Halloween, tailgating, and 7-2!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I enjoyed being with my both of my boys on this fun holiday! Henry was Shrek:

(with his friend Camp!)

....and Jones was an adorable snail...(with Grandaddy!)

So fun....

ALSO, this weekend marked MSU's 7th win (6th STRAIGHT!)!

Who else is proud to be a bulldog???

Tailgating pics...

with the sisters...

...Candy...

...Mims...... Jake and Ashley...As much as I love tailgating, it can be a little stressful because there are always tons of people I want to see! I was happy to see lots of my friends, but sad I wasn't able to see others who were in town for the game.

Here are a couple more pics of the boys from the weeked that I had to share.

(SITTING UP!)

Finally, some people have expressed interest in the 30 day blog challenge and have asked for a list of blog topics for each day. If you're wanting to get on board, here's what you'll be blogging about:

Day 1-Introduce, recent picture, 15 interesting facts

Day 2-Meaning behind your blog name

Day 3-Your first love

Day 4-Your parents

Day 5-Your siblings

Day 6-A picture of something that makes you happy

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place you've traveled to

Day 9-A picture of your friends

Day 10-Something you're afraid of

Day 11-Favorite TV shows

Day 12-What you believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-A picture you love

Day 15-Bible verse

Day 16-Dream house

Day 17-Something you're looking forward to

Day 18-Something you regret

Day 19-Something you miss

Day 20-Nicknames

Day 21-Picture of yourself

Day 22-Favorite city

Day 23-Favorite vacation

Day 24-Something you've learned

Day 25-Put your iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 26-Picture of your family

Day 27-Pets

Day 28-Something that stresses you out

Day 29-3 Wishes

Day 30-a picture

Have fun! Oh...and stay tuned for Day 8 of my challenge-coming tomorrow!

30 day blog challenge- DAY 7

Day 7: Favorite Movies

It's ironic that my challenge of today is choosing a favorite movie, because the cast of my favorite movie was actually on Oprah today!

While I often say that I have "so many favorite movies," There's really just no movie like this classic:

My sisters and I have loved The Sound of Music since we were little girls, and it's still my absolute favorite of all time. In fact, I doubt you would want to ever watch this movie with me because I will quote it from beginning to end. And that's no joke.

I recorded Oprah today, and I'm just now watching it (I've been looking forward to it for WEEKS!), and seriously-this is Oprah's best show to date. Seeing the VonTrapps together again is just doing something good to my soul. I've had chill bumps throughout the entire show. I don't want it to end.

Oh how I love this movie.

Today's question: Do you have a favorite movie of all time? What is it?

30 day blog challenge: DAY 6

Day 6: A Picture of Something That Makes You Happy.

Now, there are approximately 3 billion things in this world that make me happy. I realize that's a good thing, but choosing only one picture that thrills my heart was hard to do. Obviously I'm most passionate about God, my family, friends, mexican food, Max, students, etc.

It's also no secret that I bleed maroon and white. I'm so very passionate about my bulldogs, but not only that; I'm very passionate about my bulldogs having possession of the beloved Egg Bowl Trophy.

Here "we" are last year, and in a few weeks, I fully intend to have another picture looking very similar to this one!

This picture truly.makes.me.happy.

What's the Egg Bowl? Glad you asked!

Your question for today? If you're a football fan, who do you think is going to win the Egg Bowl this year? And...what do you think the score is going to be?

Leave your predictions in a comment and if you predict correctly, I may just have to send you a little something in the mail. (That is, unless Ole Miss wins, in which case no one will receive anything from me.)

Make a guess and you may be a lucky winner!

30 day blog challenge- DAY 5

Day 5: Siblings

I kind of think I have the best sisters. If you're a regular follower, you've heard me mention them a time or two in nearly every single post! :) They're my best friends and a part of my everyday life, so it's rare that I go very long without talking about them.

I'm the middle of the 3, and when I say "middle," I mean the very middle. Kristen is 2 years and 2 months older, and Heather is 2 years and 2 months younger. Nicely planned on my parents' part, huh? (Although I can't imagine having 3 daughters:-a newborn, 2 year old and 4 year old-at the same time! It makes me wonder how you do it!).

If you know the 3 of us, you know that we don't necessarily look that much alike, and we most DEFINITELY don't act alike. Kristen's the typical "first born leader." She's loud, over-the-top, and thinks she can still tell me what to do. She's more giving than anybody I know and is absolutely one of the most fun people to be around. I don't know what I would do without my pretty big sister! I'm your "peacemaker." Growing up I never got into any trouble. I never broke rules and I just wanted everybody to be happy. I'm patient, sensitive, and find that I tend to stand in the background a little. I meet people easily and I think I'm a pretty good friend. And Heather, well, Heather's just the typical "last child baby." She's our little sister and even though she's a mom now, I still see her as my little sister. Growing up, Heather was the one who followed us around and wanted to be just like her big sisters. She is beautiful, sensitive, caring and absolutely hilarious! If you know Heather, you love her. My life would be incomplete if Heather had never been born!

I am fascinated by birth order and find that for the for the most part, my sisters and I are very similar to these stereotypes:

1st born children are typically: Overly confident, taken seriously, patient, organized, have strong powers of concentration, confidence to dream and plan, feel supported, and feel they will be respected for what they do.
Have an innate fear of being dethroned, perfectionists, overachievers, feel as though they are never good enough, tend to be selfish with possesions and attention.

Middle children are typically: Peacemakers, mediators, able to keep secrets, not spoiled, take risks, are realistic, get along well with others, read people well, independent, loyal to supporters, competitive, and imaginative. They hate confrontation, are stubborn, cynical, suspicious, and rebellious.

Last born children are typically: Outgoing, sociable, affectionate, caring, creative, empathetic, confident, secretive, sensitive,
spoiled, manipulative, immature, self-centered, and capricious.

So, here we are...

back in 1985ish...
....and now (standing in the same order as in above picture)

"A sister is one of the nicest things that can happen to anyone." Author Unknown

Today's question: What are you (first born, middle, last, only, multiple, etc)? AND according to what this site says, is your personality typical of your birth order?

Just curious.

30 day blog challenge- DAY 4

Day 4: The parents

Meet my fantastic parents:

Tommy (aka "Grandaddy") and Melita (aka "Lita").

(Obviously pictured with their 2 favorite little ones!)Aren't they cute?

People often make comments to me like, "Laura, I love your dad!" or "Your mom is the sweetest person I know!". I usually just respond with, "Yep! I know!" Perhaps that's considered bragging, but you'd brag too if they were your parents.

My parents were married young (well...23 and 21...that's young to me!). They met at a bowling alley/skating rink in Meridian (cute, right?) in the summer of '75 (?) and were married a year later. I always tell my dad that if I met a guy in June and got engaged 5 months later, he would have a mini-stroke. His reply: "I wouldn't mind it a bit, if the guy was as classy and handsome as me!"

Seriously, Dad?:)

Anyway, they've been married for 34 years and have the most solid marriage of anybody I've ever known. Their love of Christ and their family is evident in their lives daily. I couldn't be more proud to call these two my parents!

It seems as though I've left you with a question each day of the challenge thus far, so let's continue the question-asking, shall we?

I've been told that I look just like my dad and I've also been told that I look just like my mom. So, I leave you with this question: Who do you think I look like? (Oh...and there's no right or wrong answer here! I'll take either one as a compliment!)

Happy Halloween week!

weekend recap and my challenge: DAY 3!

Well, between being sick the entire weekend (I'm witholding details on that-you can thank me later!) and watching MSU barely beat UAB (becoming bowl eligible!), I slacked on blogging for the weekend. So, forgive me for skipping a couple of days with the challenge. Don't get too excited, though, because today's challenge is not one full of excitement for me. Still, I agreed to complete the "challenge," so I'm not going to just ignore it altogether!
Day 3: Your first love.
My first love is still a dear person to me. He was a dear friend of mine first and foremost and he's the only person I've ever really loved. I miss him often, but look forward to the day when God brings me someone who I will love (and who will love me!) even more!

(...Now back to MSU...) :)

Did I mention that we're now bowl-eligible? Because we are! And our record of 6-2 is our longest winning streak since 1999--my freshman year of college! Go dawgs!

Here's a glimpse of my favorite game of that season (and quite possibly one of the best games I've ever witnessed!)

....and this one was a close second (mainly because I enjoy watching Tuberville cry...)

So, today, rather than asking you to share your "first love" with me, I'm going to ask you State fans out there this question: What game do you think of most when you think about that "Comeback Season" back in 1999?

Challenge- Day 2

Day 2: Meaning behind your blog name

I don't really think there's a real meaning behind "My Little Life." I'm an almost-30-year-old single female. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my town. I love my job. I love my dog. And I love to blog.

I have a great (but fairly simple!) life. My blog is about my life and my thoughts. "My Little Life" fits me just perfectly I think! =)

I'm always interested to know how people come up with titles for their blogs.

So....hat's the meaning behind yours?

I love a challenge.

According to cute Jessica, all of the "cool" people are taking on this 30 day blog challenge. Since I like to think I'm pretty cool, I'm going to go ahead and jump on this train. Won't you join me?

DAY 1: Introduce yourself, include a recent picture, and tell 15 facts about yourself.

Since I've been blogging for nearly 4 years, I feel that an "introduction" is not necessary. Allow me to move on the a recent picture. Naturally, I chose a picture of me with my 2 favorite little guys--my sweet nephews.

...and 15 facts you don't already know about me? Hmmm....I'll give it a try.

1. I'm terrified of 18 wheelers. If I'm next to one on the highway, I hold my breath and put the pedal to the metal to get around that sucker.

2. I tivo Dr. Phil every day. I wish he and I were friends.

3. I adore big earrings.

4. I love watching real life murder mysteries (ex. 48 Hours Mystery, Unsolved Mysteries, Dateline, etc). I can record them, watch them alone at night, and not be scared. Some people think that's strange, and, well....I'm not sure I disagree with them.

5. If I had and endless amount of money, I would have a house decorated in Pottery Barn, a wine cellar, and every article of clothing I owned would be from Anthropologie. Oh...and you would get really nice gifts from me, too.

6. I'm one of the most competitive people you'll ever meet. I'm also one of the most die hard MSU fans you'll ever meet. More than likely, if you're NOT a state fan, I will trash talk your team. Don't try to trash talk mine though, or you will see me get really mad.

7. I enjoyed college, but I would never go back.

8. I have had 5 roommates in my life. Loved them all.

9. I've been a bridesmaid 1,672 MANY times. I love my friends!

10. My legs are covered in ant bite scars I got when I was 2. I'm not quite as self conscious about them as I used to be. Want to see them? Just ask.

11. I have never smoked a cigarette (or anything else for that matter).

12. While I love summer because I'm a teacher, "weather-wise," summer is my least favorite season.

13. I would love to be a stay at home mom one day.

14. "How Great Thou Art" is my favorite hymn. (Heard Carrie Underwood sing it? Chill bumps.).

15. I enjoy making fun of Ole Miss' new mascot, "Black Bears".

Stay tuned for challenge #2!

Anybody going to join me?

I love...

...these cheeks
...this hair...

....these legs

...these eyelashes

...and THIS SMILE!

I thank God for this sweet little nephew of mine everyday!

a very happy bulldog!

So...my Dawgs played Florida tonight.......and at the end of the game, our beloved Coach Mullen looked something like this...:
...while poor Coach Meyer had an expression similar to this one.... What a fantastic game!

Go dawgs!

Apple Dumplins

My friend Angie and I hosted Bunko last night, and I made "Apple Dumplins," a yummy dessert that my mom makes often during this time of the year. Allow me to share this tasty little recipe with you!

1. Take 2 Granny Smith apples and cut them into fourths (thus, giving you 8 slices:)).

2. Get a can of crescent rolls and wrap a roll around an apple slice. 3. Mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of nutmeg and sprinkle over dish.4. Mix a cup of sugar, a stick of butter, and a cup of orange juice together in a separate bowl and pour over dish.5. Finally, bake at 350 for 30 minutes- and -voila!

Serve it with a scoop of ice cream and you've got yourself the perfect dessert for fall!

(Forgive me for not taking a picture of the finished product!).

Enjoy!

treat yourself!

Did you know that today is National Dessert Day?
What dessert will you splurge on today?

MY "wishlist Wednesday"!

I'm copying my BFF here. I look forward to her "Wish-list Wednesdays" every single week!

Unlike MSKS, I don't plan on making this a weekly thing for a few reasons:

1. My posts could never compare to MSKS's. She's really cute. I love her, but don't want to be her copycat friend.

2. I would feel pressure to post something cute and fun every Wednesday, and I just can't commit to doing that.

I do have a few things on my wish list this Wednesday, though.

Enjoy.

1. I wish I could pull off a look like this one. (Or should I say that I wish I could afford a look like this one?)

2. I'm thinking I'm going to need a pair of these for the fall. I've contemplated on buying them for a few weeks now. Is that a sign that I just need to do it?

3. I wish I had a sign similar to this one to hang in my classroom. And moms, how precious would this be in a child's room or bathroom? I love this.
4. And finally, I wish I was somewhere like this...
...or this...

What are your wishes today??

and let the shopping begin!

I was so excited about getting started on my Christmas shopping last weekend!

I always start shopping months in advance--what about you? Are you an early shopper or do you wait until the last minute?

a little of this and a little of that too!

Happy Sunday!

So, Mom and I took a little mother/daughter trip this weekend. We drove to Birmingham, where we spent the night and did a little shopping! Not only was I grateful to get some new clothes for fall, but I was also so happy to spend some time with my fabulous Mom! After spending lots of time (&money!) at the Summit, we met up with my cute cousin Kimberly who lives in the 'ham. It was the first time I'd seen her in YEARS! I'm giving props to facebook for our "reconnection". She's just as precious as I'd remembered! I was so happy to see her and meet her husband and 2 kids. I'm looking forward to seeing her again SOON, right, K?
Now...on to the shopping.

If you're needing some shoes for fall, allow me to suggest that you take a trip to Target, where I bought 1, 2, 3 pairs of shoes (spending spending a total of about $75 total on all 3!)! Their shoe/boot selection was fantastic!

Check out my purchases:(these have a slight heel on them which makes them extra cute I think!)

I also spent more time and money at Ann Taylor Loft (fantastic sales!) and Anthropologie. I am rarely able to afford anything in Anthro, although I always want everything in sight. It's true love, really.

My main shopping goal was to buy some new pants, but unfortunately that didn't happen. In fact, by the end of our shopping trip, I felt the need to write a letter to all of the pant-makers out there and explain to them that there are, in fact, some of us women who actually have HIPS! Ugh. I was so bitter after trying on every.single.pair. I left with none. I hate pants.

Finally, and on a very random note, I'm selling my Lexmark printer/copier/scanner. I paid about $150 for it, but I'm willing to sell it for $50! It is super handy to have. (I have one at work, though, so I find that I just don't use mine anymore!).

If you or anybody you know is interested in this great deal, please email me at LTmsstate@gmail.com.

Have a great week!

LT

a VERY important question...

So...which of these would receive YOUR vote for the new stupid place Ole Miss mascot?

a.b.c.

(the dumbest one of all if you ask me...)

Is anybody else glad they're NOT going to have to be a Land Shark, Black Bear, or heaven forbid-HOTTY TODDY?

Once again. I'm proud to be a Bulldog.

a fantastically "fallish" snack mix!

So...I was requested by a couple of you to share my Golden Graham-candy corn-m&m-peanut snack mix recipe with you...(and yes...that's what I call it! Any clever ideas for a simpler name for this?).

Well....good news, folks. This is an easy one. In fact, if you manage to mess this one up, then we're dealing with some serious problems here.

Now, go ahead and grab a pen, because this is going to be hard to remember!

1. Take a box of this:

2. Add these....
3. Pour in some of these yummy things...
4. And finally, add these:

And VOILA'! There you have it! Some of you may be a little curious as to the amounts of each that need to be included. Simply put in as much as you'd like! If you're not a big peanut fan, but love candy corn, throw in an entire bag of candy corn and just a handful of peanuts! Adjust to what YOU like (and how many calories you're willing to give here!).

A couple of years ago, a student gave me some of this as a teacher happy. I'm pretty sure I consumed the entire container in 2 days! Needless to say, I've been making it ever since! It makes a really good "happy" and it's great to have on hand for parties, showers, (BUNKO!), etc.

Now...was that easy enough for you???

ENJOY!

a few favorites...

I've noticed that a lot of people are blogging about things that make them happy--I'm totally convinced that it's the 60 degree weather that's got everybody (including me!) smiling!

When I think about things that make me happy, a few things come to mind:

1. FALL! I just love the month of October. Wouldn't you agree that it has a completely different feel than September? I know I, for one, did not shed a tear when I turned my calendar from September to October. Not one single tear.

2. MSU football (duh)! I love tailgating, being with friends, and most of all, watching an MSU victory!

3. Being with both of my boys at the same time! I enjoyed loved spending time with them both last weekend. Such honeys! What a blessed aunt I am!

4. Candy corn...(though I haven't had any yet!). I'm saving up for the candy corn-m&m-golden graham-peanut mix I plan on "making" for Bunko next weekend! Heavenly? I think so.

5. I'm also quite fond of dark "fallish" nail polishes! Last fall, I purchased OPI's Suzi Skis on the Pyrenes, which I quickly became obsessed with. HOWEVER, when I excitedly went to put it on this fall, it was gone. Yep. It just disappeared. I'm convinced that someone broke into my house and stole it. I guess I'll have to fork over another $7 for another bottle of it! BUMMER.

6. SOUP TIME! I'm in the process of making some yummy taco soup, which I plan on eating this whole entire week. It just makes eating in the cafeteria with 25 7-year-olds so much more exciting!

What are some things you love right now?