2014, like every year prior, was a year of highs and lows. We saw this as a country, and as a world. And it was the same for me personally. I'd like to close out 2014 on a positive note with a look back at some of my personal highs.
2014 started off with a stellar Seattle Seahawks football season coming to a close. A regular season record of 13-3, and a NFC championship won in spectacular fashion led to something Seahawks fans had been dreaming of for nearly 40 years ~ on February 2nd we won the Super Bowl! I've watched this team through good and bad since I was a young girl. To see the city finally welcome a football championship was incredible. Now to get a baseball championship to follow in 2015...Let's go M's!
When my husband and I put our minds to something, we can usually achieve it. 2014 took us on a journey to home ownership. When we moved back home to Washington after 5+ years in Colorado, we knew we wanted a house; we wanted to establish new roots at home. And that's what we did. At the end of May we got the keys to our new home. Home ownership can be a scary thing, but to have our own home again is amazing.
In June, I participated in what I thought would just be a fun challenge. It was to create a design for Derrick Coleman's (fullback for the Seattle Seahawks) No Excuses Foundation. He challenged his Facebook followers to submit a design. The winning entry would be turned into a t-shirt to be added to the selections he had on his foundation website. My design won. It was an overwhelming moment for me. Fast forward to mid-July when I received an email from Derrick's mother informing me that they were going to incorporate my design into their foundation further by making it their logo. That email came on my birthday. What a birthday present that was!
For more information about the logo and Derrick's Foundation, please see my blog post about it here:
All Heart/No Excuses
Another July birthday treat was getting to see one of my favorite bands of all time live for the first time, thanks to two of my favorite people of all time. My dear friends Stephanie and Dale took me to see New Order on July 6th for an early birthday night out. What a night! And one I still think of whenever I hear a New Order song now. I will never be able to thank my friends enough for that incredible night.
For my original thoughts, please see my blog post: Bucket List Band - New Order
September is a always a special month for my husband and I, as it's the month we got married. In 2014, however, it was a little more special as it found us celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary. 20 years!?! How did that happen? It has been a quick 20 years. And it has been an absolute honor being married to my best friend for so long. We have our differences now and then, sure. But to be able to call this man my husband, to have him as the father of our son, it's a journey I wouldn't have wanted to taken with anyone else.
When we moved back to Washington in 2013, we decided that I wasn't going to get a job - at least not right away. With the money I make from Zazzle, we knew we'd be ok, not great, but ok financially if I chose to be a stay at home mom. Yes, we've been ok. But 2014 was tougher on us financially than we expected, especially after we bought our house. I started looking here and there for a job. But because of certain restraints we set, jobs are not easy to come by around here. I end 2014 now as an employed person (though I don't officially start my new gig until January). I was recently hired to be an agent assistant - at the same office I worked at for 6 1/2 years prior to moving to Colorado! I'm going home again and it feels great. I can't wait to get started!
That pretty much sums up the big moments in my year. There have been other milestones here and there (my son hit the double digits when he turned 10 in March), along with other positive notes and events. There were also lows ~ financially, in my family when we lost my Aunt in March, and personally (friendships ending, stress, depression, etc). But overall, this was a good year and one I can look back on fondly.
As 2015 approaches, I look forward to seeing what the universe has in store. I am excited to start my job. We are in the very early stages of planning a family vacation (our first since the summer of 2012 and much needed) that, fingers crossed, will take us to the happiest place on earth. I love watching my son grow physically, emotionally, and personally. And who knows, maybe a few other dreams will find the light of day. I also look forward to some peace and healing in this world of ours. Mother Earth and her children could use it.
Thank you 2014. And welcome 2015!
Thank you for reading.
Tuesday, December 16, 2014
Monday, July 7, 2014
Bucket List Band - New Order
I love New Order. I love Joy Division.
I was only 7 when Ian Curtis died, so ever getting to see Joy Division live was not an option. New Order, on the other hand, was an option, it just never came to be. You know, those bands and moments that just don't line up and for one reason or another you don't get the opportunity to see live? For me, that ended on Sunday, July 6, 2014, when I saw New Order in concert at The Paramount Theater in Seattle.
I won't bore you with my back story with this band. How they came to be a part of my musical world. How I grew to love them more in my 20s and beyond than I did in my teens. I will jump to the point at hand - THE SHOW!
First ~ I was given the great honor of attending this show by my dear friends Stephanie & Dale. They graciously took me to this show as an early birthday present/celebration. If it weren't for them, this incredible night would not have happened. So a quick THANK YOU to them for sharing and spending this special night with me.
The Paramount is such a beautiful venue. I've never been to a General Admission show there, however, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But we were able to get in and stake our spots on the floor - pretty much dead center, 3 people away from the rail. Umm, YEAH!
The opening act was a band called Run Run Run, out of Los Angeles. They came on at 8pm and put on what seemed like a good show. I say "seemed like" because their instruments were so loud, we couldn't hear the vocals. I'm not sure if it was just our being so close, or if the vocals were hard to hear for everyone else as well. I will say, the music was great! And I will definitely check them out to see if the vocals are just as good.
Just before 9pm, New Order took the stage. The energy from the crowd as the band walked out was electric. And it didn't lighten up. Opening up with "Elegia" turned into an emotional experience for me. We were seeing New Order, sure. And that in itself was magical. But as I watched Bernard Sumner playing his guitar, my eyes gazed back upon Stephen Morris at his drum kit and the reality of what, or rather WHO, I was looking at hit me. Here were 2 of the 4 members of Joy Division, right in front of me. These men who once backed up Ian Curtis. That realization, along with the beauty of the song, brought tears to my eyes.
Or course they were joined by the incredible Gillian Gilbert, along with Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman.
Throughout the show, the band were ON. They sounded great ~ vocally, instrumentally, they were on point all night. They had video screens behind them that showed, at times, short movies made to go along with songs, as well as, clips from the videos for songs they were performing.
The crowd cheered along, clapped along, and sang along. The big hits, like "True Faith," "Blue Monday," "Bizarre Love Triangle," along with some others brought the biggest cheers and crowd participation. Once they broke into Joy Division songs for the encore, the crowd once again erupted, particularly during the closer, "Love Will Tear Us Apart."
For me, the highest points of the night were "Elegia," "Ceremony," "Your Silent Face" (the performance and the video that accompanied it, which mentioned amFAR), "True Faith," "Temptation," and watching Bernard Sumner dance. The Joy Division high was when they performed "Atmosphere." That song is my all-time favorite JD song. It is amongst my all time favorite songs from any band. It can put me in tears if I'm in the right mood, and hearing it live - even if it wasn't Ian singing (Bernard is an incredibly close second if someone else is going to sing it) put me in that teary mood. I. LOVED. IT.
Performing a mix of big hits, cult classics, and even something new, New Order came to entertain, and entertain they did. I, personally, could not have asked for a better night. I don't go to many live shows anymore, so when I do, they are always pretty special. I have to say, though, that this show was one of the greatest I've ever been to. I don't know that I will ever see New Order live again and I'm ok with that. This show was the perfect introduction to NO live and will always stay with me as the perfect little package it was.
Thank you again to the wonderful friends I got to share this moment with. And thank you to New Order for giving me a night to remember.
Here is the official setlist:
Elegia
Crystal
Regret
Singularity
Ceremony
Age of Consent
Your Silent Face
Californian Grass
Bizarre Love Triangle
5 8 6
Plasic
True Faith
The Perfect Kiss
Blue Monday
Temptation
Encore (all Joy Division songs):
Transmission
Atmospere
Love Will Tear Us Apart
Thank you for reading.
Saturday, June 14, 2014
All Heart/No Excuses
As a (nearly) lifelong Seattle Seahawks fan, I follow my favorite players on Facebook and Twitter. I keep up with charities and foundations they find and support. I "Like" and "Share" photos and stories the men on my team post. I am a 12 through and through.
One of my favorite current players is Derrick Coleman. If you're not familiar with him, he's #40 on the roster. He's a fullback out of UCLA. And he's also the only legally deaf player in the NFL. Through his Derrick Coleman No Excuses Foundation, he brings awareness to the need of hearing aids for children, and adults alike, as well as bullying prevention for the deaf and hard of hearing.
On June 1, 2014, a post made on Derrick's Facebook page caught my eye. It read:
"I have a challenge for the creative people
Would anyone like to donate your time and create the design for my next T-Shirt. All the proceeds will good to fund the hearing aid portion of the foundation or the bullying portion of the foundation.
Our Facebook family will select the winner
The winner will be able to choose where he or she would like the funds allocated.
If you are interested in submitting your design please inbox me your willingness to participate no later than 5 pm on tomorrow (Monday June 2, 2014) for more details
Thank you in advance"
As a creative artist type, I could not pass up this opportunity. Not only would it get my design wheels turning, but it would be an opportunity to create something to potentially help a really good cause. I inboxed my interest and waited for the next step. Once I found out the deadline, I went to work. Surprisingly, my idea came to me fairly quickly. I sketched out the first thing that came to mind - half of an ear with half of a heart. I got on my computer and started to play with my design. Colors. Fonts. A different color. A different font. Save. Submit.
On Saturday, June 7th, voting began on Derrick's Facebook page. It was fast and furious. There were 10 designs. There were 5 rounds of 2 designs against each other. After those rounds were done, the 5 winners went up against each other in round after round, each with the top vote-getters moving on to the next round. As my design continued to get vote after vote and continued to move on from round to round, my emotions and nerves started to get the best of me. This, to me, was exceptionally overwhelming. People, STRANGERS, were adamantly voting for my design over and over again.
After the final round of voting, it was announced that my design, MY design, had won! My design was going to be turned into a t-shirt to benefit Derrick Coleman's foundation. How incredible and surreal is that???
And now it's here. My All Heart/No Excuses design is on a variety of shirts, available for purchase, through Derrick Coleman's website. I ask you to please take a look and consider purchasing a t-shirt, or hoodie, for yourself or your loved one. You don't even have to choose the design I created. Just purchase something you like and help out a really great cause!
For the record, I did not, and will not be paid for this. I have no personal financial reason for having done this design or for promoting it. It is a matter of love and of compassion for a good cause. My reward in this is a great boost of confidence for me and my abilities, along with the knowledge that people enjoyed my work and will be buying it to help out Derrick Coleman and his foundation.
No Excuses Shop
Thank you for reading!
One of my favorite current players is Derrick Coleman. If you're not familiar with him, he's #40 on the roster. He's a fullback out of UCLA. And he's also the only legally deaf player in the NFL. Through his Derrick Coleman No Excuses Foundation, he brings awareness to the need of hearing aids for children, and adults alike, as well as bullying prevention for the deaf and hard of hearing.
On June 1, 2014, a post made on Derrick's Facebook page caught my eye. It read:
"I have a challenge for the creative people
Would anyone like to donate your time and create the design for my next T-Shirt. All the proceeds will good to fund the hearing aid portion of the foundation or the bullying portion of the foundation.
Our Facebook family will select the winner
The winner will be able to choose where he or she would like the funds allocated.
If you are interested in submitting your design please inbox me your willingness to participate no later than 5 pm on tomorrow (Monday June 2, 2014) for more details
Thank you in advance"
As a creative artist type, I could not pass up this opportunity. Not only would it get my design wheels turning, but it would be an opportunity to create something to potentially help a really good cause. I inboxed my interest and waited for the next step. Once I found out the deadline, I went to work. Surprisingly, my idea came to me fairly quickly. I sketched out the first thing that came to mind - half of an ear with half of a heart. I got on my computer and started to play with my design. Colors. Fonts. A different color. A different font. Save. Submit.
On Saturday, June 7th, voting began on Derrick's Facebook page. It was fast and furious. There were 10 designs. There were 5 rounds of 2 designs against each other. After those rounds were done, the 5 winners went up against each other in round after round, each with the top vote-getters moving on to the next round. As my design continued to get vote after vote and continued to move on from round to round, my emotions and nerves started to get the best of me. This, to me, was exceptionally overwhelming. People, STRANGERS, were adamantly voting for my design over and over again.
After the final round of voting, it was announced that my design, MY design, had won! My design was going to be turned into a t-shirt to benefit Derrick Coleman's foundation. How incredible and surreal is that???
And now it's here. My All Heart/No Excuses design is on a variety of shirts, available for purchase, through Derrick Coleman's website. I ask you to please take a look and consider purchasing a t-shirt, or hoodie, for yourself or your loved one. You don't even have to choose the design I created. Just purchase something you like and help out a really great cause!
For the record, I did not, and will not be paid for this. I have no personal financial reason for having done this design or for promoting it. It is a matter of love and of compassion for a good cause. My reward in this is a great boost of confidence for me and my abilities, along with the knowledge that people enjoyed my work and will be buying it to help out Derrick Coleman and his foundation.
No Excuses Shop
Thank you for reading!
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Must Love Dogs?
There is a meme that has gone around Facebook a few hundred times that says "I don't trust a person that doesn't like dogs, but I trust a dog that doesn't like people" (and other variations).
You hear vets, pet shop owners and workers, professional dog walkers, dog owners, and others talk about how wonderful these fuzzy four-legged creatures are and who wouldn't love a dog? Everyone loves dogs. You have to love dogs.
But what if you don't love dogs? What if there are people out there that genuinely do not like your, or any other, fuzzy four-legged companions? What if? Now, I'm not talking about cat owners who say they aren't really dog people, but they still love dogs. I mean straight up, couldn't be clearer, I DON'T LIKE DOGS people. How could people like that possibly walk this earth? Do they actually exist?
YES. They do exist. And I am one of them.
Don't get me wrong. I appreciate that people love dogs. I can looks at pictures of little puppies and think of it as an adorable little puffball. I mourn for friends that lose their beloved four-legged family member. And I would never wish harm upon a dog. But I don't like dogs.
I don't like barking, licking, sniffing, being rubbed up against, or being jumped on.
I also don't like the fear that comes along with some of those actions. Yes, fear. I'm not afraid of all dogs. But I am afraid of some dogs. Certain breeds and actions can cause me paralyzing and tear-inducing fear. Irrational fears, perhaps. But fear all the same. Telling me, or people like me, how friendly your dog is does nothing to alleviate that fear. Please think about that when your "happy" pet is bounding down the sidewalk coming my direction. Please think about that when your "friendly" dog is trying to show me how friendly they really are by jumping on me or sniffing me. They say dogs smell fear. If that's the case, fear is the only thing they will be able to smell until I am safely out of range.
But do you know what's almost worse than the fear? The reaction I get if I say "I don't like dogs." That single phrase gives me looks of shock. It gives me looks of disappointment. It gives me looks of confusion. It gives me looks as if I've just kicked their dog in the head (that is the worst because I would NEVER cause harm to an animal unless it was a matter of life or death for me or a loved one).
I don't get it.
I don't hate your dog. I don't hate dogs in general. I don't want or need you to defend your dog to me. They just aren't my thing. It's as easy as that. I don't like chocolate either. And while that still generates a strong reaction, it's nowhere near the negative feedback I get from not liking dogs.
I love Depeche Mode. But if someone says they don't, I don't look down on them. It's a matter of taste, and we all have people, things, foods, beverages, and more that we either like or don't. It doesn't make anyone a bad person if they don't like something someone else does. It just makes us human.
There you have it.
Thank you for reading.
You hear vets, pet shop owners and workers, professional dog walkers, dog owners, and others talk about how wonderful these fuzzy four-legged creatures are and who wouldn't love a dog? Everyone loves dogs. You have to love dogs.
But what if you don't love dogs? What if there are people out there that genuinely do not like your, or any other, fuzzy four-legged companions? What if? Now, I'm not talking about cat owners who say they aren't really dog people, but they still love dogs. I mean straight up, couldn't be clearer, I DON'T LIKE DOGS people. How could people like that possibly walk this earth? Do they actually exist?
YES. They do exist. And I am one of them.
Don't get me wrong. I appreciate that people love dogs. I can looks at pictures of little puppies and think of it as an adorable little puffball. I mourn for friends that lose their beloved four-legged family member. And I would never wish harm upon a dog. But I don't like dogs.
I don't like barking, licking, sniffing, being rubbed up against, or being jumped on.
I also don't like the fear that comes along with some of those actions. Yes, fear. I'm not afraid of all dogs. But I am afraid of some dogs. Certain breeds and actions can cause me paralyzing and tear-inducing fear. Irrational fears, perhaps. But fear all the same. Telling me, or people like me, how friendly your dog is does nothing to alleviate that fear. Please think about that when your "happy" pet is bounding down the sidewalk coming my direction. Please think about that when your "friendly" dog is trying to show me how friendly they really are by jumping on me or sniffing me. They say dogs smell fear. If that's the case, fear is the only thing they will be able to smell until I am safely out of range.
But do you know what's almost worse than the fear? The reaction I get if I say "I don't like dogs." That single phrase gives me looks of shock. It gives me looks of disappointment. It gives me looks of confusion. It gives me looks as if I've just kicked their dog in the head (that is the worst because I would NEVER cause harm to an animal unless it was a matter of life or death for me or a loved one).
I don't get it.
I don't hate your dog. I don't hate dogs in general. I don't want or need you to defend your dog to me. They just aren't my thing. It's as easy as that. I don't like chocolate either. And while that still generates a strong reaction, it's nowhere near the negative feedback I get from not liking dogs.
I love Depeche Mode. But if someone says they don't, I don't look down on them. It's a matter of taste, and we all have people, things, foods, beverages, and more that we either like or don't. It doesn't make anyone a bad person if they don't like something someone else does. It just makes us human.
There you have it.
Thank you for reading.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
A Harry Potter Birthday - Wand Tutorial
My son is celebrating hitting double digits and turning 10 years old by having a Harry Potter theme birthday party. He's watched the movies over the years, and recently began reading the books. Over the last 6 months, or so, he's read the first 4 books and is currently about 1/2 way through book 5. He got the box set of all the movies for Christmas. And he's really become quite obsessed with Harry Potter.
We normally have a theme for his birthdays, even if it's just for the cake design and treats. This year, not to our surprise at all, he chose Harry Potter for his theme. One of the things we decided to do for his party was make wands for the kids. Thanks to a tutorial passed along from a friend, found HERE, and another tutorial, found HERE, we were on our way to magical wand madness!
Here is a how we melded the two tutorials, along with our own ideas, and ended up with 8 wands for the big day.
Materials:
Sticks
Hot Glue
Beads
Paint
The sticks we found were from the beach, so they were already clean and smooth (unlike the sticks we originally gathered from our yard). My husband cut them to size and sanded one end on each down to a bit of a wand-like point.
Using the hot glue gun, we applied glue to the sticks, in a random fashion, to give them each a unique, knotty look. We made some with glue only. Others we put glue on and then applied assorted size beads for more texture. Even though I wanted perfection in the bead placement, I had to be reminded that perfection was not necessary since we'd be painting OVER the beads and glue. Ultimately, I left my husband to design the glue and bead designs.
Once they were all dry, I took over for the painting process. I used basic acrylic paints from the craft store in different shades of brown, from light to dark, to finish the wands off.
Here is a photo tutorial:
And there you have it!
Thanks for reading!
We normally have a theme for his birthdays, even if it's just for the cake design and treats. This year, not to our surprise at all, he chose Harry Potter for his theme. One of the things we decided to do for his party was make wands for the kids. Thanks to a tutorial passed along from a friend, found HERE, and another tutorial, found HERE, we were on our way to magical wand madness!
Here is a how we melded the two tutorials, along with our own ideas, and ended up with 8 wands for the big day.
Materials:
Sticks
Hot Glue
Beads
Paint
The sticks we found were from the beach, so they were already clean and smooth (unlike the sticks we originally gathered from our yard). My husband cut them to size and sanded one end on each down to a bit of a wand-like point.
Using the hot glue gun, we applied glue to the sticks, in a random fashion, to give them each a unique, knotty look. We made some with glue only. Others we put glue on and then applied assorted size beads for more texture. Even though I wanted perfection in the bead placement, I had to be reminded that perfection was not necessary since we'd be painting OVER the beads and glue. Ultimately, I left my husband to design the glue and bead designs.
Once they were all dry, I took over for the painting process. I used basic acrylic paints from the craft store in different shades of brown, from light to dark, to finish the wands off.
Here is a photo tutorial:
Thanks for reading!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
A Few Thoughts On...
I don't care if you want to be gay, but why do you have to make an announcement? Why do you have to flaunt it? Keep your gay to yourself. Don't push it in my face. Your lifestyle doesn't have to be public. It's an infringement on my rights to be in a normal relationship when I'm forced to watch you live your lifestyle. It's none of my business what you do in your bedroom, but when you prance around in public exposing your lifestyle to my children, that's where I draw the line.
Have you heard these types of comments before?
Surely you have if you've ever read the comments that follow news stories relating to equal rights or coming out stories. Even if you don't read the comments, chances are you've seen a Facebook post or a tweet saying something similar. You may have even thought them yourself.
I see these types of comments too, and honestly, they make my blood boil a bit. Sure, you don't see actors on the cover of People magazine declaring "Yes, I'm Straight." But when someone comes out, privately or publicly, as a gay man or woman, it's not to "flaunt" their sexuality. It's not to "force" their "lifestyle" on you or your children. It's to let people know that this is who they are and they aren't going to continue to live in secret, live in fear, live in shame.
See, as straight people, we don't have to announce anything. We are able to live our lives free from discrimination. We are free to be who we are without friends or family turning their backs on us. We are free to walk down the street, hand in hand, with our significant other without fear of verbal, and sometimes, physical attack. We are free to go to work Monday morning and discuss with our co-workers that we went to dinner and a movie with our significant other over the weekend without fear of judgement.
But I don't think anyone would say that by doing these things we are flaunting our heterosexual lifestyle. I don't think many would fear that their children are going to be exposed to immoral behaviors. We are just being so-called normal people in so-called normal relationships.
Why the double-standard? Because of judgement, ignorance, and fear. Because you hide behind the words of a book, of a leader, of an authority figure rather than following your own heart, words and thoughts of all men are created equal, loving your fellow man, doing unto others as you'd have done unto you, and judging not lest ye be judged.
Who am I to make these judgements myself? I'm just a girl in the world who believes that we'd all be much better off if we could learn to love instead of hate, accept instead of reject, and live instead of hide.
Thank you for reading.
Have you heard these types of comments before?
Surely you have if you've ever read the comments that follow news stories relating to equal rights or coming out stories. Even if you don't read the comments, chances are you've seen a Facebook post or a tweet saying something similar. You may have even thought them yourself.
I see these types of comments too, and honestly, they make my blood boil a bit. Sure, you don't see actors on the cover of People magazine declaring "Yes, I'm Straight." But when someone comes out, privately or publicly, as a gay man or woman, it's not to "flaunt" their sexuality. It's not to "force" their "lifestyle" on you or your children. It's to let people know that this is who they are and they aren't going to continue to live in secret, live in fear, live in shame.
See, as straight people, we don't have to announce anything. We are able to live our lives free from discrimination. We are free to be who we are without friends or family turning their backs on us. We are free to walk down the street, hand in hand, with our significant other without fear of verbal, and sometimes, physical attack. We are free to go to work Monday morning and discuss with our co-workers that we went to dinner and a movie with our significant other over the weekend without fear of judgement.
But I don't think anyone would say that by doing these things we are flaunting our heterosexual lifestyle. I don't think many would fear that their children are going to be exposed to immoral behaviors. We are just being so-called normal people in so-called normal relationships.
Why the double-standard? Because of judgement, ignorance, and fear. Because you hide behind the words of a book, of a leader, of an authority figure rather than following your own heart, words and thoughts of all men are created equal, loving your fellow man, doing unto others as you'd have done unto you, and judging not lest ye be judged.
Who am I to make these judgements myself? I'm just a girl in the world who believes that we'd all be much better off if we could learn to love instead of hate, accept instead of reject, and live instead of hide.
Thank you for reading.
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