rainy days...again.

{it's raining...again. this time cats and dogs and buckets and however that saying goes.}

{again, that's okay. it makes for great wet rose pictures.}

{see?}

 {we've overflowed our 6" rain gauge.}

 {and i do believe that this is my new favorite picture.}

{this picture isn't too shabby either.}

 {water is standing/flooding our patio.}

 So, we apparently have to go through a monsoon to get to fall temps. Tropical storm Nicole is meeting up with what was left of the rain we had on Monday and Tuesday. Eastern NC doesn't know how to deal with some rain, thus forcing 2 hour delays in nearly all of the area. Which means that our beloved CBS is canceled, and I'm pretty sad. Sad is an understatement, but it's the best I can do right now. 

P.S. This is the last post I'll do about the weather. Pinky promise. I'll beginning to remind myself of my grandparent's friends, and how their world revolves around the weather forecast.

my first tag!

I love tags (almost as much as giveaways!), so imagine my delight when I saw that Emily had tagged me! Even though that was over two weeks ago, I needed a little fun today. I know everyone says Mondays are bad, but my Monday is Tuesday. Not sure why, but it is. Thus, the lighthearted, fun tag questions. :)

1. High heels or boots? I have never owned a pair of heels, even though they're so dang cute and feminine, but I'm more of a flats/Sperry's kind of girl anyway.

2. What time did you get up this morning? My alarm is broken, so I got up at 8:30. It didn't help that the sun wasn't out (and hasn't been out for two days!).

3. What was the last movie you saw at the theater? I've been to a few movies this summer, but the last one was "Charlie St. Cloud" with good ol' Sam. Really good movie, by the way!

4. What is your maiden name? Um, so not telling. Plus, I'm not married yet, so it's not legal, and for real-life friends that know it...don't you dare tell! 

5. What is your favorite TV show? Since we don't have cable, we're limited to network shows, which are just as bad. I'm a sucker for a medical and crime/mystery show, so I could tell you all about Chuck, Castle, House, etc. That is, if you want to know...

6. What do you usually have for breakfast? Mama loves her a toasted bagel, so we usually have the same. Occasionally, we'll get cereal, yogurt, egg sandwich and the like, but it's few and far between.

7. What is your middle name? Believe it or not, my middle name is Catherine, not Anne like most people think. I have a 23 letter name, ya'll. It's a doozy of a name to write, let me tell you.

8. What food do you dislike? I don't like mushrooms, mostly because of the texture, but other than that, I'm not picky. I'm not a big fan of creamy white things, though.

9. What is your favorite CD at the moment? What's a CD? Kidding, but I really don't listen to CD's. Mixpod is my very best friend, so if I need some music, I'll pull it up on the computer, and sing away!

10. What characteristic do you despise? Fake things, people who make their life sound perfect, and the like. Makes me feel like a freak for saying something bad about what happened during the day.

11. Favorite clothing? Jeans all the way! I can't wait to get a pair of cowboy boots in the fall and wear them with my skinny's. Although, I do love my summer dresses; there is nothing quite like it, really!

12. Anywhere in the world on vacation? No clue! I haven't been given that opportunity, so I don't know how I'd react. Overseas, definitely, but as to where...I'll have to think about it!

13. Are you an organized person? I'm more OCD than anything, with a tad bit of perfectionist thrown in there. I keep things neat, but that's about it.

14. Where would you retire to? Again, I'm not there yet. If I had the choice, I'd retire close to family, but in a nice house by some body of water. 

15. What was your most recent memorable birthday? My 15th was pretty memorable, seeing as I got a camera (as you all know) and a car (don't freak out! it's the family old 16 year old one that's still alive and kicking, but that could change any day). 

16. What are you going to do when you finish this?  Whenever I get the chance, duh! :) Really, I have no idea...

17. Furthest place you have ever been to? I"m a poor, trip-deprived girl, so the only places I've been are South Carolina and Virginia, our neighboring states. 

18. Person you wish you could meet?  Like Emily, Eden, and Moriah, I really want to meet you readers!

19. When is your birthday? June 19th, and I love having it then!

20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Night owl all the way. Mornings aren't my friend, and I don't even speak to anyone right away, but I'm chatty as all get out at night!

21. What is your shoe size? Depends on the brand, but I'm usually a five or six. Mama wears the same size, so it's fun to wear her shoes and vice versa...

22. Do you own any animals? Proud owner of a orange tabby, Butter. 

23. Any news you'd like to share? Um, no. Wait, maybe? Depends on what exciting is to you...

24. When you were little, what did you want to be when you grew up? A mommy. I know, that's the typical answer, but it's true.

25. What is your favorite flower? I love the smell of gardenia's, but I really like to look at a unusual flower. 

26. What would you currently like to be when you grow up? I'm so undecided it's not even funny. I used to think I wanted to go into the medical field, then I thought I wanted to be a teacher, and now I'm toying with the idea of being a teacher for deaf children. I have no idea where that came from...

{For some reason, question #27 is missing…not sure why}

28. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Something with a lot of different shades, that's for sure. Maybe like a purple, since it can be a light lavender or deep plum.

29. How is the weather right now? Dark! The rain stopped this morning, but it's back tomorrow. :(

30. Last person you spoke to on the phone? I do believe it was Mama, but that doesn't count. I'm pretty sure the last non-relative I talked to was Emmylou.

31. Favorite drink? Dr. Pepper all the way! Although, Frappes from Mickey D's and Java Chillers from Sonics are a close second.

32. Favorite restaurant? We rarely go out to eat, but when we do, I like Rucker John's.

33. Hair color? Brown/Red. At least I have pretty hair to make up for all the grief it gives me... :)

34. What was your favorite toy as a child? Babydolls, babydolls, babydolls! I still have them all stuffed in my closet, awaiting my daughter's little hands to dress them.

35. Spring, summer, fall, or winter? Oh, tough question. Even though fall leads to winter, I love it. 

36. Chocolate or vanilla? Dude, chocolate! I like no other sweets, actually.

37. Coffee or tea? Another tough one! I don't like either of them that much, but I'm going to have to go with tea, that way I can have hot or iced.

38. Wish you were still young? I am young, people! Unless 15 is the new 30 or something...

39. Do you want to get married? No duh. And have a houseful of kids running around in diapers...

40. When was the last time you cried? I teared up today, readers. In my defense, I had something in my eye.

41. What is under your bed? Just a few cat hair tumbleweeds. Butter has decided that under the bed is a great place to bathe since the vacuum is too big to fit under there.

42. What did you do last night? Watched TV, read in bed while listening to the rain, and slept. I'm a real party animal, huh?

43. What are you afraid of? Sleepless nights and the like. I'm really working on praying when I'm scared and learning to go to God, since He'll always be there.

44. Salty or sweet? Both! That might be why I love chocolate covered pretzels sooo much!

45. Describe yourself in 10 words... I'm a passionate, emotional believer in Christ that happens to live in an unGodly world. Okay, so that's 13 words, but I love it.

46. How many years at your current job? If you consider being a student a job (which it is, all you naysayers.), then 10 years. And, still 6 years ahead of me. Why must I torture myself and be smart?! :)

47. Favorite day of the week? Friday. Hooray for three day weekends!

48. Favorite movie?  Honestly, if we're talking about children's movies, I love the Toy Story ones, along with Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. If we're not talking about kid's movies, forget everything I said.

49. Have you ever had a crush on anyone? Again, no duh! I mean, who doesn't think someone looks handsome. I say that about my little bro all the time.

50. Do you like finding out all this stuff about your friends? Like it? More like love it! Knowing the little things about each other makes for great inside jokes...and a close friendship. Let's not forget about that.

I'm supposed to tag people, but I'd love to know all of your answers! If you want to do this tag, leave a comment so I can see it. Please and thank you!

rainy days

Alternately titled: The post in which I write a poem that doesn't rhmye and is enclosed in parenthesis. {am i the only one who doesn't get those kind of poems? yes? okay then, moving on...}

{things are wet}

 {like, really wet. totally, unbelievably wet.}

 {water is puddled everywhere. on the patio...}

{...and overflowing the buckets we have since our gutters are toast.}

{the road is flooded, too.}

 {we lost a couple limbs, but that's okay. one less dead one to fall on us when we swing!}

 {and, in case you haven't heard, things are wet.}

{so wet i couldn't help up take pictures of the rain drops falling off the flowers}

{i also couldn't help but take a picture of my wet footprints. p.s. my feet are not that big, but my arch is pretty much that high. makes for lovely shoe shopping trips!}

So, I'm thinking I don't have a career as a poem writer...or whatever you call them. Blog inspiration is running low and I'm desperate for topics. Comments are welcome, not to mention encouragement for me!

falapalooza

Even though fall still feels like it's not here in Eastern NC, there are a lot of giveaways in honor of fall. Check my new "Giveaways" page for all the current ones I've found searching the interwebs. One particular one that is too good to pass up is this one going on over at Shannon's. Once you link up HERE, you're entered to win one of eight giveaways! Yep, eight. 
And, since it's a blog party along with a  giveaway, Shannon has all these fun questions to answer when you post about it. Since I haven't ever done a tag sort of thing, I thought it would be fun to let you readers know what I'm really like. :)
1. Ring! Ring! You receive a phone call from a national sweepstakes organization saying that you have won a life-time supply of your favorite beverage!! What would that drink be? If the fact that my fave beverage wasn’t so unhealthy, I’d say Dr. Pepper all the way.

2. If you could live in a Jane Austen novel, which book would you pick? What character would you be? I have to admit, I’m not a big Jane Austen fan. While you catch your breath, I will say I’d love to be Jane Austen herself, since not much is known about her and her personal life.

3. What is your theme song, that favorite song that absolutely matches you? After thinking for, like, forever, Francesca Battistelli's "It's Your Life" sticks in my mind. It's on my Mixpod playlist if you want to listen!

4. You are trapped on a deserted island. Your only supplies are the clothes you have on, and a box with five things in it. What are those five things? Being the practical person I am, I’d have to say the basic survival stuff, like water, food, and such. But the frivolous side of me would say my computer, books, and a friend or two!

5. Chocolate or Caramel? Chocolate! I really don’t like any other candy/sweets, and I have serious withdrawls sometimes.

6. Vacation! If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Outta this state, that’s for sure. I’d really like to go overseas, maybe to the Czech Republic (where my ancestors are from) or one of the famous places in the US.

7. If forced to do one of the two, which would you do: sky diving or scuba diving? Why? I live in the water, so I have to go with scuba diving. As long as the water is clear, I’m game.

8. Favorite TV show, and why? I love a good mystery or medical show, but Chuck stands out. Funny, witty, spy show all the way!

9. Are you a coffee and donuts sorta lady, or a tea and scones type of gal? Give me a coffee flavored thing and a hot Krisy Kreme donut and you will be my best friend forever.

10.The time machine has finally been created, and you are the first to be able to use it! What era would you travel too? The 40’s or 50’s. The clothes (and everything) are so cool!

11. What is the last movie you watched? Leap Year with Amy Adams. Funny movie, not much language, and good storyline, so I recommend it.

12. Ding-dong!!! Your favorite actor/singer/celebrity is at your front door! Who would it be? No idea. I should go with my favorite TV show cast, though.

13. What was your absolute favorite toy as a baby? Babydolls! I still have all half dozen of them in my closet, and I can’t wait for my daughter to play with them.

14. What types of blogs do your like best? (examples: DIY, cooking, journal, ect.) Real-life, down to earth blogs are my favorite. Photography, cooking, and giveaway blogs are a close second though. If you know any good ones, let me know! Check my sidebar for all my favorites…

15. What is your favorite Bible verse, your "life verse?" Zephaniah 3:17 has always stood out to me, but I love short, to the point verses also. I have some written down on index cards and taped to my mirrors to read while I get ready in the morning. 

Remember, the giveaway ends on the 30th, so hurry on over there!

fall is not here

Remember this post? Lindsay left this comment...

And I totally agreed with her, but not before I started to write out a post in my head attempting to list all my favorite things. I even contemplated actually writing and publishing a post with a few more of my favorite things about fall. That was, until I woke up covered in sweat and watched the weather last weekend. Ya'll, it's going to be 90 degrees on today, the first day of autumn! Photo proof below...

Needless to say, I've been wearing shorts and summer dresses all week. It's the last full week of Sept., people, and I'm ready for sweaters, sweatshirts, and jeans...every day.
Post Summary: I love Window's 7 snipping tool. That's all... :)

courthouse

After church on Sunday, we went downtown and snapped a couple pictures for Clark's history class. Dad, the teacher that he is, could tell us everything about everything we wanted to know...with a little help from the book he borrowed from school.

My little bro, all grown up. It's a tragedy...

The next three are shots of the architecture of the building, and it was really neat to have Dad there to explain it all... 

Shadow pictures are cool...

...but pictures of people standing in the middle of the road are even cooler.

The front view...

And the artistic shots. It's a one way street to somewhere, but I'm not sure where yet.

As I was taking this picture, I said "Parking meters are cool", to which Clark replied "Yeah, if you have a bunch of quarters lying around." Gotta love him! :)

Oh, and I'm now convinced I have to have a shoot downtown. Painted brick walls, railroad tracks, roads that are begging for a wide-angle or fisheye lens are calling me. Any takers?

happy (belated) birthday, Sam!

Yesterday was Sam's 19th birthday, and since I'm horrible about making cards and posting on people's actual birthday, the post is up today.

{pictures are from this post, in case you're wondering why they look oh-so familiar.}

Sam,
Ah, where to begin? How about the way you're always there, willing to have a convo via text about some really strange, personal things? Or...how about all those times we laughed at Clark until our faces turned red and you were on the verge of crying? Good times.
Love you like a sis,
your cousin SA (who really doesn't look anything like you :)

homeschool (blogging) girls get together: take 2

{a screen shot of the beginning of the convo. i was all over swagbucks trying to find out how to take a screen shot, and when i scrolled down on the link i clicked, i realized that since i have windows 7, i have a built-in screen shot thingy. score!}

The homeschool get-together hosted on Skpye Eden was pushed to Thursday due to the impending hurricane forecasted to hit Bermuda this weekend. Eden had gone back and forth about whether to cancel it, re-schedule or something else, but I'm so glad she decided to host it before the storm. I had a blast meeting all the girls, chatting, answering tag questions and such. Eden is such a great host, and she's toying with the idea of hosting it monthly/bi-monthly, so send her an email if you weren't able to join us the last time. I'm sure she's love to have you.
Speaking of Eden, please keep her and her family in your prayers. I've chatted with her a couple times today, and each time she's talked about all they have to do to get ready for the hurricane. It's a doozy of a storm, and prayers are greatly appreciated, so say a quick one as you fall asleep tonight, like I am. :)

fall feels like it's here

Even though it's a week until Fall officially starts, it's felt like fall in eastern NC for a while now. For me, fall is wearing jeans, and I've done so for about a week straight, and I took pictures. You're welcome! 

By far, this one is my favorite...

Thank you, Old Navy, for making jeans that  (relatively fit me. I love you.
What's your favorite thing about fall? The comments always want to hear your thoughts! ;)