"I told John to close his eyes because I could feel this tension between him and Paul. I did them (together) afterwards; I got them looking different ways because there was such a tension.” ㅡ David…
Meredith Grey and Derek Shepherd from "Grey's Anatomy" set the bar high, as far as #RelationshipGoals are concerned. They met in a bar one night and hooked up. The following day, Meredith shows up to start her internship at Seattle Grace Hospital……
When I started my first Activity Director job, I was only a few years out of college. While I had worked with seniors in a skilled nursing community before, nothing quite prepared me for taking on an Activity Director role. Here are a few things I wish someone had told me in those first few weeks, months, and years.
A palm reader told me I had a Simian Line. A single crease across the hand. Apparently it's rare and has lots of interesting meaning. Here's what I learned.
What I've got for y'all today is an ensemble brought to you by the exquisite fabric known as pleather. Which I have decided can only be pronounced as "plehh-thahh" in a deep and gravely Barry White voice, preferably followed by a "baby". As in, "I wanna wrap you in plehh-thahh, baby, plehh-thahhhhh." And just who doesn't want be draped from head-to-toe in leather fauxness with Barry White at their beck and call, hmmm? Little known fact: pleather actually comes from the rare and annoying creature known as Twilight Sparkle. Hence the smell of plastic and rainbows shot from unicorn anus. So I got this idea to draw all over my clothing from one of my fave artist blogs Alisa Burke. Y'all. I totally hate it when chics say the have a "girl crush" so, well, lemme just put it this way: I totes have the lady hots for Alisa. She's like a Super Crafty Genius. Sometimes, I visit her site and I'm all "GAH! She's done it AGAIN!" and commence shaking my fists at the heavens wondering why some folks be all touched with the crafty-gene and I ended up with hammerhead toes. HAMMERHEAD TOES, Y'ALL (and, to that freaky-deaky person who keeps messaging me about wanting to see more pictures of my feet, STOP. It's not gonna happen, 'kay?). Life just ain't fair, y'all. As soon as I saw Alisa's jacket, the idea of doing the same with a Keith Haring theme popped into my head (along with "squirrel!" and "unicorn anus!" but that's pretty normal). I scoured the interwebs for super cheap plehh-thahhh (see, I told you, I can't say it any other way. Bet you won't be able to either after this post) and found that Forever21 had this circle skirt on the cheap. Not wanting to pay shipping costs, I decided to venture to the mall (anyone else abhor the mall? Gah, I feel like I'm stepping back into a 1990's time machine each time I enter one. Orange Julius, anyone?) and scooped one up. I gotta tell ya, the last time I wore a plehh-thahh skirt it was my 11th birthday, I was in 6th grade and we were bringin' the house down at Chuck-e-Cheese. I tried my hardest to find a photo from the occasion but, alas, I think I may have taken one look at it, thought, "OMG, why am I wearing maroon pinstripe pleather?!" and tossed it. Sorry, y'all! After my shopping fun at the mall, I popped over to the craft store and scooped up a coupla of Sharpie oil-based pens. I also picked up a couple of terrible fabric makers which sucked unicorn anus. Thusly, I don't recommend them. Once I got home, I did a quick search for Keith Haring/black and white and this is what popped up. I loved it so much (look at the scissor people, people!) I decided it would be the perfect inspiration. I began by sketching out my Haring-inspired designs in chalk but that proved to be too time-consuming and did a number on the tip of the Sharpie. Since Harings designs are pretty simple, I decided to just let it goooo and draw 'em with reckless abandon. Are y'all fans of Keith Haring? I feel like he was such a revolutionary artist not necessarily because of his style but because of the boundaries that his artwork removed. In the 1980's his graffiti artwork could be seen by anyone who happened by it, not just those "in the art world". He removed the mystic of the artist by working out in the open on grimy subway walls in his cartoonish hand. Not only that, but his artwork brought to light issues that were close to Haring's heart: AIDS awareness, sexuality, apartheid and war. Dude was Banksy before Banksy. Suddenly art became by the people and for the people, thanks to Keith Haring. Once I was finished with the plehh-thahh skirt, I decided a biker jacket was needed to top it all off. Barry White insisted. Gotta tell ya, I've been wanting a vintage biker jacket for ages. However they cost exactly One Million Dollars and, despite my ginormous art teacherin' paycheck, I just ain't got that kinda dough. So a plehh-thahh biker from Forever21 it 'twas (dude. Do you know how awkward it is to shop in a place called Forever21 when you are really Forever 39?). For this jacket, I really wanted to stress Harings more popular images like the people holding the heart, the barking dogs, the radiant baby and the cartoon face on the television. Other than that, I had seriously no plan at all, didn't draw in chalk or nuthin. I just went at it. And the result is pretty busy, I gotta say. However, I kinda dig that it doesn't match the skirt. I like that the skirt has more negative space so you can see the images better. By the way, do you even know how stinkin' hot head-to-toe plehh-thahh is?! And by "hot" I don't mean "hawt", I mean butt-sweat hot. You can thank me for the visual imagery in the comments. Once the temps dip a pinch, I think this will be so much fun to wear. I'm thinkin' I will get a lotta mileage outta that jacket. OMG, I just realized, I look like The Fonz! Who has two thumbs and loves plehh-thahh?! Eeehhhhhh. This guy. Oh, Fonz. You so cray. And with that, one more artist-inspired ensemble in the books!
Doctors told me healing my hypothyroidism couldn’t be done. Not true! Healing the thyroid naturally is totally possible. I did it and so can you!
Ten things that I wish I had known about nipple reconstruction surgery. What you should know about nipple reconstruction surgery and recovery.
When we were still in college, Eric came over one day with a brand new set of clippers and hair cutting scissors. He told me (in so many words), "My mom has always cut my hair, as well as my dad's and I've always wanted my wife to be able to do that for me, too. So, if you're going to be my wife, you need to learn how to cut my hair!" And, so, as weary as I was about doing it, I tried. He was patient with me and after a few times, I started to get the hang of it, and got fairly decent! Good enough for him to be happy, with it! (I'd say that's what matters, right?) And wouldn't you know, we ended up with four boys who would benefit from this, as well! I'm so grateful that Eric basically thrust upon me the task of learning how to cut his hair; I just can't imagine how much it would cost to keep up with the boys' haircuts!!! And with however much we save, I don't feel guilty about the times I go to the salon to get a professional to do my hair (because me cutting my own hair, or any girl's for that matter...is a completely different story). Because the boys needed their hair cut, and because I had someone ask me about if I had a blog post about cutting boys' hair, I went ahead and took pictures today while I gave Jackson a haircut to show you all how *I* cut my boys' hair! Keep in mind that I did not go to beauty school, and the way I do this is only by the way I taught myself, and learned by trial and error. I am in NO way an expert!!! I just do what works, and what ends up looking decent on my guys! I had Jackson be my model because 1. he really needed his hair cut and 2. he sits still the best, and doesn't complain throughout the whole process! (Also, ignore his bangs...I did them stupidly last time, and will never cut them like that again!) Gettin' shaggy there, bro! From the back Alright, here we go!!!! I will usually cut their hair after they get out of the shower; today I just washed their hair in the sink and then started. I start by pulling the bangs straight up, and then cutting off however much I feel needs to be taken off. He needed quite a bit taken off, so I ended up taking over 1/2 an inch off of the top. I then use that first cut as a guide to trim the rest of the top of the head. To do this, I usually start in the front on one side of the head and work my way back. Then I switch to the other side and do the same thing, basically evening up all of the cuts. If you don't do that, you will see the weird cuts once the hair is dry. I learned that by making sure you check from all angles, you will be good to go and avoid those weird dents in the hair. After making sure it's all even on top, it's time to use the clippers on the sides and back. I first start this by parting the hair however I would normally part it to style it. Figure out how short you want to go on the sides and back. People usually will go by the numbers of the guards; I don't have those memorized because my set of clippers is color coded. I usually go with the blue, or 3/8". Why? Because it's short, but not too short. If I pick a longer length, I end up having to cut their hair sooner than I wanted to!!! Have him look down, chin to chest, and then start in the back, and work your way around to the front, on both sides. How high up do you go? I go up to the external occipital protuberance...because that's what I know it as (thank you to my college anatomy classes!) But, it's that bump in the back of the head; the natural bump that the skull makes. Eric's is kind of pointy, and when I was in nursing school I remembered this protuberance because of Eric's Odd Point (Ext Occip Pro...get it...EOP....I'm weird) Anyway, that's what I use as my guide to let me know how far up to go with the clippers. When you go around the front with the clippers, you'll go a little higher. After combing it down, after using the clippers. You can see how it still needs to be blended. If you stopped right here, it would look odd; the back and sides would be super short and the top would be thick and the spot between the two would be super uneven and weird. So to blend, I do it by hand, with the scissors. I get my fingers as close to the scalp as possible, vertically, and pull the hair out. Then, instead of cutting it all the same length, I make sure that the hair closer to the bottom is super short, and the top is longer. That way it will lay nicer. And you will do this all the way around the head, along the edge that needs to be blended. Sometimes you have to go over it a couple of times to make sure you got it all looking nice. Do this by blending, then combing it all back nicely and seeing if there are any chunks that stand out to you. After blending, I get the clippers back out, take off the guard, and clean up the neck and ears. Make sure you have the little guy look down again, and to stand still. I've ended up with many uneven necklines from wiggly boys... Also, Eric told me when I was first learning, to always ask if the guy wants square or round corners at the bottom of the neck on the way up to the ear. I don't really ask him anymore, since I know what he likes. But, I tend to go with the more rounded. After the back neckline is done, I go to the sideburns and ears. Sideburns are easy, just hit them with the clippers where you want them to be. Ears can be tricky. I normally use a smaller set of clippers, but my set crapped out. So I have to use the big set. Either way, just make sure you use the very edge/corner of the clippers, since you are cutting a very small portion/area of the hair. Use that edge, and follow around the ear, getting the straggly hairs that need to go. Do the same thing for the back of the ear. Fold the ear down so you don't accidentally nick it (I've done that a few times...) And that's it!!! What a handsome fella! I do basically the same thing for all of the boys, including Eric. Eric and Jackson have the most similar hair, as far as thickness and feel go. They have a lot of thick hair! Logan and Cohen both have pretty fine hair, so I sometimes have to pay a little closer attention to detail, because of how fine it is; but they are also my most wiggly boys, so most of the time, I just do the best I can!!!! Wyatt has the most different hair of them all; it's thick and coarse, and has a little bit of a curl to it. A lot of the time I will use the clippers on the top part of his head, rather than using the scissors and doing it by hand. To do this, I will choose a guard that is longer than what I will use on the back and sides, and then blend it by hand, like I do with the other boys. In the summers, I will go shorter in every way for them all; occasionally I'll just pick a guard and shave their entire head to be the same length (but I'm not fond of how they look with that kind of cut). I have a Wahl set of clippers and guards. I believe it came with a pair of scissors and some combs, as well. You can get these sets at Target or Wal-Mart for $20-$30. But, this is what I do to cut my boys' hair! It's pretty basic and classic, if you ask me, but I think they all look good with the cut that I can do! And just for fun, HERE is Wyatt's first haircut, HERE is Logan's, and HERE is Cohen's! I can't believe I've been blogging for so long!!!
Ten things that I wish I had known about nipple reconstruction surgery. What you should know about nipple reconstruction surgery and recovery.
Boiled potato juice, butt chaffing, irrational tears, hallucinations, and more. 17 things no one told me about ultramarathons.
"I told John to close his eyes because I could feel this tension between him and Paul. I did them (together) afterwards; I got them looking different ways because there was such a tension.” ㅡ David…
Thursday night was a big night for the Chicago Bulls. They won their game and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with the Miami Heat. Well, we used that as an opportunity to celebrate in our classroom! We told our students that if the Bulls won, they were to come to school dressed up in […]
Learn about 6 nutritarian superfoods that will help you lose weight and super-charge your body, while creating the foundation for an Eat to Live lifestyle.
For me it was never about weight. My food journey has been focused on feeling better. After Whole 30, Paleo, AIP, and Keto I found myself a carnivore. #carnivore #carnivorediet #jensprimalhealth
Have I Told You Lately by Van Morisson piano tutorial
Free parent-teacher conference forms to help guide your conversation and make sure you share everything you want and need to with parents.
so it's done. i woke up to a voicemail from my head huntress letting me know. she was shocked how good i sounded. i felt relieved after i told her why.
Queenstown
Have you fallen in love with a pattern, only to find that it doesn’t come in your size? A few ladies told me that Itch to Stitch’s patterns don’t come in their sizes – some are smaller and some are larger than the measurements. Perhaps you have a tween who is not quite big enough to […]
This particular kid (and many others) liked to be in control of EVERYTHING! And he did it by refusing the teacher’s directions. Find out how choices can help and what the research says.
The #MTBoS is a wonderful place. Sometimes the only problem is deciding which awesome activity I will do, since I don’t have time to do them all! Luckily, I had a block day, so I was able t…
Here's a comprehensive list of what not to do in Australia. Don't litter, don't feed the wildlife and respect the land, and you'll be fine.
{My First School Project} A few weeks back the twins’s teacher sent me home with two blank white pieces of cardboard. I was told to have the girls help me put together a board that told ALL about them. Well… the girls helped for about 3 minutes, lost interest, and I was left to finish…
Why is a scroll important? This one is important because of the words it contains! This color by number Bible activity doesn’t show any written words on the scroll, but even preschoolers and children can understand the scroll represents God’s promises in the Old Testament to send the Messiah, Jesus, to earth. Your children will love this color by number activity!
Have you ever had a class with so many difficult, disruptive students that you felt that you could barely even teach? What can you do to get past it? In this post, I am going to address this problem with my best advice, and some advice from others as well.
One of the most exciting things about being pregnant is sharing the news with your parents and family besides telling your husband. Creative announcement ideas>
I attended a Bible teacher's workshop and wanted to share some of the photos. The photos are mine, please excuse the roughness, I miss my good camera, but you can get the general idea. And, that is what I want to do, is share ideas for teaching Jesus! I do have permission from the women that held the workshop to share the photos. Some of the ideas you see are found in old Ideashop magazines, if you still have them! If you have specific questions on how to do something, the questions for the chart, etc, let me know and I will find out. Please allow a short time for me to return the answer. Please, keep in mind, that examples for the ideas were put all over the walls, so you will not see finished bulletin boards, etc. It is ideas for you to make! And, I did not crop the photos. Here they are, in random order: Some of the walls first Jonah & the Great Fish wall visual These creation background boards are felt and/or fabric attached to a board, and then you add pictures, etc for each day of creation. I forgot about these, until I looked at the photos... and I REALLY need to make them! The base (center) of the flower has "blessed are the..." , then students add the center over that with the answer. This is the finished flower pot. Balaam The 3 kings: Saul, David, and Solomon. You can see what I did with the 3 kings here. Solomon's Temple Info Wall Jonah tossed from the boat into the water, then... Jonah in the Great Fish (I think that might be attached with Velcro and added after Jonah is swallowed), then, next is a couple of Jonah table visuals. Joseph (above) next is Prophets. Prophets Love is the Key Number 1 Judges Facts from Acts The Cross
This simple three-step method will give you a perfectly cooked stovetop steak — cooked just the way you like it, every time.
One year ago I finished breast cancer treatment. Here is what no one told me about my first year as a breast cancer survivor!
When I picked up my son after work about a week ago, my mother in law showed me what they had done that day: collected and waxed leaves! They were preserved and…
