Let's Celebrate!

I've been at my new Express office for just about 2 months now, and so far so good. It's certainly been an adjustment, but I am finally in the phase where acclimating feels a bit more natural, and I'm no longer finding myself completely lost in trying to follow the flow of this office.


marc | nancy | karen | diana | meagan | cori

We are an office of Christians who believe that God gives, takes, and surprises on a daily basis. The first thing He did [since I came into the picture] was to open an avenue for Susie, my predecessor, that granted her a much better schedule, lighter commute, and better compensation. That created my opening here, and I'm so grateful for that. The next big adjustment came when Karen [an SC here] announced that, while she hadn't been looking, an impassible opportunity had presented itself to her as well. She would get the hours she needed, the flexibility to spend more time with her kids, and the chance to work with some close, familiar former co-workers. That announcement blossomed into our bringing Meagan on board, and my climbing up a couple rungs on the internal ladder. I love when I can recognize even just a glimpse of the plan God lays out for us.

So, that being said, we thought we should absolutely celebrate the concept of radical transition that's occurring here in our office. We seem to do well with Mexican restaurants, so we opted for another round a Mexican dig nearby. It definitely worked. :)

Congratulations, Karen, on this new opportunity..
Congratulations, Meagan, on joining the EEP Edwardsville family..

and THANK YOU, to the heads of our office for trusting me with this promotion. :)

xo | cmd

Calling all Drivers...

Remember her? Yeah.. that's in case you thought you'd forget what I looked like. And that big smile is because today I finally broke through on the weekly order for drivers at that [never peskyyyyyyy] auto auction deal with which I [of cours neverrrrr] fight, each week. :) Movin' right on up in the world. Ha.

Anyway, the bulk of my day was spent digging for drivers, for anyone that would want to show up and drive cars around for 4-5 hours, 1 day a week. Not a bad gig, and somehow, some way, I got the numbers I needed with no major headaches.

Thank you, Lord, for giving me access to what I need to do my job....

In every other sense of the word, today is another Monday: beautifully chaotic and jam-packed with all sorts of fires to be extinguished without a moment's notice. I love it.

Seems silly that I don't have much else to report: I am still chugging away at the final touches on all that is the upcoming wedding bonanza. This buster had better be worth the battle. Joking. I'm sure it will be.

G'Nite, ya'll.

xo | cmd

Potluck :)

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Baptists love fellowship, and Baptists love food.

Put those two things together and you've got what's called an incredible potluck.

That's what we had today following our morning service, after we listened to the words of missionary Ronny Carroll. I have such immense respect and admiration for those who are called to serve abroad in developing areas such as remote areas of Asia, where the Carrolls had been serving. It may not be a calling into which God is leading my and/or my family, but if it were, I would be ok with that. What an experience.


my laundry thief!

Anyway, the potluck was a huge success. Many, many thanks to those in my church who were behind the scenes on organizing, planning, and preparing for that meal. Everything was delicious, and it was a great time to spend talking with Meagan, Rob, and another new couple to the church. I'll tell ya, that fellowship thing... *phew. Amazing :)

After church, the Dills headed back to their lair to catch up on some family time and household to-do's. I was attempting to do laundry, when someone came flying by the laundry basket and managed to snag a pair of daddy's shorts. Before I could stop her, she was down the stairs and into the living room. By the time I caught up with her, Sydni had both legs in one side of the shorts and was waiting for mommy to come and see what a good job she'd done. I was so proud. Haha.

We like Sundays around here, so I'll bid farewell to the keyboard until I have to fight with one again all day tomorrow ;)

Good night!

xo | cmd

Eating... All Day.



pegs.

Raise your hand if you've ever done one of those.
Now raise your hand if you've scrambled to start over before you finished, because you knew you would have at least 2 or 3 left over, when the goal is 1.
I may be the only one with two hands up right now, because I'll be the first to admit that, unlike my husband, I am a moron when it comes to these things.
This one was at Crackerbarrel this morning when we stopped in for breakfast. Sydni has about as much fun trying to color with the colored pegs as we did chasing them down after she got frustrated that they were, "broke, " as she called them.

Today was absolutely a good day. It was spent vegging out - I titled this one appropriately, because looking back at today, I feel rather gluttonous. It was all in good fun though; we had breakfast as a family, then spent the day together and headed out again at dinner time to Lotawata Creek for a group dinner with Meagan, Rob, and a handful of Joe's Air Force coworkers.

Now, about Lotawata Creek: There aren't any of these joints in Cincinnati, so this was a new experience for me. Apparently one of their famous trademarks is their portion size. In a comical spirit, I say that this is definitely an American favorite, because the plates here are well over what any single human being would ever need to eat on his/her own.

Examples:



sandwich hiding behind fries

club. club crazy.



attempts to conquer....

We. Are. FULL.
We made it home, got Sydni to bed, and hung out with Meagan and Rob for a short bit before calling it a night. It's church in the AM! :)

xo | cmd

Towerview Cards Game

One of my favorite things about Towerview Baptist is their diligence in putting fellowship at the top of their priority list. A church cannot be a church without God as the center foundation, but likewise it is, as an organization, nothing without its people. Up to this point, we've found that the people of Towerview are incredibly dedicated to creating and enjoying fellowship opportunities. From Sunday and Wednesday services, to the weekly small group breaks, to random scheduled outings, we are all about socializing with each other and with the community.


busch stadium | some cute guy walking down the bleachers ;)

 Last night, we received a phone call from our pastor about 4 tickets that had just opened up for the Towerview outing to the St. Louis Cardinals game v. the Pittsburgh Pirates for tonight [Friday] at Busch Stadium. Let me note: We are still and probably always will be Cincinnati Reds fans through and through, but baseball is baseball, and it's fun going no matter how you spin it. Hah. Originally, we had thought about it, but then reluctantly decided we had to allocate our funds into the upcoming wedding efforts. So there we were, plopped in our living room meticulously chugging away at wedding business. It was such a kind gesture that they thought of us, and even extended the other two tickets to the new couple that had attended church on Sunday with us [Meagan & Rob]. We figured we would ask them [no harm there!] and see if they'd be obliged.


the greers | the dills

 Long story short, they jumped on the opportunity, and, after dropping Sydni off for some play time with Miss Anita, the four of us rendezvoused at the MetroLink station at SIUE and rode our way in to the stadium, tickets in hand. Alex was kind enough to offer us four of his free passes for the ride home, so we were blessed with an amazing evening of baseball in *perfect* weather, friends, fellowship, and easy transportation, all for just about $5/each. Not a bad deal.



Many, many thank you's to our pastor, his wife, and our church! We had a terrific time!!

xo | cmd

Lamentations 3:22-23

cell phone capture through my windshield en route to work ♥

"Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

 - Lamentations 3:22-23 [NIV]

I love that verse. There's a song by one of the student groups at Cedarville University that speaks specifically to this verse; I was listening to it on my way to work this morning and managed to capture that foggy shot of the sun rising through my windshield during rush hour. It sounds like something small, but I enjoy that God gives me little reminders every day that His mercies are renewed each and every single day. It's reassuring, I think! Amen, Amen, AMEN.

******

Lastly, but most certainly not least:

My beautiful baby niece Madison turns TWO today!
Happy birthday, baby girl!

xo | cmd

STICKERS!!!

My mom and dad have decided that in order to maintain constant contact with their granddaughter, they're going to send her something via snail mail every so often. Nothing extravagant, but just enough to remind her that they're constantly thinking of her. I remember my grandmothers doing this for me, and I'm thrilled that they want to do this.

Well, this is what we got in the mail today: 8 sheets of stickers. Holy moly.

Check 'em out. Well, check out her face, for starters. This is her face when we tell her to smile, but she's more interested in playing than picture-taking. This is the face that says, "I know I look like I'm in pain, but I'm actually pretty excited."

And yes, she did put that butterfly on her forehead. She's wild like that.

So, thanks, Nana & Pappy!
We loved the stickers, and we love that we're now peeling them off the refrigerator, the stairs, the wall, and Sydni's head. ;)

Just kidding - we love it love it love it.

xo | cmd

Filipino Flashbacks

Yeah, so I'm Filipino.
What a lot of people don't know about me is that, for a large portion of my life in college and shortly thereafter, I had immersed myself completely in the [re-]recognition of everything that is a part of that beautiful culture.

During my tenure at UC, I held the position as president of the university's Filipino-Am (Fil-Am) student association. It was a terrific experience that created multiple opportunities for me to visit other colleges/universities for conferences, explore the history of the population as a whole, learn new cultural dances, and cook cultural food. I wouldn't trade that time for the world: while I am adopted, and an American through and through in my heart, I am still Filipina, and that culture is a part of who I am.

That being said, there is a Fil-Am association here, which I have yet to investigate, simply because I keep running out of time to get over there. I drove by it once again on my way out of the base the other day, and for the next 20 minutes kept reminiscing back to the times when I did my part in cultural performances and planning for the different conferences and hosted events.


binisuan | dpsa

 That girl on the left? Yeah, that's me, sometime back in the mid 2000's. That particular performance was for a cultural day at one of the local high school's in our area, at which the daughter of one of Cincinnati's elder Filipina women attended. It was a guest performance, and a ton of fun.
The other picture [in which we kind of resemble confused bartenders, I know] was at [THE] Ohio State University's Barrio Fiesta, an annual Fil-Am event hosted by OSU's PSA [Philippines' Student Assoc.] The dance portrayed in both of these is called, Binisuan, which entails balancing a cup of water on your head, and one in each hand as you're dancing. It's not easy.

When I think about all the dances in which I had the liberty of participating, I would have to say Singkil was my absolute favorite. It's a beautiful love story played out with a huge ensemble of dancers, bamboo poles, and stunning costumes. A less intricate, but equally beautiful cousin of Singkil is the dance that became my favorite to perform. Tinikling is one of the most popular Filipino dances, and one of [in my opinion] the most fun to learn and perform. It certainly requires a fair amount of agile footwork; otherwise there is a likely guarantee that you will get your ankles smashed by two heavy bamboo poles.

Long story short, I spent a lot of time over the past few days thinking back to my days of Fil-Am costumes, tours, dances, conferences, and shows. It was a ton of fun, and the more I think about it now, the more inclined I am to find another avenue here, in America's dream of Belleville, IL, to again dig into that culture in a more hands-on capacity. I would also love for my daughter to develop a solid knowledge of what is a part of her, as well.

And so my search is on.....

xo | cmd

Welcome Aboard, Meagan!

So last week, we got a breath of Southern air when we finished up interviews Thursday to fill the FOC position for me when I head over to the SC side of our business. She's the sweetest thing, from some southern graceland in Arkansas, and she interviewed here in the office last week. We all got to talking, and I had invited her and her husband to Towerview Sunday, since they're still in the process of finding a home church.



gorgeous sky



And they showed up :) It was great seeing them there, and from what I understand, they thoroughly enjoyed it. While we were there, Meagan informed me that she had accepted the position with our company and would be starting first thing Monday. That brought us to today, which was a typical busy Monday, but it was nice to have a new face! So today was her first day, and to celebrate, we did lunch at Panera, sorry, Saint Louis Bread Company, and headed back to work.

I ran some errands after work before heading home, and managed to see this beautiful painting up in the sky on my way back to the house. I thought I would share it. :)

This is gonna be a good week, I can feel it...

xo | cmd

Wedding Programs [continued....]

Remember when I said I was a prolific DIY'er?

Well sometimes that gets me in over my head. That usually happens when I think of something that sounds phenomenal, but I mentally fast forward to the finished product without necessarily weighing all the legwork that will be involved.

For example: Wedding *stuff*


ribbon x200.



I should've learned my lesson when I made 200 window invitations and mailed them off. Apparently I didn't, or I did and just forgot. I'm realizing this as I now find myself hidden behind a coffee table stacked almost a foot high all across with two different colors of cardstock divided into three separate sizes. My paper cutter and printer paid for themselves about 30 times during this process. There is first the front and back. Then there is the matting on the inside of each of those. Then, there is the actual printed part that goes on the matting. 

After cutting, next is the design and actual printing of four different layouts for each of the printed sections. 

*Print........ 800 times. 

Of course I also failed to take into account just how these things would be assembled. I decided on ribbon. That meant dividing [cutting] ribbon for each program.

*Cut away..... x200.



cardstock



So here I am tonight, glue stick in hand, attempting mass production in nearly the most old-fashioned sense possible. In a way it's sort of a challenge for me: one-[wo]man mass production is not something to be taken lightly, especially by a woman with a 2-year old who is simply dying to put her touchy toddler fingers all over eeeeeverything. In my more practical moments, I wonder what I was thinking, and wish Kalyn was here so I could push half of this off on her ;) . Just kidding.

Good news is: I'm over halfway done. I swear we won't have to hand out pieces of the program. :)

Wish me luck! This project is definitely a beast that won't go quietly.

xo | cmd

Pillows

Somewhere back when I was about 3, I caught a case of the DIY [Do It Yourself] bug and as of now, it's still here. I think my first major undertaking was when I started designing those little seed beed safety pins (come on, pretend like you don't know what those were), and a passion for creativity blossomed from there. I remember entering kindergarten believing that I would make a killing off those things, because hey, the lemonade had been a smash hit that summer. These things lasted a lot longer than lemonade.


originally uploaded by obstinatepursuit | seed bead safety pins

That was my thinking, at least. :)



shirt design | easy enough...



Over the years, I found myself attempting to create or re-create everything from my own haircuts to dress designs to screenprints. Some attempts were gratifying successes; others proved to be valued learning experiences. Along the way, as with every budding DIY'er, I found certain niches that worked for me, and I've been running with those and a few others here and there.



pillow patches

One of my favorite things as a DIY'er is to take a break from creating my own designs and find concepts I know I could develop on my own. Today was one of those days when I ran across two that I found at the Galleria. I thought they were simple enough, and that type of design that has plenty of room for open alteration and conformation to any style. I couldn't imagine paying the price listed for these, so what better way to own them than to make them myself. Once this wedding business is said and done, I'll get down to it.

I'm on a quest today... new design inspirations.

I'll keep ya'll posted :p.

xo | cmd

Bible Study Breakfast :)

I have yet to meet anyone who works a standard work week who doesn't love Fridays.

For me, Fridays mean tying up loose ends of work that began Monday or had carried over from the week before, processing payroll, interviews, weekly check-ins, and making nothing short of 100 phone calls. [*sighhhhhhh]. It means sleeping in on Saturday in preparation for completely spontaneous days of chasing my daughter around with my husband and loving that time as a family. It means gathering for church on Sunday, and winding down those last few hours knowing that it all flew by too quickly and the work week is sneaking back up on me.

Friday this week also means Koinonia, which is a Greek word [no, you go look it up! :p ] that to me, is my small group every other Friday at the home of our wonderful pastor and his wife. This is something that I'm quickly growing to love more and more each time we go. Our small group consists of an incredible group of people with equally impressive input on issues that are real and relevant to us as a group, as individuals, couples, and parents. In just the short time we've been attending, I see God working, in real time, on the lives sitting next to us on the couch or floor, and in ours, too. [[It's sensational what our God can do if you just ask!]]

Oh, and we're [Southern] Baptists, so that means we have 3 general priorities when we get together:


blackberry+cherry pie



1. Serve our Lord, and submit praise for everything He is and for all that He does.
2. Serve each other & community : We're equipped to do it!
3. Serve ourselves .... some food.

... Yeah, I said it. If you know anything about Baptists, then you know that a large part of our fellowship efforts usually include nothing less than organizing a committee to decide who's bringing what food and how much. Koinonia is no different: this week the theme was breakfast foods.

Last night [because I get home at 5:30 and the thing starts at 6], I crafted one of these little guys: it's a favorite of mine that was passed down to me from my mother, whose cooking talents are downright heavenly.

As always, tonight was filled with discussion and input all around the room. I have so much respect for this group, and I am so, so thankful that we have the opportunity to do this each week.

Friday's done.
Bring it on, weekend.

xo | cmd 

Blue Skies!



beautiful blue!



Blue Skies, smilin' at me

Nothin' but blue skies do I see

Bluebirds singin' a song
There's nothin' but bluebirds all day long

Seems like all the days are hurryin' by
When you're in love, my how they fly

Those blue days, all of them gone
Nothin' but blue skies from now on

Seems like all them days are hurryin' by
Cause when you're in love, then my how they fly

Them blue days, all of 'em gone
And there's nothin' but blue skies from now on

- "Blue Skies" by Louis Armstrong

****

This song felt particularly inviting today as I was driving all around and everywhere I looked, all I saw was infinite blue. I love it.

Yes, it's still roughly one-hundred-and-some-hot-hot-hot out there.
-- But it's gorgeous, and I feel blessed to have every second of it.

Wanna know why?
Well....

Today, in Japan, the final drafts are being drawn on radiation educational pamphlets that will be distributed to all Japanese school children, in essence giving them a crash course in the causes, effects, and after effects of disasters like the one from which they're still recovering. 

Today, in parts of our country, including Houston, TX, a drought is threatening the welfare of farmers, livestock, and civilians. I'm pretty sure that it's hot here, but we're not [yet] experiencing any shortages on the things we need the most.

What I'm saying is, that while I was guilty myself of griping at this soaring heat index, I am blessed to have eyes to see a shining sun, a functioning sensory system to feel its warmth, and the means to stay sheltered from it when it becomes uncomfortable.

Plus, blue skies are, in my opinion, much better than gray skies. :)

Happy Thursday!

xo | cmd

Illinois Bumper Sticker [Advice]

Today was Wednesday, and Wednesday was today. Payroll made its ever-jumbled trip across my desk without too much chaos, and that was that. I was on my way home when I pulled up cati-corner to this little bumper buddy. I liked it. I think if it weren't for the fact that I'm not a huge proponent of wallpapering the back end of my car :)

Nice to see things like that, right?
[I think so!]

Joe spoke again at Bible study tonight at the church. I am so very proud of him and the effort he puts in to making this happen each Wednesday.

Tomorrow's another day at the auto auction. Say a prayer!
xo | cmd

I Love Parmesan Cheese.

True story.

But first things first: It's August, which is a pretty packed birthday month for me. That being said,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KIM!!

xoxo. Have a stellar, stellar day, friend!!

****

We did spaghetti tonight, and I was suprisingly re-focused on those de-lish little beige crumbles of awesome.

fresh parm. love love love.

Today was, for brevity's sake, my average Tuesday: work, payroll, interviews, commuting, & laundry.

My husband surprised me with some very special, very scrumptious spaghetti [a favorite here in the Dills household]. He added some parmesan, and I decided I loved him all the more for it. Yum.

Tomorrow's Wednesday, which means work, more payroll, Wednesday night church, and starting on the seemingly daunting task of crafting our wedding programs. We'll see how that goes.

xo | cmd

Bridesmaid Jewelry

In the true spirit of a DIY-er, I've taken it upon myself to create my own wedding invitations [done], rsvp's [done], table cards [done], programs [in progress], and of course bridesmaid jewelry.


jewelry in progress

I'm workin' on it.
Tonight.
It will be finished... I just didn't want to forget to tell the whole audience of [none?] here.

Yeah.

xo | cmd

Sunday Fun-Day... & Wipeout.

We started off the last full day of my parents' visit by taking them to visit Towerview for church. I did my part with the praise band during the service, which was an awesome experience that I look forward to doing again.

<< Check it out, we even got a photo in which everyone (*ahem, Miss Sydni) is smiling. Go us. :)

After church, we came back to the house and did a picnic lunch by the pool. Dad and Joe went swimming with Sydni beforehand, and we all joined afterwards. It's funny to think that I have a daughter that is learning to jump, run, swim.

Pretty sweet :) It was definitely a good day of fun in the sun.

Until.....

Miss Sydni did such a good job of heeding our warnings to walk, not run by the pool. We spent nearly half the day playing without mishap, and it wasn't until we were preparing to leave that we had a little accident. The poor thing turned around and tripped on the sidewalk and face-planted on the concrete. That resulted in a scraped lip, nose, and a tiny ding on the forehead. As parents, we of course over-reacted, but within three minutes, she was having just as much fun with the "cold" icepack as I think it's possible to have.

To cheer us all up, Mom and I hit the kitchen to create some stir-fry for dinner. I have to say, it wasn't half bad. In fact, it was delicious.

[[ I love color in my food! ]]

Tomorrow, it's back to work for Joe & me, and it's back to Ohio for my parents.

What an incredible weekend!

xo | cmd

Cicada Picnic | St. Louis

What a day! 

reading with sydni & tessa

We started off by swinging by the Sandven residence. They were having a picnic to celebrate the graduation of Joe's weather class. We couldn't stay long since we were headed to St. Louis, but it was nice to see them all and of course drop off our cornhole set for them to use for the day. Plus, Sydni got to see her daycare buddy Tessa, which is always fun; Tessa's adorable.

Our first order of business was eating, which we had planned to do on the greens at the arch in St. Louis. During the base tour we gave my parents, we ultimately ended up picnicing in a more secluded, peaceful manner at the lake on base.



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cicada shell

Today couldn't have been any better for a picnic, in terms of the weather. The only downside to picnicing out by the lake was that we were confronted by cicada shells just about every direction we turned. It wasn't a big deal for us; they are after all just shells, but Sydni didn't quite understand that she wasn't allowed to touch all of them, so that lent to more than just a few applications of hand sanitizer by Nana. We don't mind bugs :)

Off then it was to the arch!     

the arch | st. louis

We tried to coerce Mom to go up into the arch, but jokingly, because she's both claustrophobic and afraid of heights. It would've been a sight to see though, I'm sure. No big deal; we were all completely content to view it from ground level, and we took a tour of the museum beneath. With such limited time for a visit, we opted not to drag them all over the city in one trip. We'll come back :) 

stylish travels!

Tomorrow I join the praise band on stage and my parents will see our new church home!

xo | cmd

Happy Birthday, DAD!!

my dad ♥

Today's my dad's birthday. He's the best there is, so I have to wish him the best birthday, ever. :)
I love you, Dad. Happy birthday!! [[These dots are for you!]]

-- Which reminds me, it's been just about forever since I saw an actual Dippin' Dots store, so today I paid a visit and walked away with a tiny cup of tongue-freezers, aka dots. I firmly believe in holding a quota of 3 spoonfuls of those things, because anything more will turn your tongue into an icecube. Good, nonetheless :)

Anyway, to honor my dad and the fun of our family, my parents drove here from Ohio to visit for the weekend. It's the first time they've been able to visit us here in IL, so we are quite ready for the next two days.

Tonight, we took them to Eckert's, since obviously they've never been. They loved it, which was expected. Joe got his fix of fried biscuits, Sydni got to color on the tables and shove a shopping cart all around the Eckerts market, and my parents got a taste of Eckert's peach wine [yummm].

Mom & I went over some of the wedding stuff, which I really really wish I could post here, but that would totally ruin that little element of surprise. I'll just say that my sister is a master craftswoman, and her creative genius is going to be a solid addition to the big day. I'm excited!

Tomorrow, we plan to take Mom & Dad to St. Louis; they've never seen the arch, so that should be a good time. We've already had a long evening, so good night, for now!

xo | cmd

Auto Auction

First things first:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARICOR!!!

My beautiful cousin celebrates another year young.

I hope today is all it should be and double! Love you!

--------

 As for today....

Here's the deal:

One of my responsibilities is staffing drivers for a local auto auction. I can't tell you which one or where, because that would be professionally irresponsible of me [ha. Seriously, though.] It's consistent day labor, for those of you staffing-saavy folk, and also a sword on which I honestly wouldn't mind falling every Thursday. Today, I took it one step further by doing the on-site check-in for the folk we had driving. It was, for lack of a better term, uniquely embarrassing.

If you've never been to an auto auction before, here's the generic run-down:
There's a lot full of cars and motorcycles, in this case typically anywhere between 500ish - 1500ish. There's a huge pole barn-esque building with multiple garage-sized drive-thru's that serves as a viewing ground for each vehicle. In order to bid, you must be a dealer. There's more, but for the sake of relevence, that's really all you need for now. My role for the party involves staffing people to drive those cars/bikes through the auction lanes. Oh, and it's usually either blazing hot or frigidly cold; there is rarely an enjoyable medium here. I don't know why. 

auto auction

If you've never seen an office girl at an auto auction before, here's how that goes, too:
[We'll use me as an example, because it's just that accurate] I get dressed for the professional environment that is my office job. Since the auction is just a stop before work, I don't really have time for wardrobe changes. The parking lot at the auction is gravel. High heels and gravel have never been friends. The general dress code for the general labor/lot tech staff at auctions is a watered-down version of what a construction worker would wear [they allow shorts & tank tops, but require tennis shoes]. Aside from that, they really aren't sticklers for much else. So there's that edge. The other side of it includes the folk running the show. Other than the lane leaders and crew managers, most of the office staff is comprised of women - women who wear logo polo's and khaki's to work. Women who look at me stumbling across the parking lot in heels and roll their eyes at the girl who, to them, looks like some dumped yuppie lost on her quest to find Rodeo Drive.

Awesome.

Needless to say, I'm definitely not a snobby person. I left today feeling like a common thoroughbred dressed up like a stallion at a county fair. It was such a backwards situation.

Thankfully, the rest of the day was well inside the realms of my comfort zone; I even managed to get laundry, dishes, and cleaning done before calling it a day.

Oh, and speaking of birthdays, tomorrow's Friday; Mom & Dad are coming to visit for the first time and to celebrate Dad's birthday.

Here's to a great weekend!

xo | cmd

Praise Band & Black Lights?

Our senior pastor [well, he is not an actual senior, ha] returns to his dutiful post in the pulpit this upcoming Sunday, so tonight was round 2 of Joe leading us in Wednesday night Bible study. Pretty interesting stuff, focused primarily on answering a wide scope of some of those tough questions:

What does it even mean to really be a Christian? What do I have to do? Why does a so-called loving God send people to hell? In terms of sexual immorality, how far is too far?

It was a pretty good discussion time; I really enjoy the variety of opinion and insight offered tonight by everyone attending. My favorite studies are the ones in which the entire group voices concerns, thoughts, Biblical references, and challenges. Nice topic, pogi :)

Plus, after church, Trish [leader of our praise team] approached me about joining them this Sunday to sing. I'm honored. It's perfect timing; my parents will be in town for my dad's birthday [happy early, dad!], and I know that even though I'm no professional, moms and dads always like to see their kids performing. So, I spent some time after our study catching up on rehearsal tidbits to be prepared for Sunday.

And then, Joe and I joined Jarod for dinner, which was an entirely aberrant experience, for Applebees. Apparently, once a month, the Applebees here hosts a blacklight party, complete with an overdressed linebacker bouncer in sunglasses guarding the front door as if it were the entrance to the White House. Against what was probably our better judgment, we decided to stay. Our table was accompanied by a neon plastic cup filled with those little crackable blacklight glow sticks - you know the ones: they sell them at fireworks and parents reluctantly shell out $3-$6 each for those.

So ha, these buddies were free of charge. 

glow bracelets

Anyway, fast forward to when we're halfway through our dinner: Sydni has torn down two of the neon foam stars hanging from the lamp over the table. She's also activated all the glowsticks and is wearing them on her arms. It's now dark in the room with blacklights glowing all over, which means every stray piece of lint on everyone's clothes is gleaming white, and our server's incandescent attire now makes her look like a highlighter advertisement. To make matters a little more awkward, there's also now a b-list DJ on the 1's-and-2's, making it impossible to hear each other.

I laugh looking back at it:
1. We thought Applebees of all places would be a suitable family environment. Fail.
2. We were officially those people: too old for the crowd, with a baby, hanging out with a bunch of college kids and middle-aged bachelors at a late-night blacklight party at Applebees.
3. It was a blacklight party at Applebees, complete with 1/2-priced jello shots, and we were there specifically for fellowship purposes. *Awkward.

Funny stuff.
So we decided to head back to the house, put Sydni to bed, and introduce Jarod to Monopoly Deal. As it turns out, Jarod too is a recipient of that crappy beginner's luck. Nicely done, Jarod.

Interesting evening, for sure.
Tomorrow I head out or the first time to an auto auction for a check-in with my employees that are driving for it tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. xx.

xo  | cmd

The Post-It Note

the one and only | post-it note

Behold, the post-it note.
This little guy is a staple of daily life here in my office. Whether the standard yellow, or any color of the rainbow and beyond, these little self-adhesive paper squares can make or break the flow and routine of any office.


bully post-its



While I was digging online for a cooler picture of a post-it than one of the blocks on my desk [by the way, that is one epic post-it up there], I ran across some people whose fascination with these things may be re-classified as mild obsession disguised as art. I joke. It's actually pretty talented, and surely time-consuming. It can't possibly take less than a few hours to construct a hand, a tiled wall, poster a car, or mural Ray Charles... out of sticky notes.

See for yourself.



hand





car | imagine driving that sucker

 

mantle

yep, ray charles

Yeah. So my Tuesday wasn't very exciting other than my small break chasing Post-It visions.

I may try covering Sydni with Post-Its... ha. Think that'd work?

xo | cmd