Pretty, Pretty, Pretty

I announced the winner of my Lia Sophia contest today...Melodee Cooper of The Cooper Chronicles is walking away with the BEAUTIFUL Lia Sophia necklace "Meadow".

But I got an even better surprise...

MY OWN JEWELRY!!

I took advantage of that AMAZING deal I told you about in my giveaway...ya' know the one... where you buy 6 pieces of jewelry, pay full price for the two least expensive items and get the four more expensive items 1/2 off...and then Sunni took an additional $10 off my order!! It was a GREAT bargain...and I got to get some really pretty pieces of jewelry. PLUS...I got some hostess gifts for doing the giveaway in the first place!!!

I just have to wear them all before my husband finds out...or else I'll be buried in them...

So...I got the Fortune pendant and earrings...

Aren't they beautiful?

And the Figi bracelet and Agave necklace...

Ohhs and Ahhs...

And the Mandalay Bay necklace and earrings...

I really love the colors on this...it'll go with EVERYTHING...

And I'm waiting on my hostess gift, the Bora Bora necklace...which is STUNNING...

And, of course...I couldn't GIVE AWAY the Meadow necklace and not get one for myself...

Isn't it GORGEOUS? My Magpie gene mutation is seriously in overdrive...

Something I didn't know about the jewelry...but was pleasantly surprised to discover, is that each piece comes with this little paper describing the polished stone, or shell, or whatever. It tells all about it...history, where its found, how its made. In my Mandalay Bay necklace box, there were, like, THREE sheets telling me all about the different stones, their history...even mystic properties!! Below is the description from the Meadow necklace...

And since I have you here oogling...these are some pieces I picked up in Utah at one of the trendy and clever boutiques on Cedar City's Main Street...

First there is this jangly bracelet with turquoise beads, which I bought little turquoise drop earrings to match (the earrings are real...but the bracelet is imitation...)

And I know it's similar...but I loved all the droopy things on this turquoise bracelet...

And lastly, I grabbed this triple looped beaded number in a pretty peridot green...

Also with lots of droopies and bangles...

I'm feeling a little overly-satisfied...like after Thanksgiving dinner when you sit back and loosen your belt.

But it feels good.

Hey...the new Fall/Winter catalog just came out...and I made the mistake of looking. It's got some BEAUTIFUL stuff...

Like this sparkly duo called Patina...

And this gorgeous necklace called Havana that appeals to my jungle sensibilities in ways I never thought possible (and although I like it in gold, it also comes in SILVER...)

And THIS stunner makes me think of home...aptly named Desert Bloom (I think I started salivating when I saw it...is that possible?)

And then there is this bracelet/necklace/earring combo that is SO SPARKLY that I almost horded just the PAGE it was on...called Emerald City...

But hey...those are just MY favorites...there are over 65 pages of gorgeous jewelry in the Fall/Winter catalog...all of it is worthy of Magpie Mutants everywhere. If you're interested...check out the site at www.liasophia.com/sunni , or contact her at:

Sunni Shoemaker
(702) 810-9816
(702) 202-1048
http://www.liasophia.com/sites/sunni/contact-me

Until then...I'll be decked out in the jungle...

I bet if you look closely enough, you'll see me sparkling in the next satellite image from space!!

Lia Sophia Giveaway Winner!!!

Congratulations to Mel from The Cooper Chronicles!! She's the winner of the VERY pretty Meadow Necklace in this month's giveaway!!

Mel said...
I am a follower!

You gotta give her props, too...she's faithful about entering giveaways, but has yet to win!! Didn't deter her, though...and now she's been rewarded!!

Congrats to Mel...and keep posted for next months giveaway!!

Love Ya'all - Shannan

Have You Read...

I became a follower of a new blog the other day...

This new blog belongs to a friend of mine named Connie. Connie is a stay-at-home Mom of 5 kids, married to an awesome Hawaiian guy named Sione. They live in the Las Vegas area,where he works as an educator.

Connie joined the blogging world about 3 days ago...and has written 3 blog posts. Her blog is called "My Political Opinions".

W-O-W.

I always knew that Connie was cool. I always knew she was smart...and compassionate...and friendly...and creative...and lots of other good things. She is, after all, my friend. And as I've stated before, I have VERY good taste in friends.

But I just never realized how POWERFUL Connie was. I mean...I feel a little humble after reading her blogs.

That might partially be explained by the fact that I have to have an open dictionary in front of me to get through her posts. I haven't had to refer to reference material when reading something for pleasure since high school. So then some might say that reading her blog isn't pleasurable...but I say, Nay...I get up from the computer and feel...fulfilled.

Enlightened.

And a hell of a lot smarter.

So hey...if you get a chance...head on over to Connies blog. And bring your dictionary.

You'll be glad you did.

Playing with my Birthday Present

I got some BEAUTIFUL flowers from Jasons work to help me "Get Well Soon!!" They were from our FAVORITE florist...Flowers From The Rainforest. She does Some AMAZING things with flowers.

This was my arrangement...isn't it stunning?

I was playing with the Macro feature on my new Nikon L100 , and came away with these gorgeous photos. My favorite is the Gerber Daisy shot headlining this post...but I have a soft spot for the Coral roses and the Lily petal overlying the pale blue Hydrangas, too. What do YOU think? What's YOUR favorite?

Nothing like beautiful flowers to take my mind off the wears and cares of the world...

Happy Birthday to ME!!

My birthday was yesterday.

I turned 33.

I spent the majority of the day in the hospital recovering from surgery to remove my female organs that had become riddled with pre-cancerous tissue, causing me immense pain and worry. I've been asking for the surgery since doctors discovered the problem 2 years ago...but the doctors felt that surgery was not an option for me.

Why?

Oh...there were several reasons. For a while, it was because I am overweight. Then it was because I am so young for such a permanent solution (never mind that I have 5 beautiful, healthy children and my hubby had a vasectomy 4 years ago..so we were CLEARLY done having children). Either way - they wouldn't operate, and I was miserable.

Then I had a regular appointment to check on things "down there", and during the ultrasound, they discovered that the growths had...well...GROWN. Uncommonly fast.

Suddenly...surgery was mandatory. They wanted to do it RIGHT THEN.

But see, now, I had other plans. I was leaving on a very long vacation...and I wasn't going to postpone it. The doctors hemmed and hawed, begged and pleaded, but I very firmly stated that I had been asking for said surgery for 2 years, and three more weeks wasn't going to make much of a difference.

So there.

About the same time, we received a court summons from Broward County informing us that our landlord was going through foreclosure, and although we'd faithfully paid rent every month, they hadn't paid their mortgage since January 2009. We hurried and drafted a response, along with copies of all the cleared checks we'd written them for TWO YEARS, and dropped it off at the courthouse and bank.

Then we went on vacation.

Our landlord tried to collect rent in July, and we told her she was crazy and that we weren't going to pay her until she proved she wasn't losing the house.

We came home from vacation, and I instantly had to get ready for surgery...having countless labs, ultrasounds, pre-op appointments with various doctors, surgeons, and anesthesiologists, and a couple very uncomfortable biopsies.

Then, on August 6, I checked in to the hospital and went under the knife.

I've never had surgery before...but I have given birth to 5 children...two without any medication, so I figured I could handle it.

I woke up and cried. I cried all night long...not because of the surgery, but because of the stupid catheter that they REFUSED to remove. It REALLY hurt. I finally got them to remove it at 5:30 am...8 hours after I woke up...when they saw that I wouldn't stop crying. (Yeah...it took 8 hours of my non-stop crying for them to believe that I actually WAS in pain).

After that...I felt much better. I got up and took a shower, watched some TV, and slept A LOT. My kids came to visit, oogled the holes in my stomach, and sang a sweet, soft "Happy Birthday" song. Around dinner, the nurse said I could go home...so I called Jason, got dressed, and walked out without any help.

Modern medicine is amazing, isn't it?

I remember when my mom had a hysterectomy (for the same reason I did...darn those genetics)...she was in the hospital for DAYS with a slice through her belly from hip to hip. And it was days at home before she was fully up and around.

I'll admit to being loaded on Tylenol 3...but other than that...I'm fine. I have three small holes in my belly, and I spent just over 24 hours in the hospital. Pretty cool, huh?

I got home to find that my landlord...pissed that we won't pay her rent when she's foreclosing on her house... has filed eviction papers against us...ordering us out of the home in 5 days. That's great...cause I'm not supposed to lift more then 10 pounds for 4 weeks...how can I pack? Not only that...but we have no where to go. And every lawyer we've called is out of town...except one...who told us we had no rights and owed them rent, AND had to move...no matter what. (and for those of you wondering about that new law that just passed that says that if your landlord goes into foreclosure and doesn't tell you, they can't evict you...it's primarily for Section 8 housing and apparantly doesn't apply to us. Of course.)

How can that be right? It feels like WE'RE being punished for doing the right thing...like we're paying money just to kicked out of our home...either by our unscrupulous landlord or eventually by the bank who will take over the house.

I have to say that it's really tempting to say: "Screw it", order a U-Haul, and just up and leave Florida. Especially after visiting the West last month and being reminded of all that we miss. But realistically...now isn't the time for Jason to up and quit a good job...no matter how unhappy we are.

I mean...I know I talk about how amazing the Jungle is...but the truth remains that we didn't want to live here more than a year, and there are many, many things that make living here very difficult...such as the cost of living, crummy housing, sub-par schools, and the fact that I have to stipulate everywhere I go that I speak only English...even at the hospital. Every nurse, doctor, surgeon, orderly...greeted me in Spanish. Some could not continue communicating with me once I informed them that I "No habla..." I'll admit that it made me a little worried about whether they knew what surgery I was having, or whether I was receiving the right medication, or whatever. Maybe that's why it took so long to remove that stupid catheter.

On the upside...my kids bought me two VERY BEAUTIFUL costume jewelry rings that I am VERY excited about, and my husband bought me a BRAND NEW CAMERA!!!!!! YEAH!!!!!

So as soon as I get it installed on the computer and figured out, I will post pictures. As you can see - I accomplished the install...now I just need to master taking pictures with it!!)

In the meantime...thank you for your birthday and get well wishes. Please keep us in your prayers as we struggle to not be homeless. And keep smilin'!!!

Love, Shannan

Genetics and Giveaways

WINNER ANNOUNCED!!!

I have a couple confessions to make...some of them might make you mildly uncomfortable. Not my-clothes-are-too-tight-and-then-I ate-a-foot-long-super-sub uncomfortable...but a I-can't-believe-a-grown-mother-of-five-would-admit-this kind of uncomfortable. If you are queasy in any way, and like to imagine that you know everything about me without knowing my deepest, darkest secrets (AKA "Friend Denial"), you are hereby excused to skip this post. If you are intrigued...please read on.

Okay...the first confession is so deep and dark that not even my husband knows it...although he has serious suspicions...

I love comic books.

Like...seriously.

Like...addicted.

One of my greatest secret ambitions is to attend Comic Con...IN COSTUME. I can speak nerd with my fellow comic geeks and feel totally connected and fulfilled. I could peruse panels and buy vintage stuff and role play ALL WEEKEND LONG. I could admit (without fear of retribution) that I belong to several on-line forums regarding anime, comics, and movies/TV shows that relate to anime or comics. I could be hyper and laugh my very realistic evil girl laugh make new friends who GET me.

I could never admit this to Jason. He would be horrified, and want me to seek therapy. So I'll just tell the whole blog-o-sphere instead...purging my soul from the secret while remaining confidant that he'll never know (He doesn't read my blog. Sad, huh?).

The other confession is directly related to the first one...because I believe that my comic book obsession has given birth to the following belief:

I believe that I am not all human.

I think that an an early age, my parents volunteered me for some freak top secret government genetic splicing experiment where they melded human DNA with animal DNA in an effort to create a super species of person with special powers to unleash on a world hell bent on destroying Democracy and the Great American Way.

There's only one problem.

My parents obviously procrastinated on bringing their darling baby girl in...and by time I was "volunteered", most of the truly cool animal splices had already been handed out.

So I missed out on being CheetahGirl with super speed, and RhinoGal, who is equipped with super strength and bullet-proof armor was already taken. I couldn't even be AquaChick and telepathically communicate with marine animals.

Nope...I got the "leftover" DNA...

I was spliced with a Magpie. And my only super power is the inhuman desire that attracts me to sparkly things that I then capture and horde in my nest.

It's not only a completely unimpressive super-power, it's also a bit of a liability, as I am rendered pretty much powerless by the sight of anything remote glittery, sparkly, or otherwise classified as "bling". It means it takes real willpower not to Be-Dazzle every piece of clothing in my wardrobe. And if I ever AM out in my cape and tights, fighting for the freedom and safety of my fellow citizens...all a bad guy has to do to completely zap my power is flash a piece of costume jewelry at me...and there I am...like a deer in the headlights...drooling stupidly over $20 worth of plastic gems while they steal the codes for the nuclear devices at NORAD.

I've all but been kicked out from the Super Human Alliance. They never call. They never e-mail. And I didn't even get an invitation to this years SuperHero Cocktail Party.

*Sigh*

I've worked feverishly over the years to control my urges. I avoid malls for fear of being caught in a trance outside Zales. I use a blindfold to get me past the jewelry departments at Target and Wal-Mart. And I have never gotten into "beading".

But...my caution couldn't last forever. I have a friend who lives in Vegas...and she has started a business selling Lia Sophia jewelry. She kept writing me and telling me how great it was...and how it changed her life...look for yourself!! Could YOU resist such an impassioned speech?

Hi All,
I could tell you that I started my own lia sophia business because I wanted a challenge, or because I was motivated to become a fabulous businesswoman. But I'm not going to lie to you – I joined because I loved the jewelry! When the Advisor at the first show I attended saw how many pieces were on my wish list, she told me the secret to having it all was doing what she does. So yes, I became an Advisor to get great discounts on the hottest jewelry. But what I didn't realize at the time was that I would actually earn an income while shopping with the girls! I am building a business and doing it right along side my other daily activities. I am a living example that you CAN mix business with pleasure. Every step of the way, lia sophia rewards me for my success, with trips to fantastic places like Hawaii and the Caribbean, free jewelry, and much more. It's hard to believe what started out as a desire to wear great jewelry has turned into a business I truly love, but that's exactly what happened. I used to be afraid of public speaking, you couldn't pay me enough to get up in front of a crowd and speak; but now I've come out of my shell. I feel that I'm a better person for overcoming my fears of public speaking and surprisingly it was easy because I love the jewelry, the way lia sophia stands behind their product with their Lifetime Replacement Guarantee, and most of all I love what I do because I believe in it. YOU TO CAN HAVE IT ALL!!

Sunni Shoemaker
lia sophia Advisor
(702) 810-9816 or (702) 202-1048
SunniShoemaker_liasophia@cox.net
www.liasophia.com/sunni

I, of course, am a sucker, and one day, in a stupor of weakness, I looked at her site.

AAAAUUUGGGHHHHH!!!

My eyes were GLUED to the screen. It took 3 of my children, a crowbar, the the promise of dark chocolate covered cherries for me to break away from the on-line catalog.

My will having been broken, I found myself drawn there again...and again...and again.

And the only way I could fix the problem was to SHARE the problem.

I am doing this by giving away a gorgeous necklace called "Meadow" (it's 16-19" long). It makes me think of late summer...the pretty green river shell, and then there is all those sparkly gems...it reminds me of my recent vacation to Zion National Park...with all the beautiful vermilion and orange striped canyons, the crystal rolling river cascading over the grey and green stones, smoothing them down to shiny black pebbles, the majestic green pines, and the expansive robin egg blue sky.

It would look GREAT with one of those long peasant skirts and a breezy top, wouldn't it?

Anyway...I'm giving this away in hopes that it will ease my Magpie burden a bit...

All YOU have to do is go on her site at www.liasophia.com/sunni and look at all the amazing and beautiful jewelry she has. Pick your favorite piece, and leave a comment about it on this blog in the Comments section.

RULES

Contest runs from July 30 to August 14.

One entry per person.

Leave your comment with the name of the piece that you most admire in the Comments section of the blog, along with your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win.

Additional entries will be made if you:

1) Remind me that you are a follower or add yourself as a follower

2) Blog about this giveaway on your own blog (you have to e-mail the link so I can check up on you!)

3) Think of an AWESOME Super Hero name for my type of power, and leave it in the comments section.

That's 3 additional entries to improve your chances!!

All additional entries must be in the form of a SEPARATE COMMENT (also with your e-mail...I'm too lazy to scroll around and look for it).

Oh!! And I have more good news!! I called Sunni to let her know about this giveaway, and she shared that if you actually BUY something between now and midnight August 2, you can take part in a special sale that allows you to buy ONE item at full price, and get TWO MORE items at half price. Or, if you're like me, you can buy TWO ITEMS at full price and get FOUR ITEMS at half price. If you do that, she'll take an additional $10.00 off your order!!

So, if you do the 3 item deal, you pick out 3 pieces you LOVE, you pay full price for the LEAST EXPENSIVE ITEM, and then get the two other MORE EXPENSIVE items half off!!! It's like going to Nordstroms, buying a pair of socks for full-price, and getting two pairs of designer jeans 1/2 off!!! You do the same thing if you buy 6 pieces...pay full price for the two LEAST EXPENSIVE items, and get your four MORE EXPENSIVE items 1/2 off, PLUS an additional $10.00 off your whole order!! Isn't that cool?!?!?! Isn't she swell?!?!?

If you take advantage of this sale through her web-site, you have to enter my name, Shannan Johnson, where it prompts you to get the sale prices!! If you have problems, you can call Sunni at 702-810-9816.

Magpie-gene spliced mutants UNITE!! We have sparklies to horde!!

Good luck...and remember...the special sale is only good until Midnight, August 2 (that's just a few days, people!!)

Confessions of a Jungle Survival Guide

*Sigh*

I have a confession to make...

Blogging just isn't any fun anymore.

Why? you ask?

Because I don't have a camera...that's why.

I mean, I took pictures of the AWESOME Fourth of July picnic we went to on my daughters camera (which I hate)...and then I had to send it to her in California before I could download them. So then I used a couple disposable cameras with the thought that I would scan them after they were developed. But our printer isn't working (more on that in a second), and then I left BOTH CAMERAS on a bench in Disneyland last week (one full and then other half full)...and of course they were gone when I went back for them. And Lost and Found had a BUCKET of cameras identical to mine, all lost that day...and I was too stupid to have labeled the cameras with my name...so I had no idea which was mine, and they wouldn't let me take the whole bucket.

(Yes - I really did ask if I could, offering to pinky-swear that I would develop all 50 cameras and return any that weren't mine. The guy looked at me like I was nuts, decided I must've been joking, and started laughing. He stopped abruptly at the desperate "I've-just-spent-15-hours-walking-around-a-theme-park-with-four-small-children-who-alternate-between-starving-exhausted-and-souvenir-deprived-monsters-on-the-hottest-day-to date-in-Southern-California-on-the-first-day-of-my-period-and-I-want-my-damn-photographic-proof" look in my eye).

Needless to say - I left empty-handed.

So now I'm in Utah...I have no pictures of going to Disneyland, OR the San Diego Zoo, OR the beach (WHICH, by the way, was a TOTAL TRIP to my kids...who had no clue that the ocean can be cold, or have waves. Some of my best pictures are of Brigham turning blue as we crammed him into a wetsuit, and of the delighted look on my kids faces as they took boogie boards out to sea...not to float on, but to actually RIDE), OR the wedding, OR my nieces and nephews, brothers and sisters-in-law, cousins, aunts, and uncles.

Its all lost. Just pictures in my head.

I'm so depressed, that I haven't bought another throw-away camera either. So although we've already been hiking up to GORGEOUS Cedar Breaks...I have no pictures of THAT either.

"But, Shannan!" I hear you protest. "Your camera drowned MONTHS ago!! And you've been writing about your search for the perfect camera, and how excited you are. Why on earth haven't you replaced it yet?"

Well...yes, loyal readers (all two of you)...I HAVE been writing about that! But this is a good time to share a lesson on Life with you...

Life Happens While You're Making Other Plans.

And so it is that my husband decided that purchasing a new computer was more important than a new camera. And that he doesn't even want the OLD computer thrown out...oh no!!! He wants TWO computers. And a whole new Internet service thingy that is so complicated that someone has to come to our house and professionally SET IT UP...in the meantime...we have NO WORKING COMPUTER IN MY HOME, and no printer, or scanner, or ANYTHING. We just have a bunch of technical crap littering our already crowded home and making it impossible to sit anywhere and chill out. And my husband is spending money like he won the lottery and I'm left wondering: "Where is the guy that used to chastise me for buying name brand mac 'n' cheese instead of generic? Where is the guy who lived by the frugal saying: 'Use it up, Wear it out, Make it work, or Do without?' Is this midlife crisis? Am I coming home to a buxom blonde in a negligee making Lobster Thermadore in my kitchen? Will there be a Porsche in the driveway? Should I stay in Utah?"

Yes...I'm a little melodramatic this evening. I miss my camera. I miss my old husband. I miss blogging.

What say you? Will you still read me without photos? Will there be anything cool to spend 5 minutes of your day perusing? Will my husband return to normal?

Sulking in South Utah...

Shannan the Jungle Survival Guide