Thursday, March 31, 2011

American Idol - Elimination

Okay, so the bottom three surprised me in one way...

PAUL?!?! Really? You people didn't vote for Paul???

Okay, so now that that's off my chest, I did call Naima and Thia being in the bottom. And I can't say I'm disappointed that they've left us.

But seriously, Paul was in the bottom? I didn't see that coming. But I could be totes blinded by that smile. And the guitar. And the fancy suit last night. ;)

On to next week. A little closer to the part where I stop having an easy time deciding who should leave. And I spend some serious time voting.

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

American Idol - Top 11... Again!

I was SO ready for tonight. Songs of Elton John? Yes please. I wonder if my mom was able to handle it all. She does love him.

Before I jump into the singing, OMG the sparkles on everyone's dresses! The photoshoot dresses, some of the performance dresses, Jennifer's dress... SPARKLES AND PURPLE. WIN. Total eye candy.

Alright, I'm ready to get started.

Scotty got first spot tonight. He sang "Country Comfort." And he was adorable up there with his guitar and his shout out to his grandma. :) Seriously though, hubby and I were discussing how good he is and hubby admitted there's a good chance he'll buy his album when it comes out. You know he'll have one. The judges gushed and Steven said that he felt like he was at his own show.

Naima followed. She picked "I'm Still Standing" and decided to reggae it up a bit. BTW, can I just throw a random interjection in here? I grow tired of Jimmy Iovine. He annoys me. Mucho. That's all. So back to Naima, I thought the song suited her. But I can't say I loved it. The judges loved that she picked something that fit her, but Randy thought the reggae version of it came off a little corny.

And now we have Paul. :) *sigh* Yup. That boy makes me happy. In his fancy suit and his white teeth and adorableness. He picked "Rocket Man" and when I heard that I squealed. Hubby commented that the song has been ruined for him by William Shatner. Not ruined for me! I would totes buy Paul's version. I love his voice. I even got a little carried away and clapped for him when it was over. What can I say... I love a boy with a guitar. The judges loved him too, although Jennifer did suggest that he push a little more.

Pia was up next. She chose "Don't Let the Sun Go Down On Me." That song is amazing. And I totally approve of her singing it. She sounded great and there's not much more to say. The judges of course gushed.

Stefano followed Pia with "Tiny Dancer." Another one I love (wait, I don't think I feel any other way about Elton John). I enjoyed him, but when don't I? I liked it a LOT. He's just cute. All the judges commented on how he finally started connecting with the audience and Steven told him he nailed it.

Up next was Lauren. Who I love, but when I heard she was singing "Candle in the Wind" I got a little nervous. That's kind of a HUGE song. I had no reason to worry. She KILLED it in the best possible way. She kind of reminded me of Natalie from the Dixie Chicks when she sang some of her notes. I loved her so much I drew three hearts in my review (I have a very technical system over here). The judges all agreed she rocked and Randy said it was probably one of the best performances she's given.

James was up next with "Saturday Night's Alright." Makes perfect sense. And it fit him well, but I thought some of the theatrics on stage were a little overboard. The judges gushed and Jennifer told him that he makes her forget it's a competition show.

Thia's turn. She chose "Daniel." For me, it felt like just about every other performance she's given. She sounded good, but it wasn't interesting or "wow" or anything like that. The judges liked it, but Randy said it was really safe choice.

Ohhhh Casey. He got a hair cute and a beard trim. And I love him even more. He chose "Your Song" which seemed like a weird choice at first. But he nailed it. Like, NAILED IT. The last few notes... I might have started to sigh. The judges all talked about how there was never a doubt in their minds that he should be saved last week and that he totally proved he was worth it with that performance.

By this point I forgot who was left, then I remembered. I think it might be a bad sign when you actually forget about a couple contestants.

Jacob came up next. He picked "Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word." Can I be honest? I'm done with him. He sounds the same to me every week. And it never sounds current or relevant to me. He's not bad, but he's just not interesting. The judges of course gushed like they do every week.

Haley got the last spot of the night. She sang "Benny and the Jets." Which made me happy. I pink puffy heart that song. And I only have one word for her performance: YES. YES. YES. Oh, and YES. She sounded great. She got my attention. The judges LOVED her. Randy even gave her best performance of the night.

Now for the bottom three... well I'd like to say Jacob, Naima, and Thia. If any of them went home I would be fine. My actual bottom three? I think Thia, Stefano, and maaaaybe Naima. If not Naima then Haley. Just an inkling I have.

So tomorrow we'll lose two. Hopefully not my faves. But I guess we'll have to wait and see. Now I'm off to bed with some Elton John stuck in my brain.

Typhoid. Out.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

5 Things

It's officially spring now. There's lots to be happy about.
  1. BASEBALL. 
  2. Seriously, baseball. Hubby's team (go Giants) are the champs so it'll be a fun season to watch. My team (go A's!) hasn't done much for me in the past years, but I'll always be faithful to my boys in green.
  3. Spring break. Thirteen and a half school days.
  4. Rodeoooo. Hubby and I haven't been in a few years, we're determined to change that this year. 
  5. Weather nice enough for shootin'. Rain and snow puts a damper on shooting for us. Seeing as how we use an old abandoned range in the mountains.
 Did I mention baseball is about to start? Hubby and I watched some preseason last night. Thank GOODNESS Comcast knows what's up. Because our teams are playing each other in a little series at the moment. :)

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Yeah...

I'm aware I didn't post today. I remembered as I got to work that I didn't put anything up. Oops. Blame it on Monday.

At the moment I'm fighting a brutal headache that came up out of nowhere. If it disappears I can hopefully come up with something clever for tomorrow. We'll see.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Friday Photo

I realized that I need to get out and take more pictures. Having a job and being a grown up interferes with that a bit.

So I don't know about the rest of y'all, but our first week of spring out here hasn't been very sunshiny.


This picture isn't actually from the last week, but the weather is the same. Super wet. Super windy. There was actually a funnel cloud spotted just a couple miles from school a couple days ago. It was early evening, so we weren't there, but still.

Can I let you in on a little secret? I actually kind of love this weather. I always have. But now it's harder to love, because my little ones get fidgety.

I may or may not have come back Wednesday to find out that one of my kids drew on another one while the sub was there. Rain + kids = no bueno.

I'm off to try and enjoy my Friday. Tad is staying the night tonight. We're going to see a movie, then tomorrow my mom and I are taking him to see his first musical production! Kinda. He's seen the Disney ones at the parks. Fun times!

Happy Friday!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

American Idol - Elimination

So I wasn't going to post at first because I found out the results before the show was over. I saw a hint at how it was legitimately dramatic and I had a gut feeling of who the bottom was so I looked.

Let's just get this done. The bottom three was Thia, Stefano, and Casey.

Yes, Casey. In all his bearded loveliness.

The person with the least number of votes was Casey.

I think it was one of those situations where people are assuming he's safe so they're voting for their other faves? Maybe?

Anyway, he started singing and Randy cut it off shortly into the song. Poor Casey looked like he wanted to throw up. But the judges used their save and he's in. After what looked like absolute torment on his part. Bad words, looking like he would toss his cookies, having to SIT DOWN to process it...

I'm just glad he's safe. And maybe I should start voting next week...

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

American Idol - Top 11

I'm jumpin' on in here.

Loved Steven Tyler rockin' his leopard shirt. I just love that man.

Don't love the Motown theme, am I the only person who feels this way? Kind of *yawn.*

Casey was first and sang "I Heard It Through the Grapevine." I giggled because with his hair slicked he looks like Zach Galifianakis. But he sounded good. The judges loved him.

Thia was next. She picked "Heatwave." Nice to see her do something upbeat. She was pretty boring last week. She did good, the judges were happy to see her step up and do something different.

Jacob popped up third. I honestly expected the typical near-aneurysm delivery of a song. He chose "You're All I Need." I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of brain-popping hemorrhaging. Steven liked him so much he got OUT of his seat when he was done to give him a hug.

Lauren followed Jacob with "You Keep Me Hangin' On." GREAT choice. First let me say that I desperately want her dress. It was adorable. And her singing... spot on tonight. She sounded really good. The judges loved her.

Stefano picked "Hello." This made hubby laugh and made me excited because before I heard any notes leave his adorable face I knew it would be a great song choice for him. *ding ding ding* That's the sound of me being correct. I lurve him. The judges mostly did, but they all told him that he needs more connection and emotion.

Haley was up next and she picked "You Really Got A Hold On Me." She was cute and she sounded good, but I thought there was far too much coming from the backup singers. Steven Tyler made me squeal by delivering one of his wails when he was telling her he loved her. I told hubby I want a ringtone of him doing that. Anyone got one to send my way?

Scotty... ohhhh Scotty. He's just adorable. He picked "For Once In My Life." And he sounded like something right off of the radio. Every time he sings he amazes me. This kid could seriously win.

Pia's turn. She picked "All In Love is Fair." Another ballad, good as expected. She's consistent, but she isn't bringing anything new. Randy called her out on that, but the judges loved her all the same.

Paul followed up. He picked "Tracks of My Tears." And I LOVED him. His voice makes me happy, his version made me happy, I could totes hear him on the radio with that song. And then he went super soft for the ending and I melted a little. He's so many kinds of adorable. The judges loved him too.

Naima picked "Dancin' in the Street." I'll be honest and say that I ended up skipping part of her performance so apparently I missed a little dancey dance? She sounded good, same as always. Again, I feel nothing new coming from her. And was it me, or did her voice seem too low tonight? The judges of course geeked out for her.

And last of the night was James. He sang "Living for the City." And reminded me of Adam Lambert tonight for some reason. Not the screeching, because there wasn't an excessive amount tonight (thank you). Everyone died and went to heaven or something though because it took forever before the judges could get a word out.

My bottom three tomorrow? Naima, Haley, and Thia. Just an inkling. Guess we shall see.

Typhoid. Out.

That still makes me giggle.

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

It's Not Just ANY Tuesday

Happy birthday to my amazing hubby today!!!

As I said, I took a couple days off so we could spend some time together. So far it's been nice and relaxing. We didn't get out of town like we had hoped, but it's still nice to be home together since the only time we are anymore is when I have school holidays.

I'm off to go do something celebratory... don't know just what yet. We'll figure something out.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Monday Coolness

Today's coolness is in the form of a movie review. I tried to convince a certain somebody (who I may or may not be married to) to make a video review with me, but he wasn't going for it. Which is really too bad, because I'm pretty sure some of you would have peed laughing (I'm lookin' at you mom). He's pretty amusing when he wants to be.


So here I am all gangsta with my movie cup. Don't even act like the random hair wisps don't happen to you. Psh. I just came in from the rain and took my hood off. But you know you love how my cardi, ring, and nails are all the same pink. Yay-yuh! (If you need help pronouncing that consult Lil Jon or Regular Show.)

So... movie review. We went to see Red Riding Hood last night. The commercials have all looked legit. Hubby saw that Gary Oldman was in it and that sold him. We have free movie passes comin' out our ears at the moment so we went and used some.

All-encompassing one-sentence reviews:
  • Hubby: Ummmm... Twilight, no vampires, more blood, and Gary Oldman.
  • Typhoid: Good stuff, but it was pretty reminiscent of Twilight.
So for those of you who don't know, the movie was directed by Catherine Hardwicke - the same director from Twilight. I didn't factor this in until we got to the opening credits. Done over a forest in the same style as our camera shots of Forks.

My take: The story was good. LOVE Amanda Seyfried in it. The two potential loverboys were nice to look at. Gary Oldman was fantastic as usual. When is he not amazing? I really should have predicted who the wolf was, but a decent effort was made to try and keep the audience guessing. No huge names besides him and Seyfried. We did get to see Bella's dad though. I was satisfied with the ending. The soundtrack? No thank you. Too emo (similar to some certain sparkly vampire movies). But overall I give it a solid B+.

Hubby's take... well he kept with the Twilight comparisons and said Seyfried is easier to look at than Kristen Stewart, the rest of the cast couldn't act their way out of a wet paper bag. Gary Oldman had more talent in his pinky toe than the rest of the cast put together. The other love interest looked like a special needs version of Robert Pattinson. The soundtrack made him want to cut himself. The director needs to not make everything just like Twilight because he kept waiting for Amanda Seyfried to gasp and bite her lip. And WHY did the main love interest have hair product? Ending was fine. He gave it a C+ for effort.

Obviously some hormones have something to do with it, haha. I didn't realize how much of a chick flick it actually was. But there was blood splatter! So it's not like there was nothing for the guys to appreciate. And it definitely wasn't the strongest thing I've seen. At the end credits I just looked at hubby and waited for him to say something. Sooo maybe warn your honey that it could be a little bit of a chick flick and he might want to sit this one out.

I have the book. It's up next after the current werewolf book that I'm reading (I just gravitate toward these things I guess).

Possibly off to another movie today? We'll have to see. I told hubby I owe him a manly flick after making him sit through wrist-cutting music (he said he could possibly have liked it better without the emo soundtrack).

**PS - I took today and tomorrow off for hubby's birthday so hopefully an adventure or two can be written about later.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Friday Photo

IT'S FRIDAY. I've been waiting for this. It was a pretty hectic week. Grocery trips, time at mom's, church, prepping my kids for chapel, leading chapel while the principal was gone, prepping my kids (and all the others that signed up) for the talent show tonight, writing sub plans... and now tonight IS the show which means I won't come home at all until... eightish? Maybe?

*whew*

And tonight will be a little vegging and a whole lot of prepping for hubby's party tomorrow. Only a little cleaning left, but a lot of cooking and hopefully some sewing if all goes well...

Anyway, enough about that! Let's look at a picture! Of a less busy, happier day.

This is me and one of my besties, Liz. The man in the foreground is our friend Lauren's dad. And if you're good at reading faces, you know that Liz and I are up to no good and making her dad crack up while we're at it. We love attention. And we're pretty crazy in comparison to Lauren. So her dad just loves us for the fact that he never knows what's coming next!

I miss my Liz. And my Lauren (even though I get to see her tomorrow!). We had some good times in college and we're way overdue for some more.

So call your bestie today. Hug them. Tell them they rock. And have a happy Friday.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Ummmm...

No excuses. No Idol blog right now. If I get time I'll watch it after work and write about it anyway. But I am faaaaar too wiped out. I was falling asleep on the couch before 10.

Absent

Yes, that would be my wish list today. In bed with a case of the lazies. I've been ridonk tired this week and I have a TON to do for work. So really the wish list was just a little too much work.

Hopefully next week.

I'll be back for Idol later, though. Never too busy for that. :)

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

5 Things

What's UP my friends? It's Tuesday. Tuesdays are okay in my book. Monday is out of the way, Glee is on... and that's about all to look forward to on your average Tuesday. But today isn't average. I'm likin' some things that are happening this week. So let's share.


5 Things I'm Liking This Week
  1. My tulips are starting to bud! I love my tulips. Of course this means that we have to start watching the punk kids who walk by on their way home from school. I had a couple of them picking my tulips last year. Jerks.
  2. I have new clothes to wear! Thanks to a fun shopping trip with my bestie on Saturday, I have a couple new work-appropriate dresses to wear.
  3. I have to prep my class for two performances this week! Okay, that's not really the fun part. The nice part is that after this, the hardest thing to plan for will be open house. *whew* It's hard coaching kids through a performance when I was the QUEEN of avoiding public speaking my whole life.
  4. Chance of rain? Yes please.
  5. I'm writing sub plans! Well, the sub plans themselves aren't so fun. But writing sub plans DOES mean that I will be having time off. As in two days for hubby's birthday next week! I don't know what the plan is yet, but we'll almost surely go somewhere where we can bum around and do something fun.
What are YOU loving this week?

Monday, March 14, 2011

Monday Coolness

It's been awhile since we've seen my favorite commercial man.




Hello ladies. Happy Monday.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Friday Photo

It's Friiiiidaaaay! I have only two conferences today, both right after school. So I'll be heading home early! Well, after lesson planning and picking up a prescription. :/

So I have these really high ceilings at home and I've been wanting to do a gallery-type wall above my buffet since we moved in. I finally did it. And it only took 11 months! 12 months by the time I'm posting it! Yay me!

So here it is. I rather enjoy it.


I'm aware the pictures are small so here are a few of them that I zoomed in on.


Clockwise starting in the top left corner: a sibling pic taken by an amazing friend of mine, my massive thrifted frame and my super cute lettering (DIY project), a random 19 (if you know me you don't have to ask). BTW, the backing behind the "LOVE" frame is actually a mustard color, not the pukey greenish the computer makes it look.


Starting up in the corner again: framed monogram (another DIY), my brother and brother-from-another-mother lookin' all handsome, a hilarious picture of us and our "son," a custom cartoonized family picture done by a great friend. I commissioned him last year for my mom's birthday present. I liked it so much I needed it for my wall. Side note: again with the pukey green color actually being mustard.

And starting in the corner: a gorgeous picture of Tad as Max (again taken by my dear Steven), a picture I took at Epcot, one of my favorite wedding photos, and a super cool piece I got off Etsy (I would look up the info, but let's face it... I'm lazy).

I didn't feature a couple other photos (taken by me as well as others), a last-minute crafty piece (due to the need for another frame up there), and another awesome Etsy find. And there's no picture of the actual buffet because it's not clean. At least not clean enough to showcase on the blog. It'll be clean pretty soon (we're having a party here) so maybe I'll remember to photograph it then.

I love my wall. If you want help with one hit me up, I'm pretty much a pro by now.

Happy Friday!

Thursday, March 10, 2011

American Idol - Elimination

Haha, as I typed that I thought of the other kind of elimination. What can I say? I'm a teenage boy at heart. Anyway, yes, tonight is the first of the eliminations. I got wind of it online before I watched the show so I already know. But I'll pretend to be surprised as I fast forward through carefully watch the show.

30 million people apparently voted. I was not one of them. But it turns out that we WILL see the judges' save again this season. Or maybe we will. Guess it depends on if they like the decision or not.

Holy monkey... Casey is sick again?! That's not good.

Unnecessary segment of the "Idol mansion." Although some of their faces were pretty adorable when they walked in.

Ahhhh... the return of the group lip synch. I kind of missed its cheesiness. And it's so obviously pre-recorded greatness. The pre-recordedness of it all was painfully there tonight. Almost laughable. We were graced with a Michael Jackson medley. Umm... that's all I have to say about that.

YEAH! We were treated to our first music video tonight! Still cheesy, but not adorably so. Too bad.

After what felt like an eternity's worth of filler we got to naming names. Even that took forever. Adam Lambert sang something but my thumb decided not to stray from the fast forward button so I missed it. Darn. (This is where we need a sarcasm emoticon.) The thumb did stray to see what this "Diddy Dirty Money" business was and if it had anything to do with the oh so brilliant guy who changes his name from Puffy to Stay Puft to Dirtstache or whatever. It was. The thumb went back to its favorite button.

By this time we've FINALLY reached the last minutes of the show. The bottom three ended up being Karen, Haley and Ashthon. And Ashthon goes home. It was deserved. It's not like she sucked, but she definitely failed to impress after the last few performances. Thankfully the judges did NOT use their save.

And I still say Robbie should have gotten a wild card over her.

On to next week! And starting to hope Casey gets out of the hospital quickly (I googled it... bleeding ulcer, ICK!).

I Got...

Nothin'.

Parent-teacher conferences continue today. Thankfully I have some really great parents in my classroom who are easy to talk to.

I start the three-day diet again tomorrow. I've managed to keep the five pounds off. Here's hoping for five more?

Made a date with my BFF for some shopping on Saturday. We will probably also go try out for Wheel of Fortune next week. Because we're old ladies who love that show.

Again with the TMI but I have been having cramps from Hades. It sucks. I'm hoping today is better.

I am obsessed with fruit lately. This is probably a good thing for a diet. Right?

If it's sunny this weekend I may expose my legs in the backyard. So I don't frighten my children when I start wearing skirts to work. I need tan legs to be happy.

We let Greenlee try some grapes last night. She played with them until she popped them with her teeth. Then she realized they are awesome and meant to be consumed. I'm amused by my little dog.

Happy Thursday.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

American Idol - Top 13

Hey.

So I'm gonna be real with you here and it may be a TMI, but it's my blog so I can do stuff like that. Upon writing this I am super tired and crampy. Thank you PMS. I don't know that my heart was really in it tonight, so I'm not overflowing with comments.

Just warnin' ya.

So let's go. Top 13. They picked songs by their own idols. I like this concept, it tells you a little more about the contestants.

First up, Lauren. Her idol is Shania Twain (reeeally?) so she sang "Any Man of Mine." I could do without hearing that song ever again as I never particularly enjoyed Shania. But Lauren made it bearable. She sounded good, but not outstanding. She did seem to leave the judges wanting more though. Steven Tyler said that he wished for more "kickass." Safe tomorrow? Likely.

Next was Casey. My hairy boyfriend. My brother (who does not watch Idol and has a pretty strong distaste for the show and it's premise in the first place) didn't know what to think of him. There was mocking and I may or may not have threatened him. Casey picked "With a Little Help From My Friends" by Joe Cocker. He actually made my mom utter the words, "I heart him." I giggled. But I also agree. So did the judges. My favorite words were from Steven Tyler who said he's a "rainbow of talent, a plethora of passion." Safety almost guaranteed.

After that was Ashthon. She chose "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" by Diana Ross. One word reaction: meh. After that performance I announced to the room that her wild card should have gone to Robbie. Mom agreed. The judges liked it though, even though they hinted that she could have given them more. Safety status tomorrow? Bottom three. (Are they still doing it that way? I'm assuming they are.)

Fourth spot went to Paul. Oh Paul... I wasn't thrilled. He chose "Come Pick Me Up" by Ryan Adams (who is only relevant in my household because he married Mandy Moore... hubby loves her). And when he started we found ourselves looking at each other saying, "Uhhh." Yeah, it wasn't great. I still love his voice, but the song just wasn't good to me. Even Jennifer mentioned that she doesn't know the song and that she hopes America "gets it." Bad sign. He could be bottom three tomorrow.

Pia followed Paul with Celine Dion's "All By Myself." That girl has some serious pipes. I enjoyed her. She left Jennifer almost speechless. THAT'S how good she was. She's staying tomorrow night FOR SURE.

James came up next. And we went from Judas Priest last week to Paul McCartney this week. He picked "Maybe I'm Amazed" and I was pleasantly surprised. I loved hearing him just sing and not shout much. The judges agreed with Randy saying that he loved this "softer side" of James. He's totes in tomorrow night.

Haley followed him up with "Blue." I laughed because she named LeAnn Rimes as the artist and hubby was quick to correct the television and say, "ACTUALLY Patsy Cline did it first." Even funnier, when I was writing that little tidbit in my notebook I started to write "Patsy Swine" because that's what my mother-in-law named one of her pigs a few years ago. Anyway... I loved Haley. I already enjoy the song and I think it was a perfect choice for her. Jennifer and Steven Tyler enjoyed her, but Randy decided it was a "little boring, a little sleepy." Whatevs Randy. I think she'll be safe tomorrow.

Commercial break and hubby and I headed home as quickly as possible. Before the break Ryan mentioned that Jacob would be singing R. Kelly. In the car I told hubby, "I would bet an insane amount of money that it's 'I Believe I Can Fly.' Betcha. I'm gonna laugh so hard if I'm right."

Jacob's turn... "I Believe I Can Fly." Points to me, cackling on the couch. Yet another song I don't enjoy, but his voice sounded good. I'm always afraid he's going to have an aneurysm or something when he sings though. Judges loved him. Of course. My guess: safe tomorrow.

Next up was Thia. She chose "Smile" by Michael Jackson. I liked the beginning. She has a good voice for just singing, not getting too crazy. I didn't love the arrangement when it got jazzy or whatever. She sounds better simple. The judges pretty much agreed with me. Jennifer threw in that she sings like an angel. Safety tomorrow: pretty sure she'll be safe.

Stefano's turn. He sang "Lately" by Stevie Wonder. As much as I love him, I didn't love this song. He started off a little shaky, but he got better. The arrangement did not. I just couldn't get with it. The judges loved him though. Not sure how the voters did. He could be in trouble tomorrow.

After Stefano, Karen came up. She picked "I Could Fall In Love" by Selena. I cracked up when I saw her outfit. TOTALLY fashioned after the purple one that Selena wore. Ya know, the one Jennifer wore in the movie that made her bootie look LARGE. She was good, but I didn't think it was as good as the original. Or different enough to NOT compare the two. The judges didn't love it either. She's another maybe tomorrow night.

Scotty followed Karen. He chose "The River" by Garth Brooks. Good song. Good choice. Good Scotty. It makes me laugh because if you close your eyes it's like listening to a man sing, but when he quits singing and he's just listening to the judges he looks like such a baby! The judges loved him by the way. So does my mom, which amuses me because she HATES country music. Seriously. He'll be safe tomorrow night. Surely you heard the screams for that boy.

Closer tonight was Naima. She sang "Umbrella" by Rihanna. I was thinking she was good, but not great then she busted out with some straight-up reggae for a minute. Favorite part. Better than the rest of the song for me. Also her dance moves were a bit distracting. The judges said she was a little pitchy, but Steven Tyler still called her "crazy good." I don't know if it was enough to win people over. She could be bottom three tomorrow.

So there you have it. My thoughts. I think Ashthon stands the biggest chance at going home tomorrow. She was too bland tonight. We shall see.

It's Wednesday

And I really couldn't decide on a wish list. How lame am I?

Instead I want you to celebrate some things with me.
  1. Parent-teacher conferences. Hello half day schedule!
  2. My mom's birthday today. Happy birthday mom!!
  3. Go ahead and laugh, but I'm ridiculously excited about this... Billy Idol is coming to the Fresno Fair this year. haha I TOTES want to go.
Stick around for an Idol recap tonight. And of course results tomorrow. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

5 Things

Let's jump right in today.

1. Last weekend's diet sucked. But I lost five pounds. I'll likely be doing it again this weekend.
2. Girl Scout cookies have arrived... looks like I'll definitely be doing that diet again.
3. I bought new shoes last week. They make me ridiculously happy.
4. I bought new sunglasses yesterday. Five bucks to look fab... yes please!
5. I have this annoying cough that keeps acting like it wants to take my voice away. As a teacher this is obviously no bueno.

So. It's Tuesday. No Idol means no bloggage. But there is Glee! And cookies! So don't worry about me, I'll be thoroughly entertained here at home.

Happy Tuesday!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Monday Coolness

Hello Monday. I'm actually glad to see you since your arrival means I can eat normal food for four days.

Today, I give you a commercial. Because those are kind of my thing.




See, this is pretty much our car (except ours isn't an STi). And we do indeed have a pretty hood scoop. Which does lead to jokes similar to above...

It also leads to Tad thinking we have the coolest car ever. What is it about boys and hood scoops?

Happy Monday.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Friday Photo




It's Friday! And I'm starting a three-day diet!

Oh, wait, I'm not excited about that part. If it works out for me I'll let you know how it goes. I'm crossing my fingers that this will do something.
Anyway, when I went to upload a pic for today, this one popped up and I had to post it. A couple weeks ago I came home from... somewhere, I don't remember. Wait, no. It was when I got out of the shower. So I come to the living room and here's hubby and Greenlee sleeping on the couch.


She's the best little dog for cuddling. And yes, she's laying UNDER the blanket. She likes to be under blankets. She's a strange little dog. Thankfully I was able to snap a pic of it. The flash woke up hubby though.

Sooo... happy Friday. Hopefully this will be me and Greenlee after school this afternoon. I have a feeling the lack of food is going to have me wishing for a nap.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Top 12... But NO! Top 13

Ohhhh Idol. We had our ups and downs tonight. You had me yelling at my television. You met some of my predictions accurately and you had me screech in surprise a couple times. What on earth am I supposed to do with you at times like this?

First of all, why did we need a play-by-play of the previous two nights? Do you think that we haven't been watching? That we're blindly tuning in? Although I didn't mind seeing Casey again. :)

After some random interviews that were only mildly entertaining (thanks to Casey) we got down to business.

Scotty and Robbie were called. Scotty is in. I like this.

Next Clint, Jordan, and Jovany were called. If I had to root for anyone I was going to root for Jovany. But then - SHOCKER - none of them were put through. I may have fist-pumped the air at the two most conceited/bullying guys not making it. Maybe.

After that we went to some girls. First Pia and Lauren A. were called. I liked both so them together made me nervous. But they're both in. I doubly like this. I laughed when Lauren's mic caught her saying "I did NOT want to go up there with you!" to Pia.

Next was Ta-Tynisa and Julie. Both are out. I'm okay with this.

Kendra, Ashthon, and Karen came up afterward. I was thinking maybe Kendra and Karen would go through. Nope. Just Karen is in.

Now Tim, Casey and Jacob are up. I turned to hubby and said, "Casey and Jacob." Sho' 'nuf. Two points to Typhoid.

More girls. This time Naima, Lauren T., and Thia are called up. I had already done the math and figured out that only one would be safe so I said Thia. Right again. I like this very much.

Boys again. Brett and Paul. I wasn't sure how this would turn out. I thought Brett might be a favorite, but I really wanted Paul. So I crossed my fingers for Paul (and his stylin' jacket!)... and Paul is in!

Last two girls were Haley and Rachel. I knew it would be Haley. I think Rachel was too weird for people last night. Score another right guess for Typhoid.

Aaaaand last two boys were James and Stefano. I also called this one, even though it made me sad. I like both, but I knew it would be James. And it was.

So now we get to the wild card portion. The judges chose three guys and three girls to sing for some final spots. Each contestant sang a song of their choice. I took notes for each song, but they weren't detailed notes so let's just list each person along with a few words of my thoughts...
  1. Ashthon - definitely better than last night
  2. Stefano - my notes say, "Holy cow, KEEP HIM!" haha
  3. Kendra - she killed it
  4. Jovany - better than last night
  5. Naima - was it just me or did she get a shaky start?
  6. Robbie - um... all I have in my notes is a little heart, I loved him a little
After this I thought Kendra did the best so she was my pick for girls. For boys I couldn't pick between Stefano and Robbie. CONFESSION: I hopped online for a moment and saw that there was actually a twist that led to a final 13. So I assumed maybe both boys would make it through.

This is where my track record turned to crap.

But first the judges "weren't done" deliberating. Well how convenient! We just happen to have Jennifer's new video to premiere! Wow! I didn't enjoy the song. Sorry, Jennifer. And of course after the video - after Ryan has already mentioned we're short on time - we have ANOTHER COMMERCIAL BREAK. At this point I may or may not have shouted a bad word at Ryan. Maybe.

FINALLY we got down to it. And they buzzed through the contestants. Randy called Ashthon (to which I said, "Whaaat???"). Jennifer called Stefano (I had a happy sunshiny moment). Steven called Naima (again, "Whaaaat???"). Robbie was so consistent that he totes deserved a spot. Buuuuut nope.

So here's our Top 13 for the season.
  1. Scotty
  2. Lauren A.
  3. Pia
  4. Karen
  5. Casey
  6. Jacob
  7. Thia
  8. Paul
  9. Haley
  10. James
  11. Ashthon
  12. Stefano
  13. Naima
I suppose I'm just thrilled that Casey is in there. Anyone else exhausted after all that and more than ready for next week???

American Idol - 12 Girls

I was way exhausted last night, hence posting today. I don't think I've been sleeping well or something... I dunno.

SO. I wasn't as excited about the girls last night. For one thing, I'm apparently ancient and I don't keep up with current music. Because I totally did NOT know most of their songs. Which can make it harder to appreciate the music sometimes. On the other hand, if I have no basis for comparison, their voice can sound better. Yeah... I just wasn't excited. Before we get on with it, I have to say I love the sparkliness of Jennifer's dress. Not necessarily the shape of the dress, but definitely the bling.

Okay then...

1. Ta-Tynisa Wilson. Sang a semi-familiar song by Rihanna. Don't ask me the name, I tend to not listen to stations that play Rihanna. Anyway, she was decent. It wasn't amazing. I actually wanted her to be better because I kind of like her. She's fun. Steven Tyler liked it, Jennifer thought she did a good job of playing to the crowd, and Randy said it was just okay. She could be in trouble tonight.

2. Naima Adedapo. She sang "Summertime" which I love. The arrangement was semi-loungey to me (in my notes I wrote "loungish," but I think "loungey" sounds better). But her voice is great! Steven Tyler compared her to early Ella Fitzgerald, Jennifer loved her, and Randy gave me a pat on the back by also calling the arrangement loungey, but by the end he liked it. I hope she gets through. I bet she can do some great songs.

3. Kendra Chantelle. Not sure what she sang? I'm aware I could look it up... but no. Snark moment: her nails distract me. They seem oversized, maybe it's the color. Anyway, forgetting the nails, she sounded GREAT. Easily top three of the night for me. The judges LOVED her. Jennifer even told her she belongs there. Pretty sure she'll get through tonight.

4. Rachel Zerita. The way her makeup and hair were done tonight, did she remind anyone else of Dita VonTeese? She sang "Criminal" by Fiona Apple. Her song surprised me because I didn't recognize it at all until hubby finally did more than halfway through the performance. She looked like she had fun and all, but it wasn't my favorite. Steven Tyler said she was a little too Broadway. Jennifer wished she had picked a different song. Randy didn't recognize the song at first either and he didn't love it. I'm guessing she could be in trouble tonight.

5. Karen Rodriguez. She did "Hero" by Mariah Carey. She also sang in Spanglish (she kept switching from English to Spanish). Now I loved her coming in. She's been cute and good the whole time. The switching back and forth was a little distracting for me. I wish she would have stuck with one or the other, or at least not have switched so often. She sounded good though, I give her that. Jennifer "wow"ed her and loved the Spanglish. Randy said she made it hers (definitely agree there). Steven called her fantastic. Hopefully she makes it through tonight. I think chances are good for her.

6. Lauren Turner. I forgot about her, is that bad? I didn't know her song either. But I did enjoy her voice! I could have done without the backup singers at some points though. She has now jumped to the top of my radar. The judges loved her. The only critique was that Jennifer wants her to have more stage presence.

7. Ashthon Jones. I didn't know her song. But I giggled because my mind was in the gutter and it could have been mildly dirty... hee hee. She was good. Not great. If I only had that performance to go off of I wouldn't vote for her. The judges love her voice, but Randy said the song wasn't the best choice for her. So far I think she's impressed enough people that she might stick around tonight.

8. Julie Zorilla. Where was her date? She was on her way to the prom, right? She was the one to finally pick a familiar song, "Breakaway" by Kelly Clarkson. But... I didn't like it. At all. Poor thing just didn't seem like she had it together. And did you SEE Jennifer's face when the camera panned by??? She looked mad or disappointed or like she wanted to cut somebody. I laughed. But then when she started the judging she left it at, "It's not the best we've seen from you." Guess she didn't want to be mean. Randy flat out said it wasn't as good as Kelly. Steven Tyler said it was simply the wrong song. Methinks we may be saying goodbye tonight.

9. Haley Reinhart. She sang Alicia Keys. Aaaaand... meh. She was good. But it wasn't great. And she didn't do much with the song. I remember other performances where she's so much better than that. Randy didn't think it did anything for her. Steven and Jennifer liked her enough though. I hope people were remembering old performances though, because she should stay.

10. Thia Megia. I love her name. It's little and cute like her. I didn't know her song (again). But wow, she sang! It was perfect for her. The judges went gaga. Jennifer said she captivated every person in the room. I totes agree. She ought to be safe tonight.

11. Lauren Alaina. She picked something by Reba. She had fun, she was cute, she sounded good. I could imagine hearing that on the radio by her. The judges apparently totally agreed. Randy almost made her pass out by saying she was a little Kelly Clarkson meets Carrie Underwood. Good comparison. She'll be safe, she's gotta be.

12. Pia Toscano. Sang "I'll Stand By You." Could be considered a risky choice since Carrie Underwood did it really recently. But holy cow she nailed it. NAILED it. She might be my favorite of the night. Out of nowhere. The judges gave her the first standing ovation of the season and it was well deserved. She has to be safe.

So those were our girls. Even though the night as a whole wasn't the best for me, I definitely picked a few favorites. I will of course be back tonight to discuss the results and cheer (or boo) for our Official Top 12.

Typhoid. Out.

(haha, I couldn't help it, I had a Seacrest moment.)

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Wednesday Wish List

It's Wednesdaaaay. And I actually put together a list. See, hubby has a beard. A manly beard. He also likes to wear flannel shirts.

Have you done the math yet? Yup, I appear to be married to a lumberjack.

So we're throwing a lumberjack party for his birthday this month! Everyone's wearing flannels, the boys are growing out their beards, and there's a good chance we'll go traditional and serve flapjacks. haha

Well, ever since the party has been in my head I've been looking at random lumberjack-related things. I also searched "lumberjack" on Etsy. And came up with some cute stuff!

Kellee, if you are reading this, bring Starla to the party and have her wear these boots. Although, I would love her to rock these little booties any time I see her. (via handmadetherapy)


This ring is cute. I could totally do this too. The question is, will I overtake the procrastinator gene long enough to do it??? (via crumpetcake)


Are you loving these earrings? Because I kind of am. I might buy them. Although I wear my hair down so much it wouldn't make a difference... (via MonchichiSuite)


I love this guy. Isn't he CUTE?? And he slightly resembles hubby! I'm contemplating buying him as a little cake topper. (via licoricewits)


It just fits with the party theme. I'm thinking hubby's beard will win. (via KeepCalmArsenal)


And what do you think? Most perfect birthday card ever? Yes. (via dudeandchick)

Now I'm at the point where I'm just hoping people have fun with it. Because what's so stinkin' hard about putting on a flannel people? Just go with the theme already. Or you don't get cake.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

American Idol - 12 Boys

Well well well... it's getting goooood!!! I miss live-blogging very muchly right now though. Drawback of a desktop. So I went old school and took notes in a notebook so I could report my thoughts back to you. Minus some of the snarkiness... because I was just plain evil with a couple of my comments tonight.

First of all, what was up with the person rockin' the "Tourettes Rocks" sign. I understand you probably enjoy a certain contestant. But I can assure you, he would disagree that Tourettes "rock." Ohhhh some people stagger me with their genius...

So let's jump in.

1. Clint Jun Gamboa. He sang "Superstitious" by Stevie Wonder. Enjoy that song. Don't enjoy Clint. I'm super biased against him for making Jacee cry in Hollywood. He was just a jerk face. I tried to put that aside. I guess he sounded fine, but I still don't like him. Steven Tyler said he was brilliant. Jennifer Lopez thought he was good. Randy loved him and called him brilliant. My guess: voted in Thursday night. But not by moms and teachers everywhere who think he's a bully.

2. Jovany Barreto. He picked "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. BIG mistake. Huge. I've heard it sung by someone who sounded better. Actually as soon as the notes started I knew the song he picked and I told hubby, "Automatic fail." He laughed. Because he knows that I love that song and you just don't touch it unless you can be excellent. He wasn't bad, but it was nowhere near radio-good. HOWEVER, Steven Tyler and Jennifer Lopez liked him. Randy was with me and compared it to karaoke. The only way he's through is if girls are listening with their hormones tonight.

3. Jordan Dorsey sang something I don't know by Usher (I'm not "down" with the pop music over here, lol). And it wasn't too hot. It sounded really generic. And the pelvic thrusting? No thanks. Steven Tyler said it wasn't his favorite. Jennifer Lopez said that that type of song was not who he is. Randy called it pitchy and just not good. If voters base it on that performance alone, he won't make it through.

4. Tim Halperin. He's the one who wowed me out of nowhere in Vegas with his Beatles choice. He chose "Come On Over" by Rob Thomas. I enjoy that song, but his performance was kind of meh. I wanted to like him. I wanted him to wow me. But not tonight. Steven Tyler sounded like he would have liked to hear something else from him. Jennifer Lopez said it wasn't his strongest. Randy stated the obvious and said that he's sounded better. He was just forgettable enough that voters might overlook him.

5. Brett Loewenstern. Okay totally shocked me with "Light My Fire" by The Doors (although if you didn't know who sang that originally I shake my head at you). What shocked me more? I actually REALLY enjoyed it! It was a little different. And his head/hair shakes were making me laugh. Steven Tyler told him he brought it (I agree). Jennifer Lopez liked him. Randy "appreciated it." He'll make it through voting.

6. James Durbin. I laughed because he totes sang Judas Priest! On Idol! He actually pulled it off too. I enjoyed it, except for the fact that he has the potential to become the next Adam Lambert if he decides to try and throw in a screech or ten in every performance. Steven Tyler used potty mouth to describe how good he was (I laughed). Jennifer Lopez loved the way he performs. Randy told him that's the way you do it on Idol. I imagine he'll get through.

7. Robbie Rosen. Okay, he's adorable. Just had to get that out of the way. He picked "Angel" by Sarah McLachlan. Good song. Beautiful voice, but I didn't like the arrangement. It almost sounded like his voice and the music were at different parts a few times. He still managed to sound great to me. Steven Tyler called it beautiful. Jennifer Lopez called him a special singer. Randy decided to try and be a jerk (sorry Randy, it only worked for Simon and his accent) and said it didn't work AT ALL. Party pooper. I'm not sure if he'll get through or not. No guesses on my part.

8. Scotty McCreery. Sang some John Michael Montgomery. And it totally worked for him. He could have been on the radio already.  I just love listening to him. This voice coming out of a baby! Well, he's a baby to me anyway. Steven Tyler told him he couldn't have picked a better song. Jennifer Lopez told him he was BORN to sing country (have to agree there). Randy loved him. I'm gonna guess... he'll go through.

9. Stefano Langone. He sang "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars. A.K.A the "Amazing" song that hubby hates. I think he hears it too often at work. I love the song. And I really liked Stefano. Not quite love. But definitely a lot of like. He was really comfortable on stage, which is always nice to see. All three judges loved him. Jennifer Lopez mentioned how consistent he is. I don't know if he's memorable enough for voters.

10. Paul McDonald. Ohhhh Paul. He sang "Maggie May" by Rod Stewart. Kind of perfect for him, which hubby commented on right away. He's so fun to watch! He smiles while he sings, which I appreciate muchly. And it was just a good performance. Of course all three judges loved him. Randy even said he's a fan. Hopefully people don't think he's TOO unique, but so far I'm hearing a lot of people say how much they love him.

11. Jacob Lusk. Sang Luther Vandross. Ummmm... okay. Don't love the song choice. I get that it fits his voice, and his voice DID sound great. But can we really call the song relevant for today? I don't see him being a person to sell albums to the young crowd. He may prove me wrong though. All three judges AGAIN agreed and loved him. Steven Tyler even said it was an honor to be in his presence. I couldn't even begin to guess how the voting will effect him.

12. Casey Abrams. I could just stop there. I was so looking forward to him tonight. So was hubby. Hubby actually likes him, and I don't think he's ever cared about an Idol contestant before. He chose "I Put A Spell On You" by Screamin' Jay Hawkins. YES and YES. I love that song and ohmygoodness he was awesome. I just read an article recently where people were questioning how he would fare without an instrument. Question answered: DAMN GOOD. The judges could not stop praising him. Jennifer Lopez even called him sexy and Randy said, "More, more, more." If he doesn't get voted in I'll be floored.

Tomorrow night is the ladies. I'll take my notes carefully and report back to you yet again.

Good night!

5 Things

Hey. It's Tuesday. 5 Things friends. And today you are in for randomnessss...

5 Way Random Things
  1. I have been saying "totes" instead of "totally" a LOT. Like, A LOT. Blame Adventure Time. Ohhh glorious Adventure Time.
  2. Dinner last night was super awesome. Just sayin'. And in case you're curious, this recipe here is what we made.
  3. We finally got our car. Did I ever mention that? We love it. Tad loves it. Like, LOVES it. That makes hubby love it a bit more I think.
  4. We sold our Blazer. For more than we had hoped. Yay-eah! 
  5. I say "Yay-eah" a lot too. Blame Regular Show. Which is mucho awesome.
Sooooo any randomness you care to share today? Feel free to leave it here. I'm in the mood to read the randomness on some of your minds.

Happy Tuesday!