LOVE is LOVE

what is LOVE ... ?

Blurting out or even just typing those three words makes me mentally replay the really bad song and even worse bar scene from Saturday Night Live.

Well, isn't that just GREAT!
Now, instead of being outraged as I write about this highly controversial subject; I sit bouncing my head left to right like a jackass - trying to rid my brain from visions of side humping.

Thanks A LOT, Haddaway and early 90's !
/end sidetrack
let's get back to being outraged! *furrows her brow & stills her bouncing head*

We've landed on the moon, perfected microwave technology and split the atom .. but still find ourselves having to ask the world if it's ok to marry the person we love, in the year 2013.

Something is VERY wrong with this picture.

Whether at work, in daily life or on my blog - I don't like to openly discuss highly sensitive subjects. As a rule, I avoid discussing religion or politics because those conversations start wars and people die. I figure it's best for me to avoid the subjects, altogether; I can't be responsible for more people dying!  (I make jokes at tense situations .. my bad!)

However, marriage equality is a subject that touches a sensitive spot.   In my family, alone - we have an amazing Uncle, a brilliant cousin and a phenomenal nephew who are gay.  Not to mention several friends and coworkers that fly their rainbow flags - very high and very proud.

How is telling adults they can't marry someone of the same sex any better than making people sit at the back of the bus, because of their skin color ?  I find it no less offensive than scooping up people by the thousands, branding and enslaving them because of their religion.

Love is Love.   black, white, gay, straight, Jewish, Catholic, rich, poor, fat, skinny .. who cares?

"Even if being gay were a choice - so what? People choose to be assholes and we still let them get married."

get it right, people -LOVE IS LOVE !

love is kissing boo boos better & scaring off 'under-the-bed monsters'
love is surprising your mate with breakfast at 5am, before their early shift
love is trying to make their day better, every day; no matter how bad yours was
love is just love and it's the only thing worth living for

does it really matter - as long as we stick to our own species
... unlike 2 of our favorite pets

love isn't judging another for things beyond their control

love is accepting your fellow man for who they are

in honor of the matter being brought before the supreme court today - I made some very rainbowlovetastic prints ..

here's to hoping today will become a proud day in history and not an embarrassing one for our rights as American citizens.

click here for the full-size print quality version of ^ this Love is Love ^ picture

click here for the full-size print quality version of ^ this print Love is Love - caps  ^

and since I'm a facebookaholic - I made facebook covers to match
Love is Love # 1 - BUTTON LETTERS for FB cover
Love is Love # 2 - CAPS for FB cover


and the rainbowlovetastic print I made for Valentine's day :

Lego Box of Awesome

I honestly think I could hear my mom's heart breaking, despite the two time zones and 2,500 miles that separate us.

She was on the phone discussing upcoming Christmas gifts with our 9 year old and I only had to hear her answer, to know the question ..

"No, Gramma. I don't even like princesses OR Disney Princesses.  I like cars and guns and legos and robots and helicopters ...."

That answer, in and of itself, pretty much sums up our girls and our lives.

They're as happy as can be - living life as little, redneck tomboys.
It's nice, because I actually prefer them to be rough n' tumble versus frilly n' froofy.

Fast forward to Valentine's day .. 

our fourth grader had a fabulous idea for this year's Valentine's box.
She wanted to connect a few boxes to create a huge, three-part Tyrannosaurus Rex; complete with giant head, tiny arms and a tail.. :)

Cute.

ambitious and elaborate, but still cute.
I really did love her idea, but I knew it wouldn't be within the classroom guidelines.  So, I decided to innocently peruse pinterest for another idea that maybe, just by chance she'd like.

Within a minute or four, I'd stumbled upon the original lego box of awesome.  (ok, that might not be the actual title of the original post that inspired us.  sue me.)

I showed her the idea and she got so excited about making this, instead - that I actually thought maybe she had forgotten about the T-rex. 

until ..

"One day, mom, when I'm a grown-up and don't have a teacher to tell me how big my Valentine's box is; I'm going to build a HUGE T-Rex and you'll have to stick your hand in his mouth to give me my Valentine's card."

she smiled and laughed as she walked away to gather materials.

I didn't have a chance or the heart to tell her we don't build Valentine's boxes, as adults.

Then, I figured she already has to grow up too fast in this world.
So,  I'll save that, for another time. ;)

I also found it ironic she should mention robots in her answer to my mom;
considering her last years' Valentine's box .. lol - my kids RULE! <3 :)

supplies for our Valentine's Lego box of Awesome
a box, box-cutter, spray paint and six 'dixie cups'

I commissioned the local, hot handy man to cut holes into the box - about the same width as the middle of the cup. 

we also placed some tape onto the box, holding the cup up from underneath .. just in case.

we taped the top of the box shut, sprayed on a couple coats of paint

voila !

chicken pot pie biscuits of ridiculousness

I've seen a lot of different versions of this recipe, online. 

Different meat, soup & prep methods; inevitably ending up with the same thing.  

A biscuit with cheese, soup, meat and veggies baked into it.

No matter the different spices, measurements or personal twists people lend to the recipe; in just about every one I saw online, people were calling them CUPCAKES. 

@#($&*@#*&%$*(%&$(*%&

At BEST I would think they'd be considered muffins.

They're missing the ever-important qualifier to receive cupcake status. 

Icing.                   *homer simpson drool*

If not having icing isn't enough to disqualify them as cupcakes

- consider this mind blowing fact -
THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE CAKE !! 

LOL .. I'll give you a minute to mull that one over.

Anyway .. I think I had a point.

Oh yea - we'll always call these 'chicken pot pie biscuits' in our house.

Enjoy!!

They're ridiculous easy & ridiculous delicious.
I'm such a girl that I ate them with a fork.
judge me all you want .. I've got cupcakes. biscuits.

Chicken Pot Pie Biscuits

2 cups cooked chicken, diced.
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup veggies
1 cup cheddar cheese
salt & pepper
2 cans biscuits

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In bowl, combine the diced chicken, soup, veggies, cheese and spices.
Separate your biscuits, spreading each one slightly so they are like a tiny crust.
Oil your muffin pan and spread the dough, pressing down the sides and into the center.
place your meat mixture into the center of the 'crust'
Bake for approximately 15 minutes, checking at about 10 (just to be sure they aren't overflowing, exploding, spilling over, bursting into flames or any of the other things that float through my mind as I bake something for the first time. :) 

Valentine's printables ..

In case the seasonal backgrounds, festive crafts, Holiday puns and annoying 'singing' in blog-form wasn't enough to convince you; I'll spell it out before your pretty little eyeballs.
 

I LOVE HOLIDAYS :)

Even though Valentine's Day might be considered a 'greeting card' holiday - it's a holiday nonetheless. I don't actually need an excuse to decorate; but, I use 'em anyway. ;)

So ... for the day of hearts, pink, and all things lovey dovey; I made happy little 'vignettes' throughout the living room, that were centered around my valentine's day prints.

I made a few new prints recently, but a handful of my 'lovey doveys' are from posts of Holidays past. (ha ha).  Nevertheless, here's the links to each full size print-quality version.


Happy heart's day and don't forget to hug your single friends :)

 

Last year's "love prints" 

Love is all you need ... sorta.

There isn't a whole lot more in this world we need to survive, other than love. 

well .. I guess we do need food .. 
water ..
shelter ..
chocolate ..
wi-fi ..

ok - FINE !
while there IS a long list of other things we need .. 

there ISN'T anything on Earth as awesome as love .   ;)
 
'to truly love and to be loved ... it's the best shit, ever.'

For my Valentine's decor, I framed a handful of prints I made; then placed 'em all around the house.  I didn't sit the prints up all by their lonesome selves.   They're hanging out with cute little friends, shiny rocks, fresh flowers and candies .. the best shit, ever. :)

I hope y'all have a super Valentine's day !

don't forget to tip your waitress and hug your single friends - they need love, too !

(click here for my Valentine's prints page)

I have now been singing 'love is all you need' for days .. 

Hershey's kisses, love birds, and little babushka dolls - WIN WIN!

'a fireplace of love'

Some  ''just because'' flowers G. gave me a couple days ago .. I'm a lucky girl.

Hoo you lookin' at?!?

hip hip - hooray hippo of love !

rotating photo cube full of my prints

all you need is love ... and a dog. ;)
*cue music* 

don't forget to be awesome ..

I'm most definitely classified as a fan of awesome.
I guess anyone prefers awesome to mediocre, so that ^^ is a redundant statement.
I can also admit that maybe ... just maybe I use the A word a little too much.
It's o.k. if you're judging me as you read this ...
I'm awesome enough to forgive your judgmental ways ;)

some of my favorite awesome things ..

my awesome family & friends
awesome books I refuse to can't put down.
awesome food from my awesome husband
awesome weather with more sunshine than pollen
awesome 27 lb. kitty foot warmers
awesome squirrels worth stalking from my kitchen window
awesome orbee eating ladybugs
                          and
awesome lego girls on awesome cork boats ... ?

Ok. I'll admit the last four sound a little weird when I read them back. 
LoL, but in my opinion - they're made of awesome and I brought pictures as proof!

This is our cross-eyed ''little'' kitty
despite being the youngest - he's the biggest kitty we own
I would hope he's the biggest, considering he is 27 pounds

he's been deemed 'the world's best foot warmer'

---

After her feet were sufficiently toasty she wanted to make mini cork sailboats.
[ corks, hot glue, foam craft sheets (for sail), & skewers ]
I didn't drink all that wine, I promise we ordered the corks from Etsy ;)

 Nobody is ever going to be able to convince me that this little lego lady
and her awesome one-piece swimming suit weren't made for this corkboat :)

---

For Christmas, she got a remote control ladybug that eats orbeez
Nugget is NOT a fan.
LoL he kept very slowly 'chasing' it down the hall

---

this is my new buddy - 'squirrel'
he comes to 'say hi' after I feed the finches

he stands off 'in the distance' .. staring .. waiting for me to go inside
only then will he come down his 'hill' to feast on seeds / nuts

---

So, in honor of the 'word of the day' - I made an awesome print. ;)
(in case I have to hold your hand and draw a picture for you - the word is awesome.)

 click here for the full-size Printable version of "Don't forget to be AWESOME."

I put it into a frame on our fire place and I just LOVE IT :)

So, don't forget to be awesome AND even more importantly, I think - don't forget to recognize the awesome that surrounds you.  It's everywhere !! :)