I Didn’t Even Have to Use My AK. I’d Have To Say It Was A Good Day…

I’ve been blessed with many many good days since I took a hiatus from this lovely blog. I’d like to say I’m sorry for neglecting you all, but honestly, I’m not. I’ve had some seriously good times this spring and summer, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Don’t believe that kind of fun is possible? Well, here are my last 5 1/2 months in photos, you can judge for yourself…

I finally got my new tattoo done. I designed this while my dad was going through chemo. 5 1/2 hours of work, and it’s not quite finished.

Had a delicious breakfast date….with the most delicious banana french toast, EVER.

Seriously, if you’re ever in San Diego you need to have this french toast at Perry’s Cafe. Trust me.

Dinner date that ended at my absolute favorite place for dessert….Extraordinary Desserts in Little Italy  (San Diego). You have to try this place too if you’re ever in town.

Road tripped up to the Bay Area with my besties to see my little brother play LaCrosse in the Sonoma State Shootout. The Seattle Starz took the championship, and my brother even won his All Star game! He is an amazing person. I can’t say enough how proud I am of him. Can’t believe he’s only 14!

Since we were in the area…we swung by and saw the old Golden Gate for a bit.

It was pretty chilly out there by the Frisco Bay. Definitely should have brought sweatpants.

And since we were already that far north of home, we figured we’d spend a couple of days in Yosemite National Park. But not before passing by the windmill farms and taking a tour of the Jelly Belly factory.

Did you know that the blueberry Jelly Belly flavor was invented for President Ronald Reagan’s inauguration in 1981? True story.

Once we got to Yosemite, we did some hikin’ n swimmin’.  This place is seriously gorgeous. I wish this was what people thought of when they think of my beautiful state of California.

Takin’ a dip in the river was exactly what we needed after all that hiking. It was so relaxing and peaceful.

I flew out to Salt Lake City to meet up with my best friends. We really squeezed a lot of livin’ into that week and a half!

Rock climbing.

Dirtbiking.

Visited the Hogle Zoo. I’d never seen a Bald Eagle so close before, so beautiful.

Visited Cabela’s for the very first time. This place is so frickin’ cool if you love outdoorsy stuff, which I do. Guns, fishin’, campin, hikin, climbin’…it’s all here!!!

Visited Temple Square in Downtown Salt Lake. I’m not Mormon, but I think anyone can appreciate the beauty of this architecture.

We also did a little self tour of the state of Utah’s capital building.

Ta-dah!

I spent some time at the beach, skimmin’…trying to anyway.

Okay, I went to the beach a couple of times…

What can I say, I’m a California girl.

Even my pup likes the beach.

A lot.

Me and my friends spent a little time in Old Town San Diego to have the best Mexican breakfast around at Coyote Cantina (Chilaquiles with fresh handmade flour tortillas) aaaand did a little goofing around….

We are silly gooses.

I finally saw the Hoover Dam for the first time. What a sight! This new bridge they’ve built is impressive…and the heat out there was oppressive.

I moved out of my apartment….and after pitching a fit, I got my whole deposit back. Thank you.

Watched my Padres play his Astros at Petco Park.

Padres won.

I went to Big Bear and learned how to ski with my big sister and my little Chickin Nuggit. (That’s my niece’s nick name)

Took a day trip to Tijuana, Mexico with my mommy.

Couple of strawberry sodas, couple of beers…

And one of my all time favorite meals ever. Birria de Chivo. Basically a slow cooked dish made with goat. It sounds gross, and doesn’t look much more appetizing, but let me tell you, eating it makes my heart smile…especially with homemade corn tortillas and quesadillas.

Oh, and then there’s the paletas (Mexican popsicles)…those made our mouths smile too.

Speaking of hearts smiling, I got to see my other best friend tie the knot. It was a beautiful ceremony. I think this was the first time I actually cried at a wedding. I’m so happy for them both.

This is me and the newlyweds.

And me n my buddy Nick-o-Lah.

We celebrated my mommy’s birthday.

And I made some fabulous cupcakes for the occasion.

Thanks to my mommy, we got tickets to see Dwight Yoakam. We got a little crowd to do the electric slide with us when he played Faster than You. We had an amazing time!

Visited the San Diego Wild Animal Park…or I guess they’re calling it the Safari Park now. Either way, I’ve never seen such awesome views of lions, ever. We even got to see a cheetah do the 100 yard dash up close.

I finally got some really old film developed. This one was from Halloween a couple of years ago. Incidentally, I was a little concerned about developing this roll because I don’t remember a good chunk of that night…

Oh yeah…we moved to Texas.

I’ll probably write a little more about this particular event a bit later. For now, let’s just say it’s humid.

One thing I don’t have pictures of is my 10 year high school reunion. We made it back to California for that a week and a half ago, and it went much better than I was expecting. So that was good. Again, more on this later.

Last but not least….I’ve done some work for the next Makin’ It Monday. Here’s a sneak peak!!

I’ve been taking life one day at a time, trying my best to take advantage of every opportunity sent my way. I have to say, I’m fortunate for my friends, without them, most of these trips may not have been possible. I am also fortunate to have a hunger for adventure. Sure there are every day responsibilities to tend to. The bills need to be paid, the housework and laundry needs to be done, the pup must be fed, sure. But why did I spend so much time waiting around for the right time to take trips and little adventures? Why could I not see that tomorrow isn’t a better day to put a smile on my face? The answer is: I didn’t make it a priority. I wished for happiness and adventure and spontaneity, but did nothing about it…like it was just going to fall into my lap. Silly goose. If you want something, get after it! You get one life, that’s it. There’s no do-overs or rewind buttons. If you’re unhappy, then change something because you are the only thing standing between the life you live, and the life you want to live.

I didn’t write this post to brag about all the cool stuff that I got to do this past spring and summer. I’m writing this post to inspire you. There is a little bit of extraordinary in our every day lives, it’s a matter of how you look at it. I am writing this post to point out to you, my wonderful readers that a lot of living can be done without being a millionaire. Sure, it requires a bit more creativity and imagination…maybe even a bit of compromising. But it can be done. So stop sitting at home, blaming the fact that there’s too much laundry to do, or the dishes are dirty or the baby needs a bath to be able to go have a picnic or something. Just start living. It’s as simple as that.

PS If you’re the kind of person that can only be pleased with a first class flight to Paris and staying in a ritzy hotel, this post isn’t going to help you, sorry, Charlie.

WRECK IT WEDNESDAY!!! (Issue No. 5)

Last week, I told you guys we’re leavin’ the kitchen for the next Wreck. Well, guess what? Today is the next Wreck and I made it all the way to the dining table! Huge move, I know. What can I say? I have a small apartment, and therefore no more studio to be creative in. So I set up camp wherever the mood strikes me. Such is life.

Back to today’s Wreck: I have wood floors. While I do enjoy sliding down my hall in my socks, there are plenty of times that I wish I were a little kid so I can buy a pair of those super awesome non-skiddy socks. Yes, some of my wonderful family and friends might point out that my feet are small enough to fit into kids socks….that’s not the point. I am a big girl, and as such, I want to wear big girl non-skiddy socks. 

Today, we’re going to toss out that silly notion that we can only have non-skiddy socks if they sell them at the store. You have socks in your drawer, right? Well, all you need besides socks is puffy paint (3 dimensional fabric paint). Observe: 

Socks. Note that I did not go out and purchase brand new socks for this occasion. (as evidenced by the perma-stains on the bottoms, no doubt from all the hall sliding I mentioned earlier)

 

Paint. This is my puffy paint collection. It’s marvelous, I know. Don’t be jealous. If you’re not hoarding art and craft supplies like you’re preparing for a nuclear winter like me, you can find this stuff at your local craft store or Walmart. It’s worth mentioning that puffy paint is inexpensive. Depending on the store and brand, they typically run $.50-$1.00 per bottle. But with a 40% off coupon at Michaels, I paid 10 bucks for a pack of like 25. Don’t judge me.

 

Now that you have your socks and your paint, lay your socks out so that the soles are facing up….like so.

 

Now, we paint. I’m not gonna micromanage your creativity. I chose my turtle socks and decided to outline the shells.

 

We do not need to be a slave to the status quo. Stop worrying about what people are going to say about you, or about your new super awesome homemade non-skiddy socks. My dad once told me that “you shouldn’t spend so much time worrying about what other people think of you, because you’d be surprised at how little they actually do.” In the end, being successful has little, if anything to do with material wealth or possessions. Sure lots of money can certainly make living easier, to an extent. But accumulation of wealth and stuff is what traps us into doing the same old thing, just because it’s easy. In my opinion, success is to have created a life that is as unique as you are, one that puts a sparkle in your eye, and one you can be proud of. If you’re not excited about your life, then maybe it’s time to take stock and figure out what really brings happiness to your heart. If making really cool things that some people may not have even thought about makes you happy…then you and me, we’re cut from the same cloth…and Wreck It Wednesdays are just the ticket for a little inspiration.

Note: This would be an awesome little project to do with your children, if you have any. Also, I’d like to add that I’ve thought about making a couple of pairs for my dog…she loooooathes wood floors. Apparently she doesn’t share my affection for hall sliding. She doesn’t know what she’s missing.

I got ShamRocked…

I had the opportunity to attend Blake Shelton’s Well Lit and Amplified tour in Las Vegas on Saint Patrick’s Day. Wowzers! The show rocked my socks off. The line up? Dia Frampton (from the show The Voice) opening for Justin Moore and Blake Shelton. Here’s how it went down…

Walked from our room at Excalibur and made a…quick stop at the craps tables when we got to Mandalay Bay…

Okay, so it wasn’t a quick stop, but we’re in Vegas, so oh well. (My little brother would argue that we couldn’t get somewhere on time if our lives depended on it, but no one asked him.) We left the tables about 10 minutes after the show started. We got to the metal detectors outside the event center only to realize that we had both brought our pocket knives. Now before you raise your eyebrow at me, let me start by saying that I carry my knife on me just about everywhere I go. Its habit, so I didn’t even realize until the metal detectors were upon us. A very nice older gentleman tried to get us past security, as we were upstanding citizens and didn’t attempt to hide our weapons…to no avail. Then he suggested that we try checking them at the bell desk. He did caution us to the fact that they may not check them for us, since they’re weapons. Soooo….I tucked them into my hoodie’s pockets and handed it to the very nice bell desk attendant. Crisis averted.

Needless to say, we were not punctual enough to catch Dia Frampton’s performance. We also missed Justin’s first song.

Color us happy to know that we had made it for all of our favorite Justin Moore songs. I call that winning. He was charismatic, funny and connected to his audience instantly. He has a modest disposition and a “kiss-my-ass-if-you-don’t-like-my-music” attitude…it really felt like we were hanging out with friends than sitting in an event center with thousands of strangers. Maybe that’s just because we have a rough-around-the-edges group of friends (let’s face it, I’m pretty rough around the edges myself) but, aside from making amazing music, we found him very likable and entertaining. Extra kudos for putting on such a great performance despite having laryngitis. What a trooper he is!

Now, Blake Shelton. Well, the man is talented. Contrary to what some people think, he is not a new comer to the world of country music; he’s well established, though he has admittedly been on a hot streak, so-to-speak. His abundance of attention is well-earned, let me tell you.

He opened with a cover of Footloose that actually didn’t make me cringe. In fact, I enjoyed it very much, especially since he followed up with three more uninterrupted songs before pausing to speak to the audience. Like Justin, he was funny and modest and expressed his gratitude for his fans. Always nice to hear you’re appreciated, especially when you’re spending money you don’t really have on concert tickets. It turns out that he and Justin make excellent touring partners, considering their shared distaste in the suits trying to censor them and attempting to push conformity on them. He has an irreverent humor and attitude that made him immediately likable. He spoke about his experience with the tv show The Voice. He shared his admiration for his peers on the show and even played (most of) a Cee-Lo Green song. It made me smile.

In the middle of his performance, he let the band take a break and did an acoustic set at the end of the catwalk. Just him and his guitars. He tested the crowd’s “Blake Shelton music knowledge” as he played a number of songs from his early days. The crowd sang along…so we passed.

Later in the show, Dia Frampton took the stage to sing a duet that will appear on her upcoming album. I have to be honest. I wasn’t a fan. I don’t watch The Voice, so going into this, I had no idea who she was. It was my least favorite part of the show, even more so than having to wait in epically long lines for beer. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure she has a beautiful voice and is immensely talented. But she seemed and sounded very nervous and it made me glad that we had missed the opening act completely.

The set list as a whole was awesome, all the songs we hoped he’d play…all except for God Gave Me You.

The show ended, and the crowed cheered. Of course we weren’t going to let him off the hook quite yet. Blake kindly obliged us with an encore that even Justin Moore came out for. Our patience was handsomely rewarded as he closed out with God Gave Me You.

:::::sigh::::: I couldn’t have asked for a better show. We sat in the cheap seats, and still had a decent view that didn’t at all detract from our enjoyment. If you ever have the chance to see Justin Moore or Blake Shelton, I highly recommend that you jump on it.

I give this Saint Patty’s day show a two thumbs up to the sky. (Yes, my thumbs may be small, but powerful, they are.)

WRECK IT WEDNESDAY!!! (Issue No. 2)

Horray!! It’s Wednesday again! (Yes I know this post is a little bit late, gimme a break) That means it’s time to trash pre-conceived ideas of how things should be done. So lets get to it!

It’s just about spring cleaning time, and that means it’s time to clear the cobwebs and clutter: out with the old and in with the new. Right? Well, If you’re anything like me, you’re not swimming in a sea of extra cash to be replacing a bunch of stuff around the house, That’s where this week’s Wreck it Wednesday comes in awfully handy.

Today, we’re gonna take a fresh look at some not so fresh decor. If you’re like me, you have things hanging around that you’ve thought of tossing out the door. I say, “Nay, nay!” Wait just one hot minute. For just a few bucks, you can completely change your decor from outdated to outstanding.

Between a divorce, a move and a new job in the last year, I have cleared a great deal of the riff-raff out of my home. But these three amigos for some reason have dodged my “goodwill drafts” time after time. I honestly don’t even recall how they made it into my life to begin with. I have been staring at these vases for what has easily been 2 years, plotting their fate. Today, They are finally getting the cosmetic surgery they need to fit into the society that is my tiny apartment.  I suggest you take a look around your house, clear the clutter and figure out how to make what you have left into something you love.

Now that we have our facelift subjects…we need to consider how these items can be transformed to feel more at home, in our home. I decided to color them happy, which can be done for a few dollars with a can of spray paint. The awesome thing about spray paint, besides being inexpensive, is not only does it come in super sweet colors and finishes, but it also comes in textures. This gives a fairly substantial array of choices and options to redecorate with the things you already own.

Apply an even coat of primer first.

Once the primer is dry, apply paint....evenly, duh.

Apply a second coat, if needed. Evenly, duh.

Allow to dry completely before applying a second coat...and before attempting to pick up/move the object.

Yes, I could send these little gems to Misfit Island (my stash of crap I intend to garage sale…someday, in the next 50 years or so). But it’s so sad to see these treasures being unutilized or sold at rock bottom prices just because their colors don’t quite fit in anymore. Why should I get rid of them, just to go out an spend more money, duckets I don’t have, mind you, on shiny new vases?

Well, here you have it: my pretty “new” vases, and it cost me less than $10. I call that a win for the bargain decorator. You’re welcome.

Okay, I'm sure you all are noticing my sloppy handiwork here, with the drippy paint. I will have you know that it was done on purpose. Call it art, I guess...but that's the way, uh huh, uh huh, I like it. Uh huh, uh huh. To each their own.

Here’s a nice little tip: if you don’t have vases, and would like to have some, you could go to Walmart and buy a case of mason jars for super cheap and do this same project. Presto change-o. Oh and if you’re sloppy with your painting like me, never fear. Nail polish remover works wonder on taking that rogue paint off your skin.

I hope you all enjoyed this week’s Wreck. Next week, we talk bacon. You don’t even know.

Drum Roll, Please…

There’s something super special looming on your horizon, a treat, if you will. It’s gonna be like getting a cupcake every week. Okay, so maybe I’m overselling it a smidge with the cupcake (let’s be honest, there isn’t a single blog post that could ever compare to a cupcake), I’m creating a new tradition here on ItsSunnyInMySoul!

I know a lot of really amazing people who don’t think they’re creative. My mother being one of them, which, if you see the things that she can do, is just a ridiculous statement. Being creative doesn’t necessarily mean you’re creating masterpieces that will be marveled at throughout the ages. Being creative, to me, means doing ordinary things in a not so ordinary way. See a recipe that you’d like to try? Try using it as a guideline to creating something all your own, instead of following the instructions step by step. Shake things up. Make whatever it is you do, yours.

In honor of this idea, I am re-naming Wednesdays. It sounds so…well boring and Wednesday-ish. The middle of the week will henceforth be known as…..wait for it…………..

 Wreck it Wednesdays!

Stay tuned for a new idea that will help you wreck that little shell you’re in.

 

(oh, I am so excited!!)

Rockin’ it ‘Til the Wheels Fall Off…

Or should I say, Rockin’ it Even After the Wheel Fell Off? Yes, that would be a more apt title for what I’m going to share with you fine people today.

Last weekend, my friends and I attended Monster Jam in San Diego. It’s been many years since I last attended a monster truck rally, so I was pretty excited. The show was sold out, and since I do not make a living writing this lovely blog, we were in the cheap seats at the top of the stadium…no mind, these trucks did not disappoint, regardless of your vantage point. Besides, me and my friends are more of the “Lets put on overalls, Billy-Bob teeth and mullet wigs” kind of crowd anyway.

Now, the highlight of the evening was by far the “Freestyle” portion of the show. For those of you who have never had the pleasure of experiencing this thunderous exhibition of giant tires, rolling, jumping and racing, the “freestyle” event is where each driver has 90 seconds to rack up as many points as possible. These points are accumulated via said jumping, rolling and any other tricks that the drivers can come up with. When this 90 seconds is completed, the driver then has an additional 30 seconds as a “bonus round”. This results in two scores, one for regulation and a second as a bonus. He or she with most points, obviously wins.

Amidst all this super charged chaos, I walked away with some distinct and surprisingly profound lessons. Now, to illustrate what I’m talking about, please take a peek at this video of Grave Digger free styling it up. You will notice that at one point, while doing “donuts” one of his rear wheels comes off completely. Now, most drivers would have called it quits. They would have chalked it up to a loss and been done with it. But not Grave Digger. No. He literally rocked it until his wheel fell off….and then some. As a matter of fact, he got more air, better stunts than any of the other trucks on 25% less rubber.

My friends and I were completely blown away at the performance. We decided that never again will we miss a Monster Jam, it was way too much fun. The shouting, the cheering, the good old fashioned kind of fun I remember from my childhood…it was epic.

I’m sure you’re asking yourself how in the world this experience left me with some sort of profound lesson. Well, I’ll tell you. I saw his performance as a textbook example of persistence and tenacity. He took pride in his work, and he wasn’t about to let something like a missing tire stop him from giving his fans the show they come to expect. To find some sort of meaning in something as loud and rough as a monster truck rally, it’s got to involve some serious stretching of the imagination.

Call it silly, but I’m doing my best to see things in the best light possible. I have resolved to be that adventurer in search of treasure I spoke about in God is great, beer is good…People are crazy. I will see opportunity in every experience. There is too much beauty in this world to let it fall on blind eyes.

Thank you Grave Digger.

God is great, beer is good…People are crazy.

I’d like to begin by thanking Mr. Billy Currington for writing a little ditty called People are Crazy.

Why? I’m so happy that you asked. First of all, the fact is that God is great. He has created so many beautiful things for us to enjoy. The next fact is that Beer is good. It is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. Third, and most pertinent for me today (since it’s not beer-thirty…yet) is, PEOPLE ARE CRAZY. So I am thanking Mr. Currington for writing a song that holds so much truth.

We are all a bit crazy. Some of us are the fun, “woo-whoo” let’s go streaking though the quad kind of crazy. These people like to have a good time, start a little trouble maybe, but they don’t hurt anyone…not maliciously anyway. Others are the kind of crazy that just breed hate and discontent. They are miserable people, and you know what momma says about misery: it loves company. My goal is to identify and figure out what to do with those hateful people who continue to sap my energy, steal time and stress me out. Luckily, I’ve got half the equation taken care of. I’ve definitely identified who these people are in my life. I just wish I knew I knew the best way to get rid of them.

I’d like to spend a little time describing these people I’ve identified. Odds are, many of you have similar people in your lives. Maybe you know who I’m talking about (figuratively speaking, in your own lives, of course.), but just haven’t thought about ways to rid your life of the stress and drama they bring. Maybe, it never occurred to you before reading this that these little monsters existed in your life. Regardless, if we identify these people and work towards separating ourselves from their drama and the stress they create, we are that much closer to taking control of our own happiness and mental health.

The first person, (we’ll call this one, Mind Ninja) can turn any situation around to make himself the victim. It doesn’t matter what he’s done, when you tangle with Mind Ninja, you will walk away from the situation with the blame, and you won’t even know what hit you. In the past, I’ve reflected on this on and found myself wishing I had that same ability to weasel my way out of things. But I’ve been thinking about it more and I’ve changed my mind. I could not live happily, knowing that I am a manipulative liar that takes no responsibility for hurting others. Sure, it’d save me from some hot water from time to time, but I’m no stranger to a butt-chewing. I’d take one if it means that someone else isn’t held responsible for something I’ve done. I’m a caring and kind person, capable of remorse and using those two words: I’m sorry. I also don’t mind correcting my mistakes. Being willfully responsible for someone else’s emotional pain is not something I’m equipped to do.

I believe in my heart, from my experiences, in Karma. I know that we all get exactly what we deserve, whether good or bad. I’m no one to think that I have the right or responsibility to punish those who choose to be “bad people”. As a matter of fact, it’s been my experience that when those who do wrong finally do get their “just deserts”, it’s often far worse than anything I could have possibly done. Don’t misunderstand this, if someone attacks me or my loved ones I’m not going to just stand by and take it. You’d better believe that I will unleash a furious anger of which you have never had the misfortune to experience. however, I’m not going to go out of my way to say or do something spiteful to someone just because they said or did something that hurt me. They are the ones that are going to have to live with their words and actions in the long run. You, on the other hand, you can move on knowing the truth about the kind of person you are.

The next crazy in my life, we’ll call her Me Me Me, is something truly special. This little peach likes to make every situation about her. It doesn’t matter what is going on, in her mind, it’s happening to her. A perpetual victim of the world, she directs anger towards anything or anyone that might detract from her “lime light”. I cannot begin to describe how profoundly I’ve been hurt by this particular person’s selfishness. I could go on and on for years describing how my family and I have suffered at the hands of Me Me Me. A sane person would have told her to shove it over a decade ago.

I’m in a quandary, because unfortunately, Me Me Me is also the evil dragon that sits outside of the tower where my little brother and sister live. She is the gatekeeper to all I have left of my father, aside from letters, photos and memories, of course. They are so young and far away, I can’t be a positive influence and make my presence known as much as I would like. However, I’ve continued, as my father’s last request of me, to keep the peace and do all I can to take care of Me Me Me (presumably so she has support while caring for my siblings.). But now that he’s gone, she is doing everything possible to cut me out of their lives. I’ve cried, and screamed and prayed. I don’t know how to handle this situation. I don’t know how to honor my father’s request, stay in my siblings’ lives and not let this woman stress me out.

For a long time, I’ve relied on one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite author’s to help me move on when I feel hurt by someone’s actions:

We can never judge the lives of others, because each person knows only their own pain and renunciation. It’s one thing to feel that you are on the right path, but it’s another to think that yours is the only path.          ~Paulo Coehlo

It was a reminder that we all have our own issues to deal with on a daily basis. No one but God could possibly see all of it. So I go back to this idea when I feel like someone isn’t treating me the way I would like or need to be treated. Right now, this quote isn’t doing it for me. It’s not making me feel better. There is no excuse for the way these people behave.

Now that I’ve said that, there is also no excuse for allowing anybody to make me feel unhappy. The moment I’ve allowed someone to make me unhappy, I’ve given my power away. But today, the power is mine. I will not let these people affect my life anymore.

My new quote to live by, also from the same author as the last quote:

I can choose to be either a victim of the world, or an adventurer in search of treasure. It’s all a matter of how I choose to view my life.            ~Paulo Coehlo

YES, IT’S GONNA BE AWESOME!

I’d like to say, “Thank You” to all those who put up with my bat-shit -crazy shenanigans all year, and still have the decency to wish me a Happy Birthday.

The nice thing about having my birthday this close to Christmas and New Years (and I do mean the ONLY nice thing) is that my birthday truly marks the beginning of a brand new year. I mean, sure, a birthday in July is fun, but how fitting is it to begin a new year, with a new age this close to the actual beginning of a new year?! Last Year, a wonderful lady I worked for used an etch-a-sketch as an analogy for New Years. So, for my bithday, I bought myself a bright red etch-a-sketch (the original, of course) and to symbolize all the terrible and emotionally hearwrenching things that had occurred in 2010, I scribbled until you could see the insides of the toy. Then, on my birthday, I shook that puppy (figuratively, I would never ever shake a puppy…or a baby. LOL, love you, Shauna n Noodle) until it was pristine, like nothing had ever happened. I erased the year that had been so trying on my heart and soul, just like that. I had a brand new slate.

Luckily for you all, you get to start over with a new year too, so grab your etch-a-sketch, boys & girls…
It’s time to wash away all the hurt, pain and disappointment of 2011. Let’s celebrate a toast to MY BIRTHDAY and to 2012: may it be full of Joy, Love, Laughter, Friendship, Health, Forgiveness and Happiness sweet enough to rot our teeth! We all deserve it.