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Circle of Sentiments Hand Stamped Necklace

Jen — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:46:30 +0000

I have always admired Jewelry that has a thoughtful meaning. I came across these Hand Stamped Birthday necklaces and just fell in love. They are hand stamped with your child's Name and Birthday! You can purchase them in Sterling Silver or Copper. For an added touch, you can add special charms like butterflies and stars.

I will definitely be purchasing this after my little one arrives to show off how proud I am!

Circle of Sentiments Hand Stamped Birthday Necklace

Clayberry Cottage Hand Painted Ceramic Button Rose Purse Bank

Jen — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:39:21 +0000

Clayberry Cottage designed this whimsical hand painted ceramic Pottery Purse Piggy Bank. It can be personalized with a first name and year to perfect the decor in your little girl's nursery. They offer several colors and styles. This is a perfect gift for your little girl or for a baby shower!

Clayberry Cottage Hand Painted Ceramic Button Rose Purse Bank

I Love Saturday Nights

charlotte harris — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:16:34 +0000

Life is simple and good, isn't it. When you work hard all week just to have a few bucks to spend having fun when it's all over? I love a good Saturday night.

It started with dinner. July 5th was overcast and cool enough to actually crave warm cheesy carb-y comfort food. I did all the cooking, of course, then kicked back on the balcony with a cold Magic Hat No. 9 (or three) and my Real Simple Magazine, and waited for my date to come up and for the oven timer to ding.

Later we went to see a movie where we propped our feet up on the balcony wall at the theater. I get cold indoors in the summertime, so MF teased me for the umpteenth time "don't forget to bring your parka [it's just a sweatshirt that I carry everywhere with me all summer] to the theater!"

Then we came back to my place and used every letter except Q. That's not a euphemism for anything saucy. We just laid on the living room floor and played this game. Is "damn" a legitimate Scrabble word?

[wp_caption id="attachment_500" align="alignnone" width="300" caption="we rock at scrabble"][/wp_caption]

What's today's date?

powerdreams — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 06:18:43 +0000

I do not know about you. I do not like to remember about dates and days. Most of the morning I wake up , brush my teeth ,drink my coffee ,eat my breakkie and Wham!

"What's today's date!?(shouting across my dining table).

"Mummy! Not again!!" (my little girl comes running towards me showing me her littlepocket calendar)

Yesterday I was surfing the net with my girl and we came across a picture . Immediately,

"Mummy you should get this for yourself"

I looked at her. She said "What?! I am tired of running and showing you my calendar, mummy. This will stick to you the whole day". And then she grinned.

Gears of War 2 coming November 9th?

Dan — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:28:58 +0000

On a new Gears of War image posted here they show someone, presumably Marcus Fenix (the protagonist from the first Gears of War game), holding several dog tags.

If you look at them closely you'll see that one of them has numbers on it:

033 116 117 126 071

If you were to assume that those were octal values and look them up on an ASCII table (like this one), you'd see that they convert to:

ESC N O V 9

Looks like hidden in plain sight is the release date for Gears of War 2--November 9th.

No official confirmation from Epic on this yet, but its not likely that the numbers on the dog tag are random, so looks like a release date to me.

Good catch, DieNasty!

[Via CrunchGear]

Bees, Bones and Stanley Tucci

sherrietraveling — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:39:12 +0000

I just saw that The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd has been made into a movie! I just read the book this spring and absolutely loved it. I can't wait to see the movie...I hope it is true to the book which is hard to say with movie adaptations of books. IMDB.com says its release is in October 2008 and that Queen Latifah is in it. I love her. She is an incredible role model for women of all ages.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold is due out in October of 2009! It seems like I've been waiting for this movie for a long time. I was so excited when I heard Peter Jackson was making a movie version. I just added this book to the Good Reads page...I cannot believe I didn't have it there already. I listened to the audiobook which made it even more powerful in my opinion because it was as if Susie was speaking to you from heaven. UGH!! Stanley Tucci is playing the George Harvey; Stanley Tucci is such a great actor. How can you not love his work? One of my favorite movies of his is Big Night. It is about family, frustration and food. I just love the ending.

This week the kids are with grandparents, so A and I get a date!!! We NEVER hire a sitter which is terrible seeing as how I once gave A a gift of dates (lining up the sitter once a month for one year). I thought it was a good gift because my intentions were good, but as it turns out, I suck at lining up a sitter. Evidentially, I also suck at being in charge of the Netflix queue if you ask A.

So, we are going to a farmer's market, then to The Happening movie. I'm a baby when it comes to scary movies, so I'm hoping that I can watch some of it.

Blast from the past

Dating Dolly — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:28:14 +0000

I went on a date with a guy last year, just the once, and he randomly contacted me via MSN last night. This one date wasn't horrible or uncomfortable, he just wasn't the guy for me. And, as I had set myself the challenge to date at least one new guy per month in my quest to meet Mr Right ( a New Year's resolution which proved sheer hell) I didn't have time to waste on non hotties.

I met this guy, an Accountant, through the internet and he'd lied on his profile a bit. Ticking the "athletic build" box does not include being in possession of man boobs. A six pack, perhaps. Moobs? Certainly not. He was very tall, which I like, but Cupid's arrow didn't strike. Accountant was also a bit boring and kind of a know it all. Oh yeah, and he was a bit ginger. Am sure in his profile pic he was mousey.

Anyway, he contacted me via MSN, perhaps desperate to chat to someone online. And he chose me. So, we chatted. He spoke mostly of himself and it reminded me of one of the things I disliked when we were first MSN-ing last year - he never gives you time to reply before he's writing his own comment. Hold fire boy, do you want an answer to your questions or not?

Last night he seemed to know more about the area I've just moved to (he lives two hours away) than I do, more about the taxi fares from my place into town and more about having to budget when you own your own house. He probably knows more about what's in my wardrobe and how I like my hair cut as well. He also had to drop in the fact he works for a large firm, the pay is great and he doesn't work long hours. I didn't ask any of these questions and I felt he wasn't engaging in conversation but merely talking at me. He also droned on about the terrible state of the economy, the impending recession and struggling to pay the bills. How very depressing. Pass me the rope.

He mentioned he was house sitting for his parents in Leicester in a couple of weeks' time, the city where we had our one and only date. Was he asking me to meet up with him? Well, I wasn't biting. Our last text conversation involved him saying he'd enjoyed our date and to get in touch if I wanted round two. I text back saying "thanks, will do" and never got back to him. Why would he think I'd changed my mind after more than a year?

Even when I signed off stating it was time for hot chocolate and bed, he said he'd got "posh hot choc" and was going to do the same. Well, I can't compete with that. He wins, he's better than me. Knob.

the engagement

Candace LaCaze — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:33:02 +0000

june 16, 2008 marked 18 months (a year and a half) that greg and i had been together as a couple. we had planned on celebrating that evening. the first year we were together, we celebrated every month. i believe the first year is the hardest (though this is rarely the case for others) for people like greg and me. our personalities are unique to this. the second year we planned on celebrating at the 1 year mark, 1 1/2 yr, and 2 year mark. so though i had planned on celebrating, i was very impressed to see that greg had set up his living room as a restaurant when i got there. he was dressed nice, & there was music playing, rose petals everywhere, and candles lit in the dim light. it was so beautiful, and i was actually speechless! we even had appetizers and wine. greg is a pretty good cook! i wore a new party dress, and gave him a scrapbook i had made commemorating our dating years. i was glad i had decided to make it since this would be the last day we were together as boyfriend/girlfriend. after dinner, greg brought me to his room. there was a boquet of red roses and a card waiting for me by more candles and some pictures of us. there were more pink rose petals all over this room, too! (pink and red are 2 of my favorite colours.) after i read the card, greg sang me a song he had written to me. it was very beautiful, and i really want to record it so that i can listen to it whenever i like. it was the sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. when the song was over, he got the ring out from hiding and asked me to marry him. of course, i said yes! he then showed me this website that you are on right now, and explained that he had bought it so we could have something to help us plan our wedding (i'm very organized). THEN there was still more! we had chocolate covered strawberries (greg made those, too) and champaigne to celebrate our engagement. it was beautiful, and truly the most romantic and happiest day of my life thus far.

i wanted the news to myself for just a few hours, so i waited until the next day to tell my best friends and closest family about my engagement. i knew they would kill me if i waited any longer :) they were all extremely happy for me and excited. it wasn't until thursday and friday that all my best friends had finally seen my ring (i live a few hours away and went to see them). so on saturday, greg and i decided to set a date for the wedding before announcing our engagement to the public. the date we chose is saturday, june 13, 2009. sunday i told my friends the date, and the following monday (one week from the engagement) we announced our engagement to our other family, friends, acquaintances, etc.

so far the ONLY official plan we have made is the date for the wedding. i know many of you have asked about our wedding colors, location, time, etc., and we will not yet answer those questions. we are making many decisions, and we will annouce them at the appropriate times. we set the date a year away strategically so that we would not be or feel rushed, and so that we would have ample time to make decisions that would best benefit us and create the most enjoyable wedding possible for everyone.

Where's the baby?

The Agent — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:10:39 +0000

Halle Berry and model boyfriend Gabriel Aubry arrive at the Hollywood Bowl for the Stevie Wonder concert in Los Angeles on Monday.

The 41-year-old actress is expected to be in attendance of the “36th AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Warren Beatty,” which will be held today at 9pm. Jack Nicholson, Robert Downey,Jr., former President Bill Clinton, Dustin Hoffman, Jane Fonda and others are also expected.

Last week, Halle Berry was crowned the ‘Sexiest Black Woman Alive’ by TV One Access.

Barking Up the Wrong Tree

healthacare — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:44:53 +0000

If " dog is man’s best friend, " then why does our language have so many expressions that portray dogs in a negative light ? English abounds with sayings that focus on canine aggression or the sadness of "a dog’s life, " at the mercy of cruel human "masters. " Many of these date from past centuries when life in English-speaking nations was truly more harsh than it is today, and little thought was given to animal suffering. It’s interesting to examine our myriad dog references in everyday sayings from the past, and to appreciate whatever advances human society has made since then in its treatment of other creatures.

Let’s begin with metaphors of aggression which stem, no doubt, from behaviors observed in a "pack of wild dogs " (which is itself a commonly used expression) and from the barbaric practices of people who engaged in the so-called sport of dog fighting. Examples that jump to mind include " barking mad, " "his bark is worse than his bite " and the nickname " mad dog. " Who wouldn’t heed the warning inherent in the phrase " once bitten, twice shy ? " In any dog fight there’s bound to be a " top dog " and an " underdog, " while " it’s a dog eat dog world " brings a particularly vivid and gruesome image to mind. We even evoke images of interspecies animosity in such phrases as " fighting like cats and dogs. "

Humans have too often been instrumental in forcing dogs to hone their aggression and fighting instincts, training them for dogfights or to be used as guard dogs or attack dogs. Certain people still use dobermans and pit bull terriers as dubious extensions of their own masculinity, parading them around to impress or intimidate others.

It is therefore fitting to next discuss expressions that compare human circumstances in life to the sadness expressed in " it’s a dog’s life. " You might be feeling " dog tired " or be " in the doghouse " for something stupid that you’ve done, which night lead you to wear a " hangdog expression. " This sad sack quality that some dogs have in their faces may have also led to such phrases as " you ain’t nothin’ but a hound dog. " We even refer to our feet as " dogs. "

I’ll leave out some of the most unflattering and offensive comparisons of women to female dogs, but must point out that whoever decided that a homely girl was " a real dog " certainly didn’t have a very high opinion of dogs’ facial features. There is also the " dog-eared " book, which presents an apt image of something with tattered, uneven edges.

Other imagery that refers to the dog’s physical appearance or behaviors includes " don’t get your hackles up " or telling someone to " stop your whimpering " or accusing someone of being a " lapdog. " The term " mutt " oddly mixes a scurrilous questioning of a dog’s lineage with a more affectionate connotation of loveableness.

Interestingly, the term for steamy hot summer weather, the " dog days, " didn’t originate with the cruel treatment of dogs, but rather with the position of the " dog star " Sirius or Canis Major (big dog), which happens to be the brightest star in the night sky during summer months in the northern hemisphere. Speaking of natural cycles of seasons and weather, we also have " It’s raining cats and dogs " and the exclamation " hot dog ! "

Some sayings, though, focus on a possibly more admirable quality that some dogs possess, their " doggedness. " You might " hound " someone or have a " nose like a bloodhound, " but it could ultimately lead you to erroneously be " barking up the wrong tree . "

Finally, there are those expressions that focus on canine offspring, from the desirable " pick of the litter " to the disadvantaged " runt of the litter. " These inevitably lead me to perhaps the sweetest of all dog-related metaphors, " puppy love. " Oh well, I guess it’s time to wrap up this insightful look at dog sayings and metaphors in our culture. " Doggone it ! "