HAPPY FOURTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Two images I love that encompass the FOURTH for me!!! Have a great holiday!!!!

hmmmmm

new wine rack

I am in the market for a new wine rack. I have never owned one but have always wanted one. I want one that is modern and has a great design and that holds between 4 and 8 bottles. NO bigger, no smaller. Here are some that I have found that are pretty cool!

Items from puzzlewinerack.com, Wrapables, Greener Grass Design, Crate & Barrel and ikitchen.com

from really bad to really great in one day

This has truly been a weird day. It went from horrible to great and also very ironic on one day.

My day started off pretty bad. It started off with a discussion about where my money goes and why I never have any money. I seem to make a great living and have nothing to show for it. It sounds familiar to many of you, right? It started with me feeling very sad that I can barely pay the rent and all of my bills and I make a great living. It started with me feeling like I need to finally give in and find a "REAL" job. This is something I swore I never wanted to do. I DON'T want to sit behind a desk all day in a business suit. I actually LOVE my nanny job and it brings me great joy. But for some reason, I don't think it would be appropriate for me to be a nanny for the rest of my life. Now, in my 20's, its the BEST, but later, maybe not so much. This morning I was pitying myself. I was sad and disheartened that I have worked so hard to build my credit and have a good credit score and yet I'm struggling to make payments.

But then my day turned around. And it was weird...

It started with me going to the Hearst building in NYC to drop off some samples that will possibly be in REDBOOK magazine. This was so exciting to me!!! It kind of lifted me up. The fact that someone out there saw my cards and is interested in putting them in a national magazine really got me going.

THEN, as I was sitting there waiting for the lady to come get the samples, I got an email from this lady who contacted me about a job a few months ago. Its for a SENIOR Stationery Designer for Vera Bradley. She had originally made it clear that I might not be fit for the job but now has come back to tell me that she might be getting me an interview and that I somehow got "lost in the shuffle" of things.

Then, later in the day, I got an order off my website which I haven't for awhile and this just all got me thinking...was there some bigger power out there that's telling me to not give up and stay motivated. I am SERIOUSLY not kidding you when I say that just this morning I was laying in my bed crying because I need to find a way to become financially stable. All of sudden, these things just started to happen. And it was just ironic.

Whether the Redbook feature or the big job comes through, I still think that the fact that this all happened in one day is a sign. A sign that there is ALWAYS hope and ALWAYS opportunity. We just have to be open to receiving it!

CUPCAKE KEBAB'S!

Love this idea! Trying to convince Josh, who work for the best cupcakery- Crumbs to do this in the stores using their "mini" cupcakes.

yummmmm...

i mean, seriously....!!!

Saw this on www.maybeyoushouldntbuythat.com.
Are we really coming to this? This is pretty darn ridiculous!

belize'in it

We had a great trip this past weekend to Belize! I really love this country- it's English speaking and the people are just as friendly as you can imagine. They have great restaurants and the amount of things to do there is incredible. We spent 5 days and 4 nights and crammed as much in as we possibly could.

We went-

cave tubing
zip lining
snorkeling in the 2nd largest Barrier Reef (Josh went diving)
went on a boat cruise to visit the Lamanai Ruins
soaked some rays
drank some beers

Here are some of my favorite pics from the trip. Some haven't been uploaded yet, so more to come!

A view of the ocean from our beach

Looking over the New River from a very small plane taking us to
Ambergris Caye, where we stayed.

Josh scuba diving

Josh diving around the barrier reef

our "cabana" which was really big and clean and right next to the beach

photos

My sisters photos always "wow" me. Here are some of my favorites that's he took when I was in Charlottesville, VA. Most of them she took on my sister's farm in Earlysville, VA. So gorgeous!

cute tea towel

How great is this tea towel? I want it!!! I found it on another blog and had to post it here!

CLICK HERE to buy from Mocha.uk.com (9.99 pounds)

great, cheap summer shoes!!!

These shoes are only $19.50 from Old Navy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TWENTY BUCKS!!!
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=637776062&tid=ONAF86&ap=2&siteID=2178999

CARDS!

I just started a new blog today for my little card business, Emma J Cards. It chronicles everything going on with my company and features cool paper stuff from around the world!

www.acardlife.blogspot.com

just love this

I just love this picture of my niece. I can't get enough of how spunky she is! She reminds me of myself when I was young...except cooler.

discounts

Went in the Gap today and all of there sale items that are already marked down, they are taking ANOTHER 25% off that price. Awesome! Got this gorgeous shawl/sweater deal that was originally $59.50 and got it for $25! yay!

Great sales on their website too!

VERY IMPORTANT- Must write Senators about stopping predators!

As you know, I never miss an episode of Oprah. I felt compelled to share with you something I learned about from one of last week's shows.

The show was about child predators and a law that is about to expire. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act is about to expire and is up for renewal in Congress and it is imperative, I feel, that we let our representatives know how important this.

http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090220-tows-adam-walsh-act

A little about this:
"The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed into law in 2006 but recent news reports reveal most states will not be in compliance with the law by the upcoming July deadline. Supporters of the law acknowledge there are adjustments that should be made to the law, but they are adamant, as am I, that the basic purpose and spirit of Adam's act must be upheld. The act calls for a National Sex Offender Registry, which is critical to the safety of our children."

SO, what I am asking of you is to go to Senate.gov and House.gov and follow the steps to write to your specific states Senators or Representative. Below is a sample letter that you should COPY AND PASTE in to the MESSAGE section where you write to your representative. It took me about 5 minutes and I feel that it could have an impact.

We don't want these predators roaming our neighborhoods without us knowing!

More info here-
http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090220-tows-adam-walsh-act


Dear [Senator/Congressman/or Congresswoman]:

I am sure you share my belief that we must do everything in our power to help protect our children from sexual predators in our communities. That is why I am asking for your help today.

I am extremely concerned about how we track registered sex offenders in our country. According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an estimated 100,000 sex offenders are unaccounted for and not living where they are registered. Because law enforcement agencies are too underfunded and overwhelmed to track them, these dangerous predators are free to roam undetected from state to state, targeting and re-offending more innocent children.

The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act was signed into law in 2006 but recent news reports reveal most states will not be in compliance with the law by the upcoming July deadline. Supporters of the law acknowledge there are adjustments that should be made to the law, but they are adamant, as am I, that the basic purpose and spirit of Adam's act must be upheld. The act calls for a National Sex Offender Registry,
which is critical to the safety of our children.

I implore you to reexamine this law with fellow lawmakers, reauthorize it and see that it is fully funded. I realize our country's current economic crisis will not make this charge an easy one, but what could be more urgent and of greater importance than the safety and well-being of our children?

Sincerely,
(your name here)

cheese and wine

I love this website....

It helps you pair cheeses and alcohol. Brilliant!

You pick your beverage (beer, white wine, red, vodka, etc...)

and it tells you what goes well with it!

www.cheesecupid.com

yum...