I Love an Accent!

I have a fear of one day turning into that mom with the “mom jeans” on, sporting a decades-old hairstyle.  So, in order to thwart that {or at least slow it down}, I’m always trying to keep on top of the latest trends.

{Hello, remember when I feathered my hair last year?}

Right now, I am totally digging the whole accent nail trend.

I paired Orange, It’s Obvious! with Coat Azure.

 

What do you think?

Of course, my mom said, “Hmm, that’s interesting.”

 

Are you polishing your nails with an accent nail? 

What other trends are you trying?

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Thank You, Title IX!

This past Saturday, June 23, marked the 40th anniversary of Title IX.  Now that might not be important to a lot of people, but, for all of the past and present high school and college female athletes in the United States, it’s means a lot.

What’s interesting about Title IX, though, is that the original statute did not even mention sports.  Take a look:

No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance...

Of course, we’ve all come to know this Equal Opportunity in Education Act as the one that impacts female high school and college athletes,  of which I was both.

Title IX directly affected me in high school, as I was a girl who loved to run and wanted to do so competitively for my school. Well, as you may have guessed, my high school only had a men’s cross country team. So, when I expressed my desire to compete in that arena for my school, the administration ultimately had to comply with Title IX and allow me to run. Of course, the funny part was that I basically had to join the men’s team because I was the only female runner, and the school wasn’t prepared to accommodate a one-person team, at that point. So, as it were, I trained with the men’s team but competed in the women’s meets.

After that cross country season ended and I had done well, even qualifying for the State Championship, things were forever changed for the sport of cross country at my school. Ever since, and I’ve been out of school for over a decade, there has been a women’s cross country team, and I am extremely proud to say that I founded it, and it was Title IX that made it possible!

 

How has Title IX affected you… in school, in work, in athletics?

 

Photo courtesy of my brother-in-law, Jason Popp, freelance photographer and lover of the sport of running.

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What a Weekend!!!

 

My baby sis got married!!!  It was beautiful and amazing and truly surreal.  From the rehearsal to the honeymoon sendoff, it was a spectacular whirlwind of events for her and her new husband, and I was privileged to stand beside her as her Matron of Honor.  In fact, it was a dream come true for me.  She is the best sister a girl could ever ask for, and it was my most sincere honor and privilege to have that role.

With all of the events leading up to the Big Day, I was overwhelmed {in a wonderful way} with it all and not diligent about documenting it in a photo-journalistic kind-of way.  I wish I had taken some good pictures of her Bachelorette Party, though, complete with lingerie cookies! 

{Seriously, I baked heart-shaped sugar cookies and decorated them upside down to look like bras and panties… that’s about as risque as I get.  Hello, I’m a Republican…lol!}

Anyhow, it was a wonderful weekend, and we created some amazing memories.  From the photo booth to the candy buffet, it was a party one will not soon forget.  What a fun shindig!!

When she gets the photos back, I will definitely share them.

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The Sweetest Ball of Fur

My aunt just got the cutest little puppy, a Welsh Terrier.  She named it Lucy, and we are all just enamored with this little ball of fur. 

We have such big dogs, Weimaraners, that the kids never get to hold a dog in their laps.  They just loved taking turns with my aunt’s new addition.

 

Does your family have a little dog or a big dog?

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S’more Pops—Too Easy!

My newest favorite summer treat is a take on a tried and true all-time favorite for most of us, I bet.  Think back to the times when you were sitting around a camp fire fire pit {I don’t camp… at all} waiting for the moment when that marshmallow on the end on your stick was just right—the point between melty goodness and a ball of flames.

Well, this treat is equally delicious, much easier to make, and perfect for little hands.  Just grab some jumbo marshmallows and dip them in melted chocolate on one end.  Then roll each one around in a bowl of graham cracker crumbs (to get this, take a couple of graham crackers and smash them up into a fine powder).  Place your dipped marshmallows on a baking sheet dipped side up, and stick a lollipop stick into each.

When your chocolate has hardened or you just can’t wait to eat them, you can take a kitchen torch and “roast” the tops (like the fancy chefs do with crème brulee… ooh, la, la!), but you certainly don’t have to do that.

 

{ A funny note: I asked my husband for a kitchen torch, and he literally brought me a something that a wielder would use… it was SCARY!}

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