creativenachos.com Blog

The little fairy that spread love worldwide. Her hearts even fall down upon the inside of the card.

The winner of our contest is Dorothy! Please send me your address so that I can send along your cards. And Anna is a runner-up because even before Dorothy said little hearts, Anna said that the little fairy with heart-shaped wings was spreading love but she just did not specifically say what she was sprinkling. Congratulations to you both and I’d like to extend a BIG thank you to all of you for playing – especially Kat’s grammar school class. Let’s all give them a BIG round of applause!

I believe it was Trish who left a comment about this fairy spreading hope. That was the exact feeling I felt when I was creating this card. It is also something I think we need more of given the current state of things in the world.

I think I feel most hopeful when I feel fully alive or is it the other way around? Either way, today I decided that I would pay close attention to the things that stirred me…you know those things that give you goosebumps or that little excited feeling right in the center of you. Some of the things I found that move me and spark a bright feeling of hope inside are:

-When I make big dishes of imaginary food with my daughter…hahaha…actually when I play, read or do pretty much anything with her.

-Books - like the adorable, old editions of Beatrix Potter books my brother gave to my daughter. I had them when I was young and loved them. However, I love and am inspored by pretty much any books – children, teen and adult – that are well-written.

-Dancing – closing my eyes and letting my body move to music…

-Color – I LOVE color and how it mixes together. I love bright, warm colors.

All of these things have a theme. They revolve around learning…new ways of playing, thinking, moving or seeing things. When I learn or am inspired, I am filled with hope and, much like this fairy, I want to share what is within me.

HOPE….I even like the word….what fills you with hope?

River Dance

So, a little while back Kate of What Kate Did Next tagged me and I’m finally getting a chance to play. Sorry for the delay, Kate!  It’s been ages since I played the game. I used to love it for the sheer delight found in wildly running away from the person you had just tagged who was always wildly trying to tag you back. I’ve never played blog tag so I’m kind of digging this new experience. I am supposed to share six random things and then tag six other people.

Isn’t it funny that I could be sitting around on my couch and share something completely random with you for no reason at all and yet when asked to come up with something, I draw a blank?

After giving it some thought, here’s what I came up with:

1. In 1995, for an entire year of my life I ate a Kit Kat every single day. I’m not joking. Then just as quickly as it started, it stopped. Have you ever experienced a craving like that for that long?

2. I was five the first time I journeyed to Ireland to visit family members and friends with my parents. One friend, Maurice, brought me around to the side of his house one morning to show me a little cubby at the bottom of a tree filled with sunlight that poured in a small hole at the top of the tree and down the trunk. He told that Peter Rabbit lived there and being an avid fan of said bunny, I 100% believed him. I went on believing this till I was – well, old enough not to want to admit to you that I grew up believing Peter Rabbit lived in Ireland. I’m happy to report I found out the truth about Santa much earlier than this. Have you ever believed a childhood story longer than you should have?

3. I have always loved dancing and my big claim to fame is that I did ballet dancing at Carnegie Hall. Do you have a pivotal, magical moment from a childhood activity you participated in?

4. I can count from 1-10 in Gaelic and Irish dance like a maniac. My Irish dancing is at its best when I have my sidekick Charlotte with me.

5. Once, after pulling off the highway for gas, my husband and I sat at a red light on a main road in Virginia and a huge bug – I’m not kidding it was practically the size of my head – flew into the car. Instead of simply trying to wave it back out the window like a sane person, I screamed at the top of my lungs, “NOT HERE” (whatever the hell that means) and jumped out of the car into traffic. Here’s where we are thankful for it being a red light or I would have gone – SPLAT – like Frogger when he got hit by trucks. My husband was laughing so hard that he almost couldn’t drive the car. I walked along the side of the road and met him at the gas station where he sat with tears of laughter streaming down his face. Are you convinced I am insane now?

6. A friend had started a new job and on the third day I called, disguised my voice and left him a voicemail stating that I was “Kathy” from the “Computer Center” and we were having a major problem because his emails were blocking our system. I asked him to call me when he got back to his desk and then I forgot about it – for a year! So, one year later we are all hanging out when I suddenly remember this and bring it up not realizing that I had never shared it before. He was stunned that it had been me and shared what happened next. It turns out he stood up at his cubicle and asked where the “Computer Center” was. Well, his co-workers quickly realized that someone had been having a bit of fun with him so they decided to as well. They told him that the Chinese restaurant on the corner gave free lunches to all the employees at his new company. Needless to say the day he went for his free lunch, he found out that was not true. And to think, it all started with one innocent phone call. I’m a practical joker – a nice one – and I now I tell people fairly quickly about what I have done. Are you a joker?

Now to tag some fun people – some old, some new and all fabulous.

1. Judy – http://livethroughthelens.blogspot.com/

2. Miss Thystle – http://www.missthystle.com/

3. Zakary – http://www.zakaryw.blogspot.com/

4. Anna – http://www.lifespatula.blogspot.com/

5. Anne Julie – http://www.annejulie-art.com/blog/

6. A Mermaid – http://dancingmermaid.com/blog/

Tag rules: Link to the person who tagged you. Post the rules on your blog. Write 6 random things about yourself. Tag 6 people at the end of your post and link to them. Let each person you have tagged know by leaving a comment on their blog. Let the tagger know when your entry is posted…

I’m coming back to life and I needed to share this with you!

My daughter and I painted this pumpkin. What? Just because she’s eighteen months doesn’t mean she doesn’t know how to be a supervisor! Then, we placed part of her costume on its head and she was over the moon, clapping, blowing it kisses, dancing around and all while saying, “Punkin”. There are some moments that will stay with me till the end of time. That was one of them.

I find it fitting that she will be Yoda, my favorite, little, green Jedi from Star Wars. Why, you ask? Well, it’s because my favorite Halloween was the one when I was Princess Leia. I was in First Grade and my Mom and a neighbor turned the angel costume I had worn the year before in the Christmas pageant into the white outfit Leia is wearing when we first meet her in the original Star Wars. I thought I was the bee’s knees in that outfit. However, if I was to be honest about the real reason I loved it, it was because my Mom did my hair the same way Leia had worn hers - buns on the side of the head. (As I write this I realize I may have a hair fetish as I once made my Mom braid my hair like Bo Derek in the film, 10. I’m sure there are more hair moments with Mom..I’m going to have to think about this.)

My second favorite Halloween was the year I dressed up as the Devil In the Blue Dress….but we’ll save that for next year. Although, if I can find that picture I will share. I was scary. I painted my face to look like Darth Maul from Star Wars. Huh…Star Wars fascination anyone?

What was your favorite outfit?

Happy Halloween!!!

My daughter has two dolls – forgive me, two “babies” that go everywhere with her. The first one is just a little thing who smells like vanilla cookies, opens and closes her eyes based upon what position she is in – lying down or sitting upright – and can float in the bath. My daughter loves her just as she is.

The second baby needed a bit of work. Shortly after the doll arrived, my daughter removed her eyelashes and her odd Donald Trump style wig. Then, in a freak dancing accident, when my daughter was trying to teach her baby the head spin break dance move which was popular in the 80’s, the doll’s legs popped off. We haven’t been able to get them back on and yet, she’s not at all bothered. That baby has just as much fun with her as the other one does. They are the two things she cuddles with, the two things that bring her comfort at random points during the day.

As I watch her carry them around, I am reminded of the two blankets I carried with me when I was a kid. Heaven help you, if I went somewhere and forgot one of them. I loved them in a way that would have made Linus of the Peanuts gang proud. They were my security. To this day – it could be 100 degrees outside – and yet, I still have to cuddle under a blanket with myself when I am on the couch.

What did you carry around with you as a child? What was your comfort? 

Recently, a friend admitted that at one time she had been “obsessed with Indian culture.” From the music and dancing to Bollywood and the Hindi language, this Hispanic woman wanted to devour all she could within the culture.

I began to think about cultures that have intrigued me. I remember wanting to learn Egyptian hieroglyphics when I was a kid. I spent hours in the Egyptian wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In high school, I developed a fascination with the Italian culture. From the art and architecture to the language, I was in love. Unfortunately the only Italian word I ever learned to say was bicycle.

Now, I’d like the ability to sample a smorgasbord of different cultures because I don’t think we all know enough about one another cultures.

What about you? What culture have you always wanted to study? Or what culture have you immersed yourself in?
 

I have an Exciting Nacho Update!

Bridget Murphy who was featured in the CreativeNachos article, One Woman Helps Children While Chasing Her Dream, made her dream come true on Sunday, July 27th, 2008 when she completed the NYC Half Marathon in 2 hours and 28 minutes! Not only did she accomplish her personal goal, she also raised money for an incredible cause, Team for Kids.

Congratulations Bridget! Way to bring it home! Creativenachos celebrates you and your fabulous achievement!

Bridget’s feat makes me want to celebrate and celebration for me comes in the form of dancing which made me think of this guy. Have you heard about Matt? Matt is this dude who had a friend record him doing a dance while on a trip. Then a couple of years later someone found the video online and passed it along to someone who passed it along – you know how this Internet thing works – and soon he became a bit of a sensation. Finally, Stride Gum asked him if he wanted to take another trip around the world, so he did. In fact, he danced his way around the globe several times and the last time he invited the folks who’d written to him to join him. Here is his video - it’s awesome. So, in celebration of Bridget, achieving dreams, Matt, and the fun folks around the world who run, dance and live this life fully, I invite you to start off your Monday by celebrating and chair dancing or simply dancing around.

Before you go to watch the video, I have to ask….

What is the one place in the world you would want to dance? I would want to dance on top of a mountain peak in New Zealand.

If you were invited to travel the globe doing one thing, what would it be? I would want to laugh with as many people as possible in as many places as possible around the world.

Ok Nachos, I’m looking for the TOP TEN Worst Movie Lines of all time; the ones that are SO bad you can’t help but laugh.

I’ll start. Although the music from Dirty Dancing makes me move my booty, I really dig the film because of the following two lines. They’re so awful they’re great! They make me laugh every time I hear them said and, of course, when given the opportunity I try to land them in the middle of random conversations.

TOP TEN MOVIE LINES THAT ARE SO BAD THEY’RE GOOD

10. “Nobody puts Baby in the corner!” - Johnny Castle (Patrick Swayze) in Dirty Dancing

9. “You’re wild!!” - Frances “Baby” Houseman (Jennifer Grey) in Dirty Dancing (By the way, click on Jennifer Grey’s name and check out her photos. Holy Different Look, Batman!)

And yours?

Lines submitted by Nachos as of July 17th, 2008

8. “Let’s do it for Johnny man, do it for Johnny” The Outsiders, Dallas “Dally” Winston, submitted by BigJohn

7. “You’re breaking my heart” Star Wars movie, Natalie Portman, submitted by Bridget

6. “Run, Forrest! Run!” Forrest Gump, Jenny, submitted by Kim

5. “Whoever wants pizza, come to Larry’s room…” Stewardess School, Larry, submitted by JJ

Four to go…anyone?

Today is my daughter’s birthday. This is a picture of her cake from the family party we had for her yesterday. She loves Zanita, a Groovy Girl, so we plastered her face on the cake.  She loved it.

I am in awe of the fact that one year ago the little alien who’d been dancing on my ribcage entered the world and changed my life forever. It simply doesn’t feel possible and yet, it’s happened. In a year, I have watched this beautiful little soul grow from a little ball of love and cuddles into a bigger ball of love and cuddles that now walks, runs, smiles, laughs and says “Mama”, “Papa”, “Hi” and, my personal favorite “Wow.” When she whispers that, I understand the meaning of the word “wonder.”

My daughter is the colors we will never be able to harness in a sunset, the music that exists in the flutter of a bee’s wings, the starlight that has yet to reach Earth, the magic that makes a wave rise upon the middle of the ocean, the greatest challenge ever faced, the most infectious moment of laughter, the emotion you cannot name, the dream you don’t want to wake from, the adventure you never knew you wanted to go on but is the most fun you’ve ever had, the most memorable moment in the middle of a skydive, the darkness that exists beyond the depths we’ve reached in the ocean. She makes me want to be the best person I possibly can be.

We all have people like this in our lives. It is important to honor them and all that they share. In one year, she has brought unimaginable gifts that I will hold close for the rest of my days.

Sometimes, instead of appreciating the now, we get stuck in it. We feel like we haven’t accomplished anything but if we were to take a moment and look back on one year in our lives, I’m certain we’d be surprised at all we had done. My daughter learned to walk, eat, smile, laugh and babble in one year. Imagine if she’d given up? I wonder what next year will bring.

Today, I celebrate this little life that inspires me. Celebrate someone you love. Celebrate you. And then keep moving forward.

Jane was born in New York and moved to Ireland with her family when she was 13. Now, on a trip to the Big Apple with her father, this wild woman with a brilliant sense of fun hopes to “do a Kerry polka with Barack Obama” tomorrow. Does anyone know if he will be at the parade?

CN: Thanks for hanging with Creative Nachos, Jane. You haven’t been in New York City in 9 years. How’s the trip been so far?

Jane: Just great thanks!

CN: You were born in New York but moved to Ireland when you were 13. That must have been hard.

Jane: No, because we’d been back to visit people and my friends in America were going on to other schools. The hardest thing to do was to learn 3 languages, including Irish. I had German, French and Irish in one year; my Mum paid for me to be tutored. I should have paid more attention you see because when I was training in hotel management, I was in a hotel in Dingle and everyone spoke Irish. My oldest son is so good in Irish.

CN: Are you in hotel management?

Jane: No, I trained to be in it but when I got married I realized the hours weren’t suitable. So, now I work as a catering assistant in a hospital. The hours are better, you see. I work Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 5pm.

CN: What do you do?

Jane: I work in a small outpatient’s canteen serving all people coming in and in out-patient clinics, as well as serving the visitors and patients.

CN: Is this your dream job?

Jane: No, my dream is to be a dietician.

CN: How did you become interested in that?

Jane: When you are serving patients you refer to the dietician regularly so as I learned what to do I became more interested in it.

CN: Are you able to be creative within your job? If so, how? If not, what do you wish you could do?

Jane: No, my current job isn’t creative at all; you are only a number. But I would be able to be as a dietician. I would be able to do things like give talks in schools about healthy eating. That’s popular now. There are promotions are going on in schools like Cool Food Dudes where kids get points for eating healthy. I would be able to help kids who have health problems due to food allergies or diabetes, you see.

CN: What steps are you taking to become a dietician?

Jane: I’m doing a course through my job; I go every two weeks. There are different parts to it like first aid, communications, food hygiene, cross contamination, caring and nutrition to improve standards in the hospital.

CN: How do you balance your job and course while raising three kids?

Jane: The thing that keeps me going is my Mum is there after school and my husband has flexible hours – well, he doesn’t have to be in an office from 9am – 5pm.  He’s on the road so once he finishes all he has to do for the day then he can get the kids. My kids are involved with hurling, music, football, dancing, youth club; one of my children has mild dyslexia but we did Montessori courses years ago and it helped.

My day to day schedule is up at 7am, get my daughter ready then get my older boy ready for bus. I take my daughter to her Grandma’s where she has breakfast and then head to work. It’s nuts. My husband gets the middle guy ready but I have it tougher.

CN: Do you ever feel like you’re going to lose your mind?

Jane: Yes and then I go for a walk. I go for walk to America. (She laughs). Actually what saves me is my neighbor and I do runs together – one picks them up or drops them off. Our neighbors are great.

CN: Have you gotten a chance to relax on your trip?

Jane: Yes, I’ve done loads of shoppin’. Great retail therapy! And it was great to see where I was born. But I miss the kids a lot and my husband.

CN: Are you excited to spend St. Patrick’s Day in NYC?

Jane: Yeah, my kids want to see me on the TV at home.

CN: What is one crazy habit you have?

Jane: When I have a few drinks, I’m gameball for anything.

CN: If you had a theme song what would it be?

Jane: “Please Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna

CN: If you had to walk around with a bumper sticker on you, what would it read?

Jane: Mom’s Taxi

CN: What is one thing you love about Ireland?

Jane: The slower pace of life. And my family and friends.

CN: What’s one thing you love about America?

Jane: That no one cares who you are or what you are.

CN: If you could do one crazy thing at the parade tomorrow, what would it be?

Jane: Do a Kerry polka set with Barack Obama!

Thanks Jane. Barack, if you’re reading, keep an eye out for Jane!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day to you all!

Things that annoy me:
-when you are sitting in a movie theatre, you have just watched all the previews and are settling in to watch the movie when suddenly someone appears asking you and the entire row to “scoot” down so that she and her friend can sit together (If it was that important to you, you should have arrived on time).
-when the movie theatre runs out of popcorn (how is that possible in 2008?)

-people who don’t say “Thank you” when you hold the door open for them (so I say “You’re Welcome” in a slightly snotty, “sugar would melt in your mouth” tone as they pass).

-people who step out into the street to hail a cab a few feet in front of you KNOWING that you have been standing there trying to flag one down (I always want to perform some crazy football tackle when that happens).

-the fact that I cannot find the Cash Cab in NYC (I thought I saw it the other day and it took everything in me not to run after it, baby stroller and all).

-people who treat waiters/waitresses or others in the service industry as though they are stupid (you don’t need to spell out what you want when you are ordering by number, they get it).

-waiters/waitresses or others in the service industry who act as though you have ruined their day when you ask them to do their job (when I step into the grocery store and lay my groceries down on your conveyer belt, I am not trying to make your life difficult, I am not trying to ruin your day, I’m simply trying to feed myself).

-walking into a store and having to wait for a salesperson to help you because they are on the phone talking to their girlfriend or boyfriend, reliving the events of the night before (all I want are a couple of color copies, do you think you could relive your night of shots and dancing later?)

-walking around a pharmacy and having the security guard follow you as though you are only there to rob the store (times aren’t that tough buddy, I think I can pay for the deodorant.)

-people who treat new Moms as though when they gave birth, they lost their ability to comprehend single life or married life without children (We had a baby not a lobotomy!)

- married people who say things like, “The clock is ticking. When are you going to find someone?” to single folks. (Who have you become?)

-when I continually forget to buy toothpaste and only remember in the morning and at night when I decide to brush my chompers (Uh, can I squeeze a little more out?)

-people who have no idea how to pick up their dog’s poop so they leave the big, steaming pile in the middle of the sidewalk (are your fingers broken?)

-head colds (when your head is 1,000 pounds)

-writing an email and losing the whole thing (No words….no words…)

-when the media tries to turn a sad story into a scandal, i.e. Heath Ledger’s unfortunate passing. (Some reporters suggested he was on illegal drugs in an effort to spice up the story. Hey media hounds, he was a just a regular guy who had anxieties, trouble sleeping and was nervous being the center of attention like the rest of us. Leave it alone.)

-movies that try too hard to be “cute” by making the women weak, love starved characters, i.e. Because I Said So. (Those female actresses are SO much stronger than that!)

-forgetting that I need to buy toilet paper until that crucial moment (AGH!)

-people who clear their throat and then spit on the street (GROSS!)

-people who don’t cover their mouth when they sneeze (Double gross)

-too much SuperBowl XLII hype (Brady will play and Manning will win. Enough said).

-when I say I will eat healthy and then a cupcake accidentally falls into my mouth (Man, I hate when that happens.)

-when people yawn as they are about to share a cool bit of news as though they are trying to appear bored in sharing it or like they don’t care that much about it (Just be excited, it’s ok!)

-when all I am craving is some bad entertainment and there is nothing good playing on any radio station or TV station for that matter – 57 Channels (And Nothin’ On)

-when I’m dying for a piece of chocolate and there is not a crumb left in the house (Did I eat it all?)

-when I want to work on a creative project but my head is so filled with thoughts that I have to sweep it clean.

Now, I can get to work. What annoys you?
P.S.  See Juno. That’s it. No hype. Just check it out.