Getting To Know Me: Week Six

Okay, so I'm about four weeks late on this.   But... here goes:

A photo of my family and me:

Left to right:  Zack (younger brother), me, Mom, Dad, Bill (youngest brother) and Justin (older brother)

My two nephews.  I love love LOVE these boys.  Gavin on the left, Austin on the right. 

My sweet niece.  I haven't met her yet... I will this summer though!  She's such a cutie!

Before Hubs & I moved to Arizona, we got family photos taken with my entire family.  So, these are two - almost 3 years old, but it's one of the few times we've all been able to be together and have our photo taken.   So, that's my family.  They're pretty awesome.  We have our differences at times, just like any other family.  But I know without a doubt they'd do anything for me.  I am blessed. 

Next week:

Songs I listen to when I'm happy, sad, bored, mad...

March Birchbox

I got my favorite monthly delivery in the mail this past week.  Yup, my March Birchbox.  It's always so nice to open the mailbox, and see the box of fun waiting amongst the bills and junk mail!  So here's what I got, as well as the descriptions that came on the enclosed card.

• Traditions by Nick Chavez Yucca Root Shampooing Cream
• Grandma Stelle's Refreshing Hand Soap
• Color Club Nail Lacquer in Lava Lamp
• Boscia Green Tea Blotting Linens
• stila Smoky Eye Card

Traditions by Nick Chavez | Yucca Root Shampooing Cream

Hollywood stylists rave about the restorative abilities of this silky cleanser, which is made with fortifying wild yam and yucca roots

Grandma Stelle's | Refreshing Hand Soap

Dress up your bathroom sink: this moisturizing hand wash has a winning citrus scent and leaves skin super soft

Color Club | Nail Lacquer in Lava Lamp

Brighten blah nails with this on-trend neon orange polish

Boscia | Green Tea Blotting Linens

These shine-busting sheets absorb oil with all-natural green tea extracts.

stila | Smoky Eye Card

Take the guesswork out of matching eye makeup with this mini-palette

I'm looking forward to trying out all my new samples.  :) Well... maybe not the nail polish - it's a little bright for my tastes.  Maybe I'll use it on my toes.  We'll see...

Have you tried Birchbox?  What do you think? 

Hello there...

Wow.  It's been quite awhile since I've posted anything.  I've been dealt some challenging things in my world over the last month or so.  I tend to retreat from everything and everyone until I'm ready to take things on.  I'm still not ready, and if I'm totally honest, I probably won't be for awhile.  But... I'm going to attempt to re-start blogging. Through all this, I am so very thankful for my absolutely amazing friends.  I really don't know where I'd be without them.  I am truly blessed. 

In other news, I am currently reading (and totally addicted to) the Hunger Games series.  Why did I wait so long to read these?  I've just finished the first one last night.  And I started the 2nd one immediately.  And now I can't wait to see the movie.  Not sure Hubs will go with me to see it, so I may have to make it a girls day thing.  :)

So, I'm sorry for being MIA.  I'm hoping to resume normal blogging.  Well, as "normal" as I can.  We all know I tend to slack in that department! :)

Getting to Know Me: Week Five

I'm a day late for this, but I suppose better late than never. Which... given my tendency to slack in posting (that I'm trying to break!) really isn't too terrible, right?

The end of the month is the craziest, most stress full time for me at my job. And since the promotion, it's gotten a little more stressful. But... I do love it, so I can't complain. Too much. :)

Anywho... back to the getting to know me portion of the evening. This weeks topic is celebrity crushes.

Let me introduce you to my top three celebrity crushes:

First and foremost - He is most definitely at the top of my list. 

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Ahhh... Jason Segel oh how I love you.  He seems like the nicest, most laid back guy ever.  And of course, I think he's quite adorable.  Yup.  If Jason came knocking... I may just leave Hubs for him. 

The next one, I feel I need to preface it with I saw a recent photo of him, and he's uh... well... lets just say I don't really find him quite so attractive.  However, if he were to cut his hair, and shave the ZZ Top long beard he may start to rival my man Jason. 

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Rocco Deluca.  And can I just say watching him play his Dobro only adds to his hot factor?  Talented musician and good looking?  Yes please!

And finally

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LL Cool J.  Yeah.  There's really not much to say here.  I have had a crush on him since... well, at least high school.  Probably longer.  He's quite good looking. Yeah.  Uh.  Yeah.  Excuse me while I go clean the drool off my laptop.  :)

So, that's it... my top three celebrity crushes.

Who are you crushing on?

Next week?  A photo of me & my family

5 Question Friday

Last week my friend Mama V at Adventures of a Mom took part in the 5 Question Fridays with My Little Life. I thought it might be kind of fun, so I'm joining in today!  The rules are pretty easy... Answer the 5 questions below, and then link up with My Little Life

1. Do you swim in the winter?
If it were an indoor, heated pool, or a Caribbean island, then yes, I would swim in the winter.  But on a typical winter day (yes, even Arizona winter) nope, I won't be swimming. 

2. Do you love or hate winter?
I live in Arizona.   I love love LOVE our winter.  It's a gorgeous 70-ish degrees - what's not to love?  My last winter in Seattle was horrible.  Snowed in for a week.  The week before Christmas, mind you.  When this procrastinator hadn't even begun Christmas shopping.  Yeah.  That?  Not so fun.  I don't love chilled to the bone cold weather.  I much prefer the Arizona version of winter!

3. Do you put makeup/actual clothes on when you know you're going to be home all day with just family?
No. It's actually something that I'm trying to be better at.  I know, sounds kind of ridiculous.  But in all seriousness... I kind of feel bad for my husband.  The minute I get home from work, I put on pajama pants.  It's a bonus if they happen to be a solid color, and not some ridiculous random pattern.  I'm sure he thinks he's hit the jackpot if they actually coordinate with whatever top I'm wearing.  So, on the weekends, when we're just staying home all day, I wear mismatched pajamas.  Which means that my poor husband sees me dressed normal, wearing makeup, and heels, and cute (matching) clothes for maybe 5 hours in a week.  Pretty pitiful.  Thus my goal to try to actually get dressed on the weekends.  Even if we're not going anywhere.  And, considering I've yet to do it... I apparently need to work harder at it! :)

4. How old were you when you had your first alcoholic beverage?
I remember before one of my junior high dances, my best friend & I decided to try vodka in our soda.  I was so afraid of my parents finding out that we drank their vodka that I think I maybe mixed in 1/2 a shot.  Needless to say, it was pretty much pointless.  I don't think I had any alcoholic beverages again until the summer going into senior year.  That was a much larger quantity.  That had me sneaking back home, after curfew.  Trying to walk past my dad, who fell asleep on the couch. 

5. How many ill calls in a 12 month period do you think are acceptable?
I think for the average full time employee, 5 is acceptable.  Of course, I say this, as a woman without kids.  Kids who tend to use up all the sick time that you may have.

That's it... easy peasy & fun!

Getting to Know Me: Week Four

This weeks getting to know me topic is my nicknames...  I know, not very exciting.  :)

Antchie NaNa
My sweet sweet nephews used to call me this.  When they were first learning to talk, I was always Na Na.   The youngest nephew, G-Man always made Auntie sound more like Ant-chie.  It was really quite cute.  I reminded him of this when I was visiting last summer, and he thought it was hilarious, and continued to call me that a good portion of the trip.  Oh how I love my nephews! 

Shawna-na and Shawna Bawna
Both of these come from my Mama.  She uses them interchangeably.  I don't even notice it most of the time.  At least not until someone points it out.  :)

So, other than the usual "babe" or "honey" from Hubs, those are really the only nicknames I have.

Next week:
Three celebrities I find attractive

The Things We Do For Love

I posted a recent photo of me here, with a dark, mahogany (aka red) hair color.  I've kept my hair that color for about a year now.  I loved it.  I liked that it felt healthier, I felt as though coloring my hair was a lot less damaging than getting it highlighted.  Unfortunately, Hubs didn't feel the same.  He was a good sport about it for awhile, but apparently he reached his limit, and more or less begged me to start lightening my hair.  So, a couple weeks ago, I started the process.  It's still growing on me... I definitely prefer the darker color, but Hubs loves it.  I figure he's gotta look at it more often than I do.  :)

In other "things we do for love" news...

Hubs is a huge history freak.  And pretty much all things that goes along with history.  Dinosaurs? Check.  Fossils?  Double Check.  Rocks?  You guessed it... check again!  He's been asking (okay, borderline begging) to go to the Arizona Museum of Natural History basically since we moved here. I have been dragging my feet because he likes to read every.  Single.  Placard.  In the museum.  So, what a normal person can wander through, and enjoy in a couple hours, he's been known to take 4 hours to do.  We finally took the plunge and went this weekend.  And you know what?  It was a lot of fun!  But shhhh!  Don't tell Hubs I said that!  :)  I entertained myself by taking a ton of photos with my phone.  Here are some of them:



Just a few of the dinosaurs at the museum




Fossil




Another fossil - this one's a prehistoric fish




Triceratops



Petrified wood




My foot in a dinosaur print.



My handsome Hubs



I liked this guy...  The museum was closing, so I didn't have a chance to read the story.  But I bet Hubs did! :)





The building the museum is in used to be the old jail.  This is one of the first jail cells in Mesa

  I have a ton more, but I'll spare ya! :) I would definitely recommend a trip to the museum.  It's a good time for all!