Final week of SPC Introduce yourself

After a warm spell over the weekend I chose the coldest day of last week to go hiking just to get a shot of my most favorite trail close to my house. It was extremely cold and I took my coat off to get a better pose and well, it was really cold. I was a little hesitant to post my picture after seeing this shot by Kiera Eve which is absolutely gorgeous.

My first thought was "dang it she stole my idea" but I decided to post it anyway because 1) I already took the shot 2) I don't have time this week to come up with a new one 3) it 's not her fault she posted before me, who knew we would have similar ideas? and 4) even though they are slightly similar in feel, they are totally, totally different. You may not see the similarities, but I do.

This is my introduction to the trail where I spent a majority of my childhood, where every spring if the water is high enough we go tubing over and over, where you can go at any point in the summer and find any number of people camping and sometimes bathing in the creek ( hey I live in the foothills of the Cumberland mountain range, I'm a "hillbilly").

This is the trail to the creek where one day a few summers ago I was tubing in the rain with a friend and we just happen to pass under some branches with the largest number of snakes I have ever seen in my life, there was no way around it so we had to go through it. That was a fun day. This is also the trail that freezes over in the winter and very large icicles that we like to go and break hang from the cliff face. That's a tradition in my family. It's not winter until you break the first icicles on the trail.

Yep, this is one of my top 5 places to go, any time. If you live anywhere near here and you own a kayak you've probably been to my creek, and I've probably seen you and whined about not owning a kayak to anyone who happened to be with me at the time.

So here is me, showing you my trail. I have more to say about it on my flickr page if you want to click on the picture.

I totally scored the most awesome thing today. We went into Goody's today since they're up to 80% off and they were selling all their fixtures and mannequins!!! yes that's what I said. I am now the proud owner of Frances (that's what I named her), the mannequin who will help me display my vintage clothes that I'm starting to sell on Ebay. I had been looking for one online but I was definitely not paying any of the prices that were listed but today I got one for under $100 and that was the highlight of my day. Really.

I went to see a preview of a new movie for the IMAX theater near the Chattanooga aquarium last night. It was good but all the swimming 3-D fish gave me a headache.



They did a speaker demonstration before the movie started which was cool. I wasn't that impressed with the whole experience, does that make me a bah-humbug person?
These are some of the speakers.


Since the weather has been warm for a few days I've been noticing my flowers sprouting and it's so exciting to know that pretty soon my yard will be full of beautiful colors and wonderful smells.



My cats are spending more time outside since the weather is warmer and I like to watch them jump over each other while they play and climb trees and just be nosy cats.

SPC Week 2 Introduce Yourself

I missed the first week of this challenge, go figure. That seems to be my theme for this year. A day late and a dollar short.
Anyway, so I first found Self Portrait Challenge way back when it was Self Portrait Tuesday and I really don't remember how I found it. I was surfing blogs and found it on one I was looking at.

I'm a simple girl really. I live in the house my grandparents bought when they moved off the mountain to be closer to town. I don't know how many times I'm going to get to post this month so I'm going to put more than one picture in this post. Just to give you an idea, you know.



Someone once asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, and my answer was "I want to be a mommy". That hasn't happened yet, and I'm beginning to wonder but in the meantime I am surrounded by children every day. Yes, I work at a daycare and sometimes I seriously reconsider having kids. Seriously.


I shop at thrift stores, I enjoy going to the Smoky mountains. It doesn't take that much to amuse me although there are quite a few things that bore me. I am amazed at the women that home school their kids, are so very crafty, have their own organic gardens, and have time to document it with photos and blogs. Where do they find the time and energy? They are truly super heros.

I have a weird sense of humor,

I'm shy until you get to know me.
I really enjoy acting in plays at my local theater, as well as working back stage and working with costumes. The costumes are my new favorite thing to do.
A recent photo of my feet in costume as I'm waiting to go onstage.


That's me to begin with, I hope to post more often but you just never know with me. I'm unpredictable that way.

SPC week 3 Album Covers

this is the 3rd week of the challenge but only my second picture because well, I'm a slacker. OK wait that sounds negative. Time got away from me and I just didn't have time to take a picture or post anything so I'm making up for it now by posting my version of one of my favorite Broadway soundtracks, Hairspray. It's another one of those that I listened to constantly when I first got it and it's a permanent fixture in my CD case. I decided to do a theme within a theme, that being to do all Broadway soundtracks as album covers.

Here's my version:




and here's the original:

friday fill in

1. Enough with the "looking for love" reality TV.

2. my job causes me to be conflicted.

3. I've been craving Stir Fry Cafe...a lot.

4. my daycare kids makes me laugh.

5. I wish I could go to Gatlinburg next week.

6. getting a tattoo has been on my mind lately.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sleeping...a lot, tomorrow my plans include cleaning out my spare bedroom and setting it up to be a sewing/work room and Sunday, I want to get some of my vintage clothes up for auction on ebay!

Self Portrait Challenge - Album Cover week 1

I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to do this months challenge! I've always wanted to do live recreations of famous paintings and since I have yet to find willing victims...uh, I mean...volunteers, this is the next best thing!!

The cover I chose first came to me after much searching and consideration, even though it was literally staring me in the face the whole time. (It was sitting on my computer desk). Rent was the first show I went to see "out of state" and on my own, no parental guidance involved. some musical fanatic friends introduced me to the music and they were so passionate about it I felt like I had to go see it to really know what they were feeling. I almost have the whole thing memorized, and it's my go-to music when I'm having a bad day and it never gets old. I listen to it for days on end, until my sister says she won't ride with me until I change cd's.

I had so much fun doing the different poses, with my sister in the background telling me "no turn your face this way", and "you look like you've got gas pain, be happier", you know, encouraging stuff like that.

I thought about changing the name a little like "I don't have to pay RENT" but it just didn't look right. And even though the title isn't exactly like the original ( I didn't have a font that looked like a stencil) I am so psyched it turned out the way it did.

OK, so here's the original album cover for "Rent, original Broadway cast recording"



And here's my version:



I had to post the smaller size to make the whole thing fit in the post but you can see it larger if you click on it or go to my flickr page

upside down spc #4 the sick week

It's that time of year. You know what I'm talking about...the runny nose, the hacking cough, the fevers, the red sore nose. Yes, cold season. So for my self portrait this week I am posting a picture of me in the midst of a nasty cold draining the last drops of cough medicine out of the bottle and for effect I threw in a tissue just to emphasize my misery. This cold is the reason I have only posted twice this month because I just can't seem to shake those last few nose blowing days. I like the first shot because it really shows how I feel...not all there and a little out of focus. The second shot is what I do best, blow my nose. Constantly. Arrrrgh.

Goodbye to my Chubby cat

We had to have our big Chub cat put to sleep Thursday. He was about 12 years old but you would never know it by the way he played. We found him last Friday under our neighbor's house unable to walk or stand on his hind legs so we took him to the vet where they kept him for observation, did a blood test to check for infection and found nothing, then they took an x-ray and again found no broken bones, so they decided it was a blood clot in his leg. By this past Thursday morning he was not any better so we told the vet we did not want him to suffer and he decided it was best to let him go and so we did. I will miss his big fat feet hanging over my shoulder and rubbing the curly fur on his belly when he rolled over but I have 6 other cats to take care of, so I will not be lonely or lacking in the feline department. There will however be a Chubby shaped hole in my heart for a while so forgive me to mope at least a couple of weeks.
So goodbye Chubbers, you were a very good kitty and we will miss you lots.

tree watching leads to self portraiting

Saturday I went to the mountain to look at the changing leaves and I don't remember ever seeing such vivid fall colors as I did that day. I probably have but it's been a really long time. We ended up in the grave yard where the trees there are just breathtaking! I was snapping away and trying to figure out what kind of self portrait I would do for the "upside down" theme this month and was like "if I just set the timer, lay the camera on the ground here, and stand like this...yeah that would totally work!" And I think it turned out well. I love the color of the leaves. That tree was huge! How many more short sentences can I make? So here is the shot:



and here are some other shots of the day:










And there are more shots on my Flickr page

Vintage Blonde

Vintage Blonde, originally uploaded by EllenJo.

This is so adorably funny! My dog would never sit still and let me do this to her. Oh well.

I'm at the breaking point...

...and I don't know how much longer I can tolerate the pettiness, gossip, and general stupidity of my every-day surroundings!

That is all.

SPC #2 Mirrors

This is in the bathroom of Dollywood on a Christmas time visit last year. I love the hand painted detail of the flowers. I really gotta work on smiling more when I take pictures. I think I'm concentrating so much on getting the shot I forget that I'm actually in the picture!
I really enjoy going to Dollywood with my family. Any time of the year is great but I especially like the fall because they have the Harvest Festival when they bring in crafters from all over the US, wonderful food, and Bluegrass music.
I used to work there in the summers between college semesters, and I really miss it. The last time I worked there I was a candle maker. That was the best job ever! I kick myself on a regular basis for not keeping that job. Seriously.

seeing red!

This being Columbus Day and the daycare being closed I decided to catch up on my laundry. So I'm washing my scrub tops and just going along my merry way when the dryer buzzer goes off and I go to take them out and see...red streaks all over everything!!! First I thought an animal had gotten into the dryer and perished (hey it could happen), but when I started furiously taking the clothes out I found the culprit. A red crayon had somehow crept into my pocket and melted all over everything! Oh woe is me what am I gonna do now? Back into the washer they went for a 20 minute soak in hot water and Oxy Clean, then another run through just to make sure. There are still some spots and I will probably be washing them again. But that was my blond moment of the day and I'm sure it won't be my last.
So carry on and have a good day!

SPC Mirrors #1

This was originally taken for the "Get your shine on" challenge for the whole word connection thing, self esteem being my word that shines in my mind a lot. But now it's perfect to start this month's theme.



I put the sticker on my closet door mirror to remind me to have more of this thing that seems to elude me...especially when I'm around people I don't really know. To the people who know me this will seem like an odd statement. Because I don't have to prove myself to my friends it's not so hard to be myself, and they know I'm a dork anyway. They can share in the dorkyness and we are happy.

I SUCK at updates!!

I felt the need to share that...so thanks for listening. I blame it on my slow internet connection and my lack of patience.

Dorkiness Defined

Today marks the end of well...an era for me. I've been a fan of the comic strip "For Better or For Worse" since I was a girl but only got to read it on Sunday from the newspaper. When I found it online I was so excited! I've been following the lives of these fictional characters for so long it feels like they are part of my family. Seriously. When Farley (the dog) died, I shed a tear or two. It coincided with my dog dying and it was just so heart wrenching. When Michael got married I was a little jealous of the girl he was marrying, and then when he had kids I was like no! he's too young. And now Elizabeth is marrying Anthony, and when I read the wedding ceremony * I got a little choked up. So now it seems the end* has come for this family that I've grown to love. I'm not sure if the writer plans on continuing the story, or revisiting old story lines, but I will continue to be faithful to this world she has made. And yes, I know it's a little dorky to indulge in a comic strip, to get lost in this fictional world, but hey, it's not like it's detrimental to my health...yet.

*I linked to the comic strips based on the assumption that it is a permanent link. I don't know for sure but I'm hoping they are. I apologize in advance if you happen to click on the link and it no longer takes you to the intended comic.

restaurant fun

a little camera angle trickery




my sister channeling The Grudge





dessert is the best part of the meal!

i've been busy

My second attempt at making a scrub top, this time for one of the girls I work with. I had told her a couple of moths ago I would make her a UT one so she could wear it when football season started. I waited until Thursday, the day before she wanted it to start sewing. And not during the day. No no no, I waited until 9:30 that night, partly because I worked all day, partly because I had play practice, and partly because I knew I didn't have to get up early to go to work the next morning.



It only took me 4 hours as opposed to my first one that took me 7 hours. I think I'm getting the hang of it.





Carla decided she needed to offer her support



feeling the late hour



sorry about the grossness on my oven, I really need to clean it. And yes, that's what time I finished it.



And...the finished product on the recipient. It was too big, she didn't care, but I gotta work on my measuring skills.

Shine Self Portrtait week 3

This is called getting up with the sun to drive an hour and 15 minutes to the federal court house to sit for an hour to plead my case to get out of jury duty. And it worked.

The sun is looking over my shoulder as I make my way there; and it is warm, glowing, bright and cheery....the exact opposite of the way I felt as I drove down the interstate. Jury duty is exciting to some people you know. This was my second selection letter (I have to be available through Dec.) but the first time I went to the courthouse I felt like a highschooler who had to give a speech and wasn't prepared, praying that they wouldn't call my name. I hate that feeling.

summer bloomin'

Girls Night Out and other...stuff

Last night was our second girls night out trip and the destination was the Macaroni Grill where I got something with penne pasta and yucky fatty chicken, strawberry lemonade, and then... dessert. This time is important for all of us because even though we see each other every Sunday in church we don't get to talk that much. The subject of that new show on ABC called Swing Town came up and we all learned that we have our own little swing club in this two stop light town. Amazing and shocking I know! (at least to a few of my readers, probably not for everybody else). Oh, the things we learned. I cannot repeat them here.



I'm not a lemonade kinda girl but this was really good. Smooth, not tart.



Sadly, this is not the dessert I ordered although I should have. I got something with apples in it.

At work earlier in the day I was trying to take a photo for my self portrait blog I'm working on. This is one of the rejects but this is what I do. I'm a moderator, a comforter, a referee, a nurse, a cook, a teacher, a janitor, a mentor, and all sorts of other titles you can think of. And trust me, just because it looks like I'm just lounging there, I hardly ever get to sit down during the course of a day.



I'm beginning to wonder if the new director position is really for me because I have some moral issues with some things, but I'm giving it a month, and then we'll see what happens. Oh, did I forget to say that I got promoted to director of one of the daycares after the old director quit very unceremoniously? Yep, I did. It's weird because I've never been in a leadership job before. Maybe I'm just nervous. Maybe it will all be ok. We'll see.

Sunday School is Serious Business

You know it's true! We work hard in Sunday School, can't you tell?

Sewing for 7 hours is not what it's cracked up to be

I've been promising for about 3 weeks to make a scrub top for myself for work. The girls are anxiously waiting to see the results cause they all want one too. Today was the day, and if I had known it was going to take me all frickin' day I would have planned better. I'm no stranger to the sewing machine. On the contrary, my little ancient Kenmore has served me well even thought she has fits of being uncooperative at times. And notice the duct tape on her. That is courtesy of a past theater director who borrowed her and dropped her on the floor.



I had to do a little bit of adjusting because I messed up the collar but you can't tell it and it's too big but the pattern is a unisex scrub pattern so the sizes may run a little big. I love the material because it's so fun and perfect for daycare. I need all the brightness I can get in my day!



By about 6:30 I was so over it and I was starving but I wanted to get it finished. That's when the machine started shutting down and eating the thread. I finally fixed it after about 20 minutes of ripping, and screaming and walking away. You can see the almost empty bowl of Cheezits in the first picture where I got desperate and was looking for anything to get me through. Can I just say for future reference that it's probably not a good idea to eat cheese crackers while you're trying to sew. I'm just sayin'.



You can see my frustration here. (Sorry I deleted that picture out of sheer stupidity, but trust me I was over it) I'm starting a self portrait blog taking a picture a day for a year. This guy inspired me but I'm not going to use Flickr simply because I ain't paying for something I can do for free. So I'm trying out WordPress because...well...I already have 2 blogs with Blogger and I don't want to be a blog hog. And I want to see if it's as easy to use as I've seen other people claim it to be.

This is the finished product:


I love how setting the camera on top of the sewing machine conveniently cuts off my head.

Where's My Sunglasses? SPC #2

Since I've been working at the daycare I've been getting up a whole lot earlier than I'm used to. Except now I'm used to it. So this morning I was up in time to see the first rays of sunlight coming over the mountain. So early in fact that I decided to take my dog to "visit" my grandmother's grave at the grave yard. It's here that I faced the sun. The sun is "shining" in my face.




The truth is I'm having a little difficulty interpreting this month's theme of Get Your Shine On. I'm not very good at abstract things. Give me a good detailed list of what you want and I'm right on top of it. I will continue to try to be more creative with this because some of the other blogs I've seen blow me away with their creativeness. You can see more of them here at Self Portrait Challenge.

uh...yes I lied

Weekly Wrap up #4 Liar Liar

In the past week have you lied? What was the lie?

Yes...I made up an excuse for a girl I work with not to come in for somebody else who wanted to leave work for no good reason

What was the scale of this lie (white lie, huge lie, etc)? Were you lying to cover another lie?

white lie...nope not covering

Did you feel guilty about the lie or nonplussed?

not guilty in the least...she needed to be at work, not looking for her next fix

If you haven’t lied at all, was this because of an effort to tell the truth or because you simply did not have to?

i can't answer this one...sorry

Hair twirling is in my blood (Self Portrait Challenge week 5)

I have some excellent hair twirling skills...



I've done it ever since I can remember, especially when I get nervous or bored or frustrated. When I was a very little girl I would play with my mama's hair while I was going to sleep, and I guess it just progressed into playing with my own and I'm the only one in my family that does it. So it's not really in my blood, but it sounded like a good title for this blog.



I don't know why I'm not smiling...it seems like a lot of my pictures are of me not smiling. I guess I was just concentrating so hard to get the shot it looks like I'm mad or something, but I'm not I swear.

See other great self portraits here

Saturday 9: We Travel Well

1. What part of the world and country do you live in?
United States, Tennessee

2. What is the furthest from home that you have been, and where is it?
Durango, Mexico

3. What travel destination have you enjoyed the most?
I will say Maine because it was the first time I tasted cookie dough ice cream and I just thought it was the greatest invention...ever!
*That sounds kinda shallow after I read it so I should probably say Mexico because it was for a mission trip and I really did enjoy seeing a different culture from my own southern...uh redneck world.*

4. What travel destination have you enjoyed the least?
a college choir trip to Folley Beach, South Carolina. It was just all kinds of messed up.

5. Is there somewhere you’d like to visit but have not, and where is it?
Yes, definitely Greece. The urge started with the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and has been reconfirmed with the viewing of Mamma Mia. It just looks so beautiful and happy.

6. Do you prefer traveling to see historic places or to hit the beach and relax?
I enjoy both. I like laying on the beach for about 2 days and then I get bored out of my mind.

7. What popular vacation destination have you never considered because you think you’d not like it?
Niagra Falls

8. Where do you travel to most recently?
Orlando, Florida to work with the children at Wycliffe Bible Translators but gee whiz that was a year ago. I haven't been anywhere since.

9. Do you like day trip “mini-vacations”?
Yes. We go to Dollywood all the time since it's only about 3 hours away even though we haven't been at all this year. It's a very dry year for traveling at our house. And when I see this post, I laugh.

My Neighbor Loves Me!

Cause looky at what we found on our back porch when we got home this afternoon!
YUMMY!!!!!


A close up...just so you can see how yummy they are.

Spelling 101

Boy, I can't spell. I was looking through my older blog posts and I have a ton of misspelled words. This is one of my pet peeves, for people not to spell words right. And look at me, I'm slacking left and right with my spelling. I will try to do better next time. I promise.