Mar 30, 2010

Zombie Love & Full Moon

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE! My blog has been invaded by ZOMBIES! Well, a single zombie and a cute one at that.

I just wanted to share with you what my wonderful husband bought me for our anniversary. But first you must understand, I am a horror fan. Of all the horror monsters, my favorite is the zombie. I have even tinkered with some ideas for a zombie inspired tattoo. I am truly a zombie freak.

Fast forward to last week. I was checking out my favorite Etsy shops and Zombie Queen Susan had put up some new dolls. Each one is individual, handmade and absolutely precious! So while I was browsing her site, I spied LaVonnia and was instantly smitten. I sent the link to the hubby not really expecting him to buy her but he did! Then he told me and I have been waiting in unrestrained anticipation.

We have wringing our hands worried about her trip. Is she going to be comfortable in her casket (box)? Hopefully, the UPS guys would handle her with care. We don't want any zombie parts floating around country. Even my hubby was paranoid.

We can stop worrying now. LaVonnia made it to our home today. She is safe and sound as a zombie can be. She is sitting here with me as I type my blog. She says she won't eat the brains of her new mommy's bloggy friend's so you are all still safe to visit whenever you would like. Here is a photo I took of LaVonnia. I intentionally shot it in the LowFi settings to get this look. Click the photo to see her closer.



My disclaimer. I am in no way affiliated with The Zombie Farm. I was not asked to promote this shop nor am I being paid or rewarded in any way. That being said, I love my new dolly! Thank you ever so much to Zombie Queen Susan for all the love that goes into raising them from the dead. If there is a zombie lover on your gift list they will die to get one of these undead dolls. Go visit The Zombie Farm at http://www.etsy.com/shop/zombiequeensusan

And now for something completely different *in my Monty Python voice*. Here's a little video I made of our full moon tonight. Enjoy!



~Jessica~

Mar 29, 2010

Taboo and Blog Award

CAUTION: This blog post may not be suitable for younger audiences. It contains sensitive subject matter and what may be considered too much information. This is also fairly long winded. If you are squeamish about religion, politics and and other adult topics, turn back now. I will resume my family safe posts tomorrow. If you are feeling adventurous, continue on at your own risk. Bwaa Ha Ha

Moonwolf over at Howling at the Moon, http://moonwolfhowling.blogspot.com, has graced me with the Beautiful Blogger award. Thank you ever so much!



You can say it. Ooh, Ahhh! Isn't it lovely? Ahem, where was I? Ah yes, in order to participate one must do the following:

- Thank the person who gave you this award.
- Share 7 things about yourself.
- Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic!
- Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

I have done a few of these before and I am running out of things to say about myself. Let see *drumming fingers*.... I think for this award I am going to talk about seven taboo subjects and how I feel about them. If you want some fluffy bunny topics about me see these previous blog posts.

http://themagicalmundane.blogspot.com/2009/12/honest-scrap.html

http://themagicalmundane.blogspot.com/2009/12/memes-galore.html

http://themagicalmundane.blogspot.com/2009/08/meme-award-for-me.html

So without further ado, here are seven things you may not know about me, and might wish you never had.

1 & 2. I will start you out easy. My vices are swearing and smoking. With both I have actually gotten better but they are still there. I don't swear in front of strangers and I try not to in front of my children. However, if I am in a very emotional state such as pain or angry, I can and have let loose a tirade that will make the toughest sailor blush like a school girl. On smoking, I have quit several times over my life and still come back to it. I recognize it is a filthy and unhealthy habit but it is one I have no desire to quit at this time. It is my guilty pleasure. I do NOT smoke in the house. If I want one bad enough, I will bundle up and go out in a blizzard but I do not light up in the house.

I consider myself politically independent. I lean more towards liberal when it comes to social issues but regarding family issues I am conservative. It makes for a very interesting mishmash of political views. I think my parent's (who often have very different views) go crazy wondering where they went wrong raising me. I promise they did very well in raising me to make educated decisions and to consider both sides before making them. My next couple of items deal with these views.

3. I fully support health care reform. I have been in that gray area where we made too much money to get state assistance but not enough to be able to afford insurance and our employers didn't offer it. Do you know how hard it is to make the decision on whether or not you can afford to take yourself or your loved ones to the doctor or not? Have you had to make these decisions before? People in America, or anywhere for that matter, should never have to and yet there are thousands of Americans who have to make those decisions.

4. I do not support abortion, with the exception of the big two: rape and life or death matters. In all other cases, if you were adult enough to make a baby, you are adult enough to birth the baby. There are so many folks who want children of their own and cannot conceive. Not to mention, whether or not you intended to get pregnant, you are now housing a precious life that will, if given the chance, become a wonderful person. When women use the excuse "it's my body, I can do what I want" I get so angry. Well what about that little body developing inside you? That excuse is the perfect example of what is wrong with society. It is always I, Mine, Me. It is selfish and uncaring to the world outside our immediate self. What if we all started caring a little more about each other instead of ourselves? What kind of drastic change would we see in how the world cultures associate with each other?

5. I DO believe in sexual education and programs to encourage birth control until you are ready to start a family. And before anyone mentions teaching abstinence only, I don't think it works. No matter how hard you try to tell teens about it, only a few will listen. This is because teens inherently will want to expand their horizons regardless of what we say. It is human nature and part of becoming an adult. Why not prepare them for the risks and how to prevent them if they do decide to experiment? This brings me to another birth control subject. Why in the world someone would want to keep popping out children like they were populating a small country is beyond my comprehension. Oh I understand broadening the gene pool, survival of the species, a desire to feel a mother child bond etc. I also understand to some degree the religious aspect of "Gods Blessings". At some point though, one has to realize that "go forth and multiply" didn't probably mean like Jack Rabbits. Just because I am anti-abortion doesn't mean that I want to pay to take care of children because their parents couldn't figure out enough is enough. If you are in the place where you can support raising a large family, by all means multiply. If you aren't in that place, take some steps to ensure you get to that place first.

6. My religion. In case some of you haven't figured this out, I am a pagan, heathen, witch or any other number names you want to call it. I usually label myself a spiritualist if I have to describe my religion. I am not a Wiccan though. There is a difference, trust me. My faith sometimes collides with the stereotypes folks of my path are given. My abortion and anti-feminist stances often clash with the accepted belief that all pagans are Goddess worshipers and feminist in nature. I am not. I believe in duality in nature. This extends also to deity as nature is nothing more than the divine spark of God. Both male and female aspects always are present. I pay as much respect to the male form as the female form. I think sometimes other pagans lose sight of this and tend to become obsessed with the female aspect as much as some Abrahamic religions become obsessed with the male aspect.

I am anti-feminist. I think that when one becomes married and begins a family, the female should be responsible for the hearth. I am all for equal opportunity but when it comes to making a family, one must make some sacrifices of themselves in order to truly raise a well rounded member of society. Now I am not saying give up everything that makes you an individual but will it really be worth making a six digit salary if your child grows up a stranger. It makes me so sad to hear about children who are left in daycare for not just a few hours at a time but all day, all week, every week. And don't get me started on how I feel about boarding schools. This doesn't include single parents who have no choice but to work to make ends meet. This is directed at those that are capable of spending time on their family but are content to let someone else deal with it.

On a lighter note, sometimes I am a stereotype. I fit the stereotyping in that I have not one, but two black cats who happened to find their way to me. You may very well run across me meditating in a park or on a nature trail. I regularly go out to bathe in the moonlight, not naked though. I am not so much into going out of the house sky clad. I am a nature lover and my hobbies reflect that.

7. Probably the most "Whoa too much information" item I have for you is this. I have a very healthy love life. I fully believe that women, and some men, need to let go of the old view that sex was only for procreation and that it is sinful to enjoy it. Yes it takes work to maintain your love life, especially after being with the same partner for many years, but it is worth it. I am not saying having an awesome time in the bedroom is going to fix all your marital woes but it will certainly go a long way in keeping your relationship solid. Intimacy is not just physical either. It is also an emotional state between you and your significant other. I care not one whit for people saying that public displays of affection are bad. Granted, I do not advise groping in public but do take time to snuggle, hold hands and kiss during the day. Make the time to have at least one night or two a week for something more physical. Experiment! There is a reason that the adult industry is a multi-million industry.

I am not going to nominate any other bloggers at this time. I don't want to force anyone to read this if they aren't comfortable with the content. However, if you are interested in playing along, leave a message in the comments with your blog address and I will edit this post to "officially" nominate you.

I hope you enjoyed this installment of all about me. If you are going to comment on one of these subjects, please keep it civil. I look forward to reading the responses.

~Jessica~

Mar 23, 2010

Family Time

This week has been a busy one. My sister in law (Dan's wife) is up visiting from down south. It was so nice to see her again. My sister in law, my other brother and my family went out to dinner tonight and we had a pleasant time. It was the first time we have been together since the December services and the first time we have had smiles together in a long time.

We ate at this little restaurant called Papa Vino's. I had the Baked Cheese Ravioli. It is stuffed with cheese and spinach and baked with both a pesto and an alfredo sauce. It was very delicious.

Below are some photos of our dinner.

My brother and our sister in law


Being "Gangsta" or at least pretending to be. Yes, we are a bunch of silly folks aren't we?


My two sons


My yummy ravioli. Sorry I forgot to take a picture until after I started eating.


My oldest son and my brother.


My husband and my sister in law.


My youngest son


My sister in law and me


All of us, except my husband who was taking the photo.


~Jessica~

Mar 22, 2010

Grand Rapids Bridal Show

This post is in honor of my friend C.B.'s upcoming nuptials and in honor of my 13th wedding anniversary, which is today!

On Saturday, March 12th, I went with a friend and some of her family members to a bridal show up in Grand Rapids, MI. My friend is getting married in the not to distant future and the highlight of any bride to be is going to bridal shows. We had a great time both during the show and afterward when we hit the town, but that is another story all together. Here are some of my favorites from the bridal show. Some of the following photos are macros for my Macro Monday entry. For more Macro Monday photos, please visit Lisa's Chaos: http://lisaschaos.com/. All photos are clickable for larger viewing size.

This is a wedding cake from Desserts by Lori, http://dessertsbylori.com/. Her cake designs are so beautiful. They didn't have many there for me to photograph but check out her website. Gorgeous!



These vintage wedding dresses were a highlight for me. I thought I had a card from the company but I can't find it. I apologize that I can not give them credit. As soon as I am able to track them down I will update the post with their contact information.



This dress was my favorite and had the longest train I have ever seen. it goes up and over the border of their booth.



Close up of the bead work on wrist.



Parasol details.



I love these tiny shoes. I feel bad for the young lady who wore them. They looked like a little girl's shoes. At the time, women would do many torturous things to their feet to make then small and delicate.



The following cakes are from Fun Cakes Rental, http://www.cakerental.com/. These cakes are a trick though. The fondant is real but only small portion has real cake in it. The rest is made of foam. This allows you to still cut into the cake and feed one another but for a fraction of the cost of one of the typical designer cakes. Your guests then get served a plain sheet cake. Pretty neat idea if you ask me.

Zebra cake. I love this one. I think I might go with this style for my next birthday or at least a replica.



Black and white swirl cake.



Autumn leaves cake.



Elegant in brown and white.



Topsy-turvy cake



Details from topsy-turvy cake.





Thanks for looking and enjoy your Monday!

~Jessica~

Mar 21, 2010

Birthday Goodies

This post is long overdue. I was working hard around my birthday so the photos never got posted. Now it's been over a month and I am finally sharing my gifts with you. If any of you care to know, my birthday was on February 15th.

From my Mom and Stepdad, I got some gift certificates to a local restaurant. I didn't take photos of them but I will make to photograph the actual dinner.

From my sister, I got this wonderful chocolate bar. It is from the company Chocomize, http://www.chocomize.com/. To quote their website, "Choose from over 80 types of fruits, nuts, herbs and candies to create the perfect custom chocolate bar just for you! Our Belgian Chocolate bars are handmade to order with only the finest ingredients! More than 10 billion flavour combinations allow you to create the perfect bar for you or your loved ones! It's easy, fun and simply delicious!" Let me tell you, this chocolate is divine! My sister ordered mine with Mini Chipotles, 23 Karat Gold Flakes and an edible Happy Birthday Plaque.



From my husband and kids, I got 32 Cadbury Creme Eggs and a digital picture keychain.

If you most know, I got an egg for every year old I am. Yes, I turned 32. This was actually the perfect gift. I am notorious for hording Cadbury eggs. I freeze them and then ration them out over the year so I can have Cadbury eggs all summer, fall and winter long.



The keychain has a home on my purse and is fully loaded. If you run into me out and about, I can show you photos of the family, the pets including hens and ducks as well of silly photos of me and my best friends.



From our good friends, Jarid and Steph, I got a couple of books and a movie from my Amazon.com wishlist.

Roma by Steven Saylor is a historical fiction. It follows the twists and turns of two of the founding families of Rome. Each chapter is another period of time, with one or both of the families descendants having the main character roles. The book covers the span of five centuries and ends with the time of Augustus Caeser. The great thing about Roma is that Steven Saylor is in addition to a fictional author a Roman historian. Much of the book is based on his historical knowledge of ancient Rome.

Let the Right One In by John Lindqvist is a vampire novel but it is no Twilight. It isn't even akin to Bram Stoker's Dracula. This is more psychological on many levels. The story follows Oskar, a bullied boy, and Eli, his savior of sorts. It is set in Stockholm, so some of the references are European but it is a very engrossing read. The book and movie both contain strong, mature content. There are varying degrees of violence and sexual undertones.

If you do decide to give Let the Right One In, here are my suggestions. Read the book first. The movie stays close to the book's storyline but some of the backdrop information is left out leaving you guessing. I watched the film first but it made much more sense after I read the book. My other suggestion is to try watching it in Swedish with English subtitles. The dubbed over English voices just don't fit the characters as well as the original Swedish language does. This is one of those movies where you truly are so engrossed you forget you are reading the subtitles rather than hearing it in English.



I hope you enjoyed the reviews of my birthday goodies. I am in no way affiliated with any of the companies or products mentioned however I willing endorse all of them.

On a side note, Happy Vernal Equinox. It is officially the first full day of Spring in the northern hemisphere. We did get a bit of snow yesterday but nothing stuck. Today has been beautiful!

~Jessica~

Mar 20, 2010

Camera Critters - Puppy Love

Before I get into the adorable photos, here is a little backdrop information. Our housemates had two cats, in addition to our two, when we moved in together. Wendy passed away soon afterward due to a sudden illness. The other one, Winky, they had to put to sleep about two weeks ago. He was really old and he had been showing signs that it was time. I won't go into details but it the veterinarian and housemates decided it was really for the best. There had been some talk that when it came time for him to go to the Rainbow Bridge that there would be a puppy instead of another cat.

Here is where Morgana enters the picture. They brought her home from The Humane Society Wednesday. She is a Labrador/Shepherd mix. She is just the sweetest little thing. Morgana had a rough start but all of us are smitten with her and I don't expect that she will ever have it rough again.

All photos are clickable for larger viewing size.











For more Camera Critter blogs, visit http://camera-critters.blogspot.com/

~Jessica~

Mar 19, 2010

Blooming Friday - Budding Spring

I am not sure how well that title suits me at the moment.

We have had several warm days and everything is starting to pop up their little heads. I can almost hear them whispering "Is it time to get up? I have had a nice nap but I am ready to stretch my leaves." The daffodils that just started to bloom almost appear to be yawning, saying, "It's good to be up again."

Just when I think all is good, my husband comes home and tells me a nasty rumor he heard. He heard a weather man say that we can expect *GASP* snow! Now I know Winter still has a few more days left to his reign but I am really ready for Spring in all her splendid glory.

Please Mr. Winter, be nice to my sunny daffodils and my fragrant hyacinths. Be gentle to the emerging sedum and irises. Keep your frosty touch off the rhododendron buds and the barely open leaves on my roses. I hope Winter is listening.













For more Blooming Friday blogs visit http://rosorochris.blogspot.com/

~Jessica~