Things I love about fall...

Fall is my favorite season. I am so giddy when fall arrives.
Here are some of my favorite things about fall.
1. The leaves changing. It is so beautiful outside and creates beautiful landscapes. It just reminds me everyday of God's Amazing creation.
2. Scarves and Mittens. I own a billion scarves--they are my FAVORITE accessory in the fall. I also love mittens. They can be hard to function in, but they remind me of my childhood.
3. BAKING. I love to bake. I would bake everyday, all day long. Now that I have my own kitchen, I can experiment and share baked goodies!
4. Family. Fall is the beginning of the Holiday season. Thanksgiving. Christmas. I love spending time with my family around the holidays.
5. MUSIC and Decorations. Since everybody jumps the gun, Christmas music and holiday decorations go up earlier and earlier every year. It does aid in my excitement!

I have a little Christmas surprise for the blog. It will be a little bit of a challenge, but I am up for it!

Judging Books by their Covers

I know there is a more universal application of the saying "Don't judge a book by its cover," but I've always taken the phrase very literally. When I'm in bookstores I have to remind myself not to judge the books by the covers in front of me. Sometimes, the cover is plain or boring or looks too schmoopy (romantic, wistful, blech, etc.) for me. But today at the used book store, I had the opposite problem.
The book was Memoirs of a Beatnik, and the cover was the most amazing, colorful piece of art I'd seen on a nonfiction book. Even the texture was pleasing. I cannot find an image with the cover I'd found or I would link to it, but trust me - it was beautiful.
I almost bought it just for the cover. And it's not that I think I would hate the book - I think I'd like it. But not enough to own it. So I had to keep reminding myself, "Do not judge this book based solely on the cover."
I was in the biography section when I came across the book, and I was so struck by the various biographies that are published. For example, Fantasia (the girl, not the movie), wants me to know that Life is NOT a Fairy Tale. (Thanks, Fantasia). A lot of people want to tell me about their triumphs (and I would read them! I really would! But I can't take all the crying that comes along with the reading, Michael J. Fox. I just can't). Kelsey Grammer wants me to know that he has even written a biography (why?).
So, no books for me today. But that's fine. Because there are plenty of times that the book has the perfect marriage of beautiful cover and amazing story inside, and I have a full bookcase to prove it. (Hey! Send me book recommendations if you want. I totally dig them.)

TWLOHA

Today is TWLOHA day!
To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery (TWLOHA.com).
I have been seeing t-shirts for a long time. I never really knew what they represented until I attended one of the TWLOHA events at the Handlebar. Hearing Renee Yohe's story was shocking, heartbreaking and inspiring. This organization was started because of her.
Check out more about this organization on TWLOHA.com.
So in support of this mission, I wrote LOVE...on my arm.

Cleaning HOUSE...

So I have decided to make a few changes in my life. I have decided not to waste anymore mental energy on friends that aren't good for me. I spend so much time worrying or caring what is going on in their lives. When what is really best for me, is to cut them out of my life completely. So that is what I have decided to do, and it FEELS SO GOOD!
Cleaning HOUSE....in my life.

Bumpits FAIL

Like I said the other day, Jennie and I tried out an As Seen on TV product, and it was a big bust. We tried out Bump Its, which I had understood was a hair product that would give more body to flat, limp hair. Well, nobody has thinner, straighter, more lifeless hair than me, so we tried it out on my hair. What follows is photo documentation of the fail. 

At first, we took a large section of my hair and put the bumpit behind it, but the bumpit was about halfway down the back of my head, so we realized we needed to use less hair (I believe my quote was, "Only my bangs? Only my bangs will cover it?"), and move the bumpit up more toward the top of my head. 

As you can see, my thin, flat, lifeless hair does NOT cover the bumpit. Here's a closer look:

So we realized that bumpits are, in fact, NOT designed for people who have thin hair. Luckily, Jennie has much thicker hair than I do, so we tried it on her....

Well, hey! That doesn't look so bad (except, of course, that it looks ridiculous). Oh, you want a closer look so see how Jennie's hair hides the Bumpit? Okay....

..... BUMPITS FAIL.

The Trials and Errors of Product ...er... Trials

So Jennie and I got our hands on a famous "As Seen On TV" product, and we tried it out. I'll post pictures of it later (because I forgot my camera cord today!), but it's hilarious. Needless to say, neither of us will be purchasing this product.
In other news, I'm writing for an online magazine, covering local Christian music news. Crazy! Check out some of my articles (I already have posted two of them):
On Corey Crowder's CD Release Concert
and
Finding Live, Local Music for Less
And I promise, pictures of the As Seen on TV disaster are to come ... SOON!

As promised....

Drum Roll Please........
As Promised I am posting a pic of my halloween costume.


GEISHA!