Carving Pumpkins!

Tuesday I went to a pumpkin carving party hosted by the awesome Summer. I also got to see miss Jennifer Morgan, which is always a plus. We had amazing pork tacos, cake, cookies, and CANDY CORN for dessert, AND we went to a pumpkin patch!!! I hadn't been to one since I lived in New Jersey, so I was very excited and a little picture happy! Here are some.

The Pumpkin Patch and Carnival in Corona
Look at all the pumpkins!!

Jennifer and I with the scarecrow!

Jennifer, Summer, and I. Aren't we strong?! :)

I dunno..... I look like a monkey.

Our finished products!
From Left: Shannon, Jennifer, me, Jen, Summer, Lauren

Random Acts of Kindness

Last week i experienced 3 random acts of kindness that I wanted to share. Just nice to know that there are people out there that do nice things, just cause.
Here they are:
Running Store
I was at the gym and they were having an open house where stores could come in and display their products. One was a running store (mind, 2 were food, and not health food, mexican food, and chick-fillet, are they serious?!?! I am in a gym, a place I should be able to call my sanctuary where I can distract myself from eating junk food, and they put it right in front of my nose! Luckily, I stood strong) So, I asked the running store if they had an GU and running belts for water bottles. (notice the guy with the packet in his mouth) The running peoples told me that they didnt have GU nor belts for water bottle there, but they did have them at their store, and if I went before Oct. 31st, i could use this $15 cert!!!! I noticed on the cert that the amount was for $10, and he had crossed it out and wrote $15, and then signed by it! how exiciting $15 bucks off!!!!
H&M
This clothing store is becoming very popular to me. Don't worry, I still am obssessed with Express and will always be, but I bought a knit hat, grey long sleeves, and a dress, for only $47!!!! Insane! During checkout I asked if I could have hangers, and the checker replied, sadly no. When I finished paying, I notice her stuff a hanger in my bag, say shhhh!!! and hand me my bag. Sweet!!! no reason at all, I got a hanger!!
And now for the ultimate act of kindness...
Wig Store
I went to a wig store to try on dark hair, so I could get a good idea of how I looked with dark hair, before I dyed it. (sidenote - i look HORRIBLE with dark hair, and got it highlighted with some low-lights instead) The story was closing, but this cool punk girl, who scared me when I first saw her, let me in. I confess that I am not even there to buy a wig, but wanted to try one on so I could see how I look with dark hair (and right about now, I feel very shallow). They told me it was $3 per wig to try on, I ask to pay with debit, but the machine is down, bc they are closed. So, I am keeping them open, to not even try a wig. I start digging thru my purse and pull out the 1 dollar bill that I have and proceed to start counting quarters. Then, the lady behind the desk told me, "it's ok, you dont have to pay, jsut try the wig." REALLY!?!? ok! So the crazy punk girl with bleach blonde and dark black hair with her nose ring (i think she was about 16) took me back to try on the wig I picked out. I hated it. I wanted a pick to show my friends for second opinions, bc of course I cannot make these decisions on my own, but.... I left my phone in the car. So, punk girl, offers to take the pic with HER phone and then text me the picture. WOW!!! So I said yes, and she took it, and I left with a free try-on and proof of a potential debacle.
I LOVE PEOPLE! - something to keep in mind when I have to deal with other, not-so-nice people
3 separate people, 3 separate occasions, 3 nice gestures. Pay it Forward

Stages of Grief

I have been feeling better about things lately, and so I decided to look up the stages of grief, bc I felt like I was moving right along. Lately, I have felt I am in the anger stage. I am no longer feeling sorry for myself, and not denying that its even happening. So I look at these stages, and find anger as #2. STAGE 2!!! How am I only on stage 2? How many more are there? Well, there are 5 in total, anger is #2. But depression is #4, and I feel that I have def. already experienced that one, and Bargaining is #3, which i am NOT going to do. So, technically, I am only one step away from the end...... acceptance. Only 1 step away! WOOHOO!!! This calls for some major celebration!

Bored......

You know when you are sooooooooo bored that you try to add some life to the time that is passing by eating? But, you're not even hungry!!!!!!! And yet you think, I guess I could just eat my apple and peanut butter early today...that would kill about 10 min.... UGH! My job!

Cristina and Becky pose update:

These next two poses are classic Christina and Becky poses. I swear we have dozens. These 2 were taken at our friend's wedding this past weekend, some more pics to come!


This next one is just for fun!! Another wedding, but how fun are we!!! Christina did not take her bag 'o candy home, while I proceeded to scarf the Rock Candy like it was going outta style, and took about 5 more home! :)

Happy Pre-Halloween!

I went to a Halloween party this past weekend. It was a lot of fun to see old faces and talk with friends. Im really excited about this year's Halloween, bc last year I was in Argentina, and if you are a Christian down there, you think Halloween is only of the devil, and can't have any fun with it. So I started this year a bit early :). Sidenote - I do have shorts on under my costume. Happy Pre-Halloween!!



Rebecca, Me, and Chrissy

Anne and I

Really Pernevi? He is some Thai national sport, fighter, notice the headband, hilarious!

Worth Reading

I, like my friend Dani, dont like to talk much about politics to people, bc I definetely have my viewpoints, most of which are not shared by the rest of California. BUT for this, I am willing to make an exception. I copy pasted this from her, who stole it from her soon to be mother-in-law, so no credit to me. Take some time to read it and pass it on to friends. you will be amazed at the numbers!!!! If you think you cant already afford things now, bc the way the economy is going, under Obama, you will be paying ALOT more. :(

CAPITAL GAINS TAX
MCCAIN 0% on home sales up to $500,000 per home (couples). McCain does not propose any change in existing home sales income tax. OBAMA 28% on profit from ALL home sales
How does this affect you? If you sell your home and make a profit, you will pay 28% of your gain on taxes. If you are heading toward retirement and would like to down-size your home or move into a retirement community, 28% of the money you make from your home will go to taxes.
Personal note: This proposal will adversely affect the elderly who are counting on the income from their homes as part of their retirement income.
DIVIDEND TAX
MCCAIN 15% (no change)
OBAMA 39.6% -
How will this affect you? If you have any money invested in stock market, IRA, mutual funds, college funds, life insurance, retirement accounts, or anything that pays or reinvests dividends, you will now be paying nearly 40% of the money earned on taxes if Obama becomes president.
Personal note: experts predict that ‘Higher tax rates on dividends and capital gains would crash the stock market, yet do absolutely nothing to cut the deficit.
INCOME TAX
MCCAIN (no changes)
Single making 30K - tax $4,500
Single making 50K - tax $12,500
Single making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 60K- tax $9,000
Married making 75K - tax $18,750
Married making 125K - tax $31,250
OBAMA (reversion to pre-Bush tax cuts)
Single making 30K - tax $8,400
Single making 50K - tax $14,000
Single making 75K - tax $23,250
Married making 60K - tax $16,800
Married making 75K - tax $21,000
Married making 125K - tax $38,750
INHERITANCE TAX
MCCAIN - 0% (No change, Bush repealed this tax)
OBAMA Restore the inheritance tax
Personal note: Many families have lost businesses, farms, ranches, and homes that have been in their families for generations because they could not afford the inheritance tax. Those willing their assets to loved ones will only lose them to these taxes.
NEW TAXES PROPOSED
MCAIN None
OBAMA New government taxes proposed on homes that are more than 2400 square feet.
New gasoline taxes
New taxes on natural resources consumption (heating gas, water, electricity)
New taxes on retirement accounts
New taxes to pay for socialized medicine
***
I realize that I’ve already lost you. You probably are so tired of hearing about all this mess that you left as soon as you saw the word “politics”. But if you’re still here, bless you, stout-of-heart. Go do some research, and not just online - the Democratic campaign has effectively hi-jacked our generation, and thus the bloggers, facebookers and “digg”ers of this country.
Think about the repercussions of promises made, and who’s paying for, say, free tuition for college kids or free healthcare. Nothing is ever free.
http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.taxes.html
http://elections.foxnews.com/latest-news/index.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/candidates/john_mccain/
http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxtopics/presidential_candidates.cfm

Grieving......

Two Sundays ago, Mike Erie touched on grieving. He said, "We grieve, but not as those who have no hope."
I like that. New motto.
How I think: I can grieve, but I have hope in Christ, so I need to not dwell on the grieving, but I need to be able to grieve.
How I feel: I hate grieving; hate it. I don’t care if its part of the process, it sucks, and it hurts, and yuck!
Why cant I fly pass grieving? I don't like that there has to be this period that is designated to my "grieving time". I get that it has to happen, but I hate it, and I want it done.

Girlfriends

Now that I know how to do pics!!! I want to throw some up of my good girl friends whom I love! Without you wonderful ladies, life would be so dim and sad.....
Dont we look like we are having so much fun! :)

I learned how to do pics!!!

Thanks Lydia!!!

Here are some pics of the awesome Allen family that got me to blog.........

Ya, notice how they are gorgeous like models. All of them are, whole family. You would think an entire family couldnt be so good looking, nope the Allens defeat that myth.

To go Dark Brown, or stay Blonde? That is my question...

Yep, im having a debate of whether to keep highlighting my hair blonde, OR to take a drastic step and die it dark aurburnish brown. So, ill give you a little history with my hair. I was born blonde (actually red, but that was only 3 months) and when I say blonde I mean BLONDE!!! Then as I started getting older, I had darker blonde pieces come in which left me a head of hair with perfect highlights that people kill for. Unfortunately, I was only 12-14 at the time and couldn't appreciate what I would some day pay thousands to maintain. ahhhhhhh...... Anways, once I hit 16 (my mother warned me as well) My hair started growing in light brown, dark blonde to brown haired people. This left me with a natural look of roots. I looked like this whole time I had been dying my hair blonde and now just got lazy!! So I did the sensible thing in such a crisis moment, I went to get it highlighted, which really just looked like dying, bc 2 inches off my head was blonde again, and only at the top, the blonde and brown.
My hair also turns blonder in the sun, and therefore, I actually started highlighting AND lowlighting (putting a dark color in) so you could see that I had just spent $150 on my hair. If it was going to be unnatural, then I wanted it to look better than just plain blonde. I am now off the lowlighting kick, bc I have decided my dark growing in is low enough, bc yes, it is getting darker as I get older, yet still blonde mid-way down my hair when the sun hits it. Really? two-toned? So, some sort of dying has to be done, or I will look like the girls who are over their highlights, but don't die their hair to match their normal hair color and have their highlights slowly inching down their head, gross. I'm sorry if that's you, but gross.
So this summer, I had a revelation, what if i went dark?! For 10 years I have only ventured out to perm my hair, and don't get scared, not 80s perm, just waves, a relaxed perm if you will. So, I thought, dark would be cool, I have bright blue eyes, I bet that would look good.
But, you see, I have never been anything but blonde, or blonder, so dark, and auburnish dark at that is a drastic change! I was psyched for it! but, then one little thing happened. That one person that you want to be like, "oh yah, beck, that will look great", made a face. A face! and was like noooooo. UGH! So now, torn. Do I die it dark and risk seeing that face every time I have a glance in my direction? Or stay the same blonde I have always been wondering if I will actually ever get that face glanced at me? I'll prob die it anyways, just for a change, but this new found piece of information really put a kink in what I thought was a right move.
decisions, decisions ........ What do you think?

Girls Weekend

There is something to a girls weekend, that just makes me all giddy, excited, ready to push myself to stay up late, talk about everything in my life, and eat ice cream and candy.
This past weekend, I went away to Palm Springs with my 2 awesome friends, Liz and Krystal. I love these girls. We are def. different in how we look, act, process, etc, but the important stuff we have in common, our love for each other and "thereness". Thereness - the act of being there for someone.
So, awesome amazing Krystal has a timeshare in Palm Springs that we fled to in hopes of aforementioned pigging out, spilling guts, and staying up late. We did just that. :)
On the car ride over, all of us spilled about our weeks, so during the weekend, there didn't have to be any backstories given. (a much needed essential for all girl trips, i might add) :)
We got in on Friday night, and went straight to Ralphs (yes before the timeshare, TS) to buy the essentials. I am trying to be a bit healthy, so replaced my ice cream with sherbert, and my chocalte candies with candy corn and mints.
Nest item up on the agenda was to start the quest of getting Krystal caught up on The Office episodes. DVD 1 popped in. We laughed and ate our junk food, it was wonderful. DVD 2, in.
Saturday morning I wake up to find Krystal and Liz eating cereal (M&M's have already been consumed) DVD 2 in again. We walked to starbucks, to get some exercise, and yes! those 5 blocks did help, but prob not after I had my tall caramel frap light, no whip. :) It was beautiful outside! Came back, DVD 3 in. We laid out by the pool and had one of the most disturbing experiences: an Old man (early 70s) walked by and told us that we were giving him a medical emergency everytime he walked by. EWWWWWWW! I was grossed out, Krystal and Liz just laughed. Seriously tho? 70s! yuck!
We cleaned up, little more DVD and then got all cutsied up to go out!!! We went to a great Mexican restaurant that had live music and great food! Los Casuelos. It also had a brochure for a show girls show, where the oldest show girl performs, she's 85!!! ah! I think I'll tell that man by the pool.....
We then attempted to go dancing. I say attempted , bc none of us have been out dancing in years, ...... and we were in palm springs. We went to Costas, a club inside the Marriot. The median age was def. 30s. We did a lot of laughing, and omg'ing, and yes, we even did some dancing, yet called it a night early. DVD 4 in.
Sunday, just got up and watched more office, ate the last bit of junk food, all vowing not to eat that much again in a such a short period of time. Drove back.
Ahhhhhhhhhh! Girls weekend! I swear guys weekends have nothing on a girls weekend. It can't be put into words, but there is something amazing about it.
Oh, and I ran 7 miles later on Sunday to combat the junk food. Gotta have a balance. :)