KimberlyMichelle » lovely

the letter about brownies and a laugh

Kim — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 07:01:00 +0000

I’ve referenced Operation Baking GALS in the past… an Internet organization that helps organize and send baked goodies to troops serving abroad… and told you about how wonderful it is and just how absolutely easy it is to get involved.

But today I want to mention it again in light of an email that was sent to me just the other day about a package of brownies and candy I shipped over to Afghanistan on July 14, 2011 with a “thank you” note to the soldiers. It’s the kind of email that makes you stop and think and remember why you want to spread smiles in the world. I won’t lie and say that it didn’t make me cry, because it did.

And it’s one that will have me signing up for Round 38 as soon as I’m done writing this entry… maybe you’ll join me now or later as well.

[all names have been changed – locales have been deleted]

p.s. via a Google search, I can share that “Lt. Marks” has recovered from his injuries and is back in active duty stateside.

from a pin: I love you because…

Kim — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 04:51:48 +0000

Back in October… I saw this project on my Pinterest boards. Soon after, I went to IKEA, bought an 8×10 frame, and printed a simple phrase in as manly a typeface as I could muster and framed it. I took out a dry erase marker and filled-in-the-blanks. Then I plopped it on Mr. M’s dresser.

And every so often, I erase the message, pull out the dry erase marker that’s kept in the dresser and write something new. In fact, I think I’ll go change the message right now…

original pin source: http://kikicreates.blogspot.com/2011/02/howwhere-would-you-use-yours-large.html

stepping back and moving forward

Kim — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 04:41:36 +0000

Earlier this summer, I stepped out of my comfort zone and went and had brunch with a bunch of strangers in town. I knew no one there, but we all shared one thing in common: we were sorority sisters. It was an alumnae event for our regional group, and while I knew it existed, I didn’t have any friends that I could pal up with and attend. But by the end of all the noshing and talking, I really regretted not jumping into the foray sooner.

While I was there, a few women asked if I’d be interested in helping out with the local chapter at CSU Sacramento. Little did I know that a small “yes” would lead me back into Greek life full swing… but just on a completely different side than before. The majority of my advising will take place this fall as I help out the New Member Education program and all that comes with it… and it started with Bid Day on Tuesday night.

When you talk about sisterhood and being a member for life, you usually acknowledge that the majority of that could be one giant cliché. And I guess it could be… if that’s how you frame it. A social club in college and no more. But then little things creep into your life and you start to realize it was something bigger than just your little house on your campus.

The girls sang some songs and chants that night, and performed the first ritual of many to come, and it was suddenly 2000 all over again. I saw my best college friends all around me, and I really yearned to have one more night sitting in the hallway of the sorority house and just chatting away about nothing with some of the best people I’ve ever known. Heck, I posted a facebook update about remembering all the songs, and people hopped out of the woodwork to comment.

Right now, I’m happy to be devoting some positive energy back into something that meant a lot to me then and still holds a lot of meaning now. And if I make some more new friends out of sisters, then that will just be the added bonus of all of it…

happy number 4

Kim — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Many years have passed since those summer days
Among the fields of barley
See the children run as the sun goes down
Among the fields of gold
You’ll remember me when the west wind moves
Upon the fields of barley
You can tell the sun in his jealous sky
When we walked in the fields of gold

[p.s. here's the Google Search Story I created last year...]

thanks for the reminder toni (and oprah)

Kim — Thu, 19 May 2011 16:48:39 +0000

When I get time to myself on the DVR, I usually hop into my “Oprah” folder to watch what I’ve been missing out on at 4pm for the last few weeks. Right now, I feel a sense of urgency to catch up to the latest episodes, but a sense of sadness that there will be no more to refill that folder come June. I don’t want to be the last person in the world to see Oprah say goodbye, but I also don’t want to delete it from my DVR list. Silly #firstworldproblem …

I caught up with the “Greatest Lessons” show over the weekend, and shed many a tear as I remembered those stories from the past and learned from new ones as well. But one of the lessons was really profound, and I know I’m going to carry it with me every day of my life. If I had heard it when the original show aired, I doubt I would have truly listened and heard it. But on Saturday, I heard it.

One of Oprah’s favorite lessons comes from Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison and the question she asked of all parents: When your child walks in the room, does your face light up?
"When my children used to walk in the room, when they were little, I looked at them to see if they had buckled their trousers or if their hair was combed or if their socks were up," she told Oprah in 2000.

"You think your affection and your deep love is on display because you’re caring for them. It’s not. When they see you, they see the critical face. But if you let your face speak what’s in your heart…because when they walked in the room, I was glad to see them. It’s just as small as that, you see."

Toni’s comment has become one of The Oprah Show’s most profound lessons and has touched the hearts of many viewers—including Gennece, who says that hearing Toni’s lesson changed her. "My daughter ended up dying of cancer," she says. "And the last two years [of her life], every time she would come home—whether it was from chemo or a party or the grocery store—I would always say, ‘Niecy’s home! Niecy’s home!’ And she would get so excited. … That made a difference in my life. And now when children are in my space, it’s authentic that my eyes light up, because my heart lights up."

And I heard it again this morning, through fits of crying and hunger. I need to let my love shine through when anyone is in my space, but especially my family is around me. It’s not enough to know it in your head and say it. It really should be shining through in their presence all the time.

Does your face light up when you’re around people you love?

where the river meets the sea

Kim — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 15:44:00 +0000

[Big Sur, CA – the mouth of the Pajaro River mixing with the Pacific Ocean – taken by Stan Russell]

I keep staring at this photograph and thinking that it’s a perfect painting. But it’s just nature at work.

I hope that spring has officially sprung

Kim — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 16:15:00 +0000

After a very wet (did I saw wet… I meant WET) winter, we got a delightful taste of spring this week. Sadly I was slaving away at deadlines and barely had a chance to peer out my window at the flip-flopped/tank topped co-ed’s walking past.

But I did buy myself some daffodils at Trader Joe’s ($1.29/bunch!) and watching them bloom got me so excited for Spring! Some of the tulips in the front yard that I scattered have bloomed as well… and perhaps the lawn will dry out enough for us to cut it before our neighbors run out and do it for us!

I’m going to wait patiently until the end of April to plant any of our tomato plants, just in case April showers appear. But I really can’t wait to enjoy evening walks with Mr. M and Miss L and dining al fresco and wiggling my toes in my non-toed shoes. And I’m really really hoping that the wildflowers will bloom in the middle of the month and we can take a day jaunt over to Yosemite to see them and the record flows at the waterfalls!

Who else just absolutely adores Spring?

sunday at sephora

Kim — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:46:14 +0000

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I ventured out to the mall on Sunday to return some purchases, and got sucked into the girl’s candy store known as Sephora. I’m not nearly the make-up lover that I used to be back in college, but the store still beckons me in with its endless pretty temptations and the ability to try them all out. I went in with the stated goal of buying a pencil sharpener, and left with two scented gifts for myself.
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The first unbirthday gift: Philosophy’s Rainbow Sherbert lotion. I was going to buy the shower gel, but I realized that I’d be much happier carrying the scent around with me all day rather than just having it in the shower. It’s like a childhood trip to Thrifty’s for ice cream… pure bliss! And, it basically turns you into a human ice cream cone! Baby M was having a field day with my arms yesterday, so I’m assuming I smelled/tasted better than ever.
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The second gift: CLEAN petites rollerballs. I had spent a few minutes in the fragrance section trying to figure out which new CLEAN perfume I liked the most. I’m traditionally a CLEAN Ultimate gal, but I was trying my best to sell myself on Warm Cotton or Shower Fresh. Then I saw this little rollerball set at the counter, and I was sold on it for $10! Much easier than deciding which scent I loved enough to buy a whole bottle of it… so maybe I’ll have my decision by the time I need to make my list for Santa!
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And today I’m realizing how happy all of those smells make me… like a mini scented candle for my skin. Sometimes it’s the littlest indulgences that garner the biggest smiles on a Monday…

fourth of july in Tahoe

Kim — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:51:23 +0000

This past holiday weekend, we escaped the Valley heat and headed up to Lake Tahoe for a bit of rest and relaxation. My parents had rented a house to celebrate their anniversary (Tahoe is one of their fav spots to do so), so we packed up Memphis and the baby and headed on up the mountain.
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The weather over the weekend was spectacular – 80′s all weekend long with no mountain thunderstorms in sight.
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My parents celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary on July 4th! Across the country, Mr. M’s parents celebrated their 40th!
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My mom bought Baby M an assortment of red/white/blue outfits for the weekend. This one said “Baby’s first fourth” on the front.
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The (private) beach was quite packed for the 4th…
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… which might explain Mr. M’s expression here?
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We got a rare family photo in near the marina… since one of us is always behind the camera.
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And, as usual, plenty of baby pictures as well! Did I tell you that Baby M has a HUGE head that isn’t well suited for small headbands? But when you get them on her, they do look ridiculously cute!
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See… I told you!
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How do you capture baby smiles? Well, in this moment, Mr. M is trying to elicit giggles from Baby M by blowing on the back of her head… and Grandma L is trying to tickle her. Looks like it worked!
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We grilled a classic 4th of July feast outside on the patio before we headed to the beach for the fireworks…
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[from the_tahoe_guy]
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… which we watched from the shoreline with Baby M all cuddled in her bassinet stroller. She didn’t even stir for a second! Guess all of those naps in a noisy daycare environment are good for all of us!
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We headed back home on Monday morning rested and relaxed from a nice escape. Sometimes you forget how peaceful it is to drive 90-minutes and end up in a different world!

only a true gifter would know how neat this is!

Kim — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:00:00 +0000

Can you imagine anything more amazing than hot chocolate on a stick?

I mean, anything “on a stick” is usually amazing… but cocoa… that’s got to be insanely lovely! Once again, giver’s log shares an ingenious idea with the rest of us normal folks about how to make a wonderfully perfect gift to give everyone you know!