Pay It Forward

So I signed up to get something from another Pay It Forward giveaway, and since the theme is "Pay It Forward," I need to give something out as well! I'm going to paraphrase some of the rules:

*The first three people to comment on this post will get something homemade and free from me!
*It will be something of my choosing, and will arrive when I'm ready to give/send it to you (I think the official thingy says "within the year" but I think a year is a bit too long to wait!).
*You must of course, in turn, pay it forward on your blog! Think of something homemade and give it away on your blog.

I think that's it...post any questions below!

Music Post

This little thing has been going around on facebook, but I prefer to put that stuff here, and this one looks like fun! You have to set your music player to shuffle (I used the Itunes on Todd's computer, not nearly as much music, but a lot of stuff I currently like), and list the first line of the first 25 songs...and then see if anyone can guess what songs they are. I actually am going to list the artist's name at the bottom, many of these I wouldn't know myself!

1. She left that loser in a dust cloud... (haha, I've never listened to this song)

2. Needed a shelter of someone's arms, and there you were...

3. Close my eyes, and move to the back of my mind, worries are washed out to sea...

4. If you could come clean about everything, it would be easy for you to be sorry...

5.Watch your mouth, because your speech is slurred, and I bet you just might swallow your tongue... (haha)

6. My life is brilliant, my love is pure...

7. How dare you say that my behavior's unacceptable?

8. You build me up, you knock me down...

9. I know that you're leaving, As soon as the sun comes through the window...

10. Grey skies, clouding up the things we used to see with wide eyes...

11. I've come down with something, I'm frozen, tied up.... (LOVE this song!)

12. You've got to get better, it's all in your head (or some variation of that)

13. Welcome to the planet, welcome to existence, everyone's here

14. Just because I walk like Obi Wan Kinobe... (How the heck do you spell that?)

15. Hello, good morning, how you do...(Great song!)

16. A little creepy house in a little creepy place... (a free Itunes download, don't know if I've actually listened to it! I actually kinda like it...but it's WEIRD)

17. Well, I've been down to Georgia, I've seen the streets in the West... (like this band...originally downloaded them because one of their songs has the word Delaware in it...haha)

18. Leave it to me to lose all your confidence...

19. Who can say for certain, maybe you're still here...

20. I've never felt nothing in the world like this before...

21. Unlimited, just look at me, and just look at you, you can do all I couldn't do (this is from a musical)

22. This is the start of something good, don't you agree?

23. We'll do it all, everything, on our own...

24. From an empty room on the first floor, as the cars pass by the liquor store, I deconstruct my thoughts at this piano...

25. And baby don't follow their lead, cuz you never know just how the story ends...



1.Rascal Flatts
2.Michael Buble
3.The Used
4. Plain White T's
5. Panic at the Disco
6. James Blunt
7. Maroon 5
8. Maroon 5 (weird. I don't have that much Maroon 5 on my computer)
9. Rascal Flatts (okay, Itunes shuffle, you stink)
10. Yellowcard
11. Guster
12. Taking Back Sunday
13. Switchfoot
14. Good Charlotte
15. Switchfoot (again, Itunes, what's up....I have way more songs!)
16. Kerli
17. City and Colour
18. New Found Glory
19. Josh Groban
20. Eliot Yamin (from American Idol)
21. Wicked soundtrack
22. Gavin Degraw
23. Snow Patrol
24. Jack's Mannequin
25. Cartel

I would say that these songs are fairly representative of what I like. Some of these bands are old favorites like New Found Glory, Switchfoot, and Rascal Flatts. Some remind me of places: Cartel=California, City and Colour=Ohio, Good Charlotte=MD/DE, and Yellowcard=Provo. Others will always be favorites: Snow Patrol, Jack's Mannequin, the Wicked soundtrack. Others I was only a fan of for a short time: Josh Groban, Gavin Degraw, the Used, and James Blunt. Now, do you know the NAMES of these songs?

Things

Things I Need to Blog About, for future reference (aka a boring post with a list just for my own sanity, so that I'm not thinking about writing about these things at midnight tonight)

• Todd and I got culture this week with the Ron Clark lecture, the Human Trafficking documentary, and the Rape of Europa documentary. We have been enlightened and inspired!

• The tentative calendar came in for school next year--summer planning can begin!

• We have been eating out a lot. Chik-Fil-A, Qdoba, Red Robin, Grover's...we are eating machines (and I eat twice as much as Todd). I am trying to curb the sudden enthusiasm for custard. If only the V-day chocolate was all eaten up...but I'm trucking on! I just haven't felt like cooking this week either...Vday and the birthday wore my cooking brains out!

• I have loved our recent weather. I have loved the teachers who have sent me outside with groups to play! I have loved walking around Washburn, feeling the warm breeze!

• I got a new calling...in Primary, surprise, surprise. How it will go is yet to be seen...I wasn't thrilled, but apparently my calling in life is as a teacher...duh. Too bad that I am a TERRIBLE gospel teacher. Oh well, I guess this is where I get to work on my weaknesses!

• I ordered my first item from Etsy...a large tote as a birthday gift and I love it! It's huge...just what I wanted so I can haul around church, school and scrapbooking stuff. I also discovered Ebay, and bought some teacher-y things. Teachers, what kind of stuff did you need the most that the school didn't provide?
  

• I think I got my job at just the right moment. The education cuts are somewhat scary...although the government could have probably saved a lot of money on the pointless national test (NAEP) they gave the fourth graders here today. I think its sad that we can give 600 million so DC can get energy efficient cars, but here in our district they are talking about having to cut between 5-13% from the budget...in an already crappy budget in the first place! Don't even get me started on the stimulus package...we are spending an awful lot of money on bike trails, people. And I'm not sure where all that money they are giving to education is going--not here to Kansas, and not to too many places in Idaho either.

• You should see our laundry pile. It's bad. Oh washer/dryer combo in an apartment, how I miss thee.

• And oh yeah, I did sign up for one of those Pay It Forward posts, so you will be seeing a post like that on my blog as well, as soon as I can get my brain together enough.

• I am making a trip to the podiatrist. I'm sure you all wanted to know. Yes, darn your brother and huge picture frames with ginormous chain links attached, Tai Ling, it is the SAME TOE...I have the feeling it might never be the same. It is easy to take your toes for granted...I might never do that again! However, it might give me another excuse to not have to wear shoes, and hobble around like an invalid...but I doubt its that bad again :)
  

• I love paper. My scrapbooking paper addiction is getting out of hand for someone who can't scrapbook enough to use it all. Luckily, I have found some people who share the same addiction, its not just me!

• Things I have been better at lately:

1. Thinking complimentary thoughts about people
   
2. Holding doors open for old people
3. Not watching as much TV
4. Shaving my legs
5. Walking for exercise

• Things That Still Need to get Better

1. Not throwing my clothes on the floor at night
2. Not Biting my nails
3. Taking my vitamins
4. Doing the dishes (I haven't done them in AGES...thank you sweetie for picking up the slack)
5. Reading my scriptures (ACK! Must fix quick! Darn you, Shannon Hale, and your stinkin good books!)

Alright, I think I've detoxed for a few days. Oh yeah, add "get new camera cord" to the list. Hence, no pictures.

Birthday!

For my birthday on Monday, we always have to involve food...and since there is no Cheesecake Factory or P.F. Changs, we went to Carino's for my favorite...calamari! I don't know what it is about that fried squishiness but it is SO good! And oh yeah, there's my short hair! I think it's the shortest its been since I started BYU, but I love it!

Todd totally spoiled me for my birthday. He got me some amazing cake, a Washburn sweatshirt, and a spice rack because I am becoming QUITE the cook (just kidding, but I do cook about 10 times more than I used to!) I also used birthday money to get some scrapbook supplies and took a trip to Old Navy! My mother-in-law sent me some cute clothes, and Todd got a hot pink footrest for our LoveSac...he knows my taste! He ended the night with an awesome back rub...just in time to start school again!

He did bring some Cheesecake Factory to me, in the form of chocolate-dipped cheesecake from Hazel Hill! My parents also were so sweet, and sent me some beautiful flowers as well! I am such a spoiled girl!

Still to come...Todd's birthday update!

Valetine's Day

Whew! It's been a while since I've blogged (for me, at least). We have been very busy with all of the celebratin' that we do around this time of year! Valentine's Day, my birthday, and Todd's birthday all happen with 8 days of each other. We started our festivities on Friday night with a trip to Red Robin, which miraculously cured my sore throat :) Saturday morning we made DELICOUS crepes (thank you Marth Stewart!) and then we sent Todd of to study, and me to get a hair cut. We met back again Saturday evening for dinner at home (we are not huge crowd people), and I sent Todd on a stay-at-home scavenger hunt while dinner finished. For dinner we had coconut shrimp, salmon and potatoes. It was YUM! We feasted on Valentine's chocolates from Florence's in Rexburg, Hazel Hill and Mrs. Fields! Todd also brought home some chocolate strawberries...we chocolate'd ourselves out!

Stop #3 on Todd's scavenger hunt. Among other household duties that I hate, cleaning dishes is pretty much on the top of the list...but Todd usually takes care of it!

Dinner is ready!

My birthday/V-day roses from Todd! He is so sweet!

I spend too much time on Etsy!

I totally want to win something....here!


**Edit: Ina, you rock! You are so funny! Maybe I am just jealous because I couldn't come up with something that funny and cute! I am still thinking about my pay it forward giveaway....

Let Me Just Reiterate....

CUTE!!

CUTE!! (not me, the baby)

CUTE!!

I miss this little guy :(
(and the rest of you, too!)

Roadrunners

Super Bowl Fun

Alright, we're no longer ugly :)

And now I enjoy this beautiful 68 degree DAY OFF!! (Thank you principal of my school!)

I will be updating my blog in the next few days and trying some new things out (don't expect anything fancy)

so...

it may be ugly for a few days. Just be prepared :)