christmas apathy

well, wasn't this just a christmas for the books? i was a bit of a scrooge. well, more apathetic really. below, my christmas apathy in parts:

we didn't put up a tree. my mother bought me a fake tree when i was in an apartment in college. it served me faithfully through college and 4 years of marriage. but when we moved, i was tired of packing and really couldn't fit another thing into my car. so i left our faithful tree in the hall closet with intentions of buying a new one here. glad we didn't, because we had no room for one anywhere.

we didn't put up a wreath. when we moved to small town, mom got us a cute wreath hanger and a fall wreath. i'm not much for decorating, and the pretty christmas wreaths are insanely expensive, but last year i did finally get a cute pinecone wreath for christmas. pretty sure it's sitting in our storage unit right now, along with other life items.

we didn't put up a garland. because we've never put up a garland.

we didn't put up ornaments. no tree, remember? not even a tiny one. kind of sad, because we have some cute ornaments, and when we got married, my m-i-l gave me a whole box of ornaments that belonged to the lawyer as he grew up. awwww. however, a little christmas did sneak through via my mother. (are you picking up on that theme?)

the lone ranger

we didn't put up lights. even though my house is covered in christmas lights that no longer work, if they ever did. but i promise you we're not about to climb up and down ladders unstringing them. the only thing we could have decorated is the washing machine out front that lowe's didn't haul away. i think it would have been kind of awesome. it's a good thing we do not live on street front property, because i'm pretty sure our neighbors would have sued us or something.

we didn't put out the nativity. i'm actually a little sad about this one, because it's really pretty and i actually took it out of storage a few months ago. plus, it's the whole reason we even celebrate christmas. but it's just been hanging out in the boxes by my bathroom door/rack with the dog food.

we didn't get to see my mom and sisters on christmas day. for the first time in my entire life. it sucked, and i cried. twice.

the only upside to this whole christmas-decoration-avoidance? i don't have to put up a. single. thing. booyah! now, off to run (more on that later) followed by light dusting/vacuuming and more bulldog nation. happy new year!

picture post

because i like you, i've posted pictures.

lots of pictures.

drowning in monotony

that title is not really true, but it feels that way. while i am on hold for MDES, thought i'd catch y'all up and explain my lackluster blogging in list form, because it makes me happy.

1. it's hot. and humid. it's mississippi.
2. i'm getting bogged down with life. work, working out, keeping up with life and the uncertainty that lays before us consume most of my time.
3. we started watching weeds. it's eating my life. i actually went on hiatus last week - it got that bad. plus, i'm a little upset with nancy at the moment, and felt i needed a break to regroup.
4. did i mention uncertainty? job uncertainty is not a good feeling. but it's allowing me to choose God over fear and stress every day, even though i must willingly turn my mind from the "what ifs" that abound hourly.
5. my summer schedule is jam-packed. i'll just give a quick rundown, in order of this weekend to august 13. hometown (shower for sister), hometown (party for sister), two free weekends, vegas (bach party for sister), nola (wedding), jackson (wedding), one free weekend and then sister's wedding here in smalltown. too bad we have to be out of our current home before august 1. yes, that is six events in the next nine weeks. in between that, we must move and find employment. did i mention my mother moved too? life is changing, and fast. i can barely keep up.

i hope i don't get pregnant anytime soon either. wouldn't that be awesome? then i'd be unemployed, homeless and knocked up at the end of the summer.

go mama, go mama

my cute mama's gonna be on the tv today!
the design firm she works for filmed an episode of hometown renovation on hgtv
and it airs today at 4 pm, CST.

you should all watch/set your dvrs to record. pretty sure she's their next breakout star.

local newspaper article

billy b.

facebook site

bella interiors
(mom's on the bottom left)

check it out!

day 14

#14 - a picture i love

well, i don't have these pictures scanned in anywhere. but there are two pictures that i love.

one is a baby picture of me at my grandparents' house, i think. i'm about 2. i'm wearing a t-shirt, a diaper, my daddy's cowboy boots and his red state termite trucker hat, with my passy in my mouth. i was so cute.

the other is with my pa, my mom's dad. i'm in a dress (rare), standing on the hood of a car, and squeezing his neck for all i'm worth. i had never seen that picture before this year and it's the most precious thing i've ever seen. hopefully my mother will make me a copy of that picture and frame it for me for christmas. hint, hint.

day/item 4

well, i'm glad to see i can stick to something for at least 4 days...besides ice cream. i've worked out AND blogged for four days straight. this is good news for everyone involved. i'll consider you impressed.

#4 - the parents

my parents were married for 25 years, but now divorced. it makes for hectic holidays. but i love them all the same.

mama first. my doppleganger and wielder of undue influence over my neurotic tendencies and general life habits, much to my occasional chagrin. she's tiny and cute. she was a delta gamma, like me, but quit, also like me. she cheered in college (me again). so many things about her i either already do, or want to do, like not looking my age, grow huge bushes of basil (hey! new use for the glass jars!), decorate (and redecorate) homes, cook fabulous meals... mom, this is weird. stop it.

and then there is daddy - fun-loving, wise-cracking, stubborn and cynical daddy. he loves his lab rowena, back rubs, traveling with his daughters to see baseball parks, and is always up for a good time. he taught me to ride horses, wash cars, and work ethic.


wouldn't be here without ya, folks. love you very, very much individually, even though i wish things were different sometimes.

day 1

ah, a recent picture (ha!), introduction, and 15 interesting facts.

disclaimer: i'm not that interesting, but i'm really cute.

see? it's true. (wink)

hi. i'm kissey. a Jesus-follower, wife, daughter, oldest sister, favorite cousin, best friend, dog owner, horse lover, painter, bookworm, adoption supporter, procrastinator, MSU fan, wannabe wine connoisseur and pathetic shopper.

15 facts - i'll refrain from claiming them to be interesting.

1. i'm obsessed with horses. always have been. if i could be a horse, i would.
2. i really do enjoy sports, even if i don't understand all the nuances. i'm a bulldog at heart, and a dolphins and dodgers fan by marriage, but they've managed to win my allegiance independent of the law student. as far as basketball, i'm just a fan in general. i like specific players and love an nba finals game 7.
3. i'm a really bad shopper. my mother and sisters make up for my lacking. it gives me a headache and decision anxiety, and pants. never. fit. plus, i have expensive taste (genetic), so it's generally better if i don't shop at all. the law student thanks me for this.
4. i've never broken a bone. true story.
5. i am slowly but surely becoming my mother. please see posts under that label.

6. my favorite dessert is ice cream. it shows.
7. i love to cook. this talent i did inherit. mom likes to make fun of me because, as she claims, i didn't know how to crack an egg when i left for college. but now i can make recipes sparkle and shine. thank you, law student, for discovering this talent and allowing it to blossom, and for alleviating mom's fear of a starving son-in-law.
8. i'm allergic to penicillin. funny story - had my wisdom teeth out and got the narcotic and penicillin for the recovery. for some reason my parents found it prudent not to suspend my driving privileges, which resulted in the purchase of a furry zebra print steering wheel cover. thanks, parents. but i digress. i was teaching vbs at church and had an allergic reaction to the penicillin (mom's allergic too), so the other teacher gave me benadryl. on top of my lortab. which culminated in me being drunk at church and driving home (again).
9. i love to make to-do lists and then cross off the items.
10. my sleepy-time habits must be observed: ceiling fan, cool temperature, white noise, my own pillow and baby blanket (some would call it a rag, i would call it awesome), closed door, dark, and otherwise quiet. no tv, no radio, no random party at the neighbors. sorry. wish i could fall asleep as soon as i lay down (becca), but i can't.

11. i play counselor to my friends. nobody's died or been incarcerated yet, so i think i've been pretty successful.
12. someone once told me i'm a type-a personality. i can't find anyone who refutes this allegation.
13. i'm really really bad at remembering to take pictures in general. the picture above is from my sister's camera this summer. i feel guilty, but not guilty enough to do anything about it. like get my camera fixed.
14. i can't stand to have my fingernails painted. it makes my fingers feel heavy.
15. i have the most expensive mouth i know of. expander, brackets with the expander, set of braces, 6 pairs of retainers, bleaching, 2 root canals, 2 sets of crowns, wisdom teeth removal, gingivectomy, tmj appliance...thanks, dental insurance.



so there you go. day 2 cometh.

my other mother

happy birthday "mom"!

thanks for all you do. stories about other people's mothers-in-law make me want to squeeze your neck.

love you!

weekend redux

um, so after a blogging hiatus and general craziness, here is an update of sorts. (i'm drinking wine, and will try to correct as many errors as possible prior to posting, but no promises.)

1. the law graduate was approved to take the bar! yeah, that's right. they don't tell you you've been approved to take the bar until about a month before you actually take it. nice of them, huh?

2. i invented a new game with the apples to apples card game. never heard of it? it's so fun. but my way is better. it is best played late at night with dear friends and plenty of beer.

3. the law graduate cannot hang. over 4th of july weekend at the lake, he went to bed at 10:30. twice.

4. why is it that whenever i post an "update," i number it?

5. my hairdresser is back in business!!! i'm a smidge thrilled. i have only just recently found a place in oxford worth paying money to for a haircut. but now angie's back and my hair has never looked better.

6. reason #32 i have a walmart nokia go phone that only makes phone calls and texts, and only costs $30: last night's late night text from baby sister. "i just shattered my iphone. $700. $500 deposit. fml." sorry, baby.

7. finally watched the movie waitress with mama this weekend. it's pretty cute. mama hasn't stopped singing that song for the past month. "baby don't cry..." check it out, it's super cute.

and last, but not least. i may or may not have accidentally almost given my mother a mild concussion. really. i was packing up to leave to meet daddy for lunch and had loaded everything in the back of my car and was saying goodbye to mama. i tell her to move because i'm closing the door. i guess she didn't really believe me, or moved out of my line of vision and i thought she was safe, i don't really know, but i slammed that door down on her poor little head. and it was scary. especially when she was stumbling around, holding back tears, trying not to pass out or cry and telling me her face felt numb. so then i had to call a friend from whose baby shower we had just come from (she's a nurse) and tell her i had just injured my mother and did i need to call 911? (it would have been my third time ever. the first time, i was 6 years old and made rebecca do it before school. they don't like that and chewed rebecca out. mama didn't like that and chewed the operator out for terrifying a 4-year-old. the second time i saw a guy wreck in front of me when i was 16 in alabama.) i felt (and still feel) so awful about almost taking mama out. but all's well that ends well. mom did not have a concussion and did not require medical care and did make it through the night alive. for which i am very thankful. glad to still have you with us, mama! sorry about that knot on your head. but maybe your hair will have some volume this week.

"mama con't cry, gonna make a pie, gonna make a pie with a heart in the middle."

"almost-gave-mama-a-concussion pie: cherry pie with a blackberry center."

recap: random smith lake weekend

just got back from a rather interesting weekend at the lake. for you, readers, a list of the highlights.

1. got to see both my sisters!
2. had to endure (and then, to my chagrin, subsequently enjoy) a nicholas sparks movie.
3. sunglasses - 0, smith lake - 2. my chanel sunglasses, my very first christmas present from the law graduate (and he was broke as a joke), fell off my head into the lake and sank like a ton of bricks, while i watch, paralyzed and helpless. anna goes to dive for them but her (4-lb) dog shakes so hard he falls off the raft and onto her expensive tom ford sunglasses, breaking them in half and sending them deep into the green water. in a matter of 15 seconds, all that's left of almost $1000 of high-end name-brand eyewear is the left earpiece of anna's sunglasses. we both cried. i phoned the law graduate.
4. read 2 emily giffin books: something borrowed and the heart of the matter. called the law graduate again after reading the latter and making him promise he would never never never never never never ever cheat on me. he was in the middle of a nap.
5. the air conditioning unit is semi-busted. we tried semi-successfully to fix it with duct tape. i shared the duct tape (duck brand, i'm sure) motto with my sisters, who had never heard it. they enjoyed.
6. i rescued a frog. i removed him from the closet in the garage and deposited him out-of-doors. i love frogs. glad he didn't pee on me though.
7. my roxy, who does not like water and mostly refuses to go near it, decided that 15 minutes before our ETD was a good time to face her fears. thanks, pup.
8. bella (mom's 10-lb bad black bear cub of a yorkie-poo) found a nest of some sort - birds, snakes, lizards, etc. - and ate the contents. just munching away underneath the steps, snuffing out future life. she had egg all over her face. it was disgusting.
9. bella then tried to eat a frog. i rescued that one too.
10. mom killed a scorpion. nasty-looking things.
11. i woke up at 2 am, turned on the light and rolled over to see a tick crawling for roxy. on the bed. by my head. ugh.

i get it from my mama!

kissey and her mama

this post is dedicated to one wonderful mother--mine--on mother's day. it's her 28th. to honor her, i've compiled a list of ways my mother has influenced my life/silly things she does that i love.

1. as i've said before, i'm pretty cute. i get it from my mama.
2. i also got her cooking gene. the law graduate (with honors!) never goes hungry.
3. i did not get the shopping gene or the decorating gene, but she has been generous with her talents. she has hung up all the pictures in my house, made the curtains, helped make the headboard that matches the bedroom decor that she picked out, and picked out our paint colors, just to name a few. the law graduate is particularly pleased about that shopping gene thing.
4. she's a fabulous host. this weekend, she helped make the food for our post-grad lunch and cleaned up afterwards. i've never moved that fast or efficiently in the kitchen. i have a lot to live up to.
5. a quote from my sister-in-law this weekend: "she's just so good with babies! she's one of those women i would feel immediately comfortable with holding olivia." high praise from a new mother.
6. she gave me two sweet sisters. they got the shopping and decorating genes.
7. she is a godly woman and great role model.
8. she never calls me by my name first. it's always preceded by at least one sister's name, and sometimes a dead cat.
9. she never let my birthday be combined with christmas, and is actually giving me a half-birthday this year. score!
10. she loves the law graduate like a son.
11. she is not on the baby bandwagon, like some sisters i know. but i know she'll be a great grandmother. later.
12. she cooked every meal we ate growing up, gardened and worked in the yard, and we always had a clean house. consequently, we also learned to clean at an early age. she also kept us in line. we had to shape up or ship out quick, or face a wooden spoon.
13. she was at every recital, school program, dance performance, class trip and basketball game.
14. we never got to watch mtv growing up. she was very careful about what tv, movies and music we were exposed to. it was so embarassing growing up, but now, i'm thankful. for the most part. i mean, i know we all needed saving from ace of base, but was u2 really that bad? and now, who wants to watch mtv? gross.
15. she is really close with her family, crazy as they are sometimes. that's been passed on to us--the closeness and the crazy.
16. she was a college cheerleader too! and pledged delta gamma too, but dropped before initiation.
17. she's been to italy. i'm jealous.
18. i got my artistic instincts from her.
19. we cannot ride in the car together if i'm driving without getting into a fight. so she drives exclusively.
20. i never (ok, rarely, but only a few times senior year) drank alcohol in high school because my mother put the fear of God in me. i'm thankful for that.
21. she always makes little things special. whether it's a special breakfast on our birthdays or a mini valentine's day present or even an easter basket years after we were too old for them, she always made it sweet.
22. she's quick with a heartfelt hand-written note. my grandmother was a good example. i should practice this more.

23. she completely planned my wedding and we only disagreed once or twice. she just handled everything.
24. i often find myself doing things or saying things that i know i do because she did/does them, like: tucking shirts into pantyhose for a smoother line, inexplicably saving glass jars, and using the word "tump" in normal conversation.
25. she enjoys good food, good wine, plays and traveling. my kind of lady!
26. she's been known to be a bit dramatic. so have i. so have my sisters.
27. she can sniff out a bargain like no one's business, whether it's an antique table or a t.j. maxx find. and she has great taste. i can walk blindfolded into a store and pick out the most expensive thing. i think it's genetic.
28. and certainly not last or least, she's a strong lady. she is confident and can't be easily swayed or steamrolled, and knows that a kind word can often get more accomplished than a mean one.

she's a darn good mama. i love you--you are the reason i am who i am today.

9 and redemption, et cetera

ok, nine stalker comments. i'm satisfied with that--my ego is sufficiently stroked. thank you.

9, the theme. i bought the law student 9 graduation gifts--7 just-purchased t-shirts and 2 books. he's been asking for the t-shirts for quite a while. i had some purchased for him at a polo outlet, only i always know better than him and got mediums instead of larges. wife = fail. i've just tried to redeem myself with an overboard purchase at land's end, even though there is a polo outlet on melrose avenue. i'd go there next week, but i just don't think the law student can handle much more t-shirt drama.

in just a few days, he'll be a law graduate! i'm so pumped. i feel like i'm graduating too. i'm making myself a bit crazy with preparations, but it's ok. the law student's family (including sweet niece olivia!)is coming for the weekend, in addition to my mother and possibly middle sister. dad is graciously bowing out and may be planning a spectacular something later, which means no drama for my mama! all that's left is cleaning, sheet-washing, couch-vacuuming, roxy-bathing, some light cooking, and a hair-dye/mani-pedi date with my friend stevie.

i'm going to cardio class in addition to pilates. it is painful and not all that fun, but worth it (i hope). speaking of, i've found a new ice cream flavor--cake and ice cream. so yummy. we polished it off last night. i'm so glad it's out of the house now. ice cream doesn't last long around our house--3 days is about par.

any L O S T watchers out there? i know i cry at really anything (i cried in star trek. lame), and last night's episode was no exception. the true romance story, with a beautiful and tragic end. sniff. i got a sideways glance from the law student (mostly seeing if i had any ice cream left. i didn't. as if i'd leave ice cream.). my theory? 4 survivors, 4 remaining episodes...i like the chances. of my theory being right, not the fates of these fictional characters i've given 2.5 years of my life to.

time to get back to the grind. sigh.

epic

i thought this post was only going to be semi-funny, but after some research, expectations have gone through the roof.

let me start from the beginning.

i am hard to fit. i'm also supercute like my mama, but that is really beside the point here. i can (and have) gone through an entire mall in los angeles looking for a pair of jeans that didn't make me look like an amputee. most jeans have an inseam that begins at 30 inches. my inseam: a whopping 26 or 27 inches, which, coincidentally, is also my waist size. visualize that. another clothing obstacle? the ratio of afore-mentioned waist size to that of my hiney and thighs. i pretty much resemble an out-of-shape gymnast. so in effect, pants either fit in the waist and double as sausage casings on my thighs, or they fit my thighs but fall down off my waist. i appreciate your sympathy. these problems are also found and often exacerbated in my least favorite clothing item: shorts.

going back to the jeans--after that fateful shopping trip and a make-up dinner to the future law student at a chinese restaurant (there is a side story here, but i digress), i did manage to find a pair of jeans. joe's jeans. i don't care that they cost almost $200. i am now always and forever loyal, even though i still have to get the petite fit hemmed. they even make maternity jeans and...shorts. jean shorts. jorts, if you will. never mind that they cost as much as the jeans but only use about 1/5 of the fabric. i want them more than i have ever wanged a pair of jorts. i left that typo there on purpose because it makes me laugh. aren't they just the epitome of summer?remember jean shorts, that ill-fated fifth-grade fashion staple? we all wore jean shorts! the mckissack girls also happened to wear bee's tee's, but let's not dwell on that now. jorts, according to urbandictionary.com:

1. Jean shorts. Worn mostly by children and douchebags. Jorts are perhaps the easiest way to recognize people you will not like. If you wear jorts, you probably don’t talk to girls. The term “jorts” does not apply to jean shorts worn by black people, as those are entirely acceptable.

2. A combination of the words “jean” and “shorts” used to describe the hideous attire, usually sported by NASCAR afficianados and men over 40. Sometimes Jorts are accessorized with a l ovely cellphone belt clip and a braided leather belt, but not always. Sometimes the Jorts wearer lets the Jorts speak for themselves.

3. Jean shorts, such as those worn by male Florida Gator fans at the Georgia-Florida football game.

how did a childhood favorite and seemingly practical denim garment become such a fashion faux pas? i agree with the definition--there seems to be an age limit for white people and jorts, but surely those coveted jorts above are the exception to this rule. but not the ones below.


these guys had to go and ruin for all of us. and is that a hog that guy is holding up while wearing jorts?

not me monday

i'm definitely not wearing pants that are just a smidge to tight to remind me what not to eat today. it's been a few months since 1) i could find these pants and 2) since i could actually fit into them without wincing every time i walked or sat down or moved in general. i didn't realize yogurt could make you feel fat. i'm pretty sure i weigh more than my mother did at my age, and she had already had one kid. hi mom! i know you read my blog. love you.

"where are the light switches, and where are the liquor stores?"

that was anna's complaint about coming home for christmas this year. and it was funny. let me explain.

all the kids are out of the house and on our own, anna in texas particularly. and ever since i was old enough to drink, my parents just absolutely quit caring if my underage sisters drank. they also stopped censoring themselves as well. mom came home from italy carrying cases of wine, and that christmas, or maybe the one after it, i got 2 wine bottle openers, a wine carrying box with wine in it, and a cocktails recipe book. so when we come home from our various new towns to visit, alcohol invariably plays a part in the reunion. but we no longer remember how to easily get to a convenient liquor store. well, one without bars on it anyway.

speaking of "home," mom has a new one. really cute, close to downtown, but not completely familiar. we're still not sure where everything is, even if it's in plain sight, whereas we could cook a meal, shower, and retire to bed upstairs in the dark in our old house. this house also has an alarm system, thankfully. sort of. it's great for when people try to break into your mother's house in the wee morning hours, but not so great when you fail to remember the alarm code and have the police show up. twice. (it was twice, wasn't it, becca?) or on christmas morning at 7 am letting your dog out (or was it 6, anna?). like i said, a bit unfamiliar, hence the hunt for light switches in the middle of the night. because, according to anna, they are never in the right place. if you were a light switch, where would you be? right next to the door? well--light switch FAIL.

so, we're at dinner on the 23rd, and becca is leaving for a party and has to bring a bottle of wine. mom refuses to give her red and offers up white, which she refuses, saying she'll just go to the liquor store. and then the confusion ensues about where to go. so anna, at the height of the discussion (that didn't even involve her), announces, "that's what i hate about coming home now! i don't know where the liquor stores are! where are the light switches, and where are the liquor stores?!" and that's all about that.

home is a funny thing. we've only really lived in one house growing up. we all went to the same university, right down the road. that's where "home" really is for us girls. but now dad lives in that house, and it's just...different. and mom lives in another house, and even though it's less familiar, i feel more at home there now. weird.