High Five for Friday: 6.1.12

This is definitely an end to a LONG short week! Just for reference i truly believe that one extra day off makes the kids a little more NUTSO!!! I'm just saying....

Here's my HF4F! 

I am linking up with the lovely Lauren @ From My Grey Desk! 

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The book club i joined met for the first time and it turns out I am not the only one disliking the book we are reading. However, talking about it helped us all! I think we figured out some stuff which will help us trudge on. We also picked out our next book which is motivation to finish as well! Here's what we picked for our next book:

Has anyone read this? I want to hear if you liked it or not!  Leave some comment love!

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This weekend i tried out Cherry Blossom Green Tea at CBTL. Three words: oh. my. goodness. It ws love at first taste! I want another... like NOW! 

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Our trip to Alaska is booked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gotta get my passport all in order! 

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My Grafico is the awesome website which helped me out by using some of their freebies!!! Thanks to that site, i have a cute little yearbook page to turn in tomorrow. Sorry, i can't and won't post the finished product. I used the rulers as clip art and the diagonal stripped digital paper as a background to some pretty great pictures of kids that look cute! The title read "Rulers of Room 14"! I am truly pleased with how it turned out! 

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Last but definitely not least, my weight loss progress! I have lost a total of 12.2 lbs as of Thursday morning! I am so excited about this! I already have a pair of capris that i need to retire because they are a bit too big. <3

OK those were my highlights from the week.... how about yours? 

Link up with Lauren if you care to share! 

And the trash can goes to....

Jamie @ Just Stuff for Fun!!!!! 

You gotta go check her out she's got a great little blog goin' on over there! She has a great post about date night ideas that i loved! The best part is she introduced me to another weekly link up! (Let's face it there are just soooooo many link ups, but they are all a totally blast! Alas, I cannot do them all!) Either way be sure to stop by and say "hey!" to Jamie and while you're there be sure to congratulate her! She is my very first WINNER of my very first giveaway! Woo hoo to you Jamie! (The results are below my signature in case you wanted to check!)

On another note.... I wanted to let you all know that you can now follow me on BlogLovin'. I am not quite sure about using it yet, however I am all ready to accept followers. The link is on the left hand side of this page! You could also just click the link below! 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Can You Guess?

OK hold on tight.... time for a bit of a hodge podge! 

Firstly! TODAY is the day that you want to enter the giveaway! Its the last day because tomorrow night when i get home from dinner, i will be picking the 100th Post Car Trash Can Giveaway Winner. I will post the winner shortly after that! Please make sure to comment with your email address otherwise you will not be entered! 

Anywho, ENTER the Giveaway!!!!! 

Next, its Oh So Pineresting Wednesday!!!! This week's theme is .... well let's see if you can guess! Link up to share your pins with Michelle from The Vintage Apple & Her Little Apple! 

Source: google.com via Simone on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Simone on Pinterest

Source: travelalaska.com via Simone on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Simone on Pinterest

Source: google.com via Simone on Pinterest

Source: Uploaded by user via Simone on Pinterest

Source: herblog.com via Simone on Pinterest

Source: cruisefever.net via Lorretta on Pinterest

This one has tips! <3

Source: google.com via Simone on Pinterest

Source: goo.gl via Simone on Pinterest

Source: cruisecritic.com via Simone on Pinterest

Gotta get that passport! 

Have you guessed yet? I think you have ... hubs and i are headed to Seattle and then a 7 day cruise to Alaska at the end of July!!!!! I cannot wait! I need a vacation and know that about 8 weeks from now i will need it even more!  

A reminder again to comment with your email address included on this post to enter the giveaway that ends Wednesday night! 

PS Isn't that face just TOOOOO CUTE?!?!? I love it and hope to see lots of Alaskan cuties! (kids that is!)

Twistband!

Good morning my friends!

Here's a quick review of one of my Birch Box items from this month.

This time around its about my cute pink twistband!

This little thing was pretty nice to wear! It did not slip or slide though I completely expected it too. It held my hair back all day and despite the color (not my favorite) I really liked it! This is actually the first time that I have worn pink in a really long time! Anywho, they are thin and seem like they will hold me hair, I just wanna order more colors! They come in a bunch of colors too! Just visit their website!

Here I am wearing mine on Saturday! Can u see it? It's there.... But the ocean/coastline is so beautiful and the angle is bad! Oh well!

Hope u have had a great day back to work! For those of u already on summer break.... Arghhhh, I wish I was you! But still I hope you are enjoying your break!

Don't forget to comment on the Car Trash Can Giveaway to celebrate 100 posts! Just comment on this post! And don't forget to include your email address in the comment to enter! Also, entries close on Wednesday! I will post the winner on Thursday!!!! Can't wait! 

Smell the Roses: Bucket List

I am again linking up to stop and Smell the Roses. These tasks have been such a blessing! Oh, and they have been so much fun too! This week's task is to make a bucket list! Mine is not terrible extravagant but it is 100 things that i would like to do before i die. Some will be more difficult than others, but they are all things i want to do in my life. These tasks are of course things i would LOVE to do with my hubs! This list makes me so excited for the life that is to come! 

Here's  my bucket list: 

1. Run a 5K and maybe even a 10K
2. Learn to play the guitar
3. Ride in a hot air balloon.
4. Go on the world’s top ten train rides.
5. Watch a rocket launch, live.
6. Go to Oktoberfest, Munich, Germany
7. Go to Mardi Gras, New Orleans
8. See The Great Barrier Reef
9. Visit The Galapagos Archipelago
10. See The Northern Lights (the Aurora Borealis)
11. See The Fjords of Norway
12. Visit The Amazon Rainforest
13. Visit Salzburg, Austria
14. Visit Bora Bora
15. See The Leaning Tower of Pisa
16. See The Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
17. Visit The Sydney Opera House, Australia
18. Go on a extended trip to Australia
19. See The Parthenon in Greece
20. Visit Machu Picchu, Peru
21. Go inside the The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy
22. See The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Holland
23. Wander around The Smithsonian Museums in Washington, DC
24. Go to the Pike Place Market in Seattle
25. See Mount Rushmore
26. Visit SeaWorld Florida, Orlando
27. Visit Disney World
28. Visit all Fifty of the United States
29. Visit all major league baseball stadiums
30. Take up photography.
31. Keep bees.
32. Become a Wine Connoisseur.
33. Become a Cheese Connoisseur.
34. Learn embroidery
35. Learn Jewelry Making
36. Become a better knitter
37. Learn needlepoint
38. Learn quilting
39. Scrapbook for my children
40. Learn to sew
41. Crochet 
42. Make a list of 100 books you want to read and read them. 
43. Read every book your favorite author has written. (John Irving)
44. Make a list of 100 movies you want to watch and watch them.
45. Watch the American Film Institute’s (AFI) 100 Funniest Movies.
46. Watch the 10 greatest American movies of all time (as ranked by the AFI).
47. Watch every movie that has won an Academy Award for Best Picture.
48. Learn to act within your sphere of influence and stop worrying about things which are not within your control.
49. Learn to say “no” without feeling guilty.
50. Get a Masters
51. Make a difference in at least one person’s life.
52. Volunteer at a soup kitchen.
53. Volunteer at a Homeless Shelter.
54. Donate blood. (despite your fear!)
55. Donate clothes you no longer use to a battered women’s shelter.
56. Donate children’s books to a hospital near your home.
57. Earn enough from your writing to be able to quit your day job. (maybe from blogging?)
58. Own a beach house.
59. Have “High Tea” at the Plaza Hotel in New York, or perhaps at Fortnum & Mason in London
60. Vacation at Martha’s Vineyard
61. Spend a week at a 5-star spa
62. Start a blog (have it get to the Technorati top 1000).
63. Create enough passive income so that you don’t have to work another day in your life.
64. Create a trust fund for your child.
65. Have a child. Or a few.
66. Raise a happy and healthy child.
67. Adopt a child.
68. Create a home with an inviting, joyous, comfortable, loving atmosphere.
69. Have a pet
70. Pass on a family heirloom to your child.
71. Create a coat of arms for your family.
72. Be a good wife and mother. 
73. Write a letter to each of your children telling them what you want them to know about your life and the lessons you’ve learned.
74. See penguins in their natural habitat.
75. See a platypus
76. See a koala
77. Visit the San Diego Zoo
78. Go on safari.
79. Adopt a pet from the animal shelter.
80. Own a house by the lake or a beach house
81. Own a home with a yard filled with fruit trees.
82. Spend a week at a Silent Retreat
83.  Go to a concert by my favorite entertainer (Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum)
84. Watch the Olympics live in person
85. Go to a World Series Game
86. See Wimbledon
87. Go to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
88. Try Baklava
89. Try Gumbo
90. Spend a week at a Balboa beach house
91. Take a European family vacation 
92. Take a European Tour with my husband
93. Camp with my family
94. Hike Yosemite's Half Dome
95. Surround myself with great friends and family
96. Love God.
97. Be an AWESOME EXAMPLE of Christ
98. Go to Alaska
99. Be a stay at home mom
100. Take my child to baseball practice
101. 
     

OK, so there's my bucket list! Boy, is there a lot that i have to get to! #101 is left blank on purpose... only to represent the items that have yet to be added! Can't wait to read the other bucket lists.... just click the link below and enjoy! 

PS. Dont forget the giveaway! This lovely little car trash can could be yours! Just comment on this post! Don't forget your email addy!

This is Gozo

I recently got asked what my ethnicity is. In the past, (it has been a while) I have been asked if I was Hispanic, Italian, or even Persian. This time I was asked if i was from Ukraine. Nope, nope, nope and NOPE! 

My family is from Gozo. Its a small island that is part of the country of Malta. So many people don't know where that is, so for those that don't know, Malta is a country 60 miles south of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea. And yes, it is beautiful. I still have a ton of family there and miss them every time i think of the place. I wish i was on a vacation there right this. very. minute. Its always so much fun and terribly relaxing! Anyway, I thought i would share a video that i thought was pretty darn good! I hope you enjoy it as much as i did. If not, just picture yourself on the beautiful beaches in the video.... it might work!    

Not many get to meet a Maltese person... consider yourself lucky to know one... ME! Do you know any others? 

High Five for Friday 5.25.12

Hey there! Hope your week was as lovely as you are!

Here are my Top 5 highlights from the week.... Its my High Five link up with Lauren @ From My Grey Desk!

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A relaxing trip to Barnes & Noble on Wednesday night to figure out some book club suggestions. Loved that! Here's what i found:

I thought this sounded like a fun story to read... maybe?

I have wanted to read this book for a while!!! 

I thought that this one looked and sounded like a cute story. 

I read ALL of Jennifer Weiner's books ... cant wait to read this even if my book club picks it or not! 

 Have you read any of these books? PLEASE share your opinion and/or suggestions!

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I began working on my wreath and it should be done maybe even over the weekend! So excited!

Here's the pin i used as a starting point:

Source: oleanderandpalm.blogspot.com via Simone on Pinterest

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I have lost 9.4 lbs. since Monday May 14th (as of Thursday morning). I have been really strict and it is paying off! Just gotta keep it off!

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Memorial Day Weekend! This weekend I am looking forward to visiting the Patchwork Festival, meeting with my new book club and relaxing with the hubs!

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My First GIVEAWAY!!!!! Please celebrate 100 posts with me by commenting on my 100th post!

Don't be shy! Enter today! 

See ya tomorrow!! 

100th Post Wahhoooo!!!!

Alright ... i know not many of you commented on my mention of a giveaway, but i was truly serious! 

I figure i am gonna do it anyway.... Today is post #100! Wahoo!!!! That's right it has taken me from January to May to post 100 times and if you are still around, i think that is reason to celebrate! If you are new here, then great even more reason to give something away! I really feel that might be how i get you to stay, even if just for a little while. I really wish you all to stay for a lot longer than a giveaway, but the choice is yours. For now, i know many of you have chosen to stay. 

So, in honor of my 100th post i am reverting back to something i posted a while back. Remember this little number? 

If you don't... please click HERE to read more! 

Well, i have decided i will make one lucky reader an owner of their very own personalized car trash can! woo hoo! That's right, I will find out what color you would like and make you, your very own little car trash can! 

So here are the rules: 

1. You must be a follower (through Google Friend Connect please!). 

2. Please leave a comment with your name, email address, and any comment love you wish to share! 

3. You must have a mailing address within the United States. (Sorry to my international friends!)

I think that covers it ... this is my first giveaway so please be REALLY kind! I would really like that! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's Pinned ... Just Because

Its time to find out what i have been pinning ....

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Source: cometogetherkids.com via Simone on Pinterest

This looks yummy! Hope to try that! 

The best part is all you need is bananas and a blender or food processor!

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Source: weightloss.allwomenstalk.com via Simone on Pinterest

Have i mentioned i am on a diet and that everything with food looks great ... but i can't have it! The GREAT part is i am a week in and have lost about 8 lbs.!!!!

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Source: designbylulu.wordpress.com via Simone on Pinterest

I love this! What a great reminder!

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Source: keepersministry.com via Simone on Pinterest

I would love to keep a jar like this .... just write down memories from the year and read them when the new year comes! I might start this at our anniversary and read it each year on our anniversary! 

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Source: themotherhuddle.com via Simone on Pinterest

A bunch of date ideas for me to impress hubs with! 

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Source: cokercola.blogspot.com via Simone on Pinterest

<3

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Source: thisgloriousday.com via Simone on Pinterest

Someday this will hang in my house .... with family foot and hand prints! 

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Source: thecreativemaven.net via Simone on Pinterest

Wish I could sew ... just to make these simple boogers! 

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Source: finecraftguild.com via Simone on Pinterest

My husband doesn't know that i would love to make one of these and change the rug in our bathroom! He would probably say "another project?!?"

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Source: 1000handmade.com via Simone on Pinterest

Aren't these adorable??? I will take one of each, please!

Be sure to link up with Michelle @  

The Vintage Apple 

(Oh and be sure to congratulate her on her new little addition!)