today is the day!

{via}

i've been talking about it for weeks & the day is finally here...

stuttering shell is saying goodbye to blogger & hello to wordpress!

my blog is moving TODAY.

eek!

i'll tell you - yet again - if you want to keep up with my shenanigans, 

please copy and paste my blog's url into google reader or subscribe to my blog via rss.

wordpress doesn't use google friend connect.

{and, soon, blogger won't either...}

please be patient as my fabulous designer moves everything for me. 

hopefully, there won't be any glitches with my domain name.

the plan is to stay up & running while the move takes place, but you just never know...

{keep your fingers & toes crossed!}

in the meantime, make the required changes on YOUR end and get ready for stuttering shell's new look.  also, get excited because i'm hosting TWO giveaways once my "new blog" has launched.

psst...you won't be able to win an oreck vacuum cleaner or a year-long subscription to birchbox if you don't change your subscription settings. remember, copy & paste stuttering shell's url into google reader or subscribe via rss. 

{via}

if you'e curious about a move from blogger to wordpress, then i suggest you check out the totally chaotic package from utterly chaotic.  i also recommend checking out this article written by mandy & jeff at dollars & roses.

on the move.

i'm not a spontaneous person, but - every now & again - i get impulsive. this is kind of surprising to some who really know me because a) i'm not a fan of surprises and b) i don't always welcome change with open arms.

where am i going with this? i'm saying goodbye to blogger.

no, i'm not giving up blogging. i'm moving stuttering shell to wordpress {didn't you see the message above??}. a move to wordpress has always been in the back of my mind, but i was never quite ready to take the leap.

until now.

why? that is the most popular question i've been asked since announcing on the twit that i was jumping ship.

well, first of all, i owe a lot to mrs. monologues for really making me consider the move. and, side note, she's moving to wordpress, too, so if you follow her blog then you need to make sure you follow the same steps listed above for her blog. second, although it's going to cost me more money in the long run {right now i only pay for my domain which is like $10 a year}, i like knowing that my blog will really be my blog. blogger has been good to me - really good to me - but i want to own my content. i also want my blog to have more security. i mean, if blogger were to ever go away, so would my blog {remember the blogger glitch a while back? yeah. not cool.}.

so, in the coming month, please be prepared for some downtime as i move my blog to my own web hosting space & transfer my domain. and, get excited because my new move also means a new blog layout courtesy of the amazing brea of utterly chaotic.

in the meantime, just remember to copy & paste my blog's url into your google reader or subscribe via rss feed. you know, so you can still keep up with me. if not, you'll miss seeing this face...

plenty to be thankful for...THE BLOGOVERSE!

i started blogging during the summer of 2007. i blogged previously on my myspace page. ha. do you remember that little gem? everyone had tom on their friend list...he got around. anyways...
this blog - stuttering shell - started because i needed to vent. in the beginning, i was writing for me {because it's easier to type out your feelings than write them down, i think}. my early blog posts were so lame. seriously. they were pretty awful. but, it's whatever, right?

now, here i am over 900 blog posts later, and i consider my blog to be one of my favorite places on the internet. in addition, blogging has given me so many opportunities to collaborate with other bloggers and some pretty fabulous companies. and, most importantly, blogging has blessed me with a network of friends - both in real life & in my computer...ha! it seems crazy to say that you met someone on the internet, but c'est la vie.

without blogging, i would not have met these girls:

october 2011

{from left to right: rosalyn, ang, a, me, the beach bum, whitney, lis & j}

this isn't everyone because one local mama had a previous engagement & three others from our group all live out of town. i miss d, rachel & lesley!

but, here are some pics...you know...just because...

from october 2010 - i miss my hair!
{from left to right: me, whitney & the beach bum}

from october 2010
{d & rachel}

summer 2011
{standing: me, the beach bum, whitney, d & j}
{seated: lesley, ang, katie & rachel}

my husband still chuckles about how i came to meet these ladies. yeah, it's silly, but it just goes to show that blogging is so much more than just hitting "publish post."

and, i'm grateful for each & every one of y'all, too. i blush every time someone says they love my writing style or they appreciate my honesty. i'm not a writer, y'all, but i do speak from the heart {even if it's not so nice sometimes}. i don't post on my blog and hope that i'll gain new readers or suddenly become famous. no, i do it - first and foremost - for me. if i can speak to a person's heart in the process...wonderful.

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.

the family that plays together...

are you the outdoors-y type? what about your hubby? the kids?

do you make time to get outside together as a family?

if not, you should. why? because it's fun. but, not just that, it's healthy, too.

it should come as no surprise that my family LOVES to be outdoors. no matter the season or the weather {okay, okay, i draw the line sometimes} we try to get outside as much as possible.

it helps that we live minutes from the beach. during the warm summer months, we are always packing up the truck and headed out for a day of fun in the sun. sometimes, we'll even camp at the beach! we especially love to camp on hatteras island in north carolina. not only is it relaxing, but it's so educational, too, for the kids. but, even in the winter you can still find us on the beach. there's no better time to search for shells than after a nor'easter!

we also love to cook out & host backyard get-togethers. the adults play cornhole & horseshoes while the kids run through the yard chasing each other & the dogs.

we garden. we are constantly doing yard work. we take the dogs for walks on the beach or we run with them in the backyard. honestly? we feel like we're wasting a perfectly good day if we're cooped up indoors.

our children especially love to be outside. they are outside riding their bikes, playing football or catch, jumping rope or just having a good time every. single. day. i'm not kidding. even now that school has started, they are outside from the moment they finish their homework until it is time to eat dinner. i love that they are burning off some extra energy while getting some exercise & enjoying time with their friends.

the kids especially love it when their father is outside playing, too. he loves to help our son learn a new skateboarding trick or race our daughter. the amount of giggling & the smiles on their faces is simply precious.

we don’t just play outside, but we like to participate in events outdoors, too. whether it’s a family-friendly concert, a festival or a walk for a cause we support, we enjoy being together as a family doing something that we love. not only is the time together important, but the time spent together outdoors just further instills the importance of family for our children. these are moments we’ll never get to relive again, so why not make the best of it and get outdoors, right?

what kinds of things do you enjoy doing outdoors with your family? share them with me & while you're at it, why don't you make a pledge to play outside:  http://clorox2play2day.com

the fine print:
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

the first day & my accent {or whatever you wanna call it}.

adam & i waved good-bye to the kids this morning around 7:25 as they boarded the school bus.

{not the greatest picture, but you get the idea}

first day at a new school.
first day riding the bus...again.
first day of malia's last year of elementary school.

adam buzzed aidan's head last night. clearly, he looks like a different boy from the one pictured in yesterday's blog post. {for the record: i prefer buzz cut aidan over crazy hair aidan. he just looks so much more mature.}

seeing the kids get on the bus this morning was bittersweet. they're growing up so fast. so, so fast.

okay, enough about me wah-wah-wah-ing about my kidlets & their first day of school, how about my first ever vlog. it's a good time. promise.

as promised...my accent vlog:




just to be fair, i'll post the "directions:"

say these words: aunt, route, wash, oil, theater, iron, salmon, caramel, fire, water, sure, data, ruin, crayon, toilet, new orleans, pecan, both, again, probably, spitting image, alabama, lawyer, coupon, mayonnaise, syrup, pajamas & caught

answer these questions:
what is it called when you throw toilet paper on a house?
what is the bug that when you touch it, it curls into a pall?
what is the bubbly carbonated drink called?
what do you call gym shoes?
what do you say to address a group of people?
what do you call the kind of spider that has an oval-shaped body and extremely long legs?
what do you call your grandparents?
what do you call the wheeled contraption in which you carry groceries at the supermarket?
what do you call it when rain falls while the sun is shining?
what is the thing you use to change the tv channel?

what do you think? do i sound funny to you? the video quality isn't the greatest. the lighting was weird, it was blurry, and i say "and" and "um" and "so" a lot. ha ha!

but, there you have it. me & my voice.

oh, and the hair? good thing you can't see the grays. they are out of control. i'm seriously thinking of chopping it all off...soon.

it's simply okay that i like oldies.

today's post is a mish-mash {if you will} of three link-ups: one that i participate in as often as i remember to can & two that i've never participated in before.

are you ready? here we go.

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here are the simple things i appreciated this week:

♦ sunday funday with a group of really great friends.
♦ rain. although it ruined some of our fun, we needed it.
♦ $1 containers of strawberries at target {my store recently added produce & meats}.
♦ watching phineas & ferb with my kids.
♦ cooking dinner with the hubby.
♦ puppy breath.
♦ having two {maybe three} bags of clothes & other stuff to donate.
♦ the cooler temps.
♦ knowing that pumpkin spice lattes are just a few weeks away from being back in starbucks stores.
♦ hearing my children laugh.

what simple things are you appreciative for this week?
link up with jesslyn amber.

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it's OKAY...

♦ that i really enjoy 90210 reruns {even the corny high school episodes}.
♦ that - even though i'm NOT into football - i'm going to my husband's fantasy league draft this weekend {i'm in it for the food & beer, people!}.♦ that my house is not spic & span clean.♦ that i stalk fedex's tracking site daily because i'm way too excited about receiving my erin condren life planner {i just checked & it's on the truck for delivery...today!!}.♦ to have a bazillion things/ideas that need to be blogged about {i'll get around to blogging about it all at some point}.♦ to feel nervous about boarding my dogs this weekend {it's their first time being boarded. it's only for one night, but still. mama's nervous.}.♦ to get excited when i find bags of smarties in the $1 section of target {seriously, y'all, i may need a smarties intervention soon}.♦ that the hubs & i have to budget every last cent we have {such is life on a single-income when your wife -that's me - decides to go to grad school full-time}.♦ to be excited about going to great wolf lodge {really, i think i'm more excited than my kids are. or, maybe it's because i know the outlets aren't far from g.w.l.}.♦ that the laundry isn't put away...at least it's all washed & folded!
it's okay...go link up with neely & amber!

---

last, but certainly not least, i'm linking up with meghan at the perfect compilation tape for top 5 thursdays.
today's topic? top 5 favorite oldies.
here we go {in no particular order}:

 "crazy love" by van morrisonthis isn't the original version, but this ray charles/van morrison combo is straight up awesome.


"suspicious minds" by elvis
live in hawaii, too? hell yeah. {did you know i was born in hawaii? well, i was.}

"ring of fire" by johnny cash

need i say more?

"two tickets to paradise" by eddie money

i'd like two tickets, please.

"take the money and run" by steve miller band

a recent version of a fun song

my taste in music is all. over. the. place.
really, it is.
old, new, pop, rock...if i like it, i really like it.

what are your top 5 oldies?
go link up with meghan.

---

whew!!

TRUE LIFE: i'm a {general} blogger.

general is a classy klassy way of saying random, right?

hey, y'all. i'm michelle. you can call me shell. 

see? i'm klassy.

oh, wait. no, i'm general. or, just generally random.

anyways, welcome to stuttering shell. why stuttering? i don't know. it just sounded good with shell. you know, the alliteration. 

post one {which is a really shitty post, i might add} went live on june 11, 2007. wow, i've been at this for just over four years! i started blogging for me. it was mostly a release for my soul. then, i started blogging about my kids, family life, pets, food, work, etc.
i was all over the place. 

this blog has made connections.

this blog has pissed people off.

this blog has been used against me.

this blog has brought me joy.

this blog allows me to be creative.

this blog allows me to be me.

to quote kenny chesney {since i wasn't at his concert last night...sista girl be broke these days}:

i'm what i am and i'm what i'm not

i'm sure happy with what i've got

i live to love and laugh a lot

and that's all i need...

...and i never wanted nothing more.

what you see is what you get, folks!

no fluff. no drama. no bragging. no looking at life through rose colored glasses.

this blog is me. and, if you ever get the chance to actually meet me, i think you'll agree that i am my blog...and my blog is me.

feel free to browse around. don't feel like it? no problem.
here are some of my favorite blog posts {in no particular order}:

oh, god.

desperately seeking shoes! {because i'm still looking for another replacement pair of these mofos!}

random, useless knowledge about moi

things you don't say to a parent...ever.

Nn is for...

don't wash me...love me instead.

you crazy hobo!

overworked & underpaid {the comments on this post are pretty funny, too}

the sound of the sea soothes me.

wordless/wordful wednesday - tuna fever

gastronome.

feliz navidad.

la-la-la-la-la-la last friday night!

private property

this is for real.

dear creepy man in the green plaid shirt,

us.

funemployment.

bizarre food? yes. good eats? hell no.

moon jellies.

knee deep.

feeling candy corny.

if you made it this far, you can see that i'm generally all over the place. be prepared to see me again later on during this link-up. i'll be pimping out my blog as a mommy blog, food blog, photo blog. yeah, i'll be that crazy girl whoring out her blog. no shame.

so, what are you waiting for? go link-up your blog with fabulous but evil and mrs. monologues and let us all know what kind of true life blogger you are.

lame.

that's me. your very unfaithful blogging friend. i'll spare you the details because people hate reading excuses about why they haven't been blogging {or at least that's what i read last night on twitter}.

yesterday, i was laid off from a temporary job {that i can't really say much about} three weeks before the project was scheduled to end.  apparently we were a little TOO good at bubbling in scantron forms.  it is what it is, i guess.  so, i applied for what seems like a bazillion & one jobs for my city's school system.  all of my fingers & toes are crossed for something to come my way.

are you on crowdtap?  if not, you should be.  why?  well, you interact with brands which earns you points which you can then convert to gift cards for amazon.com.  in addition, you also earn money for a charity of your choice.  still not convinced?  well, how about the fact that i've already participated in two sample shares. the most recent one being for old navy.  yes, old navy.  i received a pair of shorts, a top and an accessory all for free...and so did three of my friends.  pretty sweet, huh?  be prepared for a blog post.

i also hopped on board the shakeology train.  interested in a sample?  let me know.  the shakes are amazing.  

you wanna know where else i've been hanging out?  yes, ladies & gentlemen {because, surely, there are guys reading my blog, too, right??} i drank the kool-aid that is known as pinterest.

{via}

i was warned that pinning stuff is equivalent to a hard-core drug addiction.  um, let's just say that i haven't been to bed before midnight the past three nights because i'm too busy pinning & repinning random stuff.  

school ended a week ago for my kids.  guess where they are?  not here!  happy summer vacation to me!  seriously, though, they're traveling with my parents.  hooray for rockin' grandparents!!

i said goodbye to a friend.  i'm going to miss her a lot.  but, i'm so excited for her new adventures & i cannot wait to visit her {and ikea}.

these guys are pretty excited that they no longer have to spend 8+ hours in their crate monday through friday:

frisco loves his kiddie pool.  buxton...not so much.  at one point even aidan got into the pool. yep, that's how we roll around these parts.

oh, you need to go here.  go.  now.  really.  if you don't, i'll kick your butt. or, mrs. monologues will. besides, she blogged about me & five other FABULOUS bloggers.

i have so much to do & not enough time to do it all.  i do have some post ideas brewing in that dark, cavernous space also known as my mind.  but, for now, a dirty house & unfolded laundry are call my name.  lame.

ladies night.

blogging & social media is pretty damn fantastic, isn't it?  

when i started my blog back in 2007, i was writing for me. i didn't think it would lead to some amazing connections & friendships.  seriously, i have been blessed with perhaps the most awesome group of girlfriends...ever.  and, i owe it all to my computer.  ha!

{picture hijacked from the workaholic momma - thanks, j!}

bottom row {left to right}: how i met my edo, diary of a domestic failure, jim & katie plus baby, in no simple language

top row {left to right}: c'est moi, beach bum & baby, whitney caroline designs, naturally caffeinated family & the workaholic momma

aside from beach bum and baby & the workaholic momma {who are bff's in real life}, we all met thanks to blogging & twitter.  katie is the newest gal in our circle & she is the cutest mama-to-be ever!  

as usual, we had a great time.  lots of laughing, lots of chit-chat and even some rapping courtesy of whitney {who knew she could recite every. single. word. to rappers delight??}.  we all lead such busy lives & don't get to see each other often, but i truly cherish the times when we do get a chance to get together.  i've said it once and i'll say it again...i'm truly blessed to have these gals in my life.  they are everything a friend should be...and more. 

to relive our first date, click here.

to relive our anniversary dinner, click here.

the fab five.

Thanks to Trop 50 for sponsoring my writing about fabulous bloggers. This year Trop50 is granting 50 fabulous wishes. Click here to enter for a chance to win $1,000 to help grant a friend's wish!

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fabulous - how do you define it?  exceptionally good, marvelous, incredible...superb?
yes, all of those things describe five bloggers {of the many} that i absolutely adore.
and, why do i adore them?  they have spunk, personality, honesty.  they inspire, encourage, believe.
they are creative.  they are faithful.  they are happy.  they are sad.
they are humorous.  they are colorful.
these are bloggers from all walks of life.  each is at a different point in her life.  but, each has a gift and that gift is to share about their amazing journey.
each journey is different, yet each holds a place in my heart.

{source}

this is summer's blog.  she is a wonderful person - inside & out.  she & i have struck up a friendship that i didn't think was possible to have with someone you don't actually know in real life.  but, you know what?  it works and it works well.  i love & appreciate her honesty, her vulnerability and her determination.  i see a lot of myself in what she writes about.  there is an emotional connection there that i don't get with too many other bloggers.  if all goes according to plan, i am going to meet her {in real life!} in march.

psst:

summer is also an amazing baker. 

have you visited jessica's blog, craftily ever after?  well, you should.

she's so stinkin' creative.  she also has an etsy shop.  her craft ideas & tutorials are easy, budget friendly & fun to make.  she occasionally hosts a giveaway & always has pictures of her super cute daughter sprinkled throughout her blog.  best of all?  she offers free printables like this:

  {source}

click here to find out how you can get a copy of this super cute valentine's day subway art...for free!

jessica's blog may or may not have gotten me hooked on mod podge.  and, that crack-like addiction to mod podge led me to this blog:

{source}

amy is the mastermind behind mod podge rocks!  her blog is chock full of fun crafting and decorating ideas...all of whom use mod podge in some form.  trust me when i tell you that there are varieties of mod podge in your craft store aisle.  really.  i own two different kinds, but the possibilities are apparently endless.

anyways, amy's d.i.y. tutorials & other fun projects are VERY inspirational and definitely encourage those creative juices to flow.  go check her out!

speaking of inspirational, what about gussy??

maggie is the girl with the ruffles.  i should know...i own a few of her pieces.  i've gifted them as well.  

{source}

maggie is inspirational & awe-inspiring.  she is living her dream, y'all!

she's been a friend & a mentor to me.  she's also showered me with encouraging words & prayer when i've needed it.  she & i don't know each other outside of the blog world, but one day our paths will cross.

in the meantime, i encourage you to read her blog.  right now she's featuring other fabulous artists who have quit their day job {just like gussy did!} in order to live & fulfill a creative dream.

and, if you haven't had enough, then go buy yourself some gussy goodness.  

{source}

last, but certainly not least, is my friend jennifer.  she is so much more than perfectly disheveled.

{source}

i met her over at momlogic.  we've emailed & chatted on the phone before.  she & i both had a bit of a rough 2010, but we're looking to the future with hope...and  humor.  i love and appreciate that jennifer writes with such honesty about parenting.  she IS the parenting blog that my blog has always wanted to be but just never will be.  Jennifer keeps it real, y'all.  If you're a parent, then you'll definitely appreciate her blog.  

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Don't forget to enter the 50 Fabulous Wishes contest for a chance to win $1,000 to support a friend's wish. I was selected for this Tropicana Trop50 sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity, as I do. I received compensation to use and facilitate my post.

the ladies.

in october 2009, i was fortunate enough to meet four of the most wonderful bloggers friends.  we got together over halloween weekend to celebrate the one year anniversary of our friendship. 

{from left to right:  me, whitney caroline, beach bum & baby, naturally caffeinated family & rachel}

we went out for dinner & drinks. 

{one of the special halloween themed cocktails at a bar we went to. not only did it "smoke" but it also bubbled & popped.  trust me, there is something to be said about a drink that "spits" at you...}

there was lots of girl talk & giggling. 
we had so much fun.

i'm telling y'all...i'm lucky & quite blessed to have these girls in my life. 

for daddy butch.

sweet summer's daddy passed away on the 24th.  please join summer's friends as we have a day of silence to honor her father.




The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Psalm 23:1-6 NIV

by invitation only.

tonight, i created a private blog that i titled "shell said what?!"

if you are interested in reading, either email me or leave your email addy in a comment.

be warned:  it's my emotional & psychological dumping ground.  it's not a pity party.  i just need a release.

i think i'm cheap.

no, not cheap like that.  geez.

cheap as in you need to go check out my blog sale because i finally have a few items listed.  one dress has already sold {and is already in the mail}!  whoop, whoop!

seriously, carry your eyeballs over to shell sells.  i plan on adding to it throughout the week.  right now, it's just ladies clothes, but purses & maybe some shoes are coming.  next week, i'll add some kiddie clothes to the mix. 

now, go.  tell people, please.  tweet about it, too.  help me clean out my closet & earn an extra buck or two in the process. 

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!

love.

{play along, please! visit summer's blog for the 'it's friday, i'm in love' series.}

i've been dark & twisty lately...like meredith grey {and, no, i haven't watched the season finale yet. twitter just about killed me with the spoiler alerts. i kinda gave up on the season early on, but i guess i need to get caught up and watch it. but, i digress...}.

dark & twisty isn't much fun.  especially because dark & twisty likes to sneak up on you and then wallop you over the head.  seriously.  have you ever noticed how fast a bad mood comes on?  pretty scary stuff.

{spooky pic, huh? i found it here.}

dark & twisty.  that's been my thing for a while.  a long while.  it's going to take time.  there's gonna be one hell of a healing process.  the uncertainty.  the worry.  asking why & what if.

i've got to move on.  i owe it to myself because, while i might own sixty gazillion black shirts, dark & twisty just isn't my thing.  no sir.  especially not when i have so much to be thankful for, so much to look forward to and so much to be proud of.

{saying found here}

so what am i in l♥ve with this friday?

lots of things.

my man.  my hard, hard, HARD working man.
my kiddos.
my kitty cats.
my pup.
my dirty, squeaky car.
the roof over my head.
a full belly.
clean water to drink & hot water to bathe in.
this computer.
internet access.
my blog.  without it, i would have never 'met' you.
my job. it's not what i really want to be doing, but it's paying the bills.
the fact that we've knocked down our credit card debt by two-thirds in 3.5 years.
vanilla bean ice cream with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips sprinkled on top.
pedicured toes.
freshly colored hair {i've got gray, y'all}.

there's a lot to be thankful for, but i'm especially thankful, grateful and oh, so in l♥ve with the fact that i've got hope.

{the inspiration is from here}

going private.

{source}

i've been thinking about this for a long time & i've decided to make my blog private.

the switch will happen by the weekend.  that means, if you wish to continue reading my blog, you'll need to be an invited reader.  blogger only allows a private blog to have 100 readers.  that kind of sucks.  but, this is the right thing for me to do at the moment considering there are people i'd rather not have reading my blog.

if you'd like an invite, please email me at:

shell {at} stutteringshell {dot} com

unless you have a suggestion on how i can have more readers and a private blog {jump ship to wordpress?} or a way to block certain people all together {which i think is next to impossible without going private}.

THROWBACK: overworked & underpaid

**because the blogging block has hit me like a ton of bricks i've decided to resurrect old posts from time to time.**

mother's day isn't here...YET...but i still think you should click & read...

overworked & underpaid

say what?

please head on over to kaitlin's blog, life of a busy wife, to participate in her new blog hop...


today is the inaugural edition. you know, the very first one. me, feeling exceptionally lazy & lame this morning, took the easy way out and posted a link to a blog post from earlier this week. i'll get 'on the ball' next weekend. i promise. {i blame it all on the lack of coffee this morning & the serious mountain of laundry that is waiting for me in the mud room.}

anyways, get over there! i know you guys have some 'say what?!' moments you wanna share.