Alluring Earrings

Check out these awesome earrings Myla made for me. I'm going to wear them when I go out fishing with Tan:

Don't worry, they're not reel.

Can't wait to pull off the red earrings. I'll have to dress up when I wear those guys. You can wear skirts in nature. (Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. It's skort time.)

Before & After

Since it's -8 today, I'm staying inside and posting things as trivial as home decor. I feel a little vain posting this. I know that in contrast, there have been 28 year olds in Egypt posting things on their blog to help overthrow their leader! I am very grateful and humble to live where we do though. We are so blessed to have our home.

All the paint is from Lowe's and is the Valspar brand in eggshell sheen.

Paint Colors: Cincinnatian Hotel Hannaford
Trim: Semi Gloss Ultra White

Tan: Au Lait Ole

Lt Blue: Perfectly Blue

Dk Blue: Deep Twilight Blue

Smoke Infusion

Cliveden Gray Morning

Cabinet/Mirror: Zinsser BIN Primer, Valspar Satin Black Latex Enamel, Miniwax Water Based Polycrylic Protective Finish

Woodland Colonial Gray

Just checking to see that you were still looking ;)

Next week: the whale room (girl shrieking in the background). I love my fish friends, but we've just got to lighten that room up. You know how it goes.

Baby Shower Idea

I saw this blog idea in blog land and thought I'd share. Makes a pretty cute baby gift. You can find cool fonts at "dafont.com."

Save Rick Steves' Job!

You may have seen this message from pbs.org, which we check frequently:

The House Appropriations Committee has the full list of recommended spending cuts which includes the elimination of funding for public broadcasting. The House leadership said that debate on the measure (H.R. 1) will begin Tuesday 02/15.

Please contact your representatives in Congress now and urge them to stand up for public broadcasting funding. It is going to take hundreds of thousands of Americans calling and writing Congress to get this critical funding back into the budget proposal. Visit 170MillionAmericans.org for more information.

Just like our man Rick Steves says:

"There's an even greater value of public broadcasting. It subsidizes news that is less exciting, but more insightful — produced by journalists rather than entertainers, pursuing the truth rather than advertising. Public television makes possible non-commercial children's programming that is not shaped by people who sell our kids toys. And public broadcasting keeps culture alive even when it is not a commercial hit. Rather than lowering our society's intellectual bar, it challenges us to be engaged. Public broadcasting inspires America to be smart."

Let me put it this way; most all other programs on television and radio are crummy entertainment with no thought provoking topics whatsoever.

Anyway, we've just sent an email to our reps and you better do it too.

P.S. Our government spends $430 million a year on public broadcasting... less than the $500 million that it spends each year for military marching bands. Nice.

P is for...

Preschool!

...and the 4 mangy pirates that come with it.

Preschool is over $100 bucks a month (for 4 year old kids mind you), so a couple smart and savy ladies set up their own elite group. Now we can smile at all the money we're saving and fun we're having. This is one of the many perks of choosing to stay home with the boys.

Side note: Just google "preschool outline for the letter __" for ideas. Anyone could do it.

Oh, and when I worry if I'm missing something, I remember how my friend went to the kindergarten teacher and asked what concepts the kids needed to know before kindergarten starts. Her reply was simply this:

"Learn how to cut with scissors."

"Learn how to use glue."

"Learn how to use the restroom and wash their hands."

Check, check and check.