TRULY Proud to be an American

If you've tried in the past few days to view the P. Diddy video you've most likely discovered that it's been removed from YouTube. To all of you who sent me comments insisting that this was not an Obama approved message I simply have to say...DUH.
That wasn't my point. The point was that the ignorance that is so richly prevalent in our country is staggering. The point was that there are actually people out there who listen to P. Diddy and take his advice. The point was that P. Diddy was making a salacious attempt to defame Sarah Palin with absolutely no knowledge of her background. THE POINT was that this is the pathetic rationale that many people will use as an excuse to vote for Obama. It wasn't anti Obama. It was anti stupid. P. Diddy can't even decide on a name, what makes him qualified to decide for us who our next President should be?

On a lighter note, my Dad sent me this video this morning, which I find much easier to watch. A true American hero.

Hopped Up on Halloween

Halloween is one of our favorite holidays here in the Sippycups household. I love decorating for it and have had several Halloween parties over the years. Last year we had our first pre-trick or treat Halloween Happy Hour and Pizza Party with neighbors and kids. We had so much fun we decided to do it again this year. I'm planning to do a big post about decorations, invitations, etc. sometime next week. For now, we're focused on costumes! Last year was the first year I let the kids buy off the rack costumes. I've always made them myself just like my Mom did for my brothers and I when we were kids. This year, we've been overwhelmed by costume catalogs and websites. Who knew there were SO many to choose from? My favorite so far is CostumeCraze.com. They have a little of everything, even Dog Costumes!

BabyBoy is absolutely positively, as he says, going to be Young Anakin Skywalker.



He of course, recommended that BabyGirl be Padme Amidala


BabyGirl, horrified by the lack of pink or cuteness insisted that she was going to be Mariposa Butterfly Barbie



Dr. Daddy became very excited about a family themed Halloween when he discovered the Sexy Adult Princess Leia Costume.



Tragically, it's out of stock.

Other favorites of his included, but were certainly not limited to:

Sexy Adult Princess Leia Slave



Trixie Speed Racer



Sexy Lady Bug



and his personal favorite, the Maid of Money French Maid Costume



Which I gamely replied I'd be thrilled to wear...just as soon as he agreed to wear this.



The Parade Pleaser Big Dollar Daddy Pimp Costume.

NICE.

Dontcha Wish You Had One of THESE to Sell on EBay!

Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment Upside Down


I'm guessing the author of this book never imagined it would be such a hot item!

I'll be honest. I really do love Sarah Palin at this point. I think she's a solid nominee. For all those who don't like her or just plain don't know her...you should atleast wait to pass judgement until you've gone to this website and seen what she really stands for. Yes, she is very conservative. I'm a very moderate conservative and I still think she's great. I would, however, make some "image" suggestions to her. A stylist, perhaps? Until now, she's been the governor of a rural state. I would say it's about time to roll out that future VP expense account and throw out all the old Ann Taylor duds. Let's face it...she's a hottie! Dr. Daddy commented during her speech at the convention that she reminded him of the teacher from the movie Varsity Blues that ended up being a stripper. SHE SO DOES. I googled "stripper teacher from Varsity Blues". It turns out a lot of other people thought so, too! The actress who played that role is Tonie Perensky. Here's a picture:



I guess my biggest issue with Gov. Palin's look is her glasses. Lose the glasses for pete's sake! I feel like you can't really see into her soul because you can't really see her eyes. And they're pretty eyes! The hair definitely looks better down, or atleast half up, half down. When she has it all up it looks very much like a librarian. She should forget the whole concept of trying to look more serious or more intellectual but making herself look older. She's an attractive, classy woman and I think she should take every opportunity to WORK IT.

A few of my style suggestions:


Armani

Armani

Badgley Mischka

St. John

Tahari





and pretty much ANYTHING Dior




And for the Inaugural Ball...Vera Wang

Kel...send me an email!

Hah! I got your comment. Congratulations on your second! You think having a second baby is busy. Good lawd, child. I thought having them both in school would free up so much time...it's exactly the opposite!
Between swimming and soccer and gymnastics and ballet and LIFE, I can't even get my laundry folded!
I'm completely convinced that if we miss one word on the first grade spelling test we might not get into UVA. I actually called two people last night with questions regarding the true definition of the long "a" sound. NO JOKE.
Anyway, send me a comment with your email.
J

Proud to be an American

Ummmm...yeah. THIS is the man that Obama has allowed to be an ambassador for him? WE AS A COUNTRY have made this man a billionaire? Sweet mother of God. This is the most embarassing display of American ignorance I have seen in a LONG time. No crackheads in Alaska? I don't know, Diddy...seems like you may have cornered the market on the crackpipe.
Note to Diddy: Alaska produces 20% of our nation's energy. 20%. The governor of such a state is the steward of 20 freaking percent of our country's energy. That's a big deal. What have YOU done for us lately, DIDDY?

WARNING: If you're at home with the kids this might not be the best time to watch this video. There are quite a few racial slurs and it's riddled with inappropriate language...

Well Said

By Carolyn Hax
Sunday, August 31, 2008; Page M02 Washington Post

Dear C:

I am leaving home for college soon. My parents will pay my tuition. I want them to know I appreciate it, but I am not sure how to tell them. My parents are hella annoying. I can barely stand to be around them. And I don't want to encourage any kind of communication between us. I just want them to know that I know it's a sacrifice for them and I am grateful.

Glad to Be Leaving

C: "Hella annoying" is a bit nonspecific. Can you cite anything that you feel justifies estrangement?

Carolyn:

They are nosy. They question me about everything I want to do and who I go with and what will I eat and on and on. If my friends come over, they try to talk to them and it is so embarrassing, what they say. They try to give me advice and they don't know what they are talking about. Really I think they have no life, so they are overly interested in mine. If I don't do what they want, they remind me that they give me money.

Really Glad to Be Leaving

C: You're glad to be leaving. Check.

You're also withholding information on your whereabouts and companions; avoiding your parents; ashamed of them; certain that, at presumably less than half their age, you know more about life than they do; nevertheless accepting their food, shelter and cash; and you're quite certain these qualities make you the best thing in their lives.

"Hella annoying," I believe, is the going term for this.


So maybe they're footing the bill in hopes that you receive an education in cause and effect.

Parents ask questions because they like to know their own children. And when that proves to be a dead end, they ask because they'd at least like to know where their money is going.

Are yours going about it the best way? Apparently not. Could this be why you find them unbearable? Sure. A kid who finds parents annoying is hardly breaking new ground.

But taking their tuition money without deigning to converse with them? Wow. People reading your question who thought they wanted to be parents are now refilling their birth-control scripts. Please revisit for a moment your objections to your parents: Is there malice? Neglect? Abuse? Self-absorption, even?

No. They're guilty of giving a damn about you, albeit possibly in a cringe-inducing, oxygen-depleting fashion. Even if they're downright bizarre, though, the best way for you to show that you aren't an ingrate is to find some bearable way to give a damn about them in return.

You can do that while still setting copious limits: You can ask them about themselves. You can offer basic information without making them pry it out of you first. You can introduce them to your friends, knowing that if your friends think less of you, that's your friends' fault, not your parents'; it's your gene pool, after all, so you might as well own it. An effort to know your parents, and to use that knowledge to build a functioning relationship with them, is never wasted.

If you can't find even some small way to appreciate them as people, then you have no business using their money as getaway cash. Get loans, get a job, get a soul.

Thanks!

Thanks so much for the tip from "Benjamin Moore Lover". She suggested I use My Perfect Color to match paints. I'll definitely give it a try! If only they matched Farrow & Ball paints...

I played around with the site and did find some of my favorite colors.

This is the pink that WAS in BabyGirl's room: Benjamin Moore Cadillac Pink



And this is the pink that is NOW in BabyGirl's room: Benjamin Moore Frosty Pink



Now that I see them right next to one another, I definitely see the difference!

Here is the color I put on my kitchen ceiling: Benjamin Moore Whispering Spring



The color on the walls is: Pittsburgh Paint Belgian Waffle



This color was in the house when we moved in and I have to say I absolutely love it. It is so light and creamy and the perfect yellow. I have it in my kitchen, powder room and sunroom. It looks really awesome painted on the exposed brick in the sunroom. It looks great with white cabinets, black counters and red and blue accents in a room. The light reflects off of it perfectly during day and evening. In my home, it looks lighter than the swatch.

Last but not least, one of my all time favorites: Tangier Island by Ralph Lauren



Another perfect color. Not too dark, not too light. I have this in BabyBoy's room. It's a great color for a boy's room because you can accent it with pretty much any other color. It looks great with all shades of blue as well as red and green AND yellow. It also looks awesome as a backdrop if you wanted to paint horizontal rugby stripes on a boy's wall.

Hmm...I can see now that this website is going to be addictive.

PS: They also have a really great blog.