Oh, Hai!

I know it's been over a week since I posted last, but everything is a little nuts around here!  Lots of GOOD changes :) that I wish I could talk about, but unfortunately can't just yet. :(
I'm meeting personal goals that have been a very long time coming.  LIFE IS GOOD, my dahlings!

I'm making new friends left and right; I'm in better shape physically than I have been in years, thanks to going Swing Dancing every week for over a month now.

I'm extremely blessed by my family.  Gran said she never knows what to get me for my birthday (coming up in June), so she got me new dance shoes!  After 12 years of faithful service, my Bleyers officially bit the dust at last Friday's GA Tech dance...

Poor babies. :(

 ...so the Aris Allens have been ordered and should arrive any day!*  They are very similar to the Bleyers, but the strap is a little wider, which I love!

Soon, my pretties, you will be all mine! :)

I'm wearing canvas sneakers in the interim.  They are ok.  Not great, but I can Lindy in them and not break something, so just for tonight it's not that bad.

*5/22/13 EDIT: They came this afternoon!  The left one is a little snug in the toe, but I figured out (from experience) that the next half size up would be too big and rub blisters, and as the right foot fits perfectly, I conclude that the injury I sustained in college to my left foot (which resulted in two broken digits) is likely responsible for the difference.  I'm going to take them to a shoe shop and have them stretched just a tiny bit.  I'm like a size 5 ¾ instead of either a 5½ or a 6. :P
Should I have to go with the 6s, the company has an amazing return policy, so that won't be a problem to just swap out one for the other.  I think these will fit the bill, though.  I'm more than thrilled with them and Tuesday can't get here fast enough!!! :)

In the next couple of weeks, be sure to check out the Mailbox page, as there will be updates and links for photos.  I'll be showing off a lot of the awesomeness that has been arriving via USPS.
Until later, my dear readers.  Love to you all!

Let the 20s Roar! (Part 2)

I'm not going to the other Great Gatsby movie party tonight.  I'm just too worn out!
But here's the stuff from last night.

So basically, my thought process was "Have been invited to cool 1920s party and asked to wear costume.  ... I don't do 20th C.  What on earth am I going to wear?!?"

Finally in a desperate fit of win or die trying, I rummaged through my closet and came up with a black tank top and a swishy old favorite swing skirt that no longer fits because I lost 20 lbs last summer and it falls off.  (But being the sappy thing that I am, I couldn't bear to part with it, hence it being there waiting for me to pick it up again.)

The flash makes the top look faded, but they are actually pretty
close to being the same shade of black.

Convinced that I had at long last gone completely round the twist, I stood in front of the full length mirror and hiked the skirt up to my armpits to see whether my bust would hold it up and whether it became the right length and GIGGLING GUARDS AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE, IT WORKED PERFECTLY! I set about pinning it in place, using the tank top as a base:

I top stitched a half a yard of fringe on along the edge to make it look "flapper"- esque.  A length of stretchy sequin trim and a feather pouf made a headband.  I had a pink feather boa from a photo shoot I did a few years ago.  Done and done.

Gratuitous, if grainy, iPhone photo that went on my Facebook.

Unfortunately, the only {full length} photo I got of me is a little out of focus.  But who cares.  I clean up cute!  If a little awkward... I'm not used to wearing heels all that much.  I didn't even keep them on once I got to the venue.  I changed into my Bleyer dance shoes so I wouldn't break an ankle.

I only got a few pics at the actual event, of course, because I was too busy dancing and having fun to be snapping photos and blinding everyone with the flash!
Here's me with one my new friends from the venue.  We only met officially on Tuesday, but I've seen him there before, and he's planning on learning Lindy soon.  And all of the follows smirk with glee and go "Muahahahaha!" because we LOVE converting guys to swing dancing, because ultimately it means more dances for US!

Most of the other pics I got were of more friends dancing with each other, and I'm not sure if they would be comfortable with me posting pics of them on the internet without asking, so I won't.

All in all, it was a spectacular night, and I wish I had the energy to go out again.  But I'll spend a quiet night at home, rest up, and (as always) look forward to Tuesday when I get to dance again.  :)

Keep Swinging, readers.  You are fabulous!

Let The 20s Roar (Part 1)

Who is excited about the Electro Swing Soiree happening tonight??  THIS GIRL!  To celebrate the release of the new "The Great Gatsby" movie (see the trailer at the bottom of this post), the venue where I swing dance every week is hosting parties tonight and tomorrow in grand style!  There will be photos of course, and I've done a tutorial/process of how I did my costume.  YES, I'm going in costume.  You knew it was only a matter of time before I got something 1920s together! :D :D :D

But you can't see that yet!  Not until I have danced until I drop, recovered, and uploaded photos of everything.

But here's a clip of some Electro Swing to keep you happy until then.  It's a half hour long, so you can pick however much you want to hear, but I promise it's catchy!  Just let it play in the background as you clean the house or whatever and it makes whatever you're doing more fun x 100! :)
So much Lindy Hopping will be happening in the next 5 or 6 hours... :)

The Great Gatsby Movie:

USPS

Well, obviously. :)

I thought you'd like to see my local P.O.

Isn't it cute!  I never use that blue box.  I usually have a package that needs postage, or I check my box (yes, I did finally get one!), or I just like to drop off letters at the counter and wish the ladies working there (who have come to expect me a minimum of 3x a week) a good day.

I tried to find when this branch opened, but Google isn't cooperating.  I know it has been in existence at least since the 80s, because I can remember it being a community fixture when I was a little girl and we moved back here from Virginia.  I'll have to ask next time I'm in (probably tomorrow) if the workers know the date it was built.

I did find this section of USPS Facts on the USPS website (go here for the whole thing):

**********

A Day in the Life of the U.S. Postal Service

Each day, the Postal Service picks up, processes and delivers millions of letters and packages. No single operation in the world comes close to this level of connectivity to so many households and businesses. Here’s just ONE day in the life of the United States Postal Service (figures are averages):

215 million — revenue received, in dollars

157 million — dollars paid to postal employees in salaries and benefits

528 million — number of mailpieces processed and delivered

22 million — average number of mailpieces processed each hour

366,000 —average number of mailpieces processed each minute

6,100 — average number of mailpieces processed each second

226.7 million — pieces of First-Class Mail processed and delivered

262.4 million — pieces of Advertising Mail processed and delivered

727,167 —number of packages picked up through Package Pickup

4.3 million — number of miles driven by letter carriers and truck drivers

7,753 — number of letter carriers who deliver mail entirely on foot — The USPS Fleet of Feet

130,592 — number of address changes processed

2,160 — number of addresses added to our delivery network

1 million - number of peple who visit usps.com

809,210 — dollar amount of online stamp and retail sales at usps.com

1.6 million — amount of money spent on postage for Click-N-Ship labels

44.1 million — number of Click-N-Ship labels printed

18,750 — number of passport applications accepted

358,553 — number of money orders issued

1.6 million — dollars spent at Self-Service Kiosks in Post Office lobbies

3.2 million — customers served at more the 31,000 retail locations

0 — tax dollars received for operating the Postal Service

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: 152 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With more than 31,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world’s mail. If it were a private sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 42nd in the 2012 Fortune 500.

**********

And yet we snail mailers are constantly told that the 238 year old institution is broke, being run into the ground and may soon be extinct.  Hmm.

And speaking of USPS history, I'd really like to go to D.C. and visit the National Postal Museum at the Smithsonian.  Anyone been?

Geeking out. Again.

THIS.

It was the first PG 13 movie I ever saw.  Dad took me, and it's one of the best memories I have.  We saw it 8 times in the theater.

Seeing it in 3D was utterly worth the 20 year wait! LOL
It was awesome!  I plan to see it in the theater a few more times before it leaves.
Geeky happiness.  :)

A Swinging St. Patrick's Day Weekend

It's been a great St. Patrick's Day weekend over here!

I spent Friday night in the company of many, many friends, tearing up the dance floor at the monthly GA Tech swing dance!!!  I danced from 8-Midnight and then some of us went to the local Steak N Shake until around 2 ish.  I crashed in bed at around 2:45, with sore feet, aching muscles and a huge grin on my face.  That's the most social fun I've had in a while and I am so looking forward to next month's shindig! :) :) :)

I clean up rather cutely! Though, this pic was taken
before I stopped by to see a friend at a salon and
wound up getting a bangs trim and curls done! :)

Here's a short video- I didn't take many photos or movies CAUSE I WAS DANCING! :)

Yesterday, Mum and I ran general errands around town and then went and got our nails done.  A rare treat for me, that I thank her for!  I took this photo of my "dressed up for St. Patrick's Day" self whilst waiting for her to get done with her mani-pedi:

Green shirt and green nails (Kiwi Kiss by Salon Perfect),
 plus the shamrock necklace that the Bestie gave me for Christmas!
No chance I was getting pinched! LOL

Then we met up with some friends at the Douglasville Irish Bred Pub.  I'm completely temperance.  I don't drink anything alcoholic whatsoever.  But their food is wonderful!  I had the Blarney Burger and sweet potato fries.

Source

There were Celtic dancers doing Riverdance type musical stampeding. (I can't imagine what it sounded like downstairs!  It's a historic building, so I'm fairly certain it may have seemed like the ceiling was going to cave in!) Sorry, I wasn't able to get a photo of the dancers.  Too many people in the way and they were jumping around so much, the camera couldn't focus. Oh, and there was also this guy:

So grainy- but better than no photo at all, I suppose!

We stuck around until around 9 ish and then headed home so I could write a few reply letters (the backlog is stacking up! I also still need to finish taking photos of the incoming for the Flikr albums). After Friday's shenanigans, it was a good idea (however boring) to go to bed at a decent hour.

Today has thus far been spent quietly, catching up on the blogs I read; writing letters, posts, and to-do lists for the coming week; and getting my game plan down for making the most out of the hours that will compose tomorrow.  Because I have a metric ton of stuff to do that must get done if all of my other plans are to ever happen.  (This is what procrastination does to you, kids.)  I have one of those B12 energy shot drinks on hand if I end up needing it, but I'm hoping to be able to get the right amount of sleep tonight so that I won't have to open it.  Kind of nice to have a back up plan, though.  Those dust bunnies better live it up now.  They'll be obliterated in the morning. :)

I hope you have had a marvelous Green Weekend, my dears!  Don't forget about the giveaway happening on Friday!  See you soon!

Christmas Eve Blessings

It's been a lovely Christmas Eve!  I spent the morning making a special breakfast for the Cute Gremlins.  We'd found this marvelous book at the library:

which, at the end of the story, gives the recipe for the traditional British meal of Toad-In-A-Hole (which I first ever heard of in the movie "Bedknobs and Broomsticks" when I was a little girl, but had never actually tried.)  So we gave it a go and it was quite tasty!

Then we played board games and did some laundry/general hanging around the house stuff.  Friend Christina came by for a few minutes and dropped off some presents around the tree.  (She will come back over tomorrow before the CGs leave for their week at their dad's.)  She's only home 40 more days before a return deployment to Afghanistan.  Please, pleasepleaseplease keep her in your prayers!  She left to run errands before church, and we went into town and grabbed a bite of lunch, CG the Elder got a haircut, and we returned home to play more games and watch Christmas movies.  At 5:30 was the candlelight service at church, which was just lovely and filled my heart with such peace.  I do love my church family so much!  Home once again, we helped Gran fix a nice dinner and just enjoy the evening.

The CGs went to bed, "Santa" finished up by bringing the rest of the presents out of hiding and filling the stockings, and now I'm blogging to you, my wonderful friends- wishing you every wonderful Christmas happiness as I head off to bed.  (But not before, in my notoriously creative and last minute flash of artist personality, I finish making a few gifts for friends!!!)

Happy Christmas to you all!!!

The GA Aquarium, Or, My State Is Cooler Than Yours Because: This!

An extraordinary friend recently treated myself and the Cute Gremlins to the GA Aquarium.  Have I mentioned my love for all things Oceanic?  Once or a thousand times?  I thought I might have.  

Anyway, I haven't done any major photography in a while and capturing many hued, million-scaled sea dwelling critters looked like fun.  It was more challenging than I imagined, what with the many layers involved.  The light from above (regular room lighting) combined with the light within the tanks reflected off of the glass, the water, the rocks, the plant surfaces and the animals themselves.  Heck, even some of the actual fish gave off their own light (the neon tetras, etc.)!!

But even if the photos aren't "show worthy", I am still happy with the way a lot of them came out.  Here are 5 of my favorites.  If you'd like to see more, you can see the entire set on my Flikr album.

If you have not been to the GA Aquarium, PLEASE get there as soon as you can!  It is amazing! 

Photo (and facts below) from the GA Aquarium Wikipedia page

They have sea otters, river otters, whale sharks (the ONLY place in the USA that has them!), a Pacific giant octopus, leafy sea dragons, African penguins (photo above), manta rays, reef sharks, beluga whales, dolphins (who perform in a beautiful show, "Dolphin Tales", several times daily), a loggerhead sea turtle (photo above), butterfly fish, clown fish (Nemo!), big fish, little fish, red fish, blue fish... wait.  That last bit is a Dr. Suess book.  But there really are literally more than 120,000 of the critters spanning 500 different species, in EVERY color of the color-wheel, swimming/floating/splashing in over 8.5 million gallons of water!  **flailing Muppet arms**  It's wonderful!!!! :)

What's your favorite "Aquarium" type of animal??

This Just Takes The Cake

What do this Octopus:

this Sea Turtle:

and this Burmese Python:

have in common??

THEY ARE ALL EDIBLE CAKES!!!  Those are some mad decorating skills!
Which one is your favorite?   I love all three, but I'm really loving that Sea Turtle in the middle.

Here's more info on the creators:
Octopus cake: Karen Portaleo of Highland Bakery, right here in Atlanta. Here's the bakery website.  Here's her Flikr stream with more amazing photos.  She modestly asserts that she's entirely self-taught. O_o  Well done, Karen.  Simply breathtaking!
Sea Turtle cake: Louise Hill of Love To Cake, in London, UK.  Here's her website. And here is her Flikr stream.  Look for a Harry Potter Sorting Hat that she did.  Fantastic!
Python cake: Francesca of North Star Cakes, in Kent, UK.  She made this cake for her daughter's birthday and (deservingly so) photos of her incredible creation exploded across the internet.  Here's her website and her Facebook page.

These artists inspire me to take what I love doing to a higher skill level.  I hope they have inspired you, too.  And while it would be nothing remotely close to as beautiful as these are, I'm also rather inspired to go bake a cake today (and eat it too!)

UGA vs OLE MISS

I was at the one year anniversary celebration of the new library while this game was going on, so I didn't get to hear it.  Another win, though.  My Bulldogs seem to have gotten their lucky streak back on after that unfortunate loss to SC.  37-10 Final

Auburn update: Finally, a win! 42-7 against New Mexico State (who?).  War Eagle!

Next week is the GA/Auburn game.  The Bulldogs will stomp the Tigers like there's no tomorrow.  I've already sent my Auburn fan friends sympathy cards, the same way I did with the Tennessee game.  Sorry for your loss...
I love being a GA fan.  All the time.  But especially during a good winning season. ;)

UGA vs UF

Again, there is a lot going on here to where I sometimes can't catch the game.  I was sewing Halloween costumes for the Cute Gremlins and mostly there were personal things that I can't talk about yet that were crowding out everything else "normal".  Anyway, this image from my Facebook news-feed roughly sums up the big GA/FLA game:

Final Score: 17-9.  I love you, My Bulldogs! :)


Auburn Update:  Stomped by Texas A&M.  63-21.  Owie!  Not a good season for the Tigers at all. :(

UGA vs TENNESSEE

Fact: When I am listening to the UGA game on the car radio and the play gets intense, I yell and holler along with the fans who are actually at the stadium and the people in the vehicles around me look frightened.  Or at the very least, mildly alarmed.  "Check out that lady in the Honda having some kind of fit!" LOL

Remember what I said last week about Tennessee coming all that way only to get a beating and go back home?  Well, it wasn't as sound of a beating as I (and many other fans, according to the social streams this evening) would have liked, but a win is a win and My Bulldogs remain undefeated at 5-0.  51-44 Final.  Good heavens, I love SEC football! :)

I have family who are TN alumni, you know.  I may have to send my uncle a sympathy card... "Sorry for your loss." :)  It's especially fun during the fall at the home of one of my cousins; she's a die-hard UGA fan, as is one of her two sons.  Her husband is an Auburn fan.  The other son is TN alumni/fan.
Chaos!  But we all come together again at Christmas with no hard feelings.

The Dawgs face off against South Carolina next weekend.  I predict some fried chicken for dinner that night... ;)

UGA vs VANDY

Whatever Vanderbilt did last week to shut down Presbyterian 58-0 was completely forgotten tonight!  The effort of winning that game after losing to both South Carolina and Northwestern at the start of the season must have worn them out.  My Bulldogs graciously let them get on the scoreboard in the 2nd quarter, but still mopped the field with them in the end: 48-3 Final.  Very happy GA fan over here right now. :)

And so we prepare, thus far undefeated, to face bitter rival team Tennessee next week.  Shame for the Vols to come all the way to Athens just to get a beating and then go back home.  ;)  I hope I get to be somewhere with a TV so I can watch it happen! LOL! BRING IT ON! :)

Auburn note: Held on hard as they could, but lost to LSU, 12-10.

UGA vs FLA ATLANTIC

I listened to this game on the radio as I was doing some other stuff, so I don't have any plays or special remarks/details about it to share.  Bottom line: BULLDOGS WIN! 56-20 Final.  Three wins in a row?  Why, yes, thanks, I believe we will! :)

Auburn note: 31-28 win against Louisiana-Monroe in OT.  War Eagle! :)

Southern Summer Showers

Here lately, we've been visiting the new Dog River Public Library several times a week.

The Cute Gremlins and I are voracious readers and, as you've seen from the last few weeks, huge aficionados of children's book illustrations.  The check out limit is 50 items.  We nearly always go home with about 10-15 in each of our library bags, (I'll be showing you how to make your own library bag in a future post! Stay tuned!) and we return 3-4 days later to swap them out for new titles.

Well, it's the season of pop-up summer thunderstorms here in the hot and humid South.  We had been inside the library for about 15 minutes when the bottom fell out of the sky and there was a deluge that lasted the better part of 40 minutes!  We read and read and read, and browsed the movie titles, and played with the stuffed animals/hand puppets in the story time area, and read some more.  Finally, it quit raining and the sun came out full strength.  As we walked to the car (feeling as though we should grow gills in order to breathe in the 200% humidity!), I captured this video of the drain spouts in front of the building.  The gutter system was designed to be pretty as well as functional, and after a monsoon like that, these "fountains" were so nice to look at and hear!  Enjoy!

Krispy Kreme

ATTENTION: Best doughnuts in the world.  

Come to Atlanta.  

Get one when the "HOT" light is on. 

There is even an app for your phone to tell you when and where to find it.

Your taste buds will thank you.  

That is all.

Goliath: A Giant Coaster!

What we're doing all day today:

Well, not JUST the coasters, but Six Flags does boast this one called GOLIATH!  Here's a video of what it's like to ride in the front row!  Enjoy!

4/9/12 Edit:

People have been asking since I can't ride Goliath, what my favorite roller coaster at Six Flags is.  It's the Batman.  Here's a view from the front row by the same people who filmed Goliath (above).  Enjoy!

Falling on my face...

I'm sorry to do this again, but I just have to make a placeholder for F and come back to it on Monday when everything goes back to normal.  The Afters, DecembeRadio and Tenth Avenue North in concert at Six Flags tonight and I am completely tuckered out.  It was incredible.  (photos forthcoming, promise.) I got to finally meet Rob Langer from The Joy FM in person, too!!  We've become friends through Facebook and email, and it was so cool to say hi and get a hug and a picture!

Mike, the lead singer of 10th Ave, came out into the crowd to share God's love with us and share some of his experiences and thoughts and he stood in our row next to Gremlin #1 and myself.  AWESOME!!!  As he was coming through, I got to shake his hand/high five/connect with him and it's been so long since I experienced the high energy of a music concert that I sort of reverted to a giggly teenager state on the way home in the car.

I kept saying "I got to touch 10th Avenue North. *giggle*"
My gremlins were good sports about it. LOL

I'm crashing in the bed, y'all.  Husband is home tomorrow to go with us to Six Flags AGAIN (this time to ride rides).  I don't know if I have the stamina to do this all season long!  It's exhausting!  (Oh, wait- that was yesterday's post...)

Goodnight!

Exhausted

I spent all day with Cute Gremlins #1 & #2 at Six Flags Over Georgia.  We rode rides.  We watched shows.  We ate BBQ and curly fries and cotton candy.

AND TOMORROW WE GET TO DO IT ALL AGAIN, PLUS A CONCERT THERE!!!


(I'll take photos and post them in an edit.  Never fear.)

Then we came home and watched the third Harry Potter together.
I know I'm totally phoning it in for this one.  It's Spring Break week, Easter weekend, and time with my CGs.  Gimme a break.  I have some doozie posts planned for next week, so please don't run away just yet.  Come back and visit or browse the archives and I promise there is bound to be something to make you laugh hard enough to make whatever beverage you're drinking execute an unplanned detour through your nose.  (PSA:  Milk is moderately painful, but carbonated sodas burn!)

Thanks for reading my insomniatic babble.  I'm crashing under a micro fleece quilted bedcover.  Mmmm, cozy.  Happy A-Z ing! :)

THANK YOU!!!

JOY FM Friendraiser update:

We did it, fellow listeners!  The Friendraiser ended two hours early on Friday and the goal was met 100%!!!
The goal starting last Monday morning was 1000 More than Music Mission Partners (people who donate $30 or more a month), and $360,000.

At just before 5 p.m. Friday, the grand total was 1,007 new MMMPs, and a total of $362,356!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for giving and helping to keep such a wonderful ministry going!
If you didn't get the chance to join in the Friendraiser fun, but still want to give, you can do that on the website!

I love listening to the JOY FM every single day!  From me personally: