Top 12 of 2012 (aka Thanks for Reading!)

2012! Remember when a year seemed to last forever and now, well, now it is gone in a blink of an eye.

This year has brought on new challenges, like judging Blogger Idol and gingerbread houses at GLOW at the Cleveland Botanical Gardens.  This year also brought on a whole lot more responsibility at my day job. To say this year has been great would be a lie but I can honestly say that with each new obstacle this year, we became a closer family and that is what made the year wonderful.

I have tried to focus more on writing this year but I have struggled and failed a little. Pressures of the real world tends to inhibit my creativeness (and there isn’t a whole lot there to begin with).  This year, I was fortunate to have a fantastic friend start guest posting and sharing her favorite recipes.  It is because of her that I have been cooking more!  I also started a little serial that I plan to start up again in the new year focusing on office romances.

But enough about that, it is with a humble heart I would like to share with you my top 12 of 2012. I am very, very surprised by, well all of the posts that got the most attention this year but none more than The Day the Elf on the Shelf Died. That the little post got more hits in three days than most of my posts do in a month. Oh the woes of being a little blog.

So, with out further ado, let me put down the last of my Christmas cookie so I may present to you my...

Top 12 of 2012 

The post about my kid burying the elf on the shelf at a party…

The Day the Elf on the Shelf Died

That post that makes me glad my kids don’t read and/or can't read my blog…

Oh, the Lies I Tell (well, top 5 today anyway)

That post with other mommies talking about getting’ sum…

The Mommy Mindset: Who's the Guy in My Bed?

That Mama Kat prompt about where I go for alone time…

My Bathroom is My Refuge

That other Mama Kat prompt about being alone…

Top Ten Things I Miss About Being Alone

That post that I have absolutely no idea why it has as many hits as it does so I can’t write an accurate description about it…

Listable Life and Nicholas Sparks' Movies - #AtoZChallenge

That post that makes me scratch my gorgeous head ‘cause I am really very pretty...

Fact or Fiction: #SamanthaBrickFacts for the #AtoZChallenge

That post I admit a secret...

I Hate Pie

That post that I WriteonEdge and probably gained popularity because it has beer in the title….

An Empty Beer Bottle

And one more most from a Mama Kat prompt… 

Ten Things I Would Never Want to Do

That post were I get creative…

I {heart} Pinterest for Valentine Ideas

That other post that I can not for the life of me figure out why it is always in the most read for the week…

 11 Betcha Didn't Knows About Me (from @EatDrinkClev)

These may not be my favorites for instance I thought Flooded Me with Tears and Love was pretty okay and I am a Craptastic Mom was pretty enlightening. I shared some of my other obsessions like the one I have for Call Me, Maybe (even my baby made a video). Hell, the Husband even wrote a review this year that I thought was wonderful and since he is a photographer his photos are pretty fantastic (I may be biased).

But at the end of the day (or year in this case) I am so blessed that someone stumbled upon this little blog and take the time to read its words and for that I say, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart and may your New Year be bright and filled with lots of love (and sex)”

The Day the Elf on the Shelf Died

The holidays are not mymostfavoritetimeofyear.  I am more of a New Years kind of gal but I try like hell to bring joy and happiness in to our little home because I do love my kids.  I drew the line at the whole elf on the shelf crap tradition.

I heard about the damn elf a few years ago from BE (who just launched his blog BE a Little Weird) who bought it for his kids.  I asked my mom about it and she said she had one for us.  I remember the elf but not the whole he reports to Santa shenanigans. I was still not convinced to do it especially with how much that sucker cost.

I did end up doing it, accidentally, last year.  Goofy and I went to visit Santa sans baby and he bought her an elf for $1.99.  Baby was scared to death of it so I started hiding it around the house for fun.  As it happens, that was also the year the kids saw the cartoon on TV.  We were now one of those families that had an elf on the shelf to report back to Santa.

I must admit, it was fun at first.  In fact, it went a lot like MyGotFam's The Evolution of ‘Elf on the Shelf’ during the Holiday Season.  I started out finding clever ways to hide him but by the end I just did not care.  It is not like inspiration was not all over pinterest like Heather's (My Husband Ate All My Ice Cream) Oh, Christmas Tree board.

In the end, I forgot to pack him away with the other decorations and he was discovered by my son, who believed he was left behind and blamed me for the tragedy.  He never did consider it was all Santa's fault for leaving an elf behind, it just had to be my fault.

I tried to hide it from the kids after the fact, with the intention of returning it to the basement with the Christmas decorations but I'd forget and than the kids would find it.  Chippy was found when the kids were hunting for Easter eggs and he hung out with us at the beach.  This elf was every where all year except at Christmas time.  In fact, he was forgotten until Goofy's annual Christmas cookie party a week before the big day, when Chippy died.

Not sure the cause of death but my son decided he went North, literally, and in his true dramatic fashion, got all of his guests to dig a hole and say a few words to Chippy, the dead elf on the shelf.

Chippy, you will be missed.  If you got it - pour some {cocoa} out for Chippy.

Oh, the Lies I Tell (well, top 5 today anyway)

As a child, lying was a past time of mine.  Goddess forbid I would ever have to lie and my life depended on it now, because I would probably fail.  My face will give me away along with my need to say the truth because, let's face it, lying is just harder.  You have to keep track and possibly build upon what you say.

I don't seem to have a problem lying to my children it seems and I can thank my mom for this talent.

My mom was very good at lying to us and making it sound convincing.  Instead of just saying "don't do (insert here)," she would make up a story.  For example:  "Don't go into the attic because alligators live there and will eat you."  My personal favorite and one that kept me awake one night while in high school because I thought it would really happen was, "Don't pop zits on your face, because you will die of a brain hemorrhage."

I blame her lies (or stories) on kissing the Blarney Stone.

I can't help but think it would be way easier to say, "You will get pox marks on your face if you pop a zit there and it will be ugly."  Or, "Don't go in the attic."  But, what do I know because I have found myself doing the same damn thing with my kids now.

I can't help but cringe and smile all at the same time.

My Top 5 White Lies to my Kids (so far)

1. That's Flavor

You know how when you get a glass of water from the tap and the water is a little foggy?  My son balked at the idea of drinking it until I told him, "it's extra flavor."

2. The (stupid, stupid, stupid) Christmas Elf is checking up on you

In an attempt to cover up the fact that I forgot to pack the (stupid) Christmas Elf up with the rest of the Christmas crap and my kid found it, I told him that he was back to make sure he was still being a good boy.  Sadly, it was not even the stupid elf they sell but an elf I bought for baby girl but she was scared of it.  I hid it behind a pillow when I realized just how scared she was of it and when my son found it he thought it was the freakn' Christmas elf... who am I to dash his dreams?

3. I don't smell anything

In response to the question, "what's that smell!" coming from the car next to us.  I will leave you to imagine what the smell was that was billowing out of the car windows.

4. It's Mommy juice

My response as to why he can't have what ever is in my rocks and/or wine glass.

5.  The fishes will eat your toes

My first lie to Baby Girl when she wanted to go an extra foot out in to the lake and I wanted to go back to my book on the blanket.

The Mommy Mindset: Who's the Guy in My Bed?

Ah, time, there never seems to be enough.  If I am neglecting one thing, then I am neglecting another in the hopes that it will all even out which brings me to The Mommy Mindset (from two weeks ago because there was just not enough time...)

TOPIC: Remembering to pay attention to your marriage while you're raising a child/children. 

I will never claim to know the secret of a happy marriage but I can say that remembering that this time in our life together, is just one moment, in a very long lifetime of moments has helped me considerably when there never seems to be enough time left at the end of the day for each other

Here is what some other moms thought on the topic:

Valerie: Doing things as a family and also making time for date night. We really try to make time for each other each night after the kids have gone to bed - whether it's 30 min or a few hours it really makes a difference.

Lena: I am really bad with it. I still owe my husband a romantic dinner for his birthday (almost 4 months ago). WOW - I should really not be saying anything about paying attention to marriage

Kathleen: I'm still working on this. Even when the kids are all asleep, my husband and I do different things so it's hard to find something to do TOGETHER. My suggestion would be the little things, a kiss, a hand squeeze, a shoulder rub as you walk by even. Showing you care in little ways will add up.

Mary: I have a husband? So that's who that guy is! Just kidding... It is crazy hard to find a balance and it does not help that we co-sleep. One day baby girl will be in her own bed! Until then, we are creative in finding "alone time" but we fail at date nights and I feel the strain. I think we both realize that this time is temporary and our needs can come second - for now. That said, holy crap do we need a weekend alone! A friend of mine, who's kids are a few years older, will just go into their room for "mommy and daddy time." As open as I am about some things I don't think I will ever be that open. Its bad enough my son caught us one night, I don't think we could afford the therapy on us actually doing it while they are fully conscious.

Emily: My husband is ALWAYS wanting to have date nights, my problems is that I ALWAYS want to be the one to tuck The Boy in at night. I've started to let go of that and we've been having at least one date night a month. A few weeks ago, we went away overnight and my mom stayed with The Boy. It was awesome to let go of being a mom and connect with my husband. We go to lunch together during the week while The Boy is at school, not as romantic as a dinner, but still a wonderful time together. We even have a date night planned for this Tuesday - Dave Matthews Band!

Ghada: Hmmm...by the crickets in the discussion, I suspect we are all having trouble keeping that balance. To be honest, with 2 kids under 5 paying attention to our marriage is sometimes as simple as having a chat over tea after dinner. Though we are aiming to do date night starting in July at least twice a month.

Mary: ‎Ghada I was thinking the same thing and feel relived that it is not just me, ladies.

How do you do it?

Thank You for sharing, Valerie of Valerie’s Reviews, Lena of Way2Goodlife, Kathleen of Callista’s Ramblings, Mary of iNeed a Playdate, Emily of Nap Time is My Time, Ghada of Mama goes BAM

My Bathroom is My Refuge

My bathroom is my refuge.

It is where I go when I want to hide.  It is where I go when I want to read.  The bathroom is where I go to be alone.  It is also where I go when I am stressed because, well, I have IBS so if you ever stress me out and then want to talk about it, it will be from behind a closed bathroom door (ask The Husband).

Sad, I know.

It started when my son was born and we lived in a smallish two bedroom apartment.  As a new mom, home alone with an infant I was grateful everyday to hand baby boy off to his dad and have a minute to regroup. 

Often, I had to pee by the time he got home from work so I started just staying in the bathroom. Eventually, I would remember to leave a book, or two, in there and I have never gotten out of the habit.  Even now that we live in an honest to goodness house, with three floors and a basement, I still hide in the bathroom.

I don't really want to share my bathroom with you because, well, because I would have to clean it first so I am sharing some of my favorite pins.  The last one is the best so scroll all the way down...

Follow Mary Johnson's board Fantasy Bathroom Refuge on Pinterest.

Top Ten Things I Miss About Being Alone

It seems like a lifetime ago that I woke up in a bed alone much less, ate, drank or peed with out someone else five inches away from me. I have a brief glimmer of what it was like, a distant memory. I am not sure I would want that again any time soon but on occasion I like to imagine what it was like.

{cue flash back music}

Ten Things I Miss Most About Being Single

1. Sleeping alone (every once in awhile)

Actually, doing anything alone these days is a luxury but waking up in bed without a stray foot in my face or someone's knee in my back would be swell.

2. Walking around naked.

Call me crazy but I miss being naked in my home. The first thing I would do when I walked through my front door, especially when I worked in a restaurant or night club, was to take off my clothes. Peel off would be better. I usually did it as I walked to the kitchen for a glass of wine.

3. No homework

I hated doing math when I was in the first grade. sigh.

4. Bathroom privacy

Sure, I may have left the door open but I was alone.  And, I took long luxurious baths, with candles and wine.

5. Watching TV when scheduled

If you ask me what time and day my favorite TV show is on I would say - How the hell should I know? Isn't it on demand or hulu, yet?

6. Spontaneity

A ride to the beach four hours from here? - Sure! Bar crawl tomorrow? - Sure! A concert two states over? - Okay! Friend's house for dinner? Tonight? - What can I bring?

7. Vacations (by myself)

I lived for booking a flight to somewhere, anywhere, by myself and seeing somewhere new. I did not do it enough.

8. Dating

Call me crazy but I miss dating, sometimes. Not the bad ones, of course, but I miss the chase and the promise of something new. The flirting and getting to know someone you just met.

9. Eating out

I never cooked for myself and I never went to chain restaurants, either. For the life of me I have no idea what the hot new restaurant is today. I also miss drinking for free. That has more to do with me working "in the industry" then being sent drinks at the bar but either way - free was free.

10. Me time!

And, not just for me time, but also to blog, to write, to paint, to read and whatever else I vaguely remember doing way-back then.

I failed the #AtoZChallenge and I would like to blame it on lack of me time, but, eh, there is also next year.

Choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and come back to add to the link here.
My Prompt:
3.) List the top 10 things you miss about being alone. (Inspired by The Little Hen House)

Listable Life and Nicholas Sparks' Movies

Listable Life is a weekly prompt about lists from Moments That Define Us!  I love to do lists! Sure the idea is to post for Tuesday and then link up but, eh, at least I have the right week and seeing as today's letter is L, well, how can I resist?

Technically, the prompt is for a celebrity I can't stop watching but if you don't consider Nicholas Sparks a celebrity by now, with all the freakin' movies (and books) he has out out and the fact that he is so unbelievably romantic then I have to ask - why are you reading my blog?  I live for romantic moments and his books and movies show it in the realist sense.

5 Reasons I Can't Stop Watching Nicholas Sparks Movies

1.  Nicholas Sparks' movies (and books) could happen in real life.

2. There is tragedy as well as hope.

3. The love story is not only about a boy and a girl but also about the people in their lives. 

Dear John is not just the boy meets girls story but a story about a man and his dad and the love between them.

4. The ending may not always be happy in the traditional sense but it is real.

5. There are some seriously good looking men in his movies and they have the best lines! 

 "You should be kissed every day. Every hour. Every minute..."  Swoon!  Oh and all that kissing!!!

Who can't you stop watching?

Fact or Fiction: #SamanthaBrickFacts for the #AtoZChallenge

As I was going through the ‘F’ section of the dictionary in the hopes inspiration would leap from the page for today’s A to Z Challenge post I was distracted by the headline:

'There are downsides to looking this pretty': Why women hate me for being beautiful

Now if that isn't a headline I really don’t know what would be a good headline for a woman whose life is harder because she is beautiful. This poor, poor woman is just entirely too pretty and is a constant mark for those who are unhappy because they are ugly. Can you even imagine the trials that she must go through such as accepting free champagne everywhere and the obvious hatred that she must endure from horrible looking women? The fact that other women shun her based on her looks alone is just heartbreaking.

I was just beside myself with outrage after reading how tragic her life is because of her amazing beauty. I can really understand the unfair burden placed upon the beautiful people. She must be absolutely green with envy of the common folk who have to pay their bills and live in a world where they must work for what they have (or don't have).

I want to believe that this is a hoax. I want to believe that there is no way that a normal human being would put this out into the world wide web and expect sympathy for her situation… of being too beautiful. This has got to be a prank and I am waiting for the interview where she exclaims, “Gotcha!”

So what are your thoughts?  Is Samantha Brick's article on her own beauty - Fact or Fiction?

I Hate Pie

I must admit, I hate pie. I do not like pie I say. I do not like it is what I say.

You may ask why but I don't know why I don't like pie.
It could be the crust has no flavor and is often dry.
It may even be that if the crust is good there is not enough or even too much but I rarely find a good crust.
I guess the filing can be okay, but I'd rather have a great piece of cake or maybe tiramisu.
I would give my left tit for a brilliant tiramisu.

I understand that this is like comparing kittens to puppies and asking which is cuter but hey, we all know which is cuter just like we all know that pie is a mediocre replacement for a better pastry.

When the husband and I started seeing each other, I read an article about smells that induce arousal, aphrodisiacs. So I bought some vanilla candles and planned a romantic night in. As we finished dinner he asked about something for dessert. Well, dessert is me, duh.

At the time, I was very anti-dessert and did not keep it in my house. Sitting on the couch he asked, again. Sorry, cake won’t magically appear just because you ask again. He ran out to the store and bought a pie. A pie? French silk to be exact. A french silk pie. It was good. It was not cake but then again he wanted something for dessert. I was content to drink wine and watch TV. A few days later the same scene replayed itself - deja vu?

Turns out, when ever, and I do mean whenever, he smells vanilla he must have pie, or some other type of sweet. I would say it was his kryptonite, except he is drawn to it and must have a sweet at whatever the cost and yes, my waist line has paid the price. Needless to say, I also avoid buying lotion and perfume with even a hint of vanilla in it because it means cookies, cakes being baked or even, gasp, pie.

As for me, I still hated pie, until I was pregnant with baby girl and all of a sudden just the word pie made me weak in the knees and my mouth water. The entire time I craved it I only had it once and it was by chance. I just could not bring myself to make it or to buy it, no matter how much I wanted or needed it. Seems silly now, that I wanted pie but boy oh boy did I want pie.

I don’t even like pie on Thanksgiving but I do like pumpkin so I will have a piece. But eat the filling.  I prefer to make Pumpkin Tiramisu.

 
There is only one exception to my, I hate pie, rant and that is key lime pie. Could care less where it came from, if it was the right color or the wrong. Give me a good piece of key lime pie and I would be yours for ever.

I am sure you may be wondering what prompted my post on pie and it is all because of the awesomely, creative Aums Mama's post here and her un-pie.

But now I ask you - pie or no pie for you?

An Empty Beer Bottle

“Am I still here? What does that mean?” he demanded. Anger and confusion waged a war on his face.

“I thought you would take off,” she said with a shrug.

“Why would I do that?” he snarled.

“Because that is what you did last time and the time before that. Look, I’m tired; I don’t want to do this anymore.” She gestured to him and back to herself as she spoke. “I don’t want to be us anymore.”

“There’s someone else,” he growled accusingly.

Before she could answer, he had her off her feet and pinned against the wall. She struggled but gave in; she willed the sheet to keep her covered.

“You better not be fucking someone else,” his words came out slowly, deliberate, it was a warning.

As if on cue her cell phone rang. Shit, she thought and closed her eyes.

“Who the fuck is calling you?” his hands found her neck and started to squeeze. She gagged and gasped for air but he continued to choke her. She felt the night get even darker. He had her off her feet and in the time it took for her to realize that she might die she remembered that she was still holding the empty beer bottle.

The bottle made a loud thud as it hit his skull. He dropped her like a rag doll. As he stood over her, little droplets of blood appeared on the white sheet but they were not hers.

He stumbled to her phone, looked at it and threw it at her.  Before he could question her again she was on her feet.

“You don’t get to say another word and if you come near me again I will kill you.”

“Bitch,” he spat as he left.





Use a Gandhi quote to inspire you to throw a little conflict at your characters in the name of strong plot development.

It is better to be violent, if there is violence in our hearts, than to put on the cloak of nonviolence to cover impotence.
Mahatma Gandhi

The word limit was 300.  Click here for more.

Ten Things I Would Never Want to Do

Ten Things I Would Never Want to Do...

1.  be a wife.

2.  be a mom.

3.  join the PTA or for that matter, be a room mom.

4.  drive a mini van. Never, ever.

5.  have a desk job

6. breastfeed (or pump at work)

7.  bake for a bake sale

8.  host play dates and birthday parties

9.  use one of those bulb things to pull snot out of some kid's nose

10. be responsible for any one else.

... and how lucky for me that I did not get, what I thought I wanted.

 

The Prompt:
3.) Create a reverse bucket list that names the top ten things you never want to do.
(Inspired by The Hairpin)

Sweet and Easy 3D Customized Photo Valentines

I just love Valentine's Day now that I have a kid old enough to trade them at school.  I envied the kids whose mom made the ones that they handed out.  Not that there is anything wrong with the store bought ones because they were cool, too, but there seemed to be something extra special about the ones made out of dollies and covered in glitter. 

For as crafty as I think I am, I can not see myself cutting out (or helping to cut out) twenty red hearts, gluing them to dollies that easily tear and then coming up with cute sayings to write on them.  Besides, the box cards come with candy!  Then that damn pinterest came along and I found that there are some really cute ideas that don't involve glue or cutting!  Hooray for pinterest!  What did we do last year?

Some ideas I considered...

But seeing as I use to be a photographer and happen to marry one, this idea stood out...

And this is what we came up with...

I made a slit  just above and just below his hand with an exact-o knife and then the photo was glued to card stock. I did the same for Superman photo but off to the side.

Now to tackle a treat for the class...

Check this out idea... plus a free printable! 

11 Betcha Didn't Knows About Me (from @EatDrinkClev)

Crystal climbed to the top of Angel's Landing in Zion

The amazingly, awesome Ms. Crystal of Eat, Drink Cleveland tagged me in a "Betcha Didn't Know" post and thank goodness because I was really struggling with Mama Kat's prompts this week.

Crystal writes about her quest for great food and drink in North East Ohio.  Her pictures are mouth watering and I have made more then one reservation based on her recommendations.  You don't even have to be from Cleveland to appreciate her blog but if you do make it to our wonderful city, her's is one of the many blogs I would recommended to get a sense of what is amazing and often over looked about Cleveland.

And with out much fanfare... 

11 things I Betcha Didn't Know About Me:

The Rules:

• Post these rules
• You must post 11 random things about yourself
• Answer the questions set for you in their post
• Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
• Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them

1. I am a notary public for the state of Ohio.  
I have been since last August but it was one of those work related things so I was not exactly excited to have the responsibility.  I also was freaked out about the test - which I passed, 100%, but still the process is nerve racking and expensive.  Long story short, if you need a notary and are in the downtown Cleveland area, I am your gal.

2.  I feel like I am tweeting with a rock-star when my favorite bloggers tweet or mention me.
Yes, I know, it is a little crazy but when my favorite bloggers mention me I get a little giddy.

@mryjhnsn Thanks for participating in our survey!
— Megan Calhoun (@socialmoms) February 9, 2012

3. Oddly, I am shyer on twitter, facebook, etc. then I am in public.
It is so much easier to be embarrassed by speaking and participating in public, face to face, then it is to be on a social website but at least I can face it and laugh it off.  It is because of that I am slow to comment but am quick to retweet, like or plus the hell out something I like.

4. I watch Heart of Dixi
No, I am not a thirteen year old girl, but I do feel like it when I watch it.

5. I roll my eyes wherever I read (or hear) that someone is married to their best friend, especially when it is in their "about me" section.
It is not that I don't believe that they believe it, but I wonder, why it must be put out there when it is not relevant to what they are doing.  I describe myself as a wife but can't say best friend without gagging.  Unless you write about, tweet about or blog about marriage - how is it about you?  This confuses me greatly.  I also don't think I would want to marry my best friend.  I married my lover, a partner and I would even go so far to say one of my closest friends but not my best friend.  I also feel like I am being compared to a dog as in "man's best friend" and this gives me great anxiety as well.  I took his last name is that not enough?  (note: please don't be offended this is my own anxiety issue)

6. I have panic attacks
They were controlled with drugs for years but I have been able to live with the occasional one now sans drugs for a few years now.  I did not know I had an issue until I cut back on drinking and - hello!  My panic turns to anger so I am not a nice person to be around when it is happening. 

7. I have an irrational fear of trying new kitchen appliances
And, yet, when I do get over it, I will find any excuse to grind, chop, pop or make whatever can be done with that appliance.

8. I can't see 3D anything
I am really annoyed with the trend to make everything 3D these days because not only can I not see it but 3D glasses give me a headache. 

9. I can't hula
I try and it looks like fun but I could never do a hula hoop.

10. I am a masues school drop out
Sad, I know but I can't memorize anything to save my life and in Ohio, the exams are incredibly hard and riddled with anatomy and physiology questions.

11. I will obsessively listen to one song over and over and over for days on end.
Even when I am not having a panic attack.

And these are the questions (answered) that she had for those tagged in her post...

1. What is the most adventurous thing you have ever eaten?
Nothing.  I will try new foods but can't say that anything I have eaten has been an adventure.  Now... my girl friend's husband's potato vodka is a whole other story

2. What would your last meal be if you had a say in it?
Irish car bomb cupcakes

3. What is your all time guilty pleasure food?
Salami and cream cheese

4. What are you currently listening to?



5. What is your favorite sport (to play, watch, or both)?
I love to watch hockey and I have started to really enjoy yoga other then that...

6. One thing you are dying to try (this could be anything)
A younger man, just kidding!  But, seriously, I am dying to try being rich.

7. Fill in the blank: Food makes me hate myself especially all those wonderful yummy things that are so bad and yet so good.

8. If you could have dinner with just one person, dead or alive, who would it be?
Sheldon Cooper

9. What is your "go to" restaurant for taking out of towners?
Melt for lunch and dinner.  Two Dads for breakfast and cake.

10. What quote sums up your life right now?
Everything will be okay in the end.  If it is not okay, it is not the end.

11. What is your favorite holiday? 
New Year's Eve (I've written about here and here)

My Questions

1. Your favorite blog post.  Only one and you don't even have to say why if you don't want to.
2. What quote sums up your life right now?
3. What would your last meal be?
4. Last thing you pinned on pinterest?  (If you don't use pinterest then last image you used in a blog post)
5. Coffee or tea?
6. What were you doing, at this time, ten years ago? 
7. Biggest pet peeve?
8. Greatest joy?
9. Twitter or Facebook?
10. Unusual talent?
11. What is the last thing that made you laugh out loud?  And, for real, none of that lol business.