Favorite Things: Keep Calm and Carry On

I thought I would do a new blog series on my FAVORITE THINGS. A lot of bloggers do it and I thought it would be fun. So here is my first Favorite Thing and it is really a mixed favorite thing.

This phrase Keep Calm and Carry On is everywhere right now! And I love it and I hate it at the same time.

Let me explain. I have known and understood this phrase since middle school. I have always loved history and in the 8th grade I went to London with my parents. This trip started my love of all things British- including history.

One of the greatest things about the city of London is that it is very obvious that a war was fought in this country. England does not hide that fact that they were severely attacked during WWII- they keep buildings with bomb damage so they can remember the war and al those that fought for the cause.

But I digress... during that trip I heard this phrase for the first time and I learned the history behind it.

For the past year or so this phrase has been everywhere! I love that I can find posters.. pillows... cell phone covers... whatever with this phrase, but it annoys me that no one seems to know the background behind this! I think the blogging world is to thank for this!

So while I love it- I hate it! And I will admit being a little snobbish about it- I get really frustrated when people buy something with this and have no idea what it is! So my end thoughts are I love it for me and my decorating needs!

For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about here is a history lesson: (Just skip the red writing if you don't want to know!)

Keep Calm and Carry On is a catchphrase that originally appeared on a World War II-era British public safety poster. After one of the original posters was recovered and placed in a British bookshop in 2000, the inspirational message was shared online, sparking a series of image macros centered around the phrasal template “Keep Calm and X.

The Keep Calm and Carry On poster was commissioned in 1939 by the temporary Ministry of Information in England, following the printing of two other inspirational posters stating “Freedom Is In Peril. Defend It With All Your Might” and “Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory.” It was intended to be used to strengthen morale in the event of a large-scale attack or occupation, which many considered inevitable at the time. Though more than million of these posters were originally commissioned, after the war ended they were kept in storage where most were destroyed.

In 2000, Stuart Manley and his wife Mary found the poster folded at the bottom of a box of old books they purchased at an auction for their Alnwick, England bookshop, Barter Books. Not knowing its origins, the couple had it framed and hung it in the shop, where they began selling prints of it the following year. According to Mary, they had sold over 40,000 copies by March 2009. As of 2012, Barter is not the only place that houses original copies of the poster. The Imperial War Museum in England has approximately six and fifteen additional copies were found in February 2012, where they were appraised on the television show Antiques Roadshow.

Source: http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/keep-calm-and-carry-on

Another thing that is happening is turning this phrase into different sayings like:

Keep Calm and Play Tennis

Keep Calm and Eat Cupcakes.

Keep Calm and Teach On

ECT, ECT, ECT! They are everywhere!

And to be honest with you I actually like these- I find them very funny! So I guess I am not too snobbish!

So here it goes:

Thoughts anyone?????

Thankful Thoughts- Day 3

Day 3: 

I am thankful for my family! 

I don't even know how to start explain how amazing my family is. I have always been close to my family, but moving away to Hawaii in 2007 really made me appreciate them more. This post would be really really long if I talked about every single person and the impact they made on my life- let's just say I am one LUCKY lady to have such an amazing family. 

Like all families we have our ups and downs... but at the end of the day we love each other and would do anything for each other. 

Every part of my personality is made up of traits from the members of my family. I love to plan parties and organize like one of my aunts, I am type A and driven like my mom, I love family and Thanksgiving like my Abuela, I am political passionate like my Papa (regardless if we are on the opposite side of the spectrum).... I could go on and on! 

Thank you family for being so awesome! 

(Back row: Barry (my second dad), Mom, Papa (holding baby Ava), Aspen, Beau, Coda, Sara, Abuela

Front: Oliva, Sage, Jud) 

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for tomorrow's Thankful Thoughts. 

And I challenge you to find your own! 

Friday Flashback #25

In honor of this weeks festivities:

October of my senior year of high school my aunts, mom, and Abuela decided to on a 'Girls Trip' to New York City... seeing as I didn't want to be left out... I tagged along (read here- forced myself along)!

One of the things we wanted to do was get on the Today show (you know- be the obnoxious people in the background waving at the cameras). So we came up with the idea (and by we- I think it was just my Aunt Nickie- the one with the orange hair) to have matching shirts relating to Halloween. So we did different witches that start with W. (Wise, Wild- Aunt Sara-, Wicked, Wacky, and Waggish) Nickie also created a candy gram all about the Today show and us... it was great!

I am pleased to share that we got on the Today show... not just once but TWICE and not just for a second... for a lot of seconds!!! It was awesome! It was freaking freezing and we had to get to the studio at like 4:30 in the morning, but it was such a great experience and I am happy to have shared it with these fun ladies! I usually don't like being such an obvious tourist, but it was fun to just let my guard down and be the obnoxious Southern in the Big Apple.. plus I was on T.V. which is just awesome.

Thankful Thoughts- Day 2

Day 2 of my thankful journey. Just a recap: November... Thanksgiving.... Thankful Thoughts

Day 2: 

I am thankful for my education. 

December of 2011 I graduated from BYU- Hawaii. Now my experience with BYU-H had a lot of ups and a lot of downs. I got homesick A LOT! I got into many arguments with the admin office! I dated a couple of duds! But at the end of the day- I got a great education! I never thought I would go to a BYU CHURCH school, but it was a great opportunity! 

I loved all my History professors. I loved being able to study in a great field that was not a very popular major so the classes were super small! Most of all I love that my education prepared me enough to be able to get a job in my field  right out of school! 

And on the really good side I went to school in HAWAII!!!! I was able to experience living in a place that had a different culture... I was able to live right on the beach... and meet really great people.  And I got my degree!!!! 

Yay for education! 

(I mean how awesome is it that I went to a place where THIS is the tradition!) 

Thank you for reading and stay tuned for tomorrow's Thankful Thoughts. 

And I challenge you to find some of your own! 

Thankful Thoughts- Day 1

Seeing as it is now November - the month of Thanksgiving- I thought it would be appropriate to blog about what I am thankful for. Some of these will be preplanned because they are always on my mind and some of these will be just random things that I noticed throughout the day- just to mix things up! Plus, sometimes the small things in life you are thankful for are the things that make a difference between a good and a bad day!

I love Thanksgiving and I love November, so it would be selfish and lazy of me if I did not do this. Plus, I think at this time in the year people start to get a little HOLIDAY CRAZY and forget what this time of year is all about... So here it goes 30 days of Thankful Thoughts!

Day 1: 

I am thankful for my job. 

Let me explain why I have put this. As most of you know, Matt and I live in Hawaii- one of the most expensive places in the U.S. to live. After I finished school, there was a period of about three months where I did not have a job. It was summer break for the schools here in Hawaii and no one was really hiring. As June turned into July, I was really really worried that I would not find a teaching job and if this did not happen- I was not sure how Matt and I would continue to be able to live here while he finished up his program. 

Luckily, I found a job at one of the best schools on the island- Mililani Middle School. This is where I did my student teaching... and it was the same grade level.... with the same subject (Hawaiian and Pacific History)!!!! So I was able to reuse a lot of my material. 

I know without a doubt I was hired because of all the prayers and fasts that my family and friends did for Matt and me. I also know that I owe a lot to my education program and the fact that I was ready to be a teacher. 

I am so thankful to be able to work at a school with good resources, good people, and good kids (most of the time)! I am also thankful that I am able to bring home a consistent pay check for my little family of 2. 

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for the rest of Thankful Thoughts. 

Happy November Y'All

Ah, is there anything more beautiful than Fall in Georgia? 

The answer is No- there is not! ... Well, maybe Fall in London...

Now, I know Fall really starts maybe late September through October, but I always consider the start of November to be the perfect Fall. 

The leaves have changed colors, the weather is cooler, the air smells crisper, and Thanksgiving is just a few weeks away. 

I LOVE November. I think it is the best month ever! I love getting Carmel Apple Cider from Starbucks... I love wearing scarves.... enjoying the weather... and of course Thanksgiving!!! And now I can add celebrating my wedding anniversary! 

Living in Hawaii- I don't get to see the beautiful leaves... or wear a scarf.... or drink hot apple cider... but it's not too shabby here. The waves are getting big and my drive to work is beautiful. I just wish it was a bit cooler and there was a little bit of orange in the trees. 

Have a great November you guys and if you live where there is a true Fall please enjoy it! 

Halloween With the Kiddos

This year I actually had to fly back to Hawaii on Halloween, but this did not stop me from doing many Halloweenish things with my Georgia family. 

First thing First: Had a blast with some pumpkins

Joe and his girlfriend Mandy carved pumpkins and I had some fun taking pictures. The kids (Jud and Olivia) carved pumpkins Tuesday before Halloween. 

 (Mandy is behind Joe holding the pumpkin) 

(Jud's pumpkins is a paw print because that is the theme of Wild Kratts.. more on that later.) 

Second: Made a Halloween costume at a really late hour: This year Jud wanted to be Chris Kratt from Wild Kratts on PBS Kids... If you have never heard of this don't be ashamed most people (including other 9 year olds) have not. But mom and me wanted to make this costume good for Jud so I went and did some research and I found a blog post dedicated to making the "Creature Vests" they wear in the show and a whole Wild Kratts birthday theme.... and a WHOLE Pintrest page dedicated to Wild Kratts DIY party wear!!!!! 

I mean they are not joking when they say you can find anything on the internet! After reading this blog and one trip to Wal-Mart, Mom and I were ready to make Jud's very unique costume! I think it turned out great! 

Here is what Jud was shooting for: (Chris Kratt is the one in the green) 

Here is what Mom and I came up with: 

Okay let me explain the  intricate parts of Jud's costume. 

1. The Creature Vest: the Kratt brothers put this on when they go on different adventures learning about animals in the wild. 

Mom and I got green felt from the store and spray on adhesive and we cut one of Jud's old shirts to make the vest. 

2. The gloves: see explanation above. 

These were just regular gloves from Wally world. 

3. Creature Power Discs (the colored circles with animal pictures): these go in the center of the paw and represent which animal they are exploring that day..

I did these on my computer. Then we laminated and stuck magnets to them. The paw print had a magnet in the middle as well so the discs would stick! 

4. Power Pouch (aka the purse Jud had around his waist): this holds the power discs!

5. Name Tag: I was afraid no one would know who Jud was.... I know crazy right... so I made an id badge that said "Hi, my name is Chris Kratt from Wild Kratts on PBS."  

(Sorry for the unclear pic... I stole from my Aunt's Facebook) 

Here are both the kids and my cousins and my Abulea on Halloween night. There is Jud in all his Chris Kratt glory. Olivia was Maria Sharapova- I also made her and ID tag that was a Player pass from the Australian open... I know genius right! 

All in all I think the costumes turned out well! Mom and I had to sew a few of the pieces of Jud's costume together but I think he made a great Chris Kratt. 

Many thanks go to the wonderful Mother over at Mom Endeavors for the wonderful blog post about all things Wild Kratts! 

I hope all of you had a wonderful Halloween!