Favorite Things Swap!!

One thing you should know about me is that I LOVE presents, not just getting them because everyone loves getting them but I also love to give them. When one of my friend's has a birthday coming up I always enjoy thinking about what will get them super excited (and usually laugh out loud) to receive. So naturally I love joining blog swaps cause you're giving away presents and getting them right back!

According to Kelly is hosting a fabulous favorite things right now!

it's really quite simple: as a participant, you will be asked to choose at least three objects

(i don't think anyone would mind if you decide to send more) that are some of YOUR favorite things to send to your partner... maybe it's an apron you made, your new favorite book, or that favorite flavor of lip gloss. be creative & most importantly have fun with it! objects can be new or vintage, bought or handmade... just remember, it is best to send something the you'd be pleased & excited to receive yourself.

ready to join the fun?

please e-mail your particulars to accordingtokelly@gmail.com. sign-ups will be open until friday, july 3rd... so get your friends involved!

upon receiving your "rsvp" i will send out a confirmation email, if you don't hear from me, email me again, sometime emails can get lost & i don't want anyone left out in the cold!

so here's what i need from you:

• your name.

• mailing address.

• email address.

• website / blog (must be involved with at least one of these).

• a little something about yourself.

• please indicate if you are willing to ship internationally.

swap partners will be emailed to you shortly after the sign-up deadline. the delivery date for this swap is Friday, July 31st... please have it postmarked by then.

See doesn't it sound fun?? I already have some awesome favorite things in mind so go on over and sign up and maybe you'll get a package from me!!

According to Kelly

Rachel vs. Maizey's Big Head...

*Update* Maizey is a ShihPom (shih tzu pomeranian) but technically her momma was a shihpom as well so Maizey is actually a ShihPomPom:0)

Ahh yes my darling Maizey has always been quite the attention grabber since she was a little puff of fluff. She is quite a unique little lady so people are always stopping to admire this blonde beauty and her raven haired sister Olive (who runs my sister's life). She has always lead a well documented life... Birth Announcement (they were the only 2 in the litter since her mommy was only 4lbs)

First day at the beach!

Car decals

1st Christmas Card

2nd Christmas Card

Loving the KaChewKee that was lovingly sent to her from FidosFunkFashion

Now she has her first blog post written about her! A couple weeks ago I spoke with Cathy from FidosFunkFashion and she asked if she could send Maizey one of her fabulous KaChewkee wrappers...

It’s a toy, a training tool and a dental hygiene aide all in one

♥HOW IT WORKS: Tie around a dog cookie and present it to your furry friend. Its a great tool for teaching your friend to take food nicely and not like an alligator. Rather than just inhaling the cookie your Fido will no doubt take their treat to some special spot and proceed to work on getting all of the cookie out. Spending minutes rather than seconds in enjoyment and activity.

WHY IT WORKS: KaChewKee Wrappers were developed with an animal behaviorist. They provide mental stimulation and an outlet for the instinctual need to dissect; involving problem solving, paws and teeth. They are a “brain exercise for dogs”. The combination of reward and activity when delivered with intention helps establish you as pack leader, the calm assertive force that nurtures and orders your dog's blissful existence. KW’s help maintain a healthy weight. They allow you to give smaller cookies without skimping on enjoyment. The 100% natural fibers massage gums and assist in dental health. When tossed in delight they do no damage.

Anyone who has a pup like mine knows that when a treat is given they often just inhale it before they even taste it! So as soon as I gave Maizey this she fell in love! Since Maizey was teeny she has always walked around with a chewy in her mouth like a pacifier so this was her new thing. Go on over and check out her blog about Maizey's adventures with her new KaChewKee!

A View From The Furry Side

"If everybody minded their own business, the world would go around a great deal faster than it does..."

Yes I know I said I wasn't going to do this to myself but I really just couldn't help it. Today I was happily tweeting about how fabulous it is that it's rainy again today (that was pure sarcasm since most of you don't know me personally you should know that, that is all I talk in). I happened to glance over and see that one of the main searches is Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland and that's all it took... before you know I was drooling over the new artist renderings of the set design and Walt Disney's first official photos of some of the cast. I also found out that the plot of the movie actually makes it somewhat of a sequel? Now if you don't want to know anything then please do not read ahead, I know it's one thing for me to spoil something for myself but I don't want to feel guilty about doing it to someone else. Of course I could've just not posted anything but what's the fun in that??

The film begins at a party where Alice, now 17, finds out that she is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of snooty high society types. She makes a run for it, and of course, ends up following a white rabbit down a hole, back to Wonderland — a place where she visited a decade prior. The White Rabbit is convinced that he has the right girl but Alice doesn’t remember her past visit to Wonderland. The creatures of Wonderland are ready to revolt and are hoping/waiting for Alice to help them, but will she? Can she?

Michael Sheen - the White Rabbit


Matt Lucas - the egg-shaped Tweedledee and Tweedledum

Johnny Depp - as the fabulously freaky Mad Hatter

Helena Bona Carter - as the "Off With Their Heads" Red Queen

Anne Hathaway - as the angelic White Queen

We finished shooting in December after only 40 days," Zanuck says. Now the live action is being merged with CG animation and motion-capture creatures, and then transferred into

3-D.
"The Red Queen has “a moat filled with bobbing noggins”, The White Queen is beautiful but eccentric, and floats around instead of walking, and Depp employs an accent for the Hatter that producer Richard Zanuck can only describe as “indescribable”."

Oh I just love it all! I am always just in awe of everything Tim Burton but I just can't wait for this one because of my obsession of Alice in Wonderland. Hopefully this one will not disappoint but judging from everything i've seen so far it doesn't seem like I have to worry.

And the "Oh Shut Up" Award Goes To...

Yikes! This girl is claiming that she told the tattoo artist she only wanted 3 stars along her forehead - then fell asleep - and woke up 56 stars all over her face?!?! Um yeah and of course she's suing now. The tattoo artist says that she was awake the whole time and only is suing after seeing the reaction from her family and friends.

Coming from someone who has 4 tattoos there is NO WAY you would fall asleep while someone is tattooing 56 stars on your FACE unless you were on heavy drugs. I think it just hit her that "hey I just got a whole bunch of weird looking stars on my face that will be there forever" and she bugged out. Either way poor girl cause that looks horrible! Now if you excuse me I have to go talk my little brother out of getting a Mexican and Puerto Flag tattoo on his back... ugh!

Rachel vs. Scarlet Johanson...

Sometimes you are just having an annoying day and then you stumble across a picture like this and magically you can't even remember what bothered you in the first place...

*Sigh*

Here some of what Ryan had to say...

On being a sex symbol:“If you take any of that seriously, you need to be euthanized, ASAP. There are moments when you can use that to your advantage. But it’s really embarrassing. I think I fear more than anything just sounding like a complete a—hole when I have to answer that question.”

On Jon & Kate:“I find that whole situation to be horrible and awful. Every time I see the headlines, I begin an inner hurricane of throwing up. I wanna see Jon & Kate Plus Eight, the Musical. Jon versus Kate. I wanna see four kids on one side, and four kids on the other, snapping menacingly to music as they walk toward one another.”

On favorite TV Show, A&E’s Intervention:“Real schadenfreude stuff. The first season or two is all about alcoholics and heroin addicts, but then as the seasons progress, they feel the need to sensationalize it a bit. So by Season 5, you get to people who are chemically unable to experience joy unless they’re smoking a cat, or something equally disturbing. I love it.”

On video games:I don’t really play video games. Is there a way to waste more f—ing time? The Internet’s enough. The last videogame I played was Ms. Pacman.”

Oh my god Ryan what a coincidence!! I love Intervention... maybe you can come over and we can watch a marathon and I can eat ice cream off your stomach?? This just makes my annoyance for Scarlet all that much more greater!

Rachel vs. Blogger...

Ughh let me give you a small word of advice. If you are going to change the name of your blog please be aware that even though it looks like all your adorable followers are still there, they no longer are able to see your feed and have to follow you again. I just wish that it said that somewhere on the page before I clicked it and got excited that "rachelspinkthoughts" was available! I had no clue until I realized that I wasn't receiving comments all day and I know you all would love the Hello Kitty house! So sorry for the annoyance, if you can just click follow again we can all go on with our fabulous Hump Day! Gracias!!!

When Can I Move In...

Holy cuteness! This is the new Hello Kitty Castle in Shanghai (even though it looks suspiciously like a house). I'm in love with it's sugary sweet cuteness even though I don't know too many big girls that would want to live in Hello Kittyland 24/7.

Wait a sec did someone hear me complaining...

This is genius! I will admit that I am Queen of the Uncomfortable Shoe, I see a beautiful 4.5 inch heel and melt and forget all the pain that comes with them. I always think that I can run in them after a couple cocktails and I usually turn my ankle and fall on the ground or my feet hurt so bad that I just take them off completely and i'm left hobbling down the street.

Not soon enough I won't be!!

Rollasole ballet flats will soon be sold in a vending machine at local bars and clubs in the US. These ballet flats, already sold in several clubs across the UK, will cost about $7. They come rolled up in little balls and even include a matching bag to carry your heels in.

They also come in really adorable colors like Back to Black, Hi Ho Silver Lining, Gold Digger and this really pretty pink color that I didn't see the name for so I will call it Rachel's Thoughts Pink.

Question #5...

5.) Where would you like to be?

Yes i'm going out of order - I like to keep you guessing:0)

Hmm this is a hard question cause I don't know if it means literally or where would you like to be in your life? I'll start by saying on a beach somewhere with all my girlfriends laughing, drinking cocktails and eating all I want but still looking fabulous in my bathing suit and maybe meeting a tall dark and handsome man that makes me laugh wouldn't be so bad either.

In life I gotta say I really don't know, this time last year I was on a totally different path, basically the complete opposite. It really bugs me that I always have to come back to this situation, it was an incredibly sad thing that I know a lot of you can understand. I thought I was with the guy I loved and we were on our way to this happy little life that I always wanted, yeah we had problems but I thought we were gonna work hard and make it through. I am not that jump from boyfriend to boyfriend kind of girl but I like being with someone I care about and only them - I thought that's where I was but, I could not have been more wrong. Turns out that not only did we have issues from the past that I had to be the bigger person and get over but he just kept bringing new problems in as well - slutty skanky new problems.

So where does that leave me now that it is a year later, after the anger has faded (well most of it anyways) and I see things with a clearer head? I am trying to know better (or at least pretend to), I have decided that instead of focusing on the finding of an awesome guy, I am going to start working on the other parts of my life that I have been lacking in. My friend just told me that you know you are happy when you love your job, where you live and who you are with. I'm gonna stay in that order cause that's where I want to be. I'll let you know when I get the first one down... trust me i'm working on it. I know that the short amount of time that I have spent making my little etsy shop it has made me really happy and I feel focused on making it bigger. I just feel like i've spent enough time being sad and although life isn't perfect I want to let as much happy as I can in.

Question #1...

Describe something someone has done to make you feel special.

Is it kinda sad that I had to think a long time about when the last time I felt special?? Don't get me wrong my life has a lot of great people in it it's just it's been kind of a lame time lately. I've decided to make a list of random little occurences that make me feel special because that has always meant more to me than some huge production.

1. My 1st Etsy sale - Yup i'm a nerd but it meant so much to me that someone loved something I made all by myself. I have spent a lot of time working on different pieces to make my shop have a wide range of things and for someone to decide to spend their money on it made me feel pretty special.

2. Maizey Monroe - She spends most of her time at my Momma's house because I just felt too guilty to leave her crated in my kitchen for 10 hours at a time while i'm at work. When I go to play with her, her little body wriggles around so excited the whole time i'm her. She is always trying to crawl in my lap with her binky (she sucks on her chewies like they are her pacifier, it's weird but it definitely calms her even when she's laying on her back). I just love her because she is the most loving and cuddly pup I have ever seen.

3. My birthday last year - Personally I believe my birthday should be considered a national holiday... however most people don't feel as strongly as I do. Last year my girlfriends threw me a birthday party where I felt super special the whole time. It was pink-themed of course and my friend Carlee made my favorite meal (rosemary chicken with carrots and yams sooo good!), they printed out pictures of me and put them all around the house (even on the bodies of other people) and I had a mini horse cookie cake (I love Rob & Big). I got so many fun presents and we just laughed and played games the whole time nothing over the top and expensive just hanging out with my friends which is my perfect kind of day.

So there's some special moments for you see it doesn't take much to make me feel happy!

P.S. While I was writing this little post, I got 2 orders on Etsy!! I feel so super special right now!!!!

Rachel vs. My Keyboard...

I was wandering around blogland again this morning and I found Mama Kat's page and read about her Writer's Workshop so I thought I would give it a shot. From what I see you are supposed to pick one and go with it but I decided over the next week I will do all 5... please bear with me.

**Disclaimer** Let me just tell you that I do not claim to be a writer by any means, I love run-ons sentences and add commas where they shouldn't be, i'm more of a babbler. Since I was a little girl I have always written stories just for me just because I love to write so that's what i'm gonna do now.

P.S. That's my laptop above isn't she cute? Her name is Lucy and I love her!

Alright here's the list...

1.) Describe something someone who has done to make you feel special.

2.)Name your current addiction...we can get through this together.

3.) What have you been busy doing that's keeping you from updating your blog? How hard is it for you to get back into the swing of blogging when you take time off?

4.) Write a letter.

5.) Where would you like to be?

And the "Oh Shut Up Award" goes to...

Janine Sugawara!!

She tried to sue Captain Crunch because she believed the “crunchberries” were real fruit! Janine Sugawara said she was disappointed to find out that the berries were in fact simply brightly colored cereal balls. She said the company misled her by using the word berries and so did the front of the box. A judge threw the case out saying any reasonable person could figure that out, and also noted that her lawyers were also the same people who represented a woman who sued Fruit Loops for having no fruit!!!

Seriously what on Earth is wrong with people?! Are they that greedy???

**Giveaway**

I love me a giveaway and Fantabulously Frugal is having an awesome one! I had to tell all my fabulous followers about it! Go on over and enter yourself asap! Good luck and make sure you tell them I sent you:0) Hurry!

Decorative envelopes from etsy seller Adnagam
Frango Dark Chocolate Mints
Sunshine Yellow Hair Pins from etsy seller creamrose
Purple Rain Amethyst Earrings from etsy seller Sew*Cool Design
Paperchase 8 Folded Cards with Envelopes
Small change purse from etsy seller Made by Hank
Cucumber Melon Salty Soap Scrub from etsy seller Sissy Soap
Soap Nuts from Laundry Tree
Spring Flower Garden Cupcake Liners from etsy seller Layer Cake Shop
2 Vera Bradley cloth napkins
Musings Recycled Notebook in Blue from etsy seller subu
Fleur de Lis Necklace from etsy seller Bumble Beadz
Marc Jacobs key fob
Stationery and small letter-pressed notebook from etsy seller Sarah Drake
Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Protective Recovery Complex
Coriander Ivory Small Cosmetic Bag from etsy seller The Sweet Sugar Beet
Smashbox Lip Gloss
Reusable Sandwich & Snack Bags from etsy seller Green Street
Reversible Coffee Sleeve from etsy seller LilE
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs
OPI Nail Polish
Stick With Me, Kid Shopping Tote from etsy seller Earth Cadets
As well as MANY MORE surprises!The retail value of all the items in this giveaway is nearly $300

Aside from posting the name provided to me by the winner of the giveaway, as well as the winner's website address (if you so choose), no personal information you give me will be shared or published anywhere. You will not be put onto any email lists. Pinky swear.Entries will be accepted from the U.S. and Canada only, please.

Entries will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. CDT on June 22, 2009. A winner will be announced on June 24, 2009. (I'm going to need time to count and tally those entries!)

20 ?s...

I love making new blog friends! I was wandering aimlessly around blogland today and found Fidgeting Gidget. She just posted these 20 questions so I thought I would do them for myself...

1. 5 internet annoyances: Junk Email (no I don't want to learn how to get a free Ipod or meet up with you cause you're horny... I don't even know you how'd you get this email??), Blogs that play music automatically with no way to shut it off (i blog read at work, people!)(I'm keeping this one). When I click on someone's page and my computer freezes, Slow Connections & Virus's

2. What is in your stack of reading materials? Twilight Twilight Twilight - it was my most favorite series to read! Harry Potter & and tons of ChickLit as well. I like my reading to be light and fun nothing sad please.

3. Do you get distracted easily? Yes it's really bad but I have to be doing a bunch of things at once. Like while I have been filling out this list I checked my email and my etsy already.

4. What is the last thing you did before you went to bed last night? Watched Denise Richard's show on E! she is a monster.

5. What does your last text message say? K thanks son! (my girlfriends and I call each other son for everything like how Snoop Dogg says it not Paula Dean)

6. If we were to play Clue, which player would you choose to be? Miss Peacock

7. Speaking of Clue: Who did it? In which room? And using? Miss White in the library with the revolver

8. Now that we know what character you’d be in Clue, which is your favorite marker in Monopoly? The car cause I don't remember any other pieces

9. How many friendships have you had that have lasted more than ten years? That's hard to say cause there are people I have been friends with for that long but I don't talk to them that often now but we're still friends. I would go with six.

10. Where will you be 12 hours from now? Snuggled in my bed

11. Would you go back in time if you were given the chance? I could be one of those people who are all like "Oh everything that has happened to me has made me who I am!"... um yeah but I aint so hell yeah I would jump in the DeLorean and gun it!

12. Who have you texted in the last 24 hours? Oh jeez considering yesterday was Sunday Funday I textually harassed all sorts of people

13. What did you last get in the mail? Bills and my voucher for free hotdogs from Oscar Meyer!

14. According to the cliche, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, but what’s the way to yours? Making me laugh, being honest, watching a movie with me in bed on a Sunday, going grocery shopping with me

15. What’s something that should have been put away but hasn’t been? My etsy supplies

16. Last words you said out loud? Oh my god i'm so sorry I wasn't laughing at you! (I was just in a meeting and giggled to myself about something stupid and the guy talking came up to me afterwards and asked what was so funny about him - it was completely uncomfortable)

17. On a scale from 1-10 (1 least, 10 most likely) 7.5 um sure

18. Could you point out where Outer Mongolia is on a globe? Nope

19. What is underneath your bed? A large plastic container with summer clothes in it, my old comforter and a random shoe i'm sure

20. What food did you once claim to hate but, after trying it, loved? Mussels in red sauce (I think I just like the essence of the mussels cause I only like to dip the bread in it though)

Rachel vs Boys...

I don't know what it is lately but I have been running into stupid boys left and right and while it is very fun to laugh at them it is also making me ask myself "Were they dropped on their heads as babies?? What is going on here??". While this is seriously crushing my hopes of ever finding a nice/normal/HONEST/funny guy, it will at least make for some funny blog stories. Here are last week's biggest offenders...

Red T-Shirt Boy - Oh jeez we were having a very fabulous time yesterday at the Piazza, QuestLove was doing his thing (I love The Roots) and Sunday Funday was in full effect. It was all great until you decided to sit at the table next to us, get belligerent, take your shirt off and start dancing around. At that point we were enjoying laughing at you, it wasn't until you decided to make disgusting comments to my friend and get angry at her because she wouldn't talk to you (even though you were obviously gay so why would you care if she talked to you or not?). Then it was priceless when you got into a fight in the parking lot and security put you in a headlock and embarassed you in front of everyone. Shame on you Red T-Shirt Boy, try harder next time to be less of a scumbag!

Belt Smackin Boy - Should've known because you were with Red T-Shirt Boy but you seemed nice enough even apologizing for his behavior to my friend and pulling him away. However, when you took your belt off in the parking lot, started fighting with your other friend and beating him with the belt (while it was funny cause he wasn't even hitting him) it just made you look so lame. Shame on you Belt Smackin Boy, try harder next time to not get the urge to take your belt off and fight someone you're a grown man.

Lord Voldemort - Ahh yes I suspect that everyone kinda thought he would be on this list. Yes I know it is my fault because I keep giving you the benefit of the doubt, insisting that you are good guy trapped in a shitty guy's body. I must give it to you because you fool me everytime even though at this point I have seen all of your tricks. Your ability to completely win me over with your kindness is an artform. Telling me you miss me, how you wanna hang out, do dinner, be friends. It all sounded so lovely and good that after all the crap we have been through that maybe we have finally made it out to the other side. That all my days of being hurt over you, crying, losing sleep, eating chocolate and wanting to keep this completely screwed up relationship going will finally pay off and we can have something normal and stress-free. Oh darling if I had a dollar everytime you did a complete 180 in 24 hours I would be one rich chica! Oh don't worry it was totally not embarassing to not hear from you the day we are supposed to have this amazing friend dinner only to have me finally text you and get back "Got busy gotta reschedule". Thanks for that 'friend'. Shame on you Lord Voldemort, try harder next time to be less of a jerk who has this obsession with swooping in randomly to make sure I will still give you a chance to be a nice guy but then changing your mind and going back to being "He Who Must Not Be Named".

Honorable Mention: Ketchup Girl - Ahh yes even though you are not a boy you are still stupid and gross. I understand it's nice to get some attention every once in awhile however, getting it by squirting ketchup all over your chest and wiping it off, what I assume to be, sexily is not the way. Shame on you Ketchup Girl, try harder next time to be not disgusting and keep the ketchup where it belongs... on a hotdog!!

Can't wait to see who i'll encounter this week!!

Yay My 1st Sale!!

I have been having a crappy week and I was feeling all lame today but then I just got my first sale on Etsy! I was getting a bit discouraged cause I opened my shop over a month ago and just feel like I keep getting lost but luckily Tina Leanne in California found me! She got one of my fabulous new felt anywhere flowers and I love her for making my day!

Hope you all are having an awesome Thursday, feel free to come visit my shop!

http://pinknightowl.etsy.com/

The Fabulous Marilyn Monroe...

"I don't want to make money. I just want to be wonderful."

Today would've been the fabulous Marilyn Monroe's 83rd birthday. For as long as I can remember I have always been completely obsessed with her. I collect any and all things relating to her and my little apartment is becoming a little bit of a Marilyn shrine but I can't help it. So of course when I got a fabulous blonde puppy I had to name her after one of my icons and that's where Maizey gets her middle name Monroe from (as if you hadn't guessed by now). Most people love her pictures because she is beautiful but I honestly love learning about her life as well. She was adored by so many but had a heartbreaking life. I do not believe there will be anyone that will captivate so many people for so long even after they pass away. It's a complete joke that anyone in Hollywood now will compare themselves to her... ahem Lindsay Lohan & Paris Hilton i'm talking to you!

Recently LIFE Magazine published some never-before-seen pictures that they just found the negatives to in their archives. They are of her at the young age of 24 just before she became hugely famous, they are lovely and I recommend you take a couple minutes out of your day to check them out.

"It's woman's spirit and mood a man has to stimulate in order to make sex interesting. The real lover is the man who can thrill you by touching your head or smiling into your eyes or just staring into space."