What a wild week it's been. Where to begin. . . I drove down to Colorado Springs to fill in at an office I would KILL to work at. Met more really awesome people and had a pretty disastrous camping trip that actually turned out to be not-so-bad. Found a stray dog. Adopted said dog. Very crazy ten days. I hope you had an awesome end to your May. Here's a list to catch you up on your holidays you've been so desperately awaiting!
May 21 - National Memo Day, National Waiters and Waitresses Day, Rapture Party Day
May 22 - Be a Musical Instrument Day, National Taffy Day
May 23 - Lucky Penny Day, World Turtle Day
May 24 - National Escargot Day, Brothers' Day, International Tiara Day, Morse Code Day | International Morse Code Alphabet!
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Morse-coded necklaces, blankets and scarves - People would have NO idea they say something!!
| | So many Morse code crafts, I don't even know where to begin! I LOVE the idea of crafting hidden messages all over my wardrobe. Maybe some Morse Art coming up next??Also, am I wrong in saying memo = Post-it? Check out this stop motion video of Post-its! Super cute! Happy Memo Day! May 25 - National Missing Children's Day, Tap Dance Day, Cookie Monster's Birthday, Geek Pride Day, Towel Day, National Wig Out Day, Player Piano Day
May 26 - International Jazz Day, Sally Ride Day
May 27 - Sunscreen Day
May 28 - Amnesty International Day, Memorial Day
May 29 - Learn About Composting Day
May 30 - Water a Flower Day
Colorado is suffering from major wildfires right now so it's not exactly the most fun thing trying to breathe outside. I am lacking a need for sunscreen since I'm holed up in my dark apartment to keep the heat (and smoke) out. Let's travel to three places you might actually want to enjoy the sun and NEED sunscreen.
I want to sit on this dock with my feet dipped in the water and lather on the sunscreen until the sun goes does. Would you join me in Hungary for some dock-time? Come on!
| Or maybe Canada is more your style? Watching the sunset over Lake Superior sounds like another one of those times that you would need ample lotion to protect you from the sun. Oh, Lake Superior, how I miss you.
| Last, but certainly not least - a natural swimming pool in Samoa. I'm sure I would have a pretty hard time wanting to leave these crystal waters to reapply sunblock. Alas, I'm a fair-skinned strawberry blonde and would sizzle into oblivion if I didn't!
| May 31 - National Macaroon Day, Save Your Hearing Day, World No Tobacco Day, What You Think Upon Grows Day
Have you read "The Art of Racing in the Rain"?? A quote that pops up a couple of times in this amazing book is "Your car goes where your eyes go" and I think that goes hand in hand with "What you think upon grows" - What an awesome way to live At-Cause in your life! Celebrate the things you have brought into your life and the things you have continued to grow by thinking on them! Congrats!
P. S. To save your hearing - I'm addicted to my Jack Johnson station on Pandora. Perfect for summertime, if I say so myself!
Happy sizzling!
XO
I love planning. And I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I now love planning my whole week of celebrations at once so I have a better idea of what I'm going to celebrate and when. I hope you like the new breakdown! Enjoy!
Tuesday, May 15th- National Chocolate Chip Day, Police Officer's Memorial Day, International Day of Families
For today's holiday, I bet you're thinking I'll have some decadent chocolate chip recipe. I know you all have enough chocolate recipes to last you a lifetime and I also wanted to spotlight a very important person in my life.
Today I have my very first guest writing for my blog, my very dear friend, Victoria VanBlaricom. As soon as I started going through the holidays for May, I knew I wanted to include her on May 15th's Police Officer's Memorial Day. She has an incredibly heart-breaking story, but it never ceases to amaze me how people emerge from terrible tragedies to become incredibly beautiful and forgiving people. There is no shortage of grace in this family and I am so honored to know even one of their beautiful members. Here's to you, Vicki! <3
 Vicki and her husband, Jeff Remembering my father, Officer Daniel John Dubiel
Where does one begin when discussing the tragic loss of her Father? I should start off with a little background on my wonderful family. My mom and dad were high school sweethearts. They married young and had four kids - Tamiko, Chris, Myself (Vicki), and Heather. My mother was pregnant with a fifth child whom she was caring as a surrogate. Her name is Corey and she is a wonderful baby sister!! My mom was 7 months pregnant with Corey when the news was delivered that my father had been killed while on duty. Here is the article describing the details on my father’s death:
July 9, 1987 ~ Officers Near Tears
Inkster, Mi-Police found the bullet-riddled bodies of three fellow officers inside a rundown motel room early Friday after a 70-year-old woman and her three heavily-armed sons emerged from the barricaded room and surrendered. The discovery, after a 10-hour siege punctuated by gunfire and a tear gas assault, dashed the hopes of law enforcement officials, who had been assured by the woman that her police hostages were still alive.Buckley said Friday it appeared that all three officers, who had gone on a routine call late Thursday afternoon to the motel to serve warrants on the woman and one of her sons for passing bad checks, had been shot to death with automatic rifles as soon as they entered the woman's motel room. Buckley said the woman lied to police negotiators about the killings until she and her sons surrendered at about 3:30 a.m. Friday. The woman, identified as Alberta Easter, 70, and her three sons, all in their 40s, were being held in the Wayne County, Mich., jail and were scheduled to be arraigned today.
The slain police officers were identified as Sgt. Ira Parker, 41, a 15-year police veteran; Officer Daniel Dubiel, 36, a 13-year veteran, and Officer Clay Hoover, 25, who had joined the Inkster force in March. Each was shot twelve to fourteen times, police dispatcher Philip Rogers said.
Hoover and Dubiel had gone to the motel to serve the warrants at about 5:15 p.m. Thursday and then requested the help of Parker, their supervisor. As soon as all three police were in Easter's motel room, the motel manager heard a volley of about 20 shots from automatic weapons and called police. Four more officers responding were then fired upon with automatic gunfire and retreated. Buckley said that the gunmen then fired hundreds of rounds from the motel room. The shooting stopped after police responded with tear gas, but the gunmen were apparently well prepared for a siege; they donned gas masks and continued their holdout.
Over the next 10 hours, as hundreds of police, state troopers and FBI agents converged on the motel room, Alberta Easter continued to insist that she and her sons had taken the officers hostage. Wayne County Sheriff Robert Ficano said police had remained hopeful throughout the night that the officers were still alive, although Easter had never offered any proof. At one point, Easter negotiated with a local television reporter, who failed to persuade her to surrender Thursday night. Buckley said that she and her sons finally surrendered in the middle of the night, because of a combination of "time, fatigue and reassurances that they would be safe." I was only 5 years old when this incident took place. Growing up without a father is not an easy journey - a little girl always needs her daddy. We, as a family, are VERY close. We cherish each and every day we have with one another and our families. I am now a wife and a mother of two boys. I do not take one day for granted that I get to spend with them. Each day is a blessing. It brings me to tears to think of the senselessness of the loss of fathers, brothers, husbands, sons over something as trivial as a $286, but I am so proud to know Vicki and her amazing family. Thank you Love! (And a note on justice HERE) I have SO many pictures of trees saved on my Pinterest it's not even funny. And, not that I ever need an excuse to wear purple, here is a super awesome color combo from Ampersand Design! Purple and tangerine, yum! | Wednesday, May 16th -
Love a Tree Day, National Sea Monkey Day, Wear Purple for Peace Day, National Employee Health & Fitness Day, Turn Beauty Inside Out Day
Thursday, May 17th - Pack Rat Day
| Check out Apartment Therapy's Travel Tips including tips on preparing to leave, packing and traveling with pets. Here is their Packing Lightly: 5 Best Packing Tips. Also, head over to Onebag.com for even more helpful pack(rat)ing tips! Oh, and one last thing, an Interactive Packing List never hurt anybody! 1. You do not need to wear something different everyday, you do need to be comfortable and appropriate: With that in mind, I use a packing formula: 3 bottoms for 1 week, 3 tops per bottom, 5 bottoms for 2 weeks, deduct 1 top and 1 bottom for each dress. 2.If you are going sightseeing or to a city, always, even in the heat of the summer, bring a cardigan (women) or a dinner jacket (men). Not every place in the world is as informal as the United States. On that same note, always pack one thing to dress up. 3. Unless you are going to Antarctica or camping, there will be stores where you are going and you can always get what you need or forgot there. Apart from contact lenses or prescription medicine, you will be able to buy it at your destination. And, if you're in a foreign country, the replacement product will likely be more interesting than what you're used to. 4.Forget the pack flat or roll debate. Bundling is best: Check out this method. Not only is it a space saver, it is genius at keeping your clothes from wrinkling. 5. Pack one space saver bag: Just in case you buy a lot while you're away, the space bag may help you avoid having to buy an extra piece of luggage to bring it all back in. Friday, May 18th - International Museum Day, National Bike to Work Day, No Dirty Dishes Day, Visit Your Relatives Day, Endangered Species Day, I Love Reeses Day, NASCAR Day, National Pizza Party DayLeft to Right: Portobello Pesto Pizza by Brown Eyed Baker; Deep Dish Pizza by Eat, Live, Run; Garlic Bread Pizza Crust by How Sweet It Is; Mexican Pizza by Ready, Set, Eat!I wish with my whole heart that I could be visiting my relatives today. Instead, I'll have to settle for a phone call or two and distract myself by planning my first ever PIZZA PARTY! It's not going to be today, but I AM inspired to plan one thanks to this awesome holiday! Sunday, May 20th - Be a Millionaire Day, Pick Strawberries Day, Neighbor Day
Happy picking!
XO
Weed Appreciation Day, Something on a Stick Day,
National Mom & Pop Business Owners' Day
I. Love. Dandelions. Not so much in their yellow form. More the after form. The white, fluffy form. The dreamy form. The wish-making form. The above picture is from a house where there are millions of dandelions hanging from the ceiling. Exhale carefully.
| I can't decide if this picture makes me
want to sneeze or sigh.
Probably both.
Sneeze first, sigh later.
| Dream tattoo.
Words to live by, but even better:
BLOOM where you are planted! You don't want to just survive, you want to flourish!
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| | Of course, check THIS out for something on a stick! Happy blooming!XO |
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