Not Alone Series: Good Ol' Deal Breakers

Linking up with the faithful Jen at Jumping in Puddles and Morgan at Follow and Believe!

We have chatted about our deal breakers/non-negotiables before, but how do you keep from letting your standards fall? What prevents you from just dating any guy out there? What keeps you going?

Can we get real for this post? How many of us make this face when a TDH walks in?

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Like, wowza. I would totally make that face if Benedict was in my vicinity, lezbihonest. 

But hold the phone - does that TDH love Jesus? Because no matter how cute he is, cuteness is not going to sustain a relationship for any amount of time. And neither does niceness or money or sweet wheels or a rocking job or a vacation home in Spain. Jesus is the best foundation for any relationship, and really the only One upon which I want to build a marriage. 

My list of deal breakers is pretty short, and so is my list of keeping up standards. It's all pretty simple, really. 

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What about you? Join the conversation and the link-up over at Jen's. 

Finish This: Week Sixteen

Linking up with Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

My favorite makeup item is Mary Kay's eye primer. I wrote about my love for this product back in February {actually, I wrote about a lot of products}, and this is still my favorite. One little tube lasts me about a year, so don't even worry about ROI.

The best book I've ever read was Les Miserables because only Victor Hugo can make me cry with his beautiful sentences...about the sewers of Paris. No lie, I would read this book in bed and would wake up my roomie with tears in my eyes: "Catherine, listen to this sentence!" Also, there is great love in this book, and I love reading about how fathers, mothers, daughters, sons, men, and women love each other and what they sacrifice for one another.

My favorite tv show is um, can you guess? Me neither. My favorite rotates between "Sherlock," "Doctor Who," and "Miranda." If we limit it to American television, then I'd say "Suits."

The most spontaneous thing I've ever done is dyed my hair purple. My friend Jessica said, "I want to do something wild," and after a few suggestions that were vetoed, I asked, "Like dye your hair purple?" She hesitated, "Mmm, no..." which meant I was close. "What about dye my hair purple?" And she exclaimed, "Yes! That's it! Do you mean it?" And I did, so we got AJ involved and used her sink and ta-da!

in process

from the back

all done!

I prefer dogs over cats because dogs actually like me back. Cats are such....{don't swear don't swear don't swear!} meanies. If you want a laugh and don't mind a wee bit of profanity, check out this video of dog-friends and cat-friends. It pretty much sums up why I will take a dog over a cat any day.

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I met I'll meet my significant other as soon as God introduces us. Or as soon as Benedict Cumberbatch shows up at my front door; I'm open to either. ;)

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To join the link-up fun, finish the prompts in your own post or in the comments. Thanks for reading!

Finish This: Week Fifteen

Joining the party hosted by Nicole at Three 31, Jen at The Arizona Russums, Becky at The Java Mama, and Lisa at Coastlined.

My favorite vacation spot is anywhere warm! Plop me on a beach with some sunscreen, a margarita, and great book, and Bek is happy. Also, I'd go to Kentucky, because that's where a good chunk of my heart is :)

If I won a million dollars, I'd buy some rental properties, invest for the future, get some plane tickets, and buy some ultrasound machines for Save the Storks and Care Net.

If I could go on a date with one celebrity, it would be a really hard decision between Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith, and Jennifer Lawrence.

seriously, what's not to love?

If we allow for time travel for this date, Sir Winston Churchill and William Wilberforce would join the race.

If I found a genie in a bottle, my three wishes would be quite the spectrum! I'd like a personal masseuse, to reverse Roe v. Wade, and for the Doctor and the TARDIS to show up at my front door.

My favorite clothing item is ankle socks. I have a pack that all have different colored stripes over the toes, and I love that I don't have to think when I'm trying to match socks out of the dryer. Do the colors match? Good, the socks match. Done and done.

Wanna join this party? You can leave your answers in the comments or add your blog to the link-up. See ya next week!

7 Quick Takes: Books, Sick Days, and Brits

Linking up with Jen at Conversion Diary for 7 Quick Takes!

1. Two days ago, I used a gift card and downloaded Infinite Jest on my Nook. Gulp. This book is really long and really heavy and really intense and really thick....and I'm trying to read this 1,000 page novel and the 994-page Team of Rivals this year...plus reach my goal of 40 books in 2014. Bring it on.

2. Yesterday I stayed home sick. Wednesday, I'd had a sore throat and gone home early. Thursday morning, I woke up and decided to go back to sleep for an hour to see how I felt. I woke up again at 7:30 and after conferring with my mom, decided to stay home and not contaminate anyone else in the office. So I went back to sleep until eleven. Twas lovely, and it's amazing what sleep will do. And then I moved my pile of pillows and blankets onto the couch and watched "Once Upon A Time" until Samara came home. Ah, a day of rest!

3. I'm feeling a bit better today... not 100%, but enough to come into work and hopefully go to Notions tonight. I told my dad that all I did yesterday was catch up on a tv show and paint my nails, because I have my priorities in order.

4. Ashley just shared this gem: British men reading poetry and prose. Swoon! Yes, please, thank you, here's to you, thank you, kind regards.

5. Here, look at some of the faces that go with the voices:

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6. Speaking of Tom Hiddleston, after seeing Coriolanus a couple weeks ago, Samara has begun treating Cami and me to "The Daily Hiddleston" emails. We didn't know too much about Tom, so Samara is getting us up to speed via pictures, articles, and video clips. Be jealous.

7. Ok, between being still slightly sick and listening to these lovely British voices read to me, I'm coming up blank for my last take. But hey, it's Friday and I don't care! Happy weekend, peeps. 

Funny Friday & How Is It November Already?

Ok, guys, I know that I basically counted every single day of October via 31 Days of Writing, but still... I can't believe it's November already!?!? Because you know what happens in November? Christmas music. Which leads to Christmas, which leads to a new year....meaning November 2014 is like in 2 weeks, basically.

Speaking of 31 Days of Writing, I think I may have forgotten how to write a Funny Friday post. Does that count as its own deep twisted version of humor? No? I know, it's more sad than funny.

Well, while I scramble to think of something funny for Friday, allow me to entertain you with weekend plans. Samara and I are going to IKEA! Woot. We are fortunate to live within 30 minutes {weekend-only traffic times} from one of the blessed places, so tomorrow morning, bright and early, off we go! Just kidding. It'll be like bright and middling... after last night's adventures, there will be much sleep on the morrow.

Speaking of last night, wanna see some pictures?! Of course you do, and even if you don't, too bad, because I promised you pictures and I keep my promises...eventually. But today is the day after, so we're not gonna ruin a good thing, k?

The Fantastic Fox Family

Totes adorbs, right!? Yes I did ride the bus downtown looking like that. Yes I did walk over a mile to the theater dressed like that. Yes I did take off the mask to watch Frankenstein. Ain't nobody get time to let anything get in the way of seeing Benedict Cumberbatch!

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The show was even better than last time. {I guess I haven't formally reviewed Frankenstein yet, so add that to my list of promises to keep.} I found that since I knew what was going to happen, I could appreciate the parallels and contrasts better. Plus, the acting....always, always superb. Can't praise them enough.

Right. Funny Friday. Last night at the theater, I was sitting next to Samara's friend Sammy. There's a scene where the Creature reaches for a pot that's just been taken off the fire, so of course he burns his hand. 

Since we had just watched the film/play, Sammy whispered, "Don't touch it!" And of course the Creature touches it and burns himself. 

I whispered "They never listen, do they" and Sammy replied "He didn't hear me." 

And then they guy in front of us turns around and whispers, "I did." Oops! 

Sammy and I couldn't look at each other because we would have laughed too loudly. It was awful....ly funny. Such fun. 

Happy weekend, all!

7 Quick Takes: Hopefully It Counts as Funny Friday

Ok, peeps, here goes nothing. Hoping you get at least a chuckle out of these Quick Takes... if you don't think they're funny, then please scroll to the bottom of this post for some humor courtesy of Pinterest.

1. Thank you all for your kind comments on yesterday's post. I appreciate your encouragement! Now you tell me: where's your action? What are you doing to initiate change?
   
2. In case you live under a rock don't read my bestie's blog, be sure to check out her tale of our farewell to the Tenth Doctor. She went into more detail about our evening, whereas I stuck with the feels.
   
3. Next weekend my friend Laurie will be here! She's coming out to visit from the Frozen Tundra, and I am so excited to see her! We will be hitting up the downtown area and maybe head to the mountains to be tourists. She is one of my very good friends; ours is a friendship that we know is God because we clicked so well in such a short time. Thank You Jesus for Laurie!
   
4. Sorry, but I'm bringing up Doctor Who again. I've been thinking about bringing some fangirl to my bedroom {not like there's not enough inside my head already!} and am looking for a somewhat-sophisticated way to do that. I'm thinking of a picture in Gallifreyan, like this:
   
   Any other ideas, fellow Whovians?
   
5. Sorry, it seems that once my brain is on the Doctor Who train, it doesn't want to leave. I will try, though. Here are some links if you would like to enjoy:
   - a gender-neutral nursery- they're waiting to find out!
   - words from a three-year-old...too funny!
   - a cool story about babies
   - great effort from this guy!
   
6. Weekend plans! Who's got em? This girl! Going to the mall with my sis will be the highlight tonight, as well as potentially hanging pictures with the flat-mate tomorrow. Oooh, on Sunday my sis and parents and I are going to a glass-blowing factory to learn how to make glass. Be totes jealz. I know you are.
   
7. October...look at what is coming in October!
   
   Danny Boyle's 'Frankenstein'
   Don't remind me that I already saw this performance in July... that was in a different city, so there. Totes diff. 

Well, there are my 7 Quick Takes! Enjoy, and have a marvelous weekend!

Trying 7 Quick Takes

Ok, friends, this is something that I see on a lot of {Catholic} blogs... is this a Catholic thing or an East Coast thing or an experienced blogger thing or what? 7 Quick Takes is when you post about 7 things that you're thinking or seeing or whatever. It seems like it was invented by someone on a Monday, when there are tons of thoughts but no cohesive flow. I would be friends with this person.

Anyway, I'm going to try it, but I may or may not make it to seven things... consider yourself warned.

1. Today is one of those hair days where I feel awesome and fresh and wild....and the mirror says, "HA! Good one!"
   Here I am, feeling like Hilary Duff as she rocks the windblown look...
   
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   ...when in reality I look like a Barbie doll ten minutes after the toddler played with her...
   
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   Yep. One of those days.
   
2. There are some musical artists that you have to be in a certain mood to listen to, and then there are those gifted ones, the classic ones, that you can listen to anytime, all the time. Judge me {and guess my age} if you want, but I think dc Talk is one of the latter. Maybe I'm slightly biased because a) they were my first concert or b) they formed the year I was born {oops, there goes age!} or c) their albums helped me survive Dance Camp when I was 12 {darn, age again!}, but I think that dc Talk is a seriously talented group, and I always enjoy their music. There, I said it. Go ahead and judge.
   
3. Ok, if you have not read my bestie's post about travelling, you need to. I'm proud and grateful to call Samara my long-time BFF, and you NEED to read her post, like, right now. Read it. Go. I've linked it like three times already.
   
4. Thank you all for your sweet comments regarding my Nicaraguan adventure! I'm so glad that technology allows us to share these small pieces of travels and experiences. I should note, since a couple of you encouraged me that being with children is one of my strengths, that my struggle was not whether or not I was good at playing with the kids but if I was using that strength at an appropriate time. And my leaders encouraged me that I was, so I was totally free! Thank you for caring enough to say something, and thanks for encouraging me in this area! I'm feeling the love :)
   
5. Speaking of Nicaragua, wanna see some progress??? I was thrilled when I saw this update. Here's the progression:
   Beginning: look behind the movers of rocks :)
   
                                      courtesy of Melissa
   
   Middle...
   
                       courtesy of Caleb G.
   
   When we left:
   
                                courtesy of Levi
   
   Update from last week!!!! Isn't that amazing!?!?!
   
                                 courtesy of Jessica
   
6. Because no post is complete until there is a reference to something that is British or Benedictine Benedict Cumberbatch...
   
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7. Here is a recent decision I made... 6703. No, I'm not going to prison. No, it's not how many times I've watched "Return to Me." No, it's not the number of children I'm going to have. It's a color. I'm thinking Frolic-y thoughts...I'll fill you in tomorrow :)

What do you think of these 7 Quick Takes? Another round next Monday, or come up with something else? 

Funny Friday...Not

I'm sitting here working on a mind-numbing task, searching in my brain for something funny I can share on Friday, and sometimes you just gotta give up the goat. Don't ask me where the goat comes from or where it's going once you give it up, but just give it up. Let that goat go.

and now we're into awkwardness....

In other news, I've had two phone dates with two different friends this week, and as usual, it's so great to talk to my friends! AJ and I got to chat this past weekend, and golly do I miss her! While it was good to see my Kentucky friends in Nicaragua, it made me miss her even more!!!

Last night, Laurie, my friend from the Frozen Tundra, and I had a great talk. She's going to Colorado this week, so I got to tease her about smoking weed. Payback for all those references to Washington's pot laws! But all pot aside, Laurie is a great friend, and I'm so grateful for her. Hopefully she can come out for a visit in a few months, which will be magnificent and awesome.


Didn't I promise you a review of "Warm Bodies"? I've been listening to the soundtrack for a few days {really, a great soundtrack!} and am feeling inspired both to watch it again and to write about it. So here goes, with full disclosure: it's been a while since I've seen this film.

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I like that this film is pretty clean. There's maybe two gruesome scenes, and they don't last that long. And then for the *ahem* scenes, I think the previews showed the most graphic part, and it wasn't bad.

Again, the soundtrack was pretty awesome. There are a few songs that I just keep listening to over and over, because they're just fun. Oh, and did I mention that R has a record player? Totes awesome.

The sarcasm and humor in this film is so perfect. My sisters and I were cracking up basically the whole movie.

I don't do zombies, and this was not a zombie movie. They explained things pretty well for us non-fans-of-zombies {not like there was a ton to explain}.

Love story? Check. Humor? Check. Cute actors? Check {this one varies depending on which sister you ask, but hey, I'm writing this!}.

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Anyway, this was a cute movie. If you're not convinced, come over after 9pm some night and watch it with my sisters and me.

Speaking of movies, November is shaping up to be pretty awesome, entertainment-wise! Let's review:

• Catching Fire 
• Ender's Game {which I promise I will read before I watch, Samara!}
• 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who
• Danny Boyle's Frankenstein {as a film, sadly} comes to my city

Pretty hopping!

I wish I had an appropriate conclusion, but I don't. Approaching drop-off zone. Ready. Go.

Happy Friday!

True Confessions/Obsessions on Thursday

Some days, you just gotta spill your guts. These are not deep and intense thoughts; these are silly, random, obscure thoughts that just keep popping into my head at work and need to be shared somehow while not disturbing productivity. So here we go.

• Since returning from my beloved Kentucky, I've been unable to bring myself to wear "real" shoes. Sandals or nothing. Seriously. Oh, and here in the great Northwest, it has been raining almost constantly and has warmed up to a mediocre 65* average. But sandals it is!
• Have you guys heard of Veggie Straws??? They are made by Sensible Portions and I l o v e them. They give me the salty and crunchy fix that chips provide, yet they are made from vegetables and one serving size is 38 straws. Yep. Crunch away, friends! These things are delish. I'm in love.
  
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• Can we talk about Call the Midwife again? Butforrealztho. My mom and I just finished the first season {her first time seeing it} and we are ready to begin Season Two! So exciting! Some friends have said that "something big happens" and I'm really excited/nervous to watch.
  
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• And while we're on the subject of British shows, have you heard of "Miranda" before? Seriously one of the funniest shows out there. "Chummy" in CTM is played by Miranda Hart, a comedian and writer of this "semi-autobiographical" show. She is hysterical. Her sense of timing, her awkwardness, her comical situations- they all fit into this adorable show.
  
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  Warning: "Miranda" has some innuendos and/or conversations that are not suitable for children. But it is not the focus of the show, and it is conversation only. {Exception: one episode in S2 tries to be inappropriate, but again, it's conversation and intent only, and it's played for laughs.}
  Anyway, she is so funny; the females of my family squish onto the couch and watch it from a laptop and would be rolling on the floor laughing if we weren't wedged onto the couch so well. Def a fave.
• Save the Storks. I love everything about this group. Their tactic is to first offer help to abortion-minded women, and then provide them with information and resources. It's wonderful. Check them out at the link below the picture.
  
                                  Save the Storks
• Confession: I watched "Star Trek: Into Darkness." Yes, I'm a nerd. But not for the reasons you're thinking. I watched it because of Benedict...*swoon* Confession: I'm obsessed. Seriously. Cheekbones. Gah. {And yes, that is a Sherlock reference too...see what kind of a nerd I am!?!?} There are probably dozens of other pictures I could have posted, but I will use self-control and only post one.

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Is there anything that can follow up after Benedict? Nope. So I will leave you with the image of Ben...

Wonderful Weekend!!!

This weekend was awesome. Wonderful, if you read the post title. Magnificent, if you want to go with an alliteration for Monday.

What was so awesome, wonderful, and magnificent about it? Let me tell you!

It started with Friday {as most weekends usually do}. I got to work from home in the morning, thus allowing me to accomplish several tasks at once {yay, laundry = multi-tasking!}. Around noon, my dear friend Dahlia {whom you met in our blog switch thingy here} arrived and what a reunion we had! We went shopping, shoe shopping specifically, and though we went to 4 different shoe stores, we purchased no shoes. But we did find some yummy-smelling body wash at Bath & Body Works, and I got a cute shirt from another store.

Anyway. We finished our shopping adventures and came home to get ready for a wedding! Our friend got married Friday evening, and it was a lovely ceremony and reception time. Dahlia had to go home {sad!} but my friends Jess and Katie went out to a late dinner with me afterwards, and that was so good to hang with them.

Saturday morning, my bff arrived at my house, and she and I and another of her friends drove south. for 3 hours. in a drizzle. It was quite fun. I had my new camera to play with, and play I did! The backseat is so great for creeper shots. hehehe.

We arrived at our destination, and first stop: a book store! Of course. My friends are literary nerds {self-admitted!} and English majors and British fanatics and of course we would go to a bookstore before checking into our hotel!

We did in fact check into our hotel, after a little adventure with the rooms and keys. I’m saving that for a Funny Friday post, so you’ll get it in a few days. Then we had another adventure, which you will also get on Friday, because they are just too great when you consider they happened in the space of an hour!

Anyway.

The whole reason we went on this little journey was to see our favorite and beloved Benedict Cumberbatch {aka Sherlock} in “Frankenstein.” Now, I must explain, this was not live. No, that would make too much sense for these three recent college grads. We went on this trip to see a filmed stage production that he was in last year. Yes, I accept the fact that we are indeed hardcore nerds, fans, and other obsessive names that are appropriate here. Anywho.

Here is a trailer you can watch to see a bit of what we did. Because we did watch it twice, once for each role. Ahhh. So glorious.

And then we drove home for 3 hours and I went to bed and slept in and it was lovely.

So that was my wonderful weekend. Hope yours was just as nice!