A Farewell to Mugs

I feel like I should end this month with some kind of 'Circle of Life' (or 'Circle of Mugs', if you will) or a ceremony of sorts. Maybe had I chosen my first and last mugs more wisely, I could have linked them together in some kind of 'well, there you have it' phrase. Y'know something deep...or something akin to the 'in the end, we all fruit' statement the dad makes in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. As hard as I try, I can't think of a way to force this mug together with today's.
Again, had my mug selection throughout the month been wiser, I wouldn't have to arrive on the 31st with 'the only mug I haven't used yet', but that's where we are.
Again, please excuse the PaintShop editing job. The text spirals and reads 'Like a warm drink it seeps into my soul'. Which is such an appropriate sentiment for a coffee mug, since coffee is usually served warm, if not hot. At least when it's served in a mug.
This is a poor replica of a mug that used to be for sale exclusively through Jamie Cullum's Website. But the price was listed in British Pounds, therefore ordering the mug off the website would mean I would have to call my bank and ask them to authorize my credit card for use in a foreign country. Then Jamie's merch people nixed the mug. So I attempted this recreation, fiddled around on zazzle, and voila...Jamie Cullum mug!!
When ever I use this mug, I feel the need to jump off a piano
I didn't take this picture, and I regret to say that I don't know who did...because they deserve mondo credit! In fact, whoever captured this is kinda my hero.
The last time I saw him in concert, I wasn't able to capture a jump with my camera. I got a pic of him standing on his piano, and then a pic of him landing...I'm not quick enough, nor do I have the mad photo skillz (or a super schnazzy camera) to produce such an image...but I feel major photog envy towards whoever did

'A rit-dit-doo'

When the character of Andy Bernard first joined the cast of The Office, I thought he was the most annoying person on the face of the Earth. I almost hated him more than Dwight (and I can't stand Dwight). But he grew on me. Yes, he is very annoying. Yes, my heart still belongs to Jim Halpert. But Andy is just such a clueless goof that you can't help but laugh. I definitely would have rather had Jim mug, it's true. But Jim didn't go to the party; if you know which episode this mug is from, you'll understand.

I'm not going to lie, I think I'll be glad after tomorrow when this mug thing is done and I can blah-g freely about random stuff again. Not that I haven't been doing that throughout this, but I feel a little locked in to writing about the mug of the day and trying to tie that in to something that makes sense.
For instance, I'd love to write about the re-awakening of my Harry Potter obsession. It's been pretty dormant for a while, but...it's baa-ack!
I was watching Sorcerer's Stone last night. Everyone is so little in that movie. I can't believe it's been ten years since it came out.
There is a part near the end, when they are trying to get to the Stone, and they have to play an epic game of Wizard's Chess to get through. Ron is telling Hermione to be a castle, Harry to be a bishop and then he says: "As for me, I'll be a Knight"
This part is so special for me because my grandfather's name was Ron Knight. I know it's just a weird coincidence. JK Rowling didn't know my grandpa, but for some reason...I don't know.

Be True to Your School

I went to college at California Lutheran University, and I loved it. I had experiences at CLU that I wouldn't have had anywhere else. I can talk anyone's ear off about how much I loved my time there. It wasn't all rainbows and unicorns, but the good times far outweighed the bad. If you ask me about CLU, I will be more than happy to answer your questions with glowing honesty. The professors were amazing, and there were a few that I went out of my way to be sure I had a second (and sometimes, third) time.
I made amazing friends at CLU. I received a great education at CLU. I got involved in campus ministry at CLU. I lived on campus for 4 years at CLU. If it wasn't such an ugly color combination I would proudly profess that I bleed violet and gold (which translates into purple and yellow, which translates to gross). If my mascot weren't an adjective, I'd be proud to say that I am (a) Regal. If our NCAA bracket weren't division...40, I'd proudly cheer on our teams. Heck, I'm proud anyway. I love my school. I also love that they use nearly any excuse to give away free stuff. T-shirts mostly. I have probably a month's worth of CLU shirts.
But this month isn't 'shirt shots' (possible theme for next month though). When I graduated I was given what I am going to call an 'alumni starter kit'. It had a license plate frame (which is on my car), a 'class of 2008' water glass, and the obligatory 'take this to your office so everyone knows where you went to school/brag about your alma mater' mug. I love my school. I love mugs. My school loves giving away free stuff. Win-Win-Win!
Except I don't have to brag about my alma mater at work. CLU does that for me. Working at a Lutheran church, we get so many 'hey the students in your congregation should go here' brochures. Plus, my boss's oldest daughter goes there anyway.

That being said, I slept horribly last night, so I'm going to take a nap now.

Puppy Love

I am a dog person. I discovered this fairly late in life, since my family didn't own a dog until my senior year of high school. We'd been thinking about getting a dog for a while. With a 17 year old and a 14 year old, my parents figured we could handle the responsibility. Rats, bunnies and fish are one thing...but a dog was a huge undertaking. My dad was very strict about the fact that the dog would not be his. Said dog wouldn't be allowed on the furniture or the carpet. Originally he wanted it to be an outside dog, but conceded to let it sleep in the laundry room with a baby gate up. He would not walk the dog, or feed the dog. He wasn't necessarily an advocate for getting a family pet.
This makes it sound like my dad hates dogs. He really doesn't. I was really baffled by all of that. He was always telling my sister and I about fond memories of his dog growing up, Hildaguard the St. Bernard. I couldn't understand why he was being so down on this dog thing.
Anyway, one Saturday my mom went to the farmer's market to procure some produce, and the SPCA had brought some of the cutest and most adoptable dogs (and cats too, I'm sure...but who wants a cat??). My mom saw this one little terrier mix with a docked tail and it was all over (the dog my mom had growing up also had a docked tail). She called the fam down to approve, papers were signed and we were the proud owners of the cutest terrier mutt known to man-kind. She was our dog!!
In no time at all she was hanging out on furniture and in carpeted parts of the house. My dad treated her like a third child, and talked baby talk to her. He loved walking her. Yes, as down as he was on getting a dog, that's how much he ended up loving our Kylie.
When it came time for us to take a vacation, we had to decide what to do with our baby. My parents heard of a really sweet kennel, and we took her there! She loved it, it was like doggie camp. Anyway, as a Christmas present or whatever they gave us a mug with our dog on it.This really isn't a good picture of her, she kind of looks like she's being strangled by the kennel guy. Here is a better one I think I was trying to take her to college with me, which is why she is in a box.

Sadly, Kylie passed away about two years ago while I was away working at summer camp. She was not the best behaved or smartest dog, but she is definitely missed!

And now you shall deal with me, O prince...

(excuse my shift key) but Maleficent is the most bad@$$ Disney villain of ALL TIME!!!
Easily my favorite villain, and definitely up there with my top 5 favorite Disney characters ever! She's just so...evil, but in such an intriguing way. She is just so subtly evil, she doesn't really raise her voice or lose her temper. She has this quiet, calm evil about her that is just so much scarier than anything else. She is in complete control...and she can turn into a freaking DRAGON!!! No wonder she's the self proclaimed 'Mistress of all Evil' and the star villain in Fantasmic! You'd think there'd be mugs upon mugs dedicated to her. But no. The bad guys very rarely get their mug on a mug. Except during Halloween time at Disneyland. The villains run rampant throughout the park. Their misdeeds are celebrated, and they get to be featured on souvenirs!
It was during one October jaunt to the park that I bought this mug. It says "You're Wicked Awesome" which is quite lame; but it has Jafar, Cruella, Captain Hook, Ursula, Scar, MALEFICENT, and the Evil Queen on it. Maleficent is clearly the star of this mug, because she is color and everyone else is in black and white. She is 3D and everyone else is flat against the mug. Because she rules all!

This is the last of my Disneyland mugs, I promise.
Although, I can't promise I won't come back with another one when I go in two weeks!
I've got a two-day trip planned with my best friend (and Disney partner for life) AllyJo! We've booked our room and we're all ready for 'the time we went in September'*. I am most excited for World of Color!!


*Three years ago, we went in October (not the October I bought this mug), but even still we refer to it as 'that time we went in October' so we decided, to avoid confusion, we can't go together in October anymore

Black Hills Central Railroad

It's in one of the Dakotas or Montana or something. One of those states that just kind of hangs out there in the middle of the country. Wherever it is, my parents thought this railroad was important enough to buy a mug for their eldest daughter. I don't know what else...

I wish I had something interesting to say. I really don't, though.

Well this was an extremely boring post, I'm so sorry

Our Founding Fathers

My parents got me this mug at Mount Rushmore (which will be quite obvious when you see the picture, I hope).
"Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a tribute to the greatness of America and its leaders. For millions of visitors each year, this granite sculpture represents the growth of a nation and an understanding and appreciation of its heritage." I didn't come up with that, it's what it says on the other side of the mug.
My mom explained to me the reasons Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt were chosen to be carved into this hunk o' rock. It was like, Washington built the country, Jefferson did something else to it, Lincoln did yet another thing to it, and Roosevelt did something to it as well. I wish I could remember what it was, because it made a lot of sense.

As to why the presidents aren't in chronological (or even alphabetical) order is beyond me. I don't like it when things are arranged arbitrarily. It makes me uncomfortable. I don't even know how many times I have threatened to sneak into my sister's room and alphabetize her DVD collection. How are you supposed to find which one you want to watch if they are just hanging out there, willy nilly-ly? No rhyme, no reason...just there. I'm sorry, I just can't roll that way. If I want to watch, let's say, Breakfast at Tiffanys- I need to know that I will find it safely tucked in between The Breakfast Club and Bridget Jones' Diary every single time!!

Yogi: Smarter than the average bear

oh wait, he lived in Jellystone...and this mug is from Yellowstone.
Not the same. Nevermind.


Unrelated to...just about everything...my broken finger has been really bothering me lately. I wish it connected to some phenomenon, like 'Spidey senses'. Or could at least give me the ability to predict certain weather patterns. But no, it just hurts.
I broke it at the end of January. I fell, landed on my bum and chipped the second knuckle of my right middle finger. The doctors laughed at me when I asked if they could fix it. Well, not really...but the oh so professional docs at the urgent care center more or less told me there was nothing that could be done and I should deal with it.
But it hurts.

deviation

I'm going to take a break from the mug thing. Well, not really since I posted a mug today and will do so again tomorrow. But here is an extra little tid-bit of a post. More of a 'tweet' on steroids, but whatevs.
Anyway...here we go:
I need to finish reading Eat, Pray, Love. I have really enjoyed it, and I'm soclose to the end. But it's starting to get me depressed. Mostly because reading it has hit me with an incredible wanderlust that I can't give into because I'm poor and I have a job that I don't want to get fired from for just up and leaving. Also, I am noticing quite a few similarities between me and Liz. Well, I seem to share a lot of her 'downs' notsomuch with her 'ups' though. I have switched, for the time being, to re-reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It's the only HP book I haven't re-read yet. In part, I'm gearing up for the movie (though one could argue that E,P,L is already in theaters and HP won't be out until Nov 19, so I'm jumping the gun a little bit). But it's nice to read a book about a protagonist I have absolutely nothing in common with. Am I British? No! Am I a Wizard? No (although, it'd be cool if I were) Am I being pursued by the most evil being ever to exist who has split his soul into seven pieces and wants to kill me dead? No! (Thank God).
Sometimes getting lost in a work of fiction is just what the doctor ordered.
I would like to take this moment to invite reality to bite me.

Now, would you like a Bertie Bott's every flavored bean? Or perhaps, a butterbeer??

Nox.

My parents went on vacation and all I got was...

...about a week's worth of cheesy souvenir mugs!
Introduction to 'theme within a theme'...the next four days will be the mugs my parents brought me back from the road trip they took last summer. I don't remember what they brought back for my sister, but it was probably something that was 4-mugs worth of non-cheesiness.
I kinda like these mugs though...in a quirky kind of way. They remind me of something you'd see at grandma's house (probably not my grandma...but a grandma.)
This one is from Wyoming. It has a wolf on one side that I wasn't able to capture the awesome-ness of with my camera, so I decided to just not bother and stick with the the caribou or moose or whatever on the 'right-handed' side of the mug.

Also, a thought struck me this morning as I was making my coffee...
I wish everything in life was like coffee filters. I mean, you can buy a package of 200 for, like, $1.75...and you know how long it takes to go through 200 coffee filters...almost a year. I can spend $1.75 on something that lasts almost a year.

I don't even know...

I painted this mug at one of those 'paint your own pottery' places. Like, 6 years ago. You can't really see the inside, but it is pink with black speckles. Yeah, this mug simulates a watermelon.
That is all.

Wonderfultown

New York, New York!!
I've only been to NYC twice in my entire life. And the last time I was there, it was hardly for more than 36 hours. But I loved it!! I wouldn't want to live there, or anything...it's a little 'I don't want to live on the moon'
There is just something about a big city (and all that theatre!!) that has a wonderfully strange effect on me. It's such a high to be around all that hustle and bustle. Besides the fact that I wander around looking like a country bug...
The first time I went was with my sister, and I can't imagine anyone else who I'd rather go with! We were there for a week and we saw Broadway shows and went to museums and spent almost a whole day in Central Park. We went to Ellis Island and found 'Grandpa Tony' in the immigration records (my dad's mom's dad). We went to the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building. We saw the Statue of Liberty and Ground Zero, we shopped and ate hotdogs from a cart. We had breakfast at Tiffany's on 5th Avenue and we saw a taping of the Today Show. And we barely scraped the surface of what the city has to offer.
I can't wait to go back again. But until then I have my memories, my pictures and my mug:


In other news...I got a new computer, so I've been working on transferring all my files. It took me almost all day yesterday to make sure I had all my music. I thought that was complicated (3228 songs...whew)--I am dreading trudging through all my pictures. Trying to figure out which ones transferred on my external hard-drive and which ones didn't. And sorting them because they didn't stay in their files when I stuck them in iPhoto...urgh

TGIF??

It has been so long since I have had a day off that has actually been a 'day off' that I have no idea what to do with myself this weekend.
I honestly don't know how I am going to occupy my time today or tomorrow. My apartment is clean, because I had company last night. So I don't need to clean. I went grocery shopping earlier in the week, because the company I had last night was for a dinner party. So I don't need to grocery shop. My children's sermon for this Sunday is written. Check.
I almost want to go to Disneyland since I have my pass, but I'm not sure how much fun it would be to go by myself. I guess I could read. Or watch a few DVDs. Or organize the files on my computer. Not sure what else there is to do.
I was going to use today to prep for having my girlfriends over for dinner tonight, but we bumped that to last night.
Two of my college roommates came over and I made baked ravioli (which was delicious...ifIdosaysomyself). I hope we are able to get together more often, esp since one of these girls is moving to The OC soon...which means instead of 20 minutes to get from her house to mine, it would take 1 1/2 hours...sad day. It was so great to have them over last night, it was almost like college all over again. 'Family Dinner', walking to 'sevies' (7-Eleven) for dessert and massage trains in front of the TV!! And what did we watch after our 'grown-up dinner'?? Glee, of course...duh!
My mug doesn't tie-in with any of this, so instead of trying to bridge the gap between the above paragraph and the photo below, I will use this sentence as an awkward segue. Here is my mug of the day:

I got it at the Rainforest Cafe...the frog's name is 'ChaCha', which I found amusing, since my newspaper-nickname in high school was Cha...because since there were two Laurens, that's what they would write on the assignment board. (Opinion>golf carts on campus>Cha)...and eventually they started calling me that too!

Heads Carolina

It's the third Thursday of the month, which can only mean one thing...NETWORK LUNCH!!
I love network lunch day! Once a month, I get together with a handful of other youth directors in the Channel Islands conference of the Southern California Synod of the ELCA and we eat, talk about life and ministry and commiserate with each other about how junior high kids can be little punks sometimes.
There is something about talking to people who have the same job as you that just clicks. I can talk to my friends about work all I want...but until you can share in the frustration of planning a totally cool event and having no one show up for it, or having to scramble at the last minute to find a male chaperone for a lock-in...you just can't 'get' my job.
That, and some of my friends think I'm certifiably insane to opt to spend my time with teenagers...
I love all my friends dearly, but the network...them's my peeps!
And once a year all the youth directors of all the conferences of all the synods of all the regions of the ELCA are invited to one big party called 'The Extravaganza'. Which is awesome-sauce.
You get to learn about how to teach young'uns about 'that Jesus guy' and how to be good at your job. Plus, it's good renewal for those of us who spend most waking hours with students to have a week of being an adult around other adults. Fun adults. Who act like teenagers...
Last year the 'E' was in Charlotte, NC...and it was my first one ever and it was amazing and I loved it and I can't wait to go to the next one.
And I have a point, I promise...
I bought this mug at the airport...ha!
...yeah...not a very good point...

Yo Ho, Yo Ho...

...a pirate's life for me!!
K, not really. I would hate to be a pirate. They smell bad and they're generally not nice people. Even 'good' pirates like Jack Sparrow and Will Turner still 'pillage and plunder and rifle and loot' even if they don't 'kidnap and ravage and not give a hoot'.
I'm not quite sure where I'm going with that...except that somewhere in there I wanted to mention that Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl is probably one of my favorite movies of all time. And my mug will tie-in...I promise!!
My parents brought this back for me from Vegas. It's from the Treasure Island Hotel and Casino. Which used to be pirate-themed...but has gone the way of most Vegas Hotel/Casinos and is now simply sexy themed. Sexy pirates, perhaps...I'm not sure.
Anyway...this was one of the few remnants of piracy left in the gift shop (according to mom)

swash, swash, buckle, buckle...do with this what you will just remember one thing...


"dead men tell no tales"...more to come on Sept. 19

The Second Star to the Right...

You could say I have a slight 'Peter Pan' complex...that is to say, I have a fear of growing up.
I always have. Growing up seems like moving on from certain things and adding on a lot of responsibility. Honestly, part of me would be quite content as a perpetual seven year old. (That would be the part of me that doesn't drive, vote or enjoy an occasional glass of white zin.)

There is a poem I read in, like, 4th grade or something. It was about a girl who was turning 11, but she looked at as adding an 11-year-old in to the mix with a 10-year-old, a 9-year-old, an 8-year-old, etc. So yeah, I am a 24-year-old, but I'm also all the ages I have been.
I guess my inner child just surfaces more often than most. Or maybe my outer grown-up just goes away from time to time. Which isn't always helpful. I can't always put responsibility on the back burner so I can watch my Disney movies, but...y'know...every once in a while can't be bad.

Yeah--the 'editing' sucks. I don't have photoshop, just paint shop...but you have to see the full panorama of this mug to get the effect.

And I'm going to Disneyland next month...I'm already gearing up!!

No Day But Today

...and to continue the Broadway love I present the souvenir mug from the Broadway tour of Rent. Which I saw with my cool aunt Jenny* and my cousin in San Fransisco. Original Mark (Anthony Rapp) and original Roger (Adam Pascal)...
Plus, while waiting for Anthony Rapp's autograph, I was talking to this girl in line...and as I walked away, I realized I had worked with her at camp. Small world. And awkward that we didn't recognize each other.


*everyone needs a cool aunt...I am so lucky to have my aunt Jenny. She is the coolest 'cool aunt' ever!

There's nothing like a show on Broadway

internet was MIA this weekend...and consequently so was I.
Never fear...here is a mug shots mega-post to fill you in on a weekend's worth of coffee mugs!
My Playbill mug and my Sardi's mug both remind me about how much I love musicals...you really can't beat live theatre. It's so unpredictable!!

Sardi's is this totally cool theatre-goers dream come true restaurant right in Schubert Alley in the theatre district of NYC!!
It's where I had my birthday dinner before I saw:
which was AWESOME. I got to check 'seeing Kristin Chenoweth on Broadway' off my bucket list, and meet her, Sean Hayes, and Tony-Winner Katie Finneran after the show!!
AH-MAZ-ING!!

Somedays require more coffee than others

Today is one of those days. I slept horribly last night. It took me FOR-EV-ER to get to sleep, and staying asleep was a whole different problem. Maybe it was still cricket-guilt, but I doubt it. Something is going on in my subconscious and it is stressing me out to the point where I'm losing sleep. I just wish I knew what it was.
My intermittent sleep last night made it nearly impossible for me to leave my bed this morning, and when it came to choosing my mug, I only had one thing in mind-which will hold the most coffee?? Ah, that life giving substance...(which has yet to kick in.)
Anyway...this mug is nothing special. It seems like one of those 'end of the year gifts to the teacher' mugs...my mom probably gave it to me.
It holds a lot of coffee, though...this is good news.
I might have to refill at lunch.

Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see...Strawberry Fields Forever

Sometimes I pretend I'm a hippie. These urges usually strike me after listening to the Hair soundtrack, or after watching Across the Universe. I decide that I want to go through life with no responsibilities and always be barefoot and string beads in all my doorways. I start listening to a lot of The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel and think 'yeah...I would rather be a forest than a street'
Speaking of forests and streets...I bought this mug in Central Park (parts of which are very nature-y, especially with the contrast of the rest of Manhattan just feet away). It has a strawberry on it because there is a section of the park that was dubbed 'Strawberry Fields' in honor of John Lennon, who was shot across the street from this area. Since this is a very 'hippie-y' part of the park, this mug reminds me of my occasional hippie tendencies.

Although last night, I did something very un-hippie-like. I killed a cricket.
Well, I thought I did. It was on my wall, and I smashed it with a shoe. Then I went to get a tissue to pick up the cricket corpse, and when I returned...it was gone. Now there is an injured cricket bent on revenge roaming around my apartment. It will probably kill me in my sleep tonight.
Maybe that's why I slept so terribly last night. My guilty conscience was keeping me awake because of the cricket-life I almost ended.

"I jumble outta bed and I stumble to the kitchen...

...pour myself a cup of ambition"
Yup-workin' 9 to 5, that's me!! Except for today, when I work from 9-4 and then from 7-8 because I have council tonight (bleh).
Anyway today's mug is truly a coffee mug. By that I mean it has 'coffee' written on it. It's one of those mugs that you just kind of end up with. Someone goes 'oh, you collect coffee mugs? Here's one filled with reeses mini peanut butter cups, happy birthday'...I'm pretty sure that's how acquired this one.


To accompany the coffee I drank out of this cup this morning, I had one of the yummy cookies I baked last night for breakfast. If I do say so myself, they are pretty delish. I am very impressed. I was in a baking mood last night, so I followed the recipe on the back of the flour to make chocolate chip cookies, but (and this is one of my MANY quirks) I like chocolate chip cookies, but not chocolate chips. So I made them with peanut butter chips instead. And then I glued two cookies together with cream-cheese frosting mixed with Nutella and a few sprinkles of cinnamon. They are kinda amazing.

"Ella the girl of the cinders...

Did the wash and the walls and the winders,
But she landed a prince that was brawny and blue eyed and blonde.
But I honestly doubt that
She could ever have done it without that
Crazy lady
With the wand.
Cinderella had outside help,
I have no-one but me;
Fairy godmother, godmother, godmother...where can you be?
I haven't got a fairy godmother...I haven't got a godmother...
I have a mother...a plain, ordinary woman."

Cinderella always has been and always will be my favorite fairy tale. Ever After to Ella Enchanted (the book...don't even get me started on the movie "version"); Disney to Rodgers and Hammerstein...and almost everything in between. Don't ask me why. But it's the reason I bought this mug. The 'Once a Princess, always a Princess' phrase I could take or leave...but it's a Cinderella mug and that sold me!


Alas, I am still waiting for my Prince Charming...

The Third Commandment

Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy ~ Exodus 20:8 (MSG)
I take this to mean many things. I go to church on Sundays, yes...but I also use a holy mug. Well, today I did. I only have one, so we'll have to wait and see what happens the rest of the Sundays in August.
This mug was a promotion for the building project that the church I grew up in was doing. It has a pun on the back. Such a cute play on words...well...you'll see
It feels like I'm cheating on my current church to say this, but I really miss Christ Lutheran. Maybe it's just a feeling you get from a community that has know you since you were 'this big' (hand held about two feet off the ground). I do like the church I'm at now (and I'm not just a member, but an employee as well), but CLC will always hold a special place in my heart.



I really like the cruciform cross that is on the front of this mug. I also have it as a necklace, which I wear almost every day. It reminds me that, yes, Jesus died on the cross...but He's not there anymore. He conquered death to save us all!! Amen!

Happiness is...

When I was growing up, I kinda looked forward to the Saturday paper. Because of the comics. Saturday morning comics were so much better than weekday comics, they were bigger, better and IN COLOR!! I still enjoy reading the comics when I can. There are some comic strips that you can't help but cut out and put up on the fridge. Family Circus certainly has it's 'awwww' moments, as does the now syndicated 'For Better or For Worse'...but one of the most endearing comic strips of ALL TIME (and I dare you to argue) is Peanuts. Charlie Brown is one of those characters that everyone can identify with. He just wants to be nice to everyone and to be liked...who can't relate to that? And of all the comic strips you can think of, how many have spawned TV specials, theme parks and even a Broadway musical?? Yeah...that's what I thought!

When I bought this mug (another brilliant Target dollar section purchase), I was in a major 'You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown' phase. I listened to that soundtrack in my car for two whole weeks. I still can't get enough of K-Chen belting out 'My New Philosophy'...seriously...my goodness!

Though the mountains divde and the oceans are wide

...it's a small world after all!!
This has got to be one of my top 5 Disneyland rides!! I don't care how annoying most people think that song is, it is music to my ears when I hear it. "There is just one moon and one golden sun, and a smile means friendship to everyone"...pure poetry!!
I think that if everyone adhered to the values they learn on the 'happiest cruise to sail 'round the world', peace between nations could be achieved. If we realized that 'there's so much that we share// and it's time we're aware// it's a small world after all' we'd see that there is no reason to fight when we're not all that different to begin with. With that being said, I give you mug number 6:

This ride has always held sentimental value for me. I remember going to Disneyland with my parents when I was about 7 or 8, and going on this ride with my dad at least three times. The line was short, so we'd get off and then get back on, and that really stuck with me. Hate on this ride all you want. That just makes the line shorter for me!

And I killed a black widow in my apartment. I saw her, chilling on my heating unit, and then hid in my bedroom for a while. My rational half was saying that I was much bigger than this spider, and letting it keep me in my bedroom out of fear was ridiculous. The other half was shouting "but it's going to eat me and I'll die". My rational half kinda won as I killed it with a shoe from the farthest distance possible. I don't like living by myself if it means I have to kill my own spiders.

"Thursday...it just can't be Thursday. It's too gruesome"

Actually, I don't mind Thursdays...they are my 'Fridays' (the day before my day off). But I thought a quote from Breakfast At Tiffany's might be appropriate for a post about a mug with "Tiffany Lamps" on it. I got this mug at Serendipity iii in New York. I liked the restaurant, and I liked the mug. I especially liked the quote on the inside which gives the definition of serendipity as "the art of finding the unusual, or the pleasantly unexpected by chance of sagacity"...nice, right?

If you ever find yourself in New York, I do recommend this little restaurant. The food is really yummy, and you HAVE to get a 'Frrrozen Hot Chocolate'


In other news: I am missing a bracelet. My Starbucks bracelet to be exact. It wasn't in my jewelry box this morning, and I don't know where else it would be. I doubt it was stolen, because if someone were to break into my apartment and, subsequently, my jewelry box I don't think they'd steal a charm bracelet made out of glass beads and a Starbucks gift card...especially since my gramma has a habit of giving me really nice jewelry that I'm not quite old enough for yet (like emerald earrings, and a pink-gold tennis bracelet)...my new mission tomorrow is to clean my little apartment from top to bottom in search of this bracelet-but let me know if you find it first!

Dwight Schrute, In the Wharehouse, with the Dundee

Last night I played 'The Office' version of 'Clue'...favorite board game+favorite TV Show=why not?
The weapons in Office Clue are a little bit awesome because they include (but are not limited to): a ream of paper, a rabid bat, a bacon grill, a poisoned pretzel, a Dundee trophy, and a small pewter version of this:


I was inspired by last night's board game sesh to free this particular mug from my cupboard this morning.
And while I am no-one's boss...this mug (purchased in the dollar section of Target) makes me feel like I could be 'The World's Best' whatever I set my mind to be. Plus, it cost a dollar, and anything that costs a dollar is a necessity. Obv.

I'll Be There For You

I really enjoy the TV show F.R.I.E.N.D.S. When I was in high school, and I watched it...I think I thought that's how my life would be when I was a young adult. It's not. I don't live in New York City, I don't have a pet monkey, and I don't engage in oddball antics that can only be contrived by a team of highly paid writers. Go fig.
But I still enjoy that show. Which brings us to mug number three.
When I was in The Big Apple for my birthday a few months back, I was perusing the NBC store in Times Square with mi madre, and was tempted by all the paraphernalia (including a t-shirt that read 'Dr. Drake Ramore Saved My Life'-which is fun, but not practical, since grown-ups aren't supposed to wear kitchy t-shirts)
And I digress...
I did however find this mug that is practical, because it allows me to a)drink my morning pot of coffee, and b)reminisce about a fantastic sitcom.


Again...any mug that doubles as an ice cream/cereal/soup bowl deserves to be purchased...I'm just sayin'

And I wish Central Perk were a real place

I'm not all here...myself...

Mug numero dos for this little project.
This is my Cheshire Cat mug-another Disneyland purchase. Another overly large vessel for my morning caffeine fix, without which (much like the Cheshire Cat) I kind of fade in and out of existence. Well my mind does, anyway...my body stays where it is. Which is good. Over the past few years I seem to have become increasingly dependent on caffeine to live. I'm pretty much a grumpy-gills with a killer headache if I don't partake. It's not psychosomatic...and I'm pretty sure I need it to live.

While I'm not what you would call a 'cat person', I do however like this cat. And this mug because of it. Especially when I stick it in the microwave, and all you can see is his mysterious smile and big eyes looking back at you...creeeeeeeepy

Mug Shots

I have 31 coffee mugs. There are 31 days in August. This obviously means that I need to use a different mug every day this month when I have my morning cup o' joe. Also, I will be deviating from the whining that normally takes place on my blah-g. Lucky for you (although, my only reader is currently off being a secret-agent for Jesus, so lucky for who? I don't know)
Aaaanyway, I decided to start this venture with one of my favorite mugs. I bought this one at during the 50th anniversary year at Disneyland. One of my favorite things about this particular mug is that it pulls double-duty and can stand-in for a soup or cereal bowl--which it often does.
This was one of my justifications for the purchase of this mug (I usually don't have to justify buying mugs, but my boyfriend at the time told me not to buy it because it was kinda expensive-whatevs)




It has the original Disneyland logo on one side, and a retro-tastic map of the Happiest Place on Earth on the other side. And it's teal. And I feel like I could swap it with one of the Mad Tea Party teacups and no-one would notice. Because it's huge.