thursday's ten: be my valentine

if you're looking for valentine's cards this year, i've found some cute ones :)  clicking on the pictures should take you to the original source!

be still my heart -- penguin oreo valentines!

(no link for this one, you can find them at your local store.  airheads valentines)

lots of craft ideas on this blog

this is a contest winner from a couple of years ago -- but inspiration perhaps for you creative types!

adorable die-cut from papyrus

this makes me want to decorate the bathroom for valentines :)

all kinds of adorable vintage valentines on this link!

ahh, so cute!

this blog has a ton of freebies

step by step instructions for this adorable card

*next week's theme will be love.  quotes, photos, etc...bring on the love :)

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .8

(go to amber's blog for the original)

hey, it's ok

... to want to reach through the tv screen and shake Haddie (parenthood) for being such a selfish brat

... to get completely excited about the smallest things

... to get a slight thrill about putting away dishes.  there's something about restoring everything to their order...yes, i'm sick.

... to heart oreos.  specifically double stuf.  more specifically, with mint cream.

... to use the word heart.

... to sometimes watch silly old movies and get completely immersed in the stories (three men and a baby anyone?)

... to smile every time you see emi using her christmas present (anthony and i got her a small "cat mat" and she LOVES it)
... to stay up way past your bedtime talking to your love on the phone :)

hey, it's ok (tuesday) .4

 hey, it's ok!

...to possibly love wrapping the presents as much as anything else at this time of year 

...to think that those fruit in a pouch deals for babies and toddlers are pretty awesome...and to consider adding a few to your own pantry since you never eat fruit and this would be one way to change that

...to giggle a bit at the baby terrorizing the cat before actually stopping said baby from said terrorizing

(really all he was doing was standing at the chair she was sitting in and reaching out to pet her.)

...to realize that a good number of your "hey it's ok" points involve children when you don't even have kids yet

...to get a little giddy about "the sing off"

...to kind of wish you could hibernate for this season because it's COLD

...to have been slightly freaked out when the mother of a couple of your students placed an albino ferret in your arms when you were dropping off some music at their house, followed by the realization that the animal was actually quite adorable and very snuggly!

on the road again!

the month of september has been full of travels

and i've mentioned every trip here (i think)

but haven't really shared much about them.

so here's the very quick run-down.  if you're friends with me on facebook you can see the full photo albums!

first up was labor day weekend.  anthony and i climbed into a car and headed with our friends andy and mandy to the awesome city of st louis.

there we

stayed in an awesome hotel

 

(where we played cards -- and slept a few hours)

found angry birds

went to a cardinals/reds game

ate AMAZING food

visited the zoo

and got in a tiny tram and rode to the top of the arch

later that week, i traveled to downtown nashville

where i got to see a bunch of politicians

including...

bill clinton!!

(i'm such a political nerd.  and it doesn't hurt that i kinda love the clintons.)

the following weekend i went with our youth group to the annual retreat.

middle of nowhere

no connection to the outside world (no cell phone service or wifi)

and absolutely a blast

upon returning from the retreat, natasha and i went to our local barnes and noble

where we met

max lucado!

 

fast forward to the following weekend

where anthony and i jumped in my car and headed to indiana

we visited my parents

and hit holiday world with our friends brian and angie

(who got married this past may)

it was SO fun

and has changed a lot!

we'll definitely be back, hopefully once a year at least :)

 

and this past weekend natasha and i went to arkansas

where she showed me all around her college town

we got hit on at sonic

had some great cookies at her favorite little shop there

and shopped a little

and then

we saw jason mraz in concert!

and then

we got soaked by sprinklers

and THEN

we met jason mraz

and on the way home, we stopped by memphis zoo

where i saw penguins

 

 

(i dubbed these two anthony and lora.  heh )

so yes.  if you've kept track that means that in fact i have not spent one friday or saturday night this month in my own bed

and i gotta say,

it's been a FUN month

but i'm so glad to be settled down for the month of october

with only one possible trip out of state

(i think the cat might stop being mad at me too ;-))