If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, then the pearl should be her soul mate.  Although I don’t think it would have made the best song.  A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but pearls are a girl’s soul mate.  It could work!  I guess I missed the category for women who love diamonds, because I am absolutely in love with pearls.  Any shape, size, or color, I think they are just gorgeous.  For Christmas this year, I made all the women in my family pearl necklaces.  “Every girl needs pearls,” I told them.  It’s true!  I think that every woman should own that one strand of life defining pearls.  The ones that look good with anything, from the ratted t-shirt and jeans, to the elegant ball gown and pointed toe shoes. 

Let’s take a trip through history shall we…

Pearls are the oldest and most universal (they go with everything) gem around.  They are also the only gemstone that is created by a living animal.  Above all this, they have a great shelf life.  The oldest surviving pearl necklace was found in the sarcophagus (coffin, in today’s time) of a Persian princess and its nearly 2000 years old.  So I’d defiantly say they make good heirlooms, not only to your children, and their children, but their children’s children 2000 years from now.  Can you imagine the stories in 4010, “Oh yes, these were my great, great, great…and so on’s pearls.  Well if you must know, they are 2000 years old.” 

Worn as declarations of wealth and power in times past, it’s no wonder that the great (and misleading) Anne Boleyn adorned her neck with several strands, along with her head coverings.  As queen she had the wealth of the kingdom, and as a woman, she had the power to overthrow it.   

Times have changed quite a bit since her day.  Today’s woman can wear pearls just for the fun of it.  Although, they are still a great symbol of wealth.  I was browsing the Internet the other day and came across Japanese Akoya pearls, a thing of beauty.  They were sold in a 16″ strand (the same as most), and the price was $24,000.  So I guess is the suit makes the man, in that case, the Pearls make the very wealthy woman.

The pearl has also been labeled with Purity, Chastity, and Feminine Charm, throughout history.  When a woman get’s married, it is very likely that she will pick out a beautiful pearl necklace to wear with her gown.  Although, I am afraid that some no longer live up to the standards placed on the pearl necklace.  In a time when seeing is no longer believing, the pearl is now worn for its beauty, and not for its symbols. 

As early as 3500 BC you could find pearls being worn in the Middle East and Asian societies.  It’s popularity continued to grow during the Roman times when pearl fever apparently reached its peak.  One Roman general actually financed his entire political campaign by selling one of his mother’s pearl earrings.  Cleopatra herself was lavished in pearls, so much in fact, that to prove her love to Marc Antonius, she dissolved a pearl in wine and drank it.

The popularity of the pearl continued its climb right into the Christianity Era.  When John penned the description of Heaven in Revelation 21:21, he describes 12 gates, and one of them is made of pearl.  Jesus himself, in a parable, compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of a great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.  {Matthew 13:45, 46}.

The demands for pearls have gone up and down throughout our history.  However, the pearl itself, it’s grace, beauty, and symbolism will live on forever.

I know this is a poor attempt at a birthday cake but what can I say …. life is hectic at the moment with relocation on the horizon and it’s the best I could do. It tasted pretty yummy and I even cheated and had a slice today!! The best part of the cake had to be the chocolate maltesers on top.

It really was great to be back at school today.  I was missing 6 kids so only 23 were there, it made for a nice day.   They cracked me up big time though.

We were getting ready to do calendar and I was taking attendance, and talking about how vacation was over and we were now back at school, and I said, “I wish I was still home in my nice warm bed.  And this one little boy, who’s parents don’t speak a lick of English, piped up, “Ahhhh, poooor BABY….”  WHERE do they get this stuff?

We were doing the nursery rhyme “Baa, Baa Black Sheep”, and since we are in a city, I asked first if anyone knew why the rhyme asked the black sheep if it had any wool, and if they knew what wool was.  I got lots of blank looks, so I then asked if anyone had ever seen a sheep.  Again, lots of blank looks, finally this one little girl says, “Well, I haven’t seen any sheep, but I have smelled the pig farm……” 

Yes, we do have a pig farm, it used to be WAY out of town, but the city has moved out  and around it.  It’s a singular experience when the wind blows the air from the pig farm  your way….

This might have been the hardest year since I’ve been rating my top movies. There were so many movies that I loved. I had to stretch my top ten to top fifteen, and still feel like some of my honorable mentions deserve to be on the list. There are a few picks in the list that I know I’m probably alone on, and I feel like I’ve fallen into some sort of trap with Avatar, but I can’t really help it, it was impressive, if just mostly visually. I’ve seriously completely changed up the list probably 20 times, but here’s what I think, as of now:

15. 9

14. Up in the Air

13. I Love You Man

12. The Brothers Bloom

11. Zombieland

10. Watchmen

9. District 9

8. The Boat that Rocked (Pirate Radio)

7. The Hangover

6. Where the Wild Things Are

5. Avatar

4. Up

3. Inglourious Basterds

2. Fantastic Mr. Fox

1. Star Trek

Honorable Mentions:
500 Days of Summer
Away We Go
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Coraline
Funny People
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The Hurt Locker
The Informant!
Moon
Observe and Report
Public Enemies
State of Play
X-Men Origins: Wolverine

c.

I did this last year, and it was fun and a good way to give other people good gift suggestions, so here we go again! Of course, I can’t list them all (and we got some great stuff this year!), but here’s a few toys and games (we got so many games this year). I’ll do a separate list of favorite Wii games sometime in the future, because I think that choosing Wii games can be hard with little kids!

TOYS WE LOVE:
Leapster Game: My Amusement Park. Both boys have absolutely loved this game. What’s funny is that when Bennett opened it, he said, “I have never even heard of this game!” even though he circled it in a catalog and discussed it with me more than once.

Speedball: Surprisingly, this isn’t total junk. The 20 point sensor doesn’t work well, so if you get a 20, you just have to hit the sensor with your finger. Really, all of the boys love this, and Jack Henry is remarkably good at it for a 2-year-old.

Lego sets are always a hit. The boys got Darth Vader’s ship and a camper, and they’ve both put them together more than once (sheesh, glad I bought these when I did, as they were each about half the price they are on Amazon now).

Remote control cars in every shape, size and style. You just can’t go wrong with remote control cars and little boys. (Again, most prices are way off what the gifts were purchased for).

The boys love Playmobil stuff, and this year Nana Jo and Papa Ron got them several pieces of the Egyptian set.

BIG THUMBS DOWN:
The Dippin’ Dots Maker. Let me start by saying it actually does make dots of ice. But they taste nasty and it comes with a jillion parts that have to be hand-washed. No thank you. And a parent has to do most of the work. (And don’t worry; Santa found it on sale or Santa would be really ticked off.)

GAMES WE LOVE:
Zingo! This is a picture bingo game that the kids are really enjoying. Even Jack Henry can kind of play along! And it’s not excruciating for parents, either.

Rat-a-Tat Cat: This is such a fun game for the whole family (kids 4 and older). We’ve played countless times since Christmas, and it’s quick and easy to learn.

Blokus: Another great game for the whole family. While the boys can’t quite strategize the best pieces to play yet, they certainly get the concept and can play this with us (and better yet, it’s a game all of us WANT to play). This game is really, really fun and Matt and I have played without the kids a few times, too.

Scrabble Apple: This is still a teaching tool more than a game right now, but when Luke becomes better at making words out of the letter tiles, this is going to be fun!

Ticket to Ride: first, I know it’s expensive for a board game. I did find it several dollars cheaper (on Amazon) in late fall, so the price fluctuates. But oh my goodness; you’ll never regret having bought this game. I think it’s really the most fun with 3-5 players, but Matt and I have played a lot of this over the holidays. I love that with two players, a typical game takes 30-45 minutes.

RANDOM:
I got a tool for the kitchen that I love, and I realize how dorky this sounds, but I’m telling you anyway. If you use any fresh herbs, this herb scissors is a must-have. I don’t know how or why I lived so long without one. I chose this one (my MIL bought it for me and told me to pick one out!) because it comes with a little cleaning tool and the others don’t. I am really hoping to have a garden next summer, including herbs.

The boys got both Star Wars Trilogies, which they love. They aren’t allowed to watch most of Episode 3, but they are really enjoying seeing these movies again.

What was your favorite gift this year?

Z9 will be 10 today – an important birthday for any child when you enter double figures. She is such a blessing to our family in every way. She has a wonderful nature – very caring and loving – she always thinks of others and how they are feeling. Her name means life and her second name means delight. We specially chose these names for her wanting and believing that she would be a life of delight and she truly is. She loves to cook and always asks if she can help me with dinner (sometimes I graciously allow her to help and other times when I am in a rush I am less patient). Helping her dad at the BBQ is another favourite of hers!

She is excellent at sport – athletics is one of her strong abilities as is playing soccer and T-ball. She is full of energy and always keen to try new things. Some day she will make some very lucky man happy but till then we get to enjoy being with her and have her infectious personality in our household.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL!!!!

I love this idea from Scrapbooks Etc. What a great way to display a lot of pictures without a lot of cluttered frames!

When I look back on all the amazing books I’ve read over the last two decades – I can’t help but fondly remember the children’s books that have shaped my literary appetite as it is today.

I guess the first book to stand out is CS Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which I was given by my cousin Joe. The copy I own has been read so many times that the cover looks like it’s been through a tsunami. I loved the fantasy world that it transported me to and that in the end, ordinary children could be warriors, Kings and Queens. the fact that one of the characters was called Susan really delighted me even though I always secretly wished that Susan was as exciting a character as Lucy!. I read the book over and over and enjoyed it without ever needing an explanation. Then, when I was in Junior year of high school we did the book in class. Suddenly, there was all this religious symbolism attached to the classic book of my childhood. Fascinating as it was, it was totally unnecessary for me. I love the book whether it has one level of meaning or fifty.

From a very young age, Lewis Carroll’s  Alice in Wonderland really got me dreaming. The book appeared before the Disney version for me – and as a result, I never really quite got what Disney was getting at. The Lewis Carroll version is so much grittier, more frightening and funnier! When I was a child my mum used to leave me in a main street book shop while she did her food shopping next door. It was during one of these sessions that I discovered Alice, the Mad Hatter, the Queen of Hearts and the Dodo. I still have my hardback copy bought from that very shop in Bray.

Sometimes called the greatest children’s author of all time, Roald Dahl will always hold a special place in my heart. Like the Carroll version of “Alice”, Dahl gave kids a look at fantasy in a slightly grimier way. In a world where you’re small and powerless, Dahl provided a resistance to authority and it was the kids that always triumphed. The Witches was always my favourite, followed closely by Matilda – but I have almost all his books and they’re all cello-taped together or missing pages! I still buy Roald Dahl’s books for my little nephews.

Truly wonderful children’s literature is timeless. You can read it as an adult and it still transports you, endears you and frightens you. Harry Potter did this for me as a young adult and I’m already looking forward to re-reading all seven books with new eyes! Can’t believe I almost forgot to mention Phillip Pullman’s Dark Materials trilogy – children’s books that I couldn’t put down for a minute.

Another book, written as a children’s story but definitely for adults is Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder. It took me about six months to finish, but my god was it worth it. It’s a history of philosophy through the eyes of a young girl and takes you from ancient times right up until the present-day. Accompanying the course is a magical tale of confusion and fairy tale fantasies that make you question your own existence and place in the world. I would highly recommend it for anyone who’s looking for something thought-provoking.

So, grab a cup of tea – get out your favourite childhood read and remember how amazing it was.

I’ll be attempting a children’s story here in the next week or two. Wish me luck!!

Things I wanted but didn’t get for Christmas:

1. Peace and quiet from my kids

2. An iPhone

3. A box of Milk Duds

Things I didn’t know I wanted but am happy I got for Christmas:

1. Obnoxious excitement and loud, boisterous laughter from the kids

2. DMB 2009 Europe tour package DVD/CD set

3. Big Man’s castaway LifeSavers

Surprises are the best.

♥Photo Credit♥

It felt so strange to type 2010 – I can’t believe another year has gone by! This time last year, I was preparing to switch dorms (a daunting task) and I was still winding down from a very stressful Fall 2008 term. Right now, however, let’s start the new year right by talking about all the things we love this week – and in 2009! 

• Television – TV has the power to annoy me, but I’m also captivated by it. I can spend hours watching documentaries on TLC, Discovery Health, BBC, and the History Channel – but I have almost no shows that I actually follow. Except the Tudors, my obsession of 2009 – it combines my love of history with my love of pure drama, which makes it fabulous. (How good was Joss Stone as Anne of Cleves?) Another obsession? What Not to Wear on TLC and You Are What You Eat on BBC. This week, I’ve been rewatching seasons of the Osbournes with my parents & I realize how much I totally love them. 
• Yogurt & Fruit Special K cereal - my dogs – sitting in front of the fire – watching movies with my friends & family – going shopping with my mom - curling up in my bed with a fabulous book – David Sedaris - living in my yoga pants. 
• Getting organized - nothing beats going through my notebooks and trying to get them all straight. I tend to start notebook after notebook over the year, filling one about halfway and then switching to a new project and starting another one. I’m slightly neurotic like that! But with the start of the year, I’m going to get them in order – hopefully, this will go well. 
• my new khaki trench coat from American Eagle (more on this later!)  - shoe shopping – Healthy Choice fudge bars - spending the evening being a homebody – texts from good friends - road trips – watching the Rose Bowl with my family - working out. 
• Watching movies - I love watching movies. I watch the same series of movies over and over again – the Nightmare before Christmas, Love Actually, the Lord of the Rings, UP, Shrek 2… they are my favorites and I watch them almost every single weekend when I’m away at school. 
• New notebooks - new pens – writing in the journal I keep for my nephew - my nephew’s laugh! – big mugs of hot chocolate with a little bit of Peppermint Mocha creamer added, yum yum - talking with my best friends. 
• Making resolutions - I’m so excited to change this year! I am ready for 2010 to kick off. 

What do you love this week? 

♥ Michelle

I came across this great idea at My Mind’s Eye! I’m thinking of making this as a gift for my niece’s birthday, using photos just of her. She will get a kick out of it since she loves to look at pictures of herself, as most kids do!

Here’s what’s made me happy lately:

1. Lunch date at Bread and Co. with Megan, Megan, and Robin! I seriously miss living with these girls (and Miriam, Katie, Kelli, and Kat), and can’t wait for the day when everyone lives in Nashville again. (Plus, I love the fruit tea!)

2. Glee on DVD. As much as I hated to admit it at first, I’m definitely a fan of Glee.  So, naturally, I spent the first day of 2010 watching Glee to my heart’s content!  (Note: I’m a lover of TV on DVD…as evidenced by my collection of The Office, House, The OC, Saved by the Bell, Grey’s Anatomy, and now Glee.)

3. Domesticity. I’ve really come to enjoy little domestic tasks like cooking dinner, doing laundry, grocery shopping, and even making my bed in the morning.  Crazy, right?

4. Dreaming of owning a bakery with Robin.  How much fun would that be?  Spending my days baking and decorating…all with a wonderful friend!

5. Finally having time to catch up on my reading list. Due to my abnormal grad school class schedule, I haven’t been in class since the end of September and don’t go back until March.  This means I finally have time to catch up on all those books I’ve been meaning to read.  Finally!  I love starting a new book; and even better, I love being able to decide what I’m reading…not have it assigned.

6. My co-workers. I’m blessed to work with the best, funniest, friendliest, most caring, and cohesive group of people ever.  They make going to work each day a joy.

7. Peppermint Coffeemate creamer.  I love this; it adds a nice kick to my morning coffee.  Unfortunately, I’m assuming Coffeemate was only selling this during the Holiday season.  Sad.

A new year, a new slate of films to see! Here are the films I’m looking forward to in 2010, and five films that I’ll only see if I’m dragged kicking and screaming to the theater.

I’m Buying a Ticket For:

Inception
I don’t really know what Inception is about. I don’t care. It is directed by Christopher Nolan (Memento, The Dark Knight). I need to see this NOW.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part One)
I maintain that, if Warner Brothers tried really, really hard, they could adapt Deathly Hallows into one movie. Never the less, I will be there in December, even if it’s just to show Twilight how it’s really done. Part Two will be released summer 2011.

Iron Man 2
The first Iron Man was an unexpected delight, mainly due to Robert Downey Jr’s performance as Tony Stark. Here’s hoping they’ll avoid a sophomore slump.

Toy Story 3
Toy Story 2 was the rare sequel that trumped the original. Here’s hoping lighting strikes twice.

Alice in Wonderland
I have a feeling Tim Burton was born to direct Alice. Now if only the Cheshire Cat would stop haunting my dreams…

The Wolfman
My enthusiasm for this updated version of the horror classic has been tempered somewhat by the rumors of reshoots and the studio playing musical chairs with the release date. Still, the trailer looks promising, and the cast (including Benico del Toro, Emily Blunt, Hugo Weaving, and Anthony Hopkins) is excellent.

Shutter Island
Another delayed picture, but apparently because Paramount Pictures felt they wouldn’t be able to properly campaign in support Shutter Island during Oscar season. Why Paramount felt that they would have difficulty getting some nominations for a Martin Scorcese-directed film in a year with 10 Best Picture slots, I have no idea. I’ve been dying to see this very un-Scorcese like film since I first viewed the creepy and beautiful trailer last summer. Shutter Island has the potential to be a great, twisty, and scary experience.

I’m Planning to Skip:

Prince of Persia
Video game adaptation. Since when are those ever good?

Sex and the City 2
Didn’t watch the series, didn’t see the first movie, don’t care in general.

Saw VII 3D
You know, Saw filmmakers, I don’t think the reason Saw VI bombed against Paranormal Activity last October was because it wasn’t in 3D. Will this series ever die?

Kristin Andreassen – “Crayola Doesn’t Make a Color for Your Eyes” (from the CD Kiss Me Hello)

2006 winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest in the “Children’s” category.  Written by Kristin Andreassen and Megan Downes.

My mother is the most outrageously talented Artist in Central Australia. Seriously, you name it and she has either done it, mastered it, over it or capable of doing it.  Check out these ritch deep colours, I just had to capture while on my quick trip home.

we’re here in texas, visiting family, playing with our sweet & gorgeous niece. we gave her her christmas presents today–fun! tonight, we’re going out with the cousins. hope everyone has a safe and happy new year!

2010, here we come!!! <3

back in september i had the unreal opportunity to to to NEW YORK CITY! it was an incredible trip and i even got to be there on my 22 birthday.

just a taste of the magic for you