monster bash

I love dressing in costume. I have mentioned this before, but it is such a true statement. I have even tried to talk my office into dressing up in costume for various events. (ie, homecoming, halloween, etc...) No such luck.

Anyway, last night Trey and I went to our friend's house for a halloween/pumpkin carving party with two other couples. Such great fun and...YES!...I get to dress in costume! We also brought along Sophie as Big Bird to play with their bulldog, George, who was dressed as a hot dog. Good times. So if the K-9s can be in costume, I assumed it would be natural for the humans to do so as well. So I show up in my (homemade) costume to see that I am THE ONLY one in costume. It was great. I was an IPOD, if you can't tell. MSKS, you will appreciate this. Half-way through our green rotel and hamburgers, my friend Olivia noticed that I misspelled "Madonna" on my costume! HA! I put "mOdonna".

We had such cute food. The girls made "witches brew", "Monster trash", eye ball cupcakes, green rotel, mummy pig in the blankets and yummy pumpkin cheese ball while the boys grilled hamburgers outside. Took pictures of the food for my viewers to enjoy. I will also include a group shot of me in my IPOD costume.

Group shot: Ryan, Olivia, Me (AKA The IPOD), Sophie, Trey, Chrystal, and Brit
The Intense Pumkin Carving

"Why is my mama wearing a poster board and head phones?"

Happy Howl-lo-ween

Yesterday I took Sophie to the beauty salon (PetSmart). She was overdue for a groom and was in desperate need of teeth brushing. I dropped her off at lunch and came back on my way home from work at 5:00. I just have to share these pictures with you. They put a Halloween bow in her hair. What I regret about these pictures in that you can not see the middle of the bow: it is a purple spider. I mean, she is presh. They also gave her a glow in the dark charm for her collar that says "Happy Howl-lo-ween".

Work is super busy right now. I will be out all day tomorrow for information fairs, panel discussions and tours, but hopefully I will find time for important things, like blogging.

I am flying to St. Louis sat. for work and will not be back in the office until Friday. I hope you all will be able to make it through a week without me. Best of luck.

wasting some time

Saw this on several blogs and thought I would copy!

Two names you go by:
1. Heather
2. Heather Joy
(my student worker called me "Mrs. Skaggs" for the first 3 months of work. I stopped him of that. I mean, that is polite and all, but I am 3 years older than him. Do NOT call me M'am!)

Two things you are wearing right now:
1. Brown dress pants
2. shoes that are killing my feet

Two things you would want (or have) in a relationship:
1. Laughter
2. Honesty

Two of your favorite things to do:
1. Spend time with my family
2. Go to zoos with Trey

Two things you want really badly at the moment:
1. The weekend to get here
2. My new make-up to come in that I ordered last week.

Two things I did last night:
1. laundry
2. Watched Biggest Looser...it was so dramatic

Two things you ate today:
1. Cinnamon Toast (with spray butter and splenda. YUMMY!) for breakfast
2 . Luna Bar for lunch

Two people you last talked to:
1. Trey
2. My mama

Two things you're doing tomorrow:
1. Going to work
2. Going to a halloween party/pumpkin carving party tomorrow night! So excited!

Two longest car rides:
1. Starkville, MS to Orlando, FL when I was little
2. In march we are driving with Amanda and Luke to Colorado, so I will go ahead and put that.

Two favorite holidays:
1. Christmas
2. Thanksgiving

Two favorite beverages:
1. Diet coke
2. Water

Two things about me you may not have known:
1. I am not good at watching movies...I always fall asleep, even in the theatre.
2. I stare. I stare at people. It is a bad habit. I am not judging or thinking bad about them, I just like to make up their life stories. I especially like doing this in airports.

Two jobs I have had in my life:
1. Marketing and PR Coordinator
2. camp counselor in Maine - best 'job' ever.

Two places I have lived in the U.S.
1. Starkville, MS (hometown)
2. Hattiesburg, MS (current town)

Two of my favorite foods:
1. mexican
2. ice cream

sweetest sound in the world!

Turn up your volume! Happy Friday (TGIF!!!)!

Henry playing with his Mommy from Laura Tomlinson on Vimeo.

A-OK

Little Henry is just fine. The procedure went very well this morning and all parties are satisfied with the outcome. So glad that is over. I was most concerned with the fact that he wasn't going to be able to have anything to eat when he woke up this morning. (no food after midnight rule) I was upset at the thought of him wanting his milk and nobody doing anything about it - he just wasn't going to understand. Well, I should have known: he didn't even cry. He somewhat "fussed" for a minute, but then became intrigued with his mama lita and grandaddy and forgot all about his hunger pains. Prodigy child, I tell you. I talked to my mom right after the surgery and Kristen was about to go feed little man, so all is well. Thanks for your thoughts!

If you are a faithful reader you are probably aware that the Skaggs family does not have cable television. This started out as "let's not get cable our first year of marriage. We will talk and hang out more". I bet you all can bet whose idea this was not. Yes, yours trully misses HGTV and MTV (what? I like Laguna Beach. Does that even still come on?) Anyway, we are well into our 2nd year of marriage with little hopes of getting cable anytime soon. Sweet husband likes that we don't have cable. Whatev. My point is this: some good has come from only have 2 channels. I have discovered shows that I would quiet possibly not given any time to otherwise. I have already mentioned some in a previous post (Deal or No Deal, Singing Bee, etc..) but thought it neccessary to mention a few more:

1) Wheel-of-fortune. I am the master of the wheel, so to speak. I watch this almost daily as I am getting dinner ready. Who knew I would be so good at this letter game? I did. And I am. I am fully aware that watching this show while preparing a meal classifies me in the 62-75 age range, but I care not. I am learning while having fun. In the words of my Dada: can't beat it with a stick.

2) Biggest Looser. Lindsey mentioned this show in her new blog yesterday. I feel like I must add to her comments. Trey and I (ok, really just me) adore this fat-eating show. I really like it when they get upset with each other. I don't know; I guess I am a drama queen. Did you catch last night? The little blondie trainer droped the F-bomb, which of course they bleeped out. It was great. I have to give it to these people: I would NEVER get on national TV in a sports bra and shorts and weigh myself for all the world to see. Bravery at it's finest. And if I have not already worked out that day, you can bet that I will be hitting the gym once the show is over. Nothing like watching a 330 lb woman sweat to get you motivated.

3) Law and Order: SVU. Ok, I have a confession: never before would I have classified myself as a Law and Order fan; a little too much blood, a little too much violence, not enough sarcasim; but this show has just done something to me. I love it. Maybe it is because Ice-T plays a tough detective, I don't know. I get very into each episode, plotting my own ending as the show plays out. The only downside is that this show does not come on until 9 p.m. and lasts an hour. Ummm...have we met? I go to be around 9:45 during the week, so there have been more than a few nights when Trey has to wake me up on the couch during a dramatic SVU murder or kidnapping, last night being one. But regardless of its late night appearance, this show is a must-see.

I leave you with a picture of my husband playing the mandolin at church the other night. He is very musically talented, as I am sure I have mentioned before. I took some pictures of them practicing on Sunday. So, for your viewing pleasure, here it is:

news break

Morning all!

In weekend news: This weekend was fabulous. I Christmas shopped. Impressed? Should be. I even impressed myself. Laura was here all weekend - we had the best time. Sophie is still worn out from playing so hard with Max. She is a bully at times and beats him up, but they still love each other. Come back soon, Laura!

In sad news: Sunday nightTrey and I bought a homeless man a meal from Wendy's. I saw him on a bench with a sign that said "Anything helps". It broke my heart. I realized that you can buy an entire meal for under $2.00, so we drove through Wendy's and bought him a burger and water. He was so grateful. It is hard to see homeless people a few miles from where you live. I wanted to sit down and talk with him, but Trey didn't think that was the best idea.

In blogging news: WELCOME LINDSEY! She has recently joined the blogging world. Lindsey is a great friend and former KD with me. She will have you laughing, for sure. She is being all smart and stuff right now in law school at Land-oh-Hell, but don't let that rebel degree fool you...she is a bulldog.

In family news: Please pray for little Henry tomorrow. He is having surgery in Jackson tomorrow morning. Pray for all of us! It is hard thinking about his little cute self in pain. (Although he is not in pain now and hopefully won't be after the procedure!) This surgery has been planned since his birth and I have faith that everything will be just fine, but please think about him (and his mommy and daddy) tomorrow. My parents are driving there tonight to help out.
And on that note, I give you the photo self-titled: "Henry meets Bully"

He thinks everything is so funny. I love this little man.

In consumer news: I have a new favorite snack. YUM-MY. You must try them out. 100 Calorie pack cheese nips. the wheat thins are yummy too, but these are my fav.

That's all for now. Have a wonderful day.

My fans are asking.

Hello all. Well, I feel loved. Miss a week of blogging and people are questioning my existence. Thank you, readers. No fear... I am alive and well.

Fall is here. Today is the first day there was a slight chill in the air. Tonight's low is 47. I plan on wearing a fleece once the sun has set to celebrate this momentous occasion. However, I am not a Mississippi amateur, therefore I am fully aware that just because there is a high of 75 one day does not eliminate the possibility of a high of 91 the next. But here's hoping that the weather will last. I love fall.

I bought pumpkins for my front porch the other day. They frighten Sophie. Bless her heart. I opened the front door to let her take care of her business and she took one look at the scary orange objects and ran back inside. I suppose this is partially my fault for not slowly introducing her to my fall decor. She does not seem to mind the pumpkins now. I also bought beautiful mums for the porch. They are yellow. I love a good mum.

I am leaving for St. Louis on the 27th of this month for work and will not return until the 31st...Halloween. I am a more than a little disapointed that I will not be here to take Sophie to the Hattiesburg zoo for Zoo-Boo, the anual dog costume contest. Sophie is Big Bird this year and really plays the part well. I am pretty confident should would have given the other pups a run for their money. It is a shame work gets in the way of such important events in life like a pet costume contest. Pictures to come of Sophie as Big Bird, I am sure.

Anyway, Trey has been saying for a few weeks now that when I return from my trip there will be a surprise waiting for me. Oh goodie. I love surprises. Only I like to find them out before they actually happen. So I talked it out of him. Do you know what this glorious surprise was going to be??? He was going to put up the Christmas tree while I was out of town.

Ok, a number of things here, hunny. A) It is October. Please, let's wait until at least Thanksgiving. and B) You will not be putting up the tree without me! It is a family affair and should be treated as such. Think of a different surprise, please.

He loves Christmas, which I love him for, but two months early? We already watched Elf once this week. I am afraid if I let him have complete control over the Christmas decor, cousin Eddie will be knocking on our door in hopes of finding Clark Griswald. If I can hold Trey off from putting up the tree until the 2nd week of November, I will consider it a success.


Last week at Mrs. Loucille's house, she and I watched a "Shall We Dance" on Lifetime. You know...the one with JLO. She would laugh during all the serious times. I told her that I sure wished I could dance like JLO, to which she responded: "Well, maybe they will call you."

Maybe, Loucille, maybe.

Have a fabulous Thursday.

"What you want is superficial, what I want makes a difference."

The above statement was said to me by my dear husband last night.

I shall set the scene:

Trey and I were eating mexican (surprise, surprise) talking about things we need/want. (i.e.- i am in need of make up and work clothes, he is in need of bow ties and camo. bow ties and camo - oxymoron? perhaps.). It was really more of a 'want' than a 'need', as we have everything we need.

Anyway, distracted from the story. We said adios to the restaurant after we had our weekly fill of burritos and chips and headed down Hardy Street in anticipation of attending the Southern Miss vs Rice game. We did not make it.

Trey spoted the large sign of a brand new store in Hattiesburg: "Gander Mountain" and immediately wheeled into the parking lot, nearly hitting an innocent bystander. I walked through the glass automatic doors, amoungst the other eager hunters, to enter what I am quiet certain is some sick version of hell. Once inside the store I barely missed hitting my head on what appeared to be some sort of in-the-tree -while-hunting-climbing exposition. Huh. Well, this should be fun.

Trey's eyes light up: I knew he was having fun. So I decided to keep my personal opinions to myself and be a good supportive wife; no need to make it apparent then. Afterall, I knew I would share my hearty opinions with my readership the following day.

We grazed the gun racks for a while and walked past the 10 year old girl practicing her shot and an entire family of 5 dressed in camo. We lingered for a bit around the television set, which was playing none other than the hunting channel. Who knew there was such a thing? But alas, we do not get cable, so I digress.

In the back of the store, behind the bow and arrows and amoungst the camo gear, was a room named "the lodge". The entrance looked like a log cabin... bear and deer heads on the wall... I know you all have a mental picture. Anyway, inside I was stupidly expecting to see more guns, camping gear, and camo pants. No, readers. What I saw was camoflauge FURNITURE. Like a bed, chairs, recliners, etc...

(side note: Please, readers, if you or anyone you know owns such a piece of furniture, do not take my opinion to heart. No offense, please. Besides, who am I to give advice on fashion and decor: I wore a two-piece prom dress.)

Trey must have looked at my stunned face when I saw the room full of suede and feux-leather camo, for he began to laugh and informed me most people just have these at their deer camp, not in their real homes. I don't care. It was more than I could handle. Trey played along with me, thus resulting in the following pictures: As we left the hunter's haven with the grand purchase of a bag of treats for Sophie, Trey informed me that he could have easliy dropped $5,000 without blinking an eye. It was then that he told me, and I quote, "What you want is superficial, what I want makes a difference."

I love that man.

In other news: I met Ms. Loucille yesterday afternoon. In case you missed that post, she is an alzheimers patient I visit. She lives at home with her daughter and son-in-law. She is absolutely precious. I love her. We held hands. I stayed for almost 2 hours. I am going back at the end of the week. I have a new friend.

happenings

Trey was in Charleston, SC for work all weekend, so I took it upon myself to go to Clinton to see my little Henry (and his parents, of course). He was cuter than ever, naturally.

We watched the MSU game, which I do not want to talk about. The only thing that makes me feel a little better is knowing that Ole Miss also lost.... and their record is worse than ours.

After the game on Saturday, Kristen and I took all the kids for a walk. By 'all the kids' I mean Henry and all 3 dogs. Kristen had Lilly (their golden retriever) and Charmin (their malteese) on their leash while I pushed Henry and Sophie in the stroller.

Yes, I pushed Sophie. She prefered the basket in the stroller to walking. She stayed like this for the whole walk. We were a sight, I am sure.

This is how henry woke up Sunday morning. He is the happiest baby of all. He wakes up laughing. I love him. If you woke up to this every morning, how could you have a bad day?

Today is also an important day in the Skaggs' household:
SOPHIE IS ONE!!!
What a big girl! We are having a party tonight. I was going to invite her friends to the party, but she only hangs around our neighbor's big dogs and I don't want them in the house. Trey and I sang "Happy Birthday" to her before work. She is presh.