Inspired to INSPIRE...

Happy Monday everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Ya know, I think Spring is FINALLY here!!! Yay!!

You can anything foolish to a dog and the dog will give you a look that says, "my goodness, you're right...I never would've thought of that!"

Be Inspired...I am!!!!

Friday Flower Fix

"Beauty is the promise of happiness."

Have a beautiful weekend.

New Layout - Like Father, Like Daughter

Happy Thursday everyone. It's almost Friday!!! Yay!!

Last night was my weekly Girls Night and I FINALLY got this one layout done. I've been working on it for 2 weeks. Amazing how it can take so long to do a layout that only contains 2 pictures, huh? Well, I've gotta make sure everything looks good together before I commit, right?

Anyway, here it is. (But first, a word from our sponsor: It's time to stop apologizing for the crappy scanning jobs. It's not our fault and not a thing we can do about it. Outside of purchasing a new scanner with a larger bed...which ain't happenin no time in the near future). Now, back to our previously scheduled posting.

Supplies:

Patterned paper - MM Cosmopolitan Downtown Dot Blue & Silk Scarf Blue

Cardstock - DCWV Spring Stack

Embellishments - Mini brads & MM pastel brads

Computer font - "Blake"

I love these pictures. My DH is always "saving the world" at his computer (gaming to me and you). So this is how you will find him when he's at home. Jayla, obviously sees her daddy doing this on a daily basis. So she decided she wanted to be like daddy. Funny thing about this is, these exact poses were not staged. The pictures were actually taken 2 years apart. Maybe the title should've been "Mini Me", huh? lol

Thanks for looking.

Take a seat...this is gonna be a long one

YES...it's another list! Just relax, it'll be fun.

Ya know, if you really want to blame someone for "making" me do all of these, blame Susie Q.! I do! lol But I can't help it, between her and Cheryl, they have some really fun questionnairs and lists on their blog. And I'm just a sucker for them.

So without further ado, let's get started!

1. Introduce yourself.
"Hello there, my name is Dawn. Thanks for stopping by my blog."
2. It's Wednesday during the afternoon, where are you usually?
Well, that depends on what part of the afternoon. Prior to 2pm, I can be found at either Walmart, Target, JoAnn's, Hobby Lobby, a scrapbook store, lunch with a friend or at home cleaning. At 2pm, I go pick Jayla up from school and 2 hours later, I pick up Markell.
3. What kind of laundry detergent do you use?
You're supposed to use detergent when you do the laundry? Who knew!! Actually, I use Tide Cold Water with Febreeze. Ummm, smells like spring.
4. What brand of shampoo is in your shower right now?
Some clear stuff by Suave and Cream of Nature.
5. Did you ever get into a bar and drink before you were 21?
Nope, sure didn't. Wasn't my style. Didn't drink then, don't drink now. Unless you count a Dr. Pepper every now and again.
6. What were you doing last night?
Probably what I'm doing now...sitting at my desk reading emails and blog updates. Oh, and probably chatting with someone on Yahoo IM. They don't call me a party animal fer nuthin!
7. Do you watch MTV anymore?
ANYMORE??? I'm just wondering when they're gonna drop the "M" and just call it TV. They don't play music videos on there anymore, do they?
8. What do you think about Oprah?
Nothing actually. I'm not a fan at all. Personally, I think she's too much of a people pleaser. She's SO interested in relating to her audience & guests that she puts across that she's been through any and everything. She's fake if you ask me. However, I did enjoy the role she played in The Color Purple.
9. What color are your bedsheets?
My goodness, what a question. You're not stopping by soon, are you? Today they are a tone on tone Sage color.
10. You need a new pair of jeans...what store do you go to first?
Where ever they have some big enough and cheap enough to fit me! I guess I'd have to say Lane Bryant. But I recently found some really nice fitting ones (both on me and on my wallet) at Kohls.
11. HEY, WHAT'S UP WITH THAT? THERE WAS NO #11 QUESTION.
12. What kind of car do you drive?
A navy blue/grey Nissan Quest. YES...it's a minivan..UGH!!! Fully equipped with TWO soccer ball magnets on the back, a folding chair, a soccer ball and cleats in the back.
13. Honestly, is that car insured?
Well DUH!!! Of course. SOMEBODY's got to replace those magnets in case of an accident. Are YOU in good hands?
14. Do you like sushi?
I don't even know who she is! My husband talks about her alot though. Ok, no...I don't like sushi.
15. Have you ever been to Tiffany & Co. or Saks 5th Ave.?
Can't say that I have. But I have been to my friend Tiffany's down the street. That's not the same thing, is it?
16. Did your parents spoil you?
Not hardly. I was an only child for 10 years and my "needs" were met, but I didn't always get what I wanted, if that's what you mean by spoiled. I was expected to do my chores and do well in school. When my sister came along, things changed a little...like our mother! Enough about that :-).
17. Do you like roller coasters?
Yes, I do. Although I haven't been on one in YEARS!! Wonder if they're still fun....hmmmm.
18. What magazine(s) do you buy regularly or subscribe to?
Family Circle, Womans Day, Creating Keepsakes, Scrapbooks, Etc., Simple Scrapbooks, Memory Makers, Chadwicks of Boston, Jessica London and Brylane Homes. Reading IS fundamental you know!
19. Do you remember the WB show, "Popular"?
Guess they didn't put much thought into naming THAT show, huh? It obviously wasn't that popular...I've never heard of it.
20. When you go out do you prefer to go to dance club or to a bar?
Go out....hmmm, I've heard of people doing that.
21. College graduate?
Yes, thank you, I'd love one! OHHHH, am I a college graduate? Silly me. Uh, no! It was enough to get me out of high school. Reading IS still fundamental though...
22. Who do you think will be the next president?
VERY tricky...you're not getting ME into this conversation!
23. Are you registered to vote?
Absolutely!!
NOTE: Ok, who numbered these questions? What happened to numbers 24, 25 & 26?
27. Do you like Carrie Underwood?
WHO?
28. Been to "The Vegas"?
I assume you mean Las Vegas? Uh, no...I don't get out much.
29. How far away do you live from your parents?
1100 miles from my dad (NY), 300+ miles from my mom (AL), and 17 steps from my mother in law (downstairs)
30. Are you happy with your job?
Without a doubt! Being a SAHM is the hardest job I've ever had. But I wouldn't change it for the world.
#31...WHERE ARE YOU???
32. What did you get in the mail today?
American Express "you have been approved" application (if I've been approved, why do I have to fill out an application?) and junk.
33. How do you like your steak cooked?
Medium
34. Britney Spears...ready to have a nervous breakdown or just having fun?
Ok, now how do I say this nicely? Uhhh, WHO FREAKIN CARES??? Too harsh??
35. What do you usually order at Taco Bell?
I think nachos. Honestly, I haven't been to Taco Bell in EONS!!
36. Have you ever sat all the way thru Gone With The Wind?
Not on purpose!
37. Have you ever been to Mt. Rushmore?
No, but I'd love to go one day. Again, I don't get out much.
38. Is it just me, or was The Marine (w/ John Cena) a really horrible movie?
Uhhh, who's John Cena? What's The Marine?
39. Are surveys/lists like the cocaine of my space/blogs?
WHAT??? I enjoy doing lists and surveys, but not cocaine. And I don't know a thing about myspace. MY space IS my blog!
40. Where is your favorite place?
Where ever my family is, Destin, FL and in bed.
41. What is your favorite candle scent?
Fresh Linen.
42. Do you believe places can really be haunted?
Not really.
43. Do you smoke cigarettes?
Nope. But I "tried" one DAY when I was a senior in high school. Not my style.
44. Have you ever been to NYC or LA?
Yes. I was born in NYC. And if you mean Lower Atlanta...then yes, I've been there. :-) But if you mean Los Angeles, nope...never been there.
45. How many states have you been to where all you saw was the airport?
None that I can think of. Remember, I don't get out much.
46. Do you think 50 questions is enough?
Ha Ha!!! If there actually WERE 50, it may be a BIT over the top. But I can handle it. Keep 'em comin....
47. Are you currently planning a trip?
Actually, yes. DH and I are going to try and go to Savannah, Ga for an extended weekend together. I sure hope we can pull it off. We need some "couple" time.
48. Is Ryan Seacrest gay?
Tell ya what, hold on a second and let me call and ask him. WHO CARES!!!
49. Do you take anti-depressants?
Are you trying to tell me something???
50. Have you ever googled your name and found out something?
Actually, yes. The WORLD has access to my blog!

WHEW!!! I need a nap!

7 things I betcha didn't know about me...

I had actually planned NOT to blog today. I was attempting to give everyone a break from me...if only for a day. But Noooooooo, Cheryl will have NONE of that!!! She tagged me today. Seriously, she did! I wouldn't make that up...she reads my blog :-P.

Ok, this is how it works. I'm supposed to share 7 random facts/tidbits/habits about myself that most people don't know. And in turn, tag 7 more people to do the same. Now, this is gonna be a stretch...because I divulge SOOOO much about myself on this blog already as it is. But I'll see what I can do.

1. When I was younger, I use to want to be a nun. But then I quickly discovered that that's exactly what I'd get....NONE!! And being that I ALSO wanted to be a mother, that "career path" wouldn't work out. I mean, I enjoy wearing black & white and I think doning a habit would be kinda fun...especially on those frequent bad hair days. But, since I've been married almost 19 years, I have kids, AND I'm no longer Cathlolic, I had to rethink my choice of occupation :-).

2. I HATE yardwork!!! I told my DH when we first married, I'll take care of the inside...YOU take care of the outside! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the look of flowers and pretty bushes in a yard...I just don't wanna put it out there! I enjoy being outside and all that...but just not doing yard work. Personally, I don't see a problem with plopping silk flowers in the yard...you know, for effect! lol But my family acts as if they'd be embarrassed by that, go figure! I mean, c'mon...I'll pull 'em up when they start to fade...DUH, I'm not THAT tacky! :-)

3. I eat Doritos on my ham sandwich - ONLY! I don't like Doritos by themselves. And these days, ham doesn't like me too much. So as of right now, this little delicacy is a mere memory.

4. Every since I had Jayla, 5 years ago, I can no longer fall asleep on my right side. I can ONLY fall asleep on my left side. Something about that being better for the baby when you're pregnant. Oh well, I guess it was better for mommy too...still is!

5. Contrary to popular belief...ALL black people CANNOT dance! I mean, I've got rhythm...I just can't dance. I hear and feel the beat...I just can't dance. I'm by no means a "frog in a blender"...but I CANNOT dance!!! So, having said that...Don't believe the hype! LOL

6. I LOVE watching "who done it" type shows on TV. You know, shows such as American Justice, City Confidential, The First 48 and Cold Case Files. All of which come on A&E TV. It is way beyond interesting how they do forensics type stuff. They find people who "done it", years and YEARS later. It's amazing to me. My husband is a little concerned though. He asks if I'm considering doing something to him and/or the kids...LOL. Shoot NO I'm not gonna do anything to ANYbody!!...those detectives would find me for SURE. My hair is ALL over this house, my car, my kids, the dog, my friends :-). And I'm sure it would fall out where ever I'd be. So there's your DNA!!! Not to mention, I tell on myself all the time.

7. I'm a scrapbooking, blogging JUNKIE!!! Enough said!!!

Well, there you have it. I'm sure there's more I could add to this list too. But Cheryl asked for only 7...so 7 is what you get!

Now, it's time to tag 7 folks to do the same. Ok, Jude, Lynilu, B.E.M., Leah, Diane M., Veroncia & Tanisha...you're ON!!!

Oh HAPPY day...

I'm back....

While doing my daily blog reading, I came across, yet another fun "list" by Susie Q. On Saturday, she did a fun list of things that make her happy. And asked everyone to do the same. We all know, well, we hope anyway, that our families and just our lives in general make us happy, so those aren't being added to this list. We're talking about ALL those OTHER things that just ADD to our happiness.

Here are some of the things I came up with that make me happy(er). They're in no particular order...

Laughing

Dr. Pepper

A&E TV

Kool Aid (Watermellon Cherry is my FAV!)

Popcorn

The Carol Burnett Show

Magazines

My computer

Shrimp & Pasta

Tulips

Chick Fil A

Handsome men (Denzel Washington)

Photography

Love & sex (or making love...that covers both)

Handsome men, Take II (Alonzo Mourning)

Music

Scrapbooking

Chevy Tahoe

Spring

My cell phone

The color purple (the movie too!)

Handsome men, Take 3 (Sean Connery - then)

Handsome men, Take 4 (Sean Connery - NOW!!)

Chocolate Mousse

The Beach

Flip Flops

Soccer (especially youth)

Chocolate bars (Snickers w/ Almonds are my fav!)

Handsome men, Take 5 (LL Cool J...Now)

Handsome men, Take 6 (LL Cool J...NOW!)

Welp, that's about all I can think of right now. I'm sure you're saying, "That's ENOUGH!!!" There are a LOT of things that make me happy...what can I say. I'm pretty confident I could come up with more. :-)

Ok, it's your turn now. What things and/or people add to your happiness (or WOULD if you had them)? Be sure to add pictures.

Have a HAPPY day!!!

First things first...

Hello everyone. I hope everyone had a nice weekend. Ours was pretty busy, as always, due to it being soccer season. But it was totally alright with me, as the weather was BEAUTIFUL!!!

Jayla had a game at 10am on Saturday. And I found out how anal I REALLY am. I had no idea I was that way. NORMALLY, this soccer clubs colors are some combination of red, black & white. The kids have ALWAYS worn black shorts and had one red shirt (w/ black & white) and one white shirt (w/black & red) and one pair of black, and pair of red socks.

But this year, for the U6 teams, they changed it up a little...which was fine. This year, they have the standard black shorts, black socks and white shirt...AND a navy shirt (w/ red design) and RED shorts and socks. Ok, I'm cool with that. It's really cute together. HOWEVER, when we picked up the uniforms, NO one told me that the red shorts were REPLACING the black ones.

And recently, they've been wearing the navy and red uniforms. But this weekend, we were to wear the white shirts. So OBVIOUSLY, they're supposed to wear the black shorts & socks...RIGHT??? WRONG!!! We get to the field and Jayla's ENTIRE team has on their white shirts with RED shorts & socks. She was the ONLY one on the field with black on. I was SICK!!! A couple of the moms tried to "comfort" me and tell me that it's no big deal...well of course it's not, YOUR daughters have on the correct uniform! I'm telling you, had the game not been about to start 5 minutes after we got there, I would've gone back home and gotten Jayla's red shorts.

Oh well, it turned out ok. I don't think Jayla even noticed :-). Oh, and with only 2 games left in the season, our coach decided to "officially" change the name of the team :-). Now, instead of the Cheetahs, they are now the Lil' Stingrays. More than half of the girls on the team have brothers that play on Markell's team, the Stingrays. So it only seems fitting, doesn't it?

Speaking of the Stingrays...they are KICKIN SOME HYNIE this season. They've only lost one game and that, only by 1! They are doing AWESOME!!! Markell has been playing goalie for the last few games as our starting goalie broke his finger.

Let's see, what else did we do this weekend:
~went to some friends house for a cook out. Talk about DEElicious!!! For some reason, I'm always the one to bring dessert...what's up with that? lol I made Dump Cake this time...YUMMY!
~went to Sunday School yesterday. My DH worked until after midnight on Saturday, so he was a little tired yesterday. So we didn't go to service.
~Jayla had a photo shoot yesterday at a local park. Friends of ours have their own photography company and needed Jayla to update their website and portfolio. That girl is a natural! She had a ball.

Welp, that's about it for our weekend. How was yours? Did you do anything fun? Tell me about it!!! Enjoy your week!

Inspired to INSPIRE....

"Laughter is like changing a baby's diaper. It doesn't permanently solve any problems, but it makes things more acceptable for a while."

Be inspired...I am!!

Friday Flower Fix

May your stems stand sturdily against the wind and rain, and may they reach high toward an open sky.

Have a beautiful weekend!

One word....

Happy Wednesday everyone.

This morning, I was doing my usual blog reading and I came across a fun quiz on Cheryl's Blog. You just never know what you'll find there...she's always asking her readers to join in on something fun. And I must say, I love it. I really enjoy doing these little quizzes. She says that she has several she's gonna share over the next week or so....Can't WAIT!!!

Well, here's the one she posted today. The object is to see if you can answer all of these with just one word. As chatty as I am, this is gonna be interesting :-). Here goes:

1. Yourself? Overwhelmed
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend? Husband
3. Your hair? Frizzy
4. Your mother? Sweet
5. Your father? Silly
6. Your favorite thing? Love
7. Your dream last night? Strange
8. Your favorite drink? Dr. Pepper
9. Your dream car? Tahoe
10. The room you're in right now? Playroom
11. Your fear? Failure
12. What you want to be in 10 years? Thinner
13. Muffins? Thanks!
14. Who you hung out with last night? Family
15. What you're not? Organized
16. Time? MORE!
17. What you're wearing? Comfy
18. Your favorite weather? Warm
19. Your favorite book? Magazine
20. Last thing you ate? Sandwich
21. Your worst vice? Worry
22. Your best friend is? Honest
23. What you're thinking about right now? Scrapbooking
24. Your car? Dirty
25. Your life? Interesting

Whew, that was difficult. I tried really hard to just answer with one word. I did it!!! Alright now, it's ya'lls turn. Feel free to answer via comment or let me know to check your blog for your answers.

Have a great day!