Ginger Goddess

On Big News!

2013-10-22T09:35:00.000-04:00

I feel like I can finally announce that I'll be opening my Etsy shop, Ginger Goddess Designs, this Friday, October 25th!! I'm super excited (and nervous, and anxious) to start this new chapter for my crafting. I've wanted to do an Etsy shop now for years, but never felt like what I was making was marketable enough to sell. Sure, I have friends that ask me to make and do stuff all the time, but I've not been the best about time management so it would take me forever to get anything done and I would end up disappointed in myself. No more. I've got a couple of embroidered items to sell, a screen printed shirt or two, and some items that I'm making specifically for Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls as merchandise. I'm sticking with things that I like to make and I know someone like me would be interested in (younger, female, slightly nerdy and very crafty).

Here

The idea of having an Etsy shop has been a dream of mine and I'm looking forward to showing everyone the things I've been working on. If you have any ideas or suggestions of things that you'd like to see in my shop, feel free to contact me! I read all of my comments and emails and will consider suggestions that are within my realm of ability.

The OCPDG Straight Jackettes vs Dub City

2013-09-20T09:52:00.000-04:00

I went to my first game Sunday after going on a LOA. I wanted to say what a hard-fought game our girls had against Dub City. Im so proud of my girls and the work they've put in. It always amazes me how much they've progressed in one short season. Heres to another awesome game vs Palm Coast on Oct 6th!

Final Score:Straight Jackettes: 96
Dub City: 309

Heres a mashup of the game that I think is fantastic!

Congrats to all the MVPs too!!

Straight Jackettes:

MVP Pivot: Ruby Ruff ‘N’ Tumble
MVP Blocker: B-lo the Belt
MVP Jammer: Amina Acid

Dub City:

MVP Pivot: Elastic Ass
MVP Blocker: Bling it On
MVP Jammer: Dee Klairs War

On my Prayer quilt from my grandma

2013-09-09T10:34:00.000-04:00

I went to visit my grandma yesterday after running around for most of the morning. I'd just dropped Mike off at Luna practice (hes learning to skate so he can ref for us!) and was feeling a bit down because I wasn't able to stay and skate (the original plan was that I'd run home with the kids and work on some homework. I realize on my way to drop him off that I wouldn't have time to get home and do anything worthwhile before having to go back and get him). The kids were also driving me insane and my grandma had been asking me to come by because she had something for me.

Not sure why this picture turned but I couldn't figure out how to rotate it back. Blogger fail.

What she had waiting for me was this beautiful prayer quilt that she and my mom had made for me. I'm assuming it was a belated birthday present although she didn't say it was. She's made a bunch of these quilts with the ladies from the church, but this one was just for me, made all by herself with some help from my mom.

Little knots.

The meaning behind the prayer quilt is that its made with love, and covered with a bunch of little pieces of string. Each person takes a piece of string, says a prayer for the person receiving the quilt, and ties a knot. Effectively tying their prayers to the quilt and covering the person receiving it. While I am agnostic at best, it really means a lot to me that she and my mom sat and thought good things for me as they tied the knots. They also left three strings untied, one for each of the boys and one for Mike.

Owls! and one of the knots that were left untied.

I always treasure the things that my grandma makes for me. Shes always been my crafty inspiration (and also my go-to when I'm stuck on a project!) and I know how much time and effort she put into this (the woman is 82 years old for gods sake). I also love the fact that she found really cute owl fabric (I adore little retro owls) and that its obnoxiously bright colors.

My grandma= The coolest lady ever

Thanks grandma and mom!!

On turning 30

2013-09-06T10:15:00.001-04:00

Yep, you totally read that right. I've hit the big 3-0 and started a new decade of my life.

Yes, that is a birthday cake with bacon letters

On my birthday, I found myself waking up in a lovely little condo that we rented from AirBnB (if you haven't used their service before, I highly recommend it. We got to stay in said amazing condo for less than a Days Inn) in Austin, Tx. My wonderful man had planned a trip to the San Antonio Seaworld to do a penguin experience with two of our good friends. After Seaworld we drove to River Walk and saw the Alamo. Overall a pretty amazing experience and one that I'm hoping sets the tone for the next 10 years.

Yes, I look a little scary and I'm wearing a fanny pack.
Sleep deprivation will do that to you. Also, the penguins name is Jordan.

On the hour drive to San Antonio I found myself looking back at the last 10 years of my life and honestly, I'm amazed that I made it to 30 with some semblance of sanity.

During my 20s I had two kids, got married, got divorced, moved 10 times (no joke), changed jobs 3 times, got my AA degree and started working towards my bachelors, had surgery for staph and had my gallbladder removed (within 3 months of each other), my step-dad died from cancer, reconnected with my first love and bought a house... I could keep going. To say its been an eventful 10 years would be a serious understatement.

One of my favorite pictures. Edward was 4 and I was pregnant with Zach. Circa 2008.

While I hope my 30s are a bit more calm than my 20s were, I've already started making plans to do some awesome things. I want to start my own business and be able to work from home. I want to travel as much as possible (with and without the kids). I want to become an A level skater with derby. I want to lose 30 lbs.

I know lots of people talk about goals, very few achieve them. Thankfully I have an amazing support system that I know will help me through all the rough patches and help me celebrate my achievements (just like they've always done).

So, thank you 20s, its been real, but the 30s and I are ready to party!

On Deliberate Practice: Roller Derby Transitions, Part 1- Off skates

2013-08-20T10:27:00.002-04:00

Roller Derby is a fast-paced sport. Being able to maintain your spot in the pack, or catch back up quickly after being hit out or knocked down is incredibly important. Its just as important to be able to dodge those blocks, turn around quickly and head back in the right direction.

Sunnylands own Shod N Froyda
Photo Credit: Canonball

I personally am not very good at turning around. This affects not only my game play (I'm less likely to go for a hit that involves me turning around and skating backwards and its more difficult for me to recover when knocked out of bounds) but it limits what I can do during training. Since I'm taking the next two months off of derby (I'm starting up with school again and I have to pass my next to classes or lose my financial aid. boo.) I've decided to take advantage of my time and work on some of the basics. This will hopefully help when I start back up in November and have to re-take my minimum skills test (a WFTDA requirement and all around good idea).

Serial Thrillers Ludwig Von Slaytoven backwards blocking against a Rolling Valkyrie

Here

The first thing that I wanted to work on was my transitions. Skating backwards, doing tomahawk and hockey stops are vital parts to the game today, but they are also daunting skills to tackle. The very basic skill needed for each one of those moves is the ability to go from skating forwards to skating backwards (and sometimes back again) smoothly and at a high speed (most of the time). This got me to thinking about deliberate practice. I did a class with Mack the Mouth (coach of a team in Vancouver and one of the organizers for Camp PivotStar) while at Rollercon this year, and he discussed the benefits of using deliberate practice. Breaking down a skill into smaller, easier skills, than working on those skills relentlessly until they become automatic is the definition of deliberate practice.

Here

With that in mind, I decided that when I do my daily walks (at work, I do a lap around the buildings once an hour. This gets me up and moving and I get some sunshine to boot) I would work on my off-skates transitions. When it boils down to it, if I cant turn around and WALK backwards, how the hell am I supposed to do it on skates?!

I started out at a regular paced walk, then turned backwards (towards the left, the direction which I'm more inclines. Much like Derek Zoolander, I am not an ambi-turner). Then after walking a few paces backwards, I turned around again (again to the left). Not so bad. Then after a few more paces, I did the same thing, but turned to the right. I immediately noticed that I got dizzy when turning. I realized I wasnt spotting (this is a trick used by ballerinas who do lots of turns at once. Pick one spot in the distance, just above eye level and focus on it as you turn. Face it until you are forced to move by your turn, and immediately pick a spot in the opposite direction. Continue until done turning. It will reduce the dizziness and help keep you in a straight line).

The next time I walked, I practiced just on spotting and worried less about my pace or what my feet were doing. This made a dramatic difference in my right hand (derby girls, read: outside) turns. I did this a few more times, and threw in some 360 degree turns as well, working on spotting in both directions. I've been very conscious of doing my turns in both directions, as working both legs is not only good for derby, but it can help prevent injury (what you do to one side, you do to the other side. cha cha cha).

My third time out, I picked up the pace, just a little. I was going at a brisk walking pace, just enough to get the heart rate up a bit. Doing the transitions at this pace made me a touch nervous, just because I'm super clumsy, didnt have any gear on, and asphalt is hard. I was able to make it through the entire walk, turning like a whirling dervish without killing myself, so I consider it a success. Next time, I'm going to try it at a brisk jog.

I know all of this may sound superfluous, but being able to master a skill off skates, and then use that information and muscle memory on skates can mean the difference between mastering a skill, and just skating through (pun intended).

Stay tuned for part 2- on skates transitions!

Congratulations to the Arkham Assailants!

2013-06-10T16:07:00.001-04:00

Wow. Thats all I can say about last nights game. The Arkham Assailants vs the Serial Thrillers.

Until last night the Serial Thrillers were undefeated.

Arkham (and specifically the lovely and amazing Amina Acid) came out and pulled in a win.

In the last 2 minute jam of the game.

From a 16 point deficit.

It. Was. Amazing.

These ladies. Right here. Amaze-balls.

Congrats ladies. You earned it. (oh, and go like their facebook page. DO IT!)

<3>

Color Me Rad: 5k Benefiting the Ronald McDonald House

2013-04-15T16:24:00.000-04:00

I decided to do something stupid over the weekend.

Super awesome swag

I ran a 5K! It was an event I did with some of my derby girls. I'd signed up for it months ago with the idea that I'd do the Couch to 5k training and be all kinds of in shape for it.

I was feeling rad

Needless to say, that didnt happen. I think I ran on my treadmill twice. I was really worried I was going to get out there and die.

Clean and pretty before the race

Our group consisted of me, my hunny, my derby wife Steph, her sister Jen (who is also one of my teammates), Jens husband, one of our refs and one of our new Psychos.

We're hardcore

The wifey wasnt planning on participating but a last minute dropout left a space open for her. The race was sold out.

All in all, I did better than I had expected. I ran most of the race, walked part of it and only really ran out of breath once. It was great to have my hunny right there with me cheering me on.

The best part of the race. You can see how much color was in the air (and on the people)

While Im super proud of myself for finishing, It made me realize how out of shape I really am. I have got to start working on my endurance if Im going to improve in derby.

Me and the hunny. Aint we cute?

After we crossed the finish line, there were people handing out waters, granola bars and color packets. I, of course, grabbed Sunnyland teal and Steph grabbed Arkham green.

Being tainted with each others team colors

Wifey love.

She got more color on me than the race did.

The aftermath

After a bite to eat and a good long shower, I picked the kids up from their dad and took them to a birthday party. After dropping them back off with their dad, I went home and passed out.

Not a bad way to spend a saturday.

<3 licia="" nbsp="">

Hey Look! Its me!!

2013-03-25T10:12:00.002-04:00

Check me out over at the Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls blog. Of course that would be the picture they use.

"BRIDGING!!"

*derp*

<3>

On writing more often...

2012-12-20T12:39:00.001-05:00

Im going to attempt to write at least one paragraph a day. If nothing else, it will get me back in the habit of writing and hopefully give me a creative outlet (you know,like this whole blog thing started out being). I want to throw out there that what i write may not be incredibly interesting all of the time, but bear with me and I'll improve over time. Practice makes perfect right? So, for now, Im feeling in the christmas spirit today. Im pimped out with my red sweater (even though its 70 degrees here in the FL), jingle bell necklace, reindeer broach, santa cat earrings and red and green makeup. The tree is up and decorated, but we didnt do much with the outside of the house this year. Life got in the way and we ran out of time. Im planning on wrapping all the gifts tonight and working on some really cute mittens Im making for the boys and Logan. I'll update with my progress tomorrow!

<3
Alicia

My "Official" Derby Headshot!

2012-09-26T16:51:00.002-04:00

ACK AND OMG! ITS HERE ITS HERE ITS HERE I'M SO EXCITED I'M GOING TO PUKE!

OK, maybe I wont puke, but I am TOTALLY excited!

We had our photo shoot with the ab fab Phantom Photographics a few weeks ago for our "official" league head shots.

I got mine yesterday.

I almost died.

Here it is:

I kind of look like a badass

Its so amazing, I want to show everyone, even strangers on the street. I think I may make it into a shirt and wear it every day although that may look a little narcissistic.

Also, just cause I love her so very, very much, here is my wifey's head shot (shes going to kill me for putting this up)

She looks so very angry

Check out the rest of my team here

and the rest of the league here

Derby Love!!

Making Stuff....and a bunch of links

2012-09-20T17:54:00.003-04:00

As of today, my "Magnetic Makeup Board: Tutorial" is my most-often-viewed blog post.

Cant say I blame you, it is pretty sweet. (also, a BIG Thank You! to Laura from Lauras Thoughts for featuring me).

What this tells me is, you like to see me make stuff. You also like to have me show you how to make stuff too. I can do that.

Some of the things on my to-do list are to finish my update of my roll top desk (ala Centsational Girl), refinish a dragon backed chair thats been sitting in my garage, and decorate for halloween.
I have been making as much stuff lately, but you have inspired me to not only make more stuff, but to post it on here more often.

That being said, keep checking back for more "stuff" posts. (also, if you REALLY like posts about stuff, you should go check out Karen at one of my favorite blogs, "The Art of Doing Stuff").

Sugar Skull Earrings

2012-08-14T17:04:00.003-04:00

Hello All!

Just thought I'd post a quick pic of these super fab and awesome earrings I got on my vaca to Key West (more on that later).

Sugar skulls, I loves them.

Hope you all have an amazing week!

<3 gg="gg">

Sometimes you just get inspired....

2012-04-24T15:40:00.000-04:00

I was sitting at work today reading/looking at the poem that Neil Gaiman had created for Burton Olivers new backpiece ("Tattoos are only for the committed..." which I find incredibly poignant) and listening to Massive Attack on my spotify, and for some reason I got the urge to paint.

I found this urge incredibly interesting because not only did I not want to paint anything in particular, but I also dont paint. At all. Except maybe a little on T-shirts (more on that later).

So in an effort to pass on my weird moment of inspiration, here is the beautiful poem and artwork done by Neil and artist David Mack...

Check out the story Here

And Teardrops by Massive Attack (a: the video is a little weird. b: you may recognize the song as the theme from "House")

Hope you feel inspired too now!

Much Love,
GG

Check me out on the league tumblr! And my nasty roadrash from the skate-a-thon!

2012-04-19T14:22:00.000-04:00

Click here to see the league tumblr and my nasty roadrash! and my butt!

Much Love
GG

10 Mile skate-a-thon and things I learn when I skate outside

2012-04-11T17:12:00.000-04:00

Hello guys and gals!

On Saturday, April the 14th I am doing a Skate-A-Thon to get some funding for our league. Its a 10 mile skate (ack!) on the West orange trail (Heres the route we'll be taking) and we're looking for sponsors to donate per mile (like a marathon. If you're interested in donating, please comment with your name and email address and I'll send you my paypal information. Anything will help!).

Because I really dont skate outside very often and thought it might be a good idea before I try to do 10 miles, I decided to hit up a local trail this afternoon for my lunchbreak. The trail is about 1.6 miles one way, so roughly 3 miles there and back.

While doing my little skate, I came to some realizations, so I thought I'd share them :D

It is totally possible to put a car key, a drivers license, an ipod touch and a cell phone in my bra without looking like a mutant.
If you are of the pale-skinned persuasion like me, its probably a good idea to put on sunblock
People seem intimidated by a chick on skates
Skating on concrete is very, very different than skating in a rink (duh right?). There are things like small hills and wind. Fun, but exhausting.
That even though Im not in practice, I need to work on my derby stance. Standing straight=Falling over for me.
That it is really nice to skate outside like I used to do as a kid, enjoying the sunshine and my music. It was a really fun experience.

This was the beautiful view on the trail

Updates tomorrow on if I managed to make it into the league!!

Much Love,
GG

Recruitment is over, now the real fun begins!

2012-04-09T14:45:00.000-04:00

You may recall my post from a few weeks ago where I mentioned starting roller derby recruitment. Well last Wednesday was my final "skills test" and today I find out if I've made it into the league!

Our league logo. Click to head to our website

I'm feeling pretty confident about making it in and I got a lot of encouragement and tips from the Psychos (the girls already skating on teams).

I feel very lucky to have gotten in with such an awesome group of women. There isn't really any of the petty bitchiness that tends to happen when you get a group of very outspoken girls together, and everyone is very supportive and willing to help.

Our awesome group of recruits. Im the tiny one in the middle with the purple helmet.

(Yeah I know this probably sounds like I'm pandering but I'm really not. The girls are just that awesome).

Ill leave you with a video of us doing the cupid shuffle in the middle of Ale House after wednesdays test. And this is before we started drinking.

Derby Girls Cupid Shuffle

Much love,
GG

Kittens!

2012-03-21T17:01:00.000-04:00

Its official, I am now the grandma of six adorable, tiny, furry little kittens!

Too. Cute.

We took mama cat in (appropriately named "booger") about 4 weeks ago because i couldnt bear the thought of leaving her outside in the cold-ish temperatures (its florida. it doesnt get "cold" here) or leaving something to happen to her kittens when she had them.

Booger in all of her preggo glory. Note the little white mark under her nose that looks like,well, a booger.

March the 1st she decided to deliver the first of her litter at my moms feet while she (my mom, not the cat) was trying to take out the garbage. After she moved mama and kitten into the pre-prepared bathroom she called me frantic and I had to talk her through what to do. My instructions were as follows:

"leave her alone"

Right after baby #1 made its appearance

Yes, you read that right. Cats know what need to be done and typically dont need help delivering (unless they are some kind of fancy breed, it happens more often then, or so i've read). She had 3 more kittens by the time I got home an hour later.

Kitteh Snuggles!

It took another hour and a half before #5 showed up and #6 made his appearance sometime during the night. We ended up with 5 boys and 1 lovely little girl.

This is Rex

This has been a really wonderful experience for the kids, especially Edward. He is in love with those kitties (to the point that he checked out "cat fancy" magazine at the library. I am not kidding).

This one we're calling Heffer because of his cow-like spots

He is learning about how the babies were born and how they are developing as they hit their milestones (they just opened their eyes and are now starting to try and walk around more).

The aptly names "curious George"

He is also going to have to deal with the loss of (most) of the kittens when they hit 8 weeks and we have to give them away. I know we arent going to be able to handle 8 cats in the house so they are going to my best friend who works at a kennel and who has promised to find good homes for the babies.

I will be uploading lots of cute kitty pics for the next couple of weeks, so be prepared. Also, if you're in the Orlando, FL area and are interested in one of these adorable balls of fur, email me.

Much love!
GG

Lunachic Reports: Roller Derby Recruitment Week 1

2012-01-24T16:57:00.000-05:00

Chillin before practice

Yes, you are looking at the right blog.

No, there is not need to adjust your television screen.

I've done something a bit.... daring...

I've joined the Roller Derby!!

I know you're probably all thinking that this has come out of left field and that I've totally lost it. You're probably right.

I had heard about the local team (the Orlando Psycho City Derby Girls) a little while back from a friend of mine who emceed for them. I got so excited when I found out there was a local team and I knew that I HAD to try out.

I've always loved to skate and that was my main form of transportation before I was able to drive (although I rarely used quad skates. I wore the crap out of my rollerblades though. Hey, it was the 90s).

While I cant say that this has been a life long dream, it has been a desire of mine for about a year now. When Santa granted my Christmas wish of a brand new set of skates (and pads, helmet, mouthguard, and purple nuts for my wheels called "astro-nuts") my excitement knew no bounds.

Till I put the skates on for the first time and immediately busted my butt on the sidewalk.

Me + sidewalks= bad idea.

And this was with kneepads on

A few days after Christmas, I was playing on Facebook, as i do when i don't have much else going on (which isn't often lol) and I saw a little advert saying that the Psycho City league was having open requirements on Jan 2nd. My little heart went pitter-pat and my brain came to a screeching halt (screaming "WHAT ARE YOU NUTS? YOU CANT EVEN PUT THE THINGS ON WITHOUT FALLING!").

Thankfully my wonderful honey is always the voice of reason. He did a little research (i.e. he actually read the flyer) and it stated in big bold letters "No Skating Experience Necessary". I was thrilled (and nervous, and scared, and kind of felt like I was going to puke).

So I showed up for the first informational session, got all my info together, and showed up last Monday not really knowing what to expect.

We learned how to fall (the right way, not on our butts), and how to stop (which is incredibly important and does not include running into the wall). So far everyone has been super helpful and supportive (my boss has even suggested coming to a game as a "team building event" which i think is HILARIOUS!) I've ended up with some not so pretty bruises but frankly, I've had a BLAST! I cant wait to really start getting into the knitty gritty of playing and getting to know the awesome ladies better.

Here are a couple of videos on some of the skills we've learned. I'd like to keep updating throughtout recruitment and maybe encourage some girls out there in blog-o land to try out for their local teams!

How to stop:

This is how i bruised the crap out of my knee..

Superman Falls:

<3
GG

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2012-01-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

A new year and a new chance to sparkle!
I have a really good feeling about 2012 (no, I do not believe that the world is going to end. Sorry Mayan Calendar). I am looking forward to getting my AA degree (2 more classes!!) and starting my Batchlors programs, spending more time crafting, spending more time with my boys, getting more exercise and getting healthier overall and improving my financial situation.

I know, these sound like the standard run of the mill resolutions, but I dont really look at them that way. To me, they are achievable goals, not resolutions that I'll forget about by January 15th.

I took the first of January and did a total craft-area overhaul. I got rid of a bunch of stuff that I didnt need/wont use, organized my fabric and craft stuff, found some projects that I'd forgotten about and generally cleaned up a bit. It was so nice to work on my newest project with everything in its place, enough room to move without tripping on everything and a fresh, new outlook.

I've also given up regular soda. This one is rough for me. I loves me some Coke Classic in the morning for my caffine boost. So far I've switched to Coke Zero (all the caffine, none of the calories! Babysteps people.) and havent had much of an issue.

I am really looking forward to keeping everyone updated with my failures and sucesses and hearing about your progress as well! Feel free to email or facebook message me! I love hearing from people!!!

Dont forget to sparkle!!

GG

Over the weekend, Briefly

2011-12-12T16:37:00.000-05:00

The weekend was full of all kinds of crazy things, so I thought I'd share a couple of them:

1.A trip to the library. I checked out these four beauties and Edward checked out 5 books of his own, with his own card! (Btw, he checked out "Mothman","Bigfoot","UFOs","Ghost Ships", and "Ghosts". Can you tell what he likes?)

Why yes, that is the book written by the ex-wife of Eric Clapton and George Harrison. I love a little dirt.

2.Sparkly lights hung from trees.

This was taken outside of a subdivision that I pass by every day. I just thought it was so pretty.

3. The weirdest fortune I've ever gotten. I'm still not exactly sure what it means.

Huh?

4. Munchkins eating marshmallows!

YUM!

Zach shoved all of his in his mouth

5. Decided to dye my hair. Went with a lighter color, now I feel much more like a ginger.

Got my Hur Did.

We also took a trip to seaworld, but I'll post those pics separately.

Hope you had a great week!!

GG

Before I go to sleep- Dec 07, 2011

2011-12-08T17:45:00.000-05:00

Me and my awesome hat!

Yesterday started off fairly uneventful (other than edward waking me up at 3:30am and 4:30am just because he couldnt sleep and felt like he needed to share the wealth). Both boys were dropped off (with Zach singing his ABC's even though he only knows about 10 letters). Work, as always, was uneventful.

I did, however, get the chance to wear the new hat that I made! I've been wanting a slouchy-beany type hat forever and cant bring myself to buy anything that I am able to make lol. I found this pattern on crochet.com (just FYI, typing in slouchy-beany thing did not come up with any results) and its called.... wait for it... the "Phannie". So I guess you could say I have my head in my Phannie! LOL!

Sorry.

Anyways, I made my little hat over the course of a couple of days, mainly because I ran out of yarn and had to go buy more and after I put it on, I couldnt really decide if it looked cute or silly.

Once I paired its mustard loveliness with a plum top and tossed a gold and purple butterfly broach on the front ( I swear I've had that pin since I was 10. Avon, baby), I totally fell in love.

Apparently I wasnt the only one. I now have to make 2 more for people I work with, 3 for the people Mike works with, 1 for mikes mom, and 3 more for friends of mine (I made the mistake of putting this pic up on FB!). I guess I'll be having a hat-making christmas!

I ended up leaving work early so that I could go see my dad. He is leaving this weekend on very short notice to move to New Mexico for a job (he is a Dietary Nutritionist) and yesterday was his only day to get to Orlando (he lives about 45 minutes away in Howie in the Hills). So we met my brother and Dad at my might-as-well-be-my-stepmom's Sisters house (ok, try to follow, its my dads girlfriend, but they've been together forever so she might as well be my stepmom. Make sense?) and had pizza and pasta for dinner. It was seriously fab. It was also nice to hang out and just BS around with them for a bit.

Heres one of my dad and Zach

And my dad trying to lift Edward lol

The bag that Edward refused to put down is full of my Stepmom's 18yr old neices old toys. She, of course, was smitten by the boys and gave them full access to her old stuffed animals. I limited them to three each.

I also tagged some music using Shazam yesterday so I thought I'd share that too :D

Sigh, I love me some Richard Marx!

I hope you all have a wonderful day and thanks for reading!

Before I go to sleep...

2011-12-06T22:48:00.000-05:00

I've just finished reading a book that my future mother-in-law recommended to me called "Before I go to sleep" by S.J. Watson.

All I have to say about it is "wow".

The book is sort of like a mix between Memento and 50 First Dates (other than it is not a comedy by any stretch of the imagination).

The main character is Christine. You find out early on that she has short term memory loss from a mysterious "accident" and she can only retain information until she sleeps, than it all disappears. There are all kinds of twists and turns as you find out what happened to her and how she starts to figure things out by writing in a journal every day so that she can start to connect what happens from day to day.

After reading this book, I started to think "what would happen if I were to lose my memory? What would it be like not to remember my kids, my fiance, my mom?". Than, I started to realize all of the things that we take for granted in a day, all of the things we forget.

Im a very forgetful person even though I'm only 28. Often I forget things that happened in the morning by the time I go to bed.

Thats why I've decided to start keeping a journal, and taking pictures every day.

Im going to do a trial run of this for a month because, lets be honest, Im not the best at keeping with something day to day.

I'll probably be updating the blog with some of the entries and pics just so im accountable (dont worry, im not going to post every day and bore you with the mundane aspects of my life, which are many lol).

So here are some pics that I took today:

My boys goofing around in the grocery store

Edward outside of the grocery store acting weird.

Hangin in the backyard

Zach was dancing around. I had a heck of a time getting him to stand still!

I hope you will keep checking back to see whats goin on with me and the fam!

Love,
GG

Manic Mondays Music: Happy Halloween!!!

2011-10-31T14:26:00.000-04:00

YAY! My Favorite holiday is here!! In honor of Halloween, this weeks manic mondays music is a couple of my favorite halloween songs!

Bette Middler is always a classic

Tim Curry... Sigh...

One of my favorite movies!

I used to watch this on the disney channel every halloween and its still one of my favorites!

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Halloween!!
GG

Tutorial: How to shorten a zipper

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

Last week while working on replacing a zipper on a skirt for a girl that I work with, I made a startling realization....

The zipper that I had bought for said skirt was too long. Like, 2 inches too long.

Now this may not be a startling realization to some, but for me, it was horrifying. My brain went into overdrive thinking about where I left the receipt and what store did I buy it from?

Some slightly more intelligent part of my brain recalled my grandma mentioning that she had shortened a zipper that she'd bought a few weeks ago. This being about 10pm that night, I decided it would be in poor taste to call my poor, sweet grandma asking about zippers so to Google I ran.

I found a couple of super easy tutorials on youtube and was able to piece together a suitable method:

First: Measure youre opening to see how long the zipper needs to be (remember, do not cut it at the end of your opening or it will be too short. I made mine about an inch below to give some wiggle room).
Please pardon my suck-y pictures...

Yeah, WAY too long (thats what she said.... sorry couldnt help myself)

Second: Take a straight needle and matching color thread and make a simple whip stitch (going in from one side of the zipper, over the zipper, and down the other side)

Up and over

Third: continue doing this over and over and over until you have a little mass of stitches. This is the new "stopper" for the zipper pull. I also put a dab of hot glue over the stitches for good measure.

My lovely new "stopper" (before the hot glue)

Slightly better picture. You can see the stitches.

Finally: Snip off the excess beneath the new "stopper" and sew into your garment!

All done!

Thats it! After working myself into a frenzy, it took me about 15 minutes from start to finish to fix.

Sometimes the easiest methods are the best.

Love

Manic Mondays Music: Halloween is coming!

2011-10-24T17:04:00.000-04:00

I thought I'd deviate a little this week as its the week before halloween! Halloween is seriously my favorite holiday ( I love having the excuse to dress up) and I love me some spooky music.

Today I took a song from my Spotify "This is Halloween" mix (please feel free to search me out on spotify) and its still got an upbeat tempo. Plus the video is cool lol.

Via

Have a Super Spooky Week!!

GG