Future Ex-Husbands - Happy Halloween Vampire Edition

Happy Halloween!
Welcome my friend, Steph, from The Blue Zoo!
Check out her FEX choices below!

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Have you seen True Blood? Since I don't have HBO I almost missed this show altogether. Thank you Netflix!

Really, out of ALL the hotties on this show there's only ONE I would want as a Future Ex... (Not that I would let him become an ex! I would keep him forever.) And that is Eric. Oh baby, he is a hottie! He's a vampire and a bad boy... *drool*

Since I'm claiming Eric for myself, I'm giving you pics of all the other drool worthy guys from True Blood. Fight amongst yourselves ladies...

Eric

Jason

Eggs (Dumbest name for a hottie EVER.)

Sam

Bill

Thanks to Google for the pics!!

http://lifeinabluezoo.blogspot.com/

Update

While busy, overwhelming, and sometimes spirit breaking, life is not unmanageable.

I apologize for my recent absence.  I have been trying, very unsuccessfully, to coordinate the Keep America Warm coat drive.  Sadly, due to a lack of interest and volunteers, I don't believe this amazing program will be coming to fruition.  I do encourage you, if you have extra coats in your home, please find a place (not a Goodwill or an outfit that sells your donations) to donate them. There are countless men, women, and children right in your own city that cannot afford to buy themselves a coat this winter.

Also, in case you missed my #PINT post, I am having some serious struggles with my daughter.  I am exhausted and worn out from putting out her fires. I have been endlessly disrespected, manipulated, and stepped on by this little girl and have come dangerously close to my breaking point with her.  While I don't think I'm ready, her in home therapist (Sanity Support) is once again looking in to the option of a residential behavioral therapy center for her. 

While I do have some things coming up - giveaways and such - I am at a loss for content otherwise.  There are many things going through my head, I am just having difficultly forming them into coherent statements worthy of typing.  I have several posts in my drafts that have maybe one to three sentences.  I'm just not able to find the words to continue. I even got a text from one of my BBBishes last night asking me where the hell I've been.

Please know that I am well, physically. Mentally, I'm a bit frazzled, and emotionally I'm a bit broken. While I try not push my Christian beliefs on to others, I am currently taking hope in knowledge that "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ~ Philippians 4:13

Hugs to you all.  I hope to see you again soon... Maybe even this week!!!

Post-It Note Tuesday - Living With Her Special Needs

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Future Ex-Husbands - Flashbacks

This week's Future Ex-Husbands feature is brough to you by Mimi at Woven by Words.

I had the awesome opportunity to meet Mimi IRL this summer during a Minnesota Blogger event we both worked! She's sweet, she's funny, and she's got some great taste in men!

Check it out!

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Do you ever think back to high school and all the actors you knew that if you met them they’d make you theirs?

Yah, well, I was pretty tame in real life, but apparently I had quite the fascination with Hollywood actors because I pictured myself married to each of these men one day:

Ralph Macchio from The Outsiders and The Karate Kid.

Judd Nelson from The Breakfast Club.

I probably watched this movie every day after school for a year!

Then there’s Christian Slater who was in Heathers so he started out as a bad boy!

Now most of you ladies ♥ Robert Downey Jr now, but I loved him back in

 Less Than Zero and The Pickup Artist.

Apparently I have a thing for rugged bad boys. Works for me.

Letter to Me - At 13

I remember middle school fondly.  I know that existing deep in it's trenches is complicated. I can still remember trying to be the person everyone wants you to be.

To the girls, you are the funny, outgoing girl.  You introduce them to the boys and make the conversations less awkward because you know exactly what the boys are all about.  To the boys, you are the girl who is different.  You like the same things they like and you're easy to be around.  And to your parents, you're the smart child.  You bring home excellent grades and are always told the world is yours for the taking.

You wish that everyone knew what you were really feeling, what you were really like.  You wish the girls invited you to slumber parties. You long to share beauty tips and talk about the boys.  You wish the boys treated you like a girl.  You wish they thought you were pretty instead of thinking of you as one of the guys. You long for one of them to ask you to be his girlfriend instead of asking for advice on how to ask someone else out.  And you wish your parents accepted what you wanted to do. You wish their dreams for you matched with yours.

As a mother, I know now that the most important thing I didn't do at 13 was be true to me.  Social pressures cause you to bend and alter so much of who you are.  Rediscovering that person in your 30's is scary and long over due.  Be proud of who you are, be proud of what you like, be vocal about what you want.  The worst that could happen is someone tells you no. Being true to you is the best chance you can take in life!

This post is written in affiliation with the Dove Self Esteem Movement. For more information, visit DoveMovement.com.

Psssst.... You Can't Find Me!

This week was the first week since becoming the home of PINT that I didn't visit every single link.

This is also the first week in many that I haven't had a contribution for Share A Spoon.

I actually don't have much of anything planned for this week, blogwise.

Don't fret! All is well.

I had been in a bit of a funk. Depression can do a number of a girl's psyche. But alas, remembering to take my St. John's Wort, exercise, and getting the right amount of sleep (read: not keeping my butt in bed all day long) have done wonders for me.

Actually, the reason I haven't been around Blognia this week is simple. It is fall break.  In addition to my own kids being home, I have magically acquired other people's children.

Last night through tomorrow morning, I have an extra 10 year-old girl as well as a 14 year-old girl.  Today, I also have an extra 11 year-old boy. (Phew ~ that's a lot of extra kids!)

Needless to say, sanity here is at a premium.  I haven't had much time to put together many coherent thoughts, so I will be back when the madness is over.

Please join me on Sunday for a guest Future Ex-Husbands post. Mimi at Woven By Words will be providing the eye candy selection for the week!

See ya then!

Post-It Note Tuesday - CALLING ALL BLOGGERS

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Future Ex-Husbands - The Men of Scotland



Today I'd like to welcome my IRL friend Holy Hannah from

Be the Butterfly.

Check out her eye candy selections for the day then head on over and tell her howdy.

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The men of Scotland.

Tis’ a small island but lordy does it produce some good looking men!

Ewan McGregor

Gerard Butler

James McAvoy

(My personal favorite)

Young and Old Sean Connery

The Journey Home Part 2 {A Work of Fiction}

She was anxious as she walked toward the restaurant.  While she had kept in contact over the years, the last time she had actually seen his mother was just a few short weeks after the funeral.  They were supposed to leave for college that day, but she knew then that the journey they had mapped out wasn't something she was ready to take on without him.  Instead, she said her goodbyes and embarked on an open ended trip to Europe, leaving behind their dreams, their plans, and the memories.

***********

She picked up her pace as the restaurnat neared. A new excitement filled her.  Although she knew there would be tears, she was excited to see the face of the woman she used to see daily all those years ago.

Entering the restaurant, she quickly scanned the lobby for that familiar face.  She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to be greeted by the voice that had haunted her dreams for so many years.

"Kara." he said.  Standing next to Josh's mother was their best friend.  She hadn't talked to him since he told her the news.  She stared at him, confused. He was the last person she expected to see.

The years had been kind to him.  He looked much like she remembered him.  His curly blonde hair was cut short and professionally, almost disguising the playful look she remembered in his eyes.  His boyish good looks remained and immediatey a comfortable smile spread across his face.

"I'm surprised you're here." he said. "Mrs. A swore you would be.  I told her I would believe it when I saw you standing in front of me, and here you are."

"Eric." she said finally. "Mrs. A!" She leaned over and embraced her forever lost friend's mother.

Share a Spoon - Squash It!

What up!

It's Thursday ~ so get your butt on over to

The Think Tank

and link up your favorite recipes for

Share a Spoon!

This week's theme is SQUASH!

I kinda cheated - I made cupcakes...

WITH PUMPKIN!!

Here's how!

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes topped with White Chocolate Chai Ganache

What you need:

Ganache

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

8 ounces white chocolate - finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom

Cupcakes

2 2/3 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups pumpkin

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

(Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature!)

What you do:

Ganache

Prepare the ganache the night before so it can chill in the refrigerator over night.

Heat cream to a boil and mix in spices.

Put chocolate in a glass bowl. Pour cream over the top and mix until all chocolate is melted

and the mixture is smooth.

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 and line muffin tins.  I made 14 jumbo muffins with this recipe.

In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.

Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and oil.

Add eggs 1 at a time, whisking between each addition.

Add flour mix in 3 additions, stirring with large wooden spoon until just combined.

Do not over mix!

Fill muffin liners 1/2 - 2/3 full.

Bake 20 - 25 minutes - until tester pulls out clean!

Cool on cooling rack and top with ganache.

I made these before I took the kids to school yesterday. They are YUMMY!

Facing the Past - The Journey Home {A Work of Fiction}



credits

 With the windows down, she wound her way through the center of town.  The trees lining the street were the familiar orange and red of the fall season. She could smell the lake from a few blocks away.  It had been years since she'd been back, but the familiar sights and smells brought the memories flooding back.

When she'd received the reunion invitation eight weeks prior, there was no urgency to respond.  Upon leaving 15 years before, she vowed to not return.  She had spent every one of those years putting the pieces back together and filling the hole his death had caused.  Then she'd received the phone call. His mother was requesting her presence. Their high school was going to be doing a ceremony in his memory and his mother was hoping she could be there.  In 15 years, this was the first time his mother had asked her for anything.  She couldn't say no.  She RSVP'd to the reunion and began making the plans to return.

***********

In all the ways the little town had stayed the same, there were also major changes.  The little Indian reservation on the outskirts was now a gigantic, thriving native community.  She made reservations to stay at the casino hotel and quickly made her way through town to check in.  Locating her room, she quickly let herself in and sunk in to the oversized sofa.  Her head was spinning with the list of events for the next four days and all she could think of is hiding.

***********

The phone was ringing.  It was early afternoon and the hot summer sun was pouring through the window.  She quickly ran for the phone, hoping it was him calling to tell her he would be off early and they could go to the fair sooner than planned.

"Hello?" she said in anticipation.

"Hey." said the solemn voice on the other end.  It was his best friend.  The three of them were often called The Three Muskateers.  It was rare to see the three of them apart.

"Hey! What's up? Are you two done with work already?" she asked.

"Um, kinda of." She sensed the hesitation in his voice. "Are you alone?" he asked her.

"Yeah? What's going on?" She was confused.

"Well, it's Josh." he said, his voice cracking. "Kara, he's dead."

She fell to the floor shaking, the phone fell to the floor.

***********

She woke with a start, cold sweats across her forehead.  It was the same dream she had been having for the past 15 years. She had fallen asleep in the sofa at the hotel. Getting up, she checked herself in the mirror.  Straightening her hair and make-up, she checked her watch and knew she could no longer avoid the inevitable.  She boarded the elevator to the lobby.  His mother would be meeting her for dinner at one of the casino restaurants in 10 short minutes.

Post-It Note Tuesday - Serving Up Crab Apple Pie

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Nap Time

I'm in a mood this morning and have decided to go back to bed.  Hopefully when I wake, I will not be so crabby and ticked off....

Happy Monday!

P.S. If you felt inclined to go to the grocery store store for me while I slept, I would be truly grateful!

Future Ex Husbands - Hawaii Bound

Happy Sunday, Think Tank Momma here.  That One Mom is letting me guest post on FEX DAY!  Woo Hoo!

I get to do a post on HOT men!  Thank you very much!

Finally, CBS has found a home for my favorite television vampire.  He's no longer a vampire mind you, he's a super hot Ex navy Seal, that the Govenor of Hawaii gave a badge and pass to get it done with no questions asked and full ammunity.

The remake of the 60s Hawaii 5-0 has been given a total overhaul.  Great scenary.  Great storylines.  AND HOT HOT HOT men! 

I first fell head over heels in lust with this Aussie born perfect specimen of a man as Mick St. John, a super sexy private investigator who happened to be of the undead persuasion a few years ago.  I was super pissed when Hollywood went through it's writers strike because it caused an untimely death to the series Moonlight.

CBS has tried to give Alex a new home since then.  He had a brief stint on 3 Rivers a hospital drama that was canceled after just a few episodes. 

However, Hawaii 5-0 looks very promising which makes this Momma very happy!

Here's why:

And here's the crime fighting partner Scott Caan who plays...the ever popular Danno.  He can book me anytime!

If I disappear and you don't hear from me, I'll be in Hawaii hunting down my FEX's!

Thanks for having me today That One Mom!