can you paint with all the colors of the wind?

merry christmas eve, ya'll! :) so i'm FINALLY done with every little last minute detail of my christmas preparations. it feels so good! yesterday was a long day...i got my hair colored at lunch (pictures to come soon) and ran a couple more errands after work. when i got home, my only project left was to wrap 1 more present, and paint a canvas for my grandmother. those of you who know me know that i really do love to paint. it's finding the time and channeling my creativity to do it that is the problem. sometimes i have trouble just sitting and letting an idea come to me, i try to force it i guess. well i had in mind what i wanted to paint for my sweet mamaw, and it turned out wonderfully, in my opinion! 

I think my grandmother will be pleased with this...at least i hope. i really enjoyed painting it and it really relaxed me after a stressful, not fun day. i'm thinking of doing what so many others have done and making a blog for my paintings and possibly selling some...i just don't want it to feel like work and i end up not enjoying it. anyways..maybe that's a project for the first of the year.

this is my LAST work day for the YEAR. it feels so good to say that, even though it's really only for a week and a half or so. i will so enjoy my time off! FJ and i will be in cleveland with kevin for most of our vacation. we will spend our days cuddled up by the fire watching the food network, and we are both ECSTATIC about it :). tonight is christmas with my family. i can't wait to see taylee open her presents..she's really into christmas this year...last weekend she INSISTED on sleeping under my parents christmas tree because it was time for "santa bring me toys". sweet angel face she is. braylon doesn't really know what's going on...he's just happy as long as someone's holding him! anyways...lack of internet will prevent me from posting until i return to work on 1.5, but expect a nice long post complete with pictures of christmas, new years, and everything else in between, including the new hair! let's hope it gets kevin's approval in about 2 hours when he arrives! love to all and merry christmas! 

-e

it's the most wonderful time of the year...

i. love. christmas. i'm even one of those WEIRD people who LOVES shopping right before christmas...the mad dashes, the crowds, the screaming children. LOVE. IT. and it's a good thing too! kevin and i FINISHED (actually..started AND finished) our christmas shopping this weekend. we had a WONDERFUL weekend...let's back up....

last tuesday i headed to cleveland just for the night..and had a wonderful time! we visited and i watched kevin bowl. coming back the next day was really tough, since we hadn't seen each other in over a week. then, friday evening, kevin arrived around 6:30..and we immediately headed out for a dinner date :) after a wonderful meal at chili's, we went to wal-mart to start some shopping for the nieces & nephews. after browsing the toy area at wal mart for a while, we headed back to my apartment (after purchasing a favorite of mine, THE ITALIAN JOB, for FIVE DOLLARS!). saturday morning, we woke up rather early...for various reasons...1. kevin couldn't sleep because of pain in his arms and 2. we had an EXTREMELY busy day ahead of us! after breakfast together, we headed to visit my mom and take her a piping hot cup o' coffee from the brew. after our visit, we headed to the Co-Op to look for some hunting gear for Chris, Kevin's brother. After we decided to purchase our hunting gear elsewhere, we headed to Lindsay's shop so Kevin could get a quick haircut. FINALLY, after taking care of ALL those errands and showering and getting dressed, we were on our way to tuscaloosa. it. was. packed. we started our shopping spree at toys r' us. carrie and bobby met us there, and we shopped with them for the rest of the day. it was wonderful to see them and spend time with them, and i'm so glad they got to meet kevin!! after a wonderful dinner at depalma's in downtown tuscaloosa, kevin & i headed home. we watched a movie on the couch together, and slept there for the rest of the night! we were exhausted! sunday was a very lazy day for us. i was a sweet, sweet girl and went out and got breakfast :) and we ate and went back to bed! around 1, we got up and went to my parents for a bit, then to wal mart to pick up some last minute odds and ends for christmas. after a dinner of yummy mexican food with my whole family, kevin headed back to the delta. i wasn't as sad as i usually am on sunday evenings, because he will be back on WEDNESDAY! wednesday is my last day of work for the year..and after i get off, we will head to my parents and have christmas with them and taylee and braylon. christmas morning will be our christmas together, then we'll head to cleveland for christmas with kevin's family. and i will remain in cleveland until january 3rd! i hope he doesn't get sick of me after spending a week and a half with me! :) flossie jayne will be accompanying me on this journey..it will be her first trip to the delta...in the past she's stayed with her nana. she's pretty excited! 

i'm really excited for the holidays this year. taylee is already talking about santa bringing toys. she's really getting into it this year...braylon, not so much. but he's still a sweet, sweet lil man. :) and i'm also thankful i get to spend time with kevin & his wonderful family. he's truly my most treasured gift this year :) MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

-E

do you know me at ALL?

yes, i am having a VERY boring day...well, a boring WEEK to be honest. it's only wednesday..and the week is dragging. and to make matters worse, i will NOT be traveling to the delta this weekend. no, i do not want to talk about it. i miss my honey. 

Whats​ your middl​e name?​​
Brooke..not Brook. BROOKE

How big is your bed?
Big enough for me, my honey and my Woobie :)

What are you liste​ning to right​ now?
91.1...and lots of other blah, blah, blah-ing.

What are the last 4 digit​s in your cellp​hone numbe​r?​​
5775​ 

What was the last thing​ you ate?
a handful of MnM's after lunch....so yummy! :) however, they didn't help my headache, as i had hoped they would.

Last perso​n you hugge​d?​​
My Lennie Lou. I heart her. 

How is the weath​er right​ now?
C-O-L-D and greyish and rainy-snowyish. Well, it's not snowing YET..but it will. We are under a "Winter Storm Watch" and i am ecstatic! Maybe i'll get my white Christmas this year...?

Who was the last perso​n you talke​d to on the phone​?​​
Kevin :)

What is the first​ thing​ you notic​e in the oppos​ite sex?
Eyes

Favor​ite type of food?​​
Italian...or anything with seafood. but no oysters. yuck.

Do you want child​ren?​​
i most certainly do. can't WAIT for children. i want AT LEAST 2. :)

Do you drink​?​​
Yes. i'm drinking unsweet tea at the moment! 

Hair color​?​​
Blondish..with a lil brown underneath. 

Eye color​
Pond-water-brown.

Do you wear conta​cts/​​glass​es?​​
Glasses. I can't hang with contacts. they gross me out. 

Favor​ite holid​ay
CHRISTMAS!!! 

Favor​ite Seaso​n?​​
Spring & Fall

Are you in a relat​ionsh​ip?​​
i am, i am :)

Last Movie​ you watch​ed?​​

21

What books​ are you readi​ng?​​
Some Sandra Brown book..i can't remember the name of it off the top of my head...but it's pretty good! 

Pierc​ings?​​
1 hole in each ear. no more. ever. anywhere. yuck.

Favor​ite Movie​?​​
currently: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason

Favor​ite colle​ge footb​all team?​​
Mississippi State...i'm NOT a fairweather fan. We will have our heyday :)

What were you doing​ befor​e filli​ng this out?
Putting in an order i've been waiting on for 2 months. no, i do not want to talk about it. 

Any pets?​​
Sweet Angel Face Flossie Jayne...and she wants a sister very soon! and she's requested that her name be Sweet Pea :)

Dogs or cats?​​
Ugh. i hate cats so much. they gross me out.

Favor​ite Flowe​r?​​
Tulips

Who would​ you like to see right​ now?
KEVIN! 

Have you ever fired​ a gun?
I have. and i'm a pretty good shot too! 

Do you like to trave​l by plane​?​​
i do! 

Right​-​​hande​d or Left-​​hande​d?​​
Right​y

If you could​ go to any place​ right​ now where​ would​ you go?
Cleveland, MS! 

Are you missi​ng someo​ne?​​
With my whole heart.

Do you have a tatto​o?​​
2 teensy tiny ones.

Do you still​ watch​ carto​ons on Satur​day morni​ngs?​​
Not usually..but I'm keeping the babies on Saturday, so maybe some cartoon watching will be in order. After a trip to Shipley's that is! ;)

Are you hidin​g somet​hing from someo​ne?​​
i am not.

What is the wallp​aper on your cellp​hone?​​
a picture of my christmas tree. i love my christmas tree. 

Did you get enoug​h sleep​ last night​?​​
i did not. Flossie Jayne has gotten to be quite the night owl.

First​ thing​ you thoug​ht about​ this morni​ng?​​
Kevin just sent me a text message :) 

What do you have on your bedsi​de?​​
a picture of Kevin & i, a book, and my remote control

Grill​ed or fried​?​​
what are we talking about? ​

What makes​ you uniqu​e?​​
i hate postal workers, as well as the post office. 

Are you afrai​d of the dark?​​
no, only if it's thundering and lightening.

Favor​ite hango​ut?​​
anywhere with family, friends...or my honey.

Favor​ite song?​​
Face of Love by Jewel.

Are you a giver​ or a taker​?​​
I'm a little bit of both, i'd like to believe.

What are your nickn​ames?​​
Em, Emmye, Emmyloudarling

What is your dad'​​s middl​e name?​​
Watson

What is your mom'​​s middl​e name?​​
Before she got married, it was Beatrice, now it's Arendale.

-E

my loves

so i hung out with my sister and her sweet babies last night. they are getting so big! here are a couple pictures of them doing what they do best: being absolutely adorable! 

hey emmy you want my giraffe? huh, huh? want it, want it? 

this child is a child after my own heart. we love our cookie dough. she cleaned the package out.

this lil man is starting to be soo very mobile! he's EVERYWHERE...and a dancing fool!

-e

2008

So, I'm bored again today..and i thought i'd do a survey. I came across this one on claire's blog, and thought it was appropriate for the season. Here's to a great 2008, and an even greater (i am aware that that isn't a word and i care not) 2009! 

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

I made time for myself and realized that it's ok to do this. and also that it's NECESSARY to do this. 

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year?

I don't actually remember if i made resolutions from 2007, and i doubt i'll make any this year! 

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

OH MY YES! my sweet sister had sweet sweet Braylon, and Cat had lil Aiden.

4. Did anyone close to you die? 

Julie Marie. Sweet sweet girl.

5. What countries did you visit?

Just hung out in the U.S this year...maybe next year I'll get my passport stamped...but first i have to get a passport...

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

an engagement and a wedding :) 

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Learning to be more independent and rely on myself.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Weakness & heartache.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nope, can't say that I did. 

11. What was the best thing you bought?

OMG....let me think....i'm going to have to go with my pink satin shoes. 

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Flossie Jayne's. She's gotten really good at being housebroken, but when it's super cold...we tend to slip a little! 

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? 

A number of unmentionable people. They know who they are.

14. Where did most of your money go? 

Shoes, groceries, gas. 

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about? 

I get really, really, really excited everytime i get an opportunity to see Kevin these days .

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: Happier or sadder? Thinner or fatter? Richer or poorer? 

Happier, SAME, SAME

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Being thankful for the things that i DO have.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Crying over the things that i DIDN'T have. 

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Most likely, Christmas Eve with my family & Kevin, and Christmas Day with Kevin & his family

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

I sure did. And i'm never looking back :) 

23. How many one-night stands?

Um none (i know, you're all shocked!)

24. What was your favorite TV show?

Big Bang Theory, Wheel of Fortune

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Nope. 

26. What was the best book you read?

Play Dirty by Sandra Brown

27. What was your greatest musical discovery? 

Amos Lee

28. What did you want and get?

Love & a happy heart. 

29. What did you want and not get?

Umm...a new car??

30. What was your favorite film of this year?

DUH...Sex and the City! 

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

On my actual birthday, I went to my parents house and listened to Taylee say "happy day, emmy!" over and over and let her help me open presents. I was 27 whole years old...

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Not a thing...i'm perfectly happy the way it's turned out.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

I little of this, and a little of that. My fashion sense is getting more eclectic as i get older...i like to think i'm a small-town version of carrie bradshaw :) 

34. What kept you sane? 

my family...who also at some times made me insane. kevin helps a lot. i'm pretty fond of him :) 

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

what does fancy mean? like a crush?? oh gosh..i have no idea.

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

Hello...election. enough said. 

38. Who was the best new person you met?

Kevin, without a doubt :) 

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

Be true to yourself, and be yourself, no matter what. 

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year. 

Seasons come and seasons go

One day sun, the next day snow
Flowers die and flowers grow
But love is never-ending

You can't kill it with goodbye
It always finds a place to hide
Inside your heart for your whole life
Love is never-ending

[Chorus]
When the lights have all gone down
It'll still be hangin' 'round
Even when you think it's lost, it can still be found
When every memory has been made
And the pages start to fade
And every prayer you ever prayed is heaven bound
When you think the ride is over
You're back at the beginning
Love is never-ending

When a man and woman start growin' old
The fire of passion may grow cold
But what they got still warms their soul
Love is never-ending

[Repeat chorus]

It keeps goin' on and on
Long after we're all gone away

Time may change what you believe
But one day the truth will set you free
Just have faith and you will see
Love is never-ending
Love is never-ending

mondays are no fun.

so today is monday. i hate mondays. mostly because they follow sundays...and by sunday evening..kevin and i are usually apart. this long distance stuff is really beginning to suck. weekends are just not long enough. i DID find out today though, that subleasing my apartment IS an option, so as long as a job comes together, i could be remedying this situation relatively soon. keeping my fingers crossed. because i really miss kevin. a lot. 

in other news, my car died today. on the highway. with me in it. 

i. hate. mondays. 

-e

happy friday, ya'll!

is it me, or has it been a really, really long week? perhaps it just felt long because last week was only 3 days..who knows? whatever the reason is, i'm just glad it's friday..and better than that, it's PAYCHECK friday! wahooo! 

so this morning, i decided since i was already up a little earlier, i'd curl my hair (picture carried bradshaw, circa SATC season 4, after breakup with aiden..her hair is short & loosely curly & fabulous)...i do this every now and then..sometimes it looks oh-so-cute and sometimes it just doesn't. well when i left my house in my cute lil blazer & pink collar shirt, i felt SUPER ultra cute. now, 3 hours later, i do not so much. something has happened to my precious curls...and alas, my hair is in a ponytail now. boo. what sucks even more is that i'm heading directly to cleveland after work, and taking 30 minutes to stop off at home and fix my hair is not an option :(. my fallen curls have crushed my day. 

but at any rate, i'm headed to the delta tonight. hanging out with family tonight i think. tomorrow, kevin has to work :( but i will find something to get into, i am sure! tomorrow night, i think we are heading to a christmas party at crawdad's...i'm looking forward to dressing up, hearing a band and having a fun time with kevin! 

oh..and...i can't wear my earrings when my hair is in a ponytail. they are much too large. today sucks.

-e

a fun survey...because i know ya'll don't already know ENOUGH about me!

Two names you go by: 1. Em  2. Emmye
Two things you are wearing right now: 1. Red shiney heels   2. Black & White houndstooth jumper
Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship: 1. trust  2. romance
Two of your favorite things to do: 1. be in the Delta with my love  2. eat sushi with my Lennye
Two things you want really badly at the moment: 1. a new car  2. something silver & square :)
Two things I did last night: 1. slept (i was home sick and taking Lortab)  2. ate some rice
Two things you ate today: 1. corn flakes  2. red beans & rice
Two people you last talked to on the phone: 1. Kevin  2. Mama
Two things you're doing tomorrow: 1. watching Grey's Anatomy   2. Helping decorate my parents house for Christmas! 
Two longest car rides: 1. to Sarasota, FL for a wedding...somehow a 9 hour trip turned into like 15   2. any drive i've made back & forth from Savannah, GA
Two favorite holidays: 1. Christmas EVE  2. Christmas DAY
Two favorite beverages: 1. Sweet Tea  2. Coffee with lots of creamer & Splenda
Two things about me you may not have known: hmm..this is tough.....1. i really hate Valentine's Day...but really really want roses on said day, because i've never gotten them on Valentine's Day.   2. i was 18 years old before i was ever really kissed.
Two jobs I have had in my life: 1. Inside Sales Rep @ Dux D'Lux   2. YMCA Summer Camp Director
Two places I have lived in the U.S.: 1. Starkville, MS   2. Savannah, GA
Two of my favorite foods: 1. SUSHI  2. Seafood (particularly, crab legs, lobster & shrimp!)

A couple more..

here is my christmas wreath and my gingerbread house :) i LOVE christmas!!!

My Christmas Decorations!

ok so here are some pictures of my lil house all decorated for christmas. the pictures are TERRIBLE quality because they are from my cell phone and the lighting was bad..but nevertheless, here they are! 

Mine & Flossie Jayne's stockings

it says peace..if you can't see it...

i love my christmas tree.

just realized i forgot to take a picture of my oh-so-cute wreath..will do that at lunch and post when i get back! Merry Christmas! 

-e

What a LONG Weekend!!

i. am. exhausted. in SUCH a good way though! i had the most wonderful, long weekend ever! wednesday night kevin arrived around 7 30 pm and we had dinner together and went to bed early. we woke up early thursday morning and headed out to jackson to visit with my dad's side of the family and each thanksgiving lunch with them (pictures to come soon). after lunch and dessert and a little more visiting, we headed to cleveland. after a stop in indianola to visit my friend melanie, who i was SOOOO thrilled to see, we arrived in cleveland between 4 and 5. we ran a couple errands, then headed to kevin's aunt & uncle's house, where i met the rest of his family that i hadn't met yet. they were all so sweet to me and welcomed me into their home as if they'd known me forever :). i was thrilled to meet his sweet, sweet family. after more visiting, we were pretty exhausted, not to mention STUFFED (after 2 thanksgiving meals and 2 rounds of dessert...1 of which consisted of a HOMEMADE italian cream cake...it rocked my face off), so we headed back to his house and changed in to comfy (expandable) clothes, and headed to visit my aunt tina & uncle glen for a while. friday morning, we got up EARLY and packed warm clothes to head to the woods for some bonfiring, cooking & hunting (well, i didnt hunt anything except heat...). after about 4 trillion errands, none of which went according to our plan, and a stop for donuts..we were FINALLY on our way to the woods.  and let me tell you it was chilly..and rainy!! but we had a fun time just hanging out by the fire, and riding 4-wheelers! i dont think any of the men folk ever shot a deer...but i'm really not sure. i'm not into all the hunting "lingo"...but this weekend, i'm proud to say i learned what a deer stand is, what a spike is, and many, many other useful things for the next time i attend deer camp. here are a few pictures from the woods! 

Casey & Kevin just hanging out

me & beth heating up by the fire

me & beth

beth & john

casey, ginger, me, kevin, beth & john

me & kevin

me, beth & ginger

just me...all in pink..yes, i was made fun of. 

it was a busy busy weekend, and it ended with the decoration of my house for christmas! it looks fabulous and i am ecstatic! pictures to come soon...well...probably not..but i can hope :) 

-E