What I've been up too

I have been keeping myself busy... and it's not with paper. And if I ever think about it, at the right time, I may actually take a picture of it.

Let's just say, I feel extremely satisfied.

To Banana on her 9th Birthday

Hello Sweetheart.

I find the older that you get, the harder it is to write you these letters. Not for any other reason than, I am running out of words to describe the awesomeness that is you. You laugh when you should cry, you jump when you're nervous, you like being the center of attention (like is an understatement), and you have your father's wit and your great grandmother's ability to tell people to go to hell, and they thank you when you're done.

You have this uncanny knack of being able to tell if something isn't quite right, and you do everything in your power to try and make it right, even if it borders on being annoying. You care for things, and when you grieve, it's deeply with your whole heart. You have amazing superpowers, and don't even know it.

You have decided to let your hair grow, and that is in part to your dad whispering into your ear at night. Although he understands that if it's short it's easier to take care of... even though I have to remind you daily to brush it. When I apply dye to my hair, you beg to let me dye yours. (NO) Your nails are always done, and you beg me to let you use my nail polish (Yes), and you love skirts, and lace, and being frilly... but you also love mud, and throwing down with your brothers.

When you want to do something, you give with all your heart... and I know what kind of problems that can bring years down the road, I can't stop you from that either.

You are destined for amazing things... just keep being you.

30 Day Music Challenge: Day One: Your Favorite Song

Lately I've been feeling low
A remedy is what I'm seeking
I take a taste of what's below
Come away to something better
What I want is what I've not got
And what I need
Is all around me
Reaching searching never stop
And I'll say...

If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Till I get to the end of this tunnel... mummy
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
I'll get back to you

Sometimes a Jimi Thing slides my way and keeps me swingin'
I'd like to show you what's inside
And I still don't care
If you do or don't like it
Brother chaos rule all about
Sometimes I walk there
Well yes God knows sometimes I take a bus there
Shouldn't care 
Bereaved as I'm feeling

The day is gone
I'm on my back
Staring up at the ceiling
You take a drink sit back relax
Smoke my mind make me feel
Better for a small time
What I want is what I've not got
And what I need Is all around me
Reaching searching never stop
And I'll say...

If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
Till I get to the end of this tunnel... mummy
If you could keep me floating
Just for a while
I'll get back to you


Sometimes a Jimi Thing slides my way and keeps me swingin'
I'd like to show you what's inside
And I still don't care
If you do or don't like it
Brother chaos rule all about
Sometimes I walk there
Well yes God knows sometimes I take a bus there
Shouldn't care 
Bereaved as I'm feeling

There is something about nail polish

Say it with me: "Ooooo Maaaaaanicuuuuuressss" (a la Homer Simpson).

I love nail polish. I always just feel better when my nails are done. It's my Sunday night ritual... after the babes are in their beds, while I am watching TV, I'll remove, buff, shape and polish. It's my pamper me time, nothing more and nothing less. 

And it's not like I have great nails. They are brittle, and they split and peel, and I can never seem to get them longer than the tip of my finger, but having color on them just makes them... better. (And of course the polish strengthens them. I'm no fool.) 

And the colors... Any color you can imagine and any color you can create... The Chef has finally given up and realized that if I want to paint my nails hot pink and put teal polka dots on them, that is exactly what I'm gonna do. Bless him though, he keeps trying to keep me in a supply of beiges and light pinks.

So imagine the great dance of joy when I found this blog: The Daily Manicure The woman who writes this blog is wonderful. She tests and cirques all sorts of nail polish goodness... Like the Sally Hansen nail stickers which I have been on the fence post about trying and how to do some really fun and funky manicures (Some of them are way to out of the box for me... but damn, they still look like fun to do.)

So go and take a gander, get inspired and rock those wonderful nails of yours!

Another of My Affairs

I am an only child. 

That means there was more than one time in my childhood that I had to find something to occupy myself. This of course included finding something to do when my parents and I were waiting for food when we went out to eat. 

But being an only child, it didn't take much. All I needed was a pen or a pencil and a plain paper placemat. 

I didn't doodle exactly, oh no, it was certainly more personal than that... 

I wrote my name.  

Sometimes it was my full name, but more often than not, it was only the six letters that make up my first name. I would manipulate those letters, and turn them into something beautiful, something hard, something ugly, something soft. I would just write those six letters over and over again, and the only time that the style repeated itself was when I happened upon something that I liked. There were loops and curls, there were straight edges and corners...

... you get the idea.

I honestly believe all the time perfecting the one thing that was mine, it has now manifested into this affair.

Out of this short list, there is only one that I don't have installed... yet

I try to stay away from here and here and here. I could spend hours looking at all the pretties that others have made, wanting nothing in return. I have spent hours playing with... well... these little pieces of art. 

A well used font is the cherry on the top of a word sundae; the mundane becomes a little more tolerable, the special becomes just that much more. They can reinforce the declaration of love, or they can strengthen your message. 

Fonts are just awesome.