Five Question Friday

Sweet 'ole Momma M over at My Little Life used another one of my questions!  (blush)  Number 3 is my suggested question.  That's two in a row.

1. Have you ever forgotten your child in a store or at school?
Well, we haven't had them very long.  Just give it time.

2. Where did you go on your very first date? (Like...first first, not first with your spouse or current significant other!)
I didn't date until college and even then we never went on elaborate dates.  We usually just ended up at Waffle House and drank coffee.  I would go home for the summer and have the worst headaches from caffeine withdraws. 
For my first date with The Pope oddly enough we went to Huddle House.  It was late when we finally met for the first time so we just stopped and talked for a few hours.  I changed my order a few times and the woman sitting behind me said to our waitress (within earshot of me), "Wow, she's high maintenance!"  The Pope should have known then.  Gosh, I love that man.

3. What's your "silly" fear? (We're not talking water and heights.)
When I was little, like middle school age, I watched an episode of Unsolved Mysteries (wasn't that show always so scary!) where a little boy woke up to aliens standing over his bed.  The aliens abducted him and then took him back home.  Later, during an x-ray, a tiny piece of white plastic was found under his skin. 
Big head, huge black eyes, little slit of a mouth....I've been afraid of aliens ever since. 

4. Confrontation: do you cause it, deal with is as it comes, or run far far away?
I am a pretty honest, opinionated person.  If I have a problem with something, or someone comes to me with a problem, I deal with it.  I definitely don't avoid confrontation.

5. Wood floors or carpet?
The Pope and I were just discussing getting rid of the carpet in our house and putting down hardwood floors.  With two dogs, two cats, and two growing babies hardwoods would be soooo much easier to keep clean.  The vacuum will only get up so much crud.  Oh, and I hate to think of The Babies starting to crawl around on this nasty floor.  Bleh!

Happy Valentine's Day, In March

The Wednesday before Valentine's Day I ordered a gift for The Pope from a seller on Etsy.  I debated between an all natural shaving kit (which he's wanted for a while) or the gift I bought him.  The item I decided on, not handmade, is unusual and was reasonably priced.  Shipping was only $3.
Using paypal, I paid for the item immediately and sat impatiently for the gift to arrive.  (I'm never able to wait to give The Pope his gifts for any holiday.  The excitement just kills me!)
I didn't really expect it to arrive by Valentine's Day (that following Monday).  But I thought maybe by the next Thursday (a week after I purchased it) it would certainly be waiting for him in the mailbox.  Nope.  On the 16th I emailed the seller and asked when I should expect the gift to arrive.  (I specified in the "notes to seller" section that I was buying this item for my husband for Valentine's.)  The seller provided me with the tracking number so, I guess, instead of bugging them I could check the status myself.
Another week went by (two weeks after Valentine's Day) and still no present in the mail.  So in order to hurry things along I thought I should send the seller another message (this is the Carlene in me).....

I have yet to receive this item that I purchased two weeks ago. Using the tracking number you provided below I get this message on usps.com "we have received notice that the originating post is preparing to dispatch this mail piece." When will I receive my item?

I specified in the "notes to seller" section of the original invoice that I was purchasing this as a gift for my husband for Valentine's. Ordering it the Wednesday before Valentine's, I realize I should not have expected it, maybe, by Valentine's Day. However, I certainly would have expected it by now given it is not a handmade item.

I hope this matter can be rectified soon.
Thank you.  

So then I got this message in return, very quickly.

hi,dear:
Thanks for your massage,do you mean that you never got this item?or you got it?
well,i shipped it by flat shipping,it will be take approx 15-25days to your country,i hope you will understand.and anyway,it is not a handmade item.

Ignoring the awful punctuation and misuse of words, umm, what???  Fifteen to twenty-five days?  My country?  What do they mean my country?

After a little more investigating I found out that this seller is in CHINA.  Sorry, what?!  I didn't even know Etsy was international.  Way to support the US, huh.  Good grief.  Hopefully The Pope will have his gift before next year's Valentine's Day.  (shrug)

Happy Birthday, The Pope!

I love you, always.

Things The Pope Doesn't Want To Hear

Pregnancy definitely changes your marriage.  Like a rollercoaster, there are ups and downs.  Take our situation for instance.  We had a little scare at about 7 weeks.  We went to the OB not only to find out it was a viable pregnancy but that we were pregnant with two babies.  Feeling completely thankful and blessed, we started planning.  The next few months felt like falling in love all over again.  The Pope and I had created two beings.  Cra-zy!  This feeling of oneness brought us closer together.
As I got bigger, pimplier, and more hormonal things changed again.  And the transition from working full time to permanent maternity leave was difficult.  I was staying home but unable to do most of the necessary housework.  Steph the Pregzilla assumed The Pope resented her for not getting things done when actually it was just my own guilt making me feel that way.  We sort of got a new routine figured out and things got better.
Then later in pregnancy everything becomes very real.  We started talking about things we had never talked about before.  I was actually even showing The Pope pictures of women's breasts in books and sharing way too much information.  Here are some actual conversations heard in our house.

*Some subjects may be too much for male readers.  Reader discretion advised.*
"Hey baby, I need you to come here and shave this for me."
"You probably don't want to know about the big poop I just took, huh?"
"This says later in the pregnancy women have a hard time reaching to wipe their butt."
"They say you can have sex six weeks after delivery but most women think six months.  (I laughed)"
"Women on the forum refer to the state of their vagina after delivery as hamburger crotch."
"Would you please rub this on the pimples on my back?  I can't reach."

In addition to not being able to breath, super oily hair, acne, heartburn, and the occasional nosebleed, I am now snoring and drooling in my sleep.

Ready Or Not

Our sweet babies are doing great and progressing fabulously.  They each weighed almost 5 pounds at 33 weeks and are already head down.  The Pope and I are stoked! 
I thought it might be fun to host a contest for our friends and family to participate in.  The goal of the contest is to give your best guess for when the babies will arrive.  The person that comes the closest to the actual time and date will receive a surprise.  There will also be a second prize given for guessing how far apart the babies are born.  (Don't count on too much.  Come on, we are expecting two babies!)  Our official due date is October 24th.

The Rules:
-Post your guess below as a comment.  Guesses posted anywhere else will not be entered into the contest.
-Remember to include date and time and how far apart between babies (ie Alex will be born 12 minutes after Ayden).
-Obviously there is no deadline to the contest; that's what you're guessing!

Etsy Sunday

This week's Etsy Sunday was inspired by The Pope, the manly man that he is. 
He really likes the website The Art of Manliness.  The site focuses on the masculinity of men and most of the time, the old ways of doing things, which we love so much.  The Art of Manliness actually did their own version of "Manly Etsy Wednesday" and posted a whole list of masculine things.  Check out their post here.  I really liked several of their picks so I included them in my list, too.
Vintage Shaving Kit  Isn't it beautiful.
Chocolate Covered Oreos, Vegas Style
Leather Head Football Amazing!
Hollow Book Flask Safe
Vintage Inspired Handkerchief

Missed Connections

Relationships are so different than they used to be, especially the way folks hook up.  For example, my grandparents (Maw and Paw) met on the way to church.  Paw and his friends were hitching a ride with some other teenagers.  The car was super full and Maw, even though Paw had a girlfriend at the time, offered for Paw to sit on her lap.  Gasp!  Then take The Pope and me;  we met on the internet.
I've read articles about how it is more difficult for singles to get together even because of cell phones (one of my pet peeves!).  A dude might notice an attractive woman in the grocery store but he can't approach her because she's yacking on her cell phone.

Here's a blog that posts missed connections, like the old personal ads, and makes a drawing depicting that scenario.  Some are really super sweet and some are just really random.  Isn't it cool to think people still meet this way?  This is my favorite one thus far....

Not One, But Two Babies

Having been married for almost two years, I was ready to begin the next part of our life together.  It got to the point that I would get teary eyed when I saw other women with babies.  (I can be such a silly woman!) Even though we had planned for March, The Pope and I decided it was time to start trying.
The weekend of Valentine's Day I took two pregnancy tests.  The first one just had a very faint second line (indicating I was indeed pregnant).  Then The Pope went out and bought a digital test.  He much preferred the "pregnant" "not pregnant" reading.  Yep, we were going to have a baby, just one.
Then I started bleeding.  Every few days I would spot a little and sometimes I would bleed a lot (sorry if this is too much information for some of y'all).  Since my first OB appointment was still a few weeks away, I called to get their opinion.  The triage nurse kept saying things like, "We need to make sure it's a viable pregnancy.  If I were you, I would go to the ER just to be sure."  She must have said "viable pregnancy" five times.  I freaked out.
I called my GYNO and was able to be seen that day, since I was an established patient with them.  The best phlebotomist ever (I asked if I could put her in my pocket and take her with me) took about eight vials of blood to be tested for various things.  Then we went upstairs to get an ultrasound.
The Pope and I had no idea what we were looking at on the big screen on the wall.....just lots of black and white swirls.  The technician got very quiet, which of course worried me.  She asked, "Do twins run in your families?"  We just started laughing and I asked The Pope, "What have you done to me?!"
Now we are reading and researching all the we can in the next 7 months, getting prepared for not one, but two babies!

Nicolas Cage As Everyone

Have you seen this website?  I found it one day when I went to AIM to check my email.  (There are so darn many bull crap articles, I have to read them all!)
The blog entitled "Nic Cage As Everyone" is nothing but endless pictures of celebrities and movie characters.  The pictures are photoshopped by readers to look like Nicolas Cage.  I would love to have posted 20 or more but here are a few of my favorites.  You should be able to tell who was in the original picture.  So stinkin' hilarious!

The Pope loves this video (below).

The Pope's Irish Coffee

The Pope's favorite winter time drink is Irish Coffee.  After a few attempts, he's gotten pretty darn good at making 'em.

Irish whiskey
coffee
granulated sugar
heavy cream

Add two teaspoonfuls of sugar to the glass.  Then add the coffee (The Pope adds coffee until it reaches the top of the handle of the glass).  Add a shot of whiskey.  This is the tricky part.....to get that great layering effect, pour the heavy cream into the glass over the back of a spoon.

Can't Help Falling In Love With These Cupcakes

January 8th would have been Elvis' 75th birthday, bless his heart.  I had to work so I couldn't celebrate too much, but at the end of the day I had the great idea to go home and make cupcakes in observation of the special day.  I left work and went straight to the grocery store picking up some bananas, peanut butter, and cake mix.  My plan was to turn a box of Duncan Hines into a dessert Elvis would die for.
The Pope was working nights so I had the whole house to myself.  I unpacked my groceries, set a stick of butter out to soften, pulled out my new mixing bowls, and went to the cabinet to pull out the bag of powdered sugar.  But there was no powdered sugar!  I ripped the cabinets apart looking for the sugar.  I am slightly OCD and know exactly where everything is in my kitchen at all times......the ketchup sits next to the mustard, in the fridge, right next to the salad dressings on the bottom shelf.
Apparently The Pope had used all of the powdered sugar a few weeks ago to make buckeyes and "crack balls."  So then an argument ensued.
I was not about to go out in 20 degree weather especially when The Pope should have let me know he used all of the sugar.  And he argued that we rarely use powdered sugar so he didn't see the reason to mention it.  I explained that when I have the urge to bake, cook, and create in my kitchen, I expect those staples to be there.  I went to bed with nothing to show for my love for Elvis.
I woke up this morning with a fresh 2 pound bag of Walmart brand powdered sugar laying on my cutting board.  The Pope is too sweet (pun intended).  So here's my recipe for Can't-Help-Falling-In Love-With-These-Elvis'-Belated-Birthday-Cupcakes with peanut butter frosting.

For the cupcakes I used a boxed yellow cake mix and added a few mashed bananas before pouring into cupcake tins.  I got the basics for my frosting from this recipe and tweaked it a little.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened not melted (don't use margarine)
1 1/2 cups peanut butter (natural peanut butter has a stronger flavor)
2 cups powdered sugar
enough milk to make it creamy, about 1/4 cup
a little vanilla extract just 'cause

Cream the butter and peanut butter, then add the vanilla, sugar and milk a little at a time.  Remember only add enough milk to make it creamy.  This frosting would be absolutely yummy on some chocolate cupcakes or for the peanut butter fanatics try it on some peanut butter cupcakes.

Welcome 2010!

I am finally back from my break from blogging.  I have reluctantly removed the Elvis Christmas picture and changed my playlist from 50s Christmas classics to a great collection of oldies.  (Have you ever noticed sock hop, malt shop, and doo wop all end in -op?  Must have been the two favorite letters of the 50s.)
The Pope and I spent lots of time on the road this holiday season visiting folks in Augusta and Raleigh.  We hardly had time to spend quality time with everyone but loved every minute.  We are thankful to have two loving families to share Christmas with.

Today I am working on getting the house clean and ready for the new year (we have yet to take down and put away our Christmas decorations).  I would love to get us super organized this year and I've been looking for a great wall calendar.  Of course I love the retro themed ones.  If I were a single girl I'd buy one of the calendars with old pin ups on it but of course it's not completely appropriate with a man in the house, boo.

Enjoying the staff Christmas party

Wordless Wednesday

Etsy Sunday

I missed last week's Etsy Sunday because of my hectic Thanksgiving schedule.  So I'll post twice as many super neat things this week!

Recycled beer carrier (for lack of a better name)
I love zombies coffee mug
Cat treehouse
Henry the VIII button
Wine bottle tray 
"I love you more than Edward Cullen" card
Computer monitor cat bed
iPhone docking station (this one's for The Pope)

I've Missed Y'all

Thanksgiving put a damper on my blogging. Plus my family in Augusta still has dial up.....ring, beeeeeep, beeeeep.
I did have a great holiday break in Augusta hanging out with family. The Pope even made deviled eggs at Maw's (my grandmother) request despite the fact that he hates eggs and mayonnaise.  This was a true test of his love for me.
My parents have recently bought a house in Pine Mountain, Georgia (right next to Callaway Gardens).  So Saturday Carlene, The Fosters, and I drove down to check out the remodeling they've done.  I should have taken pictures but they still wouldn't have made sense to you.
See, the house was just a regular, normal sized home and then the previous owners added a super strange addition.  There is a five or six foot square tiled "tub" that is about four feet deep with stairs and railing!  In another spot in the house there is a trap door that is sort of an indoor root cellar, or I guess it could be used for a very small panic room.  There are even two kitchens in the place, like a duplex but not.  Weird.  Anyway, my parents are making this two-house home into one large home....taking out walls, adding walls, basically completely remodeling the existing rooms.

Stay tuned this month for The Pope's irish coffee recipe and my Christmas crafts.

Happy Thanksgiving

Thank you, Lord, for a loving and caring husband.  Thank you for blessing me with such a great man.
Thank you for a great supportive family that always understands.
Thank you for your grace, mercy, and forgiveness.

Wordless Wednesday

He loves me.


Keith Ketchum Photography

New Retro Look

I love everything retro and have wanted to give my blog a throwback theme for a while. Thank you to The Pope for helping me set up the new layout.  I found pieces of things I liked and he put it all together. I would be lost without him!

I'd like to give credit where credit is due.  I found the 50s housewife graphic here (tried to give her red hair but that didn't work).  And this is where I found the background.

So what do you think???
And now I've added music. Do you like it?

Etsy Sunday

This week I have devoted Etsy Sunday to local artists here in Wilmington.

Handmade journal
Pistol wallet
Glass sushi set
Robot print (The Pope really likes this artist)

Law Enforcement Misconceptions

Growing up in a law enforcement family, I remember Daddy telling stories of calls he had been on and the crazy, stupid folks he came in contact with.  He used to say if he pulled a female over, she was getting a ticket.  I guess his point was he obviously had a lawful reason for pulling her in the first place.  Also, he didn't want there to be any question why he didn't give a woman a ticket (ie because she was crying or had big boobs).
I also remember Carlene getting aggravated when people made jokes about cops and doughnuts (I personally can't stand that one) or the you-only-pulled-me-over-to-meet-your-quota response.  With The Pope's help, I wanted to try and clear up and hopefully explain some of these common misconceptions.

Real life is not like CSI: Miami.
Not every surface at a crime scene is good for lifting fingerprints.  Additionally, if there is an obvious shoe print, they might just take a picture instead of lifting it with a big sheet of tape.  Actual CSI units will not solve your crime in an hour.  They also don't necessarily drive Hummers or wear shades.

Police work is not all gun fights and police chases.
The majority of calls are more mundane; disciplining someone's teenager or quieting a neighbors dog.  There is also lots and lots of paperwork to be done.  *But don't forget, a LEO puts on body armor before heading to work.

The officer was not wearing his hat when he wrote me a ticket so it doesn't count.
Yeah right.  Next time trying not breaking the law.  (It also doesn't void the ticket if you tear it up or if the officer writes something incorrect on the ticket.)

Quotas.
There is no such thing as law enforcement quotas.  Officers can write as many tickets as they want.

Miranda rights.
An officer does not have to mirandize you unless you're in custody AND the officer is asking you questions.  Just because the officer put you in handcuffs doesn't mean he/she has to read you your rights.