Sunday, December 26, 2010

Trains & Tutus

My best friend (who has three boys) and I (who have three girls) have started our own place on the web called "Trains & Tutus."  Feel free to check us out ~ www.trainsandtutus.com.

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Exciting News!

I have a new website!  http://www.lauraodom.com
It will be replacing this personal blog and is divided into different sections according to topic.
Check it out, and let me know what you think!  I will be working out kinks in the next week or so.

Tuesday, September 07, 2010

Poem

This poem used to hang in my mother's kitchen in an embroidery wall hanging.
It was brought back to my memory today...

"Cleaning and scrubbing
Can wait 'til tomorrow.
For babies grow up,
We've learned, to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs.
Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby
And babies don't keep!"

Grocery Shopping.

So, my best friend and her husband have been vlogging (you can check them out HERE) and she seems to think that my life should be vlogged as well.  There are two huge flaws with this, however,:

1.  I do NOT like the way I look on camera.  That's why I'm always behind it.  Plus, there's no photoshopping away double chins in a video.  I don't know if I can live with that.

2.  Despite what my well-intentioned "bestie" may believe, my life is just not all that interesting.

Case in point.  Here is a video documentary of my unloading the groceries...



Now, we do have some yummy stuff coming up this week on the menu...

Tonight - Homemade tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches
Tomorrow - Crockpot Mexican Chicken tacos, corn on the cob
Thursday - Chili Mac
Friday - Sausage, Zuchinni & Yellow Squash casserole 
(yummy recipe from my new fav Amish cookbook)
Saturday lunch - Frito Pie wraps
Saturday dinner - Beans & Cornbread

Thursday, September 02, 2010

A book meme

Favorite childhood book?
The Troll Music, Mr. Pine's Purple House, Pickles the Firecat, Alexander and the Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Day
What are you reading right now?
Stop Being Sweet Notebook
What books do you have on request at the library?
None
Bad book habit?
Buying books instead of checking them out
What do you currently have checked out at the library?
None (See Above)
Do you have an e-reader?
I use IBooks on my iPhone.
Do you prefer to read one book at a time, or several at once?
One at a time
Have your reading habits changed since starting a blog?
Not that I've noticed
Least favorite book you read recently?
?
Favorite book you’ve read recently?
The Lucky One by Nicolas Sparks
Can you read on the bus?
I don't ride the bus, but probably could read if I had to.  I read on the subway on our trip.
Favorite place to read?
In bed on a rainy day
What is your policy on book lending?
Even though I do hope books are returned, I typically only lend them if I'm okay with never getting them back.
Do you ever dog-ear books?
Not fiction books.  I have dog-eared recipe books.
Do you ever write in the margins of your books?
Only textbooks
Not even with text books?
see above
What is your favorite language to read in?
English
What makes you love a book?
Enjoyability, complexity with good resolution
What will inspire you to recommend a book?
If it made an impact on me
Have you ever read a self-help book?
yes
Favorite cookbook?
Currently one I picked up in Amish Country
Most inspirational book you’ve read this year (fiction or non-fiction)?
The Bible
Favorite reading snack?
Depends on my mood
If you could read in a foreign language, which language would you chose?
Latin
Most intimidating book you’ve ever read?
Hmm... Intimidating like hard to get into or content?  Not sure.
Most intimidating book you’re too nervous to begin?
same
Favorite Poet?
Alfred Lord Tennyson
How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time?
none
How often have you returned book to the library unread?
very infrequently.  If I do check a book out, I read it.
Favorite fictional character?
Anne Shirley
Favorite fictional villain?
Unknown
Books I’m most likely to bring on vacation?
Easy reads - popular fiction
The longest I’ve gone without reading.
I am always reading something...
Name a book that you could/would not finish.
Founding Mothers
What distracts you easily when you’re reading?
The kids
Favorite film adaptation of a novel?
Anne of Green Gables
Most disappointing film adaptation?
Gone with the Wind ~ left so much out!
The most money I’ve ever spent in the bookstore at one time?
Probably over $200
How often do you skim a book before reading it?
Not usually
What would cause you to stop reading a book half-way through?
I don't do this very often.  If it's just SUPER hard to get into, I guess I might.
Do you like to keep your books organized?
of course
Do you prefer to keep books or give them away once you’ve read them?
I used to hoard them, but recently I've gotten into giving them away
Are there any books you’ve been avoiding?
no
Name a book that made you angry.
Angry?  I remember not liking "I know this much is true" but not being able to quit reading it.
A book you didn’t expect to like but did?
The Twilight Series
A book that you expected to like but didn’t?
Can't think of one at the moment
Favorite guilt-free, pleasure reading?
Anything by Nicolas Sparks

RED

Some RED things that caught my attention online...




Red Pepper

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

Yellow

A selection of random yellow images I found on the web...



     







Blogging from the new laptop...

So, we went on vacation in July/August & when I came back, my laptop had died.  I took it in and it was the "logic board", which basically meant it would cost $700 to replace.  On a 2 year old laptop.  I think not.  But, being me, I drug my feet on purchasing a new one mainly because I hated to spend the money on it.  But with three people working at the studio all trying to use one desktop, I had to give in eventually, and earlier this week, I became the owner of another MacBook Pro.  Supposedly I should be able to get my "stuff" off the other hard drive still, but that hasn't happened yet.  All in due time, I guess.

However, after spending the past two days installing programs and hunting for license keys, I am beginning to enjoy having a functioning computer again.  For one, I was finally able to download and play with the pictures from my vacation.  Yay!   I did some quick tweaking in photoshop/bridge, then loaded them into iphoto, made a cool keepsake book, and even ordered it.  Can't wait to see how it turns out.  I'll have to give a report when it does.

So, I still don't have access to my old hard drive yet, so I'm not sure where I left off on my Project 365 or when I'll be able to retrieve the pictures.  For now, I'll just share some favs from my trip:


























Thursday, June 24, 2010

Randomness

So, I am behind again on posting my pictures from Project 365.  I do post them into a folder on Facebook with a little more regularity, and I think most of you who read this have befriended me, so I'm hoping you're seeing them there.  (Except maybe Jessica, who's an on-again, off-again facebooker).  =)  I figure at least I'm TAKING the daily pictures.  I never promised to post them one at a time.

I have a friend whose blog I read (Fantastically Fit by 41) and she recently posted about how she has overcome a sugar addiction and about how wonderful she feels. I started researching sugar addiction, articles such as THIS, and decided it was time to make better choices.  I made the plunge and cut all caffeine, sugar, and artificial sweeteners from my diet.  It's been 12 days with no caffeine and 10 without sugar (I had to restart the sugar thing on day three because I made an exception for our anniversary dinner).  The first week was MISERABLE, but I am finally feeling better, and am looking forward to the day when I don't salivate when I drive by a Sonic.  I wonder how long that will take.

The girls have taken up "gardening."  They each chose a type of plant to start in these little greenhouses, and they sprouted and we've now moved them to pots on the back porch.  Look out world!  Hopefully, they won't share their momma's black thumb and they'll actually stay alive long enough to produce what they're supposed to!



I had a whole list of things I had planned to blog about (it's been forever), but my husband just came into the room and turned on "The Wedding Singer" and I can no longer concentrate.

That is all.

Day 171-174

Day 171


Day 172


Day 173


Day 174

Days 161-170

Day 161

Day 162


Day 163


Day 164


Day 165

Day 166


Day 167


Day 168


Day 169


Day 170