Two Thumbs Up Weekend!

On Saturday I took my mom out for her belated birthday. We opted for a popcorn bucket and the movie Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. We gave it two thumbs up! Did you read the book? I tried....twice.... but I couldn't get into it. I should have stuck with it. I loved the movie! A lot of her thoughts and feelings I could 100% relate too! I also thought Julia Roberts did an awesome job! There were a million good, deep, thinking kind of quotes but here are 2 short ones for you to ponder:

"You are, after all, what you think. Your emotions are the slave to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions." "There's a crack (or cracks) in everyone...that's how the light of God gets in"

Saturday night I headed out to meet my girlies for dinner. Sadly, no pictures because my camera was dead. I'm sure LOMA will share later!

On Sunday I hit up the Nashville Flea Market. You know I've got a deep love for that place. I feel completely myself there and get lost in all the antiques. People think I'm crazy, but they have a lot of great items.

I know you read Pottery Barn and oooooooo and ahhhhhh over the perfectly designed rooms. Well, the Flea Market is a great place to get these items too. Like these popular industrial loft coffee tables! Beautiful stain glass

Sugar cube molds, as seen in Pottery Barn too they are just used as candle holders.

Antique jars...in Pottery Barn the green ones start at $99 and I got mine (exact replicas...just needed to be washed) for $2 bucks. I can't find the picture, sorry!

Picked up Sarah's birthday gift. She just blogged about these jars so I got her some. Sorry sister, but the large group picture of mason jars were all lucky 13's! ( For those of you who don't know your glass history, any with the number 13 on the bottom are rare.) They used to break them during war times because they were thought to be bad luck. Now, they are few and far between and range from $25.00 and up for one jar.

A few close ups. I hope you like these, sister!

Last, but not least, I love to see children on animal backpack harnesses to keep them in line. This particular family let the daughter hold the leash of the little brother!

And because I am a crafty mom....when the peanut butter runs out I give it to Zane. Don't adjust your eyes, he IS playing with an empty JIF jar. There is MAYBE a tablespoon left in the jar but he will play with it for 30 mindless minutes. We also like to play chase upstairs on the carpet and he will hide the jar. I heart him on this rainy day!

Another perk? The hubby is downstairs making dinner...steak, baked potato and salad. Yum!

Hats off, it's the weekend!

Memphis weekend with the girls, Fall 2008. We stopped by Coyote Ugly ....nothing happening there! Then we walked Beale Street and tried on some hats in a gift store.

Enjoy the weekend!

Almost Famous

So, it's no secret that we do lots of movie/dinner dates. I love the movies and we haven't gotten to spend too much time together lately. So, Sunday we went to see THE OTHER GUYS with Mark oh so yummy Wahlberg, Will Ferrell, The Rock, Michael Keaton, Damon Wayans, Samuel L. Jackson and Eva Mendez. It was a great, funny movie. (ya didn't know all those celebs were in the movie, huh?)

hello lover!

Well, backtracking a little remember when we went to Las Vegas in November? They were filming a movie. The Vegas strip was closed off for 1/4 of a mile on both sides and you couldn't cross the street. Word on the street, it was Will Ferrell. So, after lots of waiting around and talking to fellow tourists, we snapped some pictures and were on our way. These are my pictures below. You can't see the green screen but you can see the producer, camera, staff, etc.

Um hello!!! Turns out this is the main car in the movie....driven by Will Ferrell. GASP! You know I used my best whisper voice to announce to my husband "that's the movie they were filming!" I was so excited. Now, if only I had heard Marky Mark was in Vegas too. Then I would have stood in the hot sun a lot longer hoping to catch a glimpse.

No spoiler here, but the car is supposed to be towed. Go see the movie! It's funny, has a lot of one liners and lots of celeb cameos.

China

My Dad is loving China! He is there for only 2 more weeks. He said it's unbelievably clean and the people are so nice. He LOVES the food. This is a picture he sent us of a restaurant inside a cave. There are no menus. You walk up to a million fresh fish tanks loaded with everything from eel to shrimp. Then, below the glass tank, there are pictures of the dish choices. So, if you go to a shrimp tank below there might be an image of a plate with shrimp, rice and all the sides. You point to what you want and it is made fresh! This cave was an expensive restaurant so they're not all like that. The girl in the green is Lydia! She is with my dad 24/7 as his personal assistant and translator. She is 28 like me and lives away from her husband. Her job is extremely important and an honor to her family. It's funny because we all want to know what China is like and then everyone in China wants to hear about me and my brother.

Quirks

I've got quirks, we all do, but sometimes our quirks are embarrassing....to us or others. So, here are mine.

I embarrass my friends (Loma and Mary mostly) all the time because I know someone everywhere we go. But, it's not like I just know them, I remember what they wore in 1996 and where they sat in class. I can't forget. I don't know how I remember, but I visually can flash back to any date and time. I've always been able to do this. My mom is amazed at my childhood memories. I typically remember what you wore when we first met too.

I try to leave the house organized. This consists of NOTHING on the counter top in the kitchen except a tiny corner for mail. UGH, I hate when people have a million appliances on the counters. It stresses me. I also fluff all pillows, straighten the remote and make sure there is tons of light. It makes me feel better.

I go places solo. Often. I love to be with just myself, inside my own head, doing my own thing. It's very therapeutic. I realize this hurts peoples feelings but it is not personal. So, when I go to the mall, shop, run places, try new things, or go to the flea market don't be offended. I'm 100% content with being with myself.

I never make lists or write things down on paper or stick notes. In fact, I don't even have a planner. GASP! It's in my head and it works because like i said, I can see it when I need to.

I say words weird. Anything with short "a" sound HONEST TO GOODNESS I have to focus on it to say it correctly. My mouth does not work that way. Only my co-workers bring this to my attention. For example: bag=bage, dragon- dreygon, price tag- price tage. I turn it into a long vowel. As far as I know, it's only with short a sounds.

There is a weird place in my heart and you may hear me say that hurt my heart or it made my left eye cry. If I get emotional, my left eye will feel it first and it tears up easily.

I love quotes. I am a horrible writer. When I read a quote and it touches me I get invigorated.

I fight myself. My thoughts are always in turmoil between responsibility/normal and being a free spontaneous person. For example: the American dream, beautiful house, 2.5 kids, fence and a dog I think I want all those things because you're supposed to want want those things. But, I also love living on the edge and feel that I could settle in Africa, the Caribbean, or Europe, wear organic t-shirts and experience culture first hand while making a difference. I guess I want both and I'm not sure how to make that work.

Wow, my list goes on... maybe later!

I'm riding spinners...hahahahaha

Before the big storm last night I took Zane to the dog park. Usually, it's quite uneventful. NOPE, not last night. There was a big game going on at the park. It was such a big event the dog park was overflowing with cars. The parking lot was freakin' hilarious. I felt like I was in a rap video, big hair, short shorts, babies on hips, banging base music and every car had special rims. I wish Loma was with me. I kinda wanted to watch the game....lots of entertaining hoopla was going on! Luckily, I had my camera. I'm not sure why, but this car caught my attention. I have never seen something so MASSIVE, the picture doesn't do it justice. I wish I could have posed Zane next to it so I could say not actual size.

Loma and Grayson

Saturday we celebrated baby Grayson! Neither Ben or Loma have family here so the grandmas-to-be co-hosted a local shower. (okay, a lot of people came, but these ladies are my favorite) You may recognize bloggers The Eddy Family, me, Moments with the Mays and Cleared for Takeoff. The moms did an awesome job with the food table. The shrimp dip, not picture, was super!

petite fours from Ben's hometown

Grayson is set for life...or at least the first year! He got so many gifts!

cute party favor cookies (same Alabama bakery)

super cute lime and navy monogrammed diaper bag

watching Loma open presents can be exhausting...

We loved watching Jack prance around a baby....he wanted to play with her! Guess it's a good sign for baby Grayson!

Lately

....I've been super busy. I changed my classroom theme (again). I've had safari/jungle, Hollywood, camping, and now Monsters! Not scary monsters, but the cute, furry friends from the Parent/Teacher store. This is my helper board.

I got a whole set of Monster Manners and they came with pictures

The front class door

My behavior plan and monster manners around it

big red monster for my word wall

Monster borders

monster birthdays

curtain fabric

Avonlea turned one and had a ladybug theme birthday!

I think Ellie is saying "go girl, it's your birthday"

walking in her ladybug gear

some crafty cupcakes in the shape of a ladybug and the birthday table

big sister and me...for some reason we said cheese and she covered her ears

having a ball

ladybug cupcakes close up. Look at the cute plates we found at the flea market in the background.

Farm table came!!!!!! (ignore the mess)

Love the color!
It was SUPER heavy