there is no set path...: July 2011

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

one picture (of myself)

happiness.

( i loved this challenge so much as it took my mind off of everything else going on in life and allowed me to think creatively and reminisce. i have also been able to learn about and laugh with my friends who also took the challenge. i hope that you will join in the fun as i would love to read about you too! hopefully we will find another one soon :))

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

two songs

solsbury hill - peter gabriel
not sure why but this song has always been and will always be one of my very favorites (video is a little weird though).

there's your trouble - dixie chicks
this is the song that brought me to the awesome realization that i can sing exactly like natalie maines. i love her.

Monday, July 25, 2011

three films

i am a movie lover. i go to the movies frequently, rent movies constantly, have a pretty good size movie collection of my own, and try to see all the oscar contenders before the big show every year. this being said, there are a handful of movies that i watch again and again. these are three of them:

1. remember the titans - maybe my favorite movie ever. favorite line, said by my favorite charatcer, julius, "attitude reflects leadership". i love all sports tearjerkers, but this one just has something special about it.

2. juno - teen mom considering adoption. right up my alley as this is my favorite population to work with. too bad my clients are never quite this cool :) soundtrack is great too.

3. troop beverly hills - ok, i only watch this one when anna is around but i did recently pass on the tradition to my kid friends, macie and taylor. they loved it as much as we do!

images found here

Sunday, July 24, 2011

four books

as a person who is always reading something, and has a varied taste in books, it is difficult to pick four. these are what pop into my head though so i am just going with it!

1. nineteen minutes - jodi picoult
i loved this book. i actually love all of her books that i have read. they are thought provoking and make you see situations from points of view that you wouldn't normally think about or sometimes wouldn't want to think about. most people love her or hate her and to give fair warning, all of her books are somewhat controversial and make you think about hard issues. nineteen minutes is about a school shooting and is very thought-provoking. jodi picoult is definitely one of my very favorite authors.

2. apa style guide - american psychological association

had to include this as it was my bible both times i was in grad school. it tells you how to write papers, cite sources, and be grammatically correct. a must have for any social science-related masters student :)

3. the help - kathryn stocket

my favorite book last year. if you haven't read it, you must immediately. i loved it so much because it is an interesting, and frequently funny, way to tell a difficult story about a time that is not that far in our history. the characters are amazing and i highly recommend. the movie comes out august 10 and looks as though it may do the book justice.

4. smoke screen - sandra brown

ok, i almost didn't put this on here because i wanted to put smart books by smart women that make me look like i only read smart and interesting things. it would be a lie. i LOVE to read crap and my favorite is any thriller with some romance mixed in. i have many authors in this genre that i read, but sandra brown is my favorite and i have read every one of her romantic thrillers. i also and a political thriller junky and love vince flynn. i aspire to write my own crap novel and make tons of money...one day i will.

all pictures found here

Saturday, July 23, 2011

five foods

i love food. all food (well, except avocado and cottage cheese). so in order to narrow it down, i decided to pick 5 of my favorite things that my mom makes. she is an amazing cook and has spoiled us with home-cooked meals our whole lives.

via

1. spaghetti

this is my favorite. it was my requested birthday meal every year. my mom gave me the book with the recipe in it and i have made it a few times but it never compares to when my mom makes it.

2. omelettes

this is a staple in our house. mom makes a buffet of sausage, cheese, onions, mushrooms, and bell pepper and then we get to choose how many eggs and what we want in ours. to give credit where it is due, dad helps to by making toast and cooking the sausage!

3. thanksgiving dinner

yummmmmmmm. cornbread dressing and mashed potatoes with giblet gravy. enough said.

4. the loaf

ok, this little concoction is delish. it is a loaf of french bread, cut the top off, take the insides out, fill with yummy deliciousness, put the top back on, bake, cut a slice, and enjoy. best when dipped in mom's homemade ranch dressing.

5. potato salad

this is one of those recipes that when i ask how to make it, mom says to put some of this and a little of that. i am lost on that. i aspire to be one of those people that can cook like that but my analness just will not allow it. anyway, the bacon and green olives, in addition to all of the other yummy ingredients, make it for me. so good.

it was so hard to narrow to 5. some of the other contenders were dallas delight, egg nests, sausage balls, cinnamon logs, quiche, gravy, ranch dip, hamburgers and peppered steak with fried rice. whew, i am hungry. gonna go call my mom and book a trip home :)

Thursday, July 21, 2011

six places

1. mom and dad's kitchen table

(christmas dinner 2010)

this is where my family goes to share meals, play many many games, catch up, laugh, do crafty things and spend a lot of time together

(playing 42, per usual)

2. cort and chris's living room

(one of many get togethers at this house. giggling about something inappropriate i am sure)

this place is full of life and is always welcoming to me and others. i spend a lot of time here: hanging out with and talking to friends, playing trains, reading books, snuggling babies, watching tv, escaping my quiet house, etc. etc. (c&c~thanks for always having me)

(snuggling baby joe and ben)

3. Red River, NM

my favorite place to visit. i love it here. makes me think of childhood, peace, calm, happiness. i would move here if not for the fact that there are approximately 10 people who live here year round. would love to get married here someday.

4. my bedroom

this place is a cave...quiet, cool, and dark. i love it and could lay in my super comfy bed for hours reading and dozing. (was going to make the bed for the pic, but that would just be a lie because i literally only make it when my parents are coming to town)

5. the patio of my favorite bar (i couldn't choose one, so i included both)

(duddley's draw, college station, tx)

(stan's blue note, dallas, tx. yes, that is jennifer with a large rasta banana.)

6. austin city limits music festival

(cort, becky, joni, and myself at acl during the early years)

i love, love, love this festival and look forward to it every year. the music is wonderful but the friends and fun cannot be beat. i have been going for many years and i look forward to it now as much i did in the beginning. there are several of us who try to go every year and without fail it is fantastic (aside from the dirt storm, hooker motel, mud pit, fall into oncoming traffic, sweltering heat, and other experiences that make for great stories that we retell over and over). we dance and laugh and talk and drink for three days straight. i love it and cannot wait for this year.

(joni and i at acl 2010)

seven wants

1. a new camera

Source: thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com via Marcy on Pinterest

2. to travel to exotic lands (and take picturew with my new camera)

Source: google.com via Marcy on Pinterest

Source: the-bath.tumblr.com via Marcy on Pinterest

Source: sunsurfer.tumblr.com via Marcy on Pinterest

3. to love exercise

Source: someecards.com via Marcy on Pinterest

4. to find the love of my life

Source: zsazsabellagio.blogspot.com via Marcy on Pinterest

5. to find a job i love (that pays enough to not live paycheck to paycheck...does that exist?)

Source: graphicdesignblog.org via Marcy on Pinterest

6. to stop obsessing about needing to lose weight and just do it

Source: moreconfidenceplease.tumblr.com via Marcy on Pinterest

7. someone to deal with every aspect of this upcoming move, including but not limited to, packing, moving, unpacking, buying and arranging beautiful new furniture (i wish!), and having all utilities, cable, internet, etc. hooked up upon my arrival.