Ren Fest 2010

One of my favorite times of year is the annual Renaissance Festival here in South Florida. My girls and I go every year...and we always have a marvelous time. They have a fantastic Patch Program that allows the girls to get in for free and earn a patch by completing certain projects and talking to the different characters portrayed at the Faire. We learn a lot, it's always different, and there is plenty to see and do.

This year, some of my girls even dressed up. Next year...I am totally dressing up, too...I promise!!



Look at these shoes!! In Renaissance Venice...it was fashionable for woman to be very tall...taller than men even...so they wore these ridiculously high shoes. All I can say is...more power to them...

We NEVER miss the joust...this year we were cheering for Spain!!! The girls liked his long hair...although I preferred the English knights horse...

It's Robin Hood!! What kind of Festival would be complete without Robin and his Merry Men?

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We saw parades and shows, witnessed displays of black muskets, cannons, and the dreaded trebuchet, and of course, shopped our hearts out for fairy dust, elf ears, fox tails, wooden swords, and sparkly dragon claws.

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And during all that, we earned our patch!!

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I'm such a closet nerd...I just LOVE the Festival. I'm so glad I'm a Girl Scout Troop Leader so I can indulge in my kookiness under the guise that I'm doing it for the educational benefits it provides my troop.

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Some day, though, I'm sure they'll see through me. Hopefully by then, they"ll be just as geeky about it as me...

Vegas Baby!!

In March, I had this wonderful opportunity to go to Las Vegas for a reunion of childhood friends...some of whom I hadn't seen in 20 years. We stayed at the Venetian Resort, and just had a really fantastic time. I laughed, I cried, I danced, I sang, and I totally didn't sleep for 4 days straight. It was a great time.

Oh...and you know that spiel about: "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas"? Well...don't believe that crap...it's a total lie.

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I have amazing friends. I can't believe that they have stuck with me all these years. They are beautiful, accomplished, passionate, and caring. I loved every minute with them.

One of the coolest things we did was get a room/booth at the Tao Nightclub in the Venetian.

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WOW...that's really all I can say...W.O.W.

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That place is bumpin'. The music...the dancing...the decor (yeah...the naked chicks sitting in the concrete tubs with nothing but rose petals to cover them, or the ones massaging each other with oil at the doors to the club definitely add a little sumthin'-sumthin'...if ya know what I mean. I would've got pictures...but I couldn't stretch over and around the gaggle of guys standing still as statues with their jaws on the floor)...and we were there, up and above it all, with our own private staff to attend to our every desire.

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Soooooo cool...

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I had a marvelous time guys...

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Next time, let's crash Miami!!

Don't get all in a tizzy...

But OMG...I am working on updating my blog...which has lain (is that even a word?) idle for MONTHS.

I know, I know...my faithful readers (all two of you) thought I had abandoned you!! But no...I was just overwhelmed...preoccupied...and frankly, absolutely self-absorbed with problems I couldn't see my way out of. I'm actually hoping that blogging will help.

I'm hoping it will give me perspective...

And maybe I'll even be shamed into cleaning my master bedroom...because I can hardly see the "Hey Sailor" wink I'm giving the camera with so much CHAOS running rampant behind me...

So hold on, friends...we're going for a bumpy ride...

Abstinence

I have not blogged in WEEKS. I'm taking a break...focusing on other things...like Facebook!!

Just kidding.

Sorta.

But blogging isn't the only thing I'm abstaining from. I'm also not eating junk food, and cutting back on carbs, all in a desperate effort to lose weight.

I've had some success. And some disappointment (such as an unfortunate incident with a very untruthful scale at my gym)...but all in all...I guess I feel better about myself and although I've slowed down on the weight loss (too soon!! Too soon!!), I am still making steady progress.

So - if I don't blog a lot...I'm sorry. Maybe soon I'll post pictures of what I look like. I took some a couple weeks ago - but I wasn't brave enough to post them anywhere...cause I still look HUGE...even though I've lost 47 pounds.

So - it's not that I don't love ya...I'm just practicing abstinence.

So there...

Phantom of the Opera and Large Breasts

Kaitlyn wasn't able to be with us for Christmas...she was visiting her dad in California. When she got home, we got to have a mini Christmas with her. She got her normal stack of books and stocking full of DVDs, gum, lip gloss, and nail polish, and some new sheets for her bed. But the big gift was tickets to see Phantom of the Opera!!

The show was last night, and we got all decked up for a night on the town...

I made sure we took pictures...LOTS of pictures...

and I'm showing these pictures for three reasons...

One - because I'm a blogger, and posting pictures and writing about the inane moments of my life is something akin to a compulsive disorder.

Two - because we looked really great.

Three - because I recently had some surgery of the cosmetic variety to fix some problem areas on my body, and while there, I enhanced OTHER areas of my body.

Now, before you go all psycho about boob jobs and stuff...know that what I did was a LIFT (nursing 5 babies does some pretty terrible things to a woman's breasts...it was seriously as if they were in some kind of competition to see which one would reach my knees first)...and to do that lift, there was a significant amount of breast tissue that had to be removed, so it was like a REDUCTION. I wanted nice, round breasts when I was done, and was a little concerned about the REMOVAL of my breast tissue, so I forced (yes...FORCED...the Doctor was against it) the doc to put in SMALL implants (only 250 cc...about golf ball size) behind the muscle so I could be nice and round (he refused to go bigger than 250's...said I wouldn't need it).

Anyway...6 to half dozen another...I fit into all my old bras. Its as if NOTHING changed...except when I take said bras OFF...there isn't this huge gravity tug in my chest area. They stay put. NICE.

And my hubby smiles a lot if my shirt is off...but that is another story for another time...

So I'm happy. They look natural. Proportional to my body size (which is very full).

So I get all dolled up, and I wear this cute blouse that shows 'em off. And I admit, just to tease my hubby, I used a few make-up tricks to accentuate the cleavage (didn't know you could do that? Well...you CAN. And it works AMAZINGLY well...no matter your cup size. It's all about light and shadow...give me a call and I'll clue you in).

So...I think I look pretty good. Hubby is all smiles. So we take pictures.
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Not bad...Katie and I look cute...she's so pretty!! And my make-up tricks are working great on the cleavage...
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Notice that when I take pics...everyone comes out crisp and clear, and when Jason and Kate are behind the camera, everything is blurry? Look at Kate in this pic...she is GLOWING...I just can't get over how pretty she is...and Jason looks HOT...

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I like this pic, too...besides the orange-y tint my houses' lighting gives everything...

But then...I see THIS picture...(below)
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HOLY HELL!!!

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What are those gigantic watermelons doing in my blouse?!?!?!

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My head looks smaller than my breasts!!

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My Boobs are NOT that big...I swear. True...I was wearing a cleavage enhancing blouse, and used that whole light-shadow thing...but those look like BALLOONS IN MY BRA!!!

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No more pictures with me in front, leaning back.

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NO WAY.

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I'm sure I could've had Jason just lift his embrace up a bit and cover 'em up with his hands...

I'm sure he wouldn't have minded...

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By the way...Phantom was AWESOME. And although we were up in the balcony, the high altitude did not cause any bursting in my blouse, and the extra weight in front did not propel me forward over the railing and into the orchestra.

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So I consider the whole endeavour a success, after all....

Our New Cat, Jay

In the last post, I showed a picture of our new cat, Jay...but I haven't introduced him yet...

Savannah wanted a cat for Christmas. She has been asking for almost a year, and has tried to prove her responsibility by caring for Sniffles, Brighams hamster, at every opportunity. After much discussion and pleading (on my part), Jason caved and said she could have a cat for Christmas.

So, on Christmas morning, Savannah found cat food, litter, and a litter box under the tree with a note that said: "Tomorrow we will go to the Humane Society and pick out a cat>"

She could barely wait. She was up at dawn, dressed and with hair and teeth brushed, and sitting primly by the front door.

So off we went to the Humane Society.



We headed straight for the Cattery...

We interviewed three cats...all seemed very comfortable with kids and noise. But THIS guy, named Jay, came in the room, looked at each child, and then went and jumped on Savannah's lap. She looked at me and said: "I want THIS one, Mama."

And so it was settled.

Meet Jay.

He was tolerant of loving hugs from little boys...definitely a PLUS.

But seemed particularly fond of Savannah's sweet nature.

Jay has some issues. He has an Upper Respiratory Infection that prevents him from getting fixed, so he has that super-strong, yucky Tomcat smell to him. In a couple weeks, he'll hopefully be better and can have his little operation. For now, he's sneezing and wheezing and his eyes are swollen and all he wants to do is SLEEP.

Poor guy.

He is a Hemingway...meaning he has an extra toe on each foot...it looks like he's wearing mittens. Hemingway cats are supposed to be lucky...and I guess he is, because he was so sick that if he had stayed at the Humane Society, they would've had to put him down. So we quite literally saved his life.

And he is still friendly and sweet, and loves to snuggle up to people,and loves sleeping on either Savannah's or Mamas bed.

He's quite a handsome guy, too...don't you think? So welcome Jay...to a new family that loves you...

New Years Eve 2009

My New Years Eve summed up in two photos...

What I drank...


And the people I partied with...

Happy New Years, everybody!! May your best day in 2009 be your worst day in 2010!!

- Shannan