Something Surprising About HiLLjO

Don't feel bad if you had no clue or cannot stop laughing because I was just exposed to this fact:

I like Flo Rida.

Mind you this musical choice is amidst the likes of Van Halen, the Eagles, Pink Floyd and other amazing bands. I haven't really cared for R&B/Hip Hop since I was in High School but "Good Feeling" is like my daily anthem. I get cranky if I can't sing it loudly once per day in my car.

So what's the big deal? Slacker Radio just introduced me to "Low," you know, the "boots with the furrrrrr" song... I like that one, too... and it's the same guy. Who knew?
This is the same way I discovered the Flaming Lips whose song "Do You Realize" makes me cry from joy and sadness EVERY time I hear it.

How bout you? Do you like any surprising music?
Flo Rida from Youtube:

TIRAMISU ICE CREAM. +week in review

I KNOW, Jamie!!! I KNOWWW!!!

Shawn and I got restless Saturday Night and felt like getting Ice Cream. We used to just go to a drive through for sundaes but since we are saving money we went down the road to Target. There he found Monster Cookie Ice Cream (also nuts and AMAZING) and I found this little guy. Apparently this is an exclusive flavor to Target and it is supposed to stir up volunteer opportunities in the community by teaming up with VolunteerMatch's website. So my ice cream purchase was holistic, really. At least that's my stand.

Here's what the inside looks like:

I ate so much I...  ...I'll spare you.

It was lose-all-self-control Good.

Working backwards, here's the rest of last week:

Friday:

New bag of Potato Chips found this heart shaped chip. We're keeping it!

Wednesday:

We are not getting the Chickens from my work, but we are prepping for them in Spring. We'll make the coop now and shop for chicks later. Meanwhile we're reading about it at the gym. I cannot explain to you the amount of sideways and puzzled glances this creates in the eliptical row.

"Wait... that's not a wedding/beauty/fitness magazine..."

Tuesday:

We tried Roasted Cabbage from Pinterest!

We had it alongside veggie chili and bell peppers stuffed with venison, quinoa and veggies. YUM!

Sunday:

We had Portabello Mushroom lasagna for dinner! Instead of meat you slice them across, revealing a rather moustache-y looking mushroom slice... at least I thought so. This picture resounded with the ususal "Oh, Bun..." from Shawn.

WELL?! It totally looks like a 'stache!

We also had a great weekend with the Peach pug and we even went out yesterday in our matching coats.

What did you all do and make and eat last week?

Link to articles/pictures/recipes in the comments!

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE #8

This Friday I am in Love.

And today, that is enough.
What if I only had 7 more Fridays? ...I don't know. What if you did? Janet might.
Help Janet Liang. 

Heard of Pinspire? No? Good.

Pinspire is a rip-off of Pinterest and you may be shocked to find out it's not the only one! Pinme.ru, a Russian version, and another site based in China caled Markpic are both copycats of the Pinterest site which is valued at over $20 million.
I don't think Pinterest will care as they are the original and they have also founded themselves legitimately, both qualitites any copycat sites lack. I think the fans of Pinterest will be the real ones who are offended, much like myself.
I understand there are "no new ideas;" that is why I will never choose to copyright anything I make. But when you pull up this "pinspire" site and compare it to Pinterest's home page, I hear a "mwaaaamp mwap."

I won't be signing up, using or advocating Pinspire. I hope they get sued until they have no pants.

Help Janet Liang

Watch Janet's Video on Youtube

Desperate for Help

Help Janet find a Bone Marrow Match!!!

Please read this article and see if you can help Janet, a 24-year old Leukemia patient whose world has been turned upside down in a matter of months. Last year she was in remission and now she is told she only has months to live. Could you be a match for Janet? If not, could you help by reblogging, tweeting, facebooking or somehow getting the word out for her?

Thank you, thank you!

Mommy and Baby Match!

Last night we went to Petsmart which Peach loves. All the winter sweaters and coats are on sale so we just kind of looked to see what they had left. Amidst the Martha Stewart doggy coats was a black and white houndstooth dog jacket... which matched my new jacket my parents bought me for Christmas. It was 40% off at $24.99 so it should have been about $14.99 (which was expensive), but the thought of Peach and I cruising around in my green beetle in matching coats dismissed all logic. TEH CUTES!!! I thought, TEH CUTES FACTOR!!!
I decided I could use some baby money I had saved up for a human baby in the future; Peach is our baby, too! So we tried on the size that worked best and put it in the cart without double-thinking it. We got to the checkout and the coat ended up being 75% off!!! It was only $6.17! Glad we had a just buy this moment because that is reasonable!

I'll let you all be the judge of whether that was worth the money...

OMG. YES.

My Bloggy Gal Pal is Featured!

Good evening, everyone! Hope you're happy and shiny now that we're almost (or at!!!) home!
Just wanted to share a slice of happy from earlier today: my friend from Creighton, Kamie, is featured along with her new hubby Danny on Nebraska Wedding Day!

Go see and comment on her pink and gray cuteness and princess amazingness! Also visit Kamie on her personal and wedding blog here!

Polyvore Live and COVERGIRL Present Lauren Bagliore

Polyvore Live and COVERGIRL Present Lauren Bagliore by hilljo featuring hoop earrings

Rupert Sanderson black booties
$625 - rupertsanderson.com

Jules Smith hoop earrings
£90 - flannelsfashion.com

How to be Happy

Last week I pondered taking a break from blogging. My life is kind of in a lull right now after the holidays. Everything is in its in-between stage with the house so there's nothing to show there. The wedding photos still need to be edited and curated before showing you all the complete collections; it's kind of hard to do that without a personal computer and no home internet. We can't get pregnant now so there's only hypothetical babies about which to daydream and dispel rumors... we can't take our vacation or plan for it until after taxes are done...

So what the hell do I talk about in this waiting-to-live stage?

How to stay happy, no matter what.

• Surround yourself with love.
• Busy your mind with positive thoughts.
• Wear something that gives you a hitch in your giddy-up.
• Take the biggest pride in the smallest joys (ie. I can see. I'm not blind. I CAN SEE!!!)
• Do what you can, with what you have, right now.
• Take care of yourself and your health.
• Love yourself!!!

I have a lot to be happy for but sometimes it's hard to remember. Taking time to be happy for little things everyday and choosing to focus on those things can make all the difference. Instead of feeling like I'm in a hurry-up-and-wait rut I just re-direct my mind into thinking about the things that make me smile and brighten my everyday life.
Last week on a particularly gray day I got a reminder from one of the few bloggers I SERIOUSLY need to meet in real life: Heather.
Thank you, Heather of High Heels and Flip Flops!

She tagged me in this meme of 11 questions. Here are the rules below!

Rules:

1. You must post these rules.

2. Each person must post 11 things about herself on her blog.

3. Answer the questions the "tagger" listed for you in her post, and create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer.

4. You must choose 11 people to tag and link to them in the post.

5. Go to each blogger’s page and mention that you have tagged her.

Questions:

1) Who inspires you, whether historically, in your day-to-day life, or both?

I'm never a stranger to the cornball factor so I have to say my husband inspires me. ALL the time.

2) Do you have a favorite season?

Not Summer! LOL!

3) What’s your top goal to accomplish within the next five years?

Be a stay-at-home momma-etsy-star.

4) What was the first job you ever had?

First Job EVER was a REDKEN hair model. First REAL job ever: American Eagle Outfitters.

5) What’s your all-time favorite book?

1984.

6) What’s the most unique place you’ve traveled to so far in your lifetime?

South Dakota. Nothing like it!

7) If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?

In an Earth home in Arizona built into the side of a mountain.

8) Which qualities do you love most about yourself?

That I am genuine. I also love that I am creative and mindful of others' feelings.

9) If you could describe yourself in just one word, what would it be?

Sunflower.

10) What’s your favorite type of workout routine?

Kundalini Yoga

11) What’s your favorite guilty pleasure meal or snack?  

Chimichangas from Abelardos. Ridiculously good.

Now TAG, You're it:

Kim @ Party Frosting!

Jamie @ I Look Good Today

Diana M. @ exPress-o

Melissa @ So about what I said...

Megan @ Princess Lasertron

Caren @ The Favour Shoppe Blog

Amy Jo @ BRIDE CHIC

Stacie @ The Flirty Blog

Morgan @ The Handcrafted Life

Cat @ Hipster Housewife

Kamie @ True Love Stories Never Have Endings

Your Mission, should you choose to accept it, is to answer the following 11 questions:

1. When was the last time you laughed?
2. Cried?
3. What is your favorite food EVAR?
4. Cats or dogs?
5. How dependent on your mobile phone do you consider yourself to be?
6. Coffee or tea?
7. What is your favorite flower and why?
8. What is your favorite song?
9. Are you married? If not, do you want to get married someday?
10. Do you write in cursive at all?
11. Do you keep a journal on paper?

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! ...+updates

Happy Friday everyone! Hooo-rah.

So first some updates:

• To put any rumors at bay NO, I am not pregnant already! I would be sharing that; there's no way I would be able to keep that to myself!
• We will probably get a few egg-laying chickens next week! I work for a catalog company and they're using real baby chicks for our Easter book. They need homes after the photo shoot!
• I'm going to make a miniature version of the wedding dress I want to make. Did you know Kleinfelds will make a mini replica of your gown if you buy it there? Only $800! LOL... I think that will help me make a larger version when funding allows for gratuitous fabric purchasing.
• Shawn and I are doing really well!
• The house is making progress getting boxes unpacked (it's only been since AUGUST! Mwaahh-mwaaaammp) and saving money as well as paying off annoying bits of debt. Every bill paid is a step closer to baby!
• As soon as it gets nice out we are SO painting the front door orange and finishing up the rest of the house-front update.
• CHICKENS!!!! Can you believe they're FREE!?!?!
• I'm now obsessed with Polyvore much like I was Pinterest. I'm laying off of both more and more.

Onto our regularly scheduled amazingness:

Today I Love ME because:

1. I remember why I blog: I have something to say whether anyone reads or not.
2. When my paraovarian cyst pain woke me up in the middle of the night 3 times this week (for a 6-hour cumulative loss of sleep), I called it "Mommy Training."
3. I received very harsh criticisms all last week from people I know and some I do not and I was note even remotely destroyed by it. I laughed.
4. I knew my limits with my health this week and I respected them.
5. My follow-up skills are developing into something killer.
6. I think I'm in a good, mellow place where the baby-crazy is at a reasonable level.
7. I'm so open with Shawn. It just occurred to me he probably thinks "WHO IS THIS CRAZY WOMAN I MARRIED?!" after spilling my guts to him sometimes.
8. I'm saving up money like a champ.
9. House is still clean since Christmas!!! AHHH! A whole month of clean house!
10. I am getting a lot better at not putting myself down anymore. Lots better.

Happy Weekend all you lovely people that are reading! MUAH!

Gender Neutral Onesie - Two Ways

Gender Neutral Onesie - Two Ways by hilljo on polyvore.com

Pretty Cardigan
$42 - bodenusa.com

77 City Stamped Hoodie
$30 - ae.com

Volcom 'Fruckin Nuts' Seersucker Shorts
$40 - nordstrom.com

Converse Chuck Taylor Hop On Pop Slipon 722405
33 CAD - gravitypope.com

Preorder Za Za Couture *Paisley Princess* Blue w/Flower Headband
$15 - achildscloset.com

Vans Classic Slip On Blue/Black Jewel Checkerboard Infant Shoe
$20 - littleruler.com

Oh hey. I'm published again.

Here's the baby post about planning published on Offbeat Mama.

What is the funniest to me: Shawn, you scare women.
Let me rephrase: Your spontanaiety scares most women. lol.
Thank Jah you didn't marry "most women." You married this woman and I am glad to have your balancing energy with me everyday. You make life worth living to me.

Breastfeeding Post at HiLLjO

If you'd like to weigh-in on the ever-present breastfeeding debate, click here.

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE!

Do you ever get to the end of the week feeling so defeated you don't give a shit less what day it is, even if it happens to be Friday?
K.

Today I'm keeping it short and sweet to stay positive.
I love me today because:

1. I like how I think of rebuttals to my writing while I'm writing, and how I address them.
2. I am really interested in the Calendar Math hubs has become obsessed with, even though I have no idea what he's talking about. Still interested, genuinely.
3. I donate to Wikipedia.
4. I am not beating myself up about anything this week.
5. I had some major big-girl pants on yesterday to not flip out all over bitches at my work who disrespected me in a meeting... In front of me. Golden rule much, bitches?
6. I drank a CRAP-TON of water this whole week! Crap-ton is now a standard unit of measure based on the ounces of water I drank.

That's all for today; have a great weekend and let all the thoughts that plague you from shit gone awry this week just pass and fade away. LoVE!

U has a flavor

More mama kitty antics here and here.

Pinterest Grounding Update!

Source: joyshope.com via HiLLjO on Pinterest

So far my Pinterest self-grounding has worked! I'm more creative, independently inspired and guess what! 16 out of every 20 pins I make get repinned! Some have been repinned over 30 times!!! YAY!

Future Baby Post at H. and S.

It's too soon for any kind of baby-related announcement BUT...

We're talking about it.
I kind of touched on the plans for it in my How-and-When post from a couple weeks ago but I just want to talk about it MOAAARRR! I'm getting baby-crazy and I'll be the first to admit that... however I am excited to go on vacation, paint the kitchen, pay off the debt and all the other things that will happen before trying for a baby.

When we're talking about the baby, Shawn and I have come up with some really snazzy ideas:

• Prepare freezer meals in the months before the baby is born so that we don't have to cook to eat a good nutritious meal while we are sleep-deprived and covered in dry spit-up.
• Make the smaller "office" room into the nursery... bye HiLLjO office... :o/
• Make a baby hammock like this one.
• Save up to buy things like this pack of cloth diapers so we don't have to buy them EVER again.
• Get a laundry tub-sink for the laundry room to soak cloth diapers after use.
• Use the aqua I was insanely in love with as a trim color for the main wall color in the baby room.

If you want to see my latest nursery brainstorm I posted it at H. and S. along with the other posts about our home and how we live, decorate and EAT! If you want to see my daily baby thoughts be sure to check out my BABY board on Pinterest!

Checking In!

... not checking into a hotel. Just checking in with you all, actually!

Shawn and I are doing great after the New Year; we had a really relaxing Rasta Christmas; our dinner Friday was AMAZING! We also tried a manicotti dinner from Trader Joe's last night; we didn't realize it was meatless. It just looked good, and indeed it was!

Food... that reminds me: I need to clean the oven. I dirty an oven like no one's business. I also use up spices like crazy and dirty-up kitchen towels daily. I swear though, when you cook everyday it is becomes very apparent in your spice rack before anywhere else!

Tonight I think I'll make my famous Mooseloaf...

I want to have a Linky Party to see what you're up to lately! Add your link at the bottom with the list widget and I'll come visit you! If it doesn't work, just leave a good ol' fashion comment!

It's Friday, I'm in LoVE! #5

Wahoo for Friday, people! Happy Rastafarian Christmas, too!

Tree by Juan Luna

I love me because:

1. I have values, I am aware of them and I walk around acting upon them daily.
2. I am very spiritual. I can relate to people of all faiths deeply through a broad overstanding* of divine presence. (*overstanding is Iyaric)
3. I did a good job being in the moment this week... several times. I felt like a child.
4. I pray in my own way daily. And I like it.
5. I appreciate my life. Truly. It rocks.
6. I cook yummy food from scratch everyday. And I like that, too.
7. I don't weigh myself. This is random but I don't even know how much I weigh to obsess.
8. I have started to replace my sense of sin and wrongdoing with compassion and overstanding.
9. I've helped keep the house clean since Christmas. Yeeeuh.
10. I am researching baby stuff now in anticipation of our future children. Hopefully one will be conceived later this year...

So... Rastafarian Christmas! To celebrate, we are not eating anything outside of the the Ital from sunset tonight until sunrise on Sunday. Enjoy your carnitas for lunch now, Shawn; we're having quinoa pilaf and fish for dinner!

Basically for us this is a way to celebrate our beliefs and also to do whatever the hell we want, which is the spirit of the entire Rastarfari movement and way of life. As long as love is in our hearts and we are pure of motive we can celebrate in our own way; there is no "Rasta Christmas" tradition that is set.
Our tradition will be something like,

• Smudge ceremony to cleanse the house
• Start a fire in the fireplace for reflection
• Take part in the religious rite
• Meditate for an extended time
• Eat Ital dinner
• Exchange handmade gifts (if any)

Then tomorrow we will wake up, meditate and do some yoga stretches. After that we'll do whatever we feel like, I guess! It will most likely mean we do nothing, which is great. I found some Ital recipes for tomorrow, too. Here's one:


Baked Sweet Potatoes Ingredients 2 lb (900 g) sweet potatoes2 oz (55 g) unsalted butterjuice of 1/2 orangefreshly ground black pepper2-3 firm tomatoes Method 
Carefully wash the sweet potatoes and boil in their skins in plenty of water for 20 - 25 minutes until soft. Drain. When cool enough to handle remove the skins and rub the potatoes through a sieve. Mix 1 oz of the butter into the sweet potato puree with the orange juice. Lightly season with freshly ground black pepper. Butter a shallow baking dish and spread the mixture evenly on it. Top with sliced tomatoes and dot with remaining butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees f for 20 minutes. Serves 4

Thanks for reading; if you do anything special for ANY holiday I'd love to hear about it in the comments!


 

I, for one, love my husband.

I resisted Pinterest ALL day. I made my bloggy reading-and-commenting rounds and continued working today instead of logging on... until 5 minutes ago!

What a mistake that was.

All I get from Pinterest is pissed off anymore. There is a slew of people making light of talking bad about their partners, and specifically husbands, on there in the form of repins of stupid quotes.





I can't take more than citing just 2 Pins I disagree with here. It's not that I don't have a sense of humor because trust me, I DO. But to me, it is the equivalent of men reducing women to their appearance to reduce a man to his faults.
I, for one, love my husband. So. Damn. Much.
To make light of his emotions and to not take into account how much he does for us would be a crying shame. Partners need to raise up each other with love and kindness and appreciation.
My husband is a man of character and that is why I wanted to marry him. I didn't want to get married before I knew him, but after I met him I only wanted to be married to him.
If we disagree, we argue with respect for each other and work through our differences. That doesn't mean one bends to the ideas of the other; it means we respect each other enough to let the other own their own thoughts.
My husband cannot be nagged. No one likes it, so why would he? If he was going to do something around the house and he has not done it yet, I simply (READ:)Let. It. Go. 10 times out of 10 the next time I think about it, he has already done it.
My husband is my best friend and he teaches me so many things by sharing what he learns about the world. He reads everyday. He researches for the sake of knowing something for himself. He is truly intelligent for seeking information for no other purpose than his own curiosity. He has taught me so much, and I hope what I'm sharing with him teaches him, too.
My husband is cool. He has style; he never wears jeans, just Dickies pants. I really love how he dresses as an individual. He likes good music that we both enjoy and has introduced me to bands I love who I'd never heard of before. He is open minded and open hearted and this just allows all kinds of cool things to rush in.
My husband encourages me by always believing in me. He sees how determined I get about so many things, and he never undermines it with reality. He's just there for me when I fall short to remind me of how far I got when I started with nothing.
My husband loves me. He shows and tells me everyday. Do you know what he told me this morning? That he keeps thinking about how I look when I smile and how precious I am to him. Yes, he is real.

So join me in my challenge to you, dear readers: RISE UP AND LOVE YOUR PARTNER. Be a true partner to your spouse, fiance/e, boyfriend, girlfriend, and show the world that "They are More."

Tried a Pinterest Recipe!

Bacon-wrapped Jalapeño Poppers
My latest recipe I tried was some jalapeño poppers for New Years Day at the in-laws. They held a potluck and I brought these guys. Here's the link to the (slightly hilarious) recipe.

 

Love us some Mondays off...

And apparently Peach does, too.

10...9...8...!

7...6...5...

Disco Ball Chandelier by FRONT

4...3...2...

Samuel Sveen for Art Observed



1!

Happy New Year Everyone!!!