just so y'all know...
i plan on winning the mega millions this evening.
its up to 320 million dollars, and i've just got a feeling.
so please send me positive energy.
cause i could use 320 million dollars. plus, i'd do some majorly charitable things with those bucks.
great, thanks.

i started a discussion on 20SB...
here is what i wrote:

hey y'all!when i first started blogging, a few of the bloggers i read had
done a small swap. i was intrigued, and always thought it was such a cool
idea!!!i''ve always wanted to participate in something like this, but never
really took the initiative...so why not now?im wondering if any of y'all are
interested in doing a "stuff swap"i'm thinking there could possibly be a theme
(or not) like whatever you mail to your swap partner is local to you?(i.e. i'm
from new england so maybe i could send something beachy, etc)or whatever kind of
theme....suggestions absolutely wanted.i also thought it was a good idea to put
a price limit so that everyone got presents that were just as nice.so
yeah...anyone interested????? once i figure out if there is any interest and
read any suggestions, then i will absolutely organize it!!!!

for more info reference the original post.

all that has changed from the original post, is that anyone who leaves me a comment ON THIS POST, NOT THE OLD ONE will automatically win a handmade present from me. here if how i plan on getting y'all a little bit more involved. if you aren't entering because you don't think you're crafty and can make a "good" handmade present... that is fine. if you want to participate in this, all you need to do is (comment here and then) repost this on your blog. you don't need to be the person making present. if you want, you could just buy fun gifts for those who comment on your blog. and if you aren't feeling as generous as i am right this second (i'm not always nice, i'm just sick right now, maybe that's why i'm being so nice) then you can limit the contest to three winners like it originally started.

basically, i want to make/buy you a present. more than likely, i will be making handmade presents for all of my winners. so, if you want to recieve something with me... just leave a comment, and be willing to repost this contest on your blog. you can make whatever rules you want when its your turn.

i'll give you a day or so. it depends on whether or not people actually comment or not.

reminder: this is your last chance!! leave comments here!

1. convincing my neice that my mother's cat really did sign the valentine's day card he got her.
2. getting a handmade valentine's day "heart" (aka card) from my neice.
3. my neice being so upset that she forgot to make fenway a vday card. that's just too cute!
4. falling asleep at 7pm last night and not waking up until 10am this morning. i know that sounds a bit much, but i haven't been feeling well, and i needed it!
5. warm showers.

seriously folks!!!

do you guys think i am not a good crafter? do you not think i am a good artist or a good poet or a good writer?

i went to school for writing, have hobbies in arts and crafts (as silly as it sounds) and i am an expert scrapbooker, among many other things.

i used to decorate and sell wine glasses....

i'm crafty damn it. now participate in my "pay it forward" contest!!!!!!!! or else ;)

seriously though everyone! this is my first contest/giveaway. i've only had one person enter it!!!! tragic!!!! if you don't want something handmade, then i have a few other good ideas for prizes (which are staying a secret for now!)

so enter my contest/giveaway. pretty please.

i'm going to change the cutoff date. i'll let people keep leaving comments for the next day or two or three.... depending on if people actually start to participate. i was going to pick winners today at 4:30 EST, but it doesn't look like that is going to happen!
p.s. if you want to enter... you need to leave a comment on this post.

Paying it forward from chris' coop.
This is how it works: Christine has won a handmade item from the blog site that she entered the game at. Now she is going to pay it forward by making something for three other people And I am a winner! WOO HOO! how cool is this? i'm going to post this now, and i then i am going back to work, because i have a lot to catch up on after my quick vacation. Remember, if you want to enter this contest, you are going to also have to post your own "pay it forward" contest and create something handmade for the three winners!

i'm changing it just a little bit to try to give everyone a chance. instead of picking the first three comments on the blog, i'm going to pick three comments regardless of what order they are in. i'm going to let this "pay it forward" contest last until friday, 2/6/08 until 4:30pm EST. Then I'll use a computer generated program to pull three numbers and whomever happens to leave that number comment will win. so everyone has a chance!

i'm a little outraged. and disgusted. and surprised.

arranged marriages? in america? in california? i know it is pretty naive of me to assume that arranged marriages are not being held in america. i'm sure there are some. i guess i just didn't give much thought to it. or, i guess in my mind i kind of thought it would be something like jumpha lahiri's book (or the movie adaptation) the namesake. i apologize if i sound ignorant. i'm just not familiar with a world where you have no choice in whom you spend the rest of your life with. and i am beyond grateful for that. and i am very respectful of other cultures. i'm glad that everyone is different and has different belief systems.

BUT... i have a hard time stomaching arranged marriages of children. and yes, a 16 year old who gets married is a child in my mind.

supposedly, a man in california made an agreement with his neighbor. the conversation must have gone something like this:

"your daughter is one sexy little lady"
"you think so?"
"yeah, i wouldn't mind tapping that ass."
"well, my friend, that ass is hard to come by. i told my daughter she can't give it up until she's married."
"well, maybe she and i should get married."
"my daughter is only 16! she can't get married"
"she can if you give permission. awww, come on what do you want for her?"
"hmm, let me see. i am pretty thirsty. and hungry. and poor. how about '100 cases of Corona beer, 50 cases of Modelo, six bottles of wine, 50 cases of soft drinks and 50 cases of Gatorade?'"
"ehh, i guess thats a fair trade. how about i give you half now, you give me your daughter, and i'll give you the other half in two weeks."
"ok sounds great, i'll bring her over in an hour."

yeah, it only makes sense that a conversation as ridiculous as that was would go something like the above made up one. WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE??? am i the only one who thinks there is something so very, very wrong with this situation? and the article is even more crazy! read this quote carefully: "Police also arrested the intended groom, 18-year-old Margarito de Jesus Galindo, on suspicion of statutory rape, but prosecutors have not decided whether to charge him." THE GROOM? the man who bought a 16 year old is considered the GROOM? i might be old fashioned, but i thought the groom's financial purchase for a wedding was an expensive diamond ring? or perhaps to help pay for the wedding or honeymoon or future house?!?!?! not to booze an old man up so you can sex up his little girl! i understand the "groom" is only 18, but when i was 18, i knew better than to buy myself a 16 year old husband. maybe that's just me. and why are the prosecutors unsure as to whether or not they should charge him? that seems pretty cut and dry to me. regardless of cultural background... i'm pretty positive selling and buying YOUNG GIRLS is still illegal. and if it isn't, i could sure as hell use someone to work for me, clean for me, and walk fenway.

anyway. i'm getting even more irritated than i want to be about this. read the article for yourself. its quite humorous and disgusting at the same time.

i’m also a sucker for surveys, so since I saw this up on A Perfectly Cursed Life, i figured, what the hell, everyone else is doing one!

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
get over a relationship way quicker than i expected too. like really quickly.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions and will you make more for next year? yes. i resolved to lose some weight and continue to be a non-smoker. i did both of those things without a problem, actually. no, i will not be making new years resolutions. i want to continue growing in 2009, and i want this to be a great year of my life. thats why i don't want to pressure myself into anything. just continue on the path i'm already on. plus, i have a 101 in 1001 to get started on new years day!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
umm, YES! 2008 was the year of baby making and delivery! my nephew was born on 1/3. michaela, sharon and elizabeth got preggo in 2008. and last night, my newphew nicholas was born!!

4. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
peace of mind, happiness. i really only lacked this the first 2/3 of the year though. i just wouldn't mind a very calm, but happy 2009.

5. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
1/3: nephew was born; 1/13: my ex's father died all of a sudden; 2/4: bad health news; 7/3: had to put my cat to sleep; 7/20: the ex and i break up, yay!; 9/23: was at the post season clinching sox game; 10/16: went to game 5 of the ALCS where the sox came back from a 7-0 score to WIN! best game ever, ever, ever; 10/17: went to atl to visit my loves eliz and chris; 12/30: baby nicholas was born. i hope i'm not forgetting anything!

6. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
making myself happy again

7. What was your biggest failure in 2008?
my relationship...but while it appears to be a failure, it was one of the best things that happened to me!

8. Where did most of your money go?
eating out and bills. lol, sad but true.

9. Compared to this time last year, are you:
a) Happier or sadder? happier!!!!
b) Thinner or fatter? thinner!!!
c) Richer or poorer? i guess richer, not too much difference though.

10. What do you wish you’d done more of?
put myself first

11. What do you wish you’d done less of?
worry. put my ex first.

12. Did you fall in love in 2008?
with my nephew, yes.

13. What was your favorite TV program?
greys anatomy

14. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
i actually do not hate anyone. there are a number of people i severely do not like, but i don't waste my energy on those people.

15. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
i went to the zoo the morning of my birthday. i turned 24 this year. i was in severe pain the rest of my bday weekend.

16. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
breaking up with The Ex when it all started going downhill in feb.

17. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
slimming down so lots of new pants!

18. What kept you sane?
vacations, my friends and family. wait... was i sane this year?

19. What political issue stirred you the most?
obviously, like most people: the presidential election. locally: the bullshit witch hunt on the superintendent. i can name you a handful of people i WON'T be voting for this coming november. especially the mayor.

20. Who was the best new person you met?
my new blog friends are fantastic. i haven't met them though! i guess i'd say sally is probably the best meet of 2008. (if you don't count my nephew)

21. Tell us what valuable life lessons you learned in 2008...
stop worrying, if he doesn't love you like you love him, then leave him and love yourself, put yourself first, a healthy body=healthy mind.

well hello my dearest blog readers,

i bet y'all thought you wouldn't be receiving any more gifts this year... well, some of you were wrong. even though i am extremely new to this blogging world, i have thoroughly enjoyed meeting fellow bloggers, and being allowed a sneak peak into your lives through your blogs. i've always been a spoiler, so i've decided to give "gifts" to my new friends. well actually, i've just stolen the idea from my dearest friend at blog voyeur turned blogwhore.

so here is to you, meghan. i figure if i steal your idea, i might as well gift you first. for this holiday season you will be on the receiving end of a basket full of presents. an endless supply of wines so you an profess your love directly to the bottle at any time of day. numerous amounts of breathalyzer tests you can secretly install in some peoples ignition so that they cannot drive unless they blow under the legal limit. because drunk driving=really stupid. serious amounts of great men you can love and leave at your whim. or keep... whatever, its up to you. as much diet coke as you could drink. and lots of treats for your animals ;)....

for christine, my only dedicated reader :) my sincere appreciation for sticking with me during the beginning of my blogging career. i wish you solid strong health for yourself, your husband and your family. for time to be creative to take pictures, write or make art. for time with your lovely children and grandchildren and for opportunities to explore.. then come back and tell us all about it,

for maegan at ...love maegan: i grant you good hair days every single day of 2009. well, at least fun hair days. accidental shopping sprees at least once a month which just happen to be free when you make it to the counter (and free of drunk men ignoring your personal space). and lots and lots and lots of sexy time with that hubby of yours you love so very much...

for cjane, nie nie and their entire family i bestow upon you a new year filled with healing, growing, and abundant creativity. you already have the love from each other, and the entire blogging community. you've already put yourselves out there as role models to the rest of us, so i just wish you an endless supply of wonderful opportunities...

for tia at clever girl goes blog, i wish for you and hubs a handful of free vacations, a closet of new clothes for the puppy. two closets of new clothes for you. many new applications for the iphone. and an increase in customers who want to pay big, but only need a trim...

to amanda, aka mermanda, i wish you the best peacock themed wedding ever. and i'm going to hope that since glamour wanted to share your engagement with the world, maybe they'll want to share your wedding as well, and this might make them feel the need to pay for it....

for my fantastic new friend, the goddess of everything, i wish for you endless whiskey filled rockabilly shows. fantastic pin up girl prints. anne taintor to make a line of products dedicated to you and some sexy man to add a little extra spice to your already spicy life!

erik, for providing the idea and encouraging me to start my own... i give you all the motivation and determination to kick ass in 2009 with your 101 in 1001.

mrs. ruby at ruby red slippers: the answer to any question she has about her new locale. i'm not really sure how long you have been around, probably long enough that you don't need my help, but if you do...

for the ladies at the mean girls guide to glory, i simply bestow upon you a year filled with endless partying, vacations, hot men, great shoes and stories to share with the rest of us.

for david at the rest is still unwritten, this year, even though it may not have come in time for christmas, a gorgeous, intelligent and caring little lady who will fall asleep in your arms and with her arm also around diesel, in front of the fireplace. that and the good fortune for other wonderful experiences to sumble your way.

for the distracked spunk, you pick what you would like, because you deserve it. you have what i currently consider to be the best voice of the bloggers i read. that being said. for the rest of you, if you want a gift. go read her posts. that is one of the best gifts you'll receive this year.

i hope you all have had the opportunity to have a wonderful holiday season. my thoughts are with you all.

random thoughts i figured i'd share. what the hell, right? ;)

i think i have a crush on the next president of the united states. its true. i've got a little thing for obama. he's just got this approachable sense about him. don't get me wrong, he is good looking, but i think my crush stems from how he "appears," not his "appearance." he just looks like someone i would love to talk to. i usually develop crushes on guys i think are really interesting.

i'm not the type of person who really likes things. i am, however, the type of person who loves things. there are a lot of people who claim to really like carrot cake or scented candles or baseball hats. that wouldn't be me. i either like something or i love something. for example... i like green beans. i've got nothing against them; you make me a meal with greens beans, and sure, i'll eat them. this being said, i love pea pods. i've got such a thing for them. sometimes i sit and try to think of creative ways to incorporate pea pods into more meals. seeing as i don't regularly cook for myself, the combinations i've come up with so far would be quite gross. pea pods in spaghetti. ugh. pea pods in eggs, pancakes, etc. ugh. pea pods in apple pie. double ugh. i do make a mean stir fry, but pea pods belong in a stir fry, so that doesn't even count! anyone have any pea pod suggestions for me?

anyway, i love pumpkin coffee. i love traditions. i love being a student. i love getting surprise presents for my friends. i love helping strangers do simple things. i love red sox baseball caps. i own probably at least 10, and i do not plan ever stopping purchasing them. i love to travel. i love lists. i love new people. i love hearing stories about people's lives.

i have liked the jason mraz song "i'm yours" since 2005. wait, actually i have loved the song since then. now everyone in the world is slightly obsessed with it, and that bothers me.

i am almost at 100 blog posts. that number may sound pathetic to some of you seasoned bloggers, but i am pretty darn excited about it.

other things i love: record players, driving in my car with good music on so loud that i cannot think about anything other than driving, singing and dancing, ice cream, SUVs, hot southern men in pickup trucks, accents.

i need to get over my anxiety about being picked up. i'm a little lady, so i feel as if a lot of guys feel intrigued with picking me up while hugging me. the theory of being picked up while being hugged, i loovvvveeeee. when it actually happens, i get nervous. i think i actually kind of push all my weight down, so i can get back to solid ground faster. i'm going to go out on a limb here and say that this all started cause at one time i probably thought i was too "chubby" to be picked up. the older i get the more irrational i realize that ever was. i've always been a thin girl. don't get me wrong, i'm no bikini model...but i am very petite, so while at times i may have had a few extra pounds where they didn't belong, i certainly wouldn't be hard to pick up. shit, Lauren, the S in our SATC trys to pick me up every time she sees me! i don't even let her ;) now, before i postes a mini video of ryan gosling and rachael mcadams (or whatever their names are) in a "pick-up make out session." that example is a reason why i feel as if i need to give up my fear of being picked up. i don't really know what point i am making right now. i guess i just need to fight my urge to flee when i am picked up and embrace it. i guess i'll let you know how that goes!

i think anyone whose last name begins with the letters A-M have received my holiday cards. for those poor suckers in the N-Z category. i'm sorry. they have been written out since 12/7, i believe. but are currently just sitting on my desk in a pile (which i look at every day) because i've yet to get more postage. i'm thinking you'll receive them by mid-january at latest.

anyone have any spare change? i'm looking for approximately 1,460 dollar bills (plus tax) so i can get this.

if you think that is a little pricey, then feel free to get me this one for christmas instead. i'll understand ;)

and i also watched "life as a house" today at work. it made me depressed. its such a beautiful movie, but i'm in a sensitive mood about death, cancer, family and misunderstandings today. probably because i watched the movie and it got me thinking about all of those subjects. but its making me feel very mellow right now.

i need to snap out of this blahness and do something i enjoy.

unfortunately, the only thing i can think to do when i get out of work is laundry and cleaning my apartment. i live such a wild life for a single girl in her twenties!

there was a gas spill on the highway on my way to work, and from what i understand, the highway is still shut down. if that's still the case when i get out of here, then i am going to home goods to do some christmas shopping for myself. my mom keeps asking me what i want, and i've decided instead of giving her an idea for a practical gift, i am going to spoil myself this year. i want a fancy painting or mirror or globe or something fun and funky i can decorate with. oh home goods makes me feel damn good. since i don't do drugs, places like home goods and world market give me a serious high. i don't understand why people use drugs if they could just go shopping for decorations.

anyway, little erin out. and like i would say to one of my clients: "it was nice doing business with you."

i am 24 years old, or 8, 784 days old. according to my blog. the 365 days prior to september 5, 2008 sure were eventful. it was a pretty large year, and that's as best as i can describe it.

so, 23...gosh. well i guess the best place to start would be the positives. i quit smoking on november 1, 2007 at 10:41am. wow. i'd say that has to be in the top 5 things i have ever done which make me the most proud. i became an "official" aunt on january 3, to the most beautiful little boy in the entire world, baby connor. and while speaking of babies, i also became an "auntie" to baby james conway and found out i would be an "auntie" to baby nicholas emerson and baby girl conway. i love babies. somehow they make life seem brighter. i love that i have such wonderful friends who allow me to be just an integral part of their children's lives. what else happened while i was 23? well, the red sox did win another WORLD SERIES!!! gosh, that was sooo awesome. that night was an absolutely memorable night. there are pictures to prove it.

in my 23rd year of life, there have been some extreme changes in my friend’s lives. babies. engagements. new jobs. new houses. trish and ryan became engaged; michaela/gene and elizabeth/chris found out they are having a babies- a girl and boy respectfully; houses were purchased by holly/ryan and ker/jose and stephan; amy got a new and much better job and moved to providence. audrey graduated and became and RN. millie, laurie and linda all moved up to better positions.

and when there are positives, there are always negatives. i'm trying very hard to live this 24th year of my life not focusing on negatives, but celebrating the positives, although you can't erase tough things from your history. i guess the idea is to use them as building blocks. okay, lets get the negatives over. our family dog khiva died in october of 2007. that was very tough for me. its heartbreaking to have someone you love leave you behind. and then there was the chantix disaster. i'll make this simple- chantix helped me quit smoking which was wonderful, but it also made me feel crazy, which wasn't. nic's stepfather don died. this was very tough because nic's family was still pretty new to me. i didn't know how/what to do to help them. i had no clue how it felt to be any of them, so i was gliding blindly through this situation. i also had three pretty big medical concerns. BIG concerns. i had to put my cat oliver to sleep in july (yes, 2 unexpected family animal deaths in 9 months). the way i handled all of these situations was to worry. and obsess. needless to say- it didn’t help.

what changed? that’s a very good question which there are numerous possible answers. the most honest, forthright answer i could provide is: in order to end the worry/obsessing, i needed to cut ties with that which lead me to worry and obsess. its amazing how life provides you with blessings in disguise. was it easy? no. yes. i’m not sure. it really depends on which angle you look at it. best answer: it was much easier than i believed it would be. when it was time for change, i was simply exhausted. i had invested so much energy into making myself and everyone else happy. honest happiness should never be exhausting. all which is worthwhile deserves effort and energy, but cannot be forced. so, like i said. my exhaustion just led me to feel relieved when it was time to move on. being relieved simply made me happy. and being happy stopped the worrying and obsessing. what a wonderful turn of events. like i said. blessing in disguise.moving on. i’m assuming i should provide an overview of my birthday this year. there isn't much to say. i had a major TMJ attack (jaw). for the most part, that sums up my entire birthday. oh, that and the tropical storm which happened to swing by on the night i was supposed to celebrate my birthday with friends. (oh, and my jaw actually felt decent that ONE night).

every year i always pick the best part, and best present, of my birthday. best part: going to the zoo with holly. that was awesome. i am absolutely in love with the elephants and penguins at roger williams zoo. next year we are going to go to the southwick zoo for my birthday and RIDE the elephants! my best present: its a tough one this year. there was so many great, thoughtful things. michaela and family got me “twilight” with the hopes of getting me addicted to the series. (damnit), the ottoman from ally, connor, jill and michael was excellent because it perfectly matches my new chair. jeremy and amy got me a target gift card (always a good gift) and a “gift certificate” for jeremy to help me hang up all my frames, etc in the living room seeing as how i seem to think its fine to hang everything up with thumb tacs, haha. my parents gave me some cash flow to get me a car starter (necessity in new england) and the girls at work, as well as amy, both got me awesome necklaces. i was spoiled rotten.

my thoughts for the future year? well, its going to be wonderful. this month i was lucky enough to have a birthday, find some solutions for my tmj and will be going to the red sox soon. grey’s anatomy will begin again, and nights in rodanthe will be released in theatres (a movie adaptation of nicholas sparks’ books) october brings a trip to alabama and atlanta (besides connor being born, i believe this will be the highlight of 2008. i miss my roommates. life isn’t as good as it could be without elizabeth and chris) november, december and january will be filled with a huge amount of birthdays and holidays (including james and connor’s first bday, and nicholas’ actual birth day) february more than likely will bring a vacation in virginia, and from them on: who knows!

the future is a clean slate ready to be written on.