More Than Trivialities

Sorry if I've been somewhat MIA this week. To be completely honest, the whole tornado thing has really taken its toll on me and my perspective. I just can't bring myself to talk about normal, day-to-day activities when so many people so close to where I live are hurting and suffering to such a great extent.

I will say though that the events of the past few days have made me want to squeeze my babies extra tightly and say I love you to everyone I love.

And today, I am thankful for perspective.

And I'm reminded that while parts of the South are in crisis, life, to some extent, must go on....

but today, while I'm catching up on last night's Grey's episode (which I've heard has something to do with Africa :) ),

I'll also be thinking about what I can do to help those who lost everything.

And while I'm desperately missing the beach (this is pretty much a daily occurrence at my house, although it does tend to get worse this time of year),

I will be thankful for the roof over my head and this place I call home.

And I try to not to be completely bogged down by all the drama taking place not only in the world around me...

...but in my own daily life as well.

And on this day, I will remind myself that, when all else fails, I should remember:

So today I ask:

what are YOU thankful for today?

Sidenote: Thanks to all who signed up to participate in the homemade cd swap. I'm hoping to have you all paired up sometime later today, so be watching for your e-mail this evening or tomorrow morning.

Happy Friday to you and you and you.

Last Call with a dash of randomness

Mornin' my peeps.

Here's hoping that you are all safe and with power after the storms that rocked our little part of the country yesterday. All the storm talk yesterday kinda made my stomach hurt, and this morning, with the death tolls in Mississippi and Alabama steadily rising, my thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected by the storms.

Moving on....

today is THE LAST DAY to sign up to participate in my homemade cd swap. You can go here to leave a comment to join in on the fun, seeing as how I'm certain you don't wanna miss out on it, right?

Also, I recently received two new Africa shirt pics.

This is my friend Roxanne with her two adorable boys.

You can read more about her by visiting her blog here.

And this is Meredith from Mississippi.

If you have a picture of you in your Africa shirt, I'd love to see it. Send it my way?

Speaking of pictures....

I'm sure you all remember my good friend/ pseudo little sister, Erin, yes?

Well, I just wanted to share this photo with you of her super cute boyfriend, Mark:

 

Pretty much a hottie, yes?

(Forgive me, Mark, I just couldn't help myself.)

I also can't help myself when it comes to listening to this song:

And, with that being said, I'm off to drink my coffee...perhaps with a peep...or a splash o'rainbow.

Happy Thursday to you and you and you.

We've Saved a Seat for You on the Bandwagon

Consider this your friendly reminder that tomorrow is the last day to sign up for my homemade cd swap, where you make a cd for someone and get a cd from someone. Entering is easy, just leave a comment on this post, including three or so artists you like and your e-mail address.

Then sometime this weekend, I'll send you an e-mail with your partner's contact info. You'll exchange mailing info. directly with your partner, make your cd, and stick it in the mail.

And in a few days, you should receive some new tunes of your own to start enjoying.

Easy as pie....or cake....or cake and pie, depending on your preference.

And who doesn't like a good piece cake pie?

Generation Honesty

Mornin' lovelies.

Today I'd like to introduce you to my 'friend', Carly.

Adorable, yes?

I say 'friend' because technically we've never met, but she goes to my college and we have two tons of mutual friends.

And after talking to Carly some on facebook, I'm here to tell you that she's one cool girl.

She's also one cool girl who's hoping to make a difference.

Carly is the founder of GENERATION HONESTY.

Here's a little about it in Carly's own words:

I wanted to do "Generation Honesty" simply because people are afraid to sometimes show who they really are. So this gives them a chance to simply say what they need to say. There is a group on Facebook that people can join to submit their picture with their Post-it. :) This generation needs REAL people, so why not start with being honest?

After hearing about this idea, I couldn't help but think that there is a huge need for a place for people to go and simply say what's on their mind. I think that far too often we keep our mouths shut for fear of rejection or humiliation or being misunderstood.

The instructions to participate in Generation Honesty are super easy:

grab a post-it note, write something honest on it-- perhaps something you wouldn't normally share, snap a picture of you and your post-it, and send it to Carly via the facebook group.

Here are some examples that people have already shared:

(I'm sharing these with Carly's permission, of course.)

If you feel like it's time to be honest, perhaps Generation Honesty is the place for you....

Happy Wednesday to you and you and you,

and here's hoping that wherever you are, the weather is behaving itself.

That Sure is A lot of Pressure to put on one little day

Last night I was thinking about holidays.

While I do love them, there are also things I flat out just don't enjoy about them.

They can often lead to stress, frustration, and a big fat case of the letdowns.

I mean, really, the thought that simply because a certain day has been assigned a certain title is somehow supposed to magically equate perfection? That's a whole lot of pressure for one little day, and I am a firm believer in the idea that you can't plan or anticipate perfection.

I think I can say this because I'm totally guilty of it.

And it really is nothing more than a guarantee for disappointment at my house.

Here are the ways I totally failed yesterday:

-I didn't get one single picture of Libby in her Easter dress. Nice.

-I forgot to charge the camera battery, which died a slow and painful death at about two o'clock yesterday.

-I let Hollyn eat her weight in Peeps and other yummy goodness because I just wasn't up for telling her no.

-I lost my patience with Libby when she became jealous of my mom's attention while my mom was holding Hollyn.

*Sigh.*

Despite all of this, my little family and I did have fun.

We went to church and made it there without any grumpiness, which was my goal for yesterday.

We visited with our families, got out of town, and ate, ate, and ate some more.

Here are some of my favorite moments:

The Easter Bunny did make an appearance.

And please ignore the pile o'clutter on my table-- it's kinda how I roll.

What this picture won't tell you and what I forgot to catch on camera is that Lib's basket was full of germ-x. It's what she asked for....yes, I'm serious.

But this is what she wanted the most. We've already watched it....twice.

And while Libby made a mad dash for the eggs, this little one took her time.

You can add this to the many ways my girls are polar opposites.

And seriously, could my mom possibly be any prettier?

I'm thinking not.

And each egg she found she had to taste. Call it a general inspection of sorts.

Did I mention that I am beyond madly in love with her gentle spirit?

Because I so am.

And while Hollyn provides a little peace and perspective, this one provides fun and adventure.

If nothing else, our home is balanced.

And yesterday reminded me again how thankful I am that these two girls I love have been blessed with the gift of sisterhood, something I've never had and have so desperately wanted.

And I seriously think this was my favorite moment of the day.

She was so stinkin' excited;

you'd have thought I'd handed her a one-way ticket to paradise

How was YOUR Easter?

Here's hoping the pressure of planned perfection didn't get in the way of the good stuff.

A few reminders:

THURSDAY is the last day to sign up for my homemade cd swap.

I'm sure you don't want to miss out on all the fun, so be sure to sign up before then.

And puh-lease don't forget to include your e-mail in your comment. :)

Later this week I'll be hosting a giveaway to encourage support for Melanie and the book collection for the soon-to-be library in Kenya. Get excited, lovelies; it's a good 'un.

And before you go, today I'd like to know:

what is the BEST compliment you've ever received?

Seriously.

Spill it.

Pleaseandthankyouohsoverymuch.

Happy Monday to you and you and you.

Hippity Hoppity

Easter's on its way.

Here's wishing you and yours a day filled with chocolate, egg hunts, family togetherness,

and all the Peeps you can stand.

The Past Twenty-Four Or So

First things first, Happy Good Friday.

Next, see this shirt?

It's my new favorite. The proceeds went to help a family in Texas fund their adoption, and I'm thinking that gives it two steps up on the cool scale. If you'd like to learn more about the McKeaiggs, you can follow their story here or here.

Moving on....

have you ever seen a bunny cuter than this?

I'm thinking probably not.

And this little bunny happens to be loved... a whole heap of a lot...and not just by the fam.

Last week, our precious friend Lenzie, who will be accompanying Kristen to Africa this summer, sent Libby flowers.

And then yesterday, the Libster got a little something in the mail:

My super thoughtful friend, Allison, sent her this little happy in the hopes of helping Libby forget about her skin for a even a wee little moment.

Can I just say that true friends are one of my favorite things about life?

I am so blessed and thankful in the friend department.

Know what else I'm thinking for?

My springtime vice:

In case there's any question, that would be a vanilla coke from Sonic and peeps, one of the greatest candies ever invented, second only to the magic that is commonly referred to as candy corn.

But yesterday, there was no vice needed.

Libby provided plenty of entertainment and distraction when she decided it was part of her role as the big sister to introduce Hollyn to playing in the mud.

Here she is prior to the incident:

And here she is after the incident:

Funny thing is, even covered in dirt, she's still so stinkin' adorable.

And this is what guilty looks like:

Here's hoping your Friday was top notch.

What's the Easter Bunny bringing to YOUR house this weekend????

You can read about what he brought to us in 2010 , and here you'll find the recipe for the empty tomb Easter cookies.

Have a wonderful Easter weekend, lovelies.

So You Missed that Memo, Did Ya?

After finding this on my den floor.....

...I'm guessing my dog somehow missed the memo that you're not supposed to take pills that haven't been prescribed to you.

Perhaps he has a backache too?

Or maybe some sympathy pain?

Good thing the bottle is dog-proof as well as child-proof.

By the way, this time last year (the Thursday before Easter, not so much this exact date last year), I was headed to see Eric Hutchinson.  You can read this post here.

And yet today I'm shopping for pants for my granny (don't ask), shoveling Peeps into mouth like I'm getting paid for it (which would be awesome, yes?), sporting my glasses and curly hair (which, btw, my hair still semi-too short for this since donating it after Christmas), and wishing I were somewhere special.

My how a year changes things.

Are you supporting a Peeps addiction too?

Have a great night, and remember to hide your meds...from your dog.

She Get It From Her Momma

Yesterday the sky fell out.

Ok, maybe not literally, but it sure felt that way.

I don't think I've ever seen this much rain without a hurricane to keep it company.

And if you do recall, I made a 2011 resolu-not about rain. 

So yesterday when Libby got home and immediately asked if we could play in it, how was I possibly going to say anything but YES, YES, YES!?

So play in it we did.

Did I mention there was some mud involved?

And maybe a little screaming (that was Libby, not me, I promise).

And perhaps a little fun was had by all.

Really, all I can say about this is

she get it from her momma.

When was the last time YOU played in the rain?

It's on my top ten list of favorite things to do.

Maybe I should share the rest of the list soon.

Thoughts on this?

What's on your list?

Happy Thursday, lovelies.

Reason #450898980 Why I Love My Kid

Please excuse the terrible quality of this picture and focus on the fact that Libby colored it....for the Easter Bunny. Who knew the Easter Bunny likes fancy shoes with hearts and sparkles.

Have I mentioned that she's pretty darn cool? Because she so is.

Here's hoping today makes you smile.

Before I go, two quick reminders:

1. The CD Swap. Have you helped spread the word? Have you signed up? I'm thinking today is a great day to do both.

2. Have you taken a sec. to donate a few dollars for books for children in Kenya? Seriously, instead of shelling out $4 for a cup o' joe, you could seriously impact a child's life by helping to instill in them a love for reading. Think about it. And if it's something you feel inspired to do, you can use the paypal button at the top of my page-- just be sure to say books in your checkout somewhere.

And today I'd like to know-- what is your FAVORITE Easter tradition? We're in need of something new.

Yes, I'm Serious

Last week, I mentioned that we are selling our house after Lib's allergist suggested it. Apparently I should have followed that statement with a 'Yes, I'm serious', because I've had about ten people ask me about it. These convos. have included things such as, "Why don't you just pull up your carpet?", "Can't you just get rid of the cat?", and "Isn't that a bit drastic?". Here's the part when I really wish I could show you photos of Libby's skin. And I would had she not asked me please not to....she's so embarassed and doesn't want anyone to see just how bad it is, and of course I'm going to respect that. However, please hear me when I say if you saw what I saw, you'd know we're already living in drastic. And if all we have to do to help our little girl is find a new house, then can we please move tomorrow?

I've also been asked, "Where are you gonna go?"

Now that's the question of the hour.

Not so sure just yet.

But you guarantee it will carpet and cat free.

Speaking of new house, if anyone is looking to relocate to North Mississippi, here are some photos of our for sale house. I'll be happy to talk details with you.

You can e-mail me at mccallald@yahoo.com

(And for the record, these pics. are some I took when we were looking to buy this house from its former owner, aka-- this is not my decor, although I'd claim it. Also, I'm not showing the front outside of the house for obvious reasons; that's just a bit too scary for me.)

Back patio area, you are seriously my favorite thing about this house, and I'm sure I will miss you dearly.

The kitchen windows look out on the back patio...and I love them.

And I seriously think I'll go my whole life and never again have storage like this.

The master was already painted my favorite color. I think the color may have to come with.....

The kitchen-- again, not my decor, but I'd happily claim it.

The entrance to the most fabulous master bath.

And yes, our den comes complete with columns...and six windows, these three and three just like them on the other side of the room.

You like?

Know what I'm liking?

The fact that you still have a few more days to sign up for my CD SWAP.

Some new music will so do my heart some good.

And thank you so much to the two of you who made donations for Kristen last week.

They were received and are so greatly appreciated.

My readers serious rock.

Anyone out there have any good house selling tips you'd like to send my way?

Happy Tuesday to you and you and you.