Today is the last day of the Shabby Apple $50 gift card giveaway!
Did you enter?
Why not? If you hate cute clothes and jewelry, you could give the gift card to me. Because I'm serious about wanting that dress.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Socks and Slippers
Big Kid is a cat guy.
Our cat Pearl loves him, climbing the bunk bed ladder every single night to sit with him and purr while he reads. On the rare occasion he is sent to time-out, she goes with him. Each morning when we snuggle in bed, she lies on his chest and purrs.
He's asked if he can take her to college and since I cannot bring up the fact that she is very unlikely to be around then, I have agreed that if his housing situation allows it, he can. He often talks of their life in college together.
He also talks about his first cat that he will get as an adult--how he would never declaw it, how he will build an outdoor cat run, how he will feed it the best food, and get it when it is a little tiny baby after asking the person in charge of cat adoptions which kitten is snuggliest.
But recently he came across a photo of Bill Clinton's cat Socks and decided Socks was the coolest cat ever. He thinks the name Socks is the cutest thing in the world (but almost died of a laughter-induced heart attack to hear that a stray that hung around at the same time was called Slippers) and regardless of what it looks like, insists his future cat will be named Socks.
So, Clinton's cat comes up in our home a lot, oddly enough. During his Socks the cat research, he heard a derogatory song about Socks and was freaking pissed about it.
"TURN IT OFF!! Socks wouldn't WANT to be free! Socks lived a very nice life, doing cool things. If you're going to write a song about someone's cat, it shouldn't be a depressing song!!" He insisted.
I had to eventually point out that Socks the cat was more famous than the guy who was lame enough to sing a song insulting a cat. He agreed, with vehemence. Don't get him started on that guy, though.
He also went from thinking Bill Clinton was the most creative, most awesome guy in the world (seriously--the name "Socks" is some genius-level shit in Big Kid's opinion) to being disgusted at the news that he left Socks with his former secretary when he got Buddy, as the two were unable to get along. I pointed out that at that point Socks was a celebrity and the cat version of a humanitarian--visiting children's hospitals, going to press conferences, and could probably never be happy again in Arkansas after the glitz and glamour of the White House. A dumb dog wouldn't know how good he's got it. He reluctantly agreed...but he wouldn't have left his cat. Big Kid's reasons for being suspect of Bill's loyalty are different than the rest of the world's.
Socks has inspired a fascination with other presidential pets, and he's in the process of making a list of animals that have lived at the White House. He is up to the original George Bush. So far, the only pet halfway as cool as Socks was Andrew Jackson's parrot, who apparently cursed so rudely and often that it had to be removed from Jackson's funeral. It is his other favorite, but hasn't inspired the want of a parrot or anything. Thank goodness.
I love cats. I'm glad my boy loves cats. I'm glad he's young enough that this is what occupies his mind and time--but I'm also slightly concerned about all of the brain power dedicated to presidential pets. Everyone thinks it must be so fascinating to have a child with such a high IQ. Sometimes it is...but sometimes you're stuck talking a lot about historically significant cats.
Our cat Pearl loves him, climbing the bunk bed ladder every single night to sit with him and purr while he reads. On the rare occasion he is sent to time-out, she goes with him. Each morning when we snuggle in bed, she lies on his chest and purrs.
He's asked if he can take her to college and since I cannot bring up the fact that she is very unlikely to be around then, I have agreed that if his housing situation allows it, he can. He often talks of their life in college together.
He also talks about his first cat that he will get as an adult--how he would never declaw it, how he will build an outdoor cat run, how he will feed it the best food, and get it when it is a little tiny baby after asking the person in charge of cat adoptions which kitten is snuggliest.
But recently he came across a photo of Bill Clinton's cat Socks and decided Socks was the coolest cat ever. He thinks the name Socks is the cutest thing in the world (but almost died of a laughter-induced heart attack to hear that a stray that hung around at the same time was called Slippers) and regardless of what it looks like, insists his future cat will be named Socks.
 |
| The exact photo that started it all. Socks is pretty bad ass, I will admit that. |
So, Clinton's cat comes up in our home a lot, oddly enough. During his Socks the cat research, he heard a derogatory song about Socks and was freaking pissed about it.
"TURN IT OFF!! Socks wouldn't WANT to be free! Socks lived a very nice life, doing cool things. If you're going to write a song about someone's cat, it shouldn't be a depressing song!!" He insisted.
I had to eventually point out that Socks the cat was more famous than the guy who was lame enough to sing a song insulting a cat. He agreed, with vehemence. Don't get him started on that guy, though.
He also went from thinking Bill Clinton was the most creative, most awesome guy in the world (seriously--the name "Socks" is some genius-level shit in Big Kid's opinion) to being disgusted at the news that he left Socks with his former secretary when he got Buddy, as the two were unable to get along. I pointed out that at that point Socks was a celebrity and the cat version of a humanitarian--visiting children's hospitals, going to press conferences, and could probably never be happy again in Arkansas after the glitz and glamour of the White House. A dumb dog wouldn't know how good he's got it. He reluctantly agreed...but he wouldn't have left his cat. Big Kid's reasons for being suspect of Bill's loyalty are different than the rest of the world's.
Socks has inspired a fascination with other presidential pets, and he's in the process of making a list of animals that have lived at the White House. He is up to the original George Bush. So far, the only pet halfway as cool as Socks was Andrew Jackson's parrot, who apparently cursed so rudely and often that it had to be removed from Jackson's funeral. It is his other favorite, but hasn't inspired the want of a parrot or anything. Thank goodness.
I love cats. I'm glad my boy loves cats. I'm glad he's young enough that this is what occupies his mind and time--but I'm also slightly concerned about all of the brain power dedicated to presidential pets. Everyone thinks it must be so fascinating to have a child with such a high IQ. Sometimes it is...but sometimes you're stuck talking a lot about historically significant cats.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Spam A Lot
I told you that I get a ton of spam comments but I didn't get a chance to elaborate. I've been saving screen shots of my favorites for a while now, but this one pushed me over the edge into having to share:
"I'm mad and that's a fact I found out animals don't help Animals think they're pretty smart Shit on the ground, see in the dark" (link erased because I'll be damned if I give these people the publicity they are looking for)
That is what I deal with all day long. Some are more poetic than others; one was especially talented at throwing together the most beautiful words in the English language into one completely ridiculous, nonsensical sentence, and I really regret not saving those. Most of them were in reference to Loboutin shoes and they were accidental poetry but they have long since moved on to greener pastures where their comments might actually get published. But here are some others, click to enlarge:
Please note my favorite from this list: She allegedly managed to flight from the fleshlight. The fleshlight is fiddling in clean up position to do it but it was no way to the mind, inhibiting adrenergic fountain from the bag approximately the globe. Fleshlight the fleshlight is as just as how he plant them sexually explicit pics of her kitty-cat I was pretty a good deal nix movies, looks can lead astray. You're departure to be the Hither today so he doesn't own a theme song fleshlight :)
What in the actual hell? Do I want to know?
Probably not.
But THAT is why your comments are moderated, my friends.
"I'm mad and that's a fact I found out animals don't help Animals think they're pretty smart Shit on the ground, see in the dark" (link erased because I'll be damned if I give these people the publicity they are looking for)
That is what I deal with all day long. Some are more poetic than others; one was especially talented at throwing together the most beautiful words in the English language into one completely ridiculous, nonsensical sentence, and I really regret not saving those. Most of them were in reference to Loboutin shoes and they were accidental poetry but they have long since moved on to greener pastures where their comments might actually get published. But here are some others, click to enlarge:
Please note my favorite from this list: She allegedly managed to flight from the fleshlight. The fleshlight is fiddling in clean up position to do it but it was no way to the mind, inhibiting adrenergic fountain from the bag approximately the globe. Fleshlight the fleshlight is as just as how he plant them sexually explicit pics of her kitty-cat I was pretty a good deal nix movies, looks can lead astray. You're departure to be the Hither today so he doesn't own a theme song fleshlight :)
What in the actual hell? Do I want to know?
Probably not.
But THAT is why your comments are moderated, my friends.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
The Wall
First thing this morning, little kid hopped in bed to snuggle with me while I was still sleeping and since his eyes were open, of course his mouth was moving:
"What if the British knocked out one or two blocks from the Great Wall of China--would it fall?"
"No", I answered, mostly still asleep.
"It might."
"No."
"What would they do it with? Swords? They couldn't do that."
"No, they couldn't. They wouldn't, either," I added, draping my arm over my face.
"Yeah, because they know they couldn't get through that wall. What if they had cannon balls? Mom, do the British have cannon balls? Could a cannon ball go through the wall?"
"I don't know, babe. I really don't. I'm super tired."
"Yes, but do the British have cannonballs?"
"Yes, they do, hon. They have no interest in going to war with China, though."
"Because they know they couldn't get through that wall."
"They could get through the wall, little kid. They have bombs and stuff now."
"The British?!? Have bombs?!? Do they have tanks and stuff?"
"Yes."
"Wow! Hmmm. So they could get through that wall, I guess. Could a tank get through that wall?"
"It wouldn't want to, little kid! The British aren't going to war with anyone--they couldn't care less about China or its wall."
"Probably because they know they can't get through there--it's like a huge wall."
"Right." I agreed out of frustration.
"Mom?"
"Yes?" I answered, my patience wearing thin.
"You are so beautiful that you couldn't even be sketched."
"Thank you, honey."
"Maybe you could be sketched by a robot but it would have to be a super good artist robot."
"Right."
"Maybe it would need to have a finger that traced your face--I don't know, maybe the finger would need to be a scanner or something? It would be hard to get right. Hey, are there buildings in China? And how do we know the British don't want to start wars with anyone anymore?"
"A lot, and I really don't know. The British have chilled a lot in the last 200 years or so."
"That's good because they could never get through that wall anyway, don't you think?"
"I don't know, little kid. Maybe not."
"I can't believe the British have bombs now."
"Yeah, me neither."
"You are beautiful though."
"Thanks."
And that's a pretty typical start to my morning.
But watch out, England, little hasn't quite forgiven you for your participation in the Revolutionary War yet.
"What if the British knocked out one or two blocks from the Great Wall of China--would it fall?"
"No", I answered, mostly still asleep.
"It might."
"No."
"What would they do it with? Swords? They couldn't do that."
"No, they couldn't. They wouldn't, either," I added, draping my arm over my face.
"Yeah, because they know they couldn't get through that wall. What if they had cannon balls? Mom, do the British have cannon balls? Could a cannon ball go through the wall?"
"I don't know, babe. I really don't. I'm super tired."
"Yes, but do the British have cannonballs?"
"Yes, they do, hon. They have no interest in going to war with China, though."
"Because they know they couldn't get through that wall."
"They could get through the wall, little kid. They have bombs and stuff now."
"The British?!? Have bombs?!? Do they have tanks and stuff?"
"Yes."
"Wow! Hmmm. So they could get through that wall, I guess. Could a tank get through that wall?"
"It wouldn't want to, little kid! The British aren't going to war with anyone--they couldn't care less about China or its wall."
"Probably because they know they can't get through there--it's like a huge wall."
"Right." I agreed out of frustration.
"Mom?"
"Yes?" I answered, my patience wearing thin.
"You are so beautiful that you couldn't even be sketched."
"Thank you, honey."
"Maybe you could be sketched by a robot but it would have to be a super good artist robot."
"Right."
"Maybe it would need to have a finger that traced your face--I don't know, maybe the finger would need to be a scanner or something? It would be hard to get right. Hey, are there buildings in China? And how do we know the British don't want to start wars with anyone anymore?"
"A lot, and I really don't know. The British have chilled a lot in the last 200 years or so."
"That's good because they could never get through that wall anyway, don't you think?"
"I don't know, little kid. Maybe not."
"I can't believe the British have bombs now."
"Yeah, me neither."
"You are beautiful though."
"Thanks."
And that's a pretty typical start to my morning.
But watch out, England, little hasn't quite forgiven you for your participation in the Revolutionary War yet.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Favorite Things: Shabby Apple Gift Card Giveaway
So I sat down an hour ago to put together a quick post for a giveaway from an online boutique called Shabby Apple. Then I ended up looking at every single item on their site, including the maternity stuff for which I will never have a need for, because I got completely sucked in. I love the style of their stuff but I also Love (with a capital L) their photography and overall style. So cute and cool! I'm extra excited for one of you now, and I have 7 tabs of things I want open right now.
My very favorite is this pin-up style dress. We have an out-of-state summer wedding to attend and I'm thinking about getting this or this similarly retro pencil skirt to wear for the rehearsal dinner. The decision will come down to how dedicated I stay to this whole yoga thing over the next 8 weeks. It's nice that Shabby Apple offers free returns.
or 
I really like clothes that enable me to pretend I'm on the set of Mad Men. I don't have a lot of opportunities to wear anything glamorous like the vintage-styled stuff at Shabby Apple, so when I do, I'm getting a new dress, dammit. I should probably just make sure I go to yoga and then reward myself with the dress. Or I could just get a cardigan too and not even worry about my arms. That's a thought. It's always good to have a backup plan.
I also like this vintage looking lace top.
And this silver shamrock necklace.
Okey doke, now that we've got some of my birthday wishlist out of the way and summer fashion plans out of the way, we can get down to business.
Shabby Apple is going to give one of you a $50 gift card and all of us get a 10% off code! I can't wait to use it!
The Shabby Apple coupon code is ashleyqf10off. Follow the rafflecopter instructions below to enter for the gift card giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
You must have a US mailing address to win. After liking Shabby Apple's Facebook page, use the link below to find a dress you like for the comments portion of the giveaway and then tell us which is your favorite. You must do both to be eligible to win!
My very favorite is this pin-up style dress. We have an out-of-state summer wedding to attend and I'm thinking about getting this or this similarly retro pencil skirt to wear for the rehearsal dinner. The decision will come down to how dedicated I stay to this whole yoga thing over the next 8 weeks. It's nice that Shabby Apple offers free returns.
or I really like clothes that enable me to pretend I'm on the set of Mad Men. I don't have a lot of opportunities to wear anything glamorous like the vintage-styled stuff at Shabby Apple, so when I do, I'm getting a new dress, dammit. I should probably just make sure I go to yoga and then reward myself with the dress. Or I could just get a cardigan too and not even worry about my arms. That's a thought. It's always good to have a backup plan.
I also like this vintage looking lace top.
And this silver shamrock necklace.
Okey doke, now that we've got some of my birthday wishlist out of the way and summer fashion plans out of the way, we can get down to business.
Shabby Apple is going to give one of you a $50 gift card and all of us get a 10% off code! I can't wait to use it!
The Shabby Apple coupon code is ashleyqf10off. Follow the rafflecopter instructions below to enter for the gift card giveaway:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
You must have a US mailing address to win. After liking Shabby Apple's Facebook page, use the link below to find a dress you like for the comments portion of the giveaway and then tell us which is your favorite. You must do both to be eligible to win!
“Shabby Apple is an online dress boutique that specializes in vintage and retro dresses. Click Here: vintage dresses to see our selection!”
(I have to moderate comments for spam reasons--so don't panic if you don't see yours right away. It will be there. You can also comment anonymously and just leave your first name and initial along with your comment so I can match it up with your entry.)
(I have to moderate comments for spam reasons--so don't panic if you don't see yours right away. It will be there. You can also comment anonymously and just leave your first name and initial along with your comment so I can match it up with your entry.)
Monday, April 1, 2013
What If
"What if you had a pet crow and you covered it in shaving cream and shaved it bald, then dressed it in a tuxedo and gave it a glass of wine and a top hat?" little kid asked.
"That would be amazing," I answered honestly.
"That would be amazing," I answered honestly.
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