Sweet - Sweet Love

As I sit here and rock my daughter to sleep she is tugging at my collar and her little lips are puckered up around her pink paci. She's in la-la-land and she's dreaming of something sweet. Something so sweet it's making her wiggle and coo and have a little smile every couple minutes.

She's been asleep for a while now... I just can't let her go. The sound of her breathing, cooing and sucking on her paci are sounds I never thought I would love to hear. The sweet sounds of her breathing deeper as she falls into a dreaming wonderland of sweet love.

These moments are the ones I hope I remember when I am 80. I hope I never forget the sweet smell of her soft lavender skin, the feel of her warm hands sticking out of the cute girly fuzzy pajamas, the loving sound of her dreaming and the twitches she makes when she's dreaming something great. She grabs my shirt and tugs a little harder.

I won't ever forget these moments.
The moments when I fall deeper in love than I have ever imagined.

My little Lennon,
Sweet Dreams.

My Undying Love

I may only be 22 years young and I may not have been around for the debut of the Beatles. The craze, excitement and controversy that happened in the world happened before I was born but through my family and friends I have found an undying love for these men that is with me every day of my life.

It all started when I was born into this world. Since June, 1990 I was listening to Beatles music at my Grandma and Papa's home in the country. Papa would put me on his lap and sing to me. My fond memories are made from stories that my mom, aunt and uncle would tell me. He would sing, play guitar and record songs that later we found on a tape he was creating for my Grandma.

I grew up falling in love with this music without even knowing the story behind it all. I fell in love with the calming sounds of their voices, the wonderful sounds of the music in the background as my mom would do dishes or clean the house.

I was probably 12 years old when I really started doing research on who the Beatles were. Who were these infamous men that were all over the posters in my house and the CD's in the car on the way to school? I did know one thing. I knew that they all had funny names; Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr [that one always made me laugh], and of course John Lennon [my ultimate favorite]!

I have lived my life loving them and listening to their music. When I was pregnant with my daughter I had a dream that my Papa came to me and said that I had named my child Lennon. It was then that I knew this legacy would live on forever in our hearts and we would always remember the wonderful sounds that used to fill our home with joy, love and laughter.

So, here's who they are and what they're all about - for those of you who don't know the Beatles you need to! Take a moment to listen, read, and learn.


Watch This Mini-Doc

My Favorites...

Sir Paul McCartney - is an English musician, singer-songwriter, and composer. Guinness World Records described McCartney as the "most successful composer and recording artist of all time", with 60 gold discs and sales of over 100 million albums and 100 million singles, and as the "most successful songwriter" in United Kingdom chart history! Pretty impressive, he has also taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects as animal rights, seal hunting, landmines, vegetarianism, poverty, and music education.

Paul met Lennon at the age of fifteen and they started a band, The Quarrymen in 1957 which was a mix of rock and roll and skiffle; a type of music influenced by jazz, blues and folk. George Harrison Joined the band in 1958 as lead guitarist. By May of 1960 the band had changed their name several times; The Quarrymen to start it all off, The Silver Beatles, Johnny and The Moondogs. They finally chose the name, The Beatles, in 1960 and recruited Pete Best as their drummer.

The band stayed strong until 1970 when disagreements caused McCartney to leave the group. It took five long, more than likely tough years for the Beatles to be legally dissolved as a band.

In 10 years they made a historical impact on the world! A magnificent blend of music has changed the lives of musicians and music lovers around the world.

Learn more about The Beatles

John Lennon - MY FAVORITE, Can ya tell? October 1940 – 8 December 1980. Lennon was an English musician, singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as a founder member of the Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. With Paul McCartney, he formed one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century.

Lennon revealed a rebellious nature and acerbic wit in his music, writing, drawings, on film and in interviews. Controversial through his political and peace activism, he moved to New York City in 1971, where his criticism of the Vietnam War resulted in a lengthy attempt by Richard Nixon's administration to deport him, while some of his songs were adopted as anthems by the anti-war movement.

Rolling Stone has names John Lennon the fifth greatest singer of all time [in 2008]. Among many things, Lennon was a poet, a writer, an artist and a musician. The Times Literary Supplement considered the poems and stories "remarkable ... also very funny ... the nonsense runs on, words and images prompting one another in a chain of pure fantasy".

A remarkable man who is at the root of this Beatles crazy in the world lost his life too quickly. At around 10:50 pm on 8 December 1980, as Lennon and Ono returned to their New York apartment in The Dakota Mark David Chapman shot Lennon in the back four times at the entrance to the building.
Ono issued a statement the next day, saying "There is no funeral for John", "John loved and prayed for the human race. Please pray the same for him." His body was cremated in NYC and Yoko Ono scattered his ashes in New York's Central Park, where the Strawberry Fields memorial was later created. The memorial is a beautiful place.

When I was in High School I had the trip of a lifetime - I went to Central Park one day and sat there at the memorial and said a prayer. All of my classmates looking at the statues and art in the park that day and I took a moment of silence to say a prayer. It was the most memorable experience of my life. People from NYC area are always coming to lay flowers on this beautiful art in the middle of Central Park.

 

RIP: John Lennon.

 

<3

Baby Footprints

Thanks to my dear friend Courtney I am able to put my crafting skills to the test!

I am making baby footprint & handprint plaques.

Here's what you need:
- an adorable baby with cute hands and feet. [this is a must]!
- 1/2 C Salt
- 1/2 C Flour
- 1/4 C Water
- An oven
- A lot of patience
[it will take 3 hours]

Here's what you do:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees
- Mix dough together to a play dough consistency
- Lay flat in a baking pan
- Take those tiny hands and feet and gently press them into the dough to make a print gentle enough that it doesn't go through to the bottom but hard enough to make a full print
- Clean their hands and feet with warm water and soap
- Place pan in the oven and wait! [3 hours]

3 hours later you have...

Really Bad Mood Kind of Day

Yesterday all around sucked.

I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed because every single thing made me one or more of the following... mad.irritated.irate.you.freaking.name.it.

Well, I take that back. A couple of things made me happy:

1. I bought a Hannah Anderson winter coat/parka for my little Lennon for a steal of a deal! $15.00! Brand new. Yep! [Saginaw Township Yard Sale - Facebook is amazing!!] It's a size 4T but who cares. She will wear it some day a few years from now. I couldn't pass it up and if you know me, I never pass up a good deal on something.

2. Lightinthebox.com. Thanks to my dear friend Amanda O. I found this website. I found my veil [17.00], my garter [6.00] and a furry shall for the wedding [11.00]. Heck yeah! Great deals all around that place - and it's much more than just wedding! If you haven't been there yet, check it out. It's a wholesale bargain website from China. I know, everyone hates buying non-USA made products but I couldn't pass up this good of a deal! And yes, I read the reviews first! Go there now, shoot me later. K? :)

3. Lennon says Dad! Not Dada, or Daddy but DAD. She was playing on the floor blabbering dad the whole darn time. Too cute and never fails to make me smile! Thanks, Lennon.

So there's the good... Now into the horrible day I had.

1. So I've heard it's spring. Have you? Probably! But, there's still snow, cold winds and below 30 temps in Saginaw and I hate it. Puts me in a bad mood every time I walk out the door. I am SO sick of the cold weather. Maybe a little tanner action will help boost my spirits! [GTFL. Yep.]

2. Bad drivers. I met a lady out in Freeland yesterday and on the way there I almost got hit two different times. There was just an accident on the corner of my road by McCarty just before I left and then a tragic accident on Gratiot too. I swear, today was all around ISUCKATDRIVINGDAY! Praying for the families of those lost in that car accident!! I know the pain... Which brings me to número tres. [i don't know spanish]!

3. Seeing that horrific car accident put me in a bad time warp kind of thing. Seeing that terrible car smashed up reminded me of my best friends car accident that took her life back in 2009. I can't stand to imagine the pain those families and close friends of those ladies are going through. It all seemed so real to me all over again. I prayed all day for those families and Meghan I'm sure was standing in heaven with open arms. Miss that beautiful girl.

4. Petty, right? But... I really wanted to get my nails done and I didn't. I was seriously so bummed out.

5. My major headache with McDonald's breakfast. They seriously need to hire more intelligent people. How hard is it to read a ticket and put some darn breakfast sauce on a sandwich. So I drove all the way back to get a correct order, and ended up getting a free chocolate chop frappe! Mmmm!

6. Being overwhelmed with 10 million and 50 bazillion things to do at work. Even on my day off I think about all the crap I left on my desk. Agh. When will it stop!

7. Watching Argo - good movie but it was a Blue Ray DVD and it skipped thought the whole two hours! OMG I wanted to throw the remote through the TV!

8. As of today I have ten million more responsibilities at work. My office is now complete with a filing cabinet filled with forms to complete and papers to send to corporate this week. (GOOD NEWS- that horrible Cruella boss of mine resigned and today is her LAST DAY EVERRRRR). Can I dance and sing and jump for joy at 3:00?! Aghhhh!!! :)

Okay - rant done.

WOOHOO's to look forward to:

1. Weekend off - WOOHOO!
2. Lennon is spending the night at Nana & Papas on Saturday so Mommy & Daddy can have a date night! WOOHOO!
3. I am getting my craft wedding projects done one step at a time! No black paint all over this time! WOOHOO!
4. I only have to pay for Tuesday at daycare next week... Saves me $30! WOOHOO!
5. I told my best friend, Liz I would be honored to be a part of her wedding in February - CAN'T WAIT! WOOHOO!
6. Did I mention today is Cruella's last day? WOOHOO!

Thank goodness Terrible Tuesday is behind me - Happy Wednesday, friends!

What a {tues} DAY

It is nearly impossible to tend to an 8 month old baby while you're trying to get something done, especially when it's during the work week. You cannot get anything done. It's just not going to happen.

Today was no different.

I picked Miss Lennon up from daycare today, met my wonderful fiancé back at home for a quick dinner, smooch and then "see-ya", back to work he went. After he left I fed Lennon dinner, which ended up all over me, my outfit, the floor... you name it, it went. She has tried this new thing called let's-spit-everything-out and laugh every time mommy puts carrots in my mouth! Works great for her, she's happy. Mommy is frustrated, ready to pull her hair out and not in the mood to clean the whole half of the kitchen where it all landed. Can I scream now? Then I clean her up, change her diaper and put her in her pack and play. [One of her most favorite spots in the small world she lives in]. I started to be ever so crafty with my wedding decorations. I started painting a frame to put on the bar with our drink menu in it... I started to finish our glittered toasting flutes and painting some cute letters for the living room wall. Of course my favorite craft paint of choice is black. The worst possible color to be painting with when you have a baby around. Well, as I am in the middle of painting, gluing, glittering and being miss crafty pants Lennon falls back, smacks her cheeks on the side of the pack and play and of course... starts screaming. Of course, it's no ordinary scream. It's full blown, "I WANT MY MOMMY" scream! So, of course what is your first instinct as a mom? Wipe your hands on your pants and run! So, that's exactly what I did. I wiped my hands clean on my wonderful yoga pants that are my ultimate fave and ran to the rescue. In the process of running to my little one the paintbrush soaked with black paint falls off the table, on to the chair, then on the white linoleum floor. Greeeaat! Oh well. Baby girl is good! She just wanted the toy that was stuck in the middle of the crib sheet and the side of the crib. Goodness gracious, you would think the world was over! After I made that little one smile and happy with some new toys I went back to my crafts. By that time my frame was drying, half dry and half wet is never a good combination - half dry paint that's not evenly painted, dripping off the sides of the frame and glitter mixed up where it shouldn't be. WHAT A MESS! Seriously... I became so frustrated and left it on the table, washed my yoga pants, and grabbed Lennon to sit on the couch. If you know me, I give up easily when I am frustrated. So now we are playing, we are laughing and then I realize that she too has black paint on her face and in her hair. Oh, great! Add that to the list of things to do. So, we have washed up, cleaned the floor a little bit here and there, cleaned the clothes, and Lennon got a bubba. I am now sitting here on a conference call learning more about the amazing opportunities with Thirty-One... hmm? Anyway...


Needless to say...
What a Tuesday! I am in my pajamas, the second pair tonight.
My hair has carrots and green beans in it,
my make up is half on, half off.
My wedding crafts are half-done and drying on the kitchen table.
The glitter I was using is all over the kitchen floor,
and that black paint... yep, it's kind of still on the floor, the chair, my pajama pants and my engagement ring. The only thing not ruined is my ring. Thank GOOD GOD for diamonds.

After five interviews, moving my entire desk to a new office... [yay!] trying to get a babysitter, getting a babysitter... cancelling that babysitter because my boss bailed on me for dinner after we scheduled it, and dealing with the crazy work place changes taking place... I am finally home, sitting on the couch, cuddling with my baby girl and listening to the women of Thirty-One and their amazing stories!

Time for a glass of wine?
Yep.

Thanks for the Memories

You listen to an old song
You pass an old favorite store
Favorite place to eat
Favorite bar that you used to sit in for hours,
waiting for someone to call a cab...

Seeing that old car you used to own.
Carlos, the dirty Mexican...
(Yep. That was my car's name, HA.)

You hear birds chirping in the morning
Sun beaming through your windows
Just like old times

You hear a lyric that was your Facebook status
that one night you were all alone and sad
You hear a song that was a video you watched
and danced to like fools in the kitchen of your old apartment

You watch an old T.V show,
that you watched together so many times before
With popcorn, beer and a big comfy blanket on the couch

It's time like this that I say thank you -
from the bottom of my soul

Thank you to my best friends, my family,
and yes, even those that I hate.

Thank you.
for everything,
for the memories.
for all those crazy times.
Dancing, singing, acting like fools on road trips.
the crazy detour that we had to take
and ended up with Renken. R-E-N-K-E-N.
For the sushi and wine nights that lasted forever,
our five hour talks, staying up all night
just because we knew the other needed it.
For comforting me when I was sad,
for driving me to my ex's house
because I couldn't go alone.
For keeping my deepest darkest secrets,
and not judging me but yelling at me
to tell me I was doing wrong.
For teaching me,
guiding me and inspiring me
every.step.of.the.way.
For all the trips up north,
sitting in hotel rooms,
looking out onto the sunset at the beach.
Camping and exploring,
Sight seeing,
museum hunting, even though you hate them!
For making me a better person,
and letting me learn from my mistakes.
For loving me at my worst.
Thank you for showing me the world,
new friends,
new places,
new love.

I wake up every morning and I realize...
I am who I am because of everything I have done; right or wrong.
Every thing I have achieved, every step I have taken.
From the love, support and even hate of those around me and walking with me.
For the lost loves along the way, the ones who lost my trust, broke my backbone, the lust, joy and angst, the best friends that never let me down, the family that always had my back and the amazing man who I will be calling my husband along with my daughter who kept my heart warm and tender, my faith alive, and who made me believe in true love, the ones who I built my world around and will continue to grow with every day that I live - I am who I am today because of you all.

Everyone says, "no regrets"...

:) Love, K.

Chicken Salad with a Twist

 

Chicken Egg Salad with Avocado

deeeelicious!

 

 

 

Yup, this was my lunch today!

Super easy, and delicious...

 

 

Ingredients:

6 Hard Boiled Eggs

1 can cooked shredded chicken, drained

1 large avocado, diced

1 T lime juice

1/4 Cup thinly sliced green onions

1/2 Cup finely chopped Cilantro

(the more the better!)

2 T Light Mayo

Pinch of salt to taste

(I used garlic salt, super yummy)

Large mixing bowl

1 Tortilla or bread for sandwich

 

 

Here's the recipe :)

 

Dice the eggs into small pieces, including the yolks

Cut the avocado in small pieces

Shred the drained chicken into smaller pieces.

Combine ingredients into a large mixing bowl,

add cilantro, onions and salt.

Add in the mayo and

lime juice.

Mix together,

chill before serving.

 

Put into a tortilla or on bread to make a sandwich,

or eat it with crackers!

 

ENJOY :)