30 Day Journal Challenge {2011} days 1-12

I've been working
 

I've been working on my 30 Day Journal Challenge! I'm really slacking about blogging them, but I've been uploading them to flickr in a somewhat regular manner. ;)

From the last challenge, the last picture, I've learned what Zentangles are! I've been making zentangles for YEARS and never knew thats what they were called, look at these amazing pictures I found on pinterest:

Source: flickr.com via heather on Pinterest

Source: drawingisawesome.blogspot.com via heather on Pinterest

Source: ingriddijkers.blogspot.com via heather on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via heather on Pinterest

You get the idea! It's so relaxing to just sit there and absent mindedly draw. It doesn't take skill, or even great drawing talent, which I really don't have any of. I'm a doodler. Not a drawer. I can draw, but I have to focus way too much and everything is always wonky and never proportionate. *shrugs* These zentangles are just satisfying bits of doodles that you really should get out a pen and do some right now! ;)

Also, I'm obsessed with pinterest. :) I spend ALOT, way more than I should, of my time there recently. I just love looking at all the cool things! If you're on pinterest add me!! I'd love to follow you too! :)

I hope you are all well and you're enjoying your summer!

Little Wishlist

I've been looking up things for my little bean in the oven. (which after the dream I had last night I'm 85% sure its a boy. With blonde hair.) And I'm just going to post a few (read alot) of things I want for this little'en.

30 Day Journal Challenge v. 2.0 {2011}

Janel from Run With Scissors is having another 30 Day Journal Challenge! Last year I stumbled upon Janel's blog just a few days after she had started the 30 Day Journal Challenge version 1.0! It's a totally free class of great prompts & sharing your pages with the Flikr group. Last year was so much fun for me! It really got me out of this crazy uncreative rut I had been in for a very long time. It helped me overcome some serious issues with myself and honestly, it brought back a lot of joy and fun to my life. You probably think I'm exaggerating, but I promise you I'm not.

Here's todays page:

Simple. :) I used my sharpie pen for the writing then used Autumn's fat crayons for the design! I have to say that the idea of the background wasn't completely original! A couple of days ago Janel posted an aritst feature and I was really inspired by all the graphic designs the artist used and she used a lovely,way more even, zig-zag pattern and I just did my own interpretation of that. But, why is it SO theraputic to color with crayons? Seriously. It is so relaxing!

I can't wait to show you more of my journal pages! :D I hope you all are having a GREAT summer so far!

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!

I love Memorial Day! I think my entire life it has been spent by the pool while grilling out with family & friends! It's such a laid back holiday, but so important!

I've never known anyone directly involved in the military until I met Robin. When we started dating his uncle was actively deployed in Iraq. The first time I ever met Robin's Uncle Buddy was on 4th of July, when he was home for a few days. I remember he was tall and very strong & intimadating looking! He was a member of the National Guard. The next time I met Buddy wasn't so exciting. When he went back to Iraq after his trip home, the unexpected happened. The humvee he was patrolling in with his unit hit a IED, which is an explosive under the pavement of the road. When the humvee hit the IED Buddy was flown from the vehicle several hundred feet. The details of the story are very vague from there, because Buddy was in and out of consiousness. When he finally got stateside, his family was given some very tough news. Buddy had survived the explosion, but would be paralized from the waist down. That was nearly 5 or 6 years ago. Since then, Buddy has managed to get some use of his legs, but he can't walk without the help of crutches. It was hard to see their family go through this, and not just dealing with his injuries, but dealing with the deaths of some of his unit... thier best friends.

War is not a choice that we have to make, it's up to our leaders, but when it comes time for people to fight, it's people like Buddy who pay the price. Whether it's the National Guard, the Army, the Marines, the Navy or the Air Force, these men and women have dedicated thier lives for our freedom. Countless soliders have paid the ultimate sacrifice and that is exactly what Memorial Day is for... to Remember those who have given their life in the name of America.

Thank You to the soliders of past and present!!

Heather's ABC's

This seemed so fun and reminded me of all the crazy little quizes I used to do in highschool then post on xanga & livejournal! (did any of you have a xanga or livejournal/deadjournal?!) So.. here goes...

A. Age: 24

B. Bed size: Newly downsized to a Queen. I. Regrett. It.

C. Chore that you hate: everysingle one.

D. Dogs: one. Clover, a black lab.

E. Essential start to your day: Bathroom!!! haha!!

F. Favorite color: purple

G. Gold or Silver: silver (rarely ever gold.)

H. Height: 5'10

I. Instruments you play: Piano, i know a little o guitar & bass, but not enough be impress anyone.

J. Job title: Breastfeeding Peer Counselor. I get paid to talk about boobs all day. :D

K. Kids: 2! Autumn & one on the way!

L. Live: Georgia

M. Mother's name: Maryann

N. Nicknames: Heav, Heavster, Header, Heazer

O. Overnight hospital stays: When I had Autumn.

P. Pet peeve: constant movement/noise. like tapping pencil or bouncing your leg. (I even do these things sometimes then I annoy my self.)

Q. Quote from a movie: "Oh! Happy Day Mama! A Gentleman Caller?! And I thought I was going to have to spend my dowry on booze & pills to the lonelyness!" -Easy A. Gosh I love that movie.

R. Right or left handed: Right / i can do stuff with my left hand too. Like crochet ;)

S. Siblings: Chris who is 28

T. Time you wake up: 7:30-8:00

U. Underwear: underthere!

V. Vegetable you hate: Tomatoes, Olives & mushrooms. those are the only things I hate.

W. What makes you run late: waking up late.. really late.

X. X-Rays you've had: My arm, when it was broken. My teeth for braces & dentist trips.

Y. Yummy food that you make: Montery Chicken, Greek Style Gyros, Chili and my speciality Red Velvet Cake.

Z. Zoo animal: SEALS!! I used to watch them for hours! They are so fuuny!


Just in case you haven't seen it!!!!

Well I hope you learned some interesting things about me! :) Have a lovely day friends!

Blog Blanket Project

Blog Blanket Project, a photo by Courtney Bruesch Photography on Flickr.

Calling all Crochet lovers!! Join Courtney @ www.youwillwontyou.blogspot.com and us make a blogger blanket! We'll be croheting 6 inch granny squares to share with bloggers near and far! How awesome will it be to have a blanket made from the friends that you've connected with over the interwebz? I think it would be the coolest thing! Hopefully, making the 6 inch squares will help with the sizing & everyone's squares will fit into a perfect blanket! If you want to join head over to Courtney's blog & let her know OR send her an email!! You can get that from her blog! I Hope you guys will join! The more people that join the fewer squares you will have to make! YAY! <3

Devastaed

I'm not sure if you guys knew about all the CRAZY weather that came through Alabama & Georgia about 2 weeks ago. I'm sure you've seen the images of the Tornado that completely wiped away Tuscaloosa or have heard about it. That storm system was nasty and violent and just in Georgia in that one day over a 100 tornados touched down. I was glued to the t.v. all afternoon and night. I was watching the weather channel as the Alabama tornado went through Birmingham! It was so crazy! So as the night progressed I was glued o the local channels that were tracking a few storm cells headed our way. As it turned out, at about 12:45 a.m. on Thursday morning a tornado touched down in our town about 3 miles from our house. We had no idea, until a friend called me to see if we were okay. Thankfully, we were.We were in the pantry of our house with pillows, couch cousions and everything.

Knowing that a tornado touched down so close to us was terrifying. The next morning I woke up early to check everything out. I left for work about an hour early to ride around. Nothing I could have ever thought could have prepared me for that drive. We live in central Georgia. Tornadoes are RARE and very unusual. So I was not expecting what saw. Houses completely gone and in the middle of the road. Trees flattned like grass. Cars tossed around like toys. Trees completely snapped in half or completly uprooted. The saddest part was seeing the people who lived in those houses that were devastated. Early in the morning they were walking through the rubble picking up what little they could save. You could see people crying and friends trying to console them. It was a disaster area and it is in my hometown. I feel so blessed and lucky that we were okay, but I do not feel satisfaction that we were spared, because so many people lost so much.

So, I've been processing this these past few weeks. Passing the area that was destroyed everyday on m way to town. Now the houses are gone & just bare dirt is left. Trees are still everywhere. Everyday people are working to clean everything up. It's hard to wrap your mind around something like this. To see it with your eyes and feel it in your gut. It's different when its on the t.v. screen or web page. To see it with your own two eyes gives you this sickening feeling that we are so small and so weak that we can't even protect ourself against the weather. We have to hide in closets, basements or pantrys and pray to God that we make it out alive. Then when we do make it out alive we are so relieved. What's the relief for? Because we were spared? How can you feel relieved when people down the street from you have nothing. You can't. It's overwhelming and heartbreaking.

So please pray for my town, Lamar County, Georgia & Spalding County, Georgia. There were lives lost and homes completly gone. These aren't the only places affeted, but these are the cloeset to us.