Monday Morning Eye Candy and an update

I'm trying to get back in the swing of things this week and what better way to start a week than a little eye candy. Here we go!

Gilles Marini
This French hottie broke onto the scene as Samantha's neighbor in the Sex & the City movie and became a household name during his stint on Dancing with the Stars. He is currently lighting up the screen with a multi-episode arc on Brothers & Sisters.

Bryan Voltaggio
I know I've mentioned my love affair with "reality tv" before. Top Chef is a show that I've seen since it started several seasons ago. This season is a treat to watch each week as one of the best chefs is a total cutie! He's the chef/owner of VOLT in Maryland. One more reason I should plan a trip up north.

Madison Hildebrand
Ok, clearly I watch too much "reality tv". And I happen to love Bravo. And a ridiculous show called Million Dollar Listing. The show is made tolerable by this adorable young hotshot with the dazzling smile. And yes, I know he's very "pretty". Sigh.

Jesse Williams
Oh my head. I was really hoping that Grey's Anatomy would pull it together this season and give me a reason to watch each week. And here he is. This new cutie needs a "Mc" name and stat! And those eyes. Oh my...thud.

Now that we've started our week off with a bang, here's a little housekeeping.

Thank you all for the well-wishes for my kiddos (and me)! The girls are doing much much better and I've made it through with my sanity intact. I'm looking forward to heading back to the grind and sending the kids back to school!

For anyone who missed it and wants to get in on the Thanksgiving Swap that I'm hosting, today is your last day to sign up. Here's the post about it outlining the details. If you're interested in joining in, please send me an email. It's going to be fun!

Tuesday is going to be an exciting day here because I'll be hosting my first product review with a giveaway! And it's a great one for anyone looking to get some early holiday shopping done.

This week is going to have some updates with a few of the many things that we've been doing this Fall so far! The kids and our puppy have gotten so big and there will be lots of pictures to share.

So, with that, thanks for stopping by and have a great Monday!

And this little piggy...

...decided to take up residence at my house. Yep, my 2 little "A's" have got the swine flu. And it sucks. So, I'm going to be quiet for a while as I try to take care of my 2 little ones and keep my sanity at the same time. Wish us all luck.

A Change of Scenery

I've been thinking for a while now that I really want to do a blog makeover. Shannon & I have had lengthy discussions about this, as there are many more things that I want to do with my little slice of the internet. And so today, I came across a blog makeover giveaway that has my name written all over it...I hope! My new site is actually going to be titled "Antics with Angie" and I'm excited about the new directions that it might take me.

Becky at Creative Blog Designs is graciously giving away a full custom blog makeover to one lucky winner. Go check it out and enter if you are in the same boat as me. And make sure you tell her that you saw it here! Thanks and good luck!

Monday Morning Funny

I know you guys are used to eye candy on Monday's, but I really need to laugh this morning. As far as Mondays go, this one is in the books for one of the WORST EVER! So, I share one of my favorite Youtube videos with you. For anyone who has worked in an office cubicle, hopefully you'll find this as hilarious as I did. And I hope your Monday is going far better that mine.

A Moment in Time

My sweet little girl,

It's hard for me to fathom that it was just 5 short years ago that I was in the hospital meeting you for the very first time.

That first year flew by as you hit so many milestones.

Year 2 moved pretty quickly and showed me that you were always meant to be a big sister.

Year 3 reminded me of just what a caring and sensitive soul you have.

Year 4 made me take notice that you were no longer a toddler anymore, but truly a little girl.

Today, you are welcomed into the 5 year old club! I can't believe it's already here.

You amaze me. Your giggles at my funny songs; your smile when you know you've done a good thing; your sensitive heart; your giving spirit. These are just a few of the things that make me so incredibly proud to be your mom.

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

xoxo
Mommy

The Let's Give T.H.A.N.K.S. Swap

I've really been thinking long and hard about hosting another swap here. Overall, my last swap went well, but I still had people who didn't follow through on their obligation, which just sickens me. However, I don't want to dwell on the negative, especially considering the theme of my new swap. Things are going to be run a little differently this time though. Ok, now that I've got that off my chest, let's move on to the FUN stuff!

The theme of my new swap is in accordance with the upcoming American Thanksgiving season. I've titled it "Let's Give T.H.A.N.K.S" for a couple of reasons. First, I love giving gifts. Second, I love to try and tailor gift giving with my interests and the interests of the receiver. With this swap, my idea is to make or purchase a gift, for your partner, for each letter in the word "thanks". Here's an example.

Let's say I am paired up with Mary, who is a mom of 2, and she is really into reading, sewing, & cooking. And if you read my blog with any regularity, you already know me somewhat well. Here's what I might do. I would give her a box of English Breakfast Tea, because I love it and she could probably use a cup of tea for relaxing. A box of Hershey Cocoa because this is the season of yummy hot chocolate and it's great for baking! A cute Apron that I purchased at our local farmer's market. A set of hand stamped Note cards that I made because I'm crafty and what mom can't use note cards? A silver Keychain with a frame for a picture of her kids. Finally, a copy of a Sophie Kinsella book because she's a fabulous author!

Now, for anyone who is still with me and interested, here are the rules for this time around.

1. Only 20 participants will be accepted this time around. To sign up, you must send an email to anticswithangie@gmail.com with the following information: Your name, mailing address, email address, & blog address. Upon approval, you will be emailed a list of questions to answer which will help your partner shop for you.

2. If you did not participate in my last swap or you're someone that I don't personally know, you must be a U.S. blogger who has posted regularly for the last 6 months.

3. Participants will be accepted through October 25th or when the maximum number is reached, whichever occurs first.

4. Partner assignments will be sent out by October 27th.

5. The minimum value of the package contents is $25 (not including shipping cost), but you are welcome to spend more. Please keep in mind that your partner might not be able to reciprocate spending more than the allotted amount.

6. Packages MUST be mailed out on November 14th, 16th or 17th. If you can't stick to this mailing schedule, please don't try to participate. I'm trying to coordinate everyone receiving their packages around the same time, before Thanksgiving.

7. You are not required to blog about the swap or when you receive your package, but it would be really nice if you did! Senders love to see that their partners received their gifts and it would be a great chance to say THANKS to your partner! I will have a link up entry available for anyone who wants to blog about it and link up their entry to share with the group of swappers.

Most importantly, HAVE FUN! I hope my rules don't sound too harsh. I think this swap could be a lot of fun and really get us into the spirit of giving and being thankful for all that we have in our lives!

Tonight

Not sure what YOUR Friday night plans hold, but, tonight I'll be traveling here...

...to see these boys...

...and hopefully bring home a t-shirt with this album artwork.

I hope you enjoy your Friday night as much as I'm going to enjoy mine!

People in glass houses

I love this time of year! The colors are changing on the trees. The temperatures are dropping. The t.v. schedule is finally back to normal. But, most importantly, the trips to the mailbox are finally producing the highly anticipated "TOY WISH BOOKS"!

I can remember squealing with joy as a child as I took the JCPenney catalog and a marker and proceeded to make my list for Santa. There were so many pages with dog ears that I'm surprised the book didn't bark at my parents.

Today, I had my first taste of that excitement from Big A. A holiday toy catalog arrived and no sooner did the words "Santa's List" exit my mouth before she had the book in one hand and stickers in the other hand to note which items were her favorite.

My friend Diana witnessed the exultation. She started to tell me about how her oldest daughter (who is Little A's age) is counting on Santa bringing her a driveable toy car stocked with presents. I laughed not only at the ingenuity of her daughter but also because my children have expressed exactly ZERO interest in those types of toys. (Much to my relief might I add)

And so, Big A sat down to review her choices with me and was sure to point out the 1 item in the book that is now at the top of her list.

Yeah. Who's laughing now?

What Makes Me Laugh

Periodically, I like to share links of bloggers who make me laugh. And I don't mean a chuckle. I'm talking tears down my face, hyperventilating laughter that goes on for 10 minutes. And if you think I'm joking, just ask Shannon about my response to almost walking THROUGH her screen door last week. Yes, I'm still laughing about it.

I hope you guys enjoy these entries as much as I did. If not, please humor me anyway. M'thanks!

Holly at June Cleaver Nirvana rarely fails to amuse me. This gem is a tale of a boat trip gone wrong.

If you have never visited Cake Wrecks, well, you have been missing some of the most hilarious stuff on the web. Jen's dry wit is something I admire! This particular entry just struck me with huge amounts of hilarity because Big A is currently going through a Scooby Doo obsession.

Happy Hour Sue has been mentioned here before and there's a good reason. She's freakin' hilarious! Anyone who, like me, is not a fan of those ridiculous Duggars in Arkansas will appreciate this entry.

Happy Hour Sue strikes again with this entry that even brought my hubby to tears of laughter. Introducing the lighter side of terrorists.

And to wrap this up, I bring you a trifecta of hilarious entries. Emails from Crazy People consistently has some of the funniest stuff that I've ever read. This is an exchange between neighbors that gets WAY out of hand.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Happy Tuesday!

Monday Morning Eye Candy

Missed me?

I won't even bore you with the details as to why I've been so quiet for the past few weeks. Sometimes, life's just a roller coaster with more dips than peaks. In the meantime, I've been finishing up a book that I've been working on for 2 months now. Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer. It was great and I proceeded to go out & buy Breaking Dawn (the final book in the Twilight series) so I can wrap this up. Sigh. So, today's eye candy is a tribute to some of the new hotties from New Moon (opening November 20th...YAY!!) and Eclipse (opening June 30, 2010...YAY!!). Enjoy!

Alex Meraz - This cutie will be playing werewolf Paul in New Moon & Eclipse

Charlie Bewley - Another hot vampire from England? I don't know if my little heart can take it. This gorgeous Brit will be playing Demetri.

Daniel Cudmore - Taking on the role of Felix is this Canadian cutie.

Jack Huston - This hottie proves that not just wolves & vampires corner the market on hot guys in these films. He plays Royce King in Eclipse.

Xavier Samuel - And yes, it's not just the Brits who have adorable guys. This adorable Aussie plays new vampire Riley in Eclipse.

Happy Monday everyone!