SuperModel On My Days Off

Who knew?
  

Yeah, well, I had my suspicions it was easy work, but who.actually.knew.

It is so craz-ee ease-ee to be a SuperModel.

Dana@Bungalow'56 told me it would be, showed me how ease-ee it would be, but this...THIS...

No.Way.



Of course, the agency wouldn't take me without  DollFace  as part of the deal. Here he is below. His part was a piece of cake.

Try it.

Tons of money in it, just like blogging.

Go. Now. Create your own SuperHighPayingSuperModel Career at photofunia.com.


Name Dropping is the only way to be in that world, so tell them Dana@Bungalow'56 sent you.

And, if you don't know Dana, you need to. And if you want to see her stunning daughter up at Times Square, stop over there. Dana'll point you to some beautiful photography websites on the internet, as well as treat you to her scrumptious photos and sweet as cherry pie posts.  She is all things humble, talented,  and real like that. [gushing.gushing..better stop embarrassing myself...again with the Canadians.]

Thanks, Dana, I had a blast.  And your daughter is perfection. You Canadians are always so dang cool.

And always two steps ahead of us.

Joyful Heart Foundation. Please Help Us.

About this blog carnival: “The world I want for my children” is an effort to support The Joyful Heart Foundation, which was founded by Law & Order: SVU actress Mariska Hargitay to help victims of sexual assault mend their minds, bodies and spirits and reclaim their lives.  Today, the foundation is at the forefront of an effort to end a disheartening backlog of tens of thousands of rape kits in labs across the country, a backlog that contributes to a rapist’s 80 percent chance of getting away with his crime.  The backlog and its detrimental effects will be the topic of an SVU episode on September 29^th.
Please help us raise awareness for this important work.  What kind of world do you want for your children? Write your post and link up here.
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The World I Want For My Children 

Sometimes the tears come to my eyes when I see how hard it can be for you to follow the standards your father and I have put before you,  our three boys, the ones we have asked you to live by.

Since you were born, I have been whispering in your ears,  "You were created, because God's world demanded your place in it."

I want you to believe that you were made because this world required your presence in it.

I see how hard this is, to go against the grain of everyone and everything else you see. I see how you work to rise above all that is around you, that we won't let you be part of. I'm not blind, I know the self control it takes to not lash out and do back what sometimes is done to you. But that's not how we live.

Believe me, I am not blind to your efforts, and I see how you remember "who you are, and Whose you are."

I can't change what the world is, and what it has become. I can pray and wish and only tell you, that I wish it were different. That I wish there were no pain, no unfairness, no injustice, no crimes done against each other.  But, we talk about everything with you, and you know that this ugliness exists in the world.

The rule we live by, and the rule we've taught all of you, is,  "in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you."  I know, no easy task. It means feeling that things are not fair, that others don't care how they hurt you or that they hurt you. You may even think that I don't care about what you tell me.

I do care. It hurts me very much. Don't you see the pain in my eyes when I listen to you tell me how hard it is that you know you can't do back what others may do to you? Don't you see? Look closer next time, I hear you. My pain is there, too, behind my silent listening. 

Living the way we do is hard on me, too, as your mother.

Since you were old enough to understand words, the 3 that we've taught you to memorize are, "kindness, kindness, kindness." We would repeat these words over to you, until they came automatically in your conversations.

I tell you this because there is a story about a day at the park, when you were about 3, and we had brought your favorite toy trucks along to play with.  There was a little boy who suddenly showed up out of nowhere and grabbed your yellow and blue shovel and ran off with it. You stood up on your little chubby legs and ran after him shouting, "kineness! kineness! kineness!" My heart felt like a 50 lb weight in my chest at that moment, to see you expecting that little boy to know what you meant by your words.  

Our family believes we are here to make things better for whoever crosses our paths. We have taught you to ask yourselves, "am I a blessing in this person's life." 

You may not think that what we've taught you matters right now, but, my beautiful boys, you have to believe us; it is the ONLY thing that matters in the life we've been given.

Well, go along now. Get on with your days.  Be quieter, humbler, kinder.

Tomorrow, many many more tomorrows from now, you will see the blessings of a life well lived.

We want a world for you, where you will not be ashamed of who you are, and of what you've done.  We want a world for you, where you look back on your life and can see, why this world needed you in it.

*Every Post linking up to Joyful Heart Foundation brings the backlog of kits closer to an end.*

Thank You Stark Raving Mad Mommy

Thank you to StarkRavingMadMommy for this HI-larious video.

Who can't use a laugh about this mommy gig?

Warning: there is a swear. That is all. Enjoy!

The Change of Seasons

God speaks to each of us as he makes us,
then walks with us silently out of the night.

These are the words we dimly hear:

You, sent out beyond your recall,
go to the limits of your longing.
Embody me.

Flare up like flame
and make big shadows I can move in.

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.
Don’t let yourself lose me.

Nearby is the country they call life.
You will know it by its seriousness.

Give me your hand.
—Rilke’s Book of Hours, I, 59

I found this beautiful poem today, these beautiful words.

I thought of how I instantly knew I had to share it with all of you.

We are changing all the time, becoming closer and closer to who we are.

Thank you, all of you, for still visiting here, and being the magic that I can dial up at any time.

You keep me afloat.
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BONUS POSTING TIP:  Do not enter "Autumn" as a google search image. You'll hear the screams 6 states across as your screen fills up with an eye-masked auburn haired wood nymph and her strategically placed fall leaves.

Word to the wise.

LifeSkills 101: A Zombie Primer

Monday, Monday: oh, Baby E, you surely make me smile on a drizzling Fall day, and, hopefully, someone else out there, too. Monday is Post Day for  Baby E., Baby Emperor, sweet Baby E. I am his royal scribe, as he documents this moment in time, his world, as an 8 year old boy, knows it: today? How to be safe from zombies.
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About My Life
Hi. It's been so long, a long time since I sat and talked to you. A long time. I think it's because we are so busy. I started soccer and I love it. I have practice 4 times a week, and then 2 games on the weekends. I don't care if it's raining, I still want to play. Guess who made the scoring goal on Sunday's game. It was me. It was 7 to 7, and I kicked it in for the last point and it felt like a countdown in my head, ""5,4,3,2....1!" Score! By me! I love to play soccer.

I Need Your Votes
I told my mom I was going to do this and she said "Yes." I want you all to vote about my computer time. I think I should get to do computer time every day for an hour. I only get to do it for 30 minutes, and then even only 30 minutes on the weekends, too. I told my mom I was going to ask you to vote for my computer time. Can I have one hour a day? I want you all to vote about my computer time.

LifeSkills 101
This is about zombies and is important and you should know it.

It is almost Halloween which is my favorite part of my years. I love to wear a scary costume, and to pick it out and I love to go trick or treating at night. I like to be scared, too. I love Halloween! I told my mom it would be handy to live in a graveyard or cemetery because that would be very handy for Halloween. You would already have a decorated house that way.

The only problem would be on Halloween night. Because of the zombies and things.  If you lived in a cemetery house, then you would be first in line for a visit from the zombies. And for werewolves, and for ghosts, and mummies. That would be the bad part. You would be in the line of fire.

I told my big brother this, and he told me some tips to be safe. They are real. If you do this, and live in a cemetery house, you will be safe. You need to do this, like my big brother said:

1.  Do not touch a zombie, they will give you a virus that will make you one, too.

2.  Do not try to outrun a werewolf, because they can run fast like a dog and will overrun you. Just stay still and hide behind a tree without even moving to breathe.

3. If you live in a haunted house, do not stand by the windows!! Ever! Don't you know that zombies and werewolves and mummies will just crash their hands through the glass and grab you because they can't get hurt anymore. Do Not Stand By The Windows!

4.  Be careful because Aliens will come on Halloween night, too, because they come and pretend they're in a costume, but are really in their real skin.

5.  Go and buy a MiracleEar, and wear it on Halloween night, that way you will hear as soon as mummies or zombies or werewolves are following you or coming. They are easy to hear because they always drag their feet when they walk, because they are stiff from being dead.

6. Oh! And DO NOT lock the doors. That is dumb. Don't think that locking the doors will keep you safe. Zombies just bust through the doors. Right down the middle. Crack! Right.through. Into splinters. Crash!

My brother says these things are true and to do them and you will be safe.

Bye.

I will take pictures of my Halloween costume and I can't wait!! My mom goes with me and she is always a fortune teller gypsy.

Next week I want to tell you about my 3 life choices for what I want to be.

Also, tell your kids that if they want super clapping power abilities to scare away the zombies, then to put stickers on the inside of their hands because it makes you clap louder.

Bye.

Oh, when my mom makes stuffing for no reason, I just want to kiss her.

Bye.

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Bye, Baby E., I love you....

Yes, I Do...Yes, I Do...Oh.Yes.I.Do.

2 out of 2 guest bloggers say:

"Where did Saturday go?  Sorry I'm so late responding - ditto to what Tiff said about your readers.  You're welcome and ANYTIME.  Your readers are wonderful and generous in their comments."


"I love your readers - their comments are always so genuine." 




Ahem, excuse my puffed out chest here, but Oh Yes I Do ....I do believe that I have the best readers and the best commenters end of story. Lucky, lucky, hugely lucky me.

Those first sentences here in today's post?  are what Tarja of The Flying Chalupa, and Tiff of On The Verge, my awesome guest posters from Wednesday and Friday, had to say about the comments left here for them.

Taking this week off has allowed me to think, ponder, mull, and come to a realization. I now know why it has bothered me SO VERY MUCH that I haven't been able to get back to everyone who comments here.

*lightbulb*

I know now why I don't like the feeling of not being able to make it to your blogs as often as I'd like.

*i can see clearly now*

So this is why I have been unhappy in falling behind in contact with all of you.

*hello!*

IT IS because I really really like all of you. And, not just regular like, but really like. Like, grown attached to, and miss. I didn't have guilt, I had a case of missing you. 

See what I'm saying? I missed you all because you are all that. And it took Tiff and Tarja to just say, "hey, your readers rock" that made me actually hear PING! in my head at the thought of "that's it!"

I don't feel guilty, I MISS THEM.

So, I came across the most AWESOME way to say "I love you, man" over at Wellington Road, which just so happens to be the blog of the week here. Juli Ryan is the author of this sweet, sweet, intelligent and clever blog. She is living in New Zealand with Five, her precious son with an accent, and her husband.  She held a giftcard giveaway, no strings attached, to say thank you to her readers. "Hey!," I told Juli, "I can do that and would LOVE to do that."

So, I am doing that to say Thank You. And to say You Rock. And to let you know how I truly appreciate you and want you to feel that, not just read it, but to know it, too. I love this idea, I really do.

My live in tech support coughhusbandcough will pick a random number, and that will be the random commenter winner on this giveaway of your choice of  a Starbucks giftcard or Border's giftcard or Barnes and Noble giftcard. Your.choice. Just please leave a comment so we can do this thing.

Ahhh...I feel so good about this. Thank you, Dr.s Tarja and Tiffany, for the productive session. The check is in the mail.

And, THANK YOU,  to all of you, my most wonderful commenters and readers. You really are the best, you know that?

Also: I know I don't have to do this,  but I really want to. 

Tags: [It's my blog I can do a giveaway if I want to.]  [You can't stop me.]  [This is so fun to give stuff away.] [ I love you, man.]

Pioneer Woman's Bloggity Rules And Breaking Them One By One...

I love me some Ree, I follow Pdub and click over to her daily.

Pioneer Woman keeps her blog as she does her corn chowder souffle, light and fluffy.

When Southern Living Magazine interviewed Ree this past March, she said the one thing she hoped that her readers walked away with every day when they left her blog was feelin' good.  As in, lots of daggums, and garshes, and whoa~nellies! I once counted 5 goshes in a post, it must've been a light day for her.

Point is, I love The Pioneer Woman. I do leave her place smiling, happy, and feeling good. That is her goal, and she is the best at it. The.Best.

Well, I am breaking Ree's A#1 Best Quality piece of advice to a successful blog here. She doesn't bring in $800,000 a year from her blog from not knowing what she talks about. Yes, that number is correct. See the Times Article on the Top 25 blogs of  2009.

Today's post here will not have a single dagnab it, gosh, or tantalizing picture of the most beautiful family life possible.  There will be no sparkly double rainbow sightings through an ever so light autumn drizzle.

I am falling apart. Not all at once. Just little stitch by little stitch. I am so not where I want to be at in my blogging life, so much so that I was at a loss as to what to do. I take where I am very seriously.

One of my favorite parts of blogging: the visits to other sites, is too far behind that I can't even joke about it. Not even a smart ass comment can be made as to the status of falling behind on my fave reads.

My other favorite part, getting back to precious and valued and prized commenters? Even in worse shape.

I should be feeling better at this point, the truth shall set you free and all that. But I don't.

I lamented and handwrung and wailed and tore at my garments to my closest dearest babes. And the two of them collaborated and will be offering up guest posts here this week, while I catch my breath. Tiffany, from On The Verge, and Tarja, from The Flying Chalupa, will be here Wednesday and Friday, even though one is swamped with a baby and business trips, and the other is swamped with school and 2 little ones, they're doing this for me. I know, I can hardly stand it.

And, that is why I haven't just shut it down to re open later. These two life giving angels will keep things afloat for me. 

My name is Alexandra, and I am 3 months behind on my Google reader and am sporadic with replying to comments.

You all have given me an incredible gift with your comments, and your time spent here, and your support in every direction I've gone. You all have given me an incredible gift, and I'm grateful for that.

I'm posting this today because I don't want anyone to ever think that I don't want to visit their site, or that I think I'm too busy to visit their site, or that their comments don't matter to me, or that I don't even read them,  so I don't respond.

That is my fear: and that is why I'm typing these words here today.

I am behind, because I am behind. So many reasons for it, but no one is interested in excuses. And I've read PioneerWoman, and I, sir, am no PioneerWoman, receiving 1,500 comments per post.     

Forgive me? 

P.S. I love you,  Tarj and Tiff, you two are a force of  nature to be reckoned with. Coming in on sweeping keyboards and all.

And I love all of you who are still with me, here, while I somehow failed to keep up with you. Thank you.

*BONUS: The Empress' Bloggity Tip: Set the bar low, you can always jump over. ( -

**Extry extry Bloggity Bonus Tip: blogging, the devil and angel of it is all the cool people I met cuz of it. However, blogging is like that waaaay hot college boyfriend that you know is so bad for you, you know? No? mmmmmmmK, then, never mind.