31/365

Day 09 – A picture of your favorite book; why is it your favorite?

Ok once again, I can't pick ONE book!  There are like 4 billion out there!

My favorite books as a kid:

Loved Little House!!  I've always enjoyed history and I loved reading about a girl, who was once REAL  and lived in the Midwest.   My grandma even got me a bonnet when she went to Walnut Grove for Laura Ingalls Wilder Days.   Still have it! :)

As a teen I enjoyed this book:

Weird choice for a teenager eh?  Well again, I love history and I really enjoy Civil War era history.   And I'm pretty sure Scarlett O'Hara could kick someone's ass - that crying and whining about "never being hungry again" and "please Rhett don't leave me" was alllll an act.  I've read this book a few times and seen the movie quite a few too.  Love.

Recent books I've read because they're entertaining and a fast read:

 The Sookie Stackhouse series which the show "True Blood" is based on.  While I love the show, I love the books so much more.  Especially now that the show is starting to combine books - oy! I can't keep straight what's going on anymore.  These books have vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, and humans hanging out in Louisiana. 

Twilight.  Yes it has its haters... probably haters who've never read the books.  I came across the books right before the first movie came out and had read them all in about a month.  The books are actually pretty enjoyable.  They're a fast read that you don't have to think too hard about.   Don't judge the books based on the movies people.  

And my most recent find:

I've said it before, I'll say it again - read these books!   I've passed them onto 3 people at work and now Lucas is reading them.  Lucas said they have a Final Fantasy meets 5th Element feel which is true, but not too much -  I don't think I would enjoy them as much if they were super crazy sci fi.  The sci fi aspects do not take away from the actual story.  

30/365

Day 8/30 A picture of something that makes you laugh......

My dogs make me laugh every single day.

Former foster dog Skim Latte' - look at those ears.  How can you not laugh?  He is such a sweet boy!

Chuck through the drinking glass.....

Basil testing out Lucas' safety glasses.

Chuck jammin.  Ok so she looks like she wants to kill us in our sleep.... she just didn't like that particular song.

Rich at our wild west murder mystery - this picture cracks me up purely because of those cow print chaps and the look of serious business on his face!

Damian!  How can this picture not make you laugh?  Love him!

And lastly, my 80 something year old Grandma dressed up for Halloween like "a floozy" - classic.  Go Granny Go.  She rocks.

29/365

Day 07/30 - A picture of your nicknames you have; why do you have them.

The nickname I have pictures of would be:

Yup, Queen.  Lana (aka Nurse Brown) at work started calling me Queen.  I'm guessing mostly because I say it like it is and I can be a little bossy, haha - but hey, I get my job done and I get it done quite well! LOL.  So I found the Queen shirt at Ragstock while Alice in Wonderland was hot - totally bought it even though it was super small.  I'll have to put it out again and see if it fits since I've lost 70 lbs.  The ornament Lana got me for Christmas - love it!!  Its hanging at work so I can enjoy it all year long. 

My parents call me Amber Louise or Amber Louis - seriously mom should have given me the middle name Louise instead of Lyn.  Amber Louis turned into Louie or Lulu Belle - again - don't ask me where these people came up with it.  Rumor has it I enjoyed singing along to a Huey Lewis and the News song *back in the day* - hence the Amber Louis. 

On another note - we're going to Julie's tonight for fondue!  Can't wait.  I need to go find my polyester leisure suit!

28/365

Day 6/30 A picture of you when you were little.

I don't have any pics on the computer of when I was really little but I have a few of me between the ages of say 4 and 12.

This was my wedding debut.  My cousin Tam and Steve's wedding.  I was the flower girl along with Tam's sister.   Best memory of that wedding - Brandon, the ring bearer whipped his pillow at his mom Sandy's head (she was a bridesmaid).   :-)  Good times.  I must have been 5ish here.

Halloween, 1st Grade.  I'm with my friend Sarah (who I'd like to visit in Scotland next year).  

Halloween 2nd Grade - ya know, WAAAYYY back when kids actually could dress up.... I'm the gypsy  2nd from the right.  I'm still friends with all these peeps on Facebook except the girl dressed as the dead/zombie cheerleader... don't know what happened to her.

Me and John.  Poor John.  John and Brandon were the two cousins closest to me in age - John a year older, Brandon about a year and a half younger.  I tortured these two playing dress up and "school" for years - probably explains why Brandon HATED school.   Check out John's Snoopy slippers - super retro and super awesome.  This particular picture was taken in my playroom at my grandma's old house (not sure if it was before or after we eventually moved in) - the front porch was my play room.  And it was always cold.  And I think we lost a hamster in there once.... 

This pic, again, poor tortured John, was taken at our old trailer we lived in.  As you can see, I loved playing dress up.  I was wearing a headpiece and hand muff that my sister used in my cousin's wedding. :-)   I think John claims I have a gun pointing at him in the muff.  I plead the 5th.....

Last but not least me with a PERM... a spiral perm people.... This must be... 5th or 6th grade.  Yikes.... that's all I'm gonna say.  And before you judge, go look through your yearbooks..... especially the ones from 1980-1995... mkay!?

27/365

Day 5/30 Picture of your favorite animal.   My Italian Greyhounds, DUH!!  :-)  I love them.  They're such a peculiar breed - anyone who has one knows what I'm talking about.  They're part cat, part canine, part human.  I swear.  

Our first two pups, Vinci and Ripley - Vinci is almost 1 here and Ripley only a few months old - this is the day we brought Rip home.

My sweet Rippers.  So handsome. 

We lost him in 2007.  :-(

We've fostered quite a few IG's through Lifeline IG Rescue.  This one we adopted.  Diva Miss Basil (see her painted toenails??).  D-I-V-A.  She's Lucas' dog.   I'm not even allowed near him if she's around, haha.

Basil babysitting godson Damian.

After we lost Ripley, we fostered and adopted Charlotte Charles, aka CHUCK!  She loves EVERYONE and I'm pretty sure she'd go home with anyone too.  And "Chuck" fits her.  She's such a boy.

She does Pilates with me too!

Vinci, my heart dog! 

All my babies....

26/365

Day 4/30 A picture of your favorite memory.

This is another hard one.... I can't pick just one.

Wedding

First dog - that's a baby Vinci with a pink nose and wrinkly head!

Vacations!  

Finding Swedish fish in a closet and IN THE WALL while demo-ing the basement... yeah we still haven't figured that one out.....

LMAO jamming to Rock Band at parties - this was Halloween 2009 - nothing like some "Du Hast" performed by a mummy, trekkies, the Joker and a geisha....  really makes you want to come to one of our parties doesn't it??! :-) lol

click here to see ->  Halloween RockFest!

25/365

Day 03  - A picture of the cast of your favorite TV show......

This is a hard one!!!  I can't pick ONE show.... Grrr........

True Blood

 Dexter!!

 Weeds

And one of my favorite shows that got cancelled (BOO!)

Pushing Daisies

24/365

Day 02/30 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest - I would have to say my parents!   They *have* known me for almost 29 years now.  Meet my Pa and Ma!  ♥♥♥♥♥♥  them!

23/365

A few people on Spark and Facebook have started a "30 Day Challenge Picture Album".  It goes something like this:

Day 01 - A RECENT picture of yourself with at least 15 facts about YOU. 

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest 

Day 03 - A picture of your inspiration for weight loss 

Day 04 - A picture of the cast of your favorite TV show 

Day 05 - A picture of your favorite animal 

Day 06 - A picture of a person you'd love to trade places with for a day 

Day 07 - A picture of your most treasured item 

Day 08 - A picture of your favorite color 

Day 09 – A picture that motivates you to do more 

Day 10 - A picture of your closest friend 

Day 11 - A picture of your IPOD or other music playing device on shuffle, and then list the first 10 songs that play. 

Day 12 – A picture that defines you 

Day 13 - A picture of your favorite band or artist 

Day 14 – A picture of you now 

Day 15 - A picture of something you want to do before you die 

Day 16 - A picture of someone who inspires you 

Day 17 - A picture of something that has made a huge impact on your life recently 

Day 18 - A picture of your biggest insecurity, and the reasons why it is the biggest 

Day 19 - A picture of your nicknames you have; why do you have them. 

Day 20 - A picture of somewhere you'd love to travel 

Day 21 – A picture of an exercise you can’t do, but would like to try (and then try it if you want to) 

Day 22 - A picture of something you wish you were better at 

Day 23 - A picture of your favorite book; why is it your favorite? 

Day 24 - A picture of what I would find in your bag 

Day 25 - A picture of your favorite super hero and why 

Day 26 - A picture of something that means a lot to you 

Day 27 - A picture of yourself and a family member 

Day 28 - A picture of something you're afraid of 

Day 29 - A picture that can always make you smile 

Day 30 - A picture of you last year and now, how have you changed since then?  

So , Day 1  A RECENT picture of yourself with at least 15 facts about YOU. 

1.  I met Lucas "online" when I was 16.  He came to my junior prom with a friend of mine and that was that.

2.  My sister and I have the same middle names - mine is Lyn, hers is Lynn.  

3.  I have never been on a rollercoaster.

4.  I haven't thrown up since I was 17 (KNOCK ON WOOD!)

5. I don't want to have children, and I get REALLY annoyed when people bug me about it because I really don't think its any of their business.  To each their own.

6. I hate doctors, yet I work for two....

7.  I have one sister who died in a car accident in 2002.

8.  I am the only person in my family with naturally blonde hair and green eyes (everyone else has brown eyes and brown hair). 

9.  That being said, I don't really know my current "natural" hair color, lol.

10.  My husband is a twin.

11.  I've lost 70 lbs in a year.

12.  All of the walls in my house are painted and none of them are white.

13. I love costume dramas and period pieces.

14.  I had never been on a plane til I was 19 when I went to Maui with Lucas' family.

15.  I LOVE HALLOWEEN!!  

22/365

Summer seems sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo far away right now - current air temp is 0.....

BUT I'm already thinking of things I want to do this summer that I've never done before.

1.  Take in a play at the Guthrie (ok, I've been to the Guthrie a bunch of times but not in a LONG time).

2.  Walk around Lake Calhoun.

3.  Go hiking at Minnehaha Falls.

4.  Take a spin class - one of my co-workers has invited me to a class at The Firm.  I'm afraid.  Very afraid.

5.  And last, go to the great MN get together.  I've never been to the state fair (GASP!) - I know.  I'm a horrible excuse for a Minnesotan.  BUT, I don't like large groups of people - esp. when they include screaming kids, screaming parents, and people who think they can cut you off simply because they're pushing a stroller.  I don't like excessive heat.  I don't eat fried food.   I don't do rides - soooooooooo what's the point?   Yeah yeah, I'm going because I need to see it once in my life.  :-)  However, I'm going 1. on a weekday and 2. in the morning.  That should solve the first two problems at least, lol.  :-)  

* I also signed up to win tickets to Antiques Roadshow coming to Minneapolis in July - I'm a nerd, I know, but it would be SO cool to go!

21/365

Oatmeal...... I really need to learn to love it.... why?  Because its good for you.  Its fills you up and its easy to make.  However.... when I think "oatmeal" I think this:  

 < this makes me want to heave

I've tried oatmeal before and I can't do it - its not even the taste.  It's totally the texture.  

These are oatmeal.   I would have NO problem eating these. :-)

I see pictures like this on my Spark Friend Cass' blog: Back To Her Roots  that make me think I really want to try to like oatmeal.   Anyone have any delicious oatmeal recipes (the chunkier the better - I've determined soupy oatmeal is not my thang)? 

20/365

Went to Common Roots for dinner tonight with our lovely friend Julie and her neighbor Sandy.  

http://www.commonrootscafe.com/

Common Roots is a cafe that uses local and organic ingredients and they make everything from scratch - their menu changes monthly.

Lucas and I shared the salad w/ nicoise olives, red onions, tomatoes, mixed greens, croutons, and avocado-tarragon vinaigrette and flatbread pizza w/ fresh mozzarella, artichokes, anchovies, roasted tomatoes, garlic olive oil.  YUM (minus the anchovies).  I had a Surly Abrasive and Lucas had a Furthermore (that had a pepper like finish - very interesting) - both local beers.

Here's us after enjoying our food.  :-)  Photo courtesy of Julie.

19/365

These are a few of my favorite things...........

This boy

These canines

V, C and B

HALLOWEEN!!

                                    

Summer

Coffee AND E.C.

True Blood