Always wear a baby if you're in the need to haggle...

  We woke up Friday morning to a very dreary looking College Station.   We drove through more torrential rain to get to Warrenton, one of 5ish little towns that make up the Round Top Antiques Fair.  It rained on us most of the day and got cold so it wasn't the most fun I've ever had in my life, but we found some good stuff and overall it was a success.  

 I wore Blythe in her carrier most of the day and you wouldn't believe the oohing and aahing that caused.  The first place we stopped to make a purchase the guy ended up just giving me one of the bottles I wanted.  Technically, he gave it to Blythe.  I was severely groped by a large black woman who wanted to see Blythe's feet.  Unfortunately, I had the carrier and B on the inside of my jacket which meant she had to go fishing around my waist for them and don't worry she wasn't shy about it.  She frisked me better than airport security in London!  We came home with some ball jars, apothecary jars, a shelf for Blythe's room, a mirror for the guest bathroom, and a tricycle.  

  On a side note... I have always wanted rain boots, but could never justify them because when do you ever wear rain boots?  Well, you wear them when you're tromping around a muddy field in the rain... that's when you wear them.  There were tons of people with cute rain boots on and I felt left out.  However, now I have an excuse to buy some!!

The Business of Being Born

I have much to report but don't want to write just one giant blog, so I will start from Thursday and give you a recap...

  On Thursday I watched "The Business of Being Born" with Jillian and it was really good.  I usually try and stay quiet about the whole birth center or home birth/natural birth vs. hospital/medicated birth because I would never want anyone to think their birth was less than perfect.  In the end, if you get a baby I say job well done!  This movie is amazing though and I wish more people would watch it if for no other reason than to understand why I had Blythe that way and to prove I'm not crazy.  It also made me remember Blythe's birth and the way it made me feel afterwards which was BADA$$!  Not in an "I'm so cool, I gave birth naturally" way, but in an "If you attack me I guarantee you will lose" way.  I understand how those moms pick up cars and move mountains off their children, because I felt like if I could do that I could do anything.  I also felt violently protective of my new baby.  I'm pretty sure if Fezzik had come at me with those giant paws of his I would have rampaged on him and won.  

  The thing that most stuck out in my head was someone in the movie saying something along the lines of "You go to the doctor or hospital when you are sick or injured.  Pregnancy and giving birth is neither a sickness or an injury... it's just life."  

  Then we loaded up the car and drove to College Station in what can only be described as a torrential downpour.  To be continued....

The Amazing Sears!

  That makes them sound like a circus act, and while Kale does juggle, that's not what I mean.  They are some of the most thoughtfully kind friends I have ever had the privilege of having and here's the perfect example of why.

  Blythe and I have been having a hard time lately.  She doesn't really want to be held by anyone other than me, especially when she's in a crowd.  This made Easter weekend not very much fun.  We were with family and she was yelling at everyone unless I was holding her.  

  I was complaining to Erin about it this morning.  Just a short whiny email letting her know why I was being grouchy and not a very good friend.  Then I went to check their blog and saw that Finn was having ear tubes put in this morning.  He did great and they were back home very quickly.  

  This afternoon I went about my business running errands and got a message from Kale that they had left a package on our porch.  I was expecting it to be some passed down toys for Blythe, which is always a treat and greatly appreciated.  When I got home I went to get the package and 'lo and behold McCalister's Sweet Tea and cupcakes were on my door step!!  So they have a child who had minor surgery this morning, I have a grouchy baby that I'm whining about and they're the ones leaving the most fabulous presents ever for me!  Seriously, I can't think of anything that makes me happier than sweet tea and cupcakes.  It made my day!!!  

  Kale and Erin never forget a birthday, anniversary, and now even just a bad day.  They are always the first Christmas, Valentine's, and Easter card you get.  They're amazing.  I have no other way to explain it.  We truly do not deserve their friendship, but I am constantly unbelievably thankful for it.  I just wanted to give a big shout out to brag on them because as of this moment I have no way of repaying the wonderful gift from today.  

Love you guys!!!

Ahead of the Curve

As a result of my previous post "The Classic Man Shoe," I have received much grief and criticism.  Many of the remarks have even questioned my sense of style.

So in my defense, I would like to call upon a very respected source of men's fashion and style, the April 2008 issue of GQ magazine, page 78.

Call me a "style boy" if you will.

The Great Stump War of 2008

I, Courtney Allison Johnson, have declared war with the stumps.  Our front flower beds are filled with gnarly, mean, ugly looking stumps.  Whatever natural green thing that once drew life from these stumps has long since passed away.  Saturday I declared war with a full shovel assault.  To show the stumps I wasn't playing around I attacked 3 of their living comrades.  After 45 minutes of hacking I called in re-enforcements in the form of Caleb.  After 45 minutes he had completely removed 2 of the ugly bushes proving, yet again, he's a big burly man and I am but a dainty girl.  Day one had to go to the home team (those of us living in the home).  We suffered minor injuries when I ran into a water faucet and scraped my shin up, a grasshopper tried to take out my eye, and a lizard the length of my forearm made a run at me causing me to scream like the dainty girl I had already proved to be.  Sunday Caleb removed the final living stump making it a highly successful weekend.  I make this vow to everyone who reads this.  No stump in my front yard will survive the year 2008.  I'm fed up with their ugly stump ways and I WILL HAVE NO MORE OF IT!!

A little something for your listening pleasure

I've been Tagged

I got tagged twice so I figured I'd better respond so here ya go...

10 years ago: Like both the people who tagged me, Em and Jill, I was in high school.  Hating track, taking an unholy and unhealthy amount of ibuprofen, and goofing around with friends.  

Things on my to do list today:

1.  Return a pair of shoes to DSW - I got 2 right shoes even though I had a conversation specifically about such things happening as the guy supposedly "checked." I've decided he doesn't know his right from his left so all shoes looked the same to him

2.  Clean the floors with the new vacuum cleaner that came yesterday - no more sweeping and shop vacing!

  Here's the problem with my to do list... it has about 87 items on it.  Most of which have been there for circa 87 days.  I love making lists and unlike sweet Jillian I don't really care if I accomplish everything or anything at all.  If I don't it just gives me something for my list of things to do the next day.  So here's the short version of everything else.  Clothes to hem, take in, or replace buttons.  Organize our office, wash the dog who smells like death warmed over, and a plethora of other things to plan, research, or purchase.

  The only thing I usually accomplish is sitting around hanging out with Blythe!

What would I do if I became a billionaire:

Give to my family, church, and friends

Travel - Greece, Italy, Egypt, Anywhere that popped into my mind

Get a pilot's license and buy a plane to travel in

Get a giant farmhouse in the middle of nowhere for most of the year, a beautiful beach house for the summer, and maybe a downtown apartment in Seattle or Boston just for the heck of it. 

I would have lots of old cars.. vintage jaguar, old land cruiser, etc...

I'd open my own coffee shop/bar/book store/boutique

Buy lots of bags, coats, and shoes!!

Three of my many bad habits:

Being lazy, not returning phone calls and emails, and being judgmental 

5 jobs I've had:

Papa John's order taker

Sonic girl

Waitress at Swensen's

Camp Counselor

Purchasing and Inventory Control at PrimeSource

5 things people don't know about me:

1.  I think I would become a hermit if left to my own devices.  I can go weeks without seeing or speaking to anyone.

2.  I have no self control whatsoever when it comes to food and drinks. 

3.  I was accepted into grad school in Australia (RMIT to be exact) to get a masters in advertising, but didn't think it was worth the money since I planned on being a stay at home mom eventually.

4.  I've started playing around trying to learn how to tailor clothes, so I can make my clothes fit me better.

5.  I would love to be able to paint, draw, take pictures, or anything else, but seem to have no artistic ability at all.  

I will now tag Erin, Casey Face, Hayley, Mama J, and I'll double tag Massey since it worked on me!