This week…

• Favorite Blog Post: The Blond Boy and the Bonfire at New Things Every Day  This is a blog written by a dear friend I have known for years.  She, her husband and her children live overseas and she shares the most entertaining stories and interesting cultural tidbits about life in the culture they live in.
• Favorite Kitchen Accessories: So I wandered into anthropologie this weekend and while the clothing (even clearanced) is beyond my comfort level in terms of price, I absolutely fell in love with the kitchen department products.  Oh my stars, take a look at these measuring cups and measuring spoons.  I mean, really.  How much cuter could they get?  (And there are plenty more than just these two designs!)  They even had darling aprons, but I would struggle with not wanting to wear them for their intended purpose because of their cuteness.  Oh, the dilemma!
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  Measuring spoons - seriously!

  

  And measuring cups! In all their cuteness!

• Favorite Weirdness: I encountered a young man working at Victoria’s Secret.  This has turned my undergarment and lingerie world upside down.  It’s bad enough shopping for personal items with men wandering around with their girlfriends/wives, but a man working there?  Oh, the embarrassment!  Don’t ask me why this embarrasses me when I can deliver babies in a room full of people.  It just does.  It’s a woman’s world.  We talk about the pretty flower patterns and matching bras and panties.  How do I have casual conversation about this and bra support with a young man checking out my items at the register?  Nope, don’t think so.   Weirdness.  Truly.
• Favorite Movie Freebies: Free Family Film Festival Yes, you read that right!  All summer long, Regal Cinemas hosts free movies for the kiddos on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings.  Free.  Free. Ply them with sugar and popcorn and darkness and stillness for a couple hours then turn them loose in the swimming pool!  That’s what I’m talking about!  Ha!  (read:  secret plan for making your kids sleep soundly at night)
• Favorite Soap:  Stone Street Baths and Body Company.  This is a family-owned homemade soap company.  I have fallen in love with their bar soaps and truthfully my skin has never felt better.  Good stuff.  Smells fabulous, too!  Chris really likes the “Tweed” men’s soap as well.

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• Favorite Newspaper Article:  Gulf Sees Familiar Face in Charge This NY Times article is about my dad’s first cousin, Thad Allen.  We’re very proud of him!
• Favorite Children’s Bible:  The Jesus Storybook Bible:  Every Story Whispers His Name This book is hands-down my favorite Bible to read to my kids.  It was recommended by my friend Mindy and I love, love, love it.  It starts with stories in the Old Testament and works through the New Testament, but each story always ends by pointing the way to our Rescuer, Jesus Christ.  Just incredible.  Heck, I could use it as my own personal devotional book and get so much out of it.  Who says it has to be just for kids?
• Favorite Photo-A-Day Blog: Today.  My friend Jess is doing a photo-a-day project and I’m always looking forward to see what her next photo is going to be.  I’m a self-proclaimed Jess-photo-blog-stalker-fan.  She even has giveaways now and then so subscribe to her blog and stay tuned!  Yes, she is a professional photographer based in Fort Collins, CO.  Incredible talent.  She’s a nurse on the side.  And the dearest, kindest, sweetest person.  Love you, Jess!
• Favorite Dream Concert: The Lord of the Rings at Radio City Music Hall:  Howard Shore’s Complete Score Performed Live to Film. Yup, I want to be there.  Fellowship of the Ring was performed last fall.  The Two Towers is this fall.  And Return of the King is next fall, I assume.  Oh, to be there!!  It’s a dream…if I had to choose, I would choose Return of the King.  (Chris…hint, hint…HINT, HINT)
• Favorite Cleaning Products: Shaklee.  My friend Margie turned me on to these and I had heard about them before through various blogs, but when Margie says she loves something, I take her word for it.  And I love them.  Love them.  My cleaning is much more simplified, organic, environmentally friendly, safe (non-toxic) and smells nice and mild or not at all.  Just what (my) dreams are made of.  Check it out.  I may write more on this later, but I fear sounding like an infomercial.

Going Nowhere, Got Links?

I stumbled across this video of Ace of Cakes…making a piano cake.

I taught them everything they know.

Yeeaaaahhhh.

Sweet cake though, isn’t it?  :)  I’m not really sure I could even eat it!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/videos/jazz-piano-wedding-cake/17176.html

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News tidbits and websites that have intrigued me as of late…

• Flash Mob Phenomenon Ranges from Harmless Pranks to Public Mess – This was quite amusing.  The YouTube videos at the end of the article were even better.  I was laughing so hard my sides were hurting. 
• I have a few stupid criminal stories for you – these always make me laugh.  The first one is a local story - Inmate on Cigarette Run, Caught Sneaking Back Into Jail.  Yes, you read that right.  
• This one is even better.  Given my background in martial arts, I was struck silly reading this article and picturing the events in my head.  Man Unwisely Tries to Rob Wisconsin Tae Kwon Do Studio.  Unwise…yup, that is a word for it.
• In Case of Death, Please Send Email.  It seems all this online social networking has spawned a new business.  Interesting, indeed.  Chris says, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
• Octopus Sets Off Flood at Aquarium – I had no idea these sea creatures had such personality.  I’ll never look at them the same.  Nor eat them.  Wait, I don’t like eating them in the first place.  
• Senators Slam Plan for Wounded Vets to Use Private Insurance – I usually keep my political thoughts to myself on my blog, but this story made me livid.  LIVID.  The government can bail out businesses, then wants to propose to abandon the soldiers who served their country?  I have several ideas for the person who thought of this plan…
• From John Piper’s blog, A Love Poem of Hope in Seven Languages.  Wow.  I think I want to hear someone recite this.  HeatherT?

Got Links?

I was on Crackbook Facebook this morning and a friend had stumbled across this website I Am Second.  

Wow.  WOW.  Triple WOW.  

That’s all I am going to say about that.  I’ll let you go there and figure it out for yourself.  (Hint:  Let your mouse settle on each pic of the folks in the middle of the screen…)

(I watched the videos for Stephen Baldwin and the guy from Korn.  I can’t wait to go watch more…)

God Stuff, Got Links?, Great Music/Videos