Day 10: #lovelyday

- Friday, May 16, 2014

Truth be told, I spent the better part of the morning playing the role of Ms. Grumpypants...but, I got better. :)


How could I not on what was such a glorious, sunshiny, bright, breezy and downright lovely day?


In fact, I pretty much kept the song "Lovely Day" on repeat for the latter half of the morning. It's good for what ails ya. Trust me.



So is time with family, which is exactly how I spent the last half of the day. I watched my two youngest nephews play in the back of my dad's truck and visit with the neighbors and play in a sprinkler and just generally be two of the cutest buddies ever.


Oh, and as an added bonus and extra dose of red, my neices and I went to one of the most fabulous places on Gods green earth: Target. 


But, I still took my obligatory #30daysofred selfie... #yourewelcome ;)


Day 10 ended with my girlies sleeping over and watching Charlotte's Web. Though, as I type this, we have only seen Charlotte weave two words and they are already asleep. 

Some people just can't hang. ;)

So, all in all it wasn't an overly red day and it wasn't a very silly day, but, it was definitely a lovely day. 

I'll take it!

Day 9: #tbt edition. #feelingsentimental

- Thursday, May 15, 2014


#30daysofred: #tbt edition. #feelingsentimental

Today is Thursday, or as far as the internet is concerned, #TBT (Throwback Thursday). It's a day people post old, usually embarrassing, photos of themselves and/or their family members. It's always a lot of fun. This #TBT finds me feeling a little sentimental and reminiscing about (and mostly feeling thankful for) my childhood. 

I grew up with four brothers. I'm the oldest and the only girl in our family, well, besides my mom. That means, I've pretty much been a bonus mom since I was 3, and that I know more than the average girl does about football, wrestling, MMA, and sports movies. (Rudy! Rudy! Rudy!) At one point, I even collected football cards and traded with the boys. #truestory. 

Having four brothers also means that my sense of humor, all too often, trends towards the unladylike. 

But, truth be told, I wouldn't trade any of my brothers for a sister...and not just because I would have had to share my room and barbies. Sure, they were loud and rough and really, really gross and messy sometimes, but they were also really fun! And, if nothing else, they helped ensure that, should I ever marry, I won't have any delusions about men being other than they are in their natural habitat. ;)



Me, mom and our boys.

(Author's note: First...check out all those tube socks! Second...I used to BEG my oldest brother to borrow that FAB Def Leppard British Flag shirt...and really want one right now!)
Photobooth fun!

Life in a large family wasn't always singing songs in matching outfits our mom made herself, but we always managed to find the fun and made some pretty great memories along the way. In fact, one of the best things about our family was that it was big. I don't just mean that our individual family was big, though it was, I mean our extended family was big, too. 

There's a line in the movie "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" about how the main character has 30 first cousins...well, I had 28 first cousins, 14 on both mom's and dad's side. Dad was one of 6 boys and mom had 3 brothers and, for most of my childhood, the majority of us lived within 10-15 minutes of each other. That made for a lot of togetherness and a lot of memory-making opportunities.

Some of the fondest of those memories are:
  1. Dad's banana pancakes. They were a Saturday morning staple.
  2. Rainy day picnics on the living room floor. 
  3. Snuggling all together on the sofa to listen to Bill Cosby comedy albums, laughing our heads off. #wedontneednotv
  4. Playing charades when the power went out. I was always awesome, but my brother's could never guess my clues. My "Gone with the Wind" was EPIC! :P
  5. Shark Week with the brothers. It was an EVENT!
  6. Singing with dad while he played the guitar and hoping it would be my turn to do the percussion part on the Moody Blues' "Timothy Leary".
  7. Coffee and fresh bread at Ma Ma's house with the neighbors.
  8. Forcing my brothers to play dress-up because I had no sisters and they owed me.
  9. Playing Olympic Games on our Commodore 64. #cleanandjerk
  10. Decorating the Christmas Tree to Bing Crosby's Christmas album. #melekalikimaka
  11. The boys tormenting me while we decorated the Christmas tree by insisting on playing "Dominic the Donkey" over and over and over. #heehawheehawheehaw
  12. The smell of my grandparent's house.
  13. The smell of my grandfather's Zippo lighter.
  14. Our dog, Samantha. Except for the shedding thing, she was the most perfect dog, ever. She potty trained herself and was the sweetest thing on God's green earth.
  15. Homeroom with my friend Heather from 6th grade-12th grade. She pretty much knew every detail of my life for 6 years!
  16. Walking around the block "one more time" talking about everything and nothing with my friend, Stacy.
  17. Walking around the block at Ma & Pa's talking about everything and nothing with my cousin Jennifer.
  18. Singing and dancing in my dresser mirror."Knock on Wood" was a favorite.
  19. Reading my first real book on the ugly green tweed-looking sofa in our living room when I was home sick one day. It was "Little House on the Prairie."
  20. Doing splits, constantly, just because I could.
  21. Making up roller skating routines with my neighbor, Chantel, in our driveways. We even made up a song to skate to about  Charlie's Angels. "Charlie's Angels! We get after those crooks. Bang! Bang! Ugh!" 
  22. Countless sleepovers with my cousins, Jenny & Christy. #tootie
  23. Chocolate Divinity ice cream in melamine coffee mugs at Ma & Pa's...and fighting over who got the "little spoon."
  24. Carrot salad and cabbage ball at Mike Miley playground for our family picnics.
  25. Walking to and from school with the neighborhood kids every day.
  26. Thanksgiving dinner at the big, long "kids" table, laughing so hard dirty rice came out our noses.
  27. Spending weekends in Baton Rouge with Nanny and Stacey.
  28. Spending weekends at the Ponda (my great aunt's camp in Mississipi) and just feeling free.
  29. Walking around the Quarter with the family on a Sunday afternoon, doing nothing really, and it being the best day anyway.
  30. How much we laughed...most of the time at each other. ;) 
 Idyllic? Probably not. But, it was as good as we knew how to make it...and that was pretty darn good. #feelingblessed



Our boys, all growed up! #handsome

Day 8: #72selfies

- Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The first time I realized the effect "red" had on me, well, things got a bit out of hand. I felt so good, so sassy, so easy-breezy-beautiful-Cover Girl, that I took about 72 selfies.

 And, posted several.

 Over the course of three days.

Feelin' good...
Oh. Dear.
I really need to get over myself.
"I wear a fez now. Fezes are cool."
I then issued a formal apology to all of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

 But, I didn't really mean it. #fingerscrossed #sorrynotsorry

 "I feel so good I wanna take 72 selfies" days are very few and far between for me...much to the relief of the internet. But, we all want that feeling, right? We all want to feel good in our own skin. We all want to not only be OK with who we are, but love who we are...be our biggest fan, right? Not in an arrogant Kardashian kind of way, but as opposed to being our own harshest critic, and in a way that gives us the confidence to dream and go hard after those dreams.

I know it can't just be me.

 So, here's wishing you 72 selfie days (whether you post them or not), days that feel like anything is possible, days of joy and sunshine, days full of green lights and open doors and long stretches of highway and twirling and singing and happy, sassy, red (or whatever your happy color is!)

Because...You're worth it!

 I'm full of cosmetic slogans today. #thanksmarketingpeople

In closing, here is today's #30daysofred photo, with bonus strawberry.Um...cuz it's red and stuff.
#yum

Day 7: #busy OR "I need a manicure"

- Tuesday, May 13, 2014

The past few days have been full-to-overflowing! My brother, his love and my unborn nephew were in town for a few days, so that was sweet. We took the opportunity to throw them a baby shower. It all went off beautifully. Everyone pitched in, did their part, and, most importantly when it comes to large family gatherings, behaved themselves. ;)

They left yesterday to go back to where they are currently living with a u-haul truck full of love and baby necessities...and a chunk of our hearts.

Baby Shower fun!

Between the baby shower prep/party/recovery and Mother's Day hoopla, I haven't really had time to think about me and the whole #30daysofred thing. But, I really enjoyed all of the things I got to do to bless my family...and I did manage to clean my house. Granted, that is a chore and work, but I love, love, love a clean house. It's like a big, happy sigh when I get home from work and makes me feel like I could have someone over at a moment's notice, which also makes me very happy.

After the full weekend and a migraine vacation day Monday, I'm back to the red today! As with any good day, the prep for it began the night before. I took an hour and prepped 3 days worth of lunches, chock full of colorful, healing veggies. Having meals ready to grab and go also makes me happy. I even planned my outfit to accommodate red lipstick today.

LUNCH!

#thosenailstho
But, I definitely need a manicure tonight.

Day 3: #thingsilove

- Thursday, May 8, 2014

...or "Hi, My name is Tina and I'm addicted to hashtags."

The past couple of days have been r-o-u-g-h and have really tested this whole "make my life happier with red" thing. Though, clearly, "red" doesn't solve all of life's problems, making a point to be intentional about being nice to myself and doing little silly things that make me happy have been helpful, especially right now when things are just harder than is reasonable.
That said, and since my mind is too full of stuff to compose a regular post, I thought I'd just list out some things that I love and that make me smile. The benefit to you, dear reader, is:  it will be a tad sillier than yesterday's post and it will take less time to read than my other rambling nonsense.

So, without further ado or explanation, here's the list (in no particular order):
  1. Red (#duh). It just makes me feel sassy and confident and prettier than I have a right to.
    RED!
  2. My family. They're #thebombdotcom. Sure, they're loud and somewhat dysfunctional, and actually are kind of inbred (#thatshowtheyrollinthecountry), but, they're awesome.
  3. Mason jars. They're pretty perfect and one of the most versatile things I've ever bought in my life. They also make me feel homey and old-fashioned, which are good things in my book. #sorrynotsorrygloriasteinem
  4. Singing. I sing all the time. Well, not out loud as much at work, but in my head all day long. At home, I make up songs (usually operatic in nature) about what I'm doing. "I have to pee!" and "I have to wash the dishes, but I don't want to." are my favorites. #thatsnormalright?
  5. Facebook. It's my boyfriend. #truestory #whoelseamigoingtotellaboutmyday? #singlegirlproblems
  6. Hashtags. #clearly
  7. Coffee. I seldom get to finish a cup, but, I love the whole process of and every aspect of coffee. The smell! The sound of it brewing! The warmth on my hands as I hold the cup. The way the steam fogs up my glasses. The flavor. The memories of coffee with the ladies at my grandma's house. The way it warms all my insides. #noidontwanttomarrycoffee...anymore
  8. The Ridiculous. I love to laugh and the things that make me laugh the most tend to be of the goofball/#thatwouldneverhappeninreallife variety. Larry the Cucumber. Napoleon Dynamite. Nacho Libre. Drop Dead Fred. Joel Robinson. Jim Gaffigan. The guys from Top Gear (UK). The guys from Monty Python. Miranda Hart. They are quirky, silly, often fall or hurt themselves or generally make a mess of things, and keep me in stitches.
    Cracks. Me. Up. Everytime.
  9. Technology. Sometimes, I sing opera about that, too.
  10. Having people in my house and feeding them. Well, not "open big for the airplane" feeding them, but like making food for them to eat and feed themselves while we visit. It, again, makes me feel homey and womanly and, for a couple hours, it distracts my ovaries from asking me if they'll ever get to make a baby.
  11. The word "ovaries." Some people use curse words to feel all big and bad and rebellious and #psh "I don't care if I'm making other people uncomfortable." Me, I feel that way by talking about my ovaries like they are people and using the word as often as possible. #ovaries

On that note, my ovaries are telling me break time is over and I need to get back to work. They can be so bossy some times.
(whispers)Ovaries.
Ok, I'm done. Bye!

I lied! I thought of one more thing I love...

12. The really sweet people who bother to even read this nonsense!  For serious...Thanks!

On Wednesdays We Wear...NOT Red

- Wednesday, May 7, 2014



About a month ago, the ladies in our office decided to have a girls day. We all wore pink and ordered out for lunch and just generally enjoyed our special little day. It was so much fun that we decided to make it a weekly thing. Each week, we pick a different color to sport on Girl's Day and comment on which one of us looks best in that week's hue. It's a small and silly thing, but we've all really enjoyed it.

 
 



This week's color was, not red, but Green. Were it any other color but green, I could have thrown a lot of red in and probably just looked edgy and hip at best or quirky and possibly color blind at worst. However, since I didn't want to look like I was celebrating Christmas in July two months early, I limited today's red to just my nails and slapped on a fresh coat.

Day 2: Not much red. :(
Us Ladies (minus one) in GREEN...NOT Red.
Um...One MILLION dollars?


(Author's note: my absolute favorite red nail polish is Sally Hansen's Insta-Dry in Rapid Red. The color is perfect - not too warm, not too cool - it goes on smooth, dries super fast, is pretty shiny even without a top coat AND doesn't cost $10!)

While I admit I look pretty darn good in green, I was definitely missing the extra red. If ever there was a day I just felt like I needed the extra bounce, say, a red dress might put in my step, it was today. Last night, I got two bits of upsetting news/info, both of which hit close to home. I didn't sleep much and am ashamed to say I was pretty fretful most of that time. My morning didn't start off much better.
Then, while I was sitting in a drive-thru lane, I read this:

See that you are not alarmed...God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

If you're wondering what all this has to do with the whole 30 Days of Red thing...hang on. I have a point. I promise.


See, I'm a Christian. I cut my teeth in the faith at a Baptist church. I even sang in the choir. One of the songs we sang was called "Written in Red." It was a favorite of our congregation and our choir. The song title speaks to both Jesus' physical sacrifice at Calvary and the "red letters" in God's Word, the Bible. In most Bibles, at least back then, all of the words Jesus spoke were shown in red. This song links Jesus' act of mercy and His words of mercy as retold in Scripture...both "written in red".

So, bringing it back around for those of you playing at home...

Though I was not able to wear as much red as I thought I needed today, I got red just the same. See, that first verse up there? The one that says "See that you are not alarmed..." That comes from Matthew 24:6, which would be "written in red" in the Bible, because Jesus said it...over 2000 years ago and again today to me just when I needed it.

My heart catches in my throat when I think about the synchronicity and providence and care that took place in my car in the drive-thru lane as I pulled up my devotional for a quick something before work this morning. Not only were these words exactly what I needed to hear in that moment, but they were Jesus' words, and not only that but they were RED words on a day I had planned to wear red but had to wear green instead.

It may seem small and silly, but to this silly who felt like the world was conspiring against her joy this morning, that moment said: "Um, no it's really not...regardless of what color you're wearing."

30 Days of Red

- Tuesday, May 6, 2014

One day, I had an idea. As with most of my ideas, it involved interior design. I decided it would be a good idea to redecorate my room using all neutrals. I must have been going through a particularly stressful time or something to crave that much soothing monotone. So, I immediately went out and purchased the bedding and curtains and accessories to make my vision a reality, because that is pretty much how I respond to all of my decorating ideas. I'm pretty sure whatever sickness that is, it has letters and they make pills for it...but, I prefer to decorate (or eat) instead of facing my problems.

ANYhoo...when the room was done, I loved it. I felt so HGTV and grown-up. Then, a few months later, I changed my sheets...but, um, not for the first time...just as a part of my usual routine. I'm not gross. Only, for whatever reason, this time instead of putting on the beige ones I'd been (washing regularly and) using, I opted for a set of aqua sheets from the linen closet. As I walked out of the room and turned to switch off the light, I caught a glimpse of that beautiful aqua in the sea of beige that was my room and my heart smiled. It was then I realized I NEED color in my life. It makes me happy.


One color in particular makes me particularly happy. That color is Red. I definitely have  a bent towards turquoise/aqua/teal, too, but the color red just does something to me. It makes me extra happy and bouncy and sassy.


So, this morning, after a pretty miserable yesterday, I decided to slap on some red lipstick. It wouldn't be exaggerating to say I painted my lips red with hope-filled fingers and a prayer in my heart...it might be a bit dramatic and verbose, but it wouldn't be exaggerating. (Author's note: I've always had a flair for the dramatic. So much so, my father used to call me "Madame Butterfly.")

And, you know what? It worked. 

Twenty-four hours prior, I was grumpy and generally not fit to be around humans and today, I found myself texting a friend a list of all the things I was thankful for at that moment...and feeling genuinely giddy about it. So, naturally, I decided to paint my nails red, too.
Day 1
Then, I decided, I needed to wear red more.

 Then, I decided, I needed to wear something red for the next 30 days.


Then, I decided, I needed to write about how my daily life is effected by intentionally doing one simple thing I know generally result in making my heart a bit happier, my spirit a bit lighter.
So, gentle, patient, indulgent reader, you meet me at Day 1 of "30 Days of Red", or, because I'm all techie and stuff, #30daysofred...not to be confused with "30 Days o' Fred." That's a totally different thing.
If nothing else, I hope a couple of us smiles at least once a day along the way.

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