A Southern Accent

In the South: Shopping

2012-05-23T14:30:00.001-04:00

There's a new shop in Chapel Hill that and I've been dying to check out and share with you all. Number one - because of its fabulous name - SOUTH - and number two, because it's an excuse to go shopping- duh. Located in Meadowmont, South is situated right by Monkee's and Salutations (which could make for quite a shopping adventure if one wanted to make a day of it...anyone with me) and offers gifts and home goods, all inspired by southern style and culture.

Love the name, love the logo, love the signage, love the theme. It's the best of the south.
Think mint juleps, men with bow ties and little girls running around in monogrammed dresses.
It's evenings on the front porch wrapped in linen shawls and scented candles scattered on the deck, yummy dinners ending with made-from-scratch cakes and pies.

You can find something for just about anyone on your list - including the furry-four-legged loves in your house. Baby shower, wedding, graduate, sorority celebrations, house-warming - they've got it all. And their mens section is wonderful as well if you're looking for the perfect Father's day gift for that fine Southern gentleman in your life. Plus there are odes to Chapel Hill and UNC throughout the store - which only makes me love South more!

So, let's get to the goodies. Here are a couple of pics I shot with my camera phone while pursuing the plentiful pretties, plus a couple I pulled from their Facebook page of the grand opening. These ladies have put together a beautiful store, as you can see. It smells, looks and feels fabulous - and oh so very southern!

If you're in need a gift or feel like sprucing up a bit, I'd definitley head South.
Like them on Facebook, follow on Pinterest.

Pinterest Yumminess: Balsamic Grilled Summer Vegetables, Mozzarella and Quinoa Salad

2012-05-21T17:54:00.000-04:00

Source: veggiebelly.com via Wendy on Pinterest

We went to brunch yesterday at a local diner and hubs was considering ordering a veggie omelet. I informed him I'd be making the above for dinner, so he opted for a burger. Can't overload a meat and potatoes guy with veggies now can we?

But, long story short, he ended up loving this recipe I found on Pinterest. And I'm definitely adding it to my recipe Rolodex. It was my first successful recipe using quinoa - last time, was not so good. I actually cooked the veggies on a baking tray on top of the grill. That veggie griller thingie I never used and donated to Goodwill would have come in handy, but I improvised.

Here's the recipe, from Veggie Belly:

Balsamic Grilled Summer Vegetables (Eggplant, Zucchini, Tomato, Red Onion), Pearlini Mozzarella and Basil Quinoa Salad Recipe

serves about 3. (you will have as much grilled vegetables as quinoa).
for balsamic dressing
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper

for grilled summer vegetables (I used peppers, tomatoes, asparagus and mushrooms)
1 small italian eggplant (about 2 cups when cut into big cubes)
1 small zucchini (about 2 cups when cut into big cubes)
1/2 small red onion (1/4 of a large red onion)
3/4 cup cherry tomatoes
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped

for basil quinoa salad
2 cups water
1 cup quinoa
1/4 cup basil leaves loosely packed, chopped (I forgot to buy basil)

other ingredients
1/2 cup pearlini mozzarella balls, or bocconcini mozzarella balls, tossed in a little salt and pepper

Whisk together all the balsamic dressing ingredients and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, boil water for the quinoa salad. Add quinoa and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer covered, till all the water has been completely absorbed, about 20 minutes.
While quinoa is cooking, cut veggies into cubes. Cut the red onion into rings. Place cubed eggplant, zucchini, red onion, tomatoes and thyme leaves in a bowl. Pour half the balsamic dressing over the vegetables and toss well.
Brush grill grates with olive oil or non-stick spray. Heat grill to medium-high. Grill the vegetables about 3 minutes on one side or till grill marks appear, about 3 minutes. Flip them over and grill other side till vegetables are tender but still a bit firm. Tomatoes will cook quicker, remove them from the grill as soon as they start to blister.
Reserve the balsamic dressing that remains in the bowl, to serve with the meal.

If you dont have a grill, broil the vegetables in the top rack of an oven, till one side is golden. Flip and broil other side.When the quinoa finishes cooking, toss it with the second half of the balsamic dressing. Stir in chopped basil, salt and pepper. Spread quinoa on a platter or bowl. Arrange the grilled summer vegetables and mozzarella around the quinoa. Serve warm with the reserved balsamic dressing on the side.

Life Begins at the Edge of Your Comfort Zone

2012-05-17T17:04:00.000-04:00

My across-the-street neighbor and best bud Mary Beth and I went to the Raleigh Handmade Market last week (and Trish too - shout-out - holla!) and we saw some great crafts from local vendors - more on that in another post. But, MB found a piece of art with this saying on it and said it was one of her faves. I thought to myself, what a great print it would make for the shop! So here goes!

Confession: I currently have an obsession with cute little campers. So I figured since life is a journey, I imagine taking a journey in this little cutie could be so much fun!

Holding Out for A Hero

2012-05-15T17:00:00.000-04:00

"You are lucky in life if you have the right heroes. I advise all of you, to the extent you can, to pick out a few heroes,"—Warren Buffett, Warren Buffett Speaks (2007).

I know, sounds like a cheesy interview question, but when I came across this question recently in a business book I'm reading, I didn't have a clear answer. So I really wanted to think about it - who are my heroes? Who inspires me?

Without responding a knee-jerk, shallow response, I really wanted to dwell on this one a little for a meaningful answer.

First thing I did, was look up the definition of hero. Interestingly enough - it references a "man" - not a woman - in the actual definition. (Someone certainly needs to fix this)

a : a mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability b : an illustrious warrior c : a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities d : one who shows great courage
a : the principal male character in a literary or dramatic work b : the central figure in an event, period, or movement

I believe our typical definition of a hero means that individual can't have any flaws or in-perfections, but even Superman was unable to overcome Kryptonite.

To choose one hero would be impossible for me - I think I need different heroes for different aspects of my life. My mom would be my family/home hero. To put anyone else in this category would be inaccurate and I'd be unable to really know how the honest truth about how they were at home. I know my mom, and she created the ultimate home/life environment for us as children. She was a teacher, so she had the best of both worlds - working when we were at school, and home when we were home. We always had dinner at the table, grew up in church and celebrated life through birthdays and holidays with lots of extended family members.

I would consider Steve Jobs one of my heroes. Yep, he wasn't a nice guy, but he had a great ideas. And he never, ever took no for an answer. He saw the value in marketing and creative and the power of a good agency. Again, perfection isn't a trait of heroes, so I'm overlooking his inability to interact with people.

Certainly everyone in our military is a hero. They fit the true definition "one who shows great courage". I think anyone fighting a deadly disease is a hero. Several friends and family members have been going through the excruciating, long and tedious fight against cancer. And it's not for the timid. My pastor is a hero - his mission to reach, teach and release is leading thousands to God's word. And I don't know when the man sleeps.

Heroes inspire us and oftentimes are what we aspire to be. They are mostly selfless, concerned about the well-being or benefit of others and put their needs aside. I wish I had that one single person that I aspire to be, but I think my hero would be a mix of several key traits of a group of heroes. Then again, there's nothing wrong with this statement either:

Source: abduzeedo.com via J on Pinterest

I'm sure I still need to do some work on this, but that's where I am for now.
So, think about it, who's your hero?

Walker is 7 (and Another Sports Party!)

2012-05-14T17:07:00.000-04:00

Many of you may not be surprised that yet again this year, Walker requested a sports-themed birthday party. And he wanted to invite twenty children to said party, and there had to be a basketball goal involved.

Seeing as I can't handle twenty 7-year-olds in my house, I had to get creative. And since two-thirds of Walker's class at school includes girls that don't play ball, I had to get even more creative.

After checking every local gym, sports complex and getting approval from the Walkerman himself, I decided on Umstead park in Chapel Hill, that had a great climbing structure, creek, basketball court, picnic area and open area for all of those energetic 7-year-olds to run off that uncontrollable energy.

You may remember Walker's sports party two years ago, which was similar. Luckily, I'd saved some of the decor from before and decided to give myself a break this year and hired a friend to make the cake. Target has some great plastic trophies that I picked up for decorations, along with bright colored gumballs and some black and white ribbon glued to bright-colored scrapbook paper for a fun bunting. I didn't go overboard on the food since it was an afternoon party. We snacked on cheese basketball crackers, mini-donuts, chips, popcorn, cake and ice cream. Nothing too fussy. You can check out my sports party pinboard for more fun ideas that I found.

The kids had a great time playing baseball, throwing a football through a hula-hoop, playing water balloon toss, and ultimately all ending up in the creek. And I mean literally in the creek. Turned my head for two seconds and this happens. I'm sure there was a mom or too unhappy about those wet clothes, but the kids were loving it. And Walker was certainly in his element being the center of attention.

Now if I could only get him to finish writing all of his thank you notes. I swear I have bribed him with a dollar per note. So far - three complete, 25 more to go. We may get them done by next year's birthday, so please excuse my un-southern manners by not getting them out within two weeks of the party. Little boys aren't much into their cute stationary and sitting still long enough to write complete sentences.

My Love Life in Whitney Houston Songs

2012-04-26T23:39:00.000-04:00

I've watched the Glee episode tribute to Whitney Houston Tuesday night and realized that I know almost every single word to every hit she ever had. And I totally caught myself belting out the lyrics and all of these memories came flooding back in my mind from years ago. (Yet, I can't remember what I need to pick up at the grocery store halfway through the store...hmmm...)

The first record single I ever remember having was Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance With Somebody". I have memories of me dancing in my den, singing along to every word of my curly haired, pink eyeshadow wearing idol. I was twelve - just starting to understand what boys were all about, having my first junior high crush and attending my first school dance. Appropriately so, the girls would all sit on one side of the cafeteria and the boys on another. And inside we were all dying for a boy to ask us to dance, but they were all too shy or too cool.

Moving along to high school - 1992 - my Junior year - and The Bodyguard was the number one movie in theaters. Naturally, high-school boyfriend and I had to have a "song" and naturally, I chose "I Will Always Love You" as our song. Not sure he ever knew that though. He dumped me my freshman year in college.

1995 was my second year in college. I was in love - big time love. And he totally had my heart. We loved music, movies and each other. But it wasn't grown up love, it didn't last. We were together for three years, but the cracks probably started around the second year we were together - 1995 - the year of "Waiting to Exhale". But one great thing that came out of our break-up - my very best friend (still to this day). We were both dumped the same week. We got through it together.

Exhale (Shoop Shoop)
Everyone falls in love sometime, Sometimes it's wrong, and sometimes it's right
For every win, someone must fail But there comes a point when When we exhale (yeah, yeah, say)
Shoop, shoop, shoop Shoop be doop, shoop, shoop
Sometimes you'll laugh, Sometimes you'll cry
Life never tells us, the when's or why's. When you've got friends, to wish you well
You'll find your point when You will exhale (yeah, yeah, say)
Hearts are often broken When there are words unspoken
In your soul there's answers to your prayers If you're searching for a place you know
A familiar face, somewhere to go You should look inside yourself You're halfway there
Sometimes you'll laugh Sometimes you'll cry
Life never tells us, the when's or why's When you've got friends, to wish you well
You'll find your point when You will exhale (yeah, yeah, say)

Onto my current love...the 2000's to present. These weren't Whitney's best years, as we all know, so it's hard for me to pick one for hubby. He's just the lucky one that gets to see me dance around and lip-sync to Tuesday night's episode over and over again and peer at me in wonder (this happened last night actually). I guess you could say he's my "Greatest Love of All" for putting up with me for so long!

By the way, here's my favorite performance from Tuesday night. I love some Blaine! He's so fierce!

Y'all

2012-04-20T01:01:00.001-04:00

Still love you guys - just taking a little break!

Walker's 7th Birthday!!

Sports Party Planning

2012-04-10T09:37:00.002-04:00

Over here in crazy land, we are heaving into planning Walker's upcoming 7th birthday party. This year's theme - sports - again!

His fifth birthday party was a sports theme as well, so fortunately, I'm able to use to ideas from that day and added some new fun things as well! Stay tuned to see more fun stuff and pics from the big day!

In the South: Bridal Portraits

2012-03-29T16:00:00.000-04:00

Source: A Glass Perspective Photograph

So, gonna try a new series here, related to things related to the south. Today's topic: bridal portraits.

I'm helping my niece plan her wedding, so I've got wedding on the brain right now. Here's a little about the southern tradition of a bridal portrait.

In the south, one of the most important items to do on your list is to get your bridal portrait done. Because it will be prominently displayed at the reception in an elaborate gold frame on an easel for everyone to pass when they walk in.

If you've never been to a southern wedding, you've missed all of the whispers that occur upon passing that portrait...

"Oh, she is gorgeous in that dress."
"Are those real?"
"That picture doesn't do that dress justice."
"Good Lord look at the lace."
"Why in the world would you want to lay in the grass in your wedding dress?"

So how did this tradition start?

"Originating in Europe, bridal portraits (or “bridals”) were historically oil paintings of royalty in their bridal regalia and were traditionally commissioned by the bride’s family to commemorate such a special occasion. It’s unclear how this tradition made its way below the Mason Dixon, but before World War II, it was rare to have a photographer at your wedding, so bridal portraits were taken in the photographer’s studio before or after the couple’s wedding. Not long ago, bridals were a rite of passage for Southern debutantes and a family keepsake that was displayed on an easel near the guest book and then hung in the bride’s parents home for years to come."

Oh it's a big deal - definitely something you don't want to get wrong.You have to order your dress in time for the portrait session, and your hair, makeup and flowers must all be perfect as well. It's actually a great dry-run of the real wedding day. I hated the flowers my florist did for me for my portrait day and had the chance to re-consult her for the actual wedding day to get them right.

More than likely, this picture will hang in your parent's home, for all of their friends and family to see. If you want to buy one for yourself, that happens too, but your parents typically have one in their home.My grandmother has portraits of my mom, her sister and her sister-in-law all in a row in her living room. My portrait hangs in my mom's family room.

My photographer totally screwed up my bridal portrait. I spend days getting ready for my portrait sitting. He had a brand new camera that he evidently didn't know how to work yet. He took two hours of photos, but screwed them up when he transferred them to his computer. I had four total to choose from. I was not happy, but at least there was one I really liked.

So, is it an "only in the south" sort of thing? Did you do a bridal portrait? Do you consider this an odd tradition?

Freckles

2012-03-26T16:38:00.001-04:00

My mom said she always hated her freckles, those little dots that covered her arms and face whenever the sun would come out.

She always told me my freckles were kisses from the sun.

Walker has inherited this trait, and I commented on how cute they were last week.

He responded that he had been "growing his freckles" that day and they were "growing pretty fast". Then of course, I had to explain where freckles come from and I told him they were kisses from the sun, just like my mom told me.

Now I get to look at those cute freckles every time someone calls since he managed to set my phone background with this picture...

Men are from Manteresting and Women are from Pinterest

2012-03-13T23:02:00.001-04:00

Yes, the men have gone and created their own thing because evidently ours was just too pretty, crafty and girly for them. Meet Manteresting, the man's version of Pinterest. Although I do not condone some of the items being posted on the site (maybe cause I'm a girl), it's really quite clever.

According to the site, Manteresting is "not the first social bookmarking website to hit the Internet, we are the first to specifically cater to the male population. Last time we checked there were 3.4 billion men on earth. It's about time."

Take a trip over to Manteresting, and you may just get a tiny peek inside the male mind. While we're busy posting things like children's parties, interior decor shots and planning our dream wedding, they are "nailing" items to their boards. You'll see movie posters, lots of bacon, half-dressed women (we still have Ryan Gosling) and sports.

So, to review: meat, sports and movies, that about sums up the majority of what's there so far, from what I can tell. Oh and lots of mancave ideas. Go figure.

Here's a sample of just a couple of the interesting items currently showing on the main page:

See what I mean?

Just goes to confirm, how very different we creatures are. In other words, Men are from Manteresting and Women are from Pinterest.

It will be interesting to follow this site and see how this trend inspires other online pin-boards. Anyone up for starting Kidsteresting with me?

Oh, Nothing Much

2012-03-11T01:13:00.000-05:00

Oh my, sometimes life gets so busy, I don't even have time to blog about it!

So, what I've been up to lately, in pics...

Renovating my downstairs bath (I'll show final pics once it's done)...including teaching myself how to wallpaper. That's been fun, let me tell ya...

Saying goodbye to this sweet dog - my neighbor's best friend.

Getting to know this cutie-pie (my neighbor's new puppy!)

Lots and lots of work, work and work...sorry, nothing to see here folks.

Late night dance sessions with my little dude to our new favorite song, Someone You Used to Know...

Little bit of outdoor sprucing up...

And helping plan a wedding for these beautiful people (my niece and fiance)...

That's all, nothing much....

So for now, know I'm still here, and planning to post more soon!

Just gotta get some stuff done to post about!

Southern Manners

2012-02-28T23:26:00.000-05:00

I recently received an e-mail from a young lady moving from the mid-west to the south. She was excited about moving, but unsure as how to address adults in the south. Her question:

Miss Wendy,

I'm 15 and we are moving to the South. I have a question on southern manners and thought you could maybe help? Do adults expect to hear yes or yes ma'am when being answered? I heard it a lot when we visited. I want to baby-sitt and wanted to know how best to respond.

Thanks!

So, I really had to think about this one, actually. Having always lived here, it's not uncommon to hear or say yes yes ma'am and no ma'am, yes sir and no sir. But lately I have noticed a decrease in the use, as more and more people move to the south from other areas.

I was taught at a very young age to always say yes ma'am/sir to my mother and father, grandparents and my elders, so it's never been anything I've really ever thought twice about. We teach Walker to say the same, and Mike is actually more adament about it than me.

But when he was in preschool, it wasn't something that was expected of the children, and it isn't enforced in school now. So sometimes it's hard for children today to get into the habit of using it because it isn't expected everywhere. I'd say that there's such a mix of people from different areas that don't use this same form of respect, it isn't enforced. But if you're talking to a person that was born and bred in the south, they will appreciate being addressed this way.

Some people take offense to the term, often during those awkward years in which we aren't sure if we're a young and exciting adult, or a more serious, boring sort of grown-up. Example: when the college intern says yes maa'm to you when it was only just five years ago when you were the college intern. That's when you say, "oh, don't call me maa'm - that makes me feel old." And they don't, but they giggle behind your back because they do think you're old.

It may be a form of respect that is old-fashion and dated, but my mother still says yes sir to her father, and so do I. And we'll expect it from our son as well.

The Old Book Smell

2012-02-16T23:14:00.000-05:00

New print in the shop inspired by a quote I came across online. Who knew? Perfect for that book-lover in your life, or to hang in a library or office!

My Loves

2012-02-14T11:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day to my two boys! Love you very much!

This morning, I drew hearts on Walker's waffles with syrup.

He said, "Mom, did you get that idea on the computer?"

I responded, "No, I came up with that one all on my own."

Maybe I need to step away from the Pinterest boards? Ha ha ha...

Boy Valentines

2012-02-13T10:00:00.002-05:00

If you have a son like me, he's pretty weary of the whole Valentine's day thing, so something mushy just isn't gonna fly. He's in that stage when any mention of a girl embarrasses him to no end.

And if you are like me, you'd prefer not to buy the pre-made character Valentines in the store just because you need another excuse to get your craft on. In fact, I've avoided the Valentine aisles completely to avoid the tug-of-war that could ensue if Walker were to see the Star Wars section.

After some pinning and searching on good old Pinterest, I finally landed on the perfect idea for a Valentine via Dandee Designs - bugs, jars and hearts. She has a template for the jars posted on this link, but I made mine a little larger so I could add two bugs. I actually picked the bugs up in the party favor section at Wal-mart, so they aren't hard to find at all.

Check them out, officially Walker tested and approved...

Meow

2012-02-10T15:15:00.002-05:00

Have you seen that new show "My Cat From Hell" on Animal Planet? Although Reese looks so angelic here, we could seriously use help from Jackson Galaxy (The Cat Whisperer) in our house.

My best friend refers to him as the Devil Cat.
As in, "Hey, is that Devil Cat of yours still alive? When is it going to die?"

He doesn't like people too much. Really doesn't like my mom. He hisses at her when she comes around. And he once chased a friend of ours out of the house when he came over to feed him when we were out of town.

And don't put him up against a dog. He would probably take em any day.

He has mellowed a little in his older years. The last couple of weeks, he's actually started sleeping at the foot of the bed instead of in the closet. He really can be sweet, but I think he mostly just chooses not to.

Reese actually sat still long enough for me to take his picture the other night. Fifteen years old and I've finally captured some good pics of him.

Because Sometimes They Need a Little Nudge

2012-02-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

Dear beautiful, loving, wonderful mother-in-law,

I know you'll read this before anyone else, so I'd like to take this chance to put a bug in your ear to put a bug in your son's ear about my requirement to adorn my demure lobes with something to make them a bit more adventuresome and bold. I think it's a supreme tribute to our love and would go beautifully with a note in which he confesses he unending love for his bride.

AKA: I need some new earrings. Tell Mike for Valentine's Day.

Love you!

Me

P.S.: They can all be found at Nordstrom.

MBA in Mothering

2012-02-02T15:00:00.001-05:00

2012 has been much better related to behavior. It goes to show sometimes we really have to work to be a great parent, and we don't always have the answers.

I don't know how many people I talked to and consulted with and asked for advice about how to ensure this little cutie would be a better listener, respect adults, control his compulsiveness and respect personal space. I read books, blogs and I prayed... and prayed... and prayed.

And so far, his precious, patient teacher has said he's having a great 2012.

I've seen more smiles, I've had more patience and we're certainly seeing results.

It's been a learning experience for me for sure. I grew up thinking that how to be a perfect mother just magically comes to you - something that every mom has in her. To an extent, I think that's part true, but I also think we can always become better at everything we do.

And I guess, before the Internet, books, close neighbors, Facebook and blogs, generations before us just figured it out on their own and it did just "come to them." And we turned out just fine.

But good Lord, how in the world did they do it?

Not To Leave You Hanging...

2012-02-01T17:10:00.006-05:00

Sorry I'm just now getting back to y'all on the results from my second mammogram last week. I have been so busy the last couple of days I haven't even had time to check in.

To start, I'm fine. Everything is OK. It was a bit nerve-wracking and VERY eye-opening, but I'm OK.

I showed up for the second, more intensified scans of my right breast Friday, where they found an area on the initial baseline scan. I had to wait forever. That was so not fun.

When I was called, I went through the steps, had my boob squished for a short bit for pics, and then I had to wait.

The nurse was so wonderful. I'm sure she's been present for the delivery of news from both sides of the spectrum. So she was very sensitive to every word and every move I made. She said, "Now I'm going to go meet with the radiologist. Don't be scared or get nervous if it takes a long time. That just means I have to wait a little and he's busy."

So I waited.
And I flipped through a People magazine.
And I waited.

Then the nurse came back with the radiologist. She said, "Everything is OK but the radiologist just wants to talk to you some more and do a physical exam in that area."

First I hear everything is OK, then I hear but...so that made me nervous. He then explained basically what they saw, "You have what we refer to as an asymmetrical density in your breast tissue, which means you have an area that is denser/thicker on your right side vs. your left side." Evidently your breasts are supposed to be mirror images of each other as far as their density, but in 20-30% of people that's not the case. So basically, I'm no longer a specimen of perfection. Oh well...

He did a quick exam and said I was good to go and that he was just being extra cautious. I have to go back in 6 months just to be sure nothing changes, and if everything looks good then, I don't have to go back again until I'm 40.

This growing up thing is for the birds.

On another note but still a little related...I whipped up some cupcakes for a bake sale the Pink Pacers hosted along with a health fair to benefit the Get Real and Heel breast cancer after-treatment program. I saw a cute idea to place the cupcakes in a clear plastic cup for presentation. I dropped a cupcake down in one cup and gave it to Walker to try, and realized it was very messy to get it out to eat. So I found some plastic forks and decided to tie them on the top as well, which turned out cute!

The Real Me...

2012-01-27T10:29:00.000-05:00

Some fun things I've found on Pinterest that are totally me, and maybe I'm a little embarrassed to admit...but hey, we're all friends here right?

What about you guys? Feel like admitting to anything crazy about yourself? Come across any great Pinterest finds that totally nailed your personality and/or quirks??

And, another thing, I didn't create any of these, so evidently there are some other similar souls out there just like me!

Wordless Wednesday: Will Someone Please Play Ball With Me?

2012-01-25T09:36:00.004-05:00

Things We Don't Talk About

2012-01-23T17:54:00.001-05:00

Source: jennycookies.com via Diane on Pinterest

I had my very first mammogram last Wednesday.

I'm 36, so it was my baseline mammogram. The technician pretty much scared me to death. She said almost everyone is called back after their first mammogram because every single little speck is looked at to be sure you are clear and good. Then, if all goes well, you don't have to come back until you are 40. At that point, if anything shows up, they can go back to the baseline and see how it's changed.

Sounds corny, but I consider it a one of life's passages, something that once seemed so far away, but now it's passed.

I remember days my mother would have to go in for her mammogram, she dreaded it so. She'd talk about how uncomfortable it was and honestly, it scared me to think I'd have to endure the procedure one day.

Honestly, I'd been dreading it for so long, but knew if I didn't have it done before I went to my next annual check-up, I would be sure to hear it from my Dr. And no one likes a lecture from their doctor. I fished the referral document from the depths of my purse and called the clinic to schedule an appointment. I thought, hey, maybe they can fit me in this month, maybe not. I'm OK with whatever. When the receptionist responded, "Want to come in tomorrow?" I paused. No, I don't want to come in tomorrow, that is too soon - and totally doesn't give me enough time to mentally prepare for this.

So I said, "How about something next week?" Sure, something next week - that would give me time to e-mail my closest friends and tell them I was taking the big step. They'd e-mail me back and say "yep, I really need to do that too" or "it's not as bad as everyone says."

The thought of my breast being flattened like a pancake was certainly not something I was looking forward to. But, I did it, I survived and no one told me I wasn't supposed to wear deodarent. And I did remember to shave, so one point for me.

It wasn't as bad as I thought, and it shouldn't be something that is so dreaded. It saves lives. It gives us a chance to fight that ugly monster we call cancer. It gives us just a little bit of control over what's happening inside, which feels good to me.

Yes, I did get the letter that they saw something a bit off, and I have another appointment this Friday. But as the technician said, it's pretty common to get called back, and I'm not nervous about it. My mom, on the other hand, e-mailed, called and texted me numerous times this morning to remind me to schedule that follow up appointment (as moms do).

So what's my point? (And I do have one)

If you're putting it off, don't.
If you're wanting to take control of your health, do.
If you've heard stories of how bad it is,
think about how bad it can be.
And that's pretty much it.

*The American Cancer Society recommends that a woman obtain her first baseline mammogram between the ages of 35 to 40. After the age of 40, she should receive a yearly mammogram.

2012 Pantone Color of the Year: Tangerine Tango

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Tangerine Tango 2012 by southernstuff featuring vintage evening dresses

Southern Sayings Series

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Now that's a mouth-full!

I had some requests to add another piece to the southern sayings series, to make three that could be framed side-by-side. Mike and I brainstormed a good "southernism" and finally landed on "I'm Fixin To". A very common saying in the south for sure!

It's now available in the shop as a individual print, or you can buy the whole set of three southern sayings! Would look adorable framed beside each other in a hallway, bathroom, kitchen - pretty much anywhere!!

Visit the shop to purchase your prints now!