Baubles & Blessings

Ass Kicking, Beauty | Posted by Jannie on 31 January 2011 @ 10:39 PM (43) Comments

brownish_baubles

A tray of mirror-ball baubles graces our dining room table.

bauble_corner

More baubles and such good gawd adorns the corner table.

golden_spirals

Got some golden spirals too.

(All loot for 25 cents on the dollar at Michael’s.  Love those after-Christmas sales!)

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And what’s all that glitz for?

Why, for the 30 centerpieces for the concert / gala school fundraiser.

This weekend I decorated 12 of the 30 pots.

Jim calls the centerpiece bases “lovely.”

Kelly calls them “weird.”

I call them “Freaking Done!!”

And I think they’re kinda cute, (if I do humbly say so.)

The 8″ flower pots I scored from garden center recycling bins, whooo-hooo.

Then stapled brown satin and stuff on them.

3_pots_decorated

The general artistic plan is to stand a tree branch and several golden spirals in each pot, held in place with stones.

(Branches and stones FREE from nature!)

Then hang varied whimsy in the glittered-up be-sequinned branches.

And see what happens.

With tealights in votive holders on the tables, I think the whole effect will be quite adequate.

Tomorrow I’m heading out to the wild with my branch loppers!  Wish me luck.

Friends are coming over Saturday for bauble hanging.  TG for the posse!

bowl_of_baubles

A tray of mirror-ball baubles graces our dining room table.

18 more bases await my loving creation.

And all is well.

Posted with love by a blogger who is about to hit the hay.
xoxoxoxo

P.S.  If YOU have any suggestions for this first-time centerpiece creator, now’s your time to let loose!

THANKS!!

Kit-Kat, Then & Now — in 55 words

Flash Fiction 55 | Posted by Jannie on 28 January 2011 @ 5:55 PM (31) Comments

1kitty

Well this is highly suspicious.
She never feeds me outside.
Is this even REAL food?

Yep. It’s Friskies!

Cat_eats_friskies

Wait, I bet she’s got me in natural lighting
so her iPhone will take a good shot of me
with the SAME cup from when I was
7 weeks old — almost 4 years ago!

kitty_7_weeks_old

Well, ain’t that sweet!?
And ain’t I (still) cute!?

cute_kitty_age_3

A Friday Flash Fiction 55 posted on Friday at 5:55 pm (12 hours later than I originally planned to) for Our G-Man.

Whoooo-hooooo!

With love, Jannie

friskies

xoxoxo

Your Deepest Desire

Flash Fiction 55, The Pea | Posted by Jannie on 25 January 2011 @ 2:38 PM (30) Comments

I_want_A_Kitten_790

When you were four your deepest desire was a kitten.

Boy, did you want that little kitty above! Remember!?  But he belonged to someone else.

Wasn’t it great when you got Kit-Kat the next year!? 

Kitty_Kelly_july_2006_790

He’s still an awesome cat! He and you growed real good.

a_little_nap_April_2010

Then your deepest desire became a baby sister, which didn’t happen. Sorry.

(Supermarket check-out baby you wanted! Her mom wasn’t quite ready to give her away.)

wow_mom_look_what_I_found_2006

I hope you’ll have bunches and bunches of kids of your own some day.

Being Grannie Jannie will be a great gig, I’m sure. The best.

NOW… your deepest desire is to be an actress. 

And I say “Why not?! ”

Why the heck not, Kelly?  Go for it.  Your dad and I will be there with you every step of the way.

 

(She made that little commercial up on the spot herself.)

(The clip is one I think we could use as part of an audtion tape to be submitted before an agent will even consider looking at her.)

What do y’all think of this child acting business?

Any advice for a possible future “stage mom?”

xoxoxo

My Alexa Rank — a poem in 55 words

Nova Scotia, Poetry | Posted by Jannie on 20 January 2011 @ 5:55 PM (68) Comments

Nova_Scotia_Jannie

Why should I care my Alexa Rank’s

been slipping upwards for months?

What does a silly number matter,

when my trees are more singing than ever

my child more laughing

my husband more snuggly

you all much dearer

and the oceans more and more

dancing with the promise

of every sweet day yet to come?

 

Hey, that was a Friday Flash Fiction 55 for our G-Man.

 
The lowest Alexa Rank I’ve ever attained was about 150,000! 

Yes, FUNSTERLAND was the 150,000th most popular website IN THE WORLD about 3 months ago!!!!!

:)

Then I started putting more time and energy into songwriting than blogging.

Now, I rank… but I don’t really give a flying fiddler’s flute about the number!

Posted with love and ocean-ment,

Jannie
xoxoox

A Burger Kind Of Blogger

Friends | Posted by Jannie on 17 January 2011 @ 6:05 AM (50) Comments

many_lances

blue_wigged_eye Greetings, Adorable Peeps. Lance of The Jungle Of Life is here!!

Kelly (who is 9) asked him the questions this time.

So let’s get to it!

BB_Blue_Wig oh, yay i bin wating months and months for lanse to retern. hoooooo-woooooo.

Kelly_blue_gravatar Hey, Lance! How is your Internet toe? Have you been using it lately?

lance_gravatar My Internet toe (for those of you wondering, I explained to Kelly – last year – how I had a computer built into my big toe) has gone dormant for the winter. I guess it’s like a big ol’ black bear going into hibernation.

Kelly_blue_gravatar Lance, do you have any kids? I’d like to meet them.

lance_gravatar I have three kids – Jakob, Bekah, and Cameron. How would you like to be a girl, sandwiched between two brothers?? (that’s Bekah!) Scary, huh!

Almost all of them are taller than their mom (my wife, Lora).

lance_family

BB_Blue_Wig wow, they groes ‘em tall in wiskonsin!

lance_gravatar Hey, Kelly we all should meet! How about halfway in between us. Wait, you would probably still be in Texas!!! (that is one BIG state!)

Kelly_blue_gravatar Sure, Lance, that would be swell.  Or how ’bout Disney World!

Tell me, do you still drink coffee?

lance_gravatar I’m drinking coffee right now. Guess who else drinks coffee? If you guessed Cameron, you are right! That guy, he started early!! I drink it black (and it doesn’t hibernate in the winter, like my Internet toe).

Kelly_blue_gravatar Do you like it when it rains? And if so, why?

lance_gravatar I do like the rain. The puddles are extra fun – SPLASH!!! I like the sound too, of the rain coming down.

Kelly_blue_gravatar Can you knit?

lance_gravatar Is “knit” the plural of “knot”? If so, I DO!! (and, granny-style!!)

Kelly_blue_gravatar Are your grandparents still alive?

lance_gravatar Hmmm…how about that Kelly! I was just talking about granny up above!!

No, my grandparents are no longer alive. They were great people to have in my life, though. Both sets of grandparents lived on farms (here in Wisconsin), so it was always fun to visit and milk the cows, run through the fields, and catch fireflies!

Kelly_blue_gravatar I’m sorry to hear your grandparents are no longer alive, I bet they were awesome!! Did your grandma ever knit you a sweater?

lance_gravatar Hmmm…I don’t remember a sweater. Then again, I also don’t remember what I had for lunch yesterday, either…

Kelly_blue_gravatar You are so funny, Lance!

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?

lance_gravatar Wow, this is probably going to sound all “pie in the sky”. Speaking of pie in the sky, wouldn’t that be cool in it rained down pies!! Snack time in the rainstorm!! I think I would like rain even more!

Okay…back to your question. My hopes and dreams are for a world where we live in more harmony. And where all people are as sweet as YOU!! Oh, and where ice cream is best food for you!

Kelly_blue_gravatar I like your dreams, Lance, especially if it rained apple pie.

BB_Blue_Wig i lieks lanses dreems too. mine is a dreem of raining karrits. and a beers for my jannie.

Kelly_blue_gravatar Have you ever been in the desert without any water?

lance_gravatar No, I have not. Have you?

Kelly_blue_gravatar No, I  haven’t but I saw a movie about that. I’d rather be in a snow storm.

lance_gravatar I was recently biking in Arizona, though (that’s desert-like!), and we were getting pretty low on water when we finished. That’s the closest I’ve come to no water in a desert. (whew, a close call that was!)

Kelly_blue_gravatar I am wondering if you collect Silly Bandz? I have over 250, would love to trade with you if you have any.

lance_gravatar No, I don’t have any Silly Bandz. I know, I’m just not into all the cool activities, am I.

Maybe when we meet, I could give you a chunk of cheese, and you could give me a Silly Band. Then we could both start new collections (I’m sure you have always dreamed of a cheese collection…).

Kelly_blue_gravatar I collect shoes. What brand of shoes do you wear? I hope you don’t wear the crappy kind.

lance_gravatar My most favorite shoes are a pair of flip flops.

lanses_actual_feets

And the brand is way cool, too! Sanuk! Do you know what that means, Kelly? Sanuk is the Thai word for “fun”! Now…how FUN is that, anyway!!

I wore them outside last week, surrounded by snow! Okay…that was NOT such a FUN idea…

BB_Blue_Wig hay, i know wot is FUN — painting lanse’s toe nales…

lanse_painted

there, mutch beter! yoo agrees?

 Kelly_blue_gravatar 

BB, you are such a nut!

Lance, what’s your favorite website, other than my mom’s, (which is obviously the best site in the world.)

blue_wigged_eye [I told y'all she's a trip, right?]

lance_gravatar I was out near our shed last spring, and there was this huge spider web – wow, it was perfect!! So, I guess my favorite “web” site is near our shed. Oh, and I didn’t know about your Mom and her spider webs. Where does she keep them, anyway? Do the spiders scare you, or do you think they are pretty cool?

Kelly_blue_gravatar I think spiders are freaky. Hey, and did you know that Daddy Long Legs are poisonous but they can’t bite people because their mouth is too small?

Lance, were you popular back in school?

lance_gravatar Hmmm…popular? There was that one year I tried to perm my hair (whoa, what was I thinking, anyway???) in an effort to raise my popularity points. I’m slightly smarter nowadays (…slightly…)

Kelly_blue_gravatar Did you drop out of high school, and if so, was dropping out fun?

lance_gravatar I completed all four years of my high school (in four years!!). There was, however, that one time I had the brilliant idea of drop out, become a hobo, and travel the country by train.

As life would have it, that never happened. Hmmm…I wonder what would have happened had I chosen that route? Maybe I never would have had this very cool opportunity to be interviewed by you. So, I’m pretty glad I didn’t drop out!

Kelly_blue_gravatar Did you love school?

lance_gravatar Love school? How about this? I LOVED the spelling bee at school. Well, at least the one we had at our little school (and little it was – especially my elementary school).

BB_Blue_Wig oh, i loved speling too. i winned menny speling trofees and ribbins!!

lance_gravatar I lived way out in the country, and took the bus to school. Do you take the bus to school?

Kelly_blue_gravatar No, I drive in my mom’s fancy limo. :)

How is your cat, Rufus? Are you allergic to him?

lance_gravatar Rufus just bit me!!! He seemed genuinely happy, though, so it’s okay that I lost a finger. Luckily it wasn’t a toe…especially my Internet toe!

I’m not allergic to him. He sneezed, though, as he walked by last week. I think HE might be allergic to ME…

Kelly_blue_gravatar What’s your favorite tv show?

lance_gravatar I really don’t watch much tv. However, every once in a while I’ll watch a little Sponge Bob (hey, he gets to wear square pants, and do some pretty cool things with Patrick!)

BB_Blue_Wig hay, speeking of spungebob, ennybuddy notice my jannies big eye looks a bit like plankton today? i thinks so.

blue_wigged_eye Blue Bunny! I do NOT!!!

Do I?

BB_Blue_Wig yep, sorry my jannie, butt troo. yoo do.

plankton_jannie

blue_wigged_eye Shoot, I kinda do.

 (slinks off embarassed for rest of interview, if not rest of blogging career…)

Kelly_blue_gravatar But back to Lance!

 Lance, what was your favorite tv show as a kid? Was it educational?

lance_gravatar I loved Scooby Doo. In fact, I still do! Scooby and Shaggy were the best!! And that is definitely educational t.v.!! In fact, I still use what I learned back then from Scooby (like how to eat properly!!)

Kelly_blue_gravatar What’s your favorite restaurant? Italian? Chinese? American? British? German? Scottish?

lance_gravatar I’m a burger kind of guy. Five Guys, that’s a fun place!! Although…I don’t get there very often. When I do, though…YUM!! So, Kelly, what’s YOUR favorite restaurant?

Kelly_blue_gravatar I like Sonic.  Their burgers are awesome.

lance_gravatar Kelly, wow you have asked some challenging questions!! Whew! (how did I do???)

Kelly_blue_gravatar You did good, yay.  I give you an A-.

lance_gravatar And guess what? Now…I’m going to ask you a question. Are you ready for it??

Kelly_blue_gravatar Yep!

lance_gravatar What makes you crazy happy?

Kelly_blue_gravatar When I get to hug trees. 

When I actually find some pants in my pants drawer.

When I lie in my leather chair in the tv room. (P.S. I’m in the chair right now. )

When I wake up at like, 4:30 or 5:00 in the morning — it gives me a good feeling. 

When I get to go to Krispy Kreme and get a free sample of a fresh warm donut.

When it snows, especially the type good for building a snow man.  I’ve seen snow 3 times.

And I like doing interviews with you!

lance_gravatar You are one fun kiddo!! And it is super cool to be here today!!

Happy happy boom boom!!

Kelly_blue_gravatar You too Lance.  Mom and I thank you SO MUCH!!

And I hope you have a good birthday, whenever your birthday is. Love, Kelly Funster.

And Mom says……

Please don’t forget to follow Lance on Twitter here and on Facebook Here.

Also, pop on over to his Jungle Of Life blog, and sign up for his awesome new Jungle 2.0 newsletter here.

Kelly_blue_2

Lance1

 

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