I'd like to thank the academy...

I was recently nominated by Danielle over at Pure Joy for a Liebster Award.  Don't know what that is?  I didn't either, until a few days ago.  Turns out it is an Oscar-worthy blog award given to people who are "up & coming in the blog world."  Ok, only Oscar-worthy in my book.  Slight exaggeration.
 I need to pick out my dress, buy a new pair of Spanks & get ready to hit the red carpet.
"I would like to thank my parents, my manager...."

Anyway, if you are nominated you have to answer 11 questions given to you by the person nominating you, followed by 11 random facts.  I LOVE reading random facts about people.  Do you secretly eat nail polish?  Have 12 toes?  Play the accordion?  Bring on the randomness!

Enjoy & thanks to Danielle for the nomination!

1.  What inspires you?

Lots of things.  A good book, the hubs, friends, a smile.

2.  Favorite song of the moment?

Anything from JT's new album.  Like whoa.

3.  Roller coasters...love or hate?

Love.  Except when you get stuck at the top of one in Disney & they have to get a crane to get everyone off.  Thanks a lot, Rockin' Rollercoaster.

4.  What is a book you love?
Hard one!  Top 3: Water For Elephants, The Notebook (cliche I know, but oh so good), & Bloom.

5.  What do you do to generate ideas for this blog?
Nothing, really.  I get a lot of ideas from things that happen in my non-extraordinary life.

6.  Have you ever been injured?
Not seriously....thank goodness!

7.  What is your favorite thing about blogging?
It's just fun to have a diary of sorts that I can look back on someday.  I have also "met" a lot of people through doing this that I wouldn't have known before.

8.  If you get an hour of free time, what do you do?
Read, eat, sleep.  Avoid cleaning.  The regulars.

9. What was your favorite subject in elementary school?
Reading.  Still is.

10.   Tell us something funny that happened to you.
Hmm...during Driver's Ed. in high school my instructor would fall asleep when I was driving.  We got to the Illinois State line one time before he woke up.  Guess you could say I'm a safe driver??

11.  What is your favorite animal?
Anything that would found on a safari...giraffes, elephants, cheetahs, gazelle.  Not really gazelle.  

11 random facts:

Sometimes I like to practice as if there is a serial killer in my house.  I will run up the stairs as fast as I can and pretend I'm being chased with a knife.  I run extra fast at night.

I love going to the grocery & could spend hours looking at the new deals, sales, etc.

I never get to bed before 11:00 pm.  I need toothpicks to prop my eyeballs open sometimes.

I have never read a newspaper.

I have to see the beach once a year.

I was evacuated from the ocean in Florida once because 2 10-foot sharks were circling us.

My brother trailed me on his bike growing up because I didn't learn how to ride one until junior high.

I love frozen gummy bears.

I still own the shirt that I was wearing when I first kissed my husband....almost 13 years ago.

If I wasn't a teacher, I would love to be an event or party planner.

I love to bake treats for my neighbors, friends & co-workers.  Like these.

Aren't they the cutest?

I'll be leaving for Florida soon & I have arranged for these pretties to do a guest blog post when I'm gone.  I think you will love them!  Just not more than me, though...ok?  ;)

Happy Thursday, bloggers & bloggettes!  

The beach.

Before DC & I were married we talked about a lot of things.  Where we would live, how many kids we wanted, where we saw our careers going, who was going to do the dishes (me), who was going to do the laundry (him), who was going to take out the trash (him), who was going to do the chores (him).  Hmmm...seeing some inbalance in our decisions.  Oh well, it seems to be working.

Besides all of the basic requests (unconditional love, trustworthiness, loyalty, you know the rest....) I made only one request.

I must see The Beach every year.  No exceptions.  He knew I was dead serious.

We have been married for 7 years, & the deal still stands.

There is just something about The Beach.  Maybe it's the waves, the sounds of children playing in the sand, the SUN (definitely the sun), or just the soothing wind,  but there is nothing else on earth like it.  I immediately feel at peace the minute my toes hit the sand.  Now, if I have to also drag a chair, cooler, a huge beach bag, snacks & magazines I might feel less at peace...but still - definitely peace.

I have a lot of wonderful childhood memories of going to The Beach, & I hope my children will share this same love one day as well.  If not, I will be leaving them with the grandparents while I go enjoy this love by myself.  Thanks, Mom & Dad.

 Devin & I have been extremely fortunate to do a lot of traveling these past 7 years, & below are some of our all-time favorite beaches.

Two weeks in Hawaii will cause you to do a lot of things: think you are a surfer, go broke from spending $10 on a gallon of milk, & call the education department in Hawaii to find out how much teachers make so you can move there.  Because the beaches are breathtaking.  Anyplace that has a mountain growing out of the side is going to be preeeeetty cool.  I cried for a week when we came back.

Cabo San Lucas.  The site of my surprise 30th birthday trip.  Also the land of gorgeous beaches, flowing margaritas & homemade chips & salsa served for every meal.  Not kidding.  It was a Mexican dream come true.  Although this photo is amazingly beautiful, the stench the sea lions gave off from the nearby rocks was not.  But, they were cute so I forgive them.

No, your eyes aren't seeing imaginary things.  That is a 747 flying 20 feet over civilians at a beach.  This day will go down in Abs history as one of the coolest days ever.  And the hottest.  Airport Beach is in the island of St. Maarten and is literally attached to a runway.  The neighboring bar has the incoming flights posted for the day, & you can lay out, eat, drink & be merry all day.  And that we did.  And we fried our poor skin at the same time.  But, there was just no time for sunscreen when jets are blasting over you.  Watch this video, & go put this beach on your Life List immediately.

This week I am packing for yet another trip to The Beach.  Destin, Florida will be welcoming D&A, along with my in-laws.  Get ready, Destin.  Because I will be hitting up Wings for a shark tooth necklace, stuffing myself with crab legs & parking myself here with my one & only.

Have a great week, beach lovers.  

PS...I'm looking for a fun guest blogger to post something springy when I'm gone.
Email if you are interested!

Sunday Snapshots

 This was supposed to be titled "Friday Faves" but....now it's 10pm on Sunday night.  Enter Sunday Snapshots.  Hey - flexibility is my middle name.  Here are my favorite, happiest, most fun pictures from the week!  If you follow me on instagram (@acarter402) then you have already seen them.  My apologies for your boredom, then.   Some things you can do to ease boredom: read a magazine, call a friend, come clean my house.

one// fun cupcake for my nephew.  with obnoxiously blue icing.  sorry, parents.

two// my sharp dressed man.

three// wine & cleaning party with my mama.  you can guess who did what.

four//  titanic pose while sleeping.  my heart will go on.

five//  good luck flowers.  I will never, ever, ever (times infinite) get tired of receiving flowers.

six//  date with my daddy to see OZ.  it was wicked.

seven// oh, just my baby's crib.  read this if you are highly confused.

eight// nosy little girl.

nine// treats for a special visitor.

Hooray for the start of Spring this week.  Do something "springy" for someone. 

What's in my bag?

Tonight's conversation:

Dev: Are you ready to go to Lowe's yet?

Abs: No, I'm working on a controversial blog post.

Dev: Umm....on what?  (thinking...pretty please don't let it be on your views relating to politics, the death penalty or education.) 

Abs: What's in my bag.

Dev: (sigh of relief)

Spring is coming.  That means flowers, sunshine, Reese eggs, Easter baskets, Reese eggs & bright colors.  Which means time to change out the bag.  Goodbye black, gray & brown.   Hello pink, purple & white.
Don't worry, black, gray, & brown.  My house & closet are filled with you...you aren't going far.

Ready, set...dump.

Organize & number the dump.

1. Bubblemint gum.  I keep this company in bizzznass.

2.    Erin Condren Planner.  AKA my third arm.  Given to me by this cute lady...my FSIL.

  That is code for Future Sister in Law.  If my brother doesn't ask her to marry him soon, then I will just do it for him.  She is so pretty & fun & I am insanely jealous of her.
But, she is nice to my brother, & she gives me presents so I like her again.
 If you want to know more about the goober cute boy she is with..check out this post.

3.  Coupon & cash holder.  Target dollar bin.  Holla. 

4.  Perfume.  Minus the caps.  I don't use them.  Refer to this if you need more information.

5.  Wallet.  Boring, I know.

6.  Pens.  10 of 'em.  They kept coming out of my bag like a flippin' clown car.
 I really have no explanation for this many pens.

7.  Goodie Bag.  Anything and everything...make-up, snacks, tissues, necessities.

8.  Gold coins.  Always in your bag, right?
I picked these up for my kdg kids to have on St. Patty's day.

9.  Deodorant.  I used to forget to put it on in the morning before school, so I figured if it is always in my bag I can't ever forget it.  Maybe I can put the dishes in my bag too for when I "forget to do them."

10.  Journal.  I always have a notebook of some sort in my bag to make lists, jot down notes or things that I like or hear on the radio.  I also carry two pictures with me at all times...my friends & my love in college.  I figured that if I die in a car wreck, at least I would have had them with me.
Sorry, Mom.  I know it's morbid.

11.  Phone.  Last, but definitely not least.  I sleep with it next to my head.

And there you have it.  What three cool things are in your bag?
Happy early St. Patty's day to you!  Go get some gold coins & make Skinnytaste's Shamrock Shake.

 It will make you happy.

Don't forget the sprinkles & the fun straw.

This looks cute!

I like cute things.
Puppy paws, a colorful mug, my nephew after he wakes up, Dev's wallet my wallet after getting paid.

I like friends.
You know who you are.

I like friends who make cute things.

Meet Stacy.

I met this adorable, Charlize Theron look-alike 8 years ago when I started teaching 10 feet down the hall from her.  Come to find out...she grew up in DC's hometown, she went to Hanover College (one of my greatest loves EVER), she was a cheerleader there (like me!), AND we are sorority sistas.  Well...except one of us graduated a few years before the other one got there.  I won't say who.
But, her name rhymes with Lacy.  Sorry, Stace.
You still look like you're 20.  Especially when you get to hang out in London in cool phone booths.

Stacy has it all - the looks, the brains, the creativity.  She is an amazing teacher, wife, mother, friend & now business owner!  She opened her own etsy shop called "This Looks Cute." A to the dorable.  Check out her cute headbands & hair clippies and you'll definitely catch yourself saying "This looks cute!"

My favorites are the bunny clippies (helllllo Easter basket!), & the Mickey headbands and clippies.  I mean...what little girl wouldn't want a sparkly Mickey Mouse gemstone in her hair?  I only wish I would have had some 2 years ago on our trip to Disney.  It would have made me feel better when DC said he wouldn't be paying for us to stay in Cinderella's castle overnight.  Scrooge.

Do you have a daughter, granddaughter, niece, sister, friend, or just complete stranger that needs to have their day brightened up?  Then, check out Stacy's cute shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThisLooksCute

And, because I like my friends the first person to email me at abigail.carter@yahoo.com will get their choice of anything from Stacy's shop!  My inbox will be waiting.

Go kiss something cute this week.
Even if it's dressed like a character from The Goonies.