be AUDacious

Take Twelve: January 2012

We ended up having a snow day today, so I'm really late on the blogging front. (The snow, sadly, was nothing to get really excited about. While it did snow quite a bit yesterday, much of it melted because we had temps close to 50 the day before that. Still, temps dropped below freezing last night, and much of the melted snow then freeze, which resulted in today's snow day. Ahh, the joys of living in the South.)

First things first, here's the winner of the Ella Publishing Take Twelve Guided Inspiration Kit: 

Janet, email me at audneal at gmail dot com and I'll get your redemption code to you right away! 

Thanks to everyone who entered. If you didn't win a copy in one of the many giveaways going on, Angie is offering you a chance to take 10% off your purchase off the Inspiration Kit or the Take Twelve Templates with the code PROCRASTINATOR. 

Here's a look at my 12 photos for the day. Just a few notes about my process: I had planned to take a photo an hour -- just a random collection of whatever was going on at the time my phone reminder went off. Instead, my photos are grouped into morning, afternoon, and evening. That just ended up making more sense with the rhythm of my day. These are processed through Instagram, but I took them with just the regular camera on my phone, so I have plain, unfiltered files to use (if I want) on my layout. I like having the two options -- Instagram is fun for blogsharing, tweeting, and even Facebook posts, but I prefer having unfiltered images to use on my scrapbook layouts. 

Morning: As I was dropping Cami off at school, the cold rain was just beginning to turn into snow. The first thing I do at work each day, after booting up my laptop, is check my agenda to see what needs to be done; much of my work involves planning for upcoming projects and presentations. Just a quick shot of three of my favorite things: my Fossil Key-per tote, my gray Converse sneakers, and corduroy pants. When I left for lunch, it had been snowing for several hours, covering the bushes, ground, and cars.

Afternoon: Beatrice spends much of our lunch hour just lying on the rug, near us. A random shot from my living room: a vintage typewriter I found for $5.00 -- I love the faux wood detailing and the red spacer key. Cass was all smiles when I picked her up from school this afternoon. Snow kept lightly drifting along the edge of the car windows; I was amazed at how downy it looked, rather than icy.

Evening: Cami came home with this little monkey toy from the school's 4th/5th grade Jamboree. I spent the evening catching up on some laundry; it's so much easier to fold it as soon as I take it out of the dryer (why don't I do this more often?) Any time we go into Cami's room now, the ratboys run to the bars of the cage to see what's going on; they've become quite nosy. I headed to bed fairly early, mostly to warm up and to spend some time reading; I finished one book and made it about halfway through another before falling asleep.

Christmas: how we celebrated

Christmas was pretty low-key, which is the way we like it. Our weekends involved a couple of different activities while the girls were still in school. Chris and I are lucky enough to get two full weeks off for Christmas break while the university shuts down, so it makes for a nice break. 

This year we headed downtown for an event called Dicken's Alley, which was a recreation of an old English alley, with a blacksmith, a foodseller, a storyteller, mule-drawn wagon rides, and even a pickpocket who gets locked up by the constable. The girls were able to do a few little crafts -- making reindeer food and writing a letter to Santa -- before we admired the newly lit Christmas tree on the court square and then headed home. The next morning was the annual Christmas parade. We're always amused at the variety of "floats" that make up our local parades each year: 20+ emergency vehicles, all with sirens blaring; Corvettes, antique cars, motorcycles, old tractors; church and community organization floats, decorated in a variety of themes...You really never know what you're going to find. If you're a kid, you can usually end up with pockets full of candy too. 

We also make a trip to Nashville every year to visit the Gaylord Opryland Hotel. Millions of lights decorate the hotel atriums and the grounds. We head down early so we can shop at our favorite used bookstore (McKay's), then grab a bite to eat at Outback. This is our way of celebrating our birthdays too, since mine is on the 23rd and Chris's is on the 26th. One of these years we'd love to actually get a room at the Gaylord and stay overnight; the girls in particular want a room with a balcony that overlooks one of the decorated atriums.

We also decorated our tree; we usually end up waiting until just a couple of weeks before Christmas because we get a live tree each year. That hasn't always been our habit; we had a fake tree when the girls were younger, but after moving three different times, it just didn't hold up. I prefer a real tree, so I'm glad we made the switch. When I was growing up, my parents owned 40 acres of land, and my family would head out onto our own land to cut our own tree each year. It's one of my favorite Christmas memories. Even though we don't cut our own tree (we buy it from Lowe's), I love the fresh smell in the house. We also add a new ornament from Opryland each year; the girls pick one out while we're in Nashville. The rest of our decorations are a mix of vintage (mostly family heirlooms from childhood) and handmade, like the circle garland I keep hanging on our windows.

The girls were so pleased with and grateful for the gifts they received. Despite being 15, Cassidy was so easy to shop for this year. Several of her gifts were obviously panda-themed, and she got some really cute clothes as well.

I'm not sure there was a kid alive who was more thrilled with her gifts than Cami was. Cass bought her the Adele Live at Royal Albert Hall CD/DVD combo, and Cami's face just lit up when she opened it. Her latest LaLaLoopsy obsession was fueled by two new dolls, and -- after two years of being her sole Santa request -- she got a pair of fancy rats, appropriately (???) named Peanut Butter and Cheese. (Those names have been in the works for YEARS now, seriously). 

My pile of gifts were impressive too: the PJ20 collection (book, CD, DVD) the newest Cassandra Clare novel, a new phone case, new Chucks in the prettiest gray color, as well as a new lamp for the living room. (Cami was sweet and put it together for me, since I was sick at the time). 

We spent the week after Christmas with Chris's family in Memphis. It's so wonderful to be able to bring everyone together for a full week of playing Wii games, eating great food, telling stories, and just spending time with each other. It's always one of my favorite weeks of the year.

 

...gonna rise up, find my direction magnetically...

Kentucky State Cross-Country Meet, Kentucky Horse Park, two nights in Lexington, Cassidy's 15th birthday, dinner at Outback, shopping at Joseph Beth Booksellers, giant cookies and hot chocolate, nature's bounty, the campus of University of Kentucky, a rental car to Frankfort, developing English curriculum frameworks, academic meets and practice, a Thanksgiving potluck, a College Fair and a parent workshop presentation, Foo Fighters documentary, getting hit by a deer in one of the fleet cars

...but everything looks perfect from far away...

(This will be a longer-than-normal iPhoto Friday, since I missed last week. If you'd like to see more of my photos, you can follow me on Instagram on your phone -- I'm audneal -- or you can click here to follow me from your computer.) Here's what we've been up to over the past two weeks:

Beautiful days on campus, and time for my yearly update on the ACT and financial aid.

Days both in and out of the office; so many big projects going on right now. I'm trying to figure out the best way to get these things finished and learning that I need total silence and isolation to do it.

An introduction to old episodes of The Addams Family and The Munsters by her 4th grade teacher.

Chris got a new work toy: a Lenovo Thinkpad. He likes it. He likes it a lot.

Cami's first rodeo. She's been begging to go to one since we moved her four years ago. 

Halloween, a Racers football game, and the band's annual tradition of costumes and Thriller.

The Trail of Treats -- trick-or-treating through Central Park, followed by games and a hayride.

One night of steady rain, and all the leaves that were on the trees now are...not.

Academic team season has started. Again, she is the only girl on the Quick Recall team (for the entire high school).

The foggiest morning I've seen in a long time, and a reminder that winter isn't far.

Region 1 Class AA Cross-Country Champions!

Dinner at The Outback to celebrate two great seasons (plus, any excuse to eat at The Outback is fine with us!)

A weekend soccer tournament in Evansville IN for Cami's Revolution team: 2 losses, 1 win. They played well, despite the losses.

A drive through Audabon State Park...stunning. I'd like to come back and stay for the weekend.

Temperatures back in the low 70's at the end of the week, bringing our gorgeous weather full circle.

Lots of math homework going on around here lately. Cass and Accelerated Geometry, Cami and long division.

...light a candle's end, you are a light turned low...

1. I love how the evenings finally begin to slow down in the fall, so that we can come home as it darkens outside and curl up with a good book for a bit before starting supper.

2. sky on fire

3. Work trips to Russellville involve driving past the Jefferson Davis monument each way; I can see it for miles in each direction because it's basically out in the middle of Amish farmland.

4. Once I start designing, it's hard to strike a balance between designing and scrapping. It seems to be an all-or-nothing thing for me.

5. Today concludes National Gear Up week. If you have a chance to talk to a teen about college, do it. Mentors exist in the most unlikely of places.

6. Cami was so happy to pull out the Halloween decorations, though she bemoaned our lack of spiderwebs.

7. This is my favorite time of year.

8. PJ20: amazing to think that they've been providing a soundtrack for my life since I was 16.

9. Batgirl

10. Vampire Queen

...it's hard to leave all these moments behind...

1. I was impressed with the wide range of selections they had in their YA section -- SO many great books, including all the National Book Award finalists, tagged with a small paper symbol like this. (This is my not-so-secret favorite -- more on this Monday).

2. I love historic downtown areas and old buildings. 

3. Local food, great atmosphere, plenty of time to just hang out and people-watch -- one of the upsides to traveling for work.

4. My favorite color blue is the color you get when you take an October day, full sunlight, and just a few puffy white clouds and mix them all together in a swirl of falling leaves.

5. It really is worth a 40-minute detour.

6. While she did her homework, big sis hung out in the chair next to her, looking through her bookshelves. How many 14-year-olds will willingly hang out with a 9-year-old little sister? The relationship they share is remarkable.

7. Rain. It lured me home at lunchtime and kept me there.

8. She wanted to play more games, even though they played four over the course of the weekend.

9. All Pearl Jam, all the time? Yes please.

10. Landscapes like this are poetry for the soul. Here's one I've always loved:

The Journey

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice--

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do--

determined to save

the only life you could save.

...'til all that remain is the arms of the angels

1. Cinnamon sugar donuts made from (get this!) canned biscuit dough. No lie. These are so simple to make (claims my husband, since he's the one who actually makes them). You take a small can of biscuits, a deep fryer (or a pot of oil on the stove), an apple corer, and sugar/cinnamon mixed in a bowl. Preheat the oil or deep fryer. Open the biscuits -- does anyone else (aside from me and my friend LL) call these "whomp biscuits?" Anyway, open the biscuits and use the apple corer to cut a small hole in the center of each biscuit. Drop the pieces you just removed into the oil -- they will immediately puff up. When they are evenly browned, take them out and drain them on a napkin/paper towel/etc. Drop the biscuits into the oil. Let them cook evenly on each side. In the meantime, take the donut holes and coat them in the sugar/cinnamon mix. Do this while they are still hot because the sugar will stick better. Once the donuts are finished cooking on both sides, allow them to drain briefly and then douse them in the cinnamon sugar mixture. Simple.

2. We've spent a lot of time at soccer games these past few weekends. Cass's season is now over, but Cami will still be playing up through the first week of November.

3. "Cami, don't play cards with that stuffed animal."
    "Why not?"
    "'Cause he's a big cheetah!"

4. Words cannot explain just how much I adore this face. Of all the adorable photos I have of her, THIS ONE is my favorite. Without a doubt.

5. The perfect place to spend a somewhat rainy fall Saturday. Sharing it with my sister makes it even better. Even if there were crazy old-man cops and scary black vans.

6. Chris's desire to have a house with a view like this is really starting to rub off on me. I'm still not sure if I'd be okay with the 30-minute drive, in reality, or not.

7. I honestly think I buy more flowers in the fall than I do in the spring. That doesn't make sense, but I can never turn down a huge bouquet of sunflowers like this.

8. I love to just soak up all the little details.

9. All week long, she has wandered through the house, looking for her girls. She will be happy when they are both finally back home. So will I.

10. Our living room TV (the only one in our house, I should add) finally gave up the ghost. It's a 19-inch that we've had for 18 years; I won it at my high school Project Graduation in May 1993. We finally decided to replace it after it started malfunctioning this week (the power button quit working, so you had to plug it in / unplug it to watch it). We got a 42" LCD LED flatscreen and it looks huge in our living room. It will take a while to adjust, I think.

years pass by in the changing of the moon

1. my favorite part about living in Kentucky in the fall: tobacco barns  2. bridge across the Cumberland River  3. Murray State University vs. Jacksonville State University  4. a week of birthdays celebrated -- and forgotten (sorry Mom! I love you!)  5. I have no idea what these flowers are called but they are my favorites in the fall  6. when the little cousins leave, she keeps playing with the toys  7. a personal best on a really tough course; she was flying down that hill at the end  8. just because  9. don't forget this: when we pass this vet clinic every morning, she has to count the number of dogs in the kennel  10. a sequined vest and strappy black shoes

and somebody told me that this is the place

(This is my week in iPhone photos. More and more I am loving this method of documenting the moments as I'm in them. Want more details on any of these photos -- location, subject, filter, app, whatever? Just leave a comment and I'll get back to you!)