Garden Party Shoes

Today I wore my garden party shoes.

I really love those shoes. They are so totally unlike me. Normally, I wear sensible shoes. I have my fair share of stylish shoes, but a lot are sensible and comfortable. But these shoes are different. I bought them on a spur of the moment shopping trip. They are high heeled wedges...a yummy chocolate color...and the best part...the sexy part...is that they have ribbon straps that wrap around my ankles. My toes are covered and my heel, but otherwise these shoes leave my foot in the open.

I feel so free with those shoes on. I know that sounds crazy, but I feel confident in those shoes. They make me taller and look good on my feet. I always get compliments on them (three today!) so they are a confidence booster. Men might not understand, but a woman can certainly relate to that pair of shoes. We've all got them.

So, I wore them today...my garden party shoes. They aren't exactly classroom friendly and I've got the blister to prove it, but boy did I have a great day today. And while I'm not saying it was completely due to my shoes...they didn't hurt!

Thursdays Just Became My New Favorite Day

Okay...not really. Saturdays are still my all time favorite day of the week, but Thursdays are certainly moving up in the ranks.

Normally, I wake up dreading work on Thursdays. See, Thursday is my duty day at school. Duty day includes lunch duty (where I walk around the cafeteria for 35 minutes catering to a bunch of mannerless munchkins...and by catering I mean they can't get up so I have to get things for them...things like napkins, silverware, and ketchup...always the ketchup) and pick up duty (where I take 50 odd kids down the hallway to the foyer to wait in the pick up line...where I try to keep them quiet until their name is called to leave).

I hate lunch duty. In my offense, everyone hates lunch duty. And I wasn't all that fond of pick up duty, but in the last two weeks...well pick up duty has taken on a whole new twist.

I get neck rubs!

Last week, I looked over at first grade and noticed that teacher was getting a neck rub and I smiled at her. One of my little darlings (or masseuse in training as I call them!)asked if she could rub my neck. I said sure and thus it began...the long line of kiddos that wanted to rub my neck. So, I started giving them numbers. She's first and then you and you can be after her...you get the point. The first few were okay but the last was...well, an experience.

He came up to me and put his hands around my neck. Think strangle hold! Then he squeezed. I'm sure my eyes bugged out because I had to literally remove his hands and tell him not to do that. Some of the girls laughed and he dutifully put his hands on my shoulders. Then the grunting started. The touch was light, but you'd think he was trying to move a 100 pound boulder or something as much grunting as he was doing. He kept telling me that he might have to stop because his fingers might hurt. I told him that he didn't have to do it and he could sit down if he wanted. Grunt...groan....nope, Ms. Stewart I want grunt to....

I finally couldn't take any more and put the little doll out of his misery. The first grade teacher (who had him in class last year) just laughed and said she had endured that "rub" a time or two.

Well, today was again duty day. And again, more neck rubs. Some of these kids have talent! I still hate lunch duty, but these weekly neck rubs are quickly becoming the highlight of my day!

There just might be hope for Thursdays after all.

Jelly Bean

You Are a Green Apple Jelly Bean

Of all the flavors, you're the most complex and the most real. A little sweet, a little sour, and totally tangy. People can't describe you, but they love you!

What Flavor Jelly Bean Are You?

I'm Such A Scraplifter

One of my resolutions this year was to scrapbook something every month. I was starting to think that this would be the first resolution to be broken! But, after getting a little inspiration from Valerie (I loved the stacking pictures!) I decided that now was as good a time as any to get something done.

Now, this could perhaps be considered cheating, but I found a layout that had been started a while ago, and just needed the pictures put down and the journaling written. These are some pictures from my New York City trip and the Staten Island/Statue of Liberty experience. It felt good to be looking at photos and scrapbook elements. I love the final look of this layout!

These pictures really don't do justice to it, but I'm having a little trouble getting my camera to focus and figuring out how to get the lighting right. Everything is so dark. Anyway, at least it'll look good in the album.

Thanks for the inspiration Valerie! I'm the one in the purple cap...I don't know if you can see me since the pictures turned out dark. The other chick is one of my best buds, Deniece.

A Little Bit Nasty, A Little Bit Nice

I'm in a love...often hate relationship with Wal-Mart. Yeah...today was my weekly venture out to get a few necessities. Who says ice cream isn't a necessity...stop judging me! Anyway, does anyone else feel that the customer service during check out has gone down the toilet? Ugh...I always dread checking out there. The last few times, the experience has left me seething. Last time, for instance, the lady talked non-stop about her boyfriend and how he's a lazy S.O.B. because he wouldn't take her mom to the eye doctor. I must have had a look that said...I care. I've tried to work on that. So, while she's rambling on about her boyfriend she rings up my shampoo three times! I had to go and stand in another line at customer service to get my money back! Oh, and the rub...she didn't put the bags in the basket.

Today, the lady didn't speak to me at all, but she did throw two cans of soup in on top of my grapes. When she spun the rack around and I reached in to put the soup into another sack, she huffed because I was stopping the rack from turning. Oh, and she didn't put the bags in the basket either. What the heck is up with that? Isn't it part of the job that you ring stuff up, put it in a sack, and then put that sack in the basket?

So, I hate the customer service but I love being able to get everything I could possibly need in one stop. What's a girl to do...besides rant in her blog?

On an up note, the ice finally melted! I went to school Thursday morning with all the trees in my front yard practically bent in half. When I came home...they were all standing up tall again! It's nice to be able to get off my porch on my feet rather than my bottom. Don't ask...

Also, while at the-place-that-shall-not-be-mentioned I found some great cards! Mostly Valentine's Day and a birthday one for my mom. I love cards and I'm positive that those who will be getting these cards will enjoy them too. And I had a little mailbox love myself today...thanks Mama! :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Brrr....Baby It's Frozen

I ventured out on the porch again (and this time more bundled up!) to snap a few more pictures. There is a lot more ice today. Check out how much more ice is on the deck chair than yesterday. Go ahead...scroll back down. I'll wait.

And that tree by the edge of my house...solid ice. That tree in front of my car used to stand up straight. Now it leans...really low to the ground. I think I'm going to venture out later this afternoon and see if I can unfreeze my car. Since I think this is my last bad weather day off from school, I figure I might as well and make sure my car will start for tomorrow.

Well, I'm off to find a productive way to occupy my time. Have a warm day everyone!

An Ice Day

***Update: More sleet and freezing temps so tomorrow is another free day from school. Usually I'm all over getting a mini vacation, but frankly I'm bored at home. Someone mentioned today that she'd noticed I'd been all over the internet, to which I replied that sort of creeped me out. How do people track your internet moves? Anyway, since I'm going to be at home again tomorrow those of you with trackers and eyes everywhere...I'll be out wandering. I can only watch so much tv. Gasp...I know! That came out of my mouth! Any suggestions on how best to fill my time?

It's an Ice Day!!!

You know how most schools get out for a snow day? Well, it is not snow, but it is as close as I'll probably get...it's ice! And we're off.

I stepped out this morning (seriously under-dressed for the occasion...note to self...pajamas and thin socks are not enough when braving temps below freezing) and snapped a few pictures. Apparently, this is not normal weather for this part of Texas so I wanted to capture it. And of course, I'm already seeing scrapbook pages in my head.

So, enjoy my porch...all covered in ice!

Annette Made Me Do It

Because Annette is my friend and I'm fresh out of stuff to blog about tonight.....

I think the deal is that you're supposed to fill this out about me. Apparently it's a lot of fun. We'll see. Some of you do know me well enough to answer this question, some of you know me well enough to take this and make me cringe with your answers, and some of you will simply stop reading here.

I made Annette promise to do this since I did it for her. Anyone else that wants to take stab at this (no pressure...except you Annette...you'd better do this thing!) feel free to take up comment space!

My name:
Summarize me in three words:
Where did we meet:
Take a stab at my middle name:
How long have you known me:
When is the last time that we saw each other:
Do I drink:
Do I smoke:
Am I happy:
Am I a good person:
What was your first impression of upon meeting me/seeing me:
What's one of my favorite things to do:
Am I funny:
How do you make me smile:
What's my favorite type of music:
Have you ever seen me cry:
Can I sing?:
What is the best feature about me:
Am I shy or outgoing:
Am I a rebel or do I follow the rules:
Do I have any special talents:
Would you call me preppy, average, sporty, punk, hippie, glam, nerdy, snobby, or something else (what):
Am I hot? Am I not?
Have I seen you naked?:
Have you ever hugged me:
Kissed me?:
What is my favorite food:
Have you ever had a crush on me:
Am I dating anyone:
If there was one good nickname for me, what would it be:
What's your favorite memory of me:
What is my worst habit:
Have you ever had a dream about me? If so, what?:
If you and I were stranded on a desert island, what is the one thing I would bring?
Are we friends:
Do I believe in God ?
Am I family oriented?
Who is my best friend?
Will you repost this so I can do it?

On My Honor, I Will Try...

to stay away from my freezer!

Yeah, that sounds like a pretty strange thing to make a pledge to do, but you aren't aware of what is lurking in there amid my frozen waffles and ice cubes. It's ice cream. Not just any ice cream, but Dreyers Slow Churned ice cream. Not just Dreyers, but Samoas flavored ice cream. Oh my gosh...

Okay, this is a little side story....like extra...for free! Anyhow, when I was growing up I was in Girl Scouts for many years. I loved it! I started in second grade and continued all the way through middle school. And not to brag or anything, but I was the number one cookie seller in my troop. So, I know my girl scout cookies forward and backwards. I'd never heard of a Samoa before. We called them Caramel Delights. But, no matter what you call them...they are heaven in a box. Coconut, caramel, chocolate, cookie...need I say more. Except maybe "Hey, watch the drool. It's not good for keyboards." Some of my best memories of my childhood are tied up in Girl Scouts. I'm even still in touch and good friends with two girls that were also in my troop.

Back to this ice cream though...I couldn't believe they had Caramel Delight (excuse me, Samoas...I'll never get used to that) ice cream. I couldn't resist buying. Talk about impulse buying. My dedication to smallerizing my hips went by the way of VHS tapes. Wait...that didn't sound right...isn't it VHS tapes?

Ever since I brought the temptation loaded quart of ice cream home, it's been calling my name. I had a bowl the night I brought it home and much to my delight (and my hips' demise) there are crunched up pieces of cookies in there. I stopped just short of licking my bowl clean. I do have a little dignity left. Anyway, ever since then, I've only eaten it one spoonful at a time. I stop by each night and get a spoonful to enjoy. And for those of you only focusing on my double dipping approach...it's my quart so there.

I think I'm enjoying it more because it brings back memories for me. It's funny how food can do that to you. So, while I'm enjoying the memories a lot, I'm trying to ration the ice cream!

But it sure is hard!

Hi...This Is Steffany...Blah Blah Blah

A few months ago while studying my phone bill, I came to the conclusion that it would be cheaper to get an answering machine rather than keep paying for the "extras" like caller ID and call waiting.

At first, it all sounded like a great deal. But then in reality, I discovered that never once did I look at the phone, see who was calling, and then ignore the call. Call me curious...but I want to know who is calling me from that weird number. Nine out of ten times I end up having to reject some poor telemarketer person, but what if it's an emergency call or something? Also, in all of the six months I've lived here I haven't had two calls at the same time. So...caller ID...pointless. Call waiting...even pointless-er.

So, I bought an answering machine and I got it set up tonight. Is it just me or is setting up an answering machine more time consuming than one would originally think? It might just be me, but for my sake let's pretend that it's all of us!

Well, I read my directions, turned the tv down, and hit the record button.

"Hello, this is your name here...crap...that's where I'm supposed to say my name...oh dang this thing is recording."

Feeling only slightly silly, I found the erase button and began again.

"Hi, this is Steffany. Ifyou'llleaveyournameandnumberI'llcallyouback..." Yeah. It sounded that fast on the machine. Scratch.

"Hi, this is Steffany. I'm not available for your call so please leave your call number...&*%^"

By this point, I'm no longer so interested in this stupid answering machine. Whose idea was this again? Finally, I decided to grab a pen and paper and write out what I'd say before I hit the record button. I thought about being witty. I thought about trying to smile and see if I could hear it in my voice. I debated between "Hi, this is Steffany..." and "You've reached 936..." I thought about how pathetic this was and hit the button.

"Hi, this is Steffany. I can't take your call right now so please leave your name, number, and a brief message and I'll get back to you. Thanks."

So, if you've got my number give me a call. See what you think.

Behind The Times

A few people had asked to see my Christmas tree. I encountered several hurdles to getting this posted, but thankfully I've figured it out and here they are! Enjoy (those two of you who asked to see it)!

And The Quote Goes To...

At first, I was really leery updating to the new beta thingy. I'm not really great with technology. Actually I'm really bad at it, but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this new beta blogger thing was to use. On the down side, a lot of people have told me that they can't leave comments. I'm stumped as to what is the cause, but I do appreciate the effort of trying to comment. Like that goofy little picture says...they make me happy!

Well, I put it to use tonight and added a new spot on my side bar. I thought about calling it Quote of the Day, but even I know when I'm being overly ambitious! So, I settled on once a week.

I love quotes! I love how one sentence or sometimes even one word makes its way down through history. I wonder if the speaker even knew what kind of power his or her words would hold. I think it's amazing how a statement can have so many meanings for so many people. I wouldn't consider myself a writer or someone that makes profound statements, but I have to admit to wishing that somewhere down the line my name would be attached to a quote that truly speaks to someone.

Until that day, I like this new addition to my blog. I like sharing a little quote that I've taken and found a way to apply to my life. And if you've got a favorite quote please share!

Hello 2007!

Happy New Year!

Ah, the start of a new year. A clean slate. A brand new calendar just itching to be filled up with all sorts of activities and adventures. I can't wait!

Today is the day for making these so called resolutions. I usually suck at keeping any resolutions that I make, so this year I thought I'd do something a little different. Perhaps my resolutions are too restricting in the fact that if I mess up well then it's all over. Or maybe they are too deep. I mean...am I really going to change the world or leave a lasting mark in one year? So, while I'm resolving to battle those pesky pounds on my hips, not grumble when I'm exercising (at least not as much), and work on leaving that mark I'm going to make some "fluff" resolutions too.

1. Scrapbook more! I think I've completed three things since I moved. That was six months ago people...I love to scrapbook. I love staring at a blank 12X12 and knowing that something creatively great is going to be the result. Plus, I've made quite a few friendships through scrapbooking. Look out paper, trimmer, and herma fix...here I come!

2. Make my bed every day...every other day...okay fine...at least twice a week. My mom used to stressed the importance of making one's bed. I think my favorite example was what if you lived in an efficiency and your bed was in the living room. A made bed can bring a calming sense of organization...or at least that is what I tell myself. I never know who might pop in so I'll keep my sheets untangled and my pajamas folded under the pillows.

3. Send more mail happiness. I love sending snail mail. I get this happy for no reason feeling when I get a card or piece of mail that isn't some sort of bill or junk. Besides, who wouldn't enjoy getting a little something that says someone was thinking of you and wanted you to know it? Anyway, I used to do it all the time. Greeting cards are kind of a weakness of mine. But, lately I've been too busy to sign my name to a card. So, cards check. Stamps check. Address book check.

4. Organize...everything....everywhere. I'm starting small with my scrapbooking room. Well, come to think of it that might actually be a big one. Anyway, life has to be simpler when things are where they should be....right? I like to think I'm organized but yeah...not so much. So, baby steps.

5. Take more time for just me. I have a pretty busy social calendar and I can find myself stretched to my limits. I've never wanted to be a person who stayed home every night watching tv and being a hermit, but when your energy tank is running on empty more than full...well staying at home and vegging in front of the tv doesn't sound all that bad. I'll find my TV Guide and the remote and I'll be all set.

6. Read. Trashy romance novels are my weakness and recently my buying habits are still up there, but the reading is going down. I have two shelves of books just waiting to be read. I start a book and then I put it down because I need to grade papers or I need to do laundry. Well, I'm picking up those books and I'm going to read at least two books a month. Maybe more...but no less!

7. Cook...something...every week. I like to cook. I like to watch those cooking shows and I always think "I could do that!" Well, maybe I can't always do that, but I've got a few cookbooks and cooking magazines and a willing spirit. I'm going to try a new recipe every week. Someone told me that practice makes perfect...even in cooking. I hope the smoke alarms don't disturb my neighbors!

So, there you go. My list of year long goals. Sure, they aren't mind stretching or peace creating things, but I think they'll all make me a more well rounded person. And that's what resolutions are all about right? It's not just about denying yourself something or forcing yourself to do something. It's about making you a better individual. And I'm all for that!