These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

I sometimes like to use my blog as more of a notepad or place to dump the thoughts in my head, and if someone reads it, super cool!
Below I have compiled a list of my current favorites for you to check out.  Maybe a few will become your favorites, too.


Look at these amazing pictures, a technique you could do, too.  So nifty!   They don't look real.

I love this hand embroidery pattern, Floral Fantasy, from Sublime Stitching.  Hand embroidering, for me, is like coloring with thread instead of crayons. 

I wish we had a place to put this ornate chalkboard sticker in our house.  The detail is great.

Owls are so trendy now and although I prefer to go against the grain, I have gotten caught up in the owl following.  This is the cutest cookie jar ever!  It's turquoise!!!  (Pictures of recent owl project coming soon.)

I really dig the entire line of Melissa & Doug toys but I especially like this mail themed "fill and spill."  Don't you remember playing mailman when you were little?  There was even a Muppet Babies episode where they played mailroom. 

While I'm folding clothes, folding diapers, and feeding babies I watch episodes of Masterchef Australia on Youtube.  They have tons of challenges and they have a "Master Class" where the chefs teach the amatuers kitchen skills. 

I ran across this clip from "This Is Elvis," a documentary about Elvis Presley.  I've never seen the film but of course I would love to see it and own it.  I'm not sure what to think about this Elvis.  I prefer to think of him as being perfect and innocent like the 1956 Elvis.  Guess he was a real person and certainly a womanizer.

My Dream Homes

The Pope and I have been married now for a year and a half.  Of course we've talked about cars we would like to buy, how many children we hope to have, even pets we hope to own.  One topic that always comes up is houses.  We could talk forever about how I would layout my kitchen or how he would setup his "man room."  And just like all young couples, we love to just drive and point out our favorite homes to one another.  So here is a list of my favorite, add 'em to my wishlist, homes.

1. farmhouse

2.  Charleston row home

3.  arts and craft

4.  beach house

5.  southern plantation

list of current favorites

Every once in a while I like to post these lists of just random favorites of mine, at the moment.

pasta
sleep
movies
Tom Selleck
Hagan Dazs mango sorbet, nice ice cream alternative
flowers and plants
fresh produce
this video
Pandora
cooking
house plans
On the Border/Moe's
cardigans
green olives
1950s music

Random Things About SEA

In my college public speaking class, I did an informative speech on Waffle House. For two weeks other students complimented me on my speech. I also did a persuasive speech on skipping class. (see college dream reference below)

Dawson's Creek is my favorite tv show of all time. I always thought Joey should be with Pacey. Dawson is such a girl!

If I could travel back in time I would redo my wedding reception...totally plan the whole thing over again. It just didn't turn out the way I had imagined in my head.

I was the first person in North Augusta (my hometown) to own Titanic on video. I pre-ordered it from Blockbuster, and I drove down at midnight the night it came out to pick it up. I was first in line!

I don't like cottage cheese, meat, beets, cooked spinach, sun dried tomatoes, or blue cheese.

I would love to be a personal assistant...run errands and help people organize their lives while setting my own hours.

For some reason, I get very angry and annoyed when my husband plays XBOX. Am I secretly jealous of his video games?

Hospitals freak me out. When I have to visit someone my heart starts beating fast and I breathe faster, too.

I admit, in the past, I have been unappreciative, juvenile, and ridiculous. Sorry.

I would be willing to pick up and move back to Charleston next year. Maybe we could just move Wilmington closer to Augusta...along with the coast.

I've only ever loved one man. We met on eHarmony.

I suck at keeping in touch. I'm bad about returning voicemails. I just don't like talking on the phone. Talking on the phone comes with pressure. What if I catch someone at a bad time? I hate it when I'm in the middle of something (even just watching tv) and someone randomly calls me. Can't we just send impersonal texts and emails back and forth?!

I get scared at night when Jon works nights. I'm a big chicken. I'm scared of the dark. When he's not home, I sometimes sleep with the lamp on.

After a trip to Memphis, and reading his biography, I love Elvis. He was an amazing man and changed the music industry forever.

I wish I could choose when I have pets and when I don't. 2 dogs and 2 cats can sometimes be too much. Other times they can be lots of fun and really worth it.

About every other month I have a dream about college. In my dream I usually oversleep and miss a class, can't find a class on campus, or at the end of the semester find out I registered for a class but mistakenly never attended.

Sometimes I get homesick for Augusta. I miss my family.

I have a blog (greenismyfavorite.blogspot.com) but I write like I talk, not like a writer so I just post things I find witty, interesting, or sometimes movie reviews.

I was raised to be conservative. Therefore I am old fashioned in a lot of ways. I think men and women have their places in the world (and in the church). But I also understand this is 2009 and not 1950.

I wish my house were cleaner. It's never clean enough for me (refer to above statement about pets) but I try and not let it bother me. I have OCD tendencies.

I sometimes want to wear more professional, more mature clothes but at the same time really all I want to wear are hippie-y clothes. They're so much cooler and more comfortable.

If I could wiggle my nose and learn to do anything I would want to learn to paint, repair cars, and learn everything there is to know about computers.

I love to cook and be in the kitchen but my least favorite chore is laundry. It's never ending!

Jon and I both were in the play The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in high school (he in Raleigh and me in North Augusta). Jon played the dad and I played the mom. It's meant to be.

I've been known to have a pretty good intuition. Sometimes I get "bad feelings" about something or a situation. Several times my "bad feelings" were right. (scary stories about that, maybe I'll post sometime)

I was raised by and married law enforcement. Daddy was a deputy sheriff with the Richmond County Sheriff's Department in Augusta. Jon is a deputy sheriff with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office. I am so proud of both of them.

I love cruises. I have been on two, both with Royal Caribbean, both on the Mariner of the Seas. It's amazing! I do prefer Eastern Caribbean to Western Caribbean.

I studied Christian Studies in college. Basically that means I studied the Bible, world religions, and learned to write theological papers. I am passionate about the Bible, my Savior, NASB (the best translation), and my religious views.

I am way into music. I mostly like classic rock, 1970s. I love the wa-wa pedal and great guitar sounds of the 70s. But I also really like love songs from the same decade.

I LOVE discussing politics and religion, although both are thought to be poor subjects for public conversation. I like to hear what people believe and why they believe it.

Why can't I be wealthy and stay at home?

I've had three days off this week, four more to go, and I've already been reminded of what I would love to do with my life. Some of you may not know this but my passion, my life's calling is to be a stay at home mom. I would love nothing more than to stay home and serve my husband and children (obviously, I don't have children yet but I hope to one day).
I posted an article from Housekeeping Monthly 1955 describing a "wife's duties" for her family. Some women probably find the article offensive and insulting...the way it describes putting your husband before yourself. I would love to care for my family in such a way! Isn't that what the Bible teaches? Proverbs 31 is all about how a godly woman should act, the way she should care for her family. (I'm interested to know if the above article really does offend anyone. I would love to debate it with you.)
To end this post I would like to give you a list of productive things I have done today...not because it's relevant, necessarily, but because I'm a little OCD and I love lists.

went to the grocery store
did some minor yard work
made lunch for Jon
gave the dogs a bath
mopped the floors
did the dishes
did laundry
will...make dinner for Jon

rethink the grocery list

You know I like sharing random finds with you. Isn't that what a blog is for? Well today I randomly found this website grocerylists.org. I was looking for a pre-made grocery list that I could print off and stick to the fridge. This way you don't forget anything. Everything is already on the list, you just check off what you need.
So the creator of this website actually put together, and posted on his site, a collection of grocery lists that he found in shopping carts (we call 'em buggies where I'm from). Strange huh? He explains that it's fun to see what other people add to their lists and see how they misspell things-even stranger. But for some reason, I sort of found his site intriguing at the same time.
I'll add a link so you can see all he's posted and his "ultimatest grocery list."

right brain

We were discussing left and right brain thinking at pre-marital counseling last night. I had no idea if I was right brain or left brain...until tonight. I took a left/right brain quiz. I was 12% right and 7% left. Here's another interesting test.

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS
uses feeling
"big picture" oriented
imagination rules
symbols and images
present and future
philosophy & religion
can "get it" (i.e. meaning)
believes
appreciates
spatial perception
knows object function
fantasy based
presents possibilities
impetuous
risk taking

And your astrological sign always has interesting things to say about your personality. I'm an aquarius.

BOLO

BOLO (bo-lo) in police lingo is Be On the LookOut (sure you know this).

Carlene and I have sent emails back and forth with lists of things The Pope and I will need to make our new house a home, or just plain livable. I wanted to share the comprehensive list with all of y'all just in case anyone of you have perfectly good not-currently-being-used junk lying around. Or you might just get a kick out of seeing what kind of stuff we're going to decorate with.

By the way, never ask The Pope to stop the car so you can pick perfectly good not-currently-being-used junk off the side of the road. He gets really embarrassed for some reason and will leave you there with the stuff.

So here's our list....
3 or 4 barstools (2 for bar, 2 for blue high table)
2ish nice (non-particleboard-y) bookcases
masculine 4 post bed (like pic from World Market)
dresser with mirror (non matching mirror is ok too)
jute area rug
desk and chair
outdoor furniture (table and 4 chairs)
porch swing
2 chairs for "sitting area" in master bedroom
grill

You might be thinking, "why do two kids just starting out need outdoor furniture or a grill?" Well, again, I just want to put our list of "dream furniture" out there into blog space.....you never know what might come back.

list of current favorites

Christmas songs by Elvis
Danish Wedding cookies
Project Runway
The Office
cooking
living green (trying)
coffee and green tea
nice dinners with a glass of white wine
everything Christmas
domestic-ness
taking random pictures
knitting

Christmas time survey

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?
I prefer coffee or apple cider.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree?
Does Santa know I've moved to NC?
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white?
white lights
4. Do you hang mistletoe?
I would if I had some to hang
5. When do you put your decorations up?
Well I've never had my own decorations to put up. This year Jon and I put our decorations up the weekend after Thanksgiving. I already have presents wrapped under the tree. For some reason I am very in to Christmas this year.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)?
hmm, sweet potatoes
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child?
waking up early with Samantha to see what Santa left us
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I asked Momma when I was like 11.
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve?
yes, that's when our family opens all of our gifts
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree?
this year Jon and I decorated our tree with very colorful ornaments and a few of his old ornaments. There were these Elvis ornaments, at Walmart of all places, that I loved but I didn't get 'em.
11. Snow, love it or hate it?
I like it for like 30 mintues, just enough to play in it. But then I'm cold and want it to melt nd turn warm again.
12. Can you ice skate?
no
13. Do you remember your favorite gift?
One Christmas I asked Santa for a single rose...I got it!
14. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?
spending it with family
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert?
Maw's hot pecan pie with chocolate chips in it
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
decorating and wrapping presents
17. What tops your tree?
a star
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving?
I REALLY enjoy giving but I also really like receiving!
19. What is your favorite Christmas song?
I'll Be Home for Christmas by Elvis
20. Candy canes?
not so much
21. Favorite Christmas movie?
Elf, so freakin' hilarious
22. What do you leave for Santa?
I used to leave cookies for Santa and apples for his reindeer.
23. Do you attend Annual Christmas parties?
not so much
24. Does your family send out Christmas cards?
nope
25. Do you agree with changing "Merry Christmas" to "Happy Holidays"?
Heck no, it's CHRISTmas for a reason.

Dangerous Foods For Dogs

chocolate/caffeine
onions/garlic
mushrooms
grapes/raisins
macadamia nuts
Poinsettias
Easter Lilies
avocados

This is a list I found on a forum I belong to. Here's the link.

I like shoes; I love bags!

I LOVE these shoes. Sanuk Vegabond Sidewalk Surfer in chocolate I tried on a pair of the girls and then the guys. The men's feel more comfortable and fit better. The girl's come in bright colors and stripes. Jon thinks they look like hobo shoes. What do you think?

While shopping at the local outdoor store, I saw these super cute Keens. Isabella in syrup What do you think about these?

So I was out with Jon one day and saw a chick carrying this bag. I complimented her and asked if I could check it out. She flipped up a huge flap to reveal TONS of pockets! I didn't hear anything else she said because I was mesmerized by the organization! Then, I found this bag for my laptop.

While searching for above Sanuk's online I found this bag. so cute; very Stephy!

Btw, I've added all of these to my Christmas list...which is getting pretty long.

List of Books

This is a list of books I've added to my Christmas list.

How To Cook Everything Vegetarian by Mark Bittman
The Coffee Companion by Jon Thorn
Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
Student Vegetarian Cookbook by Carole Raymond
The Only Wine Book You’ll Ever Need by Danny May
Seashells of North Carolina by Hugh J Porter
North Carolina Beaches by Glenn Morris
How to Read a North Carolina Beach by Orin Porkin
You Can Make ‘Em Dog Biscuits Cookbook by Janine Adams
Last Train to Memphis by Peter Guralnick