Molm ♥

So ... my Mom, [or "Molm" as we all say] is on eBay. I was Googling to see if I could find one of her records. My mother was a recording artist for Warner Bros. in the late 70s and she doesn't even have a copy of her own music! I'm pretty sure that even if I recorded my own song on a TalkBoy in my bathroom that I would have stock piles of copies just to brag when I'm her age. But, she always thought it was no big deal. So, when I went searching, I found her record on eBay as well as this ...

Isn't she the cutest!? I showed this to her and she laughed. Of course, I immediately thought about the stack of these postcards that my Dad has in storage. I mean, I can copy that signature, I've seen it my whole life! Let's make some money, y'all! But seriously, I'm really lucky to be able to have parents that gave a great example of fulfilling your dreams with hard work and passion. My Mom dreamed of being a singer, so she moved to Nashville and wrote and recorded music for years. Lucky for me, another one of her dreams was to be a mother to a big family! No family is perfect, and we've been through good and bad in our relationship, but my parents are truly amazing and it's because of them that I'm able to see the importance of doing what you love, making goals for yourself and striving to meet them. ♥

Baby Brother

Baby brother on drums ... Louisiana Jazz Trio, Lafayette. Enjoy! 

Toil & Trouble

Jenny & Danny got me this AMAZING gift for Christmas ... I mean, where do you even find this sort of thing? The "look what we made for Kate" store? In any case, I can't think of what to do with it just yet, but I'm sure I'll think of something soon.

Ahhhhhhhhh!! Just what I always wanted, a giant cauldron that is also a Jack O'lantern!!

Wet 'n Wild

Sorry, I couldn't resist that title ...

These were quite obviously a gift. But, while I cringe at the Bossier-esque overuse of zebra print in every day life, these are pretty damn cute for a rainy day and surprisingly warm and comfortable. It is kind of like my thoughts on the fleur de lis ... honestly, the fleur de lis is a beautiful symbol that is truly unique to Louisiana in the US, but the minute someone emblazons it with rhinestones on their jeans and wears it to Wal-Mart, I want to avoid it at all costs. But, just like cardigans and cupcakes, I'm not going to let some idiot ruin a perfectly good idea.

Rainy day sass!

Mawwiage

Besides the amazing Jack O'Lantern cauldron that my sis and bro-in-law gave me (which I plan to give his own blog post,) I'd have to say that my very favorite Christmas gift this year has been hearing the news that one of our dearest friends is getting married!! Hillary and my husband Brandon became friends a long time ago under the pretense of space rock [Bowie] and solitude [they're both back porch chatters] in the lost world of Bossier City. Later, Brandon would meet me in a bar and eventually confess to Hillary that I was "the one." Hillary, much like Brandon, is calm and collected and like water for my fire which is why she and I had no problem becoming best friends. 

Hillary has been dating the man of her dreams for a few years now, the last couple of which she has spent with him in L.A.! As sad as we often are that they aren't here to participate in silly Sunday fun, Corgi experiments and cooking/wine-fests, we could not be more proud of her for devoting herself to a meaningful and wonderful relationship with her boyfriend Rue, whom we just so happen to adore. Brandon and I have the honor of sharing maid/man of honor duties and we could not be more excited! I don't often gush, but I cannot help it ... these are the people we want on our team [marriage] ... those who truly love each other, take time to cultivate a loving bond that doesn't need to be defined, but just so happens to eventually have paperwork. I don't have faith in much, but I have faith that some people do truly love and cherish each other and among those rare couples whom we admire are the future Mr. & Mrs. Torres.

Christmas Pups

This is my parents' new dog ... he doesn't have a name yet. They started out naming him "Smokey," which I think is precious,  but now he has 5 names and no one can make a final decision. In any case, he is so sweet and cute!

Whatevz, I'm Over It

This is sad, but for me, it is most often the people closest to me that I can count on the least. I don't mean that in terms of my husband or my entire family, but there are definitely friends I've had for years and family members that let me down on a regular basis. Why? I realize I'm pretty awful, but if you're my friend or the like, you probably already know that and are accustomed to my shitty ways. I feel like I'm supportive of my friends and their endeavors and I don't do that for the sole purpose of having it returned, but I often find myself thinking "why am I having to beg for support right now?" I definitely spent most of my young life begging for attention and was made to feel horrible for it, but as an adult, I don't consider assuming someone who cares for me will be there for me as attention-seeking behavior.

I don't consider this a rant, or a vague non-name-dropping slight to a specific person whom I'm too cowardly to confront. I am speaking generally about several people over several years. This is more of an "isn't life grand" type post. The fact that I have to say that is sad; people are so quick to assume I'm talking about them when I write something critical. Any time I have an issue with someone, they know it first. That is the point, right? I get a lot of flack for bringing up issues or calling people on their bull-shit [and honestly, denying my own from time to time] but how on earth can anyone cultivate a real relationship with anyone without being honest and dealing with their issues? Communication is key, but for the record ... I don't think that involves begging for encouragement.

The problem with having this type of conversation is that the person almost always gets defensive and then overcompensates, cheapening their words and making it seem as if they're feigning emotion to suffice the crying titty-baby. Then I [the titty-baby] just end up feeling like an asshole. Ugh. OR they get defensive and react the opposite way by playing freeze out or  throwing your relationship away completely. I'm pretty great at the latter; I weigh my issues with people against involving myself with them at all and if my Benjamin Franklin style pros/cons list doesn't add up ... it's over. [I'm such a guy.] I guess this is why people just write Facebook status updates like, "I REALLY WISH GIRLS WEREN'T SUCH BITCHES!!! EPIC FAIL!!!! SEE MY REAL FRIENDS TONIGHT!!!" ... shit, just typing that makes my bowels twitch. Getting it out of your system in a safe [as in, non-consequential whatsoever] way is great, as long as you don't plan on learning any life lessons. Honestly, how can you be sure you have any real friends whatsoever if you're constantly hating everything they do, but never talking about it?

I guess I can safely say that I've learned a lot this year about my relationships; old, new, real, fake, tormented,  and blissful. And I have to say ... WHO NEEDS 'EM!?!

I'm kidding, I'll probably make more friends, lose more and maybe just keep a few forever, but I'll be kicking and screaming the whole way if people don't stop stunting their growth out of fear of an 'icky' feeling and learn how to interact on a real level.

Pumpkin Carvin'

Even with all the craziness October 2010 brought our way, Brandon and I had to take a break and have a pumpkin carving night with friends. We thought about taking Peter [the Corgi] to the pumpkin patch and taking pictures, but then we remembered he is a jerk and would probably chest bump the toddlers until they pressed charges on us. So, instead ... we got a few from Gucci Brookshires and they turned out to be perfect! Really, the most orange pumpkins I've ever seen! I think we did a pretty good job ...

For the record, putting a l'Automne Zombee in a carved pumpkin smells AMAZING!

A Very Merry Market

So, I took my little Zombees to market in Alexandria this past week. I have to say, it was really fun and I'm pretty sure I could do this for a living! There really are people that just travel the country with their products instead of having straight 9to5 jobs. I was romanticizing it, like I always do, until I realized ... I hate to travel!
Here are some shots of my Zombees on display! My favorite part was the cash register. I used to play "store" when I was a kid ... well into my pre-teen days, actually. So doing it for real was pretty awesome. I'm lame, I know.

Hubby and his beard.

Awww. Ready for their new homes!

 Met up with my swim buddies from high school! Memories!

Zombee Kiss!



Sweet Buster Brown

Our sweet family pup, Buster died today. He will be missed so much by all of us, especially my Dad with whom he had a special kinship. Buster was the sweetest and happiest dog I've ever known. He was a "stray," but that really only means he was looking for a home that needed and wanted him and that home was lucky enough to be ours! 

I'll never forget my first impression of Buster. I kept thinking, "aww, he doesn't know he looks like that ..." After a few years, I think that his unique looks and precious demeanor made him the best dog ever in the opinion of everyone he met. We really got the feeling that he appreciated us taking him in and our family spent the rest of his life making sure he knew that we appreciated him just as much. 

I know my Mom, Dad and brothers are taking this the hardest, since they were lucky enough to spend pretty much every day with him after I moved away. I hope they can stay strong and know that even though he is gone, he died a very happy dog and I bet his spirit will be felt there for a long time to come!

I will miss being greeted like this every time I visit home!