tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71283559380237492082024-03-13T08:23:25.314-07:00delightful | the blog of abbe powersAbbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.comBlogger177125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-68846043080172601092016-04-05T14:37:00.002-07:002016-04-05T14:37:37.782-07:00| abbe walshSay goodbye to my old blog.<div>
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And while you're at it...</div>
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Say hello to <a href="http://abbewalsh.blogspot.com/"> http://abbewalsh.blogspot.com</a></div>
Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-38229768471167151882015-12-11T11:16:00.000-08:002015-12-11T11:16:35.825-08:00| five things...Golly.<br />
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Its been a while. I'd apologize, but I've always felt that real life is more important than social media. When I'm busy (or happy) I completely forget to write, take pictures, update, etc. There has to be a better way to keep up with it. But honestly, I'm not much of a social media girl, it's usually the first thing to go.<br />
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That being said. Hi! I hope you're well. Things are well in my world. Up to my eyeballs with a new business start-up. We're in a very frustrating phase where things are getting done, but the progress is slow, and it start-stop-start-stop. Ahhhhh! January, we'll be ready for you. Meanwhile, I'll be hanging more twinkle lights.<br />
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Five things off the top of my head:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2tC5k4Eqr3w/VmsS5UgN3DI/AAAAAAAACSQ/Lzf0a4gV9wo/s1600/IMG_4409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2tC5k4Eqr3w/VmsS5UgN3DI/AAAAAAAACSQ/Lzf0a4gV9wo/s400/IMG_4409.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>
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1. Truffle Popcorn<br />
Y'all. It's the fanciest. A dear friend of ours, who visited for thanksgiving, was talking about his signature truffle popcorn (apparently it contains truffle butter, truffle oil AND truffle salt!). I'd forgotten how much I loved this snack. It took me three weeks to locate some truffle salt in my little cowtown, but I finally did yesterday and MY GRACIOUS!!! <br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://withstyleandgraceblog.com/2011/08/31/baby-shower-truffle-popcorn-for-two-peas-and-their-pod/">Photo & recipe from With Style & Grace blog. I just used melted european butter & truffle salt, but her recipe sounds better!</a></span><br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/O47HASywXnU/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O47HASywXnU?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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2. Legging are not pants<br />
Hey! Just a reminder. I did, however, love her reference to "working out my words" pants. She's a funny lady.<br />
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3. Poshmark<br />
In case you felt convicted from the above video and need to purchase some new PANTS. I love love love Poshmark! Brooke and I use this all the time to clean out our closets. It's also a great way to polish up on your shopping math (anything you sell, then recycle into posh money, then purchase new things with is FREE! I've gotten 2 pairs of FREE kate spade shoes, designer jeans & more!)<br />
My profile is here: <a href="https://poshmark.com/closet/abbepowers"> https://poshmark.com/closet/abbepowers</a><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5DnIvMfIjUo/VmsgWSJE9sI/AAAAAAAACSs/_kFJq2tOdO4/s1600/loveatthethanksgivingdayparade-0003u-ltdp-2759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5DnIvMfIjUo/VmsgWSJE9sI/AAAAAAAACSs/_kFJq2tOdO4/s400/loveatthethanksgivingdayparade-0003u-ltdp-2759.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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4. Hallmark Christmas Movies<br />
They're sweet and cheesy and Christmasy and they have catchy titles such as "A Bride for Christmas" or "Holiday Mix-Up". Since my grandparents now live approximately 10 minutes away we like to stop by to visit and take advantage of their full cable package. Mimi loves all of the granddaughter time and Boppa usually heads out to do manly things. Bless his heart. I've been told I'm the "hallmark girl", which is not true, okay, maybe a little. My current favorite is Love At The Thanksgiving Day Parade. The main character is eerily similar to myself. It's her love of vintage clothing. <a href="http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/love-at-the-thanksgiving-day-parade/about">http://www.hallmarkchannel.com/love-at-the-thanksgiving-day-parade/about </a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eRGuztb25VM/VmsY653lgvI/AAAAAAAACSg/uHW3SFcYn9A/s1600/IMG_1244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eRGuztb25VM/VmsY653lgvI/AAAAAAAACSg/uHW3SFcYn9A/s400/IMG_1244.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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5. Goodbeing Box<br />
I absolutely abhor shopping for cosmetics. And being the natural products industry for practically my entire life has made me a little cautious about what beauty products I use (except for my hairspray, I'm dedicated to hair excellence, that's not going anywhere). This makes shopping at Sephora my biggest nightmare. So I signed myself up for a Goodbeing box, filled out an extensive questionnaire and when my box came I was completely delighted with every single thing in my box. My second box arrived the other day and, again, I couldn't have been happier! <a href="https://goodebox.com/">https://goodebox.com</a><br />
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That's all I've got. I'm off to wrap up some Christmas shopping and pull things together for our Ugly Sweater party tomorrow! <br />
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Have a great weekend!Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-55698355976337069312015-10-29T10:34:00.000-07:002015-11-02T13:44:33.388-08:00photographed | snake road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last few days have brought wind and rain and rumors of snow. So the last of the golden leaves are shaken off their wet limbs. Autumn is simply spectacular here. The sugar maples turn to a flaming red and their leaf-load is as voluminous as a country singer's hair. They release a sweet smell as they fall, and it brings back early childhood memories of adventures in the woods and raking huge piles to jump in and somewhere in my mind there's a photograph floating around of a particularly vibrant tree that was in my grandparents front yard.Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-34577946893417659792015-09-23T13:01:00.001-07:002015-09-23T13:01:18.589-07:00quotable | quinoa<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was innocently going over my menu for a bridal shower and Miss Grace happened to overhear my plans of a quinoa salad. This was her response. </div>
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My biggest critic in life is an 8-year old. We have so many things in common, including our sass. </div>
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I kept the quinoa salad in the menu, it was tasty, but wasn't nearly as popular as the other items on the buffet. But then, Miss Grace could have probably told me that.</div>
Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-59645557226169401062015-09-17T14:22:00.001-07:002015-10-12T10:49:20.978-07:00thoughts | home...Oh, that word.<br />
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Home.<br />
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When our house sold last summer and our new house as just shy of breaking ground. We scrambled. Trying to find a place for 11 people and their things. Nothing was out of question. Hotels, the cabin, another state, an RV, tents, a yurt. We looked at dozens of options for the time that faced us as we built our new home. In the end, it was a vacation rental that we ended up living in long term. 10 months to be exact. About 5 minutes from the office and the grocery store, within the range of the pizza delivery man and most importantly, able to house the whole lot of us. Of course I complained, but you couldn't beat it for convenience!<br />
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With our move now behind us and the one year mark a few week past, I've been reflecting. It seems like the longest year of my life and yet the shortest. It was a good, yet hard year. Not good in the traditional sense, maybe more good for me. For a while my entire world was flipped upside down. And I struggled every day with this out of place, lost feeling. And then I struggled because I was frustrated at myself for feeling that. "Abbe, there are real people in the real world dealing with things that hundreds of times harder than this. It's all fancy problems." Darn those fancy problems, they'll just wear you down if you let them.<br />
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But God works in all of our lives in ways that are specific to us. Because He is a personal God. He is God with us. When He calls us to something, He also walks with us through it. For me, it was a stripping away. Of dreams, of the familiar, of some of the stability that my family fights so fiercely to maintain, of our things. The first few months were miserable. Then the holidays came and were especially hard since we're used to having huge celebrations. It was the first time, in a few years that we weren't able to host a ton of friends for Thanksgiving. We were on top of each other (the turtles were suffocating, as I was sharing a room with Miss Grace and her collection of 97,000 turtles) and stress was high. I wasn't sure we were going to make it. And with most trials, you're in the thick of it, you start to accept it as the new normal, and you realize that you're at the end. It's over. You wouldn't want to go through it again, but you're grateful you did. <br />
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One of the most profound things I learned is, my comfort is overrated. That, even in a good life, there will always be an element of uncertainty and it's okay. Man, that's hard for me, I hate it so much. I love my security, I love to be comfortable, I like to know whats coming next and to be prepared for it. I've always been a "look before I leap" kinda girl. Worse than that actually, if I don't see a sign, I'm 100% the one to call the park board and double check to make sure I'm not missing something. My family kept saying to each other "when we move into our house" or "when this is over" and had to catch ourselves from thinking that everything was going to be perfect once we had a permanent home again. It's a lie you tell yourself. It's a part of coping, I think. The thing about hard seasons is that, they prepare you for harder seasons. You realize that you're stronger than you think, that God is really all you need. And while I'm probably coming across as a little dramatic, what I'm trying to say is that, I'm just barely scraping the surface of what it means to trust God through times that feel out of our control. <br />
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I'm not really sure where all of that came from. I've been trying to write this post for a few weeks and I can't get the words perfect but I think I may put it up anyway. But I've been pondering "home" and it's come to mean so much to me. I get a little choked up every time. I can't help it. My brother got married in our backyard on Saturday, adding the first layer of precious memories. <br />
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It's good to be home.Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-79928082321191447612015-09-14T08:22:00.000-07:002015-09-14T08:22:02.151-07:00photographed | happy wedding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8TbnJoG_60A/VfblUIQgvgI/AAAAAAAACP4/3ypLKHfYWpM/s1600/leviemilypreview-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8TbnJoG_60A/VfblUIQgvgI/AAAAAAAACP4/3ypLKHfYWpM/s640/leviemilypreview-1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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My little brother got married this weekend. The ceremony and reception were held in our backyard, the weather was perfect, the flowers were other-worldly, food amazing and the prettiest couple I've seen. Happy wedding Levi & Em!<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.kathryngracephotography.com/2015/09/levi-emily-wedding-preview.html">photographed by the ever-incredible Kathryn Grace Photography</a></span>Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-71772799265842734142015-08-20T08:46:00.001-07:002015-08-20T08:46:34.882-07:00photographed | it is well<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Through it all.</div>
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It is well.</div>
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With me.</div>
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Summer stories and more to come.</div>
Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-87638698142778862962015-06-30T19:28:00.001-07:002015-06-30T19:28:37.296-07:00quotable | moving, again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Move 2 of 5 was completed this weekend. At some point during the moving process, the part of you that cares about things falls out of your ear or something (perhaps it got packed in a box) and you start to do things you wouldn't otherwise do. Such as, leave the toilet paper out for all to see. And use measuring cups as drinking glasses. It was an all new high-low for us.<br />
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Thankful that's over.<br />
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P.s. <a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeAlline">@brookealline</a> is on the twitter, I'm biased, but she's a funny girl.<br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-rSw4t2y_1dw%2FVZNOE1AZKFI%2FAAAAAAAACLk%2FnMbAJsP1R2A%2Fs640%2F24-pack.png&xm=h&xv=sa1.36&xuid=BPgKdaT6XTU_&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 140px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Fsrc%3Dsidebar&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-rSw4t2y_1dw%2FVZNOE1AZKFI%2FAAAAAAAACLk%2FnMbAJsP1R2A%2Fs640%2F24-pack.png&xm=h&xv=sa1.36&xuid=BPgKdaT6XTU_&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 140px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-62346614116502603352015-06-18T12:23:00.000-07:002015-06-18T12:23:05.509-07:00travels | austria | my day at the hotel schloss leopoldskron<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYPHa0kXovY/VYME4wfeD7I/AAAAAAAACJs/ppT8HJLsKMQ/s1600/IMG_9964.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kYPHa0kXovY/VYME4wfeD7I/AAAAAAAACJs/ppT8HJLsKMQ/s640/IMG_9964.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A beautiful family estate, the Schloss Leopoldskron was built in the 1700s by the Prince Archbishop of Salzburg (his heart is still buried under the floor in the chapel). Over the centuries it had moved into the hands of many, royalty and commoners included. In 1918, Max Reinhardt fell in love with and devoted himself to restoring and bringing life back into the Schloss. He was a well known theater director all over Europe and the Schloss was often his stage until it was confiscated by the Nazis in WWII. Reinhardt never returned after 1938. Decades later, his son bought the film rights to The Sound of Music.</div>
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And that is how the Schloss Leopoldskron is now forever connected to this iconic film.</div>
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Mrs. B was responsible for finding and booking our rooms. The place was sold out and had only Sunday night available, moving across town was required but I don't think anyone minded. We had a glimpse of the place during our first day of touring (the shot from across the lake), but from the moment we pulled through the gates and onto the property I felt I never wanted to leave. </div>
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Our wonderful Hotel Clerk handed us real keys on ribbons that reminded me of the Bavarian princes, then, telling us that he didn't want to waste any of our "precious holiday", he walked us to our suite.</div>
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And I forgot to breathe...</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iT_jBLP6pu0/VYMLfS1hQoI/AAAAAAAACKk/ywFn_dLSQ2w/s1600/Sound-of-Music_50x70-hoch_web_01_0c9a899346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iT_jBLP6pu0/VYMLfS1hQoI/AAAAAAAACKk/ywFn_dLSQ2w/s640/Sound-of-Music_50x70-hoch_web_01_0c9a899346.jpg" width="354" /></a></div>
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How did they know that this is exactly what we would have chosen?!? Dear Hotel Clerk showed us around, pointing out the fruit and prosecco that had been delivered earlier (later that evening Anna said "well, I'm off to the front desk to turn this wine into Perrier, need anything?") as he left he mentioned "One more thing, you'll find most doors here at the Schloss open, any door that is unlocked is available for you to explore, enjoy!)</div>
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ENJOY?!? EXPLORE?!? ME???</div>
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I tell you what, at that very moment, I could have died the happiest girl in the world.</div>
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After delivering our suitcases, we decided that some solo exploration was in order and that we would need up later for a bike ride. My heart overflowed as I pushed my way through heavy wooden doors and into rooms that were dappled with afternoon light. One of my favorite scenes in the Sound of Music is the one where Maria walks into the ballroom before meeting the Captain. How was I to know that that room was a direct copy of one of the Schloss rooms. </div>
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I happened upon it.</div>
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An oriental themed room, all in shades of minty green.</div>
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The Marble Hall where breakfast is served each morning.</div>
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The world's most perfect home library. Complete with hidden staircase.</div>
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The grounds were absolutely breathtaking. It was my daily discipline during this trip to mail at least one postcard every day. I ordered a cappuccino from the cafe and sat down at the patio to write. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the swing that hung from one of the trees, and do you know what? Every. Single. Person. who walked by stopped and swung. They would glance around to see if anyone was watching, back up a few steps and then hop onto the swing, after a few strokes you could see that they were enjoying it far too much to care what others thought.</div>
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Brooke and I decided that swinging is good for the soul. </div>
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Before his death, Max Reinhardt wrote to his wife about the home that he had loved...</div>
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<i style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19.5px;">"I have lived in Leopoldskron for eighteen years, truly lived, and I have brought it to life. I have lived every room, every table, every chair, every light, and every picture. I have built, designed, decorated, planted and I have dreamt of it when I was not there. I have always loved it in a festive way, not as something ordinary. Those were my most beautiful, prolific and mature years ... I have lost it without lamenting. I have lost everything that I carried into it. It was the harvest of my life’s work."</i></div>
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The hotel provided us with bikes for the afternoon and told us that the yellow house used for filming the front of the Von Trapp Villa was only a 10 minute ride away. You should have seen us trying to navigate those tiny little streets with GPS and our natural instincts, then trying to keep in the bike lane to avoid getting hit by Austrian drivers. A little more than 10 minutes later, we pulled up to the yellow house. (the gate in the photo above is the one that Julie Andrews pushes open and sighs "Oh help!" after seeing the house.)<br />
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I woke up the next morning to the sounds of church bells and gravel being pushed around in the garden below. The sun was shining and it was clear enough to see the mountains. I thought to myself that the curtains on my window would make a very nice sundress.<br />
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Breakfast was divine. Even if the cappuccino machine had it out for me. We made it last as long as we could before leaving for one more walk around the place. All throughout the woods were footpaths and funny statues. And ducks. Lots of ducks.</div>
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Humor me, okay?</div>
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And one more photo in front of the seahorses (just look at those happy smiles!). Our checkout time was 11am, and I think it was 11:15am before we decided it was time. Not a one of us wanted to ever leave. Our visit to the Schloss was beyond perfect, the service, the rooms, the setting. </div>
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In a word, delightful.</div>
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If you find yourself in the neighborhood...<br />
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hotel | http://www.schloss-leopoldskron.com/en/home.html<br />
history | http://www.schloss-leopoldskron.com/en/history.htmlAbbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-10477182156550090922015-06-16T15:09:00.001-07:002015-06-16T15:09:19.187-07:00travels | germany & austria | part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The days we spent in Salzburg are among my favorite travel moments of all. As we planned our trip, this had been the city I most looked forward to visiting.<br />
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It did not disappoint.<br />
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We choose a hotel situated only a few blocks from the old part of the city and our tour began the first morning with a wonderful guide who met up with up while wearing lederholsen. And I thought to myself, THIS is a good day.<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">We asked for a "Sound of Music" and that is exactly what we got. </span><br />
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Starting with Mirabel Gardens we walked through the beautiful flowers and found the tunnel that is so familiar to lovers of the movie (of which I consider myself a level 9 fan). The weather was mostly overcast during our visit, but we were able to make good progress in spite of the rain.<br />
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"Sixteen Going on Seventeen" gazebo. Sadly, this is only a prop. The gazebo used for filming was elsewhere and we couldn't even go inside since it they'd closed it off. Apparently, a 90 year old women was trying to reenact the leaping from bench to bench scene and fell. She probably wasn't feeling 16 after that...</div>
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Our tour took us high in to the mountains that surround the city, visibility was limited due to the clouds, but our guide did a wonderful job of showing us around and even had a perfectly timed playlist that made me giggle every time he played it. (Somewhere there is very embarrassing footage of all of us yodeling up the hill...)</div>
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Here is the inside of the church that was used for filming the wedding of Captain Von Trapp and Maria. I walked in and said "This isn't right. The train on her dress would fill half the aisle." Then we <strike>argued </strike>discussed it for a few minutes and our guide walked up and said "You'll notice that this aisle is much too short". Mmmhmm... He told us that is was the correct church, but that Julie Andrews had to do the scene twice and they patched it together. Movie magic!</div>
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Here is the front of the church. Painted with that glorious Salzburg Yellow! This color will forever remind me of Austria, its iconic to the houses and buildings.</div>
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With dear Mrs. B! She is even a bigger Sound of Music fan than I am. We were in heaven the whole week!<br />
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We hiked up to Nonnburg Abbey, near the fortress, to see the view and the church where the real Captain Von Trapp & Maria were married. I've never been in a more peaceful old church in my life. The stone floors were so old and as no one spoke, a woman was kneeling in the pew, praying and at one point she slipped out without a noise. I walked along and read the plaques and wished we had more time. </div>
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Our guide had also recommended that us girls not visit the convent, its active, he said. They're always looking for new nuns! I decided that if I'm single at 30 and life isn't working out for me, I'll move to Salzburg and become a nun. </div>
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Exit plans, they're good to have.</div>
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Oh, how I wanted to flick the water up at this giant horse. However, there was a huge festival in town and tourists acting like tourists, and I get embarrassed far too easily. So I did not. But I stared at it for a good long time. Statues are fascinating things.<br />
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So, something I learned while in Salzburg, was that, the house in the movie is actually made up of several different houses. The location used for the "front" of the house was about a 10 minute bike ride down the road. It's now a music school and was all but deserted on a Sunday evening, we even walked right through the door and couldn't find a soul. Anna made a selfie-video of her running up to the door! A la "I Have Confidence"! While I humored myself with a Maria themed cutout.<br />
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Yes, we had a blast, why do you ask? <br />
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This is a snap from across the little lake looking at the house used for filming the back of the Von Trapp house (the patio scenes and when the children are boating). We spent a night here (it's now a hotel and possibly my favorite place in the world!) I'm hoping to do a separate post on just the hotel. It was funny to me because, in my head I "knew" the whole layout of the Villa Von Trapp, but seeing the actual locations, every time I walked around a corner it was different than I'd pictured. Again, movie magic! <br />
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The trees that the children climbed as the Captain, Baroness and Max drove along the road. They've grown a bit over the last 50 years.<br />
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D1047718215655009092%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-jn5CXkClucQ%2FVXS7C3mLolI%2FAAAAAAAACEA%2FFf36E1gk58c%2Fs640%2FIMG_9849.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 113px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D1047718215655009092%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-jn5CXkClucQ%2FVXS7C3mLolI%2FAAAAAAAACEA%2FFf36E1gk58c%2Fs640%2FIMG_9849.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 113px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D1047718215655009092%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-jn5CXkClucQ%2FVXS7C3mLolI%2FAAAAAAAACEA%2FFf36E1gk58c%2Fs640%2FIMG_9849.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 113px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D1047718215655009092%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D0%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2F3.bp.blogspot.com%2F-jn5CXkClucQ%2FVXS7C3mLolI%2FAAAAAAAACEA%2FFf36E1gk58c%2Fs640%2FIMG_9849.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 113px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 18px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-60339918404560718592015-06-05T05:39:00.000-07:002015-06-07T14:44:39.234-07:00travels | germany & austria | part 1Snapshots and stories from Germany:<br />
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Our first stop. directly after an overnight flight into Munich, was to the concentration camp Dachau. I don't recommend that. But since we had to drive into the city and it was on the way and on our schedule for the week, we stopped. I have one photo, taken inside of the Jewish memorial, the lighting was beautiful, but really, the whole place was desolate and depressing and I was happy to leave. <br />
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Continuing on, we stopped at the BMW museum! It came highly recommended and didn't disappoint! Chock full of vintage BMW cars, convertibles, motorcycles and airplane parts. And currently, a special exhibit of Mini Cooper. I was ready to pull out my credit card for one of those babies! <br />
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After a wonderful night of sleep we wandered into the old part of Munich. To get the full "German Breakfast Experience", we were told to eat the white sausage. The heart of the city also hosts a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rathaus-Glockenspiel">Glockenspie</a>l that performs every morning at 11am performance. We found a cafe with a great view and sat down to order our breakfast! The sausages came out in a white ceramic urn filled with steaming water to keep them hot while we ate. Pretzels and grainy mustard rounded out this complete breakfast. Wheaties are overrated.<br />
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The Glockenspiel as seen from the top of one of the churches. We hiked up hundreds of stairs, single file, but the view was wonderful. I always love getting a birds eye view of large cities. Rooftops, gardens and seeing the bustle from above. It's even better when you spy a farmers marked only a few blocks away. Munich is a particularly old city, just look at that architecture!</div>
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Our afternoon was spent wandering through the Residenz Munchen (the German Palace). It started to rain and was perfect timing for leisurely roaming through the rooms and apartments. One of my favorite things to do is to soak it all in, imagining what it must have been like to live here everyday. And you look at little closer at the woodwork and start to see doors, and wonder where they go. We met the most perfect southern belle one morning while leaving our hotel in Austria, and as we swapped travel stories, she mentioned that every time she walks into a large estate or castle, she just sighs and couldn't feel more at home. Yes. Her parting words to us, I will treasure forever, because they made me laugh, and because I understand completely "Y'all, its yours and mine". </div>
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I loved the moody artwork, the gilt frame and the use of green in this room. The color scheme was so inspiring to me. Goes to prove my point that "all greens go together"!</div>
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One of my biggest dreams was to see Neuschwanstein Castle. High up in the Bavarian Alps, this was King Ludwig II's fairytale castle. In my imagination the castle was tucked away from civilization. I was so surprised and delighted to find that it stands guard over the picturesque village of Hohenschwangu. The meaning is "high swan county" and named after the swans that could be found on the mountain lakes and ponds. Two castles are here, the original (pictured above) was build as a summer residence for King Maximilian and his family (Ludwig's father). After his death, King Ludwig, wanting a monument of his own, built Neuschwanstein "New Swan on the Rock". It took him 17 years to complete and he only lived there only for a minute before his country had him declared insane and he mysteriously died. </div>
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Hiking up the winding pathway to Neuschwanstein...</div>
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Once you reach the castle at the top, the massive wooden doors and a courtyard greet you. Part of the magic disappears here because you are forced into a line and hundreds of people are waiting to get int. For the castle being so massive, our tour only lasted about 20 minutes. Oh how I would have loved to have a unguided tour around the place! I wonder what the application process is to work here???</div>
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I found that I loved Hohenschwangu even better than Neuschwanstein. Shocker! The original castle, although overwhelming and regal, was surprisingly comfortable. The rooms were wood paneled and warm, staircases and hallways narrow and the rooms you could tell had been lived in. </div>
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Swans were throughout the entire place. Golly, I love a good family motif!<br />
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Swans. Everywhere.</div>
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How tiny Neuschwanstein looks from the garden of the other castle!</div>
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There wasn't a bad view in this village. And may was the perfect time of year to visit, the forests were so very lush! Everything was green!<br />
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Eating breakfast in Europe is my most favorite thing. Give me a hotel breakfast and a castle and I'm the happiest girl in the world.<br />
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On the border of Germany and Austria is the town of Bertchesgarten. Most famous for being used as one of Hitler's lairs and home of the Eagles Nest. We had a brilliant three hour tour that took us all over the mountain side, showing us what was once a Nazi hot spot and now is reclaimed forest. Both the museum and the tour guide did a great job of giving the historical significance of a place like this and also giving fair a solid look at how much harm socialism can cause.<br />
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The mountain held several miles worth of tunnels and bunkers.</div>
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This was taken inside of Hitler's private elevator. It's polished brass and still in perfect working condition. It took forever to get all the way to Eagles Nest. When they say top of the mountain, they really mean it. Two bus rides and an elevator later, you find yourself inside of an unassuming building. On a clear day you can see the mountains and even Salzburg in the distance, not on the day of our visit. But it was so much easier to focus on the history and I learned a ton!</div>
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Once you arrive at the top, the actual Eagles Nest isn't much to see. It's a restaurant now. All of the fixtures are original, including this red marble fireplace. You can see that it has been chipped away, our boys did that during the war. Never underestimate American GI's and their love of a good souvenir! </div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D6033991840456071859%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D1%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-vDppD8J6SoE%2FVXD1f5ucc_I%2FAAAAAAAACCQ%2FOffB48Sv53U%2Fs640%2FIMG_9729.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 6610px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D6033991840456071859%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dposts%3BpostNum%3D1%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2F2.bp.blogspot.com%2F-vDppD8J6SoE%2FVXD1f5ucc_I%2FAAAAAAAACCQ%2FOffB48Sv53U%2Fs640%2FIMG_9729.jpg&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 6610px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-48515405471234264812015-05-29T17:54:00.001-07:002015-05-29T17:54:59.005-07:00travels | germany & austria | and I'll sing once more...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I need a few more days and I'll be back to bore y'all to tears with photos and such from my trip. <br />
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Bonus points if this location looks familiar to you. (Also, if you know and we're not already friends, then we should be!)Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-62963121347699100492015-05-06T19:57:00.000-07:002015-05-07T07:37:13.405-07:00thoughts | a few things running wild in my head...There are a lot of thinks that happen under this blonde of mine. As <a href="https://twitter.com/BrookeAlline">@Brookealline</a> likes to remind me often "stop thinking so much, your brain is going to blow up". <br />
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Y'all, that is a very real possibility.<br />
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A selection of 5 of the not-so-deep things:<br />
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<u>1. Lilly for Target.</u><br />
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I was going to devote an entire post to this. But I won't. Just a few-paragraph rant. <br />
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I'm simply too disgusted over the entire matter. I'm a Lilly girl, I've been huge fan for about 10 years, I'm probably more familiar with the brand than her board of directors. I collect & wear vintage pieces, I know how to tell a real from a fake & have a deep appreciation for the ALL THE PINK & GREEN! When they first announced a collab with Target I was excited, then realized that while it would bring more awareness it would also cheapen the brand. Lilly Pulitzer clothing is beautifully made, with great details inside & out of the clothing. Lace trim inside the hem, palm tree buttons up the back, gorgeous prints in quality cotton, I wasn't sure a $38 shift dress could stand up to the $200 price of her regular line. It seemed like a far stretch to me. I was aware of the online buzz, bloggers posting their plans for securing online & in-store items, & one especially unflattering article on the HuffPo showing you how to wear Lilly for Target if you're not a Palm Beach kind of girl. Excuse me??? You're not being held against your will, just walk on past. Thank you.<br />
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They released on Sunday. I figured our Target would be fully stocked for a while & could wait for me until after church and my Sunday nap. Priorities. About 5pm, I asked my two littlest sisters if they wanted to go check out the Lilly, they were in. But, then again, they never turn down a trip to Target. We walked in, were greeted by huge posters & EMPTY SHELVES. That sent us on a scavenger hunt of the entire store which turned out one hammock stand (just the stand, no hammock), two candle holders & a string of lights. We were shocked. The Target staff just walked around with a glazed look in their eye. I overheard one of them saying she didn't even know who this Lilly person was. They said the doors unlocked at 8am & it was a mad rush of women. Reminds me of the time I also underestimated Midwestern women & their apparent love of Missoni. By the next morning, they had already taken the signs down at our local store. Like it never even happened. <br />
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Over the past two weeks, as I've made my #targetrun, a few returns have come back to the store. And a sweet lady who works there recognized me & told me where a few things were hiding. We were able to snag a pair of the palazzo pants, a nail polish in "Capri" (Lilly x Target x Essie, triple collab?) and two nail files. The quality is terrible on the pants by the way. I decided that I would keep on wearing my "Lilly for Lilly" and let everyone go crazy on the Internet (I'll keep my thoughts to myself about those who are reselling with a 500% markup).<br />
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<u>2. Woman in Gold</u><br />
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Did you see this movie? Brooke & I went a few weeks ago & loved it! Beautifully filmed with great acting & a fascinating story. I was impressed & loved the historical aspect. Since we're traveling to Austria next week, I was interested in that part of the story as well.<br />
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<u>3. Fleek</u><br />
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I'm not sure where to begin with this one. There is something about this word that drives me batty. Pop culture tends to make my eye twitch anyway, but how do we take a two-second video & turn a made up word into something that otherwise elegant individuals now use in everyday conversation. My siblings were trying to explain this to me. Just when I thought I had caught onto "the fleek", they told me to stop. That is was not "the fleek" just "fleek". And I'm still banned from the twitter & apparently the chatsnap too. You won't catch me using this word. Even on days when my eyebrows look extraordinarily good.<br />
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<u>4. Unbroken</u><br />
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I'm the last person on the planet to read this book (I've not seen the movie yet, I'm not sure that I want to), I'm about 3/4 of the way through it & I hate it. It's terrible. Heartbreaking. The three chapters that Laura Hillenbrand spent detailing every move of those sharks had me crawling up the wall. The other night I was sitting in bed contemplating googling photos of 30ft great white sharks. I was so tempted, mainly because it seems unlikely that they would be that long. But I resisted, because if there is anything in this world that is guaranteed to give a person nightmares, it's rows of shark teeth. I'll let you know if I end up liking the book any more at the end.<br />
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<a href="http://www.forever21.com/Product/Product.aspx?BR=f21&Category=acc_scarf-gloves&ProductID=1000082727&VariantID=">5. Forever 21 Classic Knit Scarf</a><br />
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I bought this over the weekend in the Blush pink & it's perfect! The color is not very pink at all, just a very light cream color. The weight is nice & about the size of a blanket. I wore it the other day wrapped around my neck twice & then tied in a bow in front. It looked pretty cute. It's $8.90 & comes in several other colors. I'll be sporting this on the plane next week, along with my black Gap knit pants & sleeping mask. I texted my travel companions about my plan to change into sweats on the plane, they weren't too amused, but with the timing of the flight, I need to sleep, so I'll just pull my mask down further (I have sleeping mask problems due to the fact that I have a pug nose, they never quite block out ALL of the light) & ignore their glares. Haha! In all reality, we travel great together & we're all excited about our trip, sweatpants or no.<br />
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I should get back to my packing list. Or my book. Let me think about that...Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-17855950182171680592015-04-20T16:44:00.000-07:002015-07-01T08:27:23.416-07:00quotable | imaginary cats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As previously mentioned several thousand times, Brooke and I share a room. Oh and Miss Grace, she shares a room with us as well. It's a two to one messie to clean freak ratio. I'll let you guess who's who.<br />
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Anyway, we spend a lot of time together and sometimes, such as last Saturday night, we come up with clever names in case we were ever to get a cat. Which we will not. Because we've promised each other that we will never allow the other to become a cat lady.<br />
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That is not something that the women in our family aspire to be.Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-89619904957166966852015-04-17T09:22:00.001-07:002015-04-17T09:22:33.955-07:00finds | weleda creamy rose <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RNtSdn8-lcQ/VTEwQvJaZBI/AAAAAAAAB6U/mSIPR59dFhs/s1600/wild-rose-creamy-body-wash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RNtSdn8-lcQ/VTEwQvJaZBI/AAAAAAAAB6U/mSIPR59dFhs/s1600/wild-rose-creamy-body-wash.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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I recently ordered this "creamy wild rose body wash" from Weleda and it's wonderful! There is something about this romantic, timeless, scent that is lovely and calming. In a way, it reminds me of my great Aunt Mae (for whom I'm named) and the way her bedroom and bathroom, which were so deliciously covered in all manner of chenille fabrics, always smelled powdery and perfectly "old lady-ish". Mint green, Revlon cosmetics and the smell of bacon gravy with refrigerated biscuits always bring Aunt Mae memories to mind. </div>
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She was such a precious little thing (our similarities end with our shared middle name, she was the tiniest! Although, I can wear her size 4 wedding band. Okay, fine, it's a little tight...) and as my Mimi would say, she was "fix-y", which I think is the absolute best term for those people who like the chance to get all "fixed up and go out". She wore sassy wigs (isn't that divine!), outfits that matched everything from head to toe and carried a "pocketbook". </div>
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She was married to a Lutheran minister for decades, although she was raised Mormon (I'm not quite sure how they made that work). She was a seamstress and always sewed a tie out of her leftover dress fabric so that her and Lawrence could match on Sundays. I'm telling you, she was the cutest! Apparently, he always had an opinion on what she was wearing and the rumor goes that if he didn't like her outfit, she changed. They never had children, but she adored my mother and when I was born my parents called to tell her "it's a girl and her name is Abigail Mae", she was just beside herself. I'm not saying I was her favorite, but when she passed away, I was the one she left her diamond earrings to.<br />
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Golly, how did I manage to get lost down memory lane?<br />
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All of that to say, I just adore this rose scented product. The aroma is perfect, the packaging is beautiful and the product just feels luxurious. Try it and see if it doesn't remind you of your favorite fancy elderly lady. Tell me, do you have a beloved great aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother? If so, what scents or products remind you of her?<br />
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Available at <a href="http://usa.weleda.com/our-products/shop/wild-rose-creamy-body-wash.aspx">Weleda.com</a>Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-11677118326662028522015-04-14T14:17:00.000-07:002015-04-14T14:25:37.707-07:00thoughts | it's spring, emmaSo I've grabbed a few minutes. Office work is done for the day. I had some student spreadsheet work for this summer's Lamplighter Guild that I've been procrastinating on for, oh, I don't know, a while... The weather has changed and its lovely here. High 60's otherwise known as "steamy hot" if you're from Wisconsin. It rained last week and everything just burst into color, green grass, the ice finally melted off the lake and its a lovely blue color (sometimes greenish and sometimes grey, I love living near the water.) I decided that spreadsheets just go better with fresh air and iced coffee, so I grabbed my things and walked the approximate one block to my Starbucks. <br />
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I was right. That coffee made me breeze through the latest batch of updates.<br />
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Yay!<br />
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They renovated our Starbucks last week. We now have outdoor couches. I'm currently enjoying them. But not the music selection, per usual. I'm not the person you want to have around when hip music is playing (music is so distracting for me, I'll pick up the words and make comments such as "did you just hear that? what is she trying to say?"). It's a problem.<br />
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Life just seems a little brighter in April. It reminds me of that part in At Home in Mitford when Father Tim walks through the door and Emma peppers him with questions about why he looks different, he sighs and says "It's spring, Emma". I feel that. The relief to have made it through another winter and the joy of looking ahead to summer. Even if it's still a few months away, there is a light at the tunnel kind of feeling. I think everyone's just a little happier to be alive.<br />
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I've begun the search for the perfect white jeans.<br />
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Let's let that sink in for a few moments. The white jean hunt is virtually the same as going out to look for a unicorn. Possible, but highly unlikely. If you know of any that are heavy denim, wide leg and come in a long length, be sure to send them my way!<br />
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On second thought, white jeans don't do so well when you spill coffee on them. I spill a lot of coffee. Most of my wardrobe is coffee colored. It's practical to my life.<br />
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One more thing before I go, has anyone else been dealing with the nasty spring cold? I've been down for 10 days, and just when I thought it was done, I woke up with a sore throat. I've been trying to keep up my Crossfit workouts, but golly, you try doing burpees when your lungs don't want to cooperate. Last night was a struggle. The thought crossed my mind to just lay down on the rubber mat and take a nap. You'll be happy to know I pushed through. Inside I was crying.<br />
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My coffee is down to it's last sip, the playlist has switched again and I've got some cactus in the fridge that's calling my name (a post for another day).<br />
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Cheers! And if it's sunny where you are, be sure to step outside for a minute or two!Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-53979928379847984442015-04-09T13:04:00.001-07:002015-04-14T07:25:24.240-07:00doings | martha stewart wedding party<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was flipping through Martha Stewart Weddings a few months ago, because, well because WEDDINGS, and saw an ad for the Martha Stewart Wedding Party. It looked fabulous, so I checked it out and was overjoyed to see that it was a fancy bridal show put on by the brilliant folks over at Martha and it was coming to the Ritz Chicago! </div>
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Walking in, we passed Lauren Conrad, which was funny and unexpected. I knew that she was coming, but I wasn't expecting her to walk past looking EXACTLY like herself. That girl is a master of the personal uniform, and it's always perfect on her! (I did not have the chance to tell her my thoughts on her recent Cinderella collaboration.)</div>
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I was so inspired by this booth with the all-green tissue flower backdrop. In fact, I came away from the show just dying to make an over-the-top backdrop. Is anyone of need???<br />
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What would a bridal show be without china and linens? It was so proper and lovely, wedding china is my favorite. We checked out some beautiful new designs and chatted with the lady from the department store. Talk about a delightful job to have!<br />
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I had checked my instagram the night before and saw that Darcy Miller (editor of Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine) had posted a photo of Intelligentsia coffee. It took this fan girl approximately 0.03 seconds to realize that she was in Chicago and most likely going to be at the show. I may have had a moment. Okay, I totally had a few moments, and then again when I saw her in person. Right after I'd popped a chocolate cupcake in my mouth, there she was, looking like the darlin'est thing I've ever seen, mingling around in her platform heels. It was too much pressure, I couldn't think of anything witty (I'm a huge fan!) and then she was gone. I didn't get the chance to say hello, it was a bummer.</div>
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We left with the best swag bags I've ever seen! Magazines, earrings, note cards, sugar cookies, tea towels. Fabulous! But not before a lesson in boutonniere pinning! Apparently the secret it placing it at a "rakish" angle and then pinning behind the lapel. Now we know.</div>
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The entire show was fabulous, we sampled food and tons of cake, a live band kept the place hopping and all of the vendors were so nice. We kept getting asked, "who's the bride?!?" to which Brooke and I would both point to Emily and say "she is!". Haha! I'm sure she loved that.</div>
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I'm hoping they choose to host this wonderful show in Chicago again, as a sometime wedding planner and wedding cake enthusiast, you can't keep me away from these things!</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D5397992837984798444%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D2%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-hRL4D4c2ctw%252FVSbapGBUYZI%252FAAAAAAAAB5o%252FQIlWbznFMrw%252Fs1600%252F10991675_644992328966213_4333715734612942683_o.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 3256px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D5397992837984798444%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D2%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F2.bp.blogspot.com%252F-hRL4D4c2ctw%252FVSbapGBUYZI%252FAAAAAAAAB5o%252FQIlWbznFMrw%252Fs1600%252F10991675_644992328966213_4333715734612942683_o.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 42px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 3256px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-57518088605995065502015-04-02T05:00:00.000-07:002015-04-02T05:00:12.712-07:00delightful | a dream is a wish | part 3Earlier this week I received an email from a dear friend of mine. He said that while he had enjoyed my recent blog post featuring interviews from my little sisters after watching Cinderella, he felt as though "men were under represented". I had to agree with him.<br />
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I've spent several days tracking down some men with discerning taste in order to get a interviews that would allow this blog to have a fair and un-biased viewpoint. I strive to to please, y'all. Okay, not really.<br />
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Let's get this rolling, shall we?<br />
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Wildflower is a friend of ours, most know him as Jesse, but we call him "Wildflower". He lives in CA, is a musician and filmmaker, and an all around fun guy to hang out with.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span class="im"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">abbe: Can you tell me your age and profession?</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">wildflower: 20. I am a professional unicorn wrangler and I make films on the side. Rather exciting job most days.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-small;">abbe: How often do you read my blog or how in the world did you find it?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">wildflower: R<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">arely. I stumbled upon the last article and interviews via Twitter through Brooke. For unicorn wranglers, anything with the words 'dream' and 'wish' is exciting.</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">abbe: You recently viewed Cinderella, care to share the details? Who did you go with?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">wildflower: <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">Yes, I did. I have to say, the trailer in no way interested me, however I am a big fan of Disney and also having grown up watching Cinderella I determined to set out and view the film. I was also very pleasantly surprised at how much I ended up enjoying it. I went with my Dad (we sat in the back of the theater...)</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">abbe: As a filmmaker, what was your impression of this movie?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">wildflower: <span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">I actually enjoyed it. Kenneth Branagh, is a director I've enjoyed over the past few years. He brought a unique viewpoint and style to the film. Also, the costumes were fantastic.</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">abbe: Did you have a favorite scene?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">wildflower: <span style="background-color: white;">Definitely the first dance at the ball. Speaking cinematically the combination of the costumes, the choreography and the cinematography were fantastic. Really helped to weave the story together... and after all, to the Cinderella story, the ball is a bit of a pinnacle. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">abbe: Was it just me or were the princes eyes really weird? What causes that?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">wildflower: </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">I think it was just you. However, as far as what causes that, unicorn wranglers are the right people to ask! I shall leave that cloaked in mystery for another time.</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">abbe: My favorite question: what was your movie watching snack?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">wildflower: </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); color: black;">Popcorn and an unfortunately melting Coke slushee. </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">abbe: You are also a musician, be honest, have you been humming the theme song nonstop?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">wildflower: </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">No, I haven't but I was very impressed by the score.</span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span style="color: black;">abbe: Anything else you want to say?</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">wildflower: </span>Only that if you enjoy Disney as I do then you should really enjoy the film. Cate Blanchett was fantastic, the prince was charming without being schmaltzy, Lily James was a fantastic casting decision and unicorns do in fact exist.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Calvin is my baby brother, he's the cutest. Poor little guy has seven older sisters, when it comes to chick flicks, musicals and Disney movies, he's seen them all. </span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> I caught up with him over the breakfast table...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Can I ask you a few questions?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: Hi. How are you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Good. C<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">an you tell me what your name, age and profession</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: 6. Calvin. Cut trees down, tomorrow is a work day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Are you a regular reader of my bog?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: What's a blog?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Awesome. Did you go see Cinderella?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: Yep...</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: And what did you think?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: I liked it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Did you have a favorite part?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: The sword fight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Figures. What did you think about Prince Charming?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: I liked him, he had cool sword.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Who did you see the movie with? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: I went with Brooke, but it wasn't a date, we had, um ah, candy and popcorn and for a drink I'm pretty sure we had root beer, it was actually pretty good. We had small gummy bears and large gummy bears.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Would you say it was a sampler of treats?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: Um, what does that mean?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Nevermind. Did you fall asleep?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: No but my foot hunted, both of them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Why is that?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: I don't know, it was just a long movie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Is it just me or were the prince's eyes really weird</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">cal: Kinda...</span></div>
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I was most curious to hear what Josh thought of Cinderella. He's a producer in the Christian film industry (<b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/OctoberBabyMovie?fref=ts">October Baby</a>, <a href="http://www.momsnightoutmovie.com/">Mom's Night Out</a> </b>and the awesome new <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/WoodlawnMovie">Woodlawn</a></b> coming out this fall!) and is a Disney buff. Here is his insiders opinion...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Can you tell me your age and profession?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: I'm 24 and technically a movie producer, but really a cat wrangler.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: That sounds vaguely familiar... How often do you read my blog/</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: I've become a regular. I think you told me about it or maybe I found it because I was googling my name and the movie I worked on (Mom's Night Out) and it came up.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: That's terrible!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: It is narcissistic, but everyone does it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: This is true. You went to the theater to watch Cinderella, share the details!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: My brother and I were the only males in our circle of friends who were secure enough in our masculinity enough to join our female counterparts in celebrating this Disney classic.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: This is wonderful! You work in films, what was your impression of this movie?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: I love how they honored the integrity of the original film but brilliantly reimagined it for a new generation.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Well said. Did you have a favorite scene?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: I love a good underdog story so my favorite scene was when Prince Charming finally finds Cinderella at the end of the movie. It's touching.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: That was touching. Was it me or were the prince's eyes really weird? What causes that?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: By weird, do you mean offensively blue? I think good genetics?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Is that what it was? Okay, what did you snack on?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: I think a coke slushee and caramel corn.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: You're a fan of Disney movies, did you catch any of the Easter eggs?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: The villainous grey cat Lucifer from the original movie.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Any thing else?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">josh: Yeah, I think the expectations for guys just went up. Thanks Disney (I can't even dance.)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: Well, how are your sword fighting skills?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://twitter.com/therealdanpow"><b>Daniel</b></a> is my brother, we spend a lot of time together. You could say we're pretty tight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: Let's get started, can you tell me your age and profession?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">dan: Daniel R. Powers, 21, Sales Account Manager</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: How often do you read my blog or how in the world did you find it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">dan: Quarterly - Whenever I see a link in FB</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: You recently viewed Cinderella, care to share the details? Who did you go with?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">dan: um, with friends a bro friend and some girls invited themselves along, per usual. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: I had a great time. What was your impression of this movie?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">dan: I'd say it was second best Cinderella adaptation I've seen. Ever After is better and has more humor, this movie had better teeth. love the teeth of everyone. Such good teeth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: Interesting, teeth... Did you have a favorite scene?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">dan: The scenery was incredible, I want to live there. The fathers deathbed, when the prince curled up into the fetal position, it was real and raw. Also the back story of the stepmother, that made sense to me.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: Was it just me or were the princes eyes really weird? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">dan: His teeth were weird.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: But his eyes?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">dan: Yeah, didn't notice. How about Cinderella eyebrows? </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35);">The</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> eyes </span>weren't<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> as bad as Stephens in The Bible miniseries.</span></span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: My favorite question: what was your movie watching snack?</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">dan: Nothing. I kept it clean. I'm on a diet. </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: Anything else you want to say?</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">dan: Um, if that was a real kingdom I’d like to move there, Lilly James was an excellent casting decision, the main castle guard was cliche, the lizard was unique </span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(35, 35, 35); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #232323;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">abbe: Thanks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I think you could say that these were some pretty glowing reviews from our male friends. Did I forget to ask them anything?</span></div>
Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-23342886670029666392015-03-24T21:00:00.000-07:002015-03-24T21:00:00.208-07:00delightful | a dream is a wish | part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9LJ-VmmgWp0/VRG8ZdayC1I/AAAAAAAAB3Q/393led0YHIc/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9LJ-VmmgWp0/VRG8ZdayC1I/AAAAAAAAB3Q/393led0YHIc/s1600/5.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
As promised, here are the remaining interviews from my sisters and their reactions...<br />
<br />
Maddi: age 18 <br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: did you see cinderella?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
maddi: twice, and I’ll go again!</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: if you could describe this movie using only one word?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
maddi: hmm, dazzling.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: what was your opinion of prince charming?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
maddi: he was the BEST!</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: and cinderella, how do you feel about lily james as cinderella?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
maddi: perfect, she truly was cinderella.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: on the the important details, did you snack on anything at the theater? </div>
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maddi: cinnamon bears and gummy worms.</div>
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abbe: that sounds delicious, any other thoughts?</div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
maddi: it was the best movie I've seen overall, ever!</div>
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abbe: thank you for your time.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">Elle: age 14 </span></div>
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abbe: Elle, did you go see Cinderella?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
elle: Abbe, Abithy, can I call you Abithy?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: for the duration of this interview, that would be fine.</div>
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elle: can i sit down?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: if that makes you feel more comfortable, describe this movie in one word please.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
elle: not magical, because everyone said that... I'll go with dreamy.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: what was your opinion of prince charming?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
elle: haha! so, funny story: I always used to like to rough-rider type of guy, but now I love the nice guy.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: but Prince Charming, how do you feel about this character?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
elle: Dreamy. can I have more than one word?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: sure...</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
elle: his eyes were the most amazing color</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: is radioactive a color? but his character or personality? what about that?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
elle: I love him.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: and cinderella, how do you feel about lily james as cinderella?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
elle: she played her realistically and was perfect</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: what were you snacking on? </div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
elle: a perfectly calibrated cherry coke and popcorn.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: anything else?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
elle: he was perfect, she was perfect, walt would have been proud. I cried twice.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: thank you.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;">Lydia: age 10</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: can I ask you a few questions?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
lydia: yeah… (looks at me skeptically)</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: great! did you go see cinderella?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
lydia: yes, I did.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: if you could describe this movie using only one word?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
lydia: amazing.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: what was your opinion of prince charming?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
lydia: he was perfect.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: and cinderella, how do you feel about lily james as cinderella?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
lydia: she did a really good job.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: were you eating any snacks?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
lydia: popcorn and soda.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: no further details?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
lydia: not really.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: any other comments?</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
lydia: prince charming's eyes were amazing and her wedding dress was beautiful.</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 11px;">
abbe: thank you</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_VlQ_zZ07dM/VRG8dmP--vI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/JHxmdGYNc-A/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_VlQ_zZ07dM/VRG8dmP--vI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/JHxmdGYNc-A/s1600/2.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
And just for reference, here is a picture of Prince Charming and his eyes that apparently all the girls were so taken with. They claim that he has blue eyes, to me they look radioactive, which is a term I picked up in photography class when we were learning how NOT to photoshop (perhaps I'm being a little harsh, but his flawlessness is unnerving, no?)</div>
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And here are a few Cinderella themed links that I love:</div>
<div>
<b><a href="http://blogs.disney.com/oh-my-disney/2015/03/22/richard-madden-is-a-real-life-prince-and-we-have-the-proof/">Proof that Richard Madden is a real live prince</a></b></div>
<div>
<b><a href="http://blogs.disney.com/oh-my-disney/2015/03/14/bibbidi-bobbidi-boo-we-recreated-the-live-action-cinderella-trailer-with-footage-from-the-animated-film/">The old and the new</a></b></div>
<div>
<b><a href="http://blogs.disney.com/disney-playlist/2015/03/01/adorable-new-cinderella-music-merch-fit-for-a-princess/">Cinderella Earbuds!</a></b></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-2013758/disneys-cinderella-a-collection-by-lc-lauren-conrad-foil-graphic-tee-womens.jsp"><b>Here is the shirt that I wore for opening night (its a fabulous little tee shirt!)</b></a></div>
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Have you been sucked into all of the wonderful Cinderella merchandise that is popping up everywhere? If you have, let me know what I'm missing out on!</div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D2334288667002966639%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D2%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-_VlQ_zZ07dM%252FVRG8dmP--vI%252FAAAAAAAAB3Y%252FJHxmdGYNc-A%252Fs1600%252F2.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1215px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D7128355938023749208%23editor%2Ftarget%3Dpost%3BpostID%3D2334288667002966639%3BonPublishedMenu%3Dallposts%3BonClosedMenu%3Dallposts%3BpostNum%3D2%3Bsrc%3Dpostname&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-_VlQ_zZ07dM%252FVRG8dmP--vI%252FAAAAAAAAB3Y%252FJHxmdGYNc-A%252Fs1600%252F2.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 153px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1215px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-51999202161986539882015-03-23T18:22:00.001-07:002015-03-23T18:22:33.412-07:00delightful | a dream is a wish | part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e90XJjkLRDA/VRCvOF81gpI/AAAAAAAAB2w/DhHWUf5vNQ0/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e90XJjkLRDA/VRCvOF81gpI/AAAAAAAAB2w/DhHWUf5vNQ0/s1600/10.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: center;">Sigh...</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Wasn't Cinderella the loveliest?<div>
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<div>
I can't begin to tell you how very much I loved this new film. After a year of anticipation for this beautiful story (and Disney is a pro at giving you just enough of a preview to drive you crazy! goodness, all of the buzz just about put me over the edge!) I was thrilled to see that one of our local theaters had an early release on Thursday evening. Some days you just feel like you're winning at the game of life. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OWGUnI_J6cQ/VRCxTQ81SbI/AAAAAAAAB3A/riNe9Z73ht4/s1600/IMG_9273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OWGUnI_J6cQ/VRCxTQ81SbI/AAAAAAAAB3A/riNe9Z73ht4/s1600/IMG_9273.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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Brooke and another friend were both out of town and unable to join the rest of us sisters. The theater was showing this We were in the restored part of the theater with the domed ceilings, it's the very same theater that my grandparents grew up going to. Anyway, that was just a little extra delightful thing that made my evening even better and didn't go unnoticed by me. So precious!</div>
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Being that I live in a house full of approximately, a lot of girls, we've talked about this movie nonstop. The costumes, prince charming, "have courage and be kind", prince charming, and HIS EYES!, the subtle ties to the original animated Disney film and OH EVERYTHING! Knowing how much I love Cinderella, I had friends text me all weekend with their reactions ("I'm in heaven!"). </div>
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It was just so much fun!</div>
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<div>
For giggles, I conducted interviews with all of my sisters in order to give you a well-rounded review of this film. Enjoy part 1!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: can I interview you?</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">brooke: about what?</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: cinderella</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">brooke: I would love to talk about this most perfect movie</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: great! first, when, where & with whom did you watch this</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">brooke: march 13, simpsonville SC IMAX, five boys that I was babysitting</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: sounds like a fun loving group, if you could only use one word to describe this movie, what would it be?</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">brooke: perfection</span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: what is your opinion of prince charming?</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">brooke: he was a prince and he was charming, adorable, precious. yeah, put precious down</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: and cinderella, how do you feel about lily james as cinderella</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">brooke: I wasn't too sure at first, but she was lovely</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: what did you snack on?</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">brooke: popcorn and the occasional recess pieces from WyWy</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: any other comments?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">brooke: I just thought it was the most beautiful love story</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: please state your name and age</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">gracie: my name is gracie and I'm 8</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: thank you, did you go see cinderella?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">gracie: yes</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: if you could only use one word to describe this movie, what would it be</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">gracie: love</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: what is your opinion of prince charming?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">gracie: he was pretty darn cute</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: and cinderella, how do you feel about lily james as cinderella</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">gracie: pretty</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: any other comments? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">gracie: I cried my little head off and I wanted a free poster but I didn't get one</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: did you see Cinderella?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">mim: twice</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: that is some dedication, one word?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">mim: golden</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: what is your opinion of prince charming?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">mim: he was excellent but not my style</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: and cinderella, how do you feel about lily james as cinderella</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">mim: lilly james was perfect</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: snacks?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">mim: popcorn, sour worms and cherry coke</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: any other comments? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">mim: nope</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">abbe: thanks</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FF1ohmTrqIQ/VRCvPqcMwsI/AAAAAAAAB24/A7X7WhgRgVQ/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FF1ohmTrqIQ/VRCvPqcMwsI/AAAAAAAAB24/A7X7WhgRgVQ/s1600/6.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
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This ballroom scene had all of us over the moon! I could not have been happier with the final result, the entire movie was fantastical and the details were unbelievable. I was surprised that I made it through the entire movie without any tears, but I've yet to see it on the IMAX. I'll let you know how that one hits me.</div>
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Have you seen Cinderella yet? What did you think? Did it live up to your expectations? Share!</div>
Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-91707223051248473952015-03-18T19:10:00.003-07:002015-03-18T19:10:44.800-07:00thoughts | marble cake a.k.a. universal unhappiness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R3hzX_X4aBo/VQovaJwblCI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/ogGGjYofArI/s1600/81dcf55d58a584e4c138730165facb65.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R3hzX_X4aBo/VQovaJwblCI/AAAAAAAAB2Y/ogGGjYofArI/s1600/81dcf55d58a584e4c138730165facb65.jpg" height="640" width="424" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">a lovely photo from the internets of a marble cake that actually looks delicious.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-size: x-small;">photo and <a href="http://pickyin.blogspot.com/2011/10/marble-butter-cake.html">recipe here.</a></span></div>
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I'm waiting on a detail at the car wash. Styrofoam cup of fake hazelnut coffee in hand and feeling the guilt of an neglected blog weighing on my shoulders.<div>
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Or maybe that's just the after-effects of last night's WOD of overhead squats.</div>
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I'm not feeling particularly inspired at the moment (fake hazelnut kills creativity. You can quote me on that...), but, per usual, I have thoughts to share.</div>
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Have you ever pondered the disaster that is "Marble Cake"?</div>
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Marble cake, you know, that two-toned cake that started out as vanilla until somebody had the horrible idea to swirl chocolate batter into it before baking (or is it chocolate with vanilla?). The proverbial "Switzerland" of pastries. As a lover of all things wedding, a sometimes coordinator, and regular attendee. I take cake, wedding, birthday or otherwise, very seriously and I am mystified as to why this flavor even exists. And it certainly shouldn't be used as a wedding cake flavor. </div>
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Think about it; for a vanilla person, the cake is tainted by chocolate. For a chocolate lover, the cake is ruined by a stripe of white batter. </div>
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It's a lose/lose situation y'all.</div>
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Marble cake makes approximately zeros of people happy.</div>
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Growing up in tight-knit baptist churches, I've had my fair share of the marble bakery cakes. Baptisms, luncheons, baby dedications, bridal showers, baby showers, etc, were always a reason for cake. And the church ladies in charge seemed to hold as tightly to the gospel of "marble makes everyone happy" as to any other bible doctrine. Y'all. It is a lie from the pit. I'm here to shine some light. Don't do it. Go with a straight up vanilla or a plain old chocolate. Trust me on this one.</div>
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Because I love a good cake, I've noticed over the past few years (having attended and planned more than a few weddings) that cake is not as popular as it used to be. I get it, cake is expensive, and stuffy and traditional. The cool kids serve ice cream, doughnuts, pies, cupcakes, and more donuts. And quite a few people have told me that they don't like cake. I'm sorry, do you even have a heart?</div>
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I miss cake. And most of all, buttercream.</div>
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The marble topic came up again with my sisters in the car on Friday. It was a spirited conversation, to say the least. We're passionate about our carbs. And a host of other things of equal unimportance. Feel free to ask us how we feel about, well, anything. We'll tell you. </div>
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The Powers girls are an opinionated bunch. </div>
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So, here's what I think: vanilla cake, dense texture, with real vanilla and gobs of sturdy white buttercream. Heaven.</div>
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What do you say? Team Chocolate or Team Vanilla? How do you feel about the Great Marble Cake Debate?</div>
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Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-4369186636391386462015-03-04T13:56:00.000-08:002015-03-04T13:56:02.292-08:00quotable | new ventures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-72X6YlLb64o/VPd90Kfo3MI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/9HNStU2CWTc/s1600/youtube%2Bchannel.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-72X6YlLb64o/VPd90Kfo3MI/AAAAAAAAB1Y/9HNStU2CWTc/s1600/youtube%2Bchannel.png" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
The wonderful thing about new business ventures it that you start with nothing. Anything is possible! The horrible thing about new business ventures is that you literally start with nothing. Coming up with a name will make or break you as a team. Our team still hasn't stuck gold with the name game, but we may just turn out a few few internet sensations with the comic content that has sprung from our little board room.Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-9152703945802295352015-02-04T14:44:00.003-08:002015-02-04T14:44:54.832-08:00finds | boots organic rosewater spritz<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDUa4ycRHm4/VNFJzzhcovI/AAAAAAAAByM/yTof-AWSEJs/s1600/0613-boots-botanics-lgn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UDUa4ycRHm4/VNFJzzhcovI/AAAAAAAAByM/yTof-AWSEJs/s1600/0613-boots-botanics-lgn.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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I was at Target a few weeks ago and on the recommendation of another blogger, I was looking at the Boots Organic line. She had recommended the facial oil, and while I loved the fact that it was organic, my face and oil rarely play nicely together.</div>
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Then I noticed the organic rosewater toner. I've never been a rose perfume-y fan until my last facial when I was feeling adventurous and the facial lady suggested the rose aromatherapy. I loved it, not sure if it's the fact that it's winter or if my sense of smell has matured. This toner has the same scent. I'm usually a citrus/light kind of perfume girl (Kate Spade Twirl is my everyday scent, Carolina by Carolina Herrera for special occasions and Squeeze by Lilly Pulitzer for summer) but for some reason the rose turned my head. I've been using this toner non-stop for two weeks, it's fabulous!</div>
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Its great for everyday, I use it after washing my face at night, first thing in the morning and to refresh my makeup throughout the day.</div>
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<a href="http://www.target.com/p/boots-botanics-organic-rosewater-toning-spritz-5-0-oz/-/A-14496981">Get it at your local Targets for about $8.39. </a></div>
Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-55201368581171336022015-01-29T15:16:00.002-08:002015-01-29T15:16:49.517-08:00thoughts | when I wore sweatpantsA few weeks ago, some friends were in town and we decided on a impromptu rock climbing party. A Target run was required for certain members of our group who didn't own sweatpants (we're fancy people). In between climbing runs the comment was made several times "These are so comfortable, I can see why people wear these to the airport, but don't worry! I won't do that!".<br />
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Right.<br />
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It was a few days later that I found myself needing some sweatpants, because its winter, and not exactly warm at the Crossfit box (well, I mean, it is after about 5 minutes, because you're already sweating). I found a great pair at T.J Maxx, nice wide waistband, ankle-length, almost like a super-comfy version of the J. Crew ankle pant. Almost. And I wore them to the box and was pretty pleased with life.<br />
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Then I woke up with this crick in my neck.<br />
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Are the cool kids calling it that anymore? I'm not sure, all I know is that I had shooting pain through my shoulder and up my neck. Crick sounds about right.</div>
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I wisely decided that working out that evening would be a bad idea and tried my best to stretch my neck out throughout the day. I figured that maybe I slept on it wrong, had some unresolved tension that settled there or perhaps my pillow was two sizes two small. It'll be fine tomorrow was my mantra.</div>
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Or not.</div>
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By the next morning it was worse, I couldn't get out of bed and mom called my "chiropractor-since-birth", Dr. W. (although that is misleading, I've been to his clinic approximately 2 times in the last 24 years, but still, he did used to adjust me when I was a baby. Funny rabbit trail: last time I was there I was convinced that I had something seriously wrong with my rock-solid lymph nodes located behind my ear, I massaged them until I was bruised. Dr. W took one look at them, walked out of the room, walked back in with a medical textbook and said "Abigail, that would be bone, do you see this chart of your skull and how it extends, that is your bone and if you press hard enough it will break." Then he forbid me from touching my neck anymore. He's great!).<br />
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Anyway, in spite of our last meeting, he was concerned and asked me to come it right away. Which lead me to a quandary... What should I wear? I was in pain. I was already wearing my wonderfully, soft, warm sweatpants. But I couldn't do it. All I could think of was the confessional text I had received from my friend Chris the day before (aka, friend with shiny new sweatpants), it was a photo of him in sweats and dress shoes at the office justifying the fact that he didn't have client meetings that day. The struggle, it was there. But it was so cold outside. It was COLD outside. That was it, me and the sweats were headed to the chiropractor and fast. <br />
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Do you know how hard it is to put together a decent outfit with sweatpants and the limited use of your shoulder?<br />
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Difficulty level: between uncomfortable and dressing a 2 year old.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mW0Q-vzB0xg/VMq80ktn-2I/AAAAAAAABxg/VV1jfqNAWyM/s1600/IMG_0046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mW0Q-vzB0xg/VMq80ktn-2I/AAAAAAAABxg/VV1jfqNAWyM/s1600/IMG_0046.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Off I went. My sweet mother drove me and even stopped for coffee. I stayed in the car, no need for all of Peets to see me in this condition. Then I snapped this photo the above photo and sent it over to Chris for laughs. Dr. W then examined and adjusted and grilled me on all of my workouts for the last few weeks. <br />
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The diagnoses was that it was NOT a CF related injury (yes!), that I needed to apply heat (constant warmth for the next week? you've got it!) and to continue with the mentholated muscle balm (more fuel to the fire for my siblings calling me "grandma". I don't care, I love the smell!). After about two hours in the office, I got really smart and realized that I could wrap the heating pad around my shoulder, and if I zipped up my down vest, it would stay right on my shoulder. Simply plug and unplug if I needed to move more than 3 feet from my desk. Thankfully I didn't have any client meetings that day.<br />
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Then I bought some <a href="http://www.kttape.com/">KT Tape</a> and Brooke watched some videos and got me all taped up like a pro athlete and I was able to keep up my workouts and feel ridiculously awesome ("oh, this? it just a little thing with my shoulder, no problem..."). <br />
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And by now, you've realized that there is no point to this story, except for the fact that the girl who cannot wrap her brain around pj/sweatpants wearing individuals found herself doing that very thing. Wearing them out in public. As my sister said "I don't even know you anymore."</div>
Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7128355938023749208.post-81456238061110792842015-01-28T11:06:00.001-08:002015-01-28T11:06:26.664-08:00quotable | "juno & the onion"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UxGfAUfOsu0/VMkxowy2xrI/AAAAAAAABxM/3JNXXc96ym4/s1600/the%2Bonion.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UxGfAUfOsu0/VMkxowy2xrI/AAAAAAAABxM/3JNXXc96ym4/s1600/the%2Bonion.png" height="640" width="425" /></a></div>
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It wasn't The Onion, it was actually real live updates from American Airlines. Please tell me I'm not the only person who has trouble differentiating Onion articles from authentic news stories, especially the political ones... (also <a href="https://twitter.com/brookealline">@brookealline</a> is pretty funny, you should follow along)</div>
<br />Abbe Powershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00322438400383232074noreply@blogger.com0