jack and Sally stand, silhouettes against the moon. Then there is are two windows leading to the outside world, which I keep closed and covered because I hate the outside world, its too bright and hurts my eyes. Anywho, continuing around the room, there are more hills and a house on the wall that my bed is against and then more fencing and hills. On the last wall is a tree, one grave stone, and the same hills and fencing that dead end into the closet... Now the closet itself is a piece of awesome art... 6 inch white and green vertical stripes with thin black twisted and bent vines between each chunk of color and lack there of.

Now I know this is just my room* ... but thats because this is what I am surrounded by every day... my walls of beautiful hand painted escape from reality and the outside world.

The house itself has 3 original bedrooms and one makeshift room with a temporary wall, two bathrooms, a kitchen and dining room. We have a backyard and front yard and two dogs that are absolutely amazing. We have five cats and they basically run the house. 90% of the house is ridiculously clean thanks to my step mother's cleaning habits and the other 10% is because I wasn't raised by her, I was raised by my mom... who lacks the ability to throw things away... we're packrats... damn it. Oh wait. The garage... ok but I don't count that cuz its basically mass storage.

*click the link to see the rest of the pictures of the awesomeness.

Krista - Home is where the heart is...

It's funny that this ends up being the topic this week when I am so very far away from my home!

I love my house. I live in a duplex, where I have a very sweet older couple in their 70's next door to me. It's perfect for my son and I. I have a single car garage, which I love because I'm very private when I am home. I consider it my safe haven and like the fact that I don't advertise whether my car is there or not. I have two bedrooms and two bathrooms. My master bedroom has the bathroom inside, along with my oh so adored walk-in closet. I have a kitchen which leads to a sliding glass door with a small room, which I have designated as my son's play room. Allegedly, all toys belong in that room yet somehow I still find them all over my house! Then this small room also leads out to a screened in back porch, which I still haven't fixed up, but I will. Just outside the porch is my backyard, which is nice and roomy. I have a nice sized living/dining room, but since it's just the two us of I don't have the back part of the room as a dining room. I have my desk and computer set up along with my Gazelle, and my son has a desk set up to do homework and art projects. My entire house is decorated in beach themes. I have pictures of the ocean and my son at the beach decorating my walls. My son has beach boogie boards which have yet to be hung on his wall and his bed has a Captain's wheel as the headboard. It looks so perfect inside my house.

I live in Florida, so it's hard sometimes to try and not let it look to kitschy with flamingos and palm trees and sea shells, but I think it looks nice the way it is. It's an ongoing project of course.

And just for fun, I'll tell you what my current surroundings are...I'm up north with my son visiting Geoff for spring break. He also lives in a duplex, but his is 3 stories plus a basement. He has 3 bedrooms but only 1 bathroom (and sorry but I'm refusing to live in a house with 4 boys and only 1 bathroom!). And his closet does not even qualify as a closet to me! It's so tiny compared to my walk in. He has a partially fenced little back yard which is currently covered in quickly melting snow (my son is disappointed by this). He has hardwood floors throughout the place, which I do love. Mine only has wood flooring in the kitchen - the rest is carpet which I plan on pulling out. Since it is a house full of guys between him, his son and his brother, it looks like a bachelor pad with huge screen tv's and video game consoles and games and dvd's all over the place. And the house has no floral girly scents, it's all manly pine and whatnot. But I love it here too - it's my New England home. I'm actually like a snowbird in reverse since I've spent so much time up here in the fall and winter! Since I am not at home, I don't have access to pictures of my place, so I can't post any, but if you're my friend on facebook, I have some there!

Heather- What I have to look at every day.

So this week's blog is about our surroundings. Awesome. This one's gonna be complicated. Lol. But really, you should've learned to expect that from me by now. :) Anyhoo, I move around A LOT because I just don't like staying in one place. It's really weird because I don't like the moving process, but I like the new place feeling. I'm currently in the moving process, actually, going from my dad's house to my mom's. (Those are issues for a different day. Lol.)

So here's a quick little rundown of both places. I'll start with my dad's since that's where I'm at now. It's a REALLY ghetto neighborhood. Like, I should never walk around this place alone, but I'm 8 feet tall and bulletproof. (Drunk, I'm 12 feet tall and missile-proof. Awesome, right?) Anyhoo, this is the house I grew up in till shit got way too complicated and my mom and I left. It's a little three-bedroom house that just got a roof that makes it look like a picture you drew when you were little. I don't have a room here. I share one with my little brother. I COULD share one with my step-whale, but I hate her with a fiery passion and would've drowned myself before I allowed that to happen.

The only thing I actually like about this house is the front door. It's very quiet when you open and close it. And, of course, my cat. But as soon as I can get him out of here, too, I will. :)

Anyhoodles, my mom's house is really pretty on the inside. Lol. It's this ugly yellow on the outside with a bright red door. For anyone who doesn't know, red doors totally have a meaning. If your house has a red door, it means that's a safe-place for like, runaways and people can drop off their kid. Not the best color door for my mom's house. Lol. The inside is awesome. It has kind of a classy country theme. There's quite a few taxidermy-ed animals on the walls, but it looks pretty good. My mom has amazing decorating skills. The only thing I highly dislike about her house is the kitchen. The previous owners painted... toast-shaped cowprint. It's reallyyy weird.

Oh, and she kind of lives in the country, so there's all kinds of trees and a huge like, gully behind the house. She has 9 chickens and wants a pot-bellied pig. Lol.

So yeah. That's a general over-view of my surroundings.

Sabrina-There's No Place Like Home

This weeks topic: Our surroundings


I love my home. There is no place like it. I have lived at the same house for about 10years. I have a lovely house. It is technically my dad's house, but I live there too so I call it mine. I would love to own a house like his one day. We have put a bunch of work into the house both outside and inside. And what a difference it all has made!

My house has a two car garage, four bedrooms and two bathrooms. A nice sized backyard too. We have tile, carpet, and wood in our house. The family room, living room, and our bedrooms have carpet. Tile is in the kitchen and dining room area. And wood is in the hallway and office. We recently got a new fridge, oven/stove, and dishwasher. They all match and are stainless steel and black. So beautiful! The living room is basically my dad's and stepmom's. They got a flat screen television a few months back. It's very nice. We've never had a television so big! There is a couch and two matching recliner chairs. They are the biggest recliner chairs I've ever seen. Comfy too! Also, there's a fireplace we use every winter! The living room has a sliding glass door that goes into the backyard. It is somewhat connected to the dining room and kitchen. Every wall in our house is painted something other than white. I would say our house has a modern look to it.

The family room is bigger than the living room because it's longer. We have a television, a couch and love seat, a china cabinet, and a coffee table in it as well as a few other end tables one of which my brother built.

The office is basically split in half. One half is my dad's and the other my stepmom's. My dad recently bought a new desk and chair for his office space. It is a corner desk and is big. He needs all the space he can get for his work. He owns his own business and needs the desk space for it. My stemom's half contains a smaller desk and a new computer. There's also a cabinet that I believe they both use, but it's mainly for my dad to file his papers and keep things organized for his business.

The bedrooms all have there own personality to it. My dad's/stepmom's is neat and tidy. They always have their bed made too. There is not much furniture in it. That's how my dad likes it. Clean and neat. They have a long/short dresser and a tall/thinner dresser. Also a cali king bed. On each side of the bed are little nightstands. My dad put in a sliding glass door that goes into the backyard. They of course have the master bedroom with a bathroom in it.

My brother's room is the second biggest. It is my old room. We switched rooms because he is at the house more than I am. I stay with my boyfriend a lot. His room is generally always messy. He has a queen bed, armiore and a long/short dresser and a nightstand. There's also a small recliner in it too. My dad built shelves in my brother's and my room that are near the ceilling almost around the whole room. Both my brother and I have our sports trophies and other goodies on the shelves.

My room has a full bed, a small bookshelf, a tall dresser, and a nightstand. It's almost too much furniture for the little room or basically I just have too much stuff. My room is generally clean, but often looks cluttered to me. I make my bed about 70% of the time. And just my bed not being made makes the room look messy.

The backyard has a spa (not built in) which is covered by a wood covering my dad built. Most of our backyard is covered with cement now, a lot of it was done recently. The little bit of grass left is going to be eventually covered with a deck. I can't wait! My dad has built two sheds each of a differnet size. We have a really big one which is used as a storage, and the smaller one is a tool shed. There is a stone pathway that leads to both of these sheds. My dad is super organized so nothing is ever messy or out of place unless us kids do it. Our garage is very organized as well. The wall space is pretty much taken up with pantry cabinets, tool cases, and my dad's workbench. Also, we have our washer and dryer there too as well as an extra fridge. Other than the wall stuff my dad and stepmom have their motorcylce's in the garage as well.

My house is close to an elementary school. It's also walking distance to a few stores and other places. I love the neighborhood. I once went to the elementary school. I have so many memories at this house and in this neighborhood. I will certainly miss it all when it comes time for me to move out.

*I didn't publish many pictures for privacy*

Ryan- What to do in life?

It's funny that we are blogging about this, this week... because I have run into a brick wall when it comes to a career right now.

Growing up, I wanted to be in the military. I was DEAD SET on being in the Navy. I went to Cadets my whole life..achieved a hell of a lot through that. At 16, i signed up for the navy, went through all my testing for it and decided it just wasn't for me. Still to this day, I wish I could have made it "work for me".. but I didn't. It will always be something though that was a very important time in my life.
As for a career though, i started looking into Law. I wanted to become a lawyer, but a MILITARY Lawyer-AKA- JAG. Not sure if anyone has seen the TV show, but its basically the same thing. I was stuck on it- join the military at 16, get an education from them (which i quickly learned wasn't all that it was hyped up to be) get into law school and become a JAG officer.
Well, I graduated highschool...stopped the military thing, and got accepted into university for Political Science. I thought Poli Sci was going to be great to get me into law school- boy was I wrong.
Poli Sci was all about...well, politics! I like politics- i love watching the news all that stuff.. im a history buff and a huge geek :) But, to BE a politician... NO WAY!!! Poli Sci was all about that stuff.. nothing I was interested in. I ended up failing classes in my first year because I had absolutely NO interest in what I was doing. So, this year, half way into the 1st semester... I dropped out. It kills me to say it, but I just couldn't stand being there doing something I hated!
I've now changed my mind about being a lawyer also- I don't want to devote my life to work. I'm a family man.
So, currently, I have changed my mind about all my plans... and here I stand, completely confused with no idea on my career. I know I wanna go back to school, but what for? I'm not sure yet. So, im taking some time...going to make some money, and figure out what I want to do. What I DO KNOW is that I want to help people. i've been looking into Criminal Psychology and Behaviour..and a few other things.I want to make their lives better :) So...from there I go.

Luce-Childhood dream career

Ahhhh. Since I was a little girl. I wanted to be a teacher. There was NEVER anything else I even considered. Fresh out of high school...off to college.

Graduated with teaching degree...used it for a bit.

Then decided to stay at home with my babies.

Now it is MY turn to do what I want with my life....what will I do. what will I be when I grow up? At 40 I truly took a step back and reevaluated my life/career. I am still in that process.

Right now I work as a waitress. GREAT money...very addicting..but I KNOW there is more for me to do...more for me to do in my life..more lives to touch.

We shall see.

Jamie - Let Me Take Care of You.

Hey all! So this week is "What is your dream career as a child and has it changed?"

Well for me, my dream career as a child was to become a doctor. A Pediatrician to be more exact. Ever since I could remember the human body fascinated me and I wanted to help take care of people. I used to read anatomy books when children read Dr. Seuss and my mother's drug reference books and medical dictionary. Not that I understood much of what it said but I tried! Until about high school I stuck to this dream, then I kept changing my mind on what i wanted to do. First it was Photographer, then Counselor and now Nurse.


Now, me changing my mind so much might be seen as a bad. Who's to say I won't change my mind again? True. I could possibly change my mind again but then again becoming a nurse feels right to me. Those other career options? Didn't feel right to me. Not one bit. But being a nurse? It sounds right. It feels right. I wanna help people. Being a nurse is the best way for me to do it and so that's what I am going to school for. To become a Nurse.


Right now, I am taking the pre-requisites to the Associate Degree in Nursing Program. I'm going to become a Registered Nurse. I won't be able to apply for the program though until 2013. After I become a R.N., I am going to go into the R.N. to B.S.N program at the college and get my Bachelor's. After I get my Bachelor's, I aspire to get my Doctor of Nursing Practice degree and become a Nurse Practitioner. Of course im not doing this all in one go. its gonna be atleast 10 years after i get my Bachelor's that I will even consider getting my DNP.


Anyways, thats my goals and I am sticking with them. :)

Tiffinnie - I'm kinda doing it.

When I was in elementary school I drew pictures instead of doing my math homework. I daydreamed instead of listening to the teacher. I colored the pictures instead of giving them names like the homework asked me to do. I doodled and colored and drew all over everything except the walls because my grandmother would have had my hands for that... so instead I waited til I was roughly 9, maybe 10 years old... and when it came time to paint my bedroom from the horrendous light baby pink color that it had been for a couple of years I went very drastic and painted it black. The whole thing. BLACK. Now I know what you're thinking, "why is this relevant to your childhood dream career or your general dream career or anything at all in life, why the hell do we care?" and I have an answer to the first part but not the second because I don't know why you care...

So I painted my room black and then painted cute little things all over that black canvas in blacklight paint. I love paint.

I wanted so bad to be an artist. I wanted to paint and draw and write and be happy. I wanted to make the things in my head leave my head and finally take place in front of my eyes so I could see and so other people could see. IT WAS NECESSARY! When I was angry, I may or may not have drawn my entire 3rd grade class being brutally murdered... and I may or may not have gone to therapy for that picture... and they may or may not have had that picture I drew on file until I graduated highschool... Why do people fear artists? I was merely expressing that I wanted them all to be permanently silences, not that I wanted their dead bodies to be laying around or on fire or have chairlegs through their chests.... O_O people should not live in fear.

Anyways. I am doing that now... no the killings of my 3rd grade classmates... but the artist thing... I know that it doesnt pay much and most of the time it doesn't pay AT ALL... but I love what I do. I paint and draw and write and I'm a photographer and photo editor and I love my pathetic excuse for a career.

Krista - When I grow up...

I went through several phases of what I wanted to be when I grew up...

I wanted to be an astronaut, which made sense since I live off the coast of Florida where the space shuttle calls home. Then, I realized I hated science. I wanted to be a teacher but realized patience was not one of my virtues. I also wanted to write. I wrote lots of cheesy love poems, and kept a journal chronicling my life thinking some day some one might be interested in knowing all these things about me.


In high school, I became very involved in Junior Achievement, which is an organization that works with children to teach them about business, economics, entrepreneurship and also work readiness skills. I was part of it every year, and I was VP of Marketing in our student run corporation(s) for 3 out of 4 years in school. I won the VP Marketing for the year in my local district area my senior year of high school (1996 - yikes!) and even attended the International Student Conference with other teens involved in JA from all over the country and the world. So when I graduated from high school and decided to pick a major for college, I thought the clear choice would be Marketing. Business just made sense to me. I was strong in Economics, and loved the ideas that came up with research and development. And I am probably boring most people here, but the point is, I was REALLY into my business classes. But I got burnt out after my first year of school. I was taking over the recommended amount of credits and working two jobs, and I had been a super good student all my life, but I was ready for a rebellion. So I quit.


Two years later, I decided it was time to go back to school. By then. I had become a bit disenchanted with business and marketing. I just wasn't a cut throat type of person, which most super successful business people are. So I had to figure something else out. I had taken a legal studies course in high school, which I enjoyed so I decided to take one on the college level. And I loved it. So I took another and realized that I really wanted to have a career within the legal field. I made it through and got my degree, and luckily found a job immediately after graduating and I've been doing it for 9 years now. I really wanted to be a legal assistant for a criminal defense attorney and help save those who were wrongly accused of crimes, but I fell into a different are of practice, which I love. I kind of ended up doing what I really wanted to do in life, it just took me a little while to get there!

Heather- What I want to be when I grow up! :)

When I was little, I changed my "dream career" as often as I dyed my hair. (A whole lot, if you didn't know. Lol.) As much as I hate to admit it, I'm kind of a humanitarian in a way. I have a superhero complex, so I want to save everyone. So most of the time, my "dream career" has been something about helping people. I'll just make a list because that's the only way I can keep up with it. :)

Teacher

Lawyer (I was a weird kid. I thought Johnnie Cochran was awesome.)

Therapist for kids (I must have been crazy myself to think that. I would cry too much.)

12th Grade English teacher.

High school counselor (Again, I must have been crazy.)

Cosmetologist (I'd still enjoy this, but as more of a free time kinda thing.)

Florist (I have a weird obsession with being creative. And every time I get flowers, I tend to rearrange them several times before they die. I even made a ball of gardenias from the shrub thing at my mom's house. That actually turned out awesome.)

And now I'm currently set on being a (haha) Dental Assistant. I've had my braces for almost 5 years, and I go to the orthodontist at least once a month, but usually twice. I love going in there and telling the dental assistant what the ortho is going to say, because I'm usually right. You would think that going to the dentist that often would burn me out, but there's something really appealing about it. Maybe it's the fact that people are always so happy when they get their braces off and when their teeth look pretty. I want to be a part of that.

Yes, I know it's weird. But I've always had my heart set on doing something that makes me happy. And for some crazy reason, that's what I want to do. :)

Sabrina-It's All in the Smile

This weeks topic: What was your dream career as a child and has it changed?


As a kid I've always wanted to be a dentist. I had never had a bad experience with the dentist and I loved going there. Teeth is one if the first things you notice on a person and it was definitely something I was constantly looking at in people. I loved going to the dentist knowing that they were going to scrub my teeth. I loved getting x-rays and getting the goody bag at the end. The dental hygienists and assistants were always so nice. I hate shots and yet I didn't mind them at the dentist. It was the one place I wasn't scared of shots.

To this day I'd love to be a dentist. It is a little too much schooling for my liking so I want to be a dental hygienist instead. That is my dream career and goal now. I still love the dentist. I love the x-rays and the goody bags are still my favorite by far! Teeth is still something I look at in people. It can describe a lot about a person. It's one of the first things I notice when I meet people, their smile. A smile makes the world better and brighter and I'd like to be the one to make every one's smiles brighter. I want to be the one to scrub teeth all day and point out to just about every patient I have about their lack of flossing. I want to hand out those goody bags to little kids and adults who are still kids at heart. I'd love to make a child's experience with me so pleasant that they will love the dentist's office as much as I did.

Ryan- No where yet

Honestly,
I can't say I have a favourite vacation yet!!

I've travelled to quite a few places, but never to Vacation. I've travelled to both coasts of Canada- but the east coast was because of work, and the west coast is where my girl lives- and both weren't really vacations lol - i do gotta admit though, the oceans were beautiful!
I went on Vaca to florida.. but it wasn't my favvoouurrite so i can't really make my blog about it.
Along with florida, i've been to Nashville, Memphis & Boston. Memphis was amazing cuz i got to go to Graceland and have the big tour- it was incredible!!! I got to do so much there. It was a school trip.. in Grade 12- i went with my concert band (yes, i was a band geek :D). It wasn't really a vacation, it was a learning thing.. but my god was it amazing. I'm also a huge country music fan, so Nashville was like the biggest thing in the world for me. I guess in a way i can call it my favourite TRIP so far.
Here's some things i got to do in Nashville/ Memphis:
Graceland, Grand Ole' Opry, record in Studio B (where elvis recorded), go through Gibson Guitar Factory, Country Music Hall Of Fame, Stax Music Studio, Sun Records, pass by where MLK got killed, see where Johnny Cash lived, passed by the house that "walk the line" was filmed at.... and eat some AMAZING ribs! LOL
But ya.. i guess so far that is my best trip... hopefully soon i will get to go on some nice tropical vacation :)

Luce-York Beach, Maine

July 30th, 2010.

My love, my three children, a friend of mine, one of his daughters and her boyfriend and I head to Maine.

We go to York Beach.

The kids and I have been in NH for the past week and my kids wanted to see the ocean...so we packed up the van and car and head to Maine. It is about a 2 hour drive. The anticipation is amazing...

What we saw....when we arrived...well there are no words...I will just say...the sounds of the waves crashing, the smell in the air, and the gleaming smiles on all three of my children said it all.

And being with my love at THAT moment....ahh yes..it was my most favorite vacation!

Tiffinnie - Vacation? nahhh

Alright... I don't remember many of my vacations, since they were when I was about 10 years old and younger... so the plan is to either not write a blog... or tell you about something I did this week that was interesting.

Obviously I'm going to entertain you with what I did this week.

I took boudoir pictures! Of my mother! And then a couple of other separate shoots (also boudoir) of my moms friend, and of my moms friends daughter! Now if I get comments saying "oh really?! LETS SEEEE!" I'll post (I do have their permissions to post the pictures, but I don't want anyone to be like "AFFF DISTASTEFUL GARB! WTF!" because the pictures are beautiful pin up style pictures and some headshots. And I got asked to paint someones hallway in a fairy mural type deal... so I'm doing that... started today! and uh I'm not sick anymore so I can start going back to the gym! WOO

ok, so we don't need to read any more about my week... and I've posted... not on time because I need an alarm or something reminding me what day it is... cuz I seriously thought today was like Wednesday... mhm fail Tiffinnie.

Jamie - My vacation that I want to happen again :D

Okay, so I've been to Mexico twice. Both times at Cabo San Lucas at the Pueblo Bonito Sunset Beach resort. Sadly, I can't find any of the pictures I took so I will just give you the resorts website: http://www.pueblobonitosunsetbeach.com/

Anyways, both times were awesome.  I couldn't possibly tell you everything that happened while i was there! But two things I will remember: One, I got to do a ATV tour of the beaches and surrounding areas which was beautiful even though i got hurt :( Anyways, the other thing which I remember that was not so fun was that one of the street vendors was being too pushy about this bracelet and wouldn't let go of my hand >.< But anyways, besides all of that it was just nice to relax in the warmth <3

Heather- My awesome vacation.

I'm not quite sure if it counts, but I do consider it a vacation because I hate my house, and I had a lot of fun.

I think I've said this before, but I met my boyfriend online and we were together for four months before we saw each other in person. So my favorite vacation ever was spending the week with him. We didn't do anything too extravagant, just spent pretty much every minute together. I didn't have to deal with any stupid bullshit and I really felt important.

Sooo, yeah. That's about it. Lol. Sorry it's so short.

Krista - Holiday in Mexico

Looks like an ad right? But I took that one myself!

Best Vacation Ever. It all started when my best friend called to tell me about an amazing 14 hour long first date she had with this guy she had just met. Not too much longer after that, she called with the news that she was engaged and planning on having a destination wedding in Mexico. She picked the Aventura Spa Palace Resort in Riviera Maya, Mexico. It's an all-inclusive, adults only resort. And, also, heaven.

September, 2007 I hop on a plane to Cancun, Mexico with the overwhelming majority of my best friend's family and a group of her friends from up north. The resort is actually 45 minutes away, so we all hopped in a van and drove away from the crowded and not so pretty airport. I was so excited but exhausted once we got there because we had been traveling all day long. I ended up staying awake for just about 24 hours because another friend of ours from high school had flown in a little later and she was ready to go out and have some fun! We danced every night at one or more of the clubs on site. We flirted with the bartenders and managed to stumle our way back to our rooms only to gt up the next morning and do it all again the following night.

This place was gorgeous. It was so big, it had a bus to take you from one end of the resort to the other. Now recently, they have split the resort into two separate resorts on one property, but at the time I was there, it was all an adults only retreat. I adore my son, but a few days of rest and relaxation in a tropical paradise never hurt anyone. The resort has clubs and 6 different restaurants ranging in cuisine so whatever you felt like eating, they pretty much had an option for it. The rooms had liquor dispensers in them, and mini refrigerators filled with sodas and beer. Also, every room had a jaccuzzi tub inside separate from a huge bathroom and shower that you could have fit four people in. There was a huge pool, and a swim up bar. Tiki huts and a private beach right against the pool area. Guided tours, just hop on the transportation bus - and these were all included in the price of the room. And hammocks on every balcony. I spent hours lying in a hammock one day, reading a book and just enjoying the scenery. Granted, probably the most expensive vacation I've ever taken, but well worth it. I've never been spoiled like that, and never enjoyed just laying under an umbrella and taking a dip into the pool as much as I enjoyed that place.

I should also mention, the wedding was gorgeous. She got married in a covered gazebo right next to the beach and pulled up in a horse drawn carriage. I was her maid of honor, so I rode in a golf cart instead of having to walk across the resort to get to the gazebo.

The resort staff knew service - something which is severly lacking in most places now. The food was excellent, the drinks were strong, the entertainment was amazing. I could have spent weeks there, but sadly only spent 5 days. I told my best friend over and over thank you a million times for getting married in such an amazing spot. I would love to go back to the resort and spend more time there. Everything was gorgeous - especially the sunrises!

(I realize this probably sounds like I was drunk the entire time, but I wasn't - I promise! It was just nice knowing I had the option to enjoy a margarita at any given time.)

Sabrina-A Trip to Remember

This weeks topic-Our favorite vacation


I remember it like yesterday. My family and my boyfriend went camping a few summers ago. It was absolutely one of the best vacation trips I've ever been on so far! It was at a river and there was a beautiful waterfall there. I wouldn't have known anyone was there except for the fact that when we took the short hike to the waterfall there was people there. The waterfall was beautiful. It is small enough to jump off of. Also, there was a ledge closer to the water that was built like a natural slide! I had a blast. The water was pretty cold, but it was nice enough to swim in. The water was so clear! We would rinse our clothes off after a sweaty day or even rinse our dishes it was so clean! The weather was perfect too; warm but plenty of shade and at night chilly but a fire and blankets to keep us warm.

Besides the swimming we also went shooting. I love shooting the rifles and definitely the shotguns! My boyfriend likes the rifle since it has a scope on it. He thinks he is a sniper. Ha ha. We don't shoot animals. We would throw clays and also set them up as targets. My brother and I had a contest to see who could shoot the most clays in a row without missing any! It was so fun! We are too good! The trip to the shooting area was half the fun! The road was so bumpy and small. My dad's Expedition barely fit on the trail! Although it was loud, I loved the way the guns echoed off the forest and cliffs. Just amazing.

We also brought a bunch of games to play. Badminton was one of those games. I never thought it would be so much fun! My dad, brother, my boyfriend, and I played. We seriously played that games for what seemed like a whole day! I was laughing my ass off most of the game. We were all trying to jump in bushes and dive for the freaking birdy! It was hilarious!

The food was wonderful. We made taco salad and of course had smores!  Hot pockets and sandwiches were on the menu as well of any type of snack you could imagine! We had a lot of ice chests containing whatever you wanted just about; a bunch of different foods as well as drinks.

My family camps in comfort and yet we do it right. We don't bring an RV or anything of that sort. By comfort I mean air mattresses and delicious foods. Sadly I don't own an air mattress, just a sleeping bag and a bunch of blankets for me! I love it though.That's the way camping should be, until I start getting back problems and aches, then I'll probably invest in an air mattress.

Nature is a beauty! I can't get enough of it and yet I barely get as much as I want/need. I think I could use a whole day of a camping trip to take pictures of it all. Camping gives me the wake up call to truly open my eyes and absorb it all. It's wonderful. The starry night skies, and the fresh air is a much needed thing for me. Going camping once a year is not enough. Although I absolutely HATE mosquitoes, I practically bathe in repellent and then enjoy my time regardless. Mosquitoes aren't enough to keep me away from something I love.

This is by far one of the best vacation trips I've ever had! I had so much fun and so many laughs that I could never forget it. I was in the company of the people I love. I know we all had too much fun. I need to make more memories there this summer, hopefully with both my family and my friends.

Ryan- My Intro & Dinner!

So,
I haven't written my intro yet, so im gonna kinda throw it into this blog post and keep my "dinner with 5 guests" part short.
Dinner:

1) Elvis Presley.. I think he was a great man. I've been to graceland..it was incredible. Emotional, amazing.. just absolutely astonishing. My grandfather loved him, so that makes it that much more better.
2) Larry Mullen Jr- He's the drummer of U2... my music idol also.. i'd love to just jam with him!!
3) Bono- Also from U2. He's a man that is out there to change the world and make it a better place.
4)Martin Luther King Jr- He made this world a better place, and to meet him would be so awesome!
5) Brad Paisley- Just cuz he's pretty much my fav country singer!

Now, My intro.

Well I'm Ryan lol.. my birthday is May 30th and I'm currently 19. I was born in Niagara Falls, Ont, Canada..and currently live in a small town about 15 minutes away from there. I moved back with my mom in the summer after some health issues with her arose... so i came back to kinda take care of her and make sure things were ok! I grew up playing Baseball and Hockey. I was a catcher and one hell of a batter... and a goaltender in hockey. When I went to highschool.. i joined the hockey team there as well as the rugby team. I played Scrum-Half (like QB) in Rugby for 4 years. I have played guitar since i was 13.. i mostly stick to acoustic because i love the sound of it. Its calming and just peaceful!! I have been best friends with the same guy since we were 9 years old :D
I love Tattoos... i have 6 currently..like to get more, but we'll see lol. I love the band U2 and i could listen to country music 24/7. My favourite baseball team is the NY Yankees and my fav. hockey team is Montreal Canadians :) I'm Currently in School; was in University for 2 years doing a Political Science BA, but have decided recently that I want to go to college for a diploma in Criminal Psychology & Behaviour- I'm super excited for it!!!
I have been with my Fiancee, Michelle for over a year now, and we are planning our wedding for 2013 :) I love dogs.. i have a dalmation named Brandy ..and shes my baby. I'm a big family man also.. i have 3 nephews (oldest is 12, middle is 4, youngest just turned 2)... can't wait to have some of my own some day!!
Well, i think that is good enough for now!

Luce-Dinner and Answers.

Ahhhh dinner with 5 guests.

1. The first one is easy...Jesus Christ. I can easily picture him wearing jeans and a t-shirt. He is already at the restaurant and as I enter the room, he stands up. I am immediately surrounded by his strong arms and I whisper to him..."thank you."

2. My Biological Father. A man I barely knew, a man who died and I read of his death in the Sunday Paper. So many questions that I would love answers to. I know that it would be very emotional, and having my strength and support with me, would enable me to face my past. See guest number 1.

3. Marilyn Munroe. A woman with class, strength, beauty, and dignity. She is one woman that was strong and powerful, especially in a time where woman weren't bold. Having her there would show me that I too could be liberating.

4. Laura Ingalls Wilder. My absolute favorite author. I would love to have her there just to listen to her talk. She helped me as a child, take me back to a time where kids really didn't have much, and they focused on their family. I needed to be shown that I needed to appreciate LIFE.

5. Grandma Thurston. A woman taken from my life a long time ago. A woman whose faith in the Lord showed me how to live. I would love to see her face to face so she can see me now...all grown up...and LIVING! :)

Luce-My role model(s)

I have been mulling over this blog entry for quite awhile. Two weeks to be exact.

I wrote an entry and then it wouldn't save. VERY FRUSTRATED!

I will add more to this in a bit....

Tiffinnie - Artistic meals.

John Green
This man is my favorite author and all around human. He heads (without actually wanting to claim to) Nerdfighteria and is made of pure awesome... Even he forgets to be awesome occasionally, but at least he is out there teaching everyone the true meaning of DFTBA (don't forget to be awesome) and helping, more than he takes credit for, to decrease world suck.

Tim Burton
I used to strive to be just like him... my style in art is inspired by him and I'm pretty sure I wrote all about how much I adore him last week...

Edgar Allen Poe
A dark soul with beautiful words, he would mesh very nicely with the others. I love his work and the gothic romanticism he displays in everything... fascinating human!

William Shakespeare
Who wouldn't invite good ol' W. Shakespeare! The man is a world renowned genius and also has an amazing way with words! Truly talented and his visions would absolutely blow the minds of people... could you imagine a movie, or story of any kind actually, brought to life by all of my dinner guests!? Ohh the awesome!

Gottfried Helnwein
I went to the art museum for the first time about a month or so ago and they were holding an exhibit of his work... Literally floored me that these huge wallsized pictures weren't photographs, but paintings! I fell in love with his dark and twisted images of these kids covered in blood and in a child's nightmare where Mickey Mouse wasn't all sunshine and bubbles kind of happy... The amount of detail and perfection in his work was stunning

Basically if all 5 of them got together and made an epic movie/book/piece of art, the world as we know it would never ever be the same!

Krista - Dining with friends...

Or random people that I don't really know because well, it's a "dream" dinner party for myself and five guests from any time and any place...


Without further adieu...


#1: My friend Marc, who passed away last summer. Partly because I would give a lot to be able to spend more time with him. I miss him greatly. And partly because he was an amazing conversationalist. He had this ability to make you feel like you were friends immediately, and in a group setting, this skill would be greatly utilized! An old picture follows because I don't have many of us online...pretty sure this was from 2008 (yeah, super happy I've lost a lot of that weight).



#2: Edna St. Vincent Millay. She is one of my favorite authors/poets, and I would love to talk with her about writing and what it was like trying to write when it was still mostly a male dominated field. Plus - first female to win the Pulitzer Prize for poetry! (Say that 5 times fast!!)



#3: Sarah McLachlan. Probably my all time favorite singer in the world. I can't tell you how many times I've listened to her music and found something that speaks to me. Would love love, love to hear about her creative process in crafting her songs.




#4: William Shatner. And why not? He is full of awesomeness, and srely he has some great stories to tell about the Star Trek crew. Then maybe I could get him to use his mad negotiation skills to score better prices on flights to see my Geoff :)




#5: Mae West. I adore her. She had balls. Yep, I said balls. I love quoting her. I wish I had her moxie. And yes, that's an old word but it fits. "You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."



So that's my list...pretty varied but I think it would be lots of fun and definitely interesting!!

Heather- My disaster of an awesome dinner.

Sooo. The five people I'd most like to have dinner with, dead or alive. I haven't really put a lot of thought into this, so I'm hoping that makes it more honest and real. Lol.

First would have to be my friend Seth, that passed away recently. Mostly so I could get some freakin answers. Lol.

I'd also want my friend Ashlyn, who passed away when we were 14, to be there, too. She was pretty much the coolest, most amazing person ever. :D

Marion Barber, my favorite football player, and also my favorite Dallas Cowboy. Yes sir.

Nikki Sixx. Yeah, the former heroin addict from Motley Crue. Love and admire that guy for everything he's been through, and how he beat the addiction.

I have a creepy crush on Alan Alda, [Captain Hawkeye Pierce from M*A*S*H,] so I'd love to have him there, too! :]

There would probably be some kind of chaos, but that's fine with me, as long as I get pictures!

Sabrina-A Table for 6 Please

This weeks topic-If I could invite ANY 5 people for a dinner party (dead or alive), who would it be?


My table would be a very odd mix of people.


First off, I would have to invite Walt Disney or George Washington! What an honor that would be.

Elvis Presley would have to be on my list. And he would for sure have to sing for me as well!

I would LOVE to meet Sandra Bullock..Is she as funny and as great a character in her movies as in person?!

The famous Marilyn Monroe would definitely have to be there! Love a woman who's voluptuous!

And last but certainly not least I would love to have William Shakespeare there!

I'm not sure if this dinner would go the way I would want it too, but I have to admit that it would be a dinner I'd NEVER forget!

Ryan - The Person I look Up To

So, this week is about our role models...and only One person comes to mind for me: My grandpa.
He has practically raised me. He taught me how to skate, swing a bat, throw a ball...anything you can imagine. He taught me how to be strong, how to be tough and how to defend myself and stick up for myself. He taught me respect, self-discipline and how to be a good person. Him and I have a unique relationship.. we don't show affection to often, but we know how we feel about eachother. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be where i am today or the PERSON i am today. It's hard to really talk about him..cuz theres just so much to tell. Everyone knows him, everyone loves him.. he's an amazing person.

I'm doing my intro blog next week everyone :) lol

Jamie - My Role Model.

There really isn't anybody in my family besides my mother who I consider a role model. So I will talk about her.
My mother is pretty much the most awesome person I know. I can talk to her about anything. She's my best friend.

Anyways, a lot of who I am stems from my mother, i mean i grew in her for 9 months! Alot of my mannerisms
and personality was shaped by her. By no means did she force me to have a certain personality, i am saying my personality stems a lot from her. I am goofy, calm, quiet, understanding.. etc. like she is. But I am also alot more stubborn and outspoken in some ways then she is. We balance each other out quite nicely :)

Uhh yeah I dunno what to say. Sorry for the sucky blog readers! I promise a better blog next week!

Tiffinnie - Gothic Romanticism.

I wasn't quite sure what to write. I don't think I can honestly sit here and tell you "my mother is my role model" because... she isn't. I can't say I look up to many people or aspire to be like anyone I actually know. I can't really say I  know what it is I aspire to do either. There are a few things that I was thinking about doing with this blog... like write a falseblog labeling Enrique Iglesias as my role model... or just drawing a picture and then saying "I don't really know what to write about so I drew you a picture instead"... Alright... so I honestly looked up what a role model was... "person who serves as an example, whose behavior is emulated by others"...

As far back as I can remember I have more or less wanted to have brain-children with Tim Burton. In college I looked for any way to push myself and my work into that dark yet romantic and innocent frame of mind, therefore it would show up in my work. I wanted to not COPY his style, I wanted to create my own while being inspired by his. I mean... the man is a genius.
I transfered schools to try my hand in character animation... I failed... epically... and went back to graphic design for a few more months before dropping out due to lack of challenge.
Now I could give you an entire history lesson on Tim Burton, his work with Disney, his interesting relationship and living situation with Helena Bonham Carter, and a little history on all of his work... but thats not what this weeks blog is about. I've given you the name of the person that inspires me when it comes to my art. Someone I look up to when it comes to standing out and not letting someone tell you that different is bad. Tim Burton and I should have brain-children. He may not be the most attractive man... at all really... but that man's brain is literally amazing. Gorgeous... What I would give to discuss art and movies and whatnots with him!! Ahh.

And that is all I have to say on this subject. Have a lovely week, dear readers. Until next time <# (thats a waffle heart. be happy it means tasty love.)

Sabrina-A True Daddy's Girl

This week-Our Role Model

And at that topic one person comes to mind, My father.

My dad is the greatest. I love him with every bit of my heart. He has been there for me through everything. I would love to be like him. There isn't just a few things to say about him, there is many. He completes every goal he has. He works hard to achieve what he wants. He hardly ever procratinates. He gets things done and has been through the toughist things, and I don't even know the half of them. I know I can count on him if worst comes to worst. He did a great job being a single parent and I love him more for that. He did the best he could with what he had to make my brother and my life the best. He kept my brother and I both out of trouble. Because of him I knew better then to do stupid things. Because of him I chose right instead of wrong, and honestly a lot of the reasons I chose right was because I didn't want to disappoint him. He taught me to do for myself. I earn my income and pay my bills. I take care of what I need to take care of. I thank him for that. Although it seemed like he was rough on me at times, I look back and realize it made me who I am today.

He is a tough act to follow, but I would love to try.

I look at where he started in life and where he is now and I don't know who wouldn't want to do the same in there life. He definitely started near the bottom and worked his way to the top. Thing is, he is still working for above and beyond the top. He doesn't just settle for what he has when he knows he can strive for more. He is brilliant and strong willed.

Now why wouldn't I want to be anything but like my father? I hope one day I can say I've achieved as much as him. When time comes for me to have children of my own, I hope I am just as great of a parent as him.

Krista - Here's to you...

I've thought quite a bit about this topic since we started discussing what we would write about this week. Who is my role model?

Professionally, I have role models but I don't think anyone really cares about how much I strive to be more like certain people I work with...so that leaves personal role models...

So this may be a cop out, but I mean every word when I say that my role models are the women in my family. My mother, my aunts, my grandmothers, my cousins, my sisters.


I'm tough, I'm ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay. ~Madonna


This could be our family motto. Not that I am saying we are!!! But I come from a strong stock of women who never fail to keep going when things seem at their worst. They've survived divorces, deployments, abusive exes, single parenthood, adultery, hurricanes and blizzards! You name it, they've probably faced it...and they are always there ready to back you up 100% of the time. I'm proud to have been raised by a strong woman, and proud of how strong all of the women in my family truly are. Even as I navigate through difficult times, I know I can look to them and see how they made it through, and how they continue to live on. There doesn't need to be a fairy tale ending for us. They can slay the dragon themselves, thank you very much...



Mom, Mamaw, Grammy, Lisa, Diana, Pam, Miranda, Jessica, Carol, Sarah, Chy, Hannah...you guys are my heroes. Your support means everything in the world. I love you all!!!

Heather- My mother, my best friend, my role model.

Again, I'm really excited about this weeks' post because it's a topic I really want to write about. So here's the deal.

My mom is my best friend. Not only has she been the only consistent thing in my life all my life, she's my confidant. We've always been really close, and after kind losing that bond when I went to college, we got it back, but now it's better than ever.

She knows things about me that I thought no one knew unless I told them, like how I use music to express myself since I don't like talking about my feelings. She supports me in everything I do, even if I may be making the wrong choice. She's always let me make my own decisions and mistakes. She helps me when I need it, but never makes it seem like a hand-out, more like a "helping hand."

Writing about everything we've been through is really hard, so I'm at a loss for words right now. If I can sort things out in my head, I'll come back and clarify and elaborate on some stuff.