CerellaBella

Scotch & Cecil.

2011-01-24T15:24:00.000-06:00

So soooo long!

2010-08-14T13:44:00.001-05:00

Just posting SOMETHING on here since I haven't in two years!

A first!

2008-09-22T16:33:00.002-05:00

I knit this for my father-in-law for Christmas...last Christmas. :)

Just a pretty picture....

2008-09-22T16:21:00.003-05:00

to brighten MY day!

New Favorite Song...by Santogold.

2008-03-09T12:39:00.001-05:00

Santogold "L.E.S. Artistes"
Uploaded by bluntedsoul

Miss Lola Rose.

2008-03-04T21:47:00.000-06:00

Miss Lola Rose.

2008-03-04T21:46:00.000-06:00

LOVE Miss Lola Rose!

2008-03-04T21:45:00.001-06:00

IC's reaction video's to 2girls1cup video.

2007-12-15T13:09:00.000-06:00

Group Reaction

Laura's Reaction

Diego Ortiz was also a family man.

2007-12-07T13:20:00.000-06:00

JOE HORN....NEIGHBOR OF THE YEAR!!!!!!!

Hey, if you play with fire...you're gonna get burned!

I truly wish that my reaction had been videotaped!

2007-12-07T13:07:00.001-06:00

If you haven't seen the 2girls1cup video then you won't understand this. I'm gonna recommend that you DON'T click on the link though. It's AWFUL! You will never see anything more disgusting in your life....I guarantee it. However, since I have seen it, (and by the way, I do kind of like the music), I can totally appreciate this poor grandmothers reaction. Too funny!

The first step...

2007-12-01T00:40:00.000-06:00

...is to admit that you have a problem. Hi. My name is Cerella and I'm what I like to call, for lack of a better term, a schizophrenic food addict. Confused? Please, let me explain.
I am overweight and have been for the vast majority of my life. I started dieting when I was in grade school and counting calories was the way I did it. Once I was in Junior High (I believe) or maybe even High School I started going to Weight Watchers. In between and since I have done soo many different diets that I can't even remember them all. Let's see...I've tried....
1. Counting Calories
2. Weight Watchers
3. Some diet where I seemed to always be eating a pita sandwich
4. Herbalife
5. Atkins
6. Fasting
7. Slim Fast
8. ??? I'm sure there are others, just can't remember
So, throughout my dieting life, the most successful way that I have lost weight is through Weight Watchers. ( I really am going to get to the point here, I swear! )
The thing that I love about WW is that you really can eat ANYTHING that you want, in moderation. However, if you want to get the most food for your points, you need to stick with artificial sweeteners, artificial butter, artificial syrup, artificial, artificial, ARTIFICIAL!!!
Most of the time when I'm not on a diet, I enjoy using real sugar, real butter and other NATURAL things. Aside from the fact that they taste soo darn good, I like the thought that I'm putting NON-MAN MADE PRODUCTS in my body. I know that I need to lose weight really bad, but the thought of going back on WW and eating the artificial stuff bums me out. I know that I could still do it and eat all natural but then I won't be able to eat as much food. Understand?
Okay, now to add even MORE complexity to this crazy dilemma, I am a huge, HUGE animal lover. I have been a member of Peta and other animal activist groups and have wanted to go vegetarian (ideally vegan) for a long time. Unfortunately, it hasn't happened for me yet. I sometimes go a length of time without meat either because I just don't crave it and other times because I'm soo wigged out that an animal had to be slaughtered to provide me with a particular meal. I imagine ( and have seen in Peta videos ) the fear and desperation in their eyes and it breaks my heart to the core.
Oh, you didn't think that the insanity was going to stop there did you? I have also been very interested in the gluten-free diet as well. There seems to be soo many benefits to this lifestyle of eating but I've never tried it and it just seems really hard.
NOW, can you see how I'm feeling just a wee bit schizo about this food situation?

Gobble, Gobble!

2007-11-22T10:50:00.000-06:00

My favorite things.

2007-11-08T21:43:00.001-06:00

I'm soo excited that my friend Melissa and her husband Merle are back in town and we are gonna hang out tomorrow night! We haven't gotten together since we went to Mexico last August! Too long. Much too long. So, here's a cute little video that I found about favorite things.....since getting together with old friends IS indeed one of my favorite things. (Especially these two....NEVER a dull moment!)

ps...Okay, HOW did Russell's picture end up on this video? I just noticed that the dog in the video looks just like my little Russell man! Well, except for the fact that MY dog ONLY smiles and would NEVER show his teeth like that one. *yeah right*

This song makes me happy.

2007-11-08T09:34:00.000-06:00

My husband is going to die by me saying this but the king in this video reminds me of him. Too funny! Hey, better the king than the blond 30 year old singing angel....just watch it, he's pretty funny!

He's just a squirrel tryin' to get a nut...so what's up?

2007-11-08T09:21:00.000-06:00

After first seeing this little guy outside off my front porch, I was soo glad that I was able to run back in the house, grab my camera and still get these pics! Too cute!
Notice in the second picture that he is actually resting his chin on the nut! Well, that or it's in his mouth, but that COULDN'T be comfy.

2007-11-07T22:17:00.001-06:00

What in the sam hill is wrong with people???

2007-11-06T20:09:00.000-06:00

Click Here.

For your enjoyment.

2007-11-05T10:29:00.000-06:00

Laura Hawkins.....

2007-11-03T11:41:00.000-05:00

...I believe that this bill was meant for you. Just click on the image above and look at the last thing written......I swear it says MILF!!!!!

Trivia Night.

2007-11-03T11:33:00.001-05:00

Here are a few pics from last night's JWA Trivia Night. We had a lot of fun despite the incredibly hard questions!!! And I feel that should mention that Jeni is a wee bit timid....it's such a shame the way she shies away from the camera. :)

Halloween Hottie.

2007-11-03T11:28:00.000-05:00

Okay, how cute is my little nephew Amos????

A Halloween post.

2007-11-03T11:21:00.000-05:00

Here is my sister, Breahna...Tina & my brother, Dalton. They were all looking pretty fabulous this Halloween night! Did everyone have a lot of trick or treaters? We only had about 30! Can you believe that??? We had SOO much left over candy. Darn. I guess that I'll just have to eat it. :)

Here's a cool close-up of Breahna's makeup. She did a great job with the "blood!"

Psyched!

2007-10-08T17:11:00.001-05:00

Jeni has got me all psyched with the Random Acts of Kindness! Would you like some suggestions? Here are a few....

1. Give a hug to a friend.
2. When drivers try to merge into your lane, let them in with a wave and a smile.
3. Pay a compliment at least once a day.
4. Give the gift of your smile.
5. Buy a stranger a free pizza.
6. Offer a couple of hours of free babysitting to parents.
7. Send a gift anonymously to a friend.
8. Slip a $20 bill to a person who you know is having financial difficulty.
9. Write a thank-you note to a mentor or someone who has influenced your life in a positive way.
10. Leave a bouquet of flowers on the desk of a colleague at work with whom you don't normally get along.

Bummed.

2007-10-08T16:54:00.000-05:00

Man, for the whole past week I had been planning on going to the Life Chain downtown and then when the day finally comes, it's record breaking heat, and I just can't bear to stand out in the hot sun for an hour and a half. I was really bummed. To justify it, I reminded myself how I make a statement every time that I'm in my car with the bumper sticker "She's a child, not a choice" on my back window. Hopefully I will be able to make it next year with my newly adopted baby! No, we don't have the baby yet, but by this time next year we should!

*25

2007-09-30T21:45:00.000-05:00

1. Does someone love you?

Too many to list.

2. What colour is your couch?

Green

3. Has anyone ever mistaken you for someone famous?

No, but people would tell me that I looked like Joan Osborne all the time in college.

4. Are you named after a grandparent?

No, but my Great Grandmother's middle name was Marie...which is my mom's and mine also.

5. Say you were given a drug test right now. Would you pass or fail?

I'd pass.

6. Are you taller than 5′6″?

No. I'm 5'5".

7. When was the last time you were disappointed?

This past weekend at the "Free Continental Breakfast" (heh) at the Ruebel Hotel in Grafton Illinois. What a freakin' joke!

8. Ever seen a dead body?

Yes, and EVEN some random body parts!

9. Who was the last person to send you a text message?

Meg

10. What did you do yesterday?

I was in Grafton, IL with a large group of friends. Oh, yeah....and my hubby went too!

11. What’s the first thing you would do with five million dollars?

Pay off all of my family and close friends debts and invest the rest.

12. What nationalit(ies) are you?

Entirely American but made up of German, Irish, Scottish & American Indian.

13. Any upcoming concerts you want to attend?

None that I can think of.

14. Who’s the last person that you felt was stalking you?

Sarah Butts is ALWAYS stalking me!

15. What’s your zodiac sign?

Gemini.

16. Where do you spend most of your money?

On bills.

17. On what do you spend most of your energy?

Wow, that's tough one. I dunno????

18. Is there a secret you’ve never told any of your friends?

No.

19. What are you doing in 2008?

Hopefully I'll be busy being a mom!

20. What’s your favourite Disney movie?

Either Cinderella (of course!) and/or Lady and the Tramp.

21. Have you cried today?

No, thank God!

23. What is your ringtone?

Something super gay that came with the phone.

24. What is the wallpaper on your mobile phone?

Again, something gay that came with the phone.

25. Name twenty five bloggers you read that you’d like to learn twenty five things about.

Whoa, I don't consistently read that many. So, NA. :)

I want a kid just like this one!

2007-08-29T23:06:00.000-05:00

Ryan Cabrera - True

Extreme - More Than Words

Has anyone seen (or tried) this stuff before?

2007-08-26T22:05:00.000-05:00

Click here.

Coolest bookshelf ever!

2007-08-26T21:56:00.001-05:00

So as not to be a thief, I must say that I "borrowed" this image from The Black Apple. This is a bookshelf!!! I want one. I need one. I must have it! The catch.....uh, it's $300. Ouch! Sooo, if anyone were to ever want to spoil me rotten with a "little" treat.....just hop on over here! :)

My hubby's 5 Languages of Love.

2007-08-25T09:19:00.000-05:00

I feel loved when...

The Five Love Languages

My Primary Love Languages are probably Acts of Service and Quality Time

My Detailed Results:
Acts of Service:	9
Quality Time:	9
Words of Affirmation:	7
Physical Touch:	4
Receiving Gifts:	1

About this quiz

Unhappiness in relationships is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. It can be helpful to know what language you speak and what language those around you speak.

Tag 3 people so they can find out what their love language is.

Take the Quiz!
Check out the Book

Our 3 Year Wedding Anniversary!

2007-08-24T22:17:00.000-05:00

John and I celebrated our 3rd Wedding Anniversary on Tuesday. Originally, I told him that I wanted to go out to eat because I didn't want to cook, but then decided it would be a lot more special if I just made dinner and we ate in. I had the table looking ALL nice with a tablecloth, candle and wine. Oh, and I pulled out the GOOD plate settings. Those are hand wash only so if THAT ain't love, I don't know what is!
Baybuh, I love you and thank you for being the wonderful husband that you are!

Okay, FINE Jeni....I'll blog!

2007-08-24T22:14:00.001-05:00

Dang, I know that lately I may have been just a wee bit lackadaisical with the blog , but come on! Don't be such a hater, Jeni! I'll try to do better, I PROMISE! Just don't write me off just yet. K?
I LOOOOOOVE YOU! :)

The Five Love Languages.

2007-08-24T21:41:00.001-05:00

I feel loved when...

The Five Love Languages

My Primary Love Language is Words of Affirmation

My Detailed Results:
Words of Affirmation:	12
Acts of Service:	6
Quality Time:	6
Physical Touch:	5
Receiving Gifts:	1

About this quiz

Unhappiness in relationships is often due to the fact that we speak different love languages. It can be helpful to know what language you speak and what language those around you speak.

Take the Quiz!
Check out the Book

Anorexia commercial....chilling.

2007-08-05T00:26:00.000-05:00

I just LOVE this!

2007-08-03T00:56:00.000-05:00

Robin....

2007-07-30T17:53:00.001-05:00

...who is leaving us. :(

Elissa, I can SOO feel the love!

2007-07-30T17:33:00.000-05:00

Euroma!

2007-07-30T17:31:00.001-05:00

Another post just for Jeni.

2007-07-30T17:28:00.001-05:00

Hi Jeni!

2007-07-30T17:25:00.001-05:00

I've got a new crush....

2007-07-20T23:10:00.000-05:00

...on baby Amos!

(click on the images to enlarge)

He's HERE!!!!!

2007-07-20T17:23:00.000-05:00

Amos has finally arrived! Here are his stats...

7-20-07
6:18am
7lbs 11oz
(I'm not sure how long he is)

He's absolutely gorgeous! He looks very much like his daddy
however, he has his mommas lips.
He is one sexy little beast!

Stay tuned...I'll have more pics very soon!

Oh, and btw, she did NOT have to have a c-section!
Breahna pushed through 5 contractions and he was out!

Amos is too comfy in there!

2007-07-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

Breahna has STILL not had her baby yet and is a week and a half overdue. She is in the hospital (again) as we speak, and this time she has put her foot down that she will not be leaving without a baby. I will keep you all posted. :)

Can't. Stop. Watching.....

2007-07-18T23:13:00.000-05:00

Say hello to Jeni's little friend.

2007-07-18T15:08:00.001-05:00

My good friend Jeni was dining at a favorite Mexican restaurant of all of ours and when she was half way thru her Chicken Nachos she found a lacucaracha! Eeek! Can you imagine? He was just chillin' in the cheese sauce. CRRRRISPY! :) In fact I think that is what we shall call him. Crispy. He was one of the good guys. He took one for the team. In memory of Crispy....

IC Mexican Night!

2007-07-11T11:27:00.001-05:00

Our gracious hosts for the evening.

Laura & Brian.

Man in stripper shoes....shall remain anonymous.
However, don't those legs look like they belong to that guy above?
Hmmmm.

My John Di Mondo.

Warning:
The following four pics are not for the faint of heart.

Brian.

Brian again. Doesn't he look kind of like a mexican rat?

(Brian, you DO know how much I love you, right?) :)

Ron.

Ron, the unibomber.
(There's nothing but love for you in my heart too, Ron!)

John & me.

Mexican rats sure do pick up hot chicks!

Deroan & Mark.

Ron & Laura (aka Carol.)

Elissa (my friend who buys me Tiffany jewelry!) & me.

Big news!

2007-07-05T15:07:00.000-05:00

Well, my little sister is in the hospital as I write this trying to have her labor induced. She has had the Cervidil over night and is now on Pitocin. At 9am this morning she was still 1cm dilated and her cervix was thinned out. I'm getting soo excited for baby Amos' arrival! Don't worry, I will post pics ASAP! This picture was taken of Nick and Breahna when they went to visit my brother Dalton in LA. She had just found out that she was pregnant a few weeks prior.

Happy 4th of July! (belated....oops!)

2007-07-05T15:01:00.000-05:00

Happy Canada Day!

2007-07-01T16:01:00.001-05:00

P. I. M. P.

2007-07-01T14:07:00.000-05:00

Can my brother rock the fu manchu or can he rock the fu manchu?!

Chicago Weekend Birthday Extravaganza!

2007-07-01T14:00:00.001-05:00

On June 9, John and I went up to Chicago for my 30th birthday. It was THE best birthday ever! The weather was absolutely perfect and we had soo much fun going to see Wicked and then dining at Geja's for a little fondue action. Mmmmm!

It's been too long....

2007-06-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

since I last wrote a substantial post! I've gotta level with everyone....I absolutely can't STAND having my blog privatized! I feel soo restricted in my tiny little blogging world. Oh, well. What can you do?
So, let's tawk a bit. What's on my mind this second is my angst of turning....dun, dun,
duuuun....30. Only 4 more days of being 29. So much happened in my 20's. I'm sure that it's the same for everyone else but it just freaks me out to be leaving that decade of my life and entering another one. I am trying to look at the positive things of turning 30.....

* Every woman that I talk to says that her 30's have been great, that she feels so comfortable in her own skin and just very content.

* This YEAR will more than likely be the year that I become a mother through adoption. Now THAT is exciting!

* I will be at the beginning of a decade and not at the end. I've got 10 more years until I freak out about 40!

Okay, enough of that. My sister is almost due to have her baby, Amos. I can't wait! His due date is July 9th, exactly one month after my birthday. Coincidentally my brother's due date was July 9th as well however, he was born on June 23. So, my sister is convinced that Amos will probably follow in his uncle's footsteps. :) We'll just have to wait and see!

Has anyone else tried the spray tan at the tanning salon? My sister and I went twice. I really liked the color the first time that I went, it looked very natural. Not soo much on my feet and wrists but DANG my legs looked great! It was surprisingly even as well! However, when it starts fading.....watch out. Not such a hot look. It was really splotchy. I looked like I had vitiligo. I'll probably try it again though.

Okay, that's quite enough for now. Until the next post....toodles!

Only 5 more days...

2007-06-04T23:02:00.000-05:00

Until I'm

See what happens Larry?

2007-05-24T21:14:00.000-05:00

Ode to my Rosacea.

2007-05-23T15:56:00.000-05:00

All of these images were found at AussiePatches. She is soo talented and her images definitely hold a special place in my heart. :)

I mean, just because my face is perpetually red, doesn't mean that I need sunscreen.

2007-05-20T11:36:00.000-05:00

I went with my sister to her prenatal visit this past week. As we walked back to the exam room, a nurse in the hallway caught a glimpse of me. Immediately her eyes got really big. She had just taken a bite of something so her mouth was full as she tried to get my attention. I'm thinking to myself 'Do I know her? How do I know her?' Finally, she blurts out "Sunscreen! You need to be using sunscreen!" I then looked at her with a rather annoyed look on my face and flatly said "It's Rosacea. But thanks." How lucky was I to receive this free medical advice from such an outstanding medical professional. I wonder how many other precious gems of insults, I mean information her little mind holds.

Happy Birthday Jeni!

2007-05-19T23:10:00.000-05:00

Jeni, I'm soo sorry that I couldn't be with you and the rest of the IC for your birthday! :( Remember that I've got a saweet gift awaiting your arrival and Elissa had better not have tried to show me up. That TAB is forEVER trying to one up me! Have a fun and safe trip back home!

How well do you know me?

2007-04-28T12:51:00.000-05:00

Create your own Friend Test here

Meme of Threes.

2007-04-15T22:12:00.000-05:00

I found this meme over at Valerie's and since I'm such a sucker for them, I had to do one too!

Three Things That Scare Me:
1. Spiders
2. Spider crickets
3. Centipedes

Three People Who Make Me Laugh:
1. Sarah's husband Tom
2. Jeni P.
3. Shannon C.

Three Things I Love:
1. Starbucks Venti Decaf Caramel Macchiato
2. Mascara
3. Patchouli

Three Things I Hate:
1. bugs
2. mean people
3. being disorganized

Three Things I Don’t Understand:
1. people who say they "hate" animals
2. how people will use their religion as an excuse to do bad things
3. how people can say that EVERYONE who does not share their religious beliefs is going to hell

Three Things On My Desk:
1. my cat
2. water bottle
3. Breahna's baby shower invitations

Three Things I’m Doing Right Now:
1. listening to The Cure
2. itching my eyes
3. getting tired

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die:
1. get organized
2. lose 100 lbs.
3. have children

Three Things I Can Do:
1. play the piano
2. sleep absolutely anywhere
3. knit

Three Things I Can’t Do:
1. fake like I like someone when I don't
2. walk in really high heels
3. go without a bra :)

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To:
1. the birds really early in the morning....I absolutely love that, but it usually means that you've been out really late and aren't getting to bed until around 4 in the morning
2. nice things that people say about you
3. that good angel on your shoulder

Three Things You Should Never Listen To:
1. people who put you down
2. ?
3. ?

Three Things I’d Like To Learn:
1. to become ambidextrous
2. to be a contortionist
3. calligraphy

Three Favorite Foods:
1. Chicken Pad Thai
2. Chicken Tikka Masala
3. Bruschetta

Three Shows I Watched As A Kid:
1. Just The 10 of Us
2. Growing Pains
3. This Old House

Three Things I Regret:
1. Not sticking to my diet after I met John and then letting myself go.
2. ?
3. ? -I don't really regret too much. :)

To be an authorized viewer....

2007-04-15T16:53:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that if you want to be added to my list of The Coolest People Ever....I mean to my authorized viewer list...please email me. I must have your email address. Thanks! :)

Happy Birthday Giovanni!!!

2007-04-15T16:42:00.000-05:00

Today is my wonderful hubby's 39th birthday! He doesn't look it does he? Such a young lookin' lad!

Where we are now.

2007-04-14T23:30:00.000-05:00

Sorry that I've been soo lackadaisical about my blog lately. Ever since my trip to California I feel that my life has been going about 100mph!!! So, I'm here now to catch everyone up to speed.

First of all, California...I wish that I could give everyone the details as to why I was out there but I have been specifically instructed to not talk about it on my blog. Hmph! So, just know that my brother is back home and doing a little bit better now with the love and support of his family and friends.

John and I have put IVF on hold and are VERY actively involved in the adoption process now. I have an INCREDIBLE new found friend, Julie, who is being our mentor. It's amazing how far we (John & myself) have come in only 2 weeks! (With Julie's enormous amount of help of course!) We have officially chosen an adoption agency and are fervently working on our adoption profile and getting ready to begin our homestudy. There is soo much that is involved but we are really excited about this new journey!

Still No Refunds (JWA) is coming up the first weekend in May and we still have alot of work to do! I am in charge of the sets. Whoa. Dang. Needless to say, this has been taking alot of my time as of lately as well. It's really going to be an awesome show so if you aren't doing anything May 4th, 5th, or 6th....come and check it out!

My sister's baby boy, Amos, is due July 9 and she is looking soo darn cute! Her belly is getting really big now...I love it! I'm trying to plan her baby shower for next month....tick, tick, tick...I've got to really get on it!

So, that pretty much wraps up the insanity in my life right now. Oh, btw....once we have our adoption profile out there, I am going to have to temporarily take my blog off from pubilc viewing. :( It will be privatized. So, if you would like to remain in contact with my everyday ramblings, (well not everyday because I've been a lazy blogger lately) please let me know and I'll add you as an authorized viewer. :)

Peace out my homies!

Hahahahahahahahahaha!!!!

2007-04-13T22:24:00.000-05:00

Funniest thing I've seen in a LONG time!

Okay, just to keep it real...

2007-04-08T23:22:00.000-05:00

...that last picture was a VERY touched up Tammy Faye.

I just LOVE Tammy Faye!!!!

2007-04-08T23:13:00.000-05:00

If there were only one item of makeup that I could own....it would most definitely be mascara. I LOVE MASCARA! The only person that I know without a doubt loves it more than me is DEFINITELY Tammy Faye! You've gotta give the girl props...she was NOT afraid to rock it out!

Alanis Morissette "My Humps" Video.

2007-04-06T11:44:00.000-05:00

This is CLASSIC!!!!

LA bookstores....we have a problem.

2007-03-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

I understand fully that you have a bit of a homeless problem in LA and that you don't want to have public restrooms just freely open to anyone, however....when you don't have ANY for your PAYING customers, there's a problem. I don't think that it is physically possible for me to go into a library/bookstore and NOT have to use the bathroom. Something about the whole quiet thing, maybe it makes me nervous or something. :) So, just a little FYI for the bookstores in LA....I can spend hour upon endless painful hour (according to my husband) in a bookstore and 9 times out of 10 I will make a rather substantial purchase. But, if you don't/can't provide me with a bathroom, forget about it.

Over here on the left side.

2007-03-21T19:53:00.000-05:00

Sorry that my blog has been majorly lacking posts as of lately. I'm out in LA to be with my brother during a very difficult time. I should be back home next week.
In the meantime, here is a list that I found over at Valerie's blog that I thought might be kinda fun to do.

Take the list below, paste it into your own blog, and mark them as follows:
READ for those you’ve read;
WANT TO next to those you are interested in;
AGAIN & AGAIN next to those you’ve read and loved, over and over;
REPEAT for those you’ve read more than once, without necessarily loving them;
MEH for stuff you read and weren’t impressed by;
STARTED for those that just never got finished;
and leave blank those you don’t care to read.

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) READ
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen) WANT TO
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee) READ
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) WANT TO
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery) WANT TO
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger) READ
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold) READ
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis) READ
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) READ
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho) READ
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom) READ
45. The Bible
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt) READ
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough) WANT TO
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrey Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolsoy) WANT TO
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo)
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez)
73. Shogun (James Clavell)
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. Tigana (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith) WANT TO
78. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White) WANT TO
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck) WANT TO
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd) WANT TO
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)

I didn't do soo hot. I'm gonna have to come up with my OWN list. Stay tuned....

One year ago today.

2007-03-12T22:36:00.000-05:00

One year ago today I had emergency surgery to remove my right ovary and a dermoid cyst. I've had numerous ultrasounds since and finally last Tuesday they discovered that the cyst that was on my left ovary is gone! Perhaps IVF will soon be on the way? I hope!

Self Portrait Challenge.

2007-03-08T12:48:00.000-06:00

Valerie, I hope that it's still not too late to participate!!!! BTW, thanks for making up my composite!

Reason #137 why I will not be homeschooling my children.

2007-03-06T23:18:00.000-06:00

Last week John and I were watching that new show "Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader?" and here was my answer to the following question:

Name the ship the pilgrims sailed from Plymouth, England to the Plymouth colony in America in 1620.

The Santa, Anna and the Sacajawea.

Okay, OKAY! I was sort of joking around with the Sacajawea part....but I did figure it out.....

It was the Nina, Pinta and the Santa Maria.

Gooooooooo me!

Happy 22nd Birthday Breahna!

2007-03-04T18:49:00.000-06:00

Around 23 years ago, Mom and Dad sat Dalton and myself down to ask us if we would like a little brother or sister. Are you kidding me? Of COURSE we did! From that moment on, our nightly dinner prayers would consist of a small shout out to God to let us have a little sibling. Then, when the news was announced that you were indeed on the way, the nightly dinner prayers changed from the offense to the defense. Dalton and I would almost FIGHT over who's turn it was so that we could put our two cents in about which sex we wanted you to be. I think that our mentality was, whoever could get the most prayers in would win. So, if that was the case....I most DEFINITELY won! I got my little sister 22 years ago on this day. I was soo proud. I remember taking you into my 2nd grade classroom for show and tell. Even back in the day, you were a pretty big deal. :) As the years went by, yeah, you were kind of a nuisance. That was pretty much your job.....you would have received an A+! All of the bust outs that you inflicted upon the me and being the ultimate taddle tale that you were....Dalton and I quickly figured out that you were NOT an easy bribe! Somewhere along the way, I started to see you more as a friend and the ULTIMATE confidant. I KNOW that my secrets are best kept with you! You are by far my very best friend and I'm soo honored to be your sister. I love you little beezy with all of my heart! Happy 22nd Birthday little gee!
Sorry, I just had to put ONE flash back pic!

Cerella & Breahna's Christmas Video!

2007-02-26T15:47:00.000-06:00

My sister and I were messing around at Lowe's this past Christmas and made this little video. :)

I KNOW that I shouldn't laugh, but......

2007-02-26T13:26:00.001-06:00

The 2007 Oscars.

2007-02-26T00:48:00.000-06:00

Ellen DeGeneres....was amazing and funny (as always!)

Philip Seymour Hoffman.....What was UP with the mop on his head? Dude's hair was atrocious!

Al Gore.....in my husband's words "Was this was the Al Gore awards night or what?!" Could he have had ANYmore props from everyone?

Jennifer Hudson....I almost cried when she got her Oscar, what a moment!

I kid you not!

2007-02-25T01:03:00.000-06:00

I was sitting at my kitchen table the other day sorting through mail and writing out bills when all of a sudden the door to our liquor cabinet mysteriously opened! I JUST so happened to have my camera right next to me so I took this pic of it. CREEPY!!! I guess that our friendly ghost was needing a little afternoon cocktail!

2007-02-24T01:54:00.000-06:00

"I feel that the greatest destroyer of peace today is abortion, because it is a war against the child, a direct killing of the innocent child, murder by the mother herself."

"And if we can accept that a mother can kill her own child, how can we tell other people not to kill one another?"

"By abortion the Mother does not learn to love, but kills her own child to solve her problems. And, by abortion, that father is told that he does not have to take any responsibilty at all for the child he has brought into the world. The father is likely to put other women to the same trouble. So abortion leads to more abortion."

"Any country that accepts abortion is not teaching its people to love, but to use violence to get what they want. That is why the greatest destroyer of love and peace is abortion"

"Any country that accepts abortion is the poorest of the poor"

"Many people are concerned with children of India, with the children of Africa where quite a few die of hunger, and so on. Many people are also concerned about the violence in this great country of the United States. These concerns are very good. But often these same people are not concerned with the millions being killed by the deliberate decision of their own mothers. And this is the greatest destroyer of peace today- abortion which brings people to such blindness."

"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you live as you wish"

2007-02-24T01:51:00.001-06:00

The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.
-Thomas Jefferson

2007-02-24T01:49:00.000-06:00

Washing one's hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless means to side with the powerful, not to be neutral.
-Paulo Freire

Truth.

2007-02-24T01:33:00.000-06:00

Pro-Life

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HIGH-larious!

2007-02-23T16:30:00.000-06:00

Red Carpet Events and fleeing the paparazzi....it's all in a day's work of a BFD (Big Freakin' Deal.)

2007-02-23T13:33:00.000-06:00

In case anyone was worried about me from my last post, rest assured, Jeni did see my final cry of desperation and was more than happy to be my date for the night. Whew, that was definitely a close one....too close. However, we did have a great time. The movie was very thought provoking and quite the tear jerker....not soo cool when you've got an EXTREME amount of mascara and eyeliner on! Anyway, to my disbelief I wake up this morning to phone calls and emails telling me that I made the big time.....I was in the paper! Now, I must tell you that I know exactly why I'm making that face in the photo. Notice the cheeseball in my hand (how can you miss it and why oh why dear Lord does my very first photo op in the paper have to be of me eating a cheeseball?!) I was discussing with my friend Laura what in the world was the very overpowering spice in the cheeseball. (I'm convinced it was sage.) No more cheeseballs were consumed by us after this photo was taken. In case by this point you still haven't been able to spot me, I'm in the bottom right hand corner.....you see it/me now don't ya!? Oh, that darn cheeseball. Laura has the reddish hair and Jeni has the blond hair and is kind of looking over at me. As Jeni informed me, this COULD in fact lead to guest appearances and photohounds following our every move. I'm tellin' ya, it's really not that easy when you're kind of a big deal.

JENI where are you?????

2007-02-22T15:51:00.000-06:00

I need a date for tonight's Red Carpet Movie Premiere and since I can't get ahold of you by phone...I figured that this would be the only way! CALL ME!!!!

I think it's safe to assume that I will NEVER be homeschooling our children!

2007-02-20T22:08:00.000-06:00

John: Oh, I just remembered...I have to NOT eat meat tomorrow.

Cerella: What's tomorrow? Good Friday?

John: (Giving me THAT look) Uh, tomorrow is Ash Wednesday....

Cerella: (Feelin' kinda stupid) Oh...yeah. Tomorrow IS Wednesday. (Duh!)

John: I guess that I'll go ahead and give up Chocolate again too.

Cerella: What for? When is Lent?

John: Ash Wednesday is the START of Lent. Man, those classes sure did pay off! (Laughing and shaking his head in disbelief AND I'm sure that he's hoping that our children will receive HIS intelligence genes and not mine!)

Why are people such haters?

2007-02-20T18:19:00.000-06:00

Check out this post on perezhilton's blog and look at the comments. I wrote that I was the 1st person to leave a message on his blog (which is nearly impossible to do) and some yayhoo (bl231 or something like that) wrote that I was retard! I mean....the nerve! :)
They were such a coward that they didn't even have the guts to leave a link to themselves. Puh-leez.

Do YOU know The Secret?

2007-02-19T21:50:00.000-06:00

The Secret was discussed on the Oprah show last week and I was in awe. I have never watched an Oprah show soo intently...I mean, I was actually taking notes! The next day John and I went to Bloomington and hit up Barnes & Noble. I bought EVERYTHING! The book, the DVD and the audio book! They had to special order the DVD, so I'm still very anxiously awaiting it's arrival. I'm almost done with the book. The Secret is all about the Law of Attraction. Here are some of the notes that I jotted down from the show.

-Energy flows where attention goes.
-What you put out there is an order of what is to come back to you.
-I need to teach people how to treat me. I can't expect people to treat me better than I treat myself. It's unreal and unfair.
-I'm the first example of how the world is supposed to love me.
-If there is a difficult person or situation that comes into our life, we need to ask ourselves "Okay, what are you here to teach me?"
-TRUE FORGIVENESS IS BEING ABLE TO SAY "THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THAT EXPERIENCE."
-Nothing new can come into your life without being thankful for what you already have.
-What you focus on expands.
-Unforgiveness is a form of self abuse.

There were a few others but I think that I'll stop right there. If you can only afford to get one of these products, get the movie. Share it with everyone that you can. Even children. I'm sure that you will find it just as inspiring as I did.

Disclosure Policy.

2007-02-19T11:51:00.000-06:00

This policy is valid from 19 February 2007

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog does not accept any form of advertising, sponsorship, or paid insertions. We write for our own purposes. However, we may be influenced by our background, occupation, religion, political affiliation or experience.

The owner(s) of this blog will never receive compensation in any way from this blog.

The owner(s) of this blog is not compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the blog owners. If we claim or appear to be experts on a certain topic or product or service area, we will only endorse products or services that we believe, based on our expertise, are worthy of such endorsement. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer or provider.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

To get your own policy, go to disclosurepolicy.org

Thanksgiving 2006.

2007-02-18T16:49:00.000-06:00

Sorry that this is such a belated post! This past Thanksgiving we stayed with some great friends of ours...Neeraj, Jeanie & Raj. We had an INCREDIBLE meal and Jeanie always had our glasses filled with the BEST champagne! Mmmmmmm!

Like father, like son.

Raj could not...

get enough...

of that scrumptuos...

bone!

(Doesn't this last picture look like he's saying "Whatchyou talkin' about Willis!?") Too funny!

How cute is Miss Meg!

2007-02-18T16:36:00.000-06:00

I had the pleasure of taking some fun pictures of Meg and Cale before they set out for their Winter Ball.

Britney Spears shaved her head!!!

2007-02-17T10:24:00.000-06:00

What is going on with this girl? If you'd like to see pictures and read more on Britney's new 'do'....go here.

Is ANYTHING safe anymore?

2007-02-15T20:28:00.000-06:00

Nalgene Water Bottles. They are the new culprit. I'm pretty upset by this because I drink alot of water and MUST carry bottled water with me at ALL times. The beautiful assortment of colorful Nalgene water bottles that I ONCE owned, are now lying in a grave in a local landfill. You need to read this article and this article if you use and reuse plastic containers.

Oh F, now we have to get new locks!

2007-02-15T01:36:00.001-06:00

Kinda lovin' my new cell phone!

2007-02-15T01:04:00.000-06:00

John and I just got new cell phones. Since we didn't go with the standard, very basic phones, we decided that these would be our Valentine's Day gifts to each other. You can't beat that! Hey Jeni, now I am REALLY feelin' like I'm kind of a big deal!

This is cool!

2007-02-14T18:24:00.001-06:00

To John, the love of my life!

2007-02-14T15:48:00.000-06:00

*click on the images to enlarge*

John & I are at a retreat at Allerton Park for his residency program.

John and I were going over to Adrienne's house.....the next day he had to do some MAJOR babysitting if you know what I mean?

We are at my Aunt Janet's house for Christgiving (Christmas + Thanksgiving.)

This is Easter over at my parents house.

John's family threw us an engagement party at his parents house up in Canada. Oh, Canada!

We had just finished a little snow ball fight outside of John's apartment.

John, thank you for being the best husband, best friend, best EVERYTHING that I could ask for! I love you soo much! Happy Valentine's Day!

So pathetic it's cute!

2007-02-14T15:02:00.000-06:00

(Disclaimer: Pay no attention to my disheveled home.)

I was in the kitchen for awhile and when I walked in to see what Russell was doing, the poor little guy was just staring at the window (with the curtains closed!) How pitiful is that? He usually sits there and stares out the window during the day but I forgot to open the curtains.....yet he still stares. So simple and misunderstood.

Winnnnnter Wonnnderland!

2007-02-14T14:57:00.000-06:00

A message to Capital One.

2007-02-14T12:34:00.001-06:00

What I'm now reading.

2007-02-14T12:18:00.000-06:00

I will admit it....I'm a huge Nicole Richie fan. So when I saw this book I just HAD to buy it! So far, it's pretty entertaining!

Genius!!!

2007-02-14T12:03:00.000-06:00

My sister and I write songs like this ALL of the time! Our life is like a musical! :)