Yearbook Yourself - 1976

Relaxing

There's nothing better than a warm day and a good book. I've been compulsively reading. I just finished an awesome series by Liz Curtis Higgs called The Lowlands of Scotland. And I recently started book 1 in a series called The Fires of Gleannmara by Linda Windsor. I am so thankful for the perks I have while living with my In-Laws. A big backyard with a private pool and a cute, cozy pool house. It's perfect for reading on a warm day. I love the fresh air and this is a good way to get it without getting too hot in the summer. All the windows open to allow air flow. I love it! It's also good for naps :)

How are you enjoying your summer?

A Beautiful Bride

My lovely friend, Angie, got married on June 20th and I was slow at getting a photo and blog posted. She's was truly gorgeous in her gown and flowing locks. I wish I could have taken some better quality photos from the evening. It's always fun to see people's families in action during such a happy occasion. Joe and Angie were certainly all smiles.

Check out my Flickr for photos of the invitation and flowers I designed for her.

Is it worth it?

I'll admit, I take a bottle of water to work every day and refill it throughout the day. But is it any better for me? Or am I just wasting my money and hurting Mother Earth?

"In the last two decades bottled water has gone from extraneous to ubiquitous. Despite having one of the best public water systems in the world, Americans continue to buy more and more bottled water—per capita, 27.6 gallons last year, up from 17.8 gallons in 2000 (and only 1.6 gallons in 1976). Is it worth it?

40% of bottled water—including top-brands Aquafina and Dasani—is simply filtered tap water, not water from natural springs or other "pure" sources.

In the United States, more than 10 million barrels of oil are used to bottle water annually—and that’s just production. Consider the oil consumption (and emissions) required to bring water to the U.S. from Fiji, for example.

Americans throw away 22 billion water bottles each year, over 60 million each day. It can take as long as 1,000 years for the average plastic bottle to biodegrade.

Numerous studies have shown that bottled water is generally no safer or healthier than tap water, despite costing up to 10,000 times more."

Source:Article on Calorie Count by Eatingwell

Ethan & Shanea's Wedding

I had the pleasure of attending my long time friend's wedding this weekend. I grew up playing capture the flag and leaf tag in Ethan's neighborhood with my sister and brothers and the other neighbors. As we got older, having bonfires and hanging out at Crossroads Cafe. I became friends with Shanea a little later, she being 5 years younger than I. Dena and I helped out with the youth group at our church after we graduated from High School. I still remember the summer we chaperoned "the girls," Shanea & Amanda at Sonshine.

What a pleasant surprise when I found out Ethan & Shanea were dating and an even happier surprise when they got engaged! Thanks for letting me share in your beautiful day, Ethan & Shanea!

Don't Blame Others

As I was sitting outside during my lunch hour, listening to my co-worker blame her ex-husband for something, I thought "how easy it is to blame someone else." I stumbled upon an interesting blog post dedicated to this subject and wanted to share these quotes found there.

“We believe that to err is human. To blame it on someone else is politics.” - Hubert H. Humphrey

"We seldom suspect faults in others that we don't possess ourselves."

The best of men is he who sees his own faults and does not see the faults of others.

“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.” - Albert Ellis

A wise man is one who forgets the faults of others, but always remembers his own.

“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable.” - Moliere

“If you blame others for your failures, do you credit them with your success?”

“All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or frustration. You may succeed in making another feel guilty about something by blaming him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it is about you that is making you unhappy.” - Wayne Dyer

“When you blame others, you give up your power to change.” - Dr. Robert Anthony

So, let's grow up and be 'the bigger man."

Smart Food Tip of the week

If you like to get the soup at Panera, skip the bread bowl. You'll save 560 calories. If the soup alone isn't enough to fill your tummy, get an apple (70 cals) or the french baguette (150 cals) as a side. My favorite soup is the French Onion - a bowl is only 220 cals. Can't beat that!