Stingrays, snakes & butterflies, oh my

Make sure you come back by tomorrow to check out my first VLOG and to get the scoop on a giveaway that I'm doing. In the meantime, let's go on a field trip!

We had a great outing to the TN Aquarium a couple of weeks ago with some good friends. Here are some highlights from the visit.

Big A is fascinated by the butterfly garden. She always wants to go there first. And each visit is a new quest to get a butterfly on her finger. I'm happy to report that this trip was a success x3!

Little A wasn't going to let big sister have all the butterfly fun.

Little A has no fear of animals. She was all about this boa constrictor. I once scared at least 5 years off my mom's life with a boa constrictor. That's a funny story I'll have to share sometime.

The girls love the pool where you can touch the sharks and sting rays.

Here's 75% of the kids checking out the Blue Macaws. These birds crack me up. They tend to talk incessantly and often say rather humorous things.

This jellyfish tank is one of my favorite spots. So serene. One of these days (when I figure out how to REALLY use my fab camera) I'll get a really great shot.

And there's the trip in a nutshell. If you're ever close to East Tennessee, you should check out our aquariums!

Monday Morning Eye Candy

Welcome back to Monday Morning Eye Candy! This week's theme are some cuties that I saw on a recent episode of Private Practice. Love that show!

Jamie Thomas King - This cutie also starred in several episodes of my fave show, The Tudors.

Chris Lowell - So cute. And he's a southern boy. Atlanta, baby.

Josh Hopkins - Way cute! Not liking his character on the show, but I can get past that.

I'm still accepting submissions for anyone who wants to send me a list of their favorite 3-5 guys for an upcoming edition of eye candy. Your blog name will be featured with that week's list. Send your submissions to anticswithangie[at]gmail[dot]com!

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta

My, what big feet you have!

I snapped this shot of the A's and our friend E when we had lunch together last week. This sculpture was right outside the restaurant. The girls & I had a good laugh about these big feet in the grass.

For more bigger than life pics, check out Candid Carrie!

The Next Generation

Hubby has played soccer since he was a little kid. And he is a very good soccer player. He quit the game that he loves so much after 2 pretty nasty injuries in a row. He felt like playing the game was too much of a liability now that we've got kids to support. It makes me sad that he gave up something he loves.

Anyway, I saw something last weekend that made him happy, which made me happy. Big A had her very first soccer practice. And it was great.

Hubby can now pass the torch to a very willing student.

Life in a Small Town

I don't know if I can actually call where I live a "small town", but at the very least, it's a small city. It's full of a lot of really interesting people that come from many different backgrounds.

You have the ones that have lived in the same house, on the same land since their granddaddy farmed that land back in the early 1900's.

You have the ones that have just landed here from Europe because of a new car plant being built here.

You have the transplants from the north who think they're moving into Hicktown, USA and soon find out that they couldn't be further from the truth.

You have illegals from Central America who have come here to do the jobs that many others won't, so they can try to support the others they left behind.

You have young professionals who have lived here their entire lives and are now settling into a new pair of shoes that don't belong to a parent.

And you have me, a 30 something mom who is home-grown. Who loves going to the grocery store and having the cashier recognize me because I shop there every week. Who loves having cool activities to share with my kids and running into old friends that I haven't seen in ages...and picking up right where we left off. Man, I love this town.

Do you love where you live? Why?

A B"ewe"tifully Cool Project

I have to give full props to my friend Justin for posting this video on his blog this morning. This is the coolest thing I've seen in a while and it's really quite funny to witness. Gotta love those Irishmen! By the way, my Dad's leaving for a week in Ireland on Saturday. Not that I'm jealous or anything. I hope the airlines no longer have weight requirements on baggage. Not that I'm thinking of tagging along. Ahem. Watch the video.

Monday Morning Eye Candy ~ Special Edition

Today is my BFF's birthday! And because she is the one who got me into blogging in the first place, I wanted to dedicate a very special edition of MMEC just for her. These are 5 of her favorite leading men (in no particular order). And I made sure they came dressed for the occasion, because like my BFF, I love a man in a classic suit. Happy Birthday Angela! Mwah!

George Clooney

Matthew McConaughey

Kiefer Sutherland

Patrick Dempsey

Daniel Craig

And I've decided to open up the forum for all my loyal readers! If you have a list of 3-5 hot guys and would like to be my featured reader one Monday, please send me your list (with or without pics) to anticswithangie{at}gmail{dot}com and I'll feature your blog along with your list. See you all again next Monday!

My Favorite Posts of the Week

I have been hitting all cylinders for a few weeks now, but in the 5 minutes of downtime that I get every so often, I have been trying to note some of the funniest posts that I can share with you. Here's my top winners for this week.

Jenny at The Bloggess hits it out of the park again with a HILARIOUS lesson in why marketers need to make sure they know who they're pitching to.

Anissa at Hope for Peyton gives us a hilarious look at house hunting with kids.

Holly at June Cleaver Nirvana is one of my fave bloggers because of a little thing she calls "Holly's Animated Life." This woman can do stick figure theater like no other and I bow to her wit and talent. This episode is an homage to the family road trip.

The Optimism Project - Vote for me please!

**Note: This a post that I created last Fall that means a lot to me in terms of Optimism. My thanks to Tiffany & Cecily for hosting this week's forums on promoting Optimism! If you like my story, would you mind going here and voting for me? I would really appreciate it!

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Angie. Angie had spent a lifetime feeling like she could never find her niche in life. She had encountered some great friends along this bumpy road and had one friend in particular that she could always count on. And this friend introduced Angie to blogging. Angie will be forever indebted to her for this and many other reasons.

Through blogging, Angie met some other great women, who were scattered all over the world. They shared experiences, trials, achievements and heartbreaks together. And for a moment, Angie got very excited. Was it possible that such a place existed where she could be herself and others would appreciate that and want to be her friend?

Another amazing thing was how blogging brought Angie & an old friend back together. And Angie wondered how she let years pass without spending more time with this amazing and hilarious gal.

One Saturday morning, Angie traveled to a large metropolis with her fellow "in real life" blogger friend, so they could meet an online blogger friend for lunch. It all seemed innocent enough, until Angie & her friend arrived.

Angie thought that this...

and this, would be some of the highlights of the outing. (Editors note: Chocolate cake is almost always the highlight of any gathering that I attend)

But, no one could prepare Angie for the thrill of getting to meet a woman of amazing strength...

And a woman who sees the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow...

And a lady whose spirit is as beautiful as her smile...

And she had this lady to thank for putting the gathering together. Another friend that she can now call an IRL friend. Someone that she knows is a true friend.

And Angie soon realized that her hobby had now become much more than that. It had become her niche. Her vehicle to finding the circle of friends in life that she needed...deserved...desired. The circle of friends who accept her and love her for who she is.

And to those ladies, I say THANK YOU!

Love,

Angie

P.S. Next time, we're going to have to secure a larger venue, because we all know there are MANY more ladies that we want to have join us. And yes, I mean you. Mwah!

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta

My girls are a talented duo.

They sing.

They dance.

They decorate windowsills with copious amounts of stuffed animals and then beg to be photographed with their proud creation.

I love these 2 cuties.

For other great photo stories, check out Candid Carrie!

Preschool Service Project

I love the preschool that my girls attend. One of the big reasons is because of how committed they are to instilling philanthropy in the students. Several times in the school year, they choose a different organization with which to do some kind of fundraising for and I just love it. We've collected books for disadvantaged elementary schools and supplies for an animal shelter, but one project in particular touches me deeply.

Last month, we had our annual fundraiser for Heifer International. This wonderful organization uses funds to provide crops and animals to disadvantaged communities all over the globe with the hope of ending hunger. I encourage you to click on the link and check them out.

Each student was sent home with a cardboard bank and illustrated calendar so they could collect change each day for 4 weeks. I had the privilege of planning and conducting the collection ceremony at the end of the project, which was lots of fun. One of my favorite things was bringing in a petting zoo with chickens and bunnies and seeing the kids faces light up. Seeing the animals and talking about how our money raised would help get animals like these for other families really tied the whole project together for them. Anyway, here are some shots of my girls and their reactions to the animals.

Big A was a HUGE fan of this chicken

I honestly think she would've offered to bring it home with us if it had occurred to her

The baby bunny was more Little A's speed

I love this pic of these 2 staring at each other

Little A did ask to bring the bunny home. We didn't. I've already had a pet rabbit and don't intend to venture down that road again. We would much rather visit them in someone else's abode.

The project was a huge success and we raised a lot of money for this worthy organization!

How to Speak Southern

I've lived in the South my whole life and I've prided myself in the fact that I really didn't have much of a Southern accent. That is, until recently. And the reason I know that my drawl has gotten stronger is because I'm starting to hear it in Little A's accent. Presenting, "Little A's Guide to the Southern Accent".

When Little A is hungry, she requests a snack.

When Little A spilled some milk on her shirt, she alerted me to the issue.

Little A is a girly girl. She shows off her pajamas and then Big A jumps in for attention.

Note to self: Hire a dialect coach...pronto.

Tuesday Morning Eye Candy - The Irish Edition

Today's feature is a special edition for 2 reasons. One, Michelle pointed out that she thought that yesterday's MMEC edition would be all Irish with today being St. Paddy's Day, which I thought was an excellent idea. Two, I went to bed early last night and didn't have time to prepare what I had planned. So, tune in tomorrow for some adorable video of Little A.

Now, without further ado, let's view some Irish cuties. Happy St. Patrick's Day!!

Pierce Brosnan

Stuart Townsend (AKA Mr. Charlize Theron)

Jason O'Mara

Colin Farrell

Jonathan Rhys Meyers (my personal fave...have I mentioned that The Tudors new season premieres on Little A's

Monday Morning Eye Candy

It's Monday again and this week's crop are a themed group. In honor of my eager anticipation of it's release this Saturday, I bring you my favorite cuties from Twilight! Enjoy!

Peter Facinelli

Jackson Rathbone

Kellan Lutz

The one...the only...Robert Pattinson (SWOON)

Signs, signs, everywhere signs

"Nostalgic" would be the word to describe me this week. Here's why.

1. On Monday, I was driving along, listening to my iPod when "No Myth" by Michael Penn came on. I was immediately transported to an 8th grade dance. It was surreal. (BTW, Lula, Penn scored the movie American Teen. Yet one more reason that I need to see that movie.)

Michael Penn - New Music - More Music Videos

2. Yesterday, I made plans to attend the concert of the summer with my BFF. This is a concert that rivals all others. A band that I was robbed of seeing 17 years ago. The one. The only. DEF LEPPARD!! With their special guests, Poison and Cheap Trick. To say that I am excited would certainly be the understatement of the decade. I will finally get to see Rick Savage (the bassist) in person and I know he'll be singing "Pour Some Sugar On Me" directly to me. Sigh.

Def Leppard - New Music - More Music Videos

3. And finally, today, I was watching a rerun of the ORIGINAL 90210 and found myself bawling. It was the eppy where Donna has to deliver the eulogy at her dad's funeral. I'm sure I probably squeaked out a tear the first time this aired, but seriously, my girls were all "what's wrong mommy," and I was so embarrassed. ANYWAY, a singer by the name of Beth Hart was the featured artist and I just love this song by her. It takes me back. (**This video is a live performance & contains bad language. Consider yourself warned.)



Does music make you nostalgic? What song does it to you every time?

Tales from the Road

As I was driving into work yesterday, I saw something incredibly crude and yet, hilarious. What made this even funnier was that I had seen something very similar the previous night on my new favorite series, "The United States of Tara."

I present to you...Truck Balls.

The ones that I saw in person were bright blue.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions about the driver of that vehicle. I know I did.

Monday Morning Eye Candy

Welcome back to Monday Morning Eye Candy! This week, I'm talking about cuties from new shows that I've stumbled upon.

Eric McCormack - Loved him on "Will & Grace". His new show, "Trust Me", is pretty good.

Tom Cavanaugh - I loved him on "Ed" and he co-stars with the aforementioned Eric in the new show "Trust Me".

John Corbett - There are so many reasons that I like this guy. He's starring in a new Showtime series called "United States of Tara" and it's hilarious. Very smart writing and the cast is great.

Join me next week for another crop of cuties!

Friday's Foto Finish Fiesta

Breakfast at my house every morning is a treat for a lot of reasons.

First, I have 2 girls who are "morning" people, which they clearly did NOT get from me. It forces me be a much nicer person in the morning, for which I'm sure the general public is thankful.

Second, I never know what animal friends are going to join us. It's always a mystery. This particular morning, each girl brought a cat. What you don't see are the droves of animals that are littering my kitchen floor and every other surface in my house. It's a serious animal control problem. But I digress.

I love mornings around here. These 2 faces sum it all up.

For more photo fun, check out the fiesta at Candid Carrie's!

A Call to Action

I am a fan of American Idol. And have been since the day the first show aired and that "other" co-host was onstage with Ryan (I'm really not a total wanker) Seacrest. And by the way, Seacrest TOTALLY is. Moving on.

Last night, something so disturbing happened that I actually had trouble sleeping. They brought the most annoying contestant that I've ever seen, back into the wild card round. Just when I thought I was done seeing her, she now haunts me and I have to be subjected to her act AGAIN tonight! Oh why won't you leave me alone, Tatiana?!?!

America, I ask this of you: PLEASE DON'T SEND THIS DRAMA QUEEN THROUGH! I'm respectfully begging. Thank you.

Angie's 2009 "To Do" List ~ Progress Update

Accountability

-noun

1. the state of being accountable, liable, or answerable

2. responsibility to someone or for some activity

Another month has passed and it's time to see where I am in relation to my "to do" list for this year. Let's get started.

1. Getting a working budget implemented: Dave Ramsey is a life saver! The zero budget worked so well for February that I went ahead and finished budgets for the rest of the year. Yes, I'm an accountant. I love spreadsheets and I'm not afraid to admit it.

2. Eliminate our debt: March is the month that we begin the debt snowball. Based on the budgets for the rest of the year, we should make significant progress on this goal by the end of the year.

3. Finish the Patten Chapel cross stitch: Yeah, so this is still sitting in the top of my closet. I'm going to pull it down this week and hope to get a jumpstart on getting a section finished by the end of this month.

4. Start & finish the Bambi cross stitch for Little A: Little A actually told me that she didn't want a Bambi cross stitch. (sniffle, sniffle) So, I'm going to pull my Disney patterns out and let her choose a different one. By the end of this month, I'll have the materials pulled together for it and the project started.

5. Weight loss and size 6 by December 1: I'm giving myself a goal of losing 12 lbs by the end of this month. Last month, I didn't lose any, but I didn't gain. Sigh.

6. Implement date night once a month with hubby: We made it out for a brief Valentine's appetizer & dessert evening, but not a full fledged date night in February. Hopefully March will be better.

7. Significant progress on my novel and blogging regularly: The novel is still at a stand still, mostly because I've been really busy with other things. I've been blogging regularly, but want to do better about keeping my reader up to date.

8. Finish decluttering the house: February was a disaster in this area. This month, I need to finish clearing out the master bedroom and clear out the kids rooms. Their rooms are OUT.OF.CONTROL.

9. Get the scrapbooks up to date: I actually went to 2 scrapbooking events in February and am making significant progress on the scrapbooks. Yippee! I need to get 2009 pics uploaded to Shutterfly this month and continue working on the family albums.

And for those of you still with me, thank you for reading all of my drivel. Crossing my fingers that March is a big month of checking off goals as completed!

The Photography Conundrum

The are lots of serious issues going on in the world today.

The war in Iraq.

The state of our economy.

What I should dress my kids in for pictures on Friday.

Ok, so maybe the economic thing isn't THAT big of a deal, but this picture thing has got me losing sleep at night.

We have a portrait of the girls that hangs in our kitchen and I love it. It was taken 2 years ago and they're pictured with live rabbits and it's just 10 kinds of adorable. Well, the photographer sent me a lovely reminder postcard last week that said he was doing the portraits again. Crap. Seeing as how the girls talk about that picture EVERY.DAY.AT.BREAKFAST I thought it might be fun to take them for bunny pics again.

Now, the question is, do I dress them in blue jeans and cute pastel t-shirts for their romp with the bunnies or do I spend money on cutesy Spring dresses that will likely get little use after this pic is taken?

Help! Please weigh in: Casual Comfy or Classic Cutesy?

Monday Morning Eye Candy

I've spent more than 6 months here, admiring the gorgeous actors, musicians and other celebrity hotties that have landed on this good planet. And thankfully, there are a LOT of them.

However, I wanted to pay tribute today to someone special. Someone who has all of the characteristics of eye candy, but doesn't get the recognition he deserves.

He's a devoted dad

He doesn't take himself too seriously

He's the king of his domain and treats his lady like royalty

He's a kid at heart

He's my guy. My rock. My personal hottie that I can admire every day and not have to share with droves of fans. And I love it! So, hands off ladies...today's eye candy is T-A-K-E-N. Amen.

We will return to our regularly scheduled celebrity eye candy next week. I'm taking requests again, so please leave your ideas in the comments or email me with your ideas. Have a great week!