• I can throw six sausage links in the skillet, get online @Amazon to do my shopping, be done before it cooks in the pan, 'Cause I'm a WOMAN! #
• It's official. Just a day shy of being 8 months, Sydney is doing the army crawl. Okay. Let's do this. #
• Obligatory shopping spree, ahem, trip to @Walmart while in the South – check. #
• #tweetyourmiles 2.43 Less walkng 2nite, even ran 1 of the hills. "Crickets are singing & the lightning bugs are floating on the breeze. . ." #
• Life is a highway. Today, it was GA State Highway 90 West to Mauk. http://twitpic.com/232de6 #
• #tweetyourmiles 2.47 11:23m/m, minimal walking and ran all the hills except the biggest – woot! woot! (And, Chad, my heat beats your heat #
• New blog post: Today's Pix: Mauk http://www.thisjoyslife.com/todays-pix-mauk/ #
• New blog post: Slip Slide-y Fun http://www.thisjoyslife.com/slip-slide-y-fun/ #
• New blog post: Morning photo shoot http://www.thisjoyslife.com/morning-photo-shoot/ #
• Roadtrip! On my way to ATL for @susanjobson baby shower. Excited to share this event with my original BFF! #
• It might be the tiniest bit hot. (But you ain't heard that from me.) #
• Kids are in bed and Estrogenfest Minor with just myself and Montusela has begun. E-fest Major is well under way (and the table) in North GA. #
• Is "small fortune" a contradiction? Just checking, 'cause I wouldn't know #
• #tweetyourmiles 2.44 11:28m/m, #tweetyourpounds 0, all this exersize and not a pound lost so far. Will pretend I'm turning fat into muscle. #
• Just picked up a half dozen "hot doughnuts now." You do NOT want to know how many made it home. And this is why #tweetyourpounds isn't g … #
• Picked up a 1/2 dozen "hot doughnuts now." You do NOT want to know how many made it home. This is why #tweetyourpounds isn't going so well. #
• #tweetyourmiles 2.44 11:44m/m, was feeling very "meh, whatevs" about running 2nite. #
• Given $ by my 'rents & tasked 2 buy myself "something nice." Realizing I'm not giddy as a teen about it which can only mean, "I grow old…" #
• Made it thru security, onto the plane, baby and child are fed. Now for the long (5 hours) flight back to Seattle. See y'all at Thxgvg, GA! #
• My 4 year old is chanting, "Let's do it. Let's do it. Break it down!" whilst bug collecting. I c a future 4 her as a pest control spokesman. #
• I hadn't been cold for two weeks, not even once while in GA. Back in Seattle to hoodies and layering. #
• #tweetyourmiles Back to back soccer games; combo of mid, stopper and defence. I'm giving myself 3 miles for that. Oh, and I hurt. #
• Summer camps and sick kids means being in the car – A LOT. Big boo. #
• #tweetyourmiles 1.49, 11:07m/m Can thank Gwen P. Devereux for that pace. She's a great running partner for me. Me for her, not so much. #
• Minutes away from being the proud owner of the legacy Schwin red & white bicycle from @Target. Looking forward to riding with my daughters! #
• Got the training wheels on Clara's bike all by my lonesome. There is something very satisfying about doing Tim The Tool Man's job so well. #
• New blog post: Going with the flowchart http://www.thisjoyslife.com/going-with-the-flowchart/ #
• #tweetyourmiles co-ed soccer game, 4 girl subs, giving myself only a mile for that one. #
• Cupcake + cold glass of Riesling + "Bounty Hunter" OnDemand = The best Calgon experience I can come up with at the moment. #calgontakemeaway #
• Trying to get one of the girls in our bachelorette party to go up to the guy in the pi shirt and say, "3.14, baby." No takers yet. #
• New blog post: Clara & Sydney http://www.thisjoyslife.com/clara-sydney/ #
• The 1.4 mi walk to @Lollipops was more of a workout than expected thanks to pushing 56lb kids in a crappy double stroller. #tweetyourmiles #
• The 1.4 mi walk to @iheartLollipops was more workout than expected thanks to pushing 56lb kids in a crappy double stroller. #tweetyourmiles #
• "When I have a brand new hairdo/ With my eyelashes all in curls/ I float like the clouds on air do/ I enjoy being a girl" (and having them)! #
• That is so wrong. RT @wantat Excuse me!? Need I say more? http://www.miniurl.com/47721 RT@tykapfh Marzapan kind of sucks. #
• Opening an Etsy shop to sell photos on 8/1. Fully prepared to 2 FB & Twitr as a means of shameless self promot http://twitpic.com/29u28y #
• Opening an Etsy shop to sell photos on 8/1. Fully prepared 2 use FB & Twitr as a means of shameless self promo http://twitpic.com/29u2ok #
• $1 garlic pretzels at Auntie Anne's tonight, woot! woot! #
• Does anyone but me consistantly do a crazy dance at the gas pump just in case a sniper's got me in his sights? #
• Everything's explained! (Nothing's explained. We still don't know who killed the cook!) #
• New blog post: An evening by the water http://www.thisjoyslife.com/an-evening-by-the-water/ #
• Fell off the #tweetyourmiles wagon this week, but now #imbackbitches #imeanladies 2.47, 11.32m/m #
• At a wedding, time to dance, "chid is not my son. . ." #
• #tweetyourmiles Last night. Maria and Mike's wedding. Dance floor. Need I say more? #
• New blog post: It's Official: My Etsy shop is open for biz-nass! http://bit.ly/bW7tUq #
• I just swallowed and almost choked to death on my own saliva. Aww, that's so sad. #
• New blog post: It's not true! http://www.thisjoyslife.com/its-not-true/ #
• New blog post: Sadly, too long to tweet. http://www.thisjoyslife.com/sadly-too-long-to-tweet/ #
• New blog post: I just swallowed and almost ch… http://www.thisjoyslife.com/i-just-swallowed-and-almost-ch/ #
• Creating a sleeping porch (by putting a spare trundle and mattress on the back deck) is hands down the best thing I've done all summer. #
• #tweetyourmiles soccer game tonight, well matched until the opposition went all fight club on us. ref gave 3 red cards & cut the game short. #
• When someday Clara & Syd describe me as "an understanding mother, even though she was a cow" a la "Ferdinand", my job here will be done. #
• #tweetyourmiles 2.64 mile (11:42 m/m) run followed by a 2.4 mile bike ride. boo-ya-kasha! #
• Clara: I heard two trucks when I was sleeping this morning and I thought, "When am I going to get up?" I love how a 4 yr old's mind works. #
• #tweetyourmiles 1000. okay no, but short at the soccer game meant Joy was running like a chicken sans head and you know that had to hurt. #
• New blog post: Seahurst Beach Fun http://www.thisjoyslife.com/seahurst-beach-fun/ #
• I'm gonna be famous in B-Town! PHOTO FRIDAY: Holga Photos At Eagle Landing Park By Joy Fisher http://t.co/bvHHp93 via @AddThis #
• Win a MAC Group Photo Essentials Package worth $2285 from @MACgroup and Scott Bourne. Pls RT. Info at http://tinyurl.com/2bpce97 #
• Summertime + @Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonaide = The ability to chillax even while running errands. #
• Getting a mani-ped, looking across the street at a billboard that says, "I intend to live forever; So far, so good." #
• That's what I'm talkin' about! RT @joyluck76 Who-hoo! Made my first greeting card sale today to a woman in New York. http://fb.me/FtRLsPMF #
• Picking up THE BEST SANDWHICHES EVER at The Cannery House, having just finished shopping in Friday Harbor on a abs fab, gorgeous day. BLISS. #
• 30 minute temper tantrum still going strong . . . AWESOME. Well, TGIF, right? Wait, that means nothing for a SAHM like me. Big Boo. #
• Oh, Naptime, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. . . #
• #tweetyourmiles 2.61 (11:19m/m) on the treadmill, followed by 15 minutes on the elliptical. Boo-ya. #
• Team Edward – On Demand in 3 . . . 2. . . 1 . . . #
• 2nd day enjoying the new Grand Central Bakery that's newly opened in B-Town. So delish! #
• You've got a freak flag, but it don't fly. #
• Have I never mentioned that the Triple Chocolate Cookie from @GrandCentralSEA Bakery is the PERFECT midnight snack? Really? Well, they are. #
• Gwen tells me the oatmeal chocolate chip cookie @GrandCentralSEA are "the best." She thinks it beats the Triple Choc. It's on, girlfriend! #
• At seeing this written on the box http://twitpic.com/2l2k41 , I had the sinking feeling I wouldn't be needing this http://twitpic.com/2l2mce #
• I know more than I ever though I would about corn. But then, I should, as it's likely my carbon makeup is over 50% corn. Yours too. Freaky! #
• So she thinks she can dance. http://bit.ly/bwmB6e #
• Temple Grandin and King Corn – both well worth the watch. Now, finally getting the 6th season of LOST via Netflix. Darma Initiative, U ROCK! #
• My ipod and Nike+ chip have been stolen. It's times like these that a fundamental knowledge of some good Haitian Voodoo would come in handy. #
• I suppose it's only us anal people a la "Monica Geller" who believe that finding order in chaos proves that there really is a God, Margaret. #
• They should be interviewing u! RT @inanebanter Epik CEO to be interviewed on Domain Master Radio at 4pm http://www2.webmasterradio.fm/chat/ #
• iPod Touch, one day, you will be mine. And, when finally we're alone together, oh, the apps I'm going to put on you . . . #
• I've landed, I fear, in a most useless place. The Waiting Place . . . Just as that good doctor knows, I'M WAITING FOR MY HAIR TO GROW!!! #
• Celebrating a successful 1st day of school w/lunch at Red Robin. Why, oh why, do they put the nutritional info for this place at the table? #
• Bought a 6 disc set of the P90 workout off Craigslist for ONLY $30. That way, when I don't make it past day one, I'm still a winner. Right? #
• Having two cats, we see our fair share of rat parts around here. Most disturbing for me by far are their WAYYY too human-like incisors. #
• I laugh in the face of danger-Craigslist danger. Just sold stuff to a man at 10pm. Smart? Not so much, but I'm $30 richer AND I SURVIVED! #
• Hey @elizadushku, because I like your stance on big cookies, I'm bidding on YOU @ http://www.TwitChange.com #justsayin #
• Good luck on your "EPIK" presentation today, @inanebanter. I know you will be AWESOME!!! #
• Successful completion of the B-Town Brat Trot 5K Octoberfest fun w/ @inanebanter, @wantat & @aimeejlloyd. Great run, y'all! #tweetyourmiles #
• #wordoftheday Jactation. The exorcism resulted in a violent jactation, the likes of which the priest had never before seen. #
• Note to self: Runng a 5K & chasing it w/a soccer game does NOT help u "bend it like Beckham" (nevermind I can't do it on a good day anyway.) #
• DWTS, you hassled The Hoff. #
• The #wordoftheday is AGOG. It's one of my favorites and I'm eager to share it with you: "I am agog! I am aghast! Is Marius in love at last?" #
• There are moments, when both my little girls are crying simultaneously, that I have a modicum of sympathy for what Ms Hannigan went through. #
• Me likey the #newtwitter layout. #justsayin #
• Okay, Jr. Mints, I hear you! (The Jr. Mints are calling my name.) #
• Just finished off an Elaine Bennett style "big salad" I made for dinner. It was delish even w/the Mickey Mouse shaped chicken nugget pieces. #
• Have I mentioned that I am the proud owner of an authentic wooden book truck. The teacher in me rejoices! #
• Soccer game. Me Gumby. That is all. #
• Soccer game. Me Gumby. That is all. #tweetyourmiles #
• My cat clock's tail & eyes started swinging today. Thought it was broken for the last 6 mo. Didn't feel up to the task until now, I guess. #
• Funny how making home-made playdoh makes you feel like Supermom. #
• OMG! Facebook is down! Facebook is down! #justsayin #
• The Southerner in me thanks @GrandCentralSEA for dinner tonight – Pimento Cheese Melt (with tomato relish and onions added). Thanks y'all! #
• In the car on my way to a soccer game listening to American Pie & wishing I could call my dad but it's midnight where he is. #tweetyourmiles #
• "'Good night, little girls! Thank the lord you are well! And now go to sleep!' said Mrs. Clavel." #
• "While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping, as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door…" -The Raven, EAP #
• I'm the proud owner of a Rover 5-String Open-back banjo. Have learned a couple rolls and a few chords already. Yee-haw! #
• Did "The Situation" survive on Dancing? Inquiring minds want to know. #
• "If there was but world enough and time" . . . to tweet and Facebook all day. #
• Ordered my first Starbucks Carmel Apple Spice of the season. Bring on the cold! #
• My daughter asked something I've always wondered myself, "How come cartoons never change their clothes?" It remains a mystery to us both. #
• It just occurred to me that my 11 month old Sydney and @justinbieber look an awful lot a like. I'm okay with that. http://twitpic.com/2xwpvs #
• On this 18th day of October, two thousand and ten, at 6:55 p.m. PST, our little 11 month old Sydney took her first step. LIKE! #
• What are you waiting for? We're Waiting For Superman. #
• Coming up on 8 years of marriage to @inanebanter aka Chad this Tuesday. Going to celebrate with a fancy dinner out, no kids tonight! #
• Partook of a matsutake mushroom ice cream created by Iron Chef Cory Barrett. It's okay to be jealous. #
• I find yesterdays Dictionary.com #wordoftheday to be a pretty accurate description of me – slugabed; a sluggard. And I'm okay with that. #
• Direct question to me from my brother while surrounded by my children, "Can you, uh, give them, like, some benadryl or something?" #
• Finally saw "Food, Inc." Considering I've had only one hamburger since seeing "King Corn," I have no idea what I'm going to eat tomorrow. #
• Tweeting from Seattle's iconic Icon Grill with my bro (don't tazer me!). Love their macaroni with pulled pork – mm, mm, good. #
• It's true what they tweet: Babies ARE the worst. #
• Ok, well, now that they are both asleep, they're not so bad #
• OMG back-to-back co-ed soccer games #tweetyourmiles I'm done. #
• This is an AWESOME deal: $45 for One 16"x20" Gallery-Wrapped Canvas Including Shipping and Handling from Canva…http://gr.pn/c5eLe7 #
• Rainbow! #
• Ikea is evil. #
• Day 5 #homealone with the kids. Minimal adult interaction since Monday. Hubby back noon-ish. #calgonetakemeaway b4 the mental hospital does. #
• Clara during a mini-tantrum: "I am good, mommy, I AM . . . at times." #
• If organization is key, it can't be good that I'm always losing mine. And my cell phone. #whatsupwiththat #
• Clara's xmas list thus far: A telescope, dumbells, a pillow pet, a bell from Santa's sleigh . . . #
• The donut on my plate "goes missing" because I ate it already, and yet I look at my waist and really wonder #howdthatgetthere #bummer #
• "Honey, when I told you to bring a 'hot dish', I did NOT mean green bean casserole." – Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all! #
• Day 2 ofthe Thanksgiving festivities. Trying to organize extended family photos. Do you want to shoot me now or wait 'til we get home? :p #
• It would seem I get my mad photog skillz from my dad. #sweet #
• Friends & family, please note: I'm going to be late. I'm ALWAYS going to be late. #
• It's a #breakfastfordinner kind of night. #
• I haven't gotten around to balancing our family budget this month. It's one thing Obama and I have in common, I guess. Kidding. KIDDING. #
• Toot accusations flew until all realized it was just "the Aroma of Tacoma" wafting in as we were driving through. #
• Regifting: Not sorry to do it, just sorry to get caught. #
• I want an iPhone 4. I don't care. #
• Rockin' the @snooki poof today. Juicers beware? GTL. T-Shirt time!!! (Whew, don't know what got into me there.) #
• Me: "Christmas is a lot of work, but you wouldn't know." Hubby: "What?! Come on, now, I just moved the elf." #
• Here's a tip, @inanebanter: Fran's Salted Caramels is a NO FAIL stocking stuffer (for your wife). #
• We just stumbled apon Chet's Place, a diner in Bremerton, WA that serves grits, hush puppies and fried okra! #whatsupwiththat #
• It's girl's nite; Well, you can always remove tag, right? #
• You know a fun place to go at Xmas? The Post Office. #
• You know a fun place to go the Saturday befor Xmas? The mall. #
• I loathe waiting. #
• Welcome to Sick Bay. All hands on deck! #
• "It's Christmas time in Hollis Queens; Mom's cookin' chicken and collard greens!" #
• So up to the housetop the courses they flew with a sleigh full of toys and Saint Nicholas, too. #
• Requirement for next husband: The ability to cook. (Yes, @inanebanter, that is a HINT.) #
• "And you can wackle all you wanna, you can wackle while I walk away, away, away, away!" #
• Unattainable New Year's Resolutions: cook more for my family, eat healthier, hit the gym, loose the weight, blah, blah, blah HAPPY NEW YEAR! #
• HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! And now to bed . . . #
• There are times when I just don't want to do this anymore. #
• Such a traditional spelling of Joy my parents picked. All the cool kids are spelling it "joye", "joi" or "goi" these days. #
• I don't really get the bidet thing. #
• The 4 yr old reckons Superman can fly because he wears an apron on his back & the devil is evil because he stole Xmas. Close on both counts. #
• As if I didn't already love Swan Lake enough, Black Swan, you had me at "da da da da-dom!" #
• Date night with @inanebanter is on. Getting changed after playing pickle ball, then headed downtown to The Purple Cafe for dinner. LIKE! #
• Chad wants the girls to learn how to ski. Do I want my kids to be skiers? Hmm. This is not a question I'd have to ponder in the South. #
• Each day I get a little bit closer to being done with Christmas. At this rate, it'll be time to start over again for 2011. Sheesh. #
• check it out @inanebanter – RockMelt: The Social Web Browser http://t.co/AGExQTU via @unplggd #
• "When I get sad, I stop being sad and be AWESOME instead." http://youtu.be/7gqYAuFvtXM #
• You just bloody never know about men: http://vimeo.com/17970306 #
• "Someone is staring at you in 'personal growth.'" – WHMS #
• I've got a fever and the only prescription is more cowbell. #
• Chad: Is somebody crying? Me: Somebody's always crying. #
• They've got a coaster set too @dooce: http://tinyurl.com/48o84fy These are so cute, maybe I need a hedgehog fetish. #
• re-cal-ci-trant: 1) refusing to obey authority, custom, regulation; stubbornly defiant 2) hard to handle or deal with 3) Clara come bedtime. #
• Got this awesome deal today from Living Social: A $20 Amazon.com Gift Card for only $10: http://bit.ly/fXlbEF via @addthis #
• "Same sh**, different day." Is that the definition for "routine" or "rutt." I'm beginning to think the latter. #
• Enjoying some "QT Time" with the bitty baby at a bagel shop while the eldest is at her art class. I do enjoy the little bit one on one. #
• Danger is my mother's maiden name. Name of my first pet is also Danger. #
• Dear husband, Remember how when you left the house this morning the kitchen floor was that ugly green linoleum? Yeah well, um, now it's not. #
• The great news: I may have found those hard woods I've been dreaming of under all that linoleum. The bad news: I might need a tetanus shot. #
• The good news: I probably don't have tetanus. The bad news: The wood I hit seems to be a plywood subfloor. Big boo. #
• I'd say the same about you @inanebanter xoxo RT @sween "He makes a good first husband."-my wife #
• This video ALMOST makes me want to visit Iceland. But then I think, "Hmm, it's called ICE-land for a reason, yo." http://vimeo.com/12236680 #
• Aw, jeez, Joy, when you have to reassure yourself your normal, you SO. ARE. NOT. no matter what Stuart Smalley would say. #
• Oh my ganashe, I love this place! $8 for $16 Worth of Hoagies, Cheesesteaks, and Italian Fare at Hey Paison! in… http://t.co/e115Hby #
• I love the idea of having an espresso machine. Too bad I hate coffee. I would totally take a job as a barista, though. #
• I just uploaded "Sydney, Anchor Me Back Down" on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/20864630 #
• "God did not invent weekends for whole wheat." True dat, @dooce! True dat. http://tinyurl.com/4wbnaws #
• It's funny how swimwear that's going to look unflattering on this mother of two no matter which way you slice it is upwards of $100. Ha. Ha. #
• Come on, bulldogs, you've got this! Sick'em in the next half – woof! woof! woof! #
• Ok, I'm moving on from the Georgia loss and all the girls in the house are sporting our Husky gear today. Let's go huskies, let's go! #
• I'm not convinced though E.B. would like me to be that "the art of losing's not too hard to master." To me, it is (Write it!) a disaster. #
• Who's the April Fool? Not me. Ha-ha! #
• 3 cheers for the honest folk at the Burien @GrandCentralSEA who found my wallet and returned it safely to me today. Hip! Hip! Hooray! #
• Getting ready to join the circus. Well, get a taste of it at least. Will be high flying on the trapeze within an hour! #
• I can't believe I've just learned of "friet speziaal" (fries with mayo, ketchup & onions) & I REALLY can't believe the Dutch beat me to it. #
• April HAIL STORM springs May flowers? No, dang it! NOOOOO! #
• Will someone please explain to these kids that "wanting to see what would happen" is NEVER a good reason to do ANYTHING! #
• I just liked "Christy & JD Spinning" on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/22524811 #
• The indoor swing has been hung; The first swing has been swung! #
• I'm tweeting my miles if you can believe it. Not quite 1.5. Had to work off that PEAR SALAD, now didn't I? #tweetyourmiles #
• Chick-fil-a. Don't you just lov it? Why, yes. Yes I do. #
• Doh! It's Sunday and I want my Chick-fil-a!! #
• A week and a half in Georgia and I've just made it to Walmart. Shameful. #
• Seattle, you've got just under a week to get your dreary act together. I've got a fever and the only prescription is more SUNSHINE! #
• Plants vs. Zombies. I do not get it. #
• Dear hubby, you're having the Cubano from @GrandCentralSEA for dinner. Just thought you should know. #
• Delta, if you don't give me my baggage in the next 2 minutes, I will go insane(!) and I will take you with me. #
• Yes in the cab on my way #
• What's up with clown figurines? I mean, really, what's up with that? #
• I'm only just young enough to understand what my five-year-old means when she says her backpack is so full it's "blowin' up." Yowza! #
• And if tomorrow I'm an apple seller too, I don't need anything but you! #
• Found at Goodwill: Pottery Barn Linen Throw "NIB"; Originally $70, marked down to $35. Goodwill price – $10. That's what I call "winning." #
• In reference to the way the one year old was acting in public at lunch: No one told me I was Rosemary! #
• Finally googled "big white ball port of seattle" to discover it's a Sea-based X-band Radar Vessel here for maintenance. Kewl. #
• Mt. Rainer looks sick today! Summer in Seattle – woot! woot! #
• Mt. Rainier looks sick today! Summer in Seattle – woot! woot! #
• Now that I know what SBBOD stands for, every time I see it on my Mac I freak out: "Noooo! It's the SBBOD! Go away! Please, go away quickly!" #
• Paul Newman with your "healthy" oreos. You are evil, man. An evil man. #
• Calgon, take my children away!!! (Return them safely at bedtime. Kthxbye) #
• I just asked my baby (Clara) to carry a watermelon. Johnny Castle thinks that's so cool. Robby The Creep could care less. #
• I recommend seeing the winner-takes-it-all, Michael Cane infused mockumentary "The Trip." Especially if you like your men small & in a box. #
• I recommend seeing the winner-takes-it-all, Michael Caine infused mockumentary "The Trip." Especially if you like your men small & in a box. #
• Homemade mayo FAIL. Now I'm out of eggs, olive oil AND mayonnaise. Big boo. #
• Seattle's "winter in July" has got me in a VERY. BAD. MOOD. #
• I have a hamburger phone and no working jack to plug it into #
• Clara (the five year old), just informed me that, "If Sydney (the one year old) wants to grow up, she can." #
• Really, Seattle? British author Alistair Cooke unfavorably described you in the 1960's as "a rain-soaked city halfway to Alaska." He wins. #
• Please, Seattle, please! Let me suffer the effects of Global Warming with the rest of the country! *sob* #
• I'm going back to my plough. Back to the howling old owl in the woods hunting the horny back toad. Oh I've finally decided my future lies… #
• Just passed a Greek place boasting, "Best YEEROS in town!" Based on that spelling alone, I find their claim to be dubious at best. #
• "Composure is a beautiful thing to lose." I say, and say, and say those words (multiple times each day). I say them. But I lie them. #
• New season of Jersey Shore (in Italy) tonight with gems like, "He speaks really well English." *fist pump* #
• Per Clara – "and happily after ever they lived" – I like it. #
• On a ferry-ride to Whidbey Island now for the annual family vacay. LIKE! #
• Bright Vintage Yellow & Orange Glass AVON by yesterdaysfinds http://t.co/MrIDHUJ via @Etsy #
• Gradient Yellow Enamelware Bundt Pan by yesterdaysfinds http://t.co/OyusTmL via @Etsy #
• Springerle Rolling Pin for making picture by yesterdaysfinds http://t.co/rTumqVl via @Etsy #
• Vintage Green Flower Frog by yesterdaysfinds http://t.co/7o8F0TC via @Etsy #
• Painted Yellow / Cobalt Blue Bleikristall Vase by yesterdaysfinds http://t.co/Va9Jjtq via @Etsy #
• How is the city of Philidelphia like Hitler? Watch "The Rape of Europa" followed by "The Art Of The Steal" to find out. #
• "The Barnes Foundation is the only sane place to see art in America" – Henri Matisse #
• "Chicken strips make excellent Zen rock gardens when artfully arranged on a spare white plate."-back of Applegate Organics Chicken Strip box #
• I'm officially a soccer mom. I'm doing ok with it Lost the first game but it was a heck of a lot of fun! #
• I always thought the phrase was "devil make hair" but my devil may care attitude prevented my from figuring out the correct saying until now #
• Viagrow may help create fuller, firmer erections http://t.co/jjV4qefH #
• Stirring the peanut butter is not the most fun I've ever had. #
• Happiness is . . . putting your kids to bed (after a day at the fair). #
• It's the redundant nature of repeatative tasks that troubles me so much. #
• You may be wrong for all I know, but you may be right. #
• Seeing New York City one airport at a time. #
• Loose teeth are, like, totally gross. #
• Apps for dinner is totally a thing. Totally. #
• Curse you, Incontinence! #
• Irony is how not funny it is to laugh so hard you pee your pants (just a little). #
• Sugar cookies are really just a vehicle for shoveling buttercream frosting into your mouth. #
• And, by the way, a truck-load of butter + a truck-load of powdered sugar = frosting. Um, right on! #
• Hey, how come my pants don't fit? #
• I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out – the Columbus Cottonmouths at the Columbus GA Civic Center!! #
• Hot doughnuts now, baby! #
• Just got the good news: GA 31, He-who-cannot-be-named 10. Go dawgs! #
• It's those Cracker Barrel biscuits that keep you coming back for more. #
• Giving props to Bill O'Reilly for an excellent first sentence in his new book Killing Lincoln, "The man with six weeks to live is anxious." #
• Ok, yeah, it would be nice to say, "I USED to be fat," but I've seen that show and there is A LOT of crying involved. #
• Bring it, Sleep. #
• Fat & happy after lunch at The Farmhouse in Ellerslie, GA. #
• I don't know what kind of luck it is to have a nativity without the baby Jesus, but that's where were at for this Christmas. #
• Found the baby Jesus. He was there all along but upside down. Still, I'm thinking overturned baby Jesus isn't what one would call "winning." #
• Awesome new organization bringing terrariums to cancer patients. It gets kids involved too! http://t.co/v2nRbHmD via @wordpressdotcom #
• I'm a kleptomaniac. When it gets bad I take something for it. Ba-da-bom. I'm here all week, folks. #
• As it turns out, bad, bad Leroy Brown wasn't as bad as he thought. #
• If God didn't want us to be fat, he wouldn't have invented processed food so, yes, I want fries with that. #
• Snow in the NW: If you can imagine it, I can believe it. #snowmygod #snowudidnt #
• Oh Lord, it's that time again. Indoor soccer, playing with no subs (and possibly one short). Shoot me now! Shoot me now! #
• Look at this great photo I snapped with @KiwiCamApp #fb http://t.co/zeZk6Vzq #
• Finally out & about! http://t.co/oSfqugUQ #
• Wine tasting, yay! http://t.co/QjveXyKV #
• Getting bed ready! http://t.co/K2CeNfzq #
• I'm avoiding this. http://t.co/dGfAgW9g #
• Note to self: NEVER say the word "bananas" if any member of the #FreshBeatBand is around. #
• Sister Envy http://t.co/Yk2YbBPI #
• Stuck in my head: "Put your rock star jacket on/Everybody sing along/Shout it out!/Just like a rock star!" Curse you, #FreshBeatBand #
• Lucky me! Thx Angela http://t.co/eGehygE9 #
• How sad is it that I can't even make it to the gym in order to cancel my membership. #winning #
• This never happens:( http://t.co/4S46mndE #
• Friends & coffee http://t.co/ygskaGaw #
• bedtime reading http://t.co/1x5js6N2 #
• My girls! http://t.co/ttflqOic #
• 11:11 http://t.co/5aTzz8E9 #
• I miss those days. http://t.co/HhGwoxXi #
• Checking out The No Brainer Wardrobe. Dubious as to whether this cute girl can pull it off on me! http://t.co/0zATr3vJ #
• Coming soon! http://t.co/X2wpBYEj #
• Say you don't believe it, not for a minute, that talk is cheap when the story is good. Then, it's all white lies & you don't want me around? #
• I'm Jeeeeeeeesssssssssssssss! (jazz hands) #
• They're baaack! http://t.co/bgG1Xvog #

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I came across this picture of my “Granny” (who is now 95) last night while cleaning out old photos.  It appears to have been taken in the ’60s because of her youthful age and the fact that I don’t recognize the kitchen of the house she is in (she has lived at her current residence since before I was born in the mid-seventies).

With my renewed appreciation of all things vintage, there is so much about the moment that has been captured here, most likely by my father, that I absolutely love.

I can guess that it was my father that took this picture because a) she is his mother, b) he loved photography and c) I can just make out the folds of her chenille robe, hinting that it is likely morning before she has gotten dressed for the day.

I can tell that she is making biscuits not only by the assumed time of day, but also the fact that her hands are covered in flour.  Yes, this could mean she was making something to be fried up, like catfish or okra, but it is more likely she is working with dough by the way her hands are clasped.  She is known, at least by me, for her chicken and dumplings, so one might argue she could be making dumplings.  However, the final clue is the little glass juice cup sitting in front of the bowl.  Her dumplings where rolled out flat and cut with a knife, whereas her biscuits would have been made perfectly round using the glass as her biscuit cutter.  This is a “Depression-era” woman, she is nothing if not resourceful, like many of her generation and the one that followed.

I love seeing my grandmother in this moment of “domestic bliss” (let’s hope she felt that way at the time).  I also love taking in the details of her (now) vintage kitchen.  Pots as art hang directly from the wood panelling. I LOVE that. Even the Coca-cola calendar shares its nail with a copper pot.  If it were a better quality photo I might even be able to tell exactly what month it was by that calendar.  But, it doesn’t matter because this scene, I am certain, was repeated like clockwork with the dawn of each new day for many years.

I’ll have to show this picture to my granny the next time I see her and ask her if she still has that big red rimmed enamel pot – it’s fabulous! I’d be shocked if she doesn’t, though finding it may be a problem.  She’s not one to throw much away “just in case” she needs it again one day.  Shoot, I wouldn’t be completely surprised if that same Crisco tin isn’t still being washed out and reused to store something to this very day. The Cool Whip containers like the company, you know.  I tease a little, but please don’t mistake that for mocking.  I have the utmost respect for all the mothers in my life, especially being one now myself.

If my dad was still here, I would ask him to give me more details about this image – What year? Which state (Georgia or Alabama)? Why did he choose that moment? He is not here, so I’ll ask her instead, though I think I already know that she will tell me it was too long ago to remember and will wonder why in the world I would care so much about such a (seemingly) insignificant moment.

This is exactly what I love about photography, that it can magnify the tiniest moments of everyday, ordinary life and remind you how quickly the mundane and routine (that we all sometimes take for granted) can be gone.  If you are looking for it and open to it, photographs help us see that it’s not “having what you want, it’s wanting what you’ve got.”  In this case, a loving grandmother who’d make me homemade biscuits in a heartbeat if I asked her to, just like she did all those years ago for my father.

I heard about and quickly downloaded a new iPhone app called My365.  And easy way to put a picture a day into a calendar and see what your life is made of.  I’m loving it so far, though I’m having trouble remembering to take the photo each day AND I didn’t start it until the day after my 36th birthday, so half of January is missing.

Actually, I like the idea of the 365 being based from birthday to birthday so you can see what each year of your own life is like.  Maybe that’s a setting I can change? Got to play around with it a little bit more, but expect to see my My365 tweets showing up daily on this blog (and Facebook, if we are friends there).

I expect you’ll be seeing a lot of my children as these 365s are all about taking care of them right now!  I’m perfectly fine with that.  I hope that I can find a way to download or print a copy of the calendar it populates each year.  A neat keepsake that would be!

Below are a couple pictures from our days of snow leading up to my birthday that didn’t make into the app. Enjoy!

I’ve been redecorating in the playroom/library/office/music room and decided to walk around taking pictures of some of my favorite thrifty finds in here.  I used the Hipstamatic App on my iPhone for the pictures (Lens: Buckhorst H1, Film: DreamCanvas, Flash: Off) and cropped them on my Mac in iPhoto:

My most recent find, this sunburst pottery piece was a no brainer from the local Value Village for $4.

I fell in love with the color of this vintage typewriter.  Paid $15 for it at Value Village.  I guess they knew it would be coveted by crazies like me.  Still, I get happy every time I look at it.  Plus, it makes me think of my mom as she worked in an office and when I was little I remember her typing things up and the keys just flying!

This AWESOME candelabra came from St. Vincent de Paul.  I passed it up the first time and found myself thinking about it later that day.  Thought sure it would be gone by the time I got back the next morning.  The hubby can’t imagine why I would think that OR make two trips for the thing.  My favorite holiday is Halloween and I think that is explanation enough.

The frames alone were worth this Goodwill purchase (as was the $2 price tag), but I am a  HUGE fan of Alice in Wonderland and so, again, these babies were a no brainer.

Last items for this post is to show off my Thermos(TM) collection.  I finally have a place to display them in a way that I love. So happy!!  This collection was inspired by the original Thermos(TM) that my father used when he hunted and that he painted smile-y faces and inspirational sayings on (back row, far right).  I confiscated it from him when I was in college.  My recent foray into the world of thrifting has me finding these beauties for $1 and $2 dollars a pop.  Looking at the collection as a whole, it’s easy to see that I’m drawn to the geometric patterns and blues.

So there is a peak at what kinds of things are flying off the shelves when I go thrift shopping!

You wouldn’t think a bundt pan could send one’s heart a racing, but that’s just what happened one afternoon in the Salvation Army when I was perusing the housewares aisle and picked up a striking gradiant orange bundt pan.  To my surprise is was super heavy and did I mention the awesome color?

Don’t believe me? Well, let me tell you that right then and there I decided to start collecting these beauties and now I have about five in orange, green, yellow, cream and even a mini-Bundt(TM) pan also in cream.  And since then, I’ve come across two other yellows (currently listed in my shop) and just recently a red/orange one like the very one that set my heart a-twitter (just added to the shop).

Still not convinced I’m on to something? Ok, well, to each his own, but I did see another Etsy seller who makes some pretty cool lighting out of vintage finds, including bundt pans.  She made these a while back (they’ve now been sold):

Come on!  That’s TOTALLY cute and totally DIY-able.  Cuter, I must say, that the ones from Ikea (below and which they apparently don’t sell anymore) and way more one-of-a-kind.

I heart Vintage!

happy everything!

Well, it’s January 1st again and up until this point I’ve been “mailing it in” on this blog for quite a while now.

In the beginning, my blog was called “A Southerner In Ireland.”  That was in 2005, before kids, when my hubby and I were living there for a 6 month stretch.  It was so much easier to keep friends and family in the States updated on our experiences and I found that I really enjoyed writing.

Later, in 2006, we had our first child and I merged the Ireland blog with This Joy’s Life since no longer were we in Ireland and this Joy’s life was a changin’.  I guess at this point, I was one of those “mommy bloggers,” if you’re the kind who likes labels.

During this time, I found that I still really liked to write and I needed to write about my experiences figuring out motherhood and what that meant for the Joy that I was.  This blog helped me figure out the Joy that I am and not too long after our second daughter was born, I stopped needing to write my experiences here so much.

Our second is just over 2 now and I find myself coming back around to wanting to write about my life and what I’m doing these days.  I’m obsessed with design and vintage and creating a home that can’t be found in a Pottery Barn catalog, though I LOVE to look there and covet pretty much everything in its pages.

Truth be told, it was my father’s passing in June of last year (2011) that renewed my interest in old things and junk shops/thrifting.  It’s a complicated thing, but let’s just move on to the part where rarely do I go a day without thrifting and my thrifting tastes are changing with that experience.

I’ve become obsessed with blogs like A Country Farmhouse and An Urban Cottage and am working on my own vintage Etsy shop Yesterday’s Finds.  It’s slow going with a 5 year old and a 2 year old underfoot.  Plus, I live in Seattle and miss home in Georgia.  Winter finds my self diagnosed Seasonal Affective Disorder doing a pretty good job of stripping me of my motivation to work on my shop or take the time and effort needed to work on this blog.

But, it is a new year, which holds the promise of a fresh start.  And so, resolutions for 2012 include getting back into the joy of blogging here, continuing to develope my photography skills, listing one item a day in my Etsy shop until it’s all done, and cooking one (just one) meal a week for a year. Somewhat random, but there you have it.

And, yes, losing weight is in that list as well, but come on, that’s such a given. amiright?

Happy New Year!  Happy Everything!

I’ve just pulled out of the oven, my very first loaf of homemade (wheat free, gluten free, dairy free) artisan bread! Just typing that sounds so . . . fancy.

I purchased Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-free Homemade Wonderful Bread Mix:

And followed the mixing directions to make up the bread by hand, but then followed the directions in the link below to a post about how to bake it in my dutch oven to get that artisan bread look:

www.AtisanBreadInFive.com: Bread Baking In A Dutch Oven

Basically, I pre-heated my oven to 500 degrees with the dutch oven inside while I mixed up the loaf and baked the loaf inside the dutch oven with the lid on (I removed the plastic knob of my Le Cruset as it is only recommended to go up to 450 degree temps) for 15 minutes. Then I removed the lid and baked it for another 20 minutes. And it came out looking like this:

Joy's Artisan Bread

So, watch out Grand Central Bakery, you’ve got some competition in the neighborhood!

I’m so excited to share the news that one of my cousins and her spouse have announced to the family their plans to adopt a child through an independent adoption process.  As she has explained, this means that they need to get the word out to a potential birth mother and it is the least I could do to share their profile letter here on my blog in the hopes that it might reach the right people.  Who knows, life is funny that way . . .

Below is my cousin’s profile letter with the information for contacting their adoption attorney.  Let’s find out just how small this little world of our really is!

***

Little girls dream of finding their Prince Charming and riding off with him to live “happily ever after”. My story is no different.

My “ever after” began when I met Mike while we were both volunteering at a charity fundraiser. Our relationship grew stronger and stronger as we shared stories and realized our childhoods were so similar. We were both brought up in loving families strongly rooted in faith and surrounded by extended families made up of aunts, uncles, grandparents and even great grandparents….and cousins galore! Our fondest memories growing up are times we shared with our families.

Our dreams united when we married six years ago. We both have college educations, good jobs and a home in the suburbs with a big fenced in backyard. Our lives are secure. We know that we have been blessed. Love, laughter and respect are but a few of the characteristics we share in our lives together.

Having our own family has always been a dream of ours. We long to hear the laughter of our child as he or she runs and plays in the backyard or joins the other neighborhood children going to the excellent schools offered within walking distance.

We want to share all the wonders of our own childhoods with our little boy or girl. We want to go to baseball games, play games or enjoy swimming and playing at the lake. We want to introduce them to their aunts, uncles and grandparents. We want them to know the joy of toasting marshmallows in front of a fire or giggling under the covers late at night as they share secrets with their cousins. We want them to know there is a big beautiful world out there and we want to share every bit of it with them.

From ABCs and 123s to Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny, we look forward to sharing it all!! Every experience, big and small will be shared within the warmth of our family.

We can’t begin to imagine what thoughts are running through your mind as you search to find the perfect home for your child, nor can we explain the emotions we feel as we beg you to consider allowing us to give your child a nurturing home in which to grow. We can only hope to show you how much love, laughter and compassion we have to share and to try to give you a glimpse into who we are.

We hope and pray you or someone you know will want to get more information about us. If that is the case, please contact our attorney Justin Hester at 770-446-3845 or toll free at 1-888-446-3645 or Justin@hesterlawfirm.net. Please refer to us by our file number: 9/10-A-51

We thank you for taking the time to read our profile.

I’ve recently realized that since I’m in Seattle for however long (it’s all great EXCEPT FOR THE WEATHER), that I could have that beach vacation I’m craving every day if I wanted to (and be at a different beach each day for that matter).

Well, actually, that beach vacation I’m craving includes sun and warmth. WARMTH! SUN! HEAT!

But still, there are things other than WARMTH! SUN! HEAT! that make a trip to the beach worthwhile, and you have only to take a child to a cold, rocky beach on the Puget Sound to be reminded of that; Things like skipping rocks, collecting seashells, pebbles and driftwood, listening to the sound of the waves crashing on the shore, running from said waves as the tide comes in way faster than you were expecting and looking out over stunning views.

So, trying to keep my chin up about it (and wrapped tightly in a turtleneck and scarf), I’m making it a point to try to get to one of the nearby beaches at least every couple weeks. I’ve even gathered up some fun glass milk bottles and wooden bread bowls and copper buckets to house the pebbles, seashells and driftwood we’ve already started to amass.

It’s no surprise then, that I’m totally inspired by this house tour that showed up today on the Apartment Therapy webiste.

So, yeah, the beach.  Here a few pictures from our most recent trip over the Labor Day weekend:

Our littlest darling has got rhythm, just like big sis and mommy!  Two Dancing Queens under one roof.  Well, really, I’M the Dancing QUEEN, they are the Dancing Princesses, I guess.  Whatevs.  Point is.  It was dang cute to watch.  See for yourself!

So She Thinks She Can Dance from Joy Fisher on Vimeo.