one more jane eyre post....

for those of you not interested in jane eyre (but i cannot imagine this) be forewarned that this is a full-blown jane eyre
post. HOWEVER, if you enjoy beauty, at all, keep reading- or at least browse these pictures. there are some very beautiful people in this post!
last night i had the pleasure (thank you natalie!!) of seeing the 2006 bbc version of jane eyre. i WILL own a copy of this dvd!!! it was intense and beautiful and....oh....sigh....the sexual tension was palpable. it really stayed true to the book in every way. in fact, there were whole passages that seemed to be quoted directly from the book. it put you in england. you could feel the damp, cold, draftiness of thornfield hall. the waist-sinching, bust-heaving bodices make you unconsciously sit upright in your seat. and the emotions. ah, the emotions leave you thristy for more longing looks and passionate kisses dripping with romance! the main characters, jane eyre and mr. edward rochester are supposed to be plain, even a bit ugly. in this adaptation i did not find this to be the case. in fact, the opposite was true. these two actors are gorgeous and captivating!


i mean, seriously, just look at ruth wilson....she is stunning!



this photo is not from jane eyre. it is from one of her other projects. this look is very UN-jane. but it shows ruth in a very different way. with or without make-up, she is gorgeous. no?


and then we come to dear, tortured mr. rochester. played by toby stephens. of course i had to google him and see what other projects he has done. he is obsession-worthy, for sure!


do you see what i mean????
i really could go on and on about the book, the movie, the actors....all of it. if you haven't read the book, do! read the book first, then see THIS version. you won't be sorry. but be warned...it may get under your skin and turn into a mild, or not so mild, obsession! happy reading!

Its goin down tonight

These pictures are of me and they were used without my permission but that is okay because i would totally rock the suit if they made me one....I can not be held responsible for what might happen tonight!

walking/laughing down memory lane

saturday i spent a good part of the day at my in-laws going through old family photos. i scanned quite a few, and couldn't pass up these jems of my dear hubby. classic stephan.




it's quite obvious where noah gets his personality from...at least a good part of it!



i love the exact placement of the hands, even the fingers. can't you just see how this photo shoot went down at an "olan mills" type studio??


and, seriously, the hand on the hip....the look he's giving the camera....the side-swept bangs...i'm lovin' every minute of it!!!


then we progress to the teenage years. he tells me that wearing your p.e. shorts outside of p.e. class was in vogue. hmm....i don't recall that trend. maybe pennsylvania and california were on different trend cycles? oh, he also tells me that he got lots of girls wearing outfits such as these. okay. sure. if you say so.

I am in secret

I am back and she doesnt even know it! Exciting isnt it? Not much to say but Kim seriously read that book in like four days or something..She thinks I know I how to read but really I just play one on TV. So in my real life as many of you know I am a Chef and am currently the General Manager of one of the units our company runs. It is the World Headquarters for Western Union. Kind of an odd place to have your "WORLD" headquarters but none the less it pays our bills most of the time. I have taken a second part time gig at the new Dicks Sporting Goods that is set to open Sept. 5th. I was hired on as a bike tech. Since I started working I have a new respect for my wife and all those who work or have worked in retail, especially those that have opened new stores. It is a ton of work. Well, I just thought it would be fun to write something without Kims permission. HEY BABE? Am I fired?

Later ya'll.....

a story for the ages...

jane eyre. i think i mentioned that jane eyre was the next book on my reading list. i finished it last night. it was, if i may use the word to describe a book, delicious! everything i look for in a good story. somehow in my 35 years i had never read or even knew this story. of course i had heard of it as a classic novel...but never read it. i am only sad that i waited so long to do so! now i am on the hunt for vintage copies. good copies. rare copies. like this one: i found this on ebay. the opening bid is a mere $103.17. but it is a sixth edition copy. published in 1857. the first edition was published in 1848. sigh. if only...but who has over a hundred bucks to spend on a book?? certainly not me. at least, not now. *hint, hint...if anyone wants to just up and buy me a delightful gift....just a thought!!*



so this is what my copy looks like:
a $4.50 paperback that i bought at barnes & noble. honestly i didn't even think i would like it enough to finish it, so a minimal investment was all i put forth.


ah, jane....with your knowing eyes and tiny features that captivate the brooding mr. rochester so!


on to my next endeavor....to watch (what i've been told is the best version) the bbc version of jane eyre. i cannot WAIT!! oh, and since i'm sure to love this as well, here is another random gift idea. just in case you were racking your brain trying to come up with a 'no-occasion-whatsoever' kind of gift for yours truly!! :)

somehow he managed to do it...

i am not an easy person to surprise for my birthday. i am way too nosey, bossy, and generally concerned about how my day is going to go. i dare say i need to have a day filled with grandeur. i just believe birthdays are the one day during the year when you can want all that. so, that said, stephan had a big challenge before him. but he rose to the challenge and pulled off one heck of a surprise party. i had thrown some wrenches in his plans but he dodged those and managed to surprise me in a big way.



and since my mom and sister couldn't be with me in person, they sent these lovely flowers as stand-in's...
nicholes bouquet:


and my moms gorgeous little flower cake:


thank you to friends and family. especially my thoughtful husband who knew just how to lie to me to surprise me (is that a good thing??)

SO HERE I AM

So for ever now my wife has been buggin me to be a "guest blogger", I'm like no flippin way. Blogging sucks its for girls and if your a guy and blogging well....
Anyhoooo, I am sittin here doing my thing and she says "you could always be a guest blogger". Fine, How do I do it? Its easy log in to my blog and well I figured it out and So HERE I AM!
I do love reading her blog. I call her in the mornings and if it is around 830 900 she is always on the net reading her other bloggers blogs...is she a blog stalker? HMMM if she is I wouldn't mind being stalked by her cause, SHE IS HOT! Oh sorry off course here, is that allowed in blogging world? It is now. I love how creative she is, in words, on paper, in art and in life. Some are better than others and some mean more than others. But it always fun to read, sometimes if I have time I will look at her blog from my Blackberry at work and I have a pretty good idea what I am coming home to. Well maybe those instances are more like I know that I really dont know.
My girl is turning 35 tomorrow and she looks as good as she did when I first saw her. She is an amazing woman, if you know her, if you have even been around her for a minute you get her awesomeness. You get her strength and caringness for those around her. She is the epitome of love and life. Yeah sure I irritate her but she forgives me and always tells me she loves me before she goes to sleep(at least I hope she does, I am usually asleep before her) and allows me to be me.
Kim, I love you and I thank my Heavenly Father for allowing me to have such a strong centered woman who keeps me on my toes and keeps me centered in my family.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!
Love,
Stephan
Does this mean I lost my mancard?

1973

tomorrow, august 15th, i turn 35. i have never been one to shy away from sharing my age. i just don't see the point. i am what i am. i (thus far) have had no problem with getting older. it's something i embrace (again, i say right now. this may change someday!)
so i thought it would be fun to research what life was like during the summer of 1973.

if you were a teenager, you probably wore things like this:

and read magazines like this....... (drooling over these dreamy boys):

if you were a mom-type you most likely wore these styles:

if you were a little girl, your ken doll dressed in these fabulous duds:


popular hairstyles:


steven spielberg, the creator of indiana jones, jaws, e.t., and many other blockbusters looked like this:

what was happening:
* the US bombing of cambodia ends. US troops withdraw from the war in vietnam.
* the watergate hearings begin.
* the world trade center becomes the tallest building in the world.
* the average income was $12,900.00 per year.
* the average price of a new house was $32,500.00.
* a gallon of gas was $0.40 per gallon.
* the sting won best picture at the academy awards.
* jack lemmon won best actor (for his role in save the tiger) at the academy awards.

you were watching shows like:
* MASH
* the partridge family
* sandford & sons
* the odd couple

you were listening to:
* jethro tull
* chicago
* cat stevens
* pink floyd

life was simple, rockin', and groovy. all hail 1973!

inspired to create! a lot!

i'm not really sure what it is, but lately i can't stop doing projects. tons of them, in every form. it's good, it is. but it's not so good if you are a friend or family member of mine and want to talk to me. i have been in full-blown project mode....
on friday i made this skirt. it is, or was a vintage tablecloth that i got at a favorite thrift shop. sitting in one of my fabric baskets, waiting to be reincarnated as something fun. i will be making many more skirts due to this book...


i am in love with this book. truly. there are some dreamy projects in here, and the best part is no pesky patterns. i detest patterns. i am more of a sew-by-the-seat-of-my-pants kind of gal. you just have to figure out your measurements (trickier than it sounds) and you're good to go.


i have lots of shells, beach rocks, and sand that i have brought back from various trips to beaches. i saw this idea in real simple magazine some time ago (sorry i don't know when exactly) and put it to use. my treasure are now living in pretty little jars on a shelf in my bedroom! lovely!


my friend kim gave me some vintage paris postcards (swoon!!) among other things. they were in frame, and looked great in the frame,but i wanted to break them up and spread the paris love around my home a bit. so i went out to the scrap-wood pile in our backyard, found me a little plank, and painted, glued, and drilled until this was born:

and finally, another plank from that same pile also found new life as a cute little sign, now hanging above our bed. it say always kiss me goodnight (in french). i got the idea of printing on patterned paper and putting it on wood from kim's sister jana. not directly, actually kim has some of her things in her own home. so darling and super easy!

posing animals

back in april we bought a family pass to the zoo. saturday we FINALLY used it! i was quite amazed that almost every animal we saw (my favorite ones, anyway) we cooperating quite nicely with this photographer.


this one is now in my top 5 favorite photos. a majestic animal pondering...what...i wish i knew.


this black bear was seriously slumbering in the (fake) tree! how that could possibly be comfortable, even with all that extra fat, i don't know.


and finally we come to these domesticated animals.....MY animals!

it was hot, the day a bit too long, and much walking for this little guy. he sat every chance he got...pouting as 'loud' as he could to make sure we knew his discomfort.

boring cupboards begone!

yesterday i did something i've been wanting to do for quite some time. i painted my cupboards.....with chalkboard paint! love it! it really gives our kitchen the extra thing it needed. i made little cafe curtains for the window last night, but i discovered that i don't have the right rod to hang them. that will be remedied today. of course i'm having fun using the chalkboard surfaces - wouldn't you??

once upon a time...

in a faraway state called illinois, lived a boy named david henry strenkofsky...
and a girl name margaret geiger (peggy).


they spent their days and years doing the normal various activities of the day. posing for dashing senior portraits.
and attending school dances. until one day they met, fell madly in love, and......

got married!! they were very happy together.

and then, on august 15th 1973 they had their first child. a girl they named kimberly ann. a few years later nichole lynn was born and their family was complete!

the sadness of being done...

sigh...... i am done. the book was phenomenal. absolutely, in every way it lived up to my expectations. HOWEVER, i am left feeling a bit lost. where do i go from here? i think, the only place i can go is to immerse myself in some good classics. i will start with little women. then perhaps jane eyre? or emma? wuthering heights? i'm slightly embarrassed to say that i haven't read any of them. the time has come. i have a thirst that needs quenched....a good book is the only antidote!

so, keeping in mind that i want to read a good classic, please give me some good leads!! i'm relying on you, my well educated, fellow book-loving friends to get me past the sadness.....:)

oh, and yes, my husband is ELATED that i am done with the twilight series. overly dramatic doesn't even begin to describe his reaction. (insert smug expression here)

friday night excursion...

so i chicken out...sort of. i had blogged a few entries ago about going to barnes and noble to attend their midnight prom and get breaking dawn. i just couldn't make myself go that far for a copy of said coveted book. plus, i had issues with paying twenty plus for it when i knew that i could get it for almost half that at several different stores. however, i did need a copy of the book...that much was inevitable.

11:40pm friday night, i boarded my trusty, albeit very obvious, mom-mobile minivan and headed over to wal-mart. by myself. which was totally fine because i was on a specific mission, in and out, then home again to bury my head in this book! i don't know what i expected when i pulled into the parking lot. anything from a big line of fellow mom-types and teenagers, to just a few cars of the wal-mart workers. i got something in between. yes, there were several other minivans, suv's, and various sensible family vehicles. then there were the hand-me-down, beat-up, bumber sticker donning teen-mobiles. complete with so many treasures hanging from the rear view mirror that it was a wonder they could see out the front window at all. i confidently head into wal-mart and begin browsing, because i was about ten minutes early. there was no pomp and circumstance happening inside. not even a single sign or banner advertising this glorious release. i faltered for a minute wondering if they were even releasing the book here at midnight. so i went to the book section, to where the other twilight books were. surely they would have some sort of display here promoting the anticipated release. nope. i almost had to squint to see the small statement, printed on the bottom of the cardboard display that housed the other books. it simply said, breaking dawn release 12:00 am 8/1. okay, at least i knew i didn't have to bug a random wal-mart employee to find out. i was sure they had their share of bugging that night from others like myself. at 11:57 i lurked in the clothing section, close enough to the books without standing blatantly in front of the books. who was i kidding, i was still just as obvious. whatever. i didn't care. all sense of pride was lost long ago. the minutes dragged by until at 12:00 NOTHING had happened. they are late?? how could they be late? then i saw a small pack of giggly teenagers run to the books to tell (well, more like screech... thankfully so that i could clearly hear) a stray member of their group that the books were in boxes up by register 6. aha! suddenly there were more than a few of us mom-types, that seemed to come out of nowhere, speed walking to register 6. mayhem. i waited as patiently as i could to grab my copy of the book from the box. the excitement was palpable at this point. we all had our books in hand, which seemed to transform us ALL into giggling teenagers. a line quickly formed at the adjoining register to pay for our prize. behind me a teenage boy was going on and on about how he hoped bella and edwards wedding was all he hoped it would be. i had to turn, manners forgotten, to appraise this boy. i won't go into many details about him, except to say that he had lipstick lips on his cheek with something to the effect of, edward bite me written below. ahem. enough said. i finally came to the cashier. an older, rough looking gentleman who scanned my book, but without looking, told me the exact amount due. i gave him the cash, grabbed my bag greedily, and all but ran out the door to my van. i had to constrain myself to drive the speed limit home, which i did. once inside i planted myself on my couch and stayed up till 2am. my eyelids won the war it was raging with my brain to stay awake longer.

i am a little more than half way through. it is not disappointing thus far. ah stephanie meyer, you do have a mesmerizing way with words. thank you!
okay, so i know my narrative is a bit elaborate, but i had to paint as vivid a picture i could of this surreal experience.