Things I've Done, and Some I'd Like To Do...

Just a little tid bit about me:) Things I've done are in pink, things I haven't done, but want to are in gray, and things I DONT want to do are in purple.


1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to disneyland/world
8. climbed a mountain (climbing isn't my thing)
9. held a praying mantis (no bugs for me)
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea (we weren't on the sea, but the lightning storm was)
14. taught yourself an art from scratch (does teaching yourself photography count?)
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the mona lisa in france (sadly, when we went, we didn't go to the Louvre)
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping (in the Mediterranean, when we were on vacation. I put my bottoms back on when we went to the beach. Everyone else was topless, why not me to?)
27. run a marathon
28. ridden a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors (I would love to do this!)
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michelangelo's david in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
t46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistene chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris (we thought about it, but the line was way too long)
51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theatre
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies.
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood (either too anemic, or just got a tattoo)
65. gone sky diving (not really something I want to do)
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a cheque
68. flown in a helicopter (I drove a tugboat once, though)
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in times square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in london (I have in other countries)
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle (sadly, no)
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible (read alot of it)
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury (almost)
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the alamo in person.
96. swum in the great salt lake.
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

I don't know why there aren't 100?

Oh well, have a wonderful Thursday!

Alyssa

Just For Fun

Found this little photo creator through a blog I visit regularly! Thought it was fun. I'm on the cover of Vogue. Maybe it's just me, but I think the magazine looks a little out of proportion in the image, especially the cover. It's a cute idea, though:)

Have a great day!

Alyssa

Loving the Sun!!

It has been beautiful the last few days, and it makes me so happy. This sun is way over due. I hear it's not going to last for long, but I hope it comes back again soon. One of my favorite things about this time of year is the Cherry Blossoms. So yesterday I took a few minutes to get a few photos out in the parking lot of the apartment complex to snap a few pictures before they disappear. They always seem to pop up and then leave before I can get around to taking some pictures! This year I have proof!

If you have nice weather where you are, I hope you are enjoying it! Have a wonderful week!

Alyssa

My Affinity For Dresses

I love clothes. I won't deny it. And you probably couldn't tell that I do, considering I've been wearing the same boring stuff since only God knows how long. Buying clothes comes after paying the bills and after my business needs, which right now, doesn't leave room for much else. My favorite clothing? Dresses. When I was little, I used to only wear dresses, sometimes I wore them with leggings and jellies, but they were dresses none the less. My mom tried to get me into a pair of Osh Kosh B'gosh and I was MORTIFIED. I didn't want to look like a boy, and if that wasn't enough to convince my mother, I hated how they felt on my legs. They were too stiff and scratchy. It was kind of like when we would go to the beach and I would get sand in between my toes. Oh the horror. Wearing jeans and sand between my toes were hellish occurances in life, so I stayed away from them like the plague. And then I came to that time in my childhood, like most girls do... The time we have an identity crisis and we want to be picked first for the baseball team, and we abandon those pretty little dresses in exchange for baggy pants and tshirts.

It was easy for me to look like a boy considering my hair refused to grow, and regardless of what my mom thinks, I DID have a mullet, and a white blonde mullet at that. I had what you call brillow pad hair, where at four you could probably see my wispy brillow pad blowing in the wind while I rode my bike (with training wheels) before you even saw my face. Just picture how attractive a gangly four year old with a huge gap in her teeth was. I was a real piece of work.

That ugly stage lasted from 6-16 something that I hope when I have a daughter she doesn't have to suffer for so long. It's bound to happen, but I hope it's not the length of time that I suffered through.

Anyway, sometime during high school I stopped trying to hide that fact that I was a girl. I spent alot of time during my high scehool career hiding that fact that I was tall too. And if by some miracle the planets shifted, hell actually froze over, and I decided to buy clothes that actually fit. Clothes that had flowers on them... It was an amazing feeling.

I was back in love with dresses to. Dresses are the first thing I look at when I walk through a store. I'm not even allowed to stop when I'm with Josh, but sometimes I am allowed a quick skim through to see if there is anything I absolutely can't live witout. I have at least 4 little black dresses, one of which I have yet to wear, but it is perfect in the way that Audrey Hepburn's dresses were perfect, and for now I just try it on with my pearls and twirl in the mirror. It can only be worn to the most wonderful of places... This might be hard considering Josh and I rarely do anything aside from going to Target and venturing out to the occassional movie.

I spend hours online looking at dresses that I could never afford, but it makes me feel oh so good to dream. So here are a few dresses that I could never afford that I am absolutely in love with! Enjoy!

I think I loved every piece of clothing Kiera Knightley wore in this movie. I would wear any of the pieces my favorite is the green dress. It is to die for. and the dress on the right is amazing too.

This is Sienna Miller in Vogue. I kept this issue for so long. I couldn't find the other blue dress from this shoot but it was amazing too. Maybe it was the same dress, but this was all I could find. Isn't it divine?

Scarlett Johannson is pretty amazing. I love this dress. And the shoes are great too.

I had this picture saved because I love this photo... And Christ Noth. Don't ask. Again, it's the older man thing. But who can forget to put Carrie Bradshaw on a dress list?!LOVE THIS!

This a Grace Kelly dress. I would wear this in a hearbeat. Where? I don't have a clue!

Can't get enough of Rachel McAdams' dress in the Notebook!

I didn't used to be much for ruffles and poof, but I'm in love with frills now. AH!

This dress is stunning. I'm pretty sure that is a necklace, it makes the dress spectacular.

I posted more than I originally thought I would, but I went through my "Things I Love" folder. All images were found via Google.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Alyssa

Why Do Men Get Better Looking As They Get Older, And Women Just Look Worse?

Last night I was forced to watch one of Josh's favorite childhood movies, Darby O' Gill and the Little People. The title alone made me shudder with thoughts of little leprechauns jumping about, and really bad acting. Being St. Patrick's Day and all, it was of course fitting for the occasion. Now don't get me wrong, I love old films. I am a huge fan of Rear Window, An Affair to Remember, and Breakfast at Tiffany's just to name a few, but there's just something about an old man talking to little men dressed in green that makes me sick to my stomach. I may have appreciated it more if it had been a movie I watched when I was a kid, something like Parent Trap, or that movie "Cartoon All-Stars To The Rescue" the anti-drug movie with Winnie-the-Pooh and Alf, that I rented from A-1 video in town at least a hundred times. I was not only completely against drugs then, but I'm sure this is the reason why I've completely stayed away from them for so many years. If you start early, that stuff is chizzled into your brain.

Anyway, onward, and on to the point of my blog. The bright spot in the film was Sean Connery. I am a HUGE fan of most everything Sean Connery. His white hair, his huge eyebrows, the accent, the over all look of him, and oh, his acting is nice too. Sean was much younger in this movie, 29, I read, and while he was good looking, I much prefer the 69 year old Connery.

I know, ew, right? I'm sorry, I have a thing... A good looking man is a good looking man, and I have had a crush on Sean Connery since I saw him in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. It was love at first sight, I had to have been four when I saw it. I have had a thing for older men ever since, and somedays I still wonder why I married a guy only a year and a half older than me. Josh isn't old enough. He'll get there, though.

So as I sat with Josh watching the movie I wondered aloud, "Why do men get better looking, and women just look worse as they age?" And it's true. Johnny Depp? Can't get much better than Johnny Depp at 45, glorious. Richard Gere? Like I said, I love me some white hair,Kevin Costner, I'm in love... And, Mel Gibson? Well he is iffy, I think party of his problem is his decision to jump on the crazy train. But I'm sure if he hadn't fallen off his rocker, he in fact would be glorious too.

So why is it that men get better looking as they get older. Is it not enough that woman have to suffer through the pains of childbirth, cellulite, bloating, and weight complexes through our entire lives, but we also have to carry the burden that our boyfriends and husbands will only get better looking as we look more and more like hell? Is there no justice in the world?

I sat there watching the movie and came to the probable realization that at 21, this is as good as I am going to look, and to tell you the truth, that kind of sucks... I'm not saying I'm ugly, I'm just saying that it's a real bummer that I'm going to peak at 21. Bleh. The dark circles, the "alabaster" skin, and the very visible veins I have protruding out of my hands that I can thank my beautiful grandmother for, will only get worse.

Some mornings I look in the mirror and just shake my head. Makeup really does make a huge difference. DEPRESSING!!! Now if I could only get it to stick on my face... I've tried everything from cover girl, to Clinique, to Bare Minerals, NOTHING stays on my face. I think I might start using some spackle or plaster as a base coat... That might help.

And why is it that we just keep looking worse as the day goes on? I like those few minutes between putting my makeup on and getting my outfit on in the morning. Those few minutes when I say, "Hey this could work." We keep getting worse, and our guys just sit there all smug and good looking for the entire day. Half the time they don't even brush their hair. Again, NO JUSTICE.

I wish there was some sort of miracle work that could make us look better. Oh there is botox, and surgery, and all that fun stuff, but my thoughts are, if I wasn't born with it, then I wasn't meant to have it. I "blessed" with a small chest, so when guys in high school would come up to me and ask if I would get a boob job when I got older I would politely say, "What the hell kind of question is that? NO."

Is it some joke from God that we have to suffer through everything else, and just look older and older? Is there a secret? Is it just good genes? Or is it just great products and alot of money? Women at 45 in Hollywood look better than I do at 21. But I really don't have the money to lay down for a little tuck here, and a little enhancement there.

So with muscle freezing botox out, and putting bags of saline or silicone into my chest out. I'm left with creams and salves and living a good life, and the hopes that I will age gracefully....But I'm not betting on it.

It's A Grace Kind Of Day...

It's rainy today, and I am wishing I was Grace Kelly on a beach somewhere. I LOVE swimsuits from this era, and of course, I love Grace Kelly. Really, I adore these swimsuits. I've looked for them to buy one for myself. How was everything so elegant back then? Well Grace Kelly made everything beautiful in my opinion. I hope you have a wonderful weekend. Think about sun and sand!

Today We Are Missing... Paris

I think I have said how much I miss being in Europe about 100 times on this blog. I'm pretty sure everyone on here is tired of hearing about it too. But again today, I am going to talk about Paris. Josh and I talk about Europe alot, sometimes we don't say anything for awhile, and then there are days when the topic comes up more than once. Sometimes it is because we have seen something on t.v. and sometimes it's just from the sheer missing of those days we spent together living with friends in Europe.

In February when we went to down to Oregon to visit the couple we lived with, the time we spent together in Europe was brought up between Danae and I while the guys ran into the store to grab some beers. We usually talk about the same things, the memories that stand out in our minds. We rarely talk about the trip we made to Trier, but instead talk about the night we spent drinking an enormous bottle of Lambrusco on the floor, or the morning I burnt the toast in the toaster oven. These are the things that stand out, and these are the things that I hope I remember forever. These were some of the best times in my life, and this is probably the reason I miss Europe so much.

I grew so much while I was in Europe. I grieved: I cried for my dad, I cried for my mom, and my brother, and then I cried for myself. Crying for yourself might be the hardest thing to do when there are so many other people to worry about. I screamed, and threw things (yes, I'm a thrower), and then I began to rebuild my life with Josh's help. I found that I could stand up without falling down to my knees, and I could make it through a whole day without crying.

I think Paris was a real turning point for me. I had been dreaming of Paris ever since I could remember, but even as we pulled into the train station in Paris I wasn't as excited as I thought I would be. Sure I was excited to be there, but I've always felt that once you lose someone in life a little piece of that joy and excitement you have over something is lost. That the person you lost should be sharing in the moment with you, and because they never will again, some of the excitement is gone. I get excited about things now, but that uncontrollable giddiness that you feel before a loss is gone, and I don't know if you ever feel pure bliss again. Is it bad to think that way? This is how I feel.

But Paris was beautiful, better than I could have imagined, and I decided upon getting out of the taxi that yes, I would live here in a heartbeat, among all this crazy mess of traffic, and I would revel in it, because Paris was glorious, Paris was sweet, Paris had something I needed. Those few days in Paris were amazing, and it took everything I had in me to get on the train to go home.

The shops were amazing, the streets, the monuments and buildings, they don't get any better than Europe. I felt like I was home. My only problem, neither of us knew the language.

So when Josh and I talk about going back to Europe he guarentees me that we won't be going until one of us knows how to speak French. He told me last night while we were in bed that he thinks the only way were are getting back there is if we somehow con one of our non-existant kids to go to Culinary School in Paris. He also reminds me that a child's love of cooking usually comes from it's mother, which brings the odds down for our kids alot because I in fact, do not love to cook. He told me I need to break the cycle, but I just don't think I can. Baking is another story. I said one of them could be a pastry chef, and that would be fine with me. Oh no, no, no. Apparently it's not okay with Josh. Besides 25 some odd years is too long to wait for Paris.

We need to win the lottery, or somehow make it rich. I guess I better start buying lottery tickets down at the gas station. I will be starting a bake sale soon to earn money for Paris, so if anyone would like to make a donation that would be wonderful. Until then, I am left with images of this sweet place.

photo by me:)

found via google

photo by me:)

Have a wonderful weekend!