Not A Real Post, Just An Update On How Pathetic I Am.

Hello Blogstalkers.

I am SICK.  Like lose six pounds in the last four days and try to feed my dogs Saltines so that when Ryan counts my Saltines to make sure I am at least eating Saltines he is tricked SICK.  Like I accidentally thought about a potato today and got sick SICK.  Like my doctor is all blah blah blah hospital, stick you with needles SICK.  And also like cough cough SICK on top of that.

But I'm attempting to stay positive! Morning sickness is a good thing! You know what is gross? Sausage! So I was going to go ahead and post anyway.  But then I took the dogs outside and it's raining here and so it smelled like worms and wet dogs and now I need to be sick again for a while.

Be patient with lily-livered, melodramatic, WOE IS ME, me?

Also, never Febreze a wet dog.  It does not help.  In the words of my grandma, "It's as useless as putting a bonnet on a pig."

And now I have to go. I have to email Ryan at work and ask him to stop at the store and get me more lemonade and no more god damn potatoes.
 


P.S. If you have like... a full time job and two kids with soccer practice AND morning sickness and are still getting through it with a nod and a smile then you are a superhero and I stand in awe of your strength.

P.P.S.  If all of this means I'm growing a healthy little thing then I will take it ten times over.  And then I would have ten babies! Yay!

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Tuesday Giveaway - Origami Owl Style

Hey Blogstalkers!

Sorry for not posting in the last couple of days but I feel AWFUL.  I wake up sick and go to bed sick.  I can't say with certainty that I feel sick whilst I sleep but I feel there is a strong possibility as last night everyone in my dream was eating burritos and I was sitting on the sidelines shouting "Keep those burritos away from me, they're making me sick!"

So that's what I've been doing.  But today is Tuesday, so a new giveaway must be started! (Real post tomorrow!)  First the winner of the Blue Monkeey giveaway is Rachel M whose five year old would just love the clips!  So if you're Rachel, email me at LaurenRaeGallagher@gmail.com to claim your prize.

Moving on.  Today's contest is brought to you by Lauren (cool name right?) who works with Origami Owl.  If you're not familiar with the company, they work with jewelry, specializing in something called a Living Locket.  Basically you can create a locket using charms and metal plates and such to represent the most important things in your life, the things that really define you.

As the other Lauren says, "I believe everyone has a story to tell, and Origami Owl is the perfect way to wear your story, start a conversation with a stranger, or make a new friend."

Just to try out the process I went to Lauren's Site this morning and created my own locket (though, as always, I am in no way being paid or perked for this giveaway.)  I decided to write the story of Lauren (me) and Ryan in jewelry so first I chose a plate with the word "Always" on it, which I've always thought is like a nice way of saying forever RYAN.  Then for charms I threw in a graduation cap an engagement ring, a baby carriage and an elephant.  The first three are self explanatory, the last one is to make Ryan nervous.  

"Lauren I get the rest of the charms but why the elephant?"

"Oh you will see Ryan, you will see."

So details of the giveaway: Lauren (not me) is giving away a $65 credit to Origami Owl so one lucky reader can create their own Living Locket.

To enter, she is asking that you "Like" her Origami Owl Facebook Page and then I am asking that you leave a comment here to let me know you've done just that!  A winner will be chosen randomly as always early next week.

Have fun!

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One Fish Two Fish We Granted Ryan's Wish

Hello Blogstalkers!

Since Ryan has been an absolute prince lately what with the knocking me up and all, I've been racking my brain trying to think of something special I could do for him.  But could not come up with anything that seemed just right.  Until we were flipping through the channels one Saturday trying to find a random movie to watch before going to bed and he stopped it on a shot of a group of men in a restaurant eating sushi off the body of a not-very-clad woman.  And he laughingly said something annoying about that being on his bucket list, just to bother me.  I was about to dismiss the entire episode but then I remembered that he'd said basically the same thing when I had forced him to watch the Sex And The City movie years ago and how I had been severely affronted and huffy.

And so a plan was hatched.  If he wanted to eat sushi off a semi-nude body so badly (gross gross gross) then I could give him that.  And then he could cross it off his nonexistent bucket list that he only brings up when he knows it will drive me mad and we would never have to talk about the sushi thing ever ever again.

And everyone would be happy.

So I googled pictures for inspiration.  And made notes.

More leaves than this for sure.

SO many more leaves than this.  Also Samantha you are in front of a window you silly whore. 

And then I enlisted a partner in crime because this was obviously not a one person job.

And so OJ (my husband's very best friend with whom he has a terrifyingly intense bromance) flew in from Dallas just for this.  Ok not really.  He was flying in the next day for a bachelor party anyway but he flew in a day early just for this.

We started with an arts and crafts hour in which we made not-at-all-scanty leaves and lifelike flowers for decoration.

This was the planned ensemble: (Which would be worn OVER UNDERWEAR, let's make that clear right now.)

I still was not sure it was enough leaves.

We bought cheap sushi from Jewel because we were unsure if Ryan would actually eat any of the sushi off of a person (because seriously who does that?) even if it happened to be the person he loves best in the world and then we waited until about fifteen minutes before he was due home from work and started work ourselves.

There were lots of "Ahhh OJ NO!"s and "Don't look yet!"s and "My leaves are slipping! Don't you dare try to fix them just hand me some tape and turn around!"s but eventually we got the job done.

And that is the story of how when Ryan got home and climbed the stairs he was met with this sight:

I should be a paparazzo because I am obviously excellent at getting "up the skirt" shots.

What? You didn't think it was going to be me on the table did you?

Then Ryan was all, "What the hell!?" and OJ was all "I've made you dinner darling!" and Ryan was all "Why is this happening! I don't want this." and I was all "It was on your bucket list RYAN, I was just trying to do something lovely for you."

I swear he is wearing boxers under the leaves.

Eventually Ryan came around.  I am SUCH a good wife.

UPDATE: Holly who is awesome sent me the most magnificent artwork that has now been made into a t-shirt on Zazzle.  Thank you Holly! (I'll post the actual Zazzle link as soon as it pops up in their system)

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Tuesday Giveaway - Blue Monkeey Style

Hey Blogstalkers!

It's Tuesday and you know what that sometimes means - time for a giveaway!  Today's contest is especially appropriate given yesterday's announcement.  I hope you enjoy! (P.S. This is my last 'baby' themed post for a while I totally promise.  I'll be back with another pretty amazing post - if I do say so myself - on Thursday - with pictures, lots of pictures.)

Hi Everyone! I'm Renee and I run the Etsy shop Blue Monkeey.  Blue Monkeey is named for my daughter whose favorite color is blue and whose nickname is 'Monkey'.

First I would like to thank Lauren for giving me this opportunity and for thinking of me for her Tuesday giveaway series! A very brief overview of how Blue Monkeey came to be - I left the world of sales when my daughter made an early debut (by 6 weeks) 3 years ago and became a Stay at Home Mom. As my little baby started to grow hair I started buying her clips...As she got older (and was able to speak) she suddenly had an opinion on the clips and wanted them to match her outfit (example: she had a hedgehog on her shirt, had to have a hedgehog hair clip). If the clip did not match she would not wear it. 

Fast forward a bit - After getting tired of buying clips I decided to figure out how to make them myself. Soon I was making them for my daughter and family. My daughter started pre-school this year and I started getting compliments on her hair clips. After some encouragement and support from family and some positive feedback from her classmates' moms, I decided to try selling them at her school's holiday craft fair as well as opening up an Etsy shop and they were a huge hit! 

Once I opened up shop and created a Facebook Page and became public with friends, I started to get more suggestions and feedback for different products. I started off just making the felt hair clips (since that is what my little one was wearing and wanting) and hair clip holders (had to find a solution to better organize all the clips!) and have since expanded to making headbands (for kids and adults, metal and elastic) and hair elastics (for kids and adults). I love trying out new things and figuring out how to do something different (it keeps me from getting bored). What makes it all worhtwhile for me is the smile from my little one when I cave and let her have a new clip or headband :).

So enough background on the company...my GIVEAWAY for this wonderful Tuesday! I am offering a "Summer Bundle" (see picture for actual items). In the bundle there are 6 felt hair clips in summer themes (including a patriotic flower) and an interchangeable elastic loop headband. The headband is super soft and stretchy and has a loop so you can wear it alone or attach your favorite clip to it. The hadband is hand sewn. I personally LOVE these headbands and wear them all the time! 

In addition, I would like to offer a special discount to everyone here. From now until June 18^th 2013 save 15% on your entire Etsy order (www.etsy.com/shop/bluemonkeey) by entering coupon code TUESDAY15 at checkout. 

Thank you and good luck!

Renee

Thanks Renee!  Isn't her stuff awesome? (And SO affordable - most of her clips are under $3.50).  I pretty much wanted to buy thirty clips for myself when I first ran across her shop but Ryan was NOT all about that idea.  But now that I am having a small child I can totally stock up on hair clips.  Boys wear them too right?  I know my brother Davis did at least....though that might have been because he had four older sisters and we needed another pursuit after we got bored with painting his nails and draping his neck with feather boas....

Come to think of it I do remember my dad coming home from work and not being entirely pleased about Davisina's striking ensembles.  Hmmmm.

Anyway, her prize is fantastic and enormously suited to summer but I also wanted to show off some of my other favorites from Blue Monkeey.

Same rules as always apply.  To enter leave a comment.  A winner will be picked randomly on Monday.  May the odds be EVER in your favor Blogstalkers.

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