being versatile. it's an award, yo.

the very cute & sweet terri t. from sweet home alabama gifted me with this bloggy award a little more than a week ago. in true slacker style, i'm just now sharing it with you all. what can i say...grad school has me by the throat. {nevermind the fact that i'm also seriously lazy & quite the procrastinator!}

thank you, terri, for thinking of me!

here are the deets {a.k.a. rules} about this award:

1. thank the person who shared the award with you by linking back to them in your post.
2. pass this award to 15 recently discovered blogs & let them know that you included them in your blog post.
3. list 7 things about yourself.

um, yeah, about rule #2...i hate listing blogs. i don't like choosing which blogs are worthy of whatever list. IF you are reading this blog post {because, let's be honest folks, content here at stuttering shell has been getting dry & boring and i don't blame you for not reading or following...}, then i encourage you to take this award and run with it. seriously, y'all, it's for all of you.


now, onto my list of seven...

1. i love tofu. love it. i love edamame, too. but, i can't stomach soy milk. go figure.
2. i don't watch college football. sec. acc. huh? i'm not interested. {please don't hate!}
3. i have this thing about pooping in public. yes, i went there. and, i know i'm not the only person out there who can't stand the thought of dropping a deuce into a strange toilet. {if you talk about it, people will confess...}
4. i prefer beer over wine.
5. i am absolutely terrified about becoming a teacher {in my mid-30s}. ter-ri-fied.
6. sometimes {and i stress sometimes because it's not often} i wish i were single & childless. this is a terrible confession to make, but i think all mothers wish this at some point. trust me.
7. 90210 reruns are my crack. seriously.

versatile?

that's me.  at least that's what mrs. molly lou thinks!  {seriously, go check out her blog & her store.  she is a doll.  you'll love her personalized plates & platters.  trust me, i own three.}

i've been awarded this:

and, because i've been dubbed "the versatile blogger" i must now share with you s-e-v-e-n things about myself.  why seven?  i don't know.  this could be very easy to do or very difficult to do.  and, knowing me, i'm certain it will be the latter {because i'm stubborn like that}.

anyways...

no sense in beating around the bush...here are seven things about me that you may or may not want to know or need to know...but now you know.  ha!

1. my ten year college reunion is this weekend.  i considered going, but sadly i'm not.  word on the street is that a fifteen year high school reunion is planned for sometime this summer.  i went to our ten year.  i seriously doubt i'll go to our fifteen year.  it's a little too much, a little too soon if you ask me.
2. my husband & i have known each other since we were thirteen.  we've been together since we were sixteen.  i'll be thirty-three this year.  wow.
3. i'm not an overly confident person.  i really shouldn't doubt myself so much, but i do.  
4. people say i have an evil laugh. i don't think it's evil.  i think it's catchy.  and contagious.  and fun.  okay, okay, it can sound sinister at times, but only if need be.
5. for someone who isn't very confident {in herself}, i sure do like to talk.  a lot.  sit next to me sometime and i'll flap my yap.  your ear will get numb from listening.  on the flip side, i can be very quiet, too.  i'm a good listener.
6. i'm half-chinese and i really can't use chopsticks very well.
7. i don't always wash my hair on the weekends.  i almost never wear makeup on the weekends.  i don't always shower on the weekends.  i'm not gross or lazy.  i'm not stinky either.  i just give my skin & hair a break. {don't worry, i change my unnawears. ha!}

was that too much?  it was for me.  i think it took me over a half an hour just to come up with those seven silly things!  i suppose i should "gift" this award to other bloggy friends out there, but every last one of us is a versatile blogger.  so participate, please!

share seven things about you!! 

*psst...this was my 700th post! holy blogging, batman!

Superior Scribbler

Yep, that's me!

Well, at least Brittany Ann thinks so {thanks, doll!}.

I have to display the cute award on my blog (see it?).

I have to grant the Superior Scribbler status to five of my bloggy faves:

• Rachel at Romancing Rachel
• Becca at One Day at a Time
• Rebecca at A Different View
• Summer at B is for Brown
• Katie at My First Year as a Wallace

And, anyone who participates {whether you're named up there or not because you all are Superior Scribblers} MUST add their name to the 'Mr. Linky' at the Scholastic-Scribe's blog by clicking here so they can keep track of everyone who has been given this award.

Honest Scrap...again!

My dear, sweet friend, Rachel, tagged me with the Honest Scrap award {this is the 2nd time I've received it!}.



So, here are another T-E-N honest {but fun} facts about me...and, hopefully, they will be different from the first ten I posted:

1. I have one sister. She's younger than I am, but taller than me. She's also a doctor, so her career choice is more fabulous than mine {of course, if you asked her, I'm sure she would beg to differ}.
2. My children are 27 months apart...exactly...to the day.
3. We live three houses down the street from the house that my husband essentially "grew up" in...well, at least whenever it was his weekend with his father.
4. The hubs & I dated for 8 years before we got married & we actually got married on our anniversary.
5. I love to bake, but I'm not really big into sweets.
6. It's been just over a month since my last sip of ANY kind/type of soda...YAY!
7. Politics intimidate me. I don't know why...they just do.
8. I make hair bows...they aren't elaborate or extravagant, but they are cute & functional for little girls. Of course, I also haven't had time to sit down & really get into my craft lately, but maybe I will this weekend.
9. I like watching QVC.
10. I miss driving a minivan {we leased a Honda Odyssey a few years ago}, but I certainly enjoy my little Nissan and it's paid off status.

I am supposed to pass this along to other bloggers I feel are worthy of the Honest Scrap award, but I truly believe that all of you ARE WORTHY. So, if you feel like playing along, please copy the picture and post your 10 fun facts. Let me know if you do!

Honest S-crap

My lovely friend, Becca, has given me this:

Yes, the Honest Scrap award. Thanks, Becca!!

So, here's the deal...I gotta tell you all 10 things about me that you may not know {and, yes, they need to be 10 truthful things} and then I tag five fellow bloggers with this same award. Sweet. Let's begin, shall we?

1. I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii at the same hospital that President Obama was born at, Kapi'olani {or at least that's what I read on the 'net once}.
2. My daughter's scrapbook comes to a screeching halt at her first Christmas - she's now 8 years old {I'm such a bad mom!} - and my son's scrapbook...well, let's not even go there, OK?
3. It does not take much to stress me out - yes, I sweat the small stuff & I really need to learn NOT to.
4. I absolutely despise cleaning floors...you know, sweeping & mopping. I'll run the vacuum all day long if I have to, but don't ever hand me a broom or a mop. (Don't worry...I DO keep a clean house.)
5. Back when I was 14, I was on a swim team {actually, I swam for many years}. I met a 13 year old boy wearing Speedos. I ended up marrying him.
6. I am half Chinese - my mother is from Hong Kong.
7. My Daddy is from Mississippi...Water Valley, MS to be exact...and I am really missing my Mamaw's cooking right about now.
8. I love vacationing in Playa del Carmen, Mexico even though I don't speak a lick of Spanish.
9. I color my hair...from a box. And, the best part is that my stylist doesn't give me any smack about it...I love her!
10. I can be a really prissy girly-girl...but I can also hang with the boys if need be.

Whew...that was H-A-R-D! Who knew writing about yourself could be so difficult??

So, the five fellow bloggers that I bestow the Honest Scrap award to are as follows:

Lis Loves
Mel Tells...
Quotes from the Queen
Pink is My Signature Color
The Delima Dilemma

Best All Around

I'm such a proud mama!

My sweet girl, Malia, won an award today! We spent a few hours at a local high school where 104 youth (grades Kindergarten through 12th grade) and 20 adults were honored for being "the best all around." The awards program & ceremony was sponsored by our city's Parks & Recreation department and the Youth Opportunities Office and it was such an amazing production! They had a carnival and all sorts of fun, food & games for the kids to enjoy.

Best of all, the Mayor and many special people took time out of their day to honor the children & adults who make a difference in our communities and my daughter was one of them...so special! Malia was tickled pink that she got to "meet" the Mayor and shake his hand!

From the nomination form:
The criteria for Virginia Beach’s Best All Around awards are based on the 40 Developmental Assets®, which are positive experiences and personal qualities that help young people grow up to be healthy, principled and caring adults. A list of the Assets can be found on the nominations form and a more detailed description at: www.search-institute.org

She Loves Me...She Really Does!

It's been a "hot minute" since I last blogged...and while I was gone, my friend, Becca, from One Day at a Time gave me not one, not two, but THREE bloggy-blog awards! Yay...go me!


The "One Lovely Blog" award is for blogs you have recently discovered and fell in love with. Technically, you're supposed to give this to 15 new blogs you've discovered, but I'm going to break the rules a bit. In all honesty, all of the blogs I come across are all so lovely that every single one of you deserves this award! So, don't be shy...copy & paste this bad boy on your blog and do some bragging! You're worth it!

The "Sushi Grade Blog" award is award to a blog that is "fresh, lively and of superior quality. It is rare, has character and is of good taste." You're supposed to nominate five other blogs to receive this award, but - because I'm feeling saucy today - I'm going to just put this one up for grabs by any and all of my fabulous readers because each & every one of you has a fresh & lively blog! Hmm...now I'm craving sushi...spicy tuna roll, anyone?

The "You're A Superstar Blogger" award is given to any blogger that is a super star! In true blog award fashion, you are supposed to bless any number of bloggers with this award - it can be 5 bloggers to 50 bloggers. Doesn't matter. But, guess what? Yep...I'm not choosing anyone in particular to receive this award because you are all super stars in my book! So, go ahead and put this one on your blog, too...it's just way too difficult to choose just a handful of blog friends to receive awards, especially when there are so many of you out there who are so good at what you do!

And, many, many, MANY thanks to my friend, Becca, for giving me these fun awards!

FIRST, I'D LIKE TO THANK...

Do you ever remember practicing your Oscar or Grammy acceptance speech in the bathroom mirror? You know, you used your hairbrush as a microphone and you'd act all goofy and giddy like the stars on television. Wait? You mean you still do that?!

Well, I suppose I do, too, because that's totally what I wanted to do when I got home and checked my email to find that my favorite Moody Mommy gave me an award!!! I GOT AN AWARD PEOPLE! AN AWARD THAT'S EVEN BETTER THAN A GOLD STAR OR A PAT ON THE BACK...I got my first EVER blog award! Hip hop hooray!

AKB over at Confessions of a Moody Mommy was gracious enough to bestow upon me the "Let's Be Friends" award and this has totally made my Wednesday. Back in 2007 when I first ventured into the world of blogging I didn't think that I would enjoy it as much as I do. I certainly didn't think anyone would want to read my blog. And, I sure as heck didn't think that I'd be able to reach out and connect with other guys & gals and make all sorts of new friends. But, I really do enjoy blogging, people really are reading my blog and I AM one of many, many pretty faces in the blogosphere!

This award is A-W-E-S-O-M-E...not only because it's my first one and it's from a phenomenal mom and fellow blogger, but because of what it stands for:

"The Let's be Friends Awards stands for this: These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers."

And, so, I am paying it forward to eight of my fellow bloggers whom I enjoy connecting with. These eight bloggers are people who have graciously welcomed me, encouraged me and shared their love of all things blogging with me:
Reston Mom

Perfectly Disheveled

A Trucker Wife

Mathers, Party of 4

Method Lust

A Different View

Momisodes

One Day at a Time

It was hard to choose just eight because everyone I've "met" thus far are all equally as worthy, so please don't be disappointed if I didn't type your name down. There are many, many other blog-related awards to be had. ;-)