Pssst. A little birdie told me.

As if we needed one more way to social network ... TWEET, TWEET ... along came Twitter. I am jumping on board. I have to be honest, I mostly signed up to see what other folks are up to and get tips on interesting things happening downtown. I'm going to try and keep up. So, if you need even more unnecessary information about me you can find me here on Twitter. 

hum?

"What if you,
could wish me away?
What if you,
spoke those words today?
I wonder if you'd miss me ...
when I'm gone."
- Joshua Radin

Goodbye.

To my dear friend,
I will miss you so much. You aren't even gone and I can already feel the pain of your absence. Much of our relationship is unspoken and lies just below the surface, but we always manage to communicate exactly what needs to be said. We don't rely on constant contact and endless conversations to stay connected. We just are. I am certain that our unique bond will withstand the miles that will soon be between us.
I hope that you know how proud I am of you. Hold your head high for making it a priority to fulfill a purpose that is important to you. Congratulate yourself for desperately fighting to keep a commitment through such a tumultuous time. Honor your bravery for not doing the easy thing. Find contentment in the fact that you are fighting against future regrets. Find joy in the knowledge you are able to share with others for their benefit. Find hope in knowing that life happens for reason and there is something to gain from each moment - even the most challenging. Find peace in knowing that you are only as far away as the thoughts of those that love you.
As much as I hate to see you go, I hope this experience is all you need it to be and more than you could ever imagine. Take it all in. Live & learn through every opportunity that presents itself. Try to remain open. Do yourself the ultimate favor ... don't be your own worst critic. You are talented, capable, worthy and wonderful. I love you. Please come home soon. There will always be room for you here.
All my love. AB
PS: I promise only a few tears. ;)

What FONT are you?

This made me laugh and I enjoyed my description. Click to take the font quiz.

You're like an industry standard. Classic. Reliable. Okay, maybe a bit boring. But you don't let haters get you down - after all, you've still got plenty of friends who think you're the best.

The Slanket

Don't be jealous. I got one of these for Christmas and it is awesome. If you haven't seen the "Snuggie" commercial that has been inundating the airways lately, then I have to wonder if you actually own a TV. My version is actually called a Slanket, but it is the same exact product. For those of you who stay cold all winter or those of you who live in the Arctic Tundra (um, actually that's probably only me) this little bundle of blanket goodness is a perfect solution!! Check out the website for further laughs and details on this gem.

-- apparently slanket parties are all the rage? --

Post Holiday Haze

The holidays are always such a blur. Between the food, family, friends and fun it is just hard to find a moment to breathe and take it all in. Christmas was the usual traveling from home to home and meal to meal. Each time we entered the home of someone we loved, I paused to be grateful for the fact they sill had their home to welcome us in to. Each time another meal was served and I felt like I couldn't possibly cram another bite of delicious homemade this-or-that in my mouth, I paused to consider how excess can so easily become expectation. With each gift received, I paused to comprehend how truly extravagant my life is. Certainly not in the traditional sense that some might think, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that my life is truly blessed. I have so much to be thankful for. I am not proud to say that I take everything for granted more often than I should.

Extravagance can manifest itself in the most benign ways. The simplistic love that my husband showers on me everyday. The effortless way my friends share their laughter with me, as if it was not a truly precious commodity. The spoiled way I overlook my abilities to read and write with ease. The luxury fate has dealt me with that ability to be healthy for so many consecutive years of my life. The job that I too often don't want to drive to. The selfless, unconditional love and life lessons that my grandmother has shared with me so many times over the years. The guidance and support from my parents. The friends who surround me with love and acceptance even when times are tough and moods aren't so great. The people that make up my biological and extended families who are always so willing to give of themselves.

My life is so much more than I deserve. So much more than I believe I can truly appreciate. I have one "New Year's Resolution" ... to seize the moments of my life. Especially the ones that are easily overlooked, the ones that have gradually morphed into expectations and the ones that are truly wonderful in their simplest form.

I wish you all a very happy new year. As we all get a fresh start, take a moment for some self reflection. Try to evaluate objectively. We all have areas to improve on. I wish you luck on yours because I know that mine will be a struggle.

All American Rejects cover "Womanizer"

Um. Yeah. I love Brit, but this is pretty funny stuff. Way to go guys.

Weather Channel

My work campus is part of a Weather Channel feature: 2008 Top Ten Weather Stories. This is the story that just won't go away. We are all glad to say that we made it through and it is nothing more than a memory now.

Family photo shoot

I was hired to shoot some special family pictures on Sunday. I spent a few hours with the family and had so much fun with the daughters. I never knew how funny a set of pre-teen fraternal twins could be. Them ganging up on the oldest sister was hilarious. They had me in stitches. It reminded me of a time when things were simple and laughter was easy to come by. It was a much needed reality check. Life is as humorous as you make it. Sometimes it is hard to remember that you even have to laugh when it hurts. Sometimes laughter is the only thing that gets us through.

-- thanks girls! --

Showin' some love to South Cobb High -- GO EAGLES!

Here's the scoop: South Cobb High School's Blue Eagle Marching Band was selected to be the ONLY band to represent Georgia in the 2009 Presidential Inaugural Parade. The School was selected from over 350 applications to represent our state of Georgia. South Cobb High School and Q100 need your help to make this historic event happen.

The anticipated cost for this trip is approximately $700 per student, which totals a $71,000 expense. This expense includes everything from transportation to thermal clothing to wear along the parade route. We can't let this opportunity pass by for the students of South Cobb High School's Marching Band. Please make a donation quickly because South Cobb High School must officially accept the invitation by early next week. All payments must be sent no later than THIS Friday, 12/12.

I realize the economy is crazy and we are all strapped for cash, but if you can spare a couple of bucks please donate. This is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity for these kids. Most of them would never be able to pay the $700 without a little help. Think about all the times you (or your kids) sold candy bars, wrapping paper, popcorn, t-shirts OR did car washes, spaghetti dinners & pancake breakfasts to raise money for something. Think about all those people that gave $1 to help you with your cause. PAY IT FORWARD!!

** UPDATE 12/11 ** in one day the Atlanta community stepped up to this challenge and raised $50,000+!!! That is an incredible number, but they are still approx. $20,000 short of the necessary funds to get all the band members to DC. If you can find it in your heart to donate anything just click here.

nice quote

"Consciously cultivating thankfulness is a journey of the soul, one that begins when we look around us and see the positive effects that gratitude creates."
-- MJ Ryan

Food - Family - Festive Fun

-- our pretty red, white & silver tree --

So the holiday season is officially upon us. Thanksgiving is always so crazy. Many family members to see & so much food to eat. We enjoyed ourselves. It was nice to see everyone and even greater to not be at work! YAY for a break. Dinner with my favorite siblings, lunch at the in-laws, dinner at my parents, shopping, resting, holiday decorating, birthday celebrations, reading, sleeping late and just taking in all the things that I am thankful for and don't get to do enough of. So with christmas plans and a packed full work agenda waiting in the wings ... I am looking forward to one more day here at home. 

-- yup, we're turkeys. what can i say? --

Google Talk BETA!!!

I have previously alluded to my love of Google and all the fun products and services they provide. My friend AJ introduced me to yet another fun treat today ... Google Talk. Yes, friend that is G-Chat with audio and video capabilities. It also does gmail notifications, regular IM, PC-to-PC (or Mac-to-Mac) voice calls and file transfers. Get excited!! Hope to see you soon.

Do something kind today

I know that most of us spend hours a day on the computer. Between doing work and surfing the net for personal reasons, we rack up a lot of screen time. I hope that you can find it in your heart to participate in this worthwhile initiative. Below are details about the Bert Show's Big Thank You 2008. I urge you to take 15 seconds (really it takes that long) and send a message of thanks or appreciation to deserving soldiers around the world.

********************************
Last year, Bert Show listeners answered the call. In just two weeks, the Bert Show listening community collected over 350,000 handwritten thank you letters that were sent to every serviceman and servicewoman stationed outside the United States. The Bert Show's Big Thank You 2007 was a patriotic symbol of support and an extraordinary success. This year we're going even bigger.

The goal of The Bert Show's Big Thank You 2008 is to collect 1,051,200 unique messages by Thanksgiving Day. Each message will be posted on this site, and when we reach our goal, we will have enough messages to display a new flashing one on this site every thirty seconds ... for one entire year!

Our servicemen and women -- no matter what branch of the military they are in, no matter where in the world they are stationed-- will only be a click away from seing your thoughts of appreciation! It's ambitious, but with lots of help it can be done. Help us say 'thank you' by submitting your message here! And tell your friends about this site and encourage them to leave messages and tell their friends about the Bert Show's Big Thank You 2008. You will be notified of the exact time your message will be flashed for all the troops to see after you click the submit button.

Happy Organizing!

HO - HO - HO!!
Yup it's another great place to go searching for the perfect gift for that someone special in your life. I am a little OCD when it comes to organizing things. I love bins, cubbies, folders, boxes ... basically any mechanism to keep things neat & tidy. If you are cursed with this same affliction, than http://www.organize.com/ is the place for you. **WARNING** once you start searching this site, it's hard to stop. They recently added a new section that I think is fantastic. It is called the {she} shop. Think of woman you would like to buy a gift for. Is she a career girl? A mom? The ultimate party hostess? A bride-to-be? They have compiled a list of items based on the general needs of particular categories. It doesn't cover everything, but it is a great jumping off point. Pretty fun huh? I love it. I just ordered the biggest shoe rack ever. Looking to clear up some major floor space in the ole' closet. Review to come, post installation of course. Happy organizing.

Olan Mills

We've all seen them. Let's be honest, most of us can claim to appear in at least one. The Olan Mills portrait. Check out these classics -- HILARIOUS!! The captions are priceless. Thanks Erik for this fun little piece of entertainment. If you want more just Google image search "olan mills"... there are way too many.

ICE is here!!

Well almost. The The Indie Craft Experience Holiday Shopping Spectacular 2008 is this Saturday, Nov. 15 from 11 am - 6 pm at Ambient + Photo Studio (Located at 585 Wells St. SW Unit A * Atlanta, GA 30312). Please come out and support independent artists and crafters!! You can check out photos from past shows at the ICE Flickr page.

Pink Loves Brown

Nicole Balch is an awesome indie crafter and founder of her own company Pink Loves Brown. She makes the greatest stationary suitcase sets. She also has tons of other amazing products like bookplates, pins, magnets and the cutest collection of "periodic table of sentiments". All of her stuff is so original and lovely. Speaking of ... she also has a super fun blog called Making it Lovely. She just added 13 paper suitcase stationary gift sets to her store, you should check it out. Psst...this is a fun gift for anyone in your life who like to give cards or write letters.

Election Day

I have made it a point not to talk politics here, however I felt like this was the only day appropriate to say a few words about our democratic process. This is by far the biggest and most widely anticipated election that most of us will witness in our lifetime. There have been heated debates, passionate speeches, an abundance of promises, mountains of anxiety and more "enthusiasm" than anyone could have predicted. This election will define our country today. No matter which way the people of our nation swing the vote, we will all be affected. Do whatever you feel is right. If you're uninformed, or for that matter mis-informed, stay home. Voting is a privilege. Don't haul yourself out to the polls to vote for this guy just because you are afraid the other guy might win. Do not feverishly denounce one candidate and yet, when questioned about your righteous indignation, not even possess the capability to articulate why. Don't vote based on the content of chain-letter emails and slanderous Internet messages. Don't vote for your party because that is what you've always done. Don't vote for that white guy because he's the status-quo. Don't vote for that black guy just because he's not. Know the issues at hand. Know what you stand for and choose the candidate that most closely reflects your ideals. Do not be lulled into a false sense of acceptance with your choice for President. Do not let yourself forget for one minute that he is not a one man decision making machine. Our President is pushed, pulled, swayed, bullied and bought by the advisors, government leaders, lobbyist, media, corporations, analyst and us that surround him. They all "aid" him in making the important decisions he faces while in office. The campaign has been important. This election day is a huge deal. Do not forget though that the "change" will be made over the span of the whole presidential term. I've heard people say vote with your heart. Please, I beg you, engage your brain in the process. Do not be fooled. Do not be apathetic. Do not be ignorant. Please. Happy Election Day.

-- oh how i LOVE google --

Just a thought ...

How far you go in your life depends on your being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and strong. Because someday in your life you will have been all of these.
-- George Washington Carver