My blog is carbon neutral

Check this out! Your blog can be carbon neutral too.
One blog, one tree. Yep blogs cause carbon emissions too. Makes sense, I suppose!

So this is the thing. All you have to do is blog about this very thing and the blog

http://www.kaufda.de/umwelt/carbon-neutral/how-you-can-join/
will show you what to do.
Just by making a little blog like this, you get a tree planted.
Sweet.

Do it!

Another family comes to visit and other natural stuff..

the sweetest






In other news:


 Per the prompting of my Chiropractor (who is one of my favorite people in the world)
 I have been a bit more intense and cautious of what I am not only putting in my body but what I am putting ON my body.
I have this crazy liver issue right now. It's trying to detox and it's not working so well due to the weird medicines I have been on lately much to my DC's chagrin.  Anyway I learned my lesson because my legs are freaking out. And by freaking out I mean Petechiae. It's the dumbest thing in the world really but it's ugly and alarming if you don't know why it's happening.
This is what Mayo Clinic says about it:


Petechiae are pinpoint, round spots that appear on the skin as a result of bleeding under the skin. The bleeding causes the petechiae to appear red, brown or purple. Petechiae may look like a rash.


Usually the cause for it is an autoimmune disorder which means your body is attacking itself and that, in case you didn't know, is NOT awesome. I went to my nurse practitioner and she ran a ton of blood tests to rule out any diseases. Which that was good. No bad things appeared to be going on in my immune system and they symptoms even went away BUT they came back with a vengeance. And it. freaks. me. out. 
I am in process of letting things like the freaking out go
read about it here 
http://surrenderstory.blogspot.com/
but I thought it would be wise to get a second opinion.
I went to my beloved Chiro. I saw the "new guy" which was great but after 30 minutes of evaluating my organs and stuff he called in the big guns and the head of the practice, my favorite came in saying "oh, medicine, medicine, medicine.." and within seconds he identified that it was my liver.


Because of the other medicine I have been on, my already SUPER sensitive body is reacting like crazy. And my liver is working overtime to detoxify my system of these toxins.
Ever since I was little I have always had a majorly sensitive system. Skin, organs etc. They aren't defective just sensitive and meant for natural intake only. I try to ignore that a lot but I usually end up paying for it in some way.
So simple solution.
I am significantly increasing my Vitamin C intake and will probably start taking Milk Thistle to aid in the detox and repair of any liver issue I may have.


My Chiropractor is really the only physician I can see that sets my mind at ease and treats the cause not the symptoms I am having. And within a few short days after adjustment or a regimen of herbs and supplements, I feel better and am free of the anxiety that often comes with these weird maladies! Going to the "regular" doctor can usually freak me out more than anything because, like me, they are usually just guessing at what's going on but have a license to RX the situation. 


I have always been on the brink of being anti traditional medicine and more pro holistic and homeopathic medicine. 
But really..have you EVER tried talking with a majority of your friends and family about this?! Usually you get met with lots of skepticism because general medicine doctors have gotten this reputation as being gods, able to do and know everything that could possibly be wrong so it must be OK that they pump you full of medicine that can have some pretty heinous side effects or cause organ damage. Eek!. And there isn't usually a whole lot of support offered because it's not commonly accepted. 
I like to KNOW what's going into my body and why it works  and what it will be doing.
I am not super intensely anxious about this stuff but I am wanting to be informed and not so blindly believing that all of these unnatural substances are OK for me.
Not cool, dudes.


Anyway. Off of that rampage.
I ordered something from 
http://www.sheayurvedics.com/

 It's the skincare starter kit.
Unfortunately more natural things are more expensive. I don't get it, personally but that's the way the  vegan cookie crumbles. And it's NOT a conspiracy for money. Don't even go there.


We are going on vacation soon and per my friend the Chiropractor and my other friend Tiffany (look at her here), I was researching the chemicals in sunscreens (which I just started using in the last 2 years unfortunately). I found that the crap that is in most of these things are AWFUL for your organs, reproductive health and can cause some weird side effects with prolonged use.
Anyway. I am trying. One step at a time to change my chemical intake in every way.
I am not a radical so this may take some time so that it is maintainable and cost effective for us.
But little steps count, yes?


I use mineral makeup. I use natural soaps. I try to use natural cleaning solutions. And I gave up Aluminum and Paraben- filled deodorant a couple of years ago. I am anti antiperspirant. And I have indeed found one that doesn't make me smell like a dirty person. It's pretty fabulous really.


Little steps. The big step will be cutting out my refined sugars.
We will think of that after vacation..

Show and Tell

Yes, I am that lady that posts about her cats at least once a week. Can't help it.
They are the cutest.
And what do you do when you have something cute?  You show it off!

So today is show and tell.
Maybe this will become a weekly tradition.
We will see. Let's not plan too far ahead.

Subject: Countess Lola-Jean Culpepper

Age: 2 1/2 I think

Likes: pink, staring at the kitchen wall, eating grass, watching reality TV, passing out

Dislikes: being held a lot, loud noises, flea medication 

Simply adorable.

Can I just say how very proud I am of my husband?!

He completed his bachelor's degree in 3 1/2 years and did so while working full time.

He deserves to be celebrated everyday but we tried to make this past weekend one to remember.

Family from Indianapolis and the Chicago area drove and flew to be there to watch him receive his degree.

It was an awesome day.

Warm and sunny, full of family and fun.

Congratulations to John for a.) being super handsome and b.) graduating college

He enters

He exits

His family

Some of my family (missing Jeff, Lauren and their boys and Johnny!)

It's the "I finally made it" kiss

Sharing silly stories of the past 3 1/2 years.

I'm glad we went through this part of life together and cannot wait to see what the next

season brings. Cant. Wait.

His main professor, Dr. Sanders- one of the sweetest men ever. He wrote a song for his class

of graduates and sang it to them at their celebration dinner. 

Congratulations, John L! So. Proud. Of. You!!!

It's Friday and I can't think of an awesome title!

I was very excited by this week's blanks since last night I bought a new dress and shoes for John's graduation. Also we looked at neckties for half an hour. He was SUPER excited about this....(not).. (sidenote: why does graduation gear look like a judge's outfit?) What a crazy 3 1/2 years it has been but he's done an amazing job, has earned  this degree well and I am amazingly proud of him for his accomplishments! Also, thank you US Government for paying for it. It's a nice trade off. Strange but nice.  Send someone to war a couple of times and give them a free education. Sounds good enough, yes?

So... HAPPY GRADUATION, JOHN L. CULPEPPER,  you're the cutest and the smartest!

1.  One fashion trend I really regret is      jean jumpers and sandals with socks...I don't know if that was a trend or if that was just a combination and result of our private school rules and my need to wear Doc Martens   .

2.  The one thing that always completes any outfit is      pearl earrings or other  studs (like John Culpepper) .

3.  I would describe my personal style as       all over the place.  I love classic and simple and I adore a trendy thing here and there.  

I love bohemian styles too   .

4.  My fashion muse is       I love anything Nicole Ritchie wears     .

5.  If I could own one designer piece of clothing it would be     I don't know. Do purses count? I love D&G bags, Balenciaga bags. I sure do love 

designer jeans though    .

6.  I would love to raid the wardrobe of     any of my college friends.  It was fun trading clothes then and I am sure it would be fun (and interesting) 

to do so now   .

7.  Today I am wearing     capri jeans and a peasant top and flip flops (with pearl earrings, of course) and a cat necklace    .

go HERE to play along 

Happy, Happy Weekend! 

See, you and me

Have a better time than most can dream

Have it better than the best

And so can pull on through

Whatever tears at us

Whatever holds us down

And if nothing can be done

We'll make the Best of What's Around

My Wizzity Weekend

Yep I said Wizzity Weekend. I grew up in the 90's.

I had a great weekend. 

Despite feeling like I lived in Seattle during the rainy season, it was very bright in lots of non-weather ways.

Friday night John and I went grocery shopping. Which sounds totally lame but you have to understand the immense pleasure we find in shopping and getting new and intersting things to eat. And to me, grocery shopping is quite relaxing. Unless it's the first of the month in Centralia. Then, that's a different story for sure.

Anyway after that one of my best ones, Rebecca and her baby Ogden, came for a visit and ate dinner with us. We ate, we played, we gave baby O a bath in my sink and went on a walk, sat and talked and watched TV. It was a perfect evening.

Babydoll 'O' hanging out . Look at those adorable eyes. He's always wide-eyed and curios looking. Such a sweet boy!!!

Rebecca (or Rebaderch as John calls her) and Ogden. They are part of our family now :) We missed Derek (or Rick as John calls him) He was workin' hard for the 'man'. That dang 'man'!

Ogden plays with John's ears

they both freak out..LOVELY shot of my husband, don't you think??

the cutest dirty dish ever.

Walking :)

We encounterd this guy. Gross!! He was dead but we made John take care of it like so..

he's such a brave Marine.

Saturday I went shopping for the first part of the day with my friends to get some things for my upcoming vacation (woot woot) and when I came home, I found John and the cats all snuggled up watching Julie and Julia.

Lola-Jean loves that movie. See?

Cutest little girl I ever saw.

Then on Sunday, we slept in, went directly to the couch to enjoy tea and a DVRd episode of SNL before church. While doing so, my firstborn snuggled right in and John caught this precious shot

SERIOUSLY this cat melts my heart. When he lays his little fury head down and exhales ever so softly with his paw outsretched on my face...ARE YOU KIDDING ME!? What a nubbin!!

Then after church we planted flowers. John helped this year!

I love me some begonias!

And an escaped cat.

So it was a good weekend. I spent the evening last night with some jr. high youth group students talking about God's plan for SEX. That's always fun and interesting.

All in all, it was a pretty successful and sweet weekend wizzity weekend.

Better late than never

I usually have this up sooner in the day. Today I had a whirly-twirly morning!

I like how the first blank is about one of my favorite things ever :Summer!

1. The very best thing about the summer is getting to go on vacation and outdoor walks. Also, watermelon and outdoorsy things.

2. My first crush ever was Drew. He was in my pre-school class and we "went out" .

3. This may sound really silly but I sleep with my baby blankie that was given to me on day one of my wordly existence. I put it away when we got married but then John went to Iraq and I HAD to break it out. That was almost 4 years ago and it still hasn't made it to storage again. Oops.

4. I squeeze my toothpaste from the middle of the tube. So does John.
This works perfectly.

5. My absolute favorite "comfort food" is Cheeseburgers. Especially McDonald's cheeseburgers. I am aware there are far superior in quality burgers out there but the little flat McD cheeseburgers I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY ARE MADE OUT OF OR HOW BAD THEY ARE FOR ME that's what's so comforting .

6. A random fact about me is that I was a dental assistant for a year. Worst. Job. Ever. I loved the job actually didn't like the people with whom I worked so much.

7. The one piece of technology that truly makes my life better and I couldn't live without is my television. ALWAYS .

link up!

Dreaming about vacation

Today my mind is elsewhere. I am dreaming about our vacation that is in 3 weeks.

I can't wait to be sandy and swallow too much ocean water. Also I sort of like getting knocked around by the waves even though I get sand burn and end up with 5 pounds of sand in my suit. Awkward.

We are going back to South Carolina but instead of going to the crazy part of Myrtle Beach we are going to Cherry Grove which is in North Myrtle. It looks delicious to me.

We are ready to relax, sleep, eat and walk for hours by the ocean. Every time we visit the ocean we scheme of ways to move there.

I am sure we will come back this time wanting to be a beach bum for the rest of my life.

It's here!

So my camera came in the mail yesterday. I seriously sprinted across my yard to get the box at my doorstep. It's the little things in life.

But I had photographers block and didn't know what to take pictures of.

Bummer-drag, dude.

So here it is..

and yes, this is a picture of me at work in the bathroom.

Enjoy :)

And of course, some kitty shots

The cats are like cattle. I get home in the afternoon and they stampede for the front door wanting to go out and graze. And yes, Lola-Jean has to be on a leash. She's feral at heart.

uninterested in being an art subject.

Aloof is his inspiration- always.

This is cute, don't you think?

handomest one I ever saw.

(pretty good considering I was 2 rooms away taking this!)

Hopefully I get a bit more inspired this weekend and get in a picture taking frenzy.

Things I love about my kitchen at the moment

My Fiestaware

Pink Grapefruit Method dish soap. Smells like Florida in my sink.

I like my stove area. Is that weird?

Wall O' Babies

(don't worry friends, if your child isn't on here, they are on the side of the fridge. Promise)

more Fiestaware..

My Anthropologie tea towel 

My husband, being in a cooking mood.

Here he was making pesto flat-bread pizzas. YUM

Fresh flowers always on the table.

This is something I always try to have now. I think it makes it so sweet and homey!