when orphans attack

"Okay so like, hi! My name is Annie, and I'm, like, a birthday present for Adam's niece. My hobbies include baking cupcakes, riding unicorns, and--"

"Um, Annie? What's that behind you?"

"Behind me? Don't be silly, there's nothing behind me! Anyway, back to me. My favorite foods are gumdrops, sugar cookies, and pancakes with--"

"Annie I really think we need to go now."

"Like, I'm not done yet! Just keep filming!"

"Braaaiiinnssss..."

"Did you like hear something?"

"WHAT THE POPSICLES!?!?"

"NOOOOOOOO!!!"

*NOM NOM NOM*


The End!

my hero (or, why my daughter threw forks at a boy in church)

Autumn disappeared into my craft room yesterday afternoon and insisted that I stay out until she finished her super secret project. 20 minutes later she came downstairs wearing this.
A Spiderman mask. She made it all on her own, complete with an elastic band to secure it to her heroic little head.

Thanks in no small part to Adam (remind me to post photos of his comic collection one day), Autumn has a profound love for comic book superheroes. She has seen just about every Marvel and DC hero movie that has come out in the last year or so (The Dark Knight being the exception, as it's not as child friendly as the others). Just about every day you'll find her fighting crime, rescuing civilians, or sometimes just flying around the house and showing off her "moves."

She has a very strong belief in doing the right thing, sticking up for those who can't stick up for themselves. She has no interest in doing what is expected of a little girl, and instead always follows her gut instinct to do what she feels is right. I think this is something that children naturally know how to do, and it only goes away when we teach it out of them.

Once a month or so we take Autumn up to Pennsylvania to spend the weekend with my grandmother, also known as Grandma Honey. On those Sundays she takes Autumn to church with her, where she attends the Sunday school program. One such Sunday resulted in that other "proudest moment" I alluded to in a previous post.

Grandma Honey: Well, we had a little incident at church today.

Me: What happened?

Grandma Honey: I'm not really sure exactly what happened but Autumn had a fight with one of the kids.

I sigh, a little embarrassed that Autumn was misbehaving in church, and turn to my child.

Me: Hey Autumn, did something happen at church today?

Autumn: Yeah I throwed some forks at a boy.

Me: You...threw forks? At a boy?

Autumn: Yep, I throwed them. They were just plastic ones!

Me: And why did you do that?

Autumn: He was a mean boy and he was hitting the kids and yelling at them.

Me: Did you tell an adult that he was being mean?

Autumn: Yeah I telled them but they just didn't do anything and he just kept being mean so I got some forks and throwed them at him and he stopped.

We still swell with pride every time we tell that story. How can a mom be mad at that? The kid stood up for herself and protected the innocent. When the authorities wouldn't intervene, she took the law into her own hands, and she kicked ass.

Truth, justice, and the American way. That's my girl.

we're back!

Well, San Diego was great. We had lots of fun while we were there, but I am so happy to be home. Nothing like being away for a month to make you appreciate your everyday life. I missed our cozy house, our soft comfy bed, my craft room, and of course Adam, my dear sweet nerdmuffin, was missed the most. I've even gained a new appreciation for Baltimore. Sure, the public schools are abysmal and the inner harbor has a faint odor of garbage. Sure I don't feel safe going into the city alone or riding public transportation here. Sure the murder rate is sky high and the DEA has dubbed it the heroin capital of the United States.

But Charm City is my home, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It's good to be back.


P.S. I'm finally able to upload pictures again, so I posted some of the best ones from our trip on my Flickr photostream.

it's my party and i'll play VJ if i want to

Today is my first blogiversary! w00t! I'd love to have a little giveaway but since my craftiness is limited while on vacation I think I'll have to have a belated blogiversary giveaway when we get back home. Until then, I'll celebrate with a little musical self indulgence. These are just a few of my favorite songs by some of my favorite artists, in no particular order. Feel free to dance and wave your lighters in the air.
(edit: i can't seem to get rid of the weird spacing between the text and the videos. sorry about that)
1. Hold On by Tom Waits
I didn't even know who Tom Waits was up until about two months ago, but something about this man just drew me in instantly. His lyrical storytelling coupled with that voice made me a fan for life.


2. Miss Take by Horrorpops
Rockabilly is one of my favorite music genres, and this band just embodies it perfectly. Fun, upbeat, but with a bit of a dark side. Plus Patricia Day gives me major ink envy.


3. It's Raining Again by Moby
I think my undying love for Moby started when I was 13. I listened to Play over and over and over again on my glittery blue portable CD player, memorizing every note, for an entire summer.


4. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Tori Amos
No, that's not a typo. I love cover songs when they're done well, and this is one of my favorites. Yes, I'll even dare to say that I like it better than the original.


5. The Hanging Garden by The Cure
If I had to pick an all-time favorite band, a band I would choose if I could only listen to one for the rest of my life, it would be The Cure. So what if I'm not old enough to remember the 80s? They rock most hardcore. That is, if you can look past the mushroom cloud hair.


6. Hurt by Johnny Cash
Another excellent cover, this time by the late great Man in Black. I'm a fan of both Cash and Nine Inch Nails but even if you're not, you can't watch this video without getting goosebumps.


7. Disarm by Smashing Pumpkins
Something about Billy Corgan's voice is simply intoxicating. And weirdly enough, he looks sort of like my 7th grade language arts teacher.


8. Hard Headed Woman by Elvis Presley
My love for The King started at a very young age when my grandmother would play his records while I helped her clean the house on Saturdays. His music stuck with me and I am still a huge fan. This is my favorite Presley song, and it has become something of an anthem for me.


9. Evil by Interpol
My ex boyfriend got me into this band years ago and I've liked them ever since. They have such a great sound.


10. Hyperballad by Bjork
Ah, Bjork, how I heart you in your genius and insanity. All of her work is amazing, but this one is especially close to my heart.


11. Guns and Dolls by The Bastard Fairies
This song is so catchy and almost as adorable as lead singer Yellow Thunder Woman in her stripey tights! Ya'll know I love me some stripey tights. Their album, Memento Mori, is available as a free download on their site. How cool is that?


12. End of the World by The Cure
Last but not least, another one by The Cure, because they're just so dang awesome. Great song, great video, and the curtains match our dishes. Sweet.


Well, there you have it. A song for every month I've spent in my little corner of the blogosphere. Its been a great year and I'm looking forward to many more. Happy blogiversary to me!