Happy Halloween! (HNT!)

Whilst trick-or-treating you can really see the personality differences in my children. My son, less greedy than last year, but still out for the kill got WAY more candy, and huge candy bars. My daughter, picked one thing- and only one thing- out of each bucket she was offered, and ended up with an apple (her choice) and no huge candy bars like her partners in crime.

This year I didn't go around with them, choosing instead to pass the candy out. So, I only got to hear the reports of how she really wanted the apple and Mr.T is still confused about how no one else got fruit. This would have been more of a concern had she dressed as Snow White, but I'm still weirded out/proud that she chooses apples, and even when it's okay to be greedy, she never is. Don't get me wrong, she got a good share of candy, it just wasn't the same as what her brother ended up with - and they both went to exactly the same houses.

"Blue hair, that's scary, right Mom?"

This year my son decided to 'create' his own costume, here we have the 'barbarian punk' wielding his club, grrr, blue hair makes it scary, yes, sure.



Here he showed me that he could pull a mean face, and you can see, he used staples. I thought that was genius and his dad thought that was dangerous.







Over to the right we have the Little Mermaid Ariel with the glowing red eyes - What you didn't know Ariel could be evil? Yes, I'm the one who made her wear the undershirt.

Before the trick-or-treating, she did a self-portrait.

Music lately

I've been listening to a LOT of Tegan and Sara, for a while now actually, but more recently a lot more. The album 'So Jealous', is very worthwhile. I don't have their new album yet, 'The Con', but I plan on getting it soon. My cousin is coming down for Turkey Day and bought us concert tickets, and I'm very very excited about it!

Also, I've been rather passionate about Finger Eleven's song Paralyzer, I just love it.

Then we finally make it to 'Shiny Toy Guns' - very odd name for a band, but I really enjoy their music!

Here are some lyrics from Tegan and Sara, for the song stuck in my head right now..

"I Know I Know I Know"

From hundreds of miles you cry like a baby
You plead with me, shout, scream, tell me I'm staying
I know I know I know, I'm still your love
Back from the last place that I wanted to fake you
Laugh with me, shout, scream now tell me you're staying
I know I know I know, you're still my love
The same as I love you, you'll always love me too
This love isn't good unless it's me and you
Box after box and you're still by my side
The weather is changing and breaking my stride
I know I know I know, it's just this day
House after house, just like car after car
You see club after club and it all seems so far
I know I know I know what else are we here for
The same as I love you, you'll always love me too
This love isn't good unless it's me and you
Stick your hands inside of my pockets
Keep them warm while I'm still here
Tell them this love hasn't changed me, hasn't changed me at all
Last night I was writing about you
I know my screaming and shouting won't keep you
I know I know I know, you're still my love
I wake up to the sound of you working
You're one room right over, stressing and loving me
I know I know I know, be still my love
The same as I love you, you'll always love me too
This love isn't good unless it's me and you
Stick your hands inside of my pockets
Keep them warm while I'm still here
Tell them this love hasn't changed me, hasn't changed me at all
Stick your heart inside of my chest
Keep it warm here while we rest
Tell them this love hasn't changed me, hasn't changed me at all
The same as I love you, you'll always love me too
This love isn't good unless it's me and you

Pumpkin traditions

What does your family do?

Do you celebrate Halloween?

We've started something new this year with the pumpkins. Instead of carving them, we've used Mr.Potato Head pieces on the pumpkin, and it's SUPER cute! The kids thought it was a riot, but I think other people were not so impressed.

I got the vote that counted in that instance ;)

I'll post pictures soon!

So... what do you think?

For those of you who have been in my home, you know it's mostly all white on white on white walls.

Well, NO MORE! I say! - Yeah, I got the lecture already, 'You want to move? Didn't you just paint?' Here is the dining area, redone:


Here we see the 'Taupe and Briquette' look. We added the chair railing (or rather Mr.T did) and this is still incomplete, because touch up painting had to be done, and the railing needed work too, but you get the idea.

Does anyone out there know how to repair a knit shirt? I patched it together, but really it's not very good... I know NOTHING about knit. - For anyone who can help, I have pictures, because I'm weird like that.

Well... what do you think?

Post number 101

Throughout my life the alluring (read black hole sucking) majesty of the DFW area has been pulling on me. At one point, I had given in and was living in the outskirts of Dallas. I got out though! I accomplished the great escape.

Little did I know, that I would miss the desolate landscape and bird sized mosquitoes that tear into my flesh. Here I enjoy the beautiful trees and their gorgeous changing of color (also an alarming lack of bugs willing to suck my blood). There, I get two seasons, winter and summer. It's like Icy-Hot, except for weather and terrain!

There are huge reasons to move back to Dallas, and the pro's and con's lists have been tabulated.

Dallas is cheaper, the family is there, and oh yeah, its cheaper to live there.

If it were at all possible to stay among the beauty, I would much rather do that.

Something Wicked This Way Comes

I am so impressed by this book!

I bought it for the plane ride to Dallas and the time FLEW.

Excellent story telling, I highly recommend it!

Old Photos..

I'm feeling a little nostalgic..

Great Grandma - this picture sort of disturbs me now after seeing Carnivale


My Grandparents on their wedding day.
The last one here is the beehive my Grandmother sported... thought it was fun.

Traveling

This past week I went to Dallas to do some visiting and some 'clapping and congratulating'. My maid of honor got married on Sunday and I flew in for that. - Little did I know that my brother in law was celebrating his recent marriage to his girlfriend.

Here are some pictures, and I'm too exhausted to do much else.

CARNIVALE - My two cents

"The final battle between Good and Evil is looming, and Ben Hawkins and Brother Justin are on a collision course that could determine the fate of the world.

CARNIVALE follows a traveling carnival as it wends its way across the Dust Bowl, focusing on Ben Hawkins, a mysterious 18-year-old fugitive with hidden talents who is taken in by the carnival, and Brother Justin, the charismatic, shadowy evangelist who will ultimately cross his path. The series takes place at a time of worldwide unrest, with evil on the rise around the globe and the Great Depression wreaking economic and social havoc here at home." - HBO

So far, I'm still in the middle of season one, but this is an excellent show and makes me want to consider getting HBO. - Edit - Too bad they cancel anything that is ever any good...

Seven Things - Been Tagged..

...by KittieKate!

1. I follow other people's lists more readily than I can follow my own.

2. People who bite their nails or nervously twitch and move all the time frustrate me when I have to sit on the same couch with them.

3. I really do prefer my cotton panties.

4. My elbows need a LOT of lotion because my skin is not naturally smooth and wonderful; though the men I know have perfect soft wonderful skin and I'm SOOOOO jealous.

5. When the mood comes upon me I stitch, needlepoint and quilt. Lately though I've been a little strung out on black and white photography.

6. I'm going back to school!

7. I wish I was more consistent when it comes to keeping up with friends.

With this I'm tagging the following:

~Reagan
~Parabolist
~ListeningTree
~TheMomBomb
~Jen.M
~TrezBizzare

Water Conservation, HNT, and Comment Whoring

That's quite a load!

Lately around our neighborhood there are signs posted saying "Mandatory Water Conservation". Big bold letters on this small sign. Mostly this is supposed to mean, 'Hey you, stop watering your lawn during the day asshat!' I take this to mean, 'Hey woman, stop taking a bath AND a shower every day.'

So what I'm doing is turning the water off in between washing and rinsing my hair and I'm going to cut down on my evening bath's and not fill up the tub all the way when I do. There is no way I'd let anyone in this house not flush the toilet so don't even suggest it!

Moving on, the camera doesn't work right now for some reason, so maybe there will be HNT later and maybe there won't.

~*~*~*

On to comment whoring!

In THIS post you will find a contest. If you would be so kind as to traipse over there and leave a comment and let Sunshine know I sent you, I'd appreciate it! In an effort to compete in the contest here are my links!

Mr.T is my husband. He talks about man-stuff mostly, but has a secret political agenda...can you guess what it is?

CosmoGirl is the most loyal, loving and well-traveled person I know. She's got a heart of gold, a sense of style and fun travel stories, who could ask for more?

The Parabolist is something of an enigma still. Will he actually start to blog more than once a month?- time will tell.

The Listening Tree is one of my oldest friends, and a very talented singer, musician and artist. She knows entirely too much about me and has known me for years.

Pole Hill Sanitarium is the home of my dear Dr. S! An intelligent read and all around good person, I even enjoy reading his blog even if its about sports.

Moving on, we're at the motivating blog here Sunshine! Here at the Pursuit of Happiness, you can find interesting photoshop skillz, fun contests and a sense of humor!

If you're looking for something a bit different and fun stop by Trez Bizarre! There you will find a fun English teacher who likes her art raw and has a love for Jesus too!

My new favorite is the MomBomb. She gets real and doesn't need her hair done to drop her kids off in the morning.

She who doesn't write in her blog anymore but should is here. However, she DID comment for me in Sunshine's blog because she's just that prompt and nice, and picking me up from the airport next week so I can't leave her out.

Looking for something a little deviant? Not Safe for Work folks, but most of the time a steamy read AAG's blog is where to go.

Rhea found me, I think. The BabyBoomerBlog is just fun! Who says Boomers are a drag? Not me! She likes aliens and chocolate, thats just fun.

Men aren't the only people who game. Here you will find Sandie. She is awesome and a lot of fun, gives great reviews on movies and books and is health conscious too!

Again, proving the stereotype wrong, my girl Liz is the D20Blonde! She hasn't blogged much yet, but give her time.

Post Secret is self explanatory, and a guilty pleasure of mine.

Half-Nekkid-Thursday is Osbasso. He's a fun guy who runs HNT and with people who participate who are far more bold than I ever could be.

The Nanny Diaries are about my friend Jan and her life as a nanny on a ranch in Texas.

Dooce is as Dooce does. A fun read and very popular on this thing called the internet.

Okay - there are my links, this is my post about the contest :)