Camouflauge

I heard this song for the first time this weekend and I loved it. Have to share it for the link up with Goodnight Moon.

Camouflage by Brad Paisley




Back to the regular blogging soon!

Winning!

I just have to give a major shout out to ! The Crafty Military Wife ! and Skinnie Piggie for this awesome beauty....



Sorry, had to edit for security!

But my husband and I love the sign which is currently hanging in our dining room. We will add duty stations to it as we go and it is definitely something we will treasure. Thank you Skinnie Piggie for hosting the give away for your birthday and thank you Staci for the gorgeous sign! You will be hearing from me again once we know where we are PCSing to exactly. Check out her facebook page or shop to order one for your family.

Thanks again!

USMC Birthday Ball: Dos and Don'ts

So being slightly bored I decided to look at my blogger stats. My most viewed entry this month is the USMC Birthday Ball post I did last year. It is nothing earth shattering, just me talking about our experience and some pictures, yet google is sending people here for a reason! So I decided to write a post to help those google stalkers out...

DOs and DON'Ts

- DO wear something you are comfortable in

You need a dress you can sit, stand and dance in. Usually before the ball there is a cocktail hour. They sometimes have tall tables to gather around but unless you rock at standing in five inch heels, go for a little comfort! You will also need to sit for the ceremony and the dinner, so do not get a dress you can barely breathe in. As for dancing, you don't want to be pulling up your dress or dragging your hem all night. The two Cs... Comfortable and Classy.


Early in the night...


Later in the night... shoes come off! (during the dancing!)

- DON'T try and recreate My Super Sweet 16

Do not overdo the neon colors, the glitter and the skin exposure. You are a direct reflection of your Marine. Be respectful to him and the Corps.


No

No

No

No!

No!!

- DO try and wear a longer dress

This can be a matter of opinion. Personally, I think longer dresses are more appropriate for the ball. It is a formal event, the Dress Blues are a formal uniform. Now that doesn't mean ankle length is mandatory. Tea length is fine. They won't kick you out if they see your ankles! But wearing a hoochie skirt that lets people know what color underwear you have on is not appropriate. I saw some girls in very short dresses, and I mean really really short. Remember, there is dancing and fun but you are not going out to the club!!







- DON'T overstress

It is not imperative that you color coordinate to his dress blues perfectly. If you want to, go for it! If you can't, don't stress it. Red and blue and black are great. Want to compliment? Wear yellow. I have seen girls in purple or pink or even green and they looked wonderful.

- DO feel free to bargain hunt

Is a veteran spouse getting rid of her old dress? Are you at an event where they have free dresses for military wives? Did your best friend hold on to her gorgeous prom dress? Go for it! I wore my senior prom dress the first year Ryan and I went, and it coincidentally was a nice blue color! The next year I splurged a little and went to David's Bridal for a red dress... I still spent maybe $100 at most. This year I got a dress at a spouse appreciation night for free. It is black and beaded and may border between tea length and long. It is all good!

- DON'T feel the need to spend a lot of money

The tickets and hotel room for the night can be pricey. If there is a cash bar more money will go. If you need to coordinate flying 3000 miles to fly to see your husband to go to the ball, plane tickets cost money (or maybe this is just me?)! In line with the dress thing, it is ok to do your own hair and make up. My friends did mine for me the first year I went which saved me a good bit of money. If you want to splurge and get your hair done and go to the Mac counter at the mall, that is fine, but as long as you look respectable that is all that matters!


My first ball with Ryan my friend Laura did my hair for me, and it looked awesome!

- DO remember you are an extension of your Marine

Be polite, be sociable. Meet your Marines coworkers and chain of command (if you are introduced). Sirs, Ma'ams, Please, Thank you... manners go a long way. Now is not the time to go into that funny story about the time your Marine came home drunk and mistook your kitchen garbage can for the bathroom. With his buddies, maybe, but not his chain of command! If you get a chance to shake hands with the guest of honor, do it! Chances are they are an amazing Marine and are asked to be in that position for a reason. Ever see the Geico commercial Why Drill Sgts Don't Make Good Therapists? Or Full Metal Jacket? Guest of Honor at my first ball... Gunny Ermey! Picture to prove it.



- DON'T get sloppy drunk!!

Definitely not during cocktail hour, the ceremony, or dinner! Once the dancing and stuff starts it is ok to let loose a little bit but getting wasted is not your priority. I have seen a lot of girls falling all over themselves at various stages of the night... it isn't pretty. I am not saying stay sober and have no fun, just be careful!

- DO pay attention to the ceremony

Texting, talking, staring around the room, sighing in boredom, tweeting... not things to be done during the ceremony. I saw a girl last year texting the entire time and I was so annoyed. If she had been closer to me I would have said something, but I didn't want to cause problems. Be respectful. Listen. I find the ceremony very interesting, yes it can get long, but the tradition is important. The Youngest Marine and Oldest Marine cutting the cake always gets to me too, especially as I get older and it seems that Youngest Marine gets younger every year...

My first ball was with my Poppy... he has been the oldest Marine at every ball he has been to in the past decade or so! He is now 92 (as of 2014).

- DON'T wear your wedding dress

Seriously. And I am not talking about the nontraditional slinky white gown... I mean a full on ball gown that you look at and go "Dear Lord she is wearing a wedding dress."

- DO have fun

Take pictures, meet people and enjoy the night with your Marine. It is a fun celebratory night that you can both enjoy. Make some memories (:



This post is not to criticize or judge or anything like that. I saw a lot of people looking at my pretty uninformative post from last year and figured I may as well do one that could help some people! Other bloggers have done similar posts, feel free to link them here if you want (: I hope all you ladies attending the ball this year have a blast. I will be flying out to 29 Palms for my husband's at the end of November and I am pretty excited... even if it is on a Friday!

EDIT: This post is my most read post on this blog! I have updated it to reflect some different things as time has gone on, but the main points still apply. Remember this post was originally published in 2011. For other Marine Corps birthday ball posts from My Marine and Me, see below.


Ball 2007 - Attended with Grandfather, didn't blog then. Pictured above.
Ball 2008 - Attended with Ryan, not blogging yet. The pictures in the blue dress are from that ball.
Ball 2009 - Blogging, but Ryan was deployed to Iraq, so we did not attend.
Ball 2010 - Washington DC (ball in Arlington, red dress pictures)
Ball 2011 - 29 Palms (ball in Palm Springs)
Ball 2012 - Camp LeJeune 2nd Reg (ball on base)

Ball 2013 - Ryan is in Afghanistan so no ball this year.
Ball 2014 - SOI East Ball (student status) in Wilmington, NC
Ball 2015 - SOI East Ball in Wilmington, NC

Care, Music, Busy!

Sorry all, with the hubby being home blogging has taken a back seat! Plus billing at work coincided perfectly so I am finally getting a chance to do a quick update.


I was recently contacted by Sheila over at Caregiver Village and I thought some of you might find it useful... I know there are a lot of milspouses out there who act as primary caregivers to wounded warriors so amybe this is something you can utilize.

The founders of Caregiver Village, which is an online community designed exclusively for those who provide care for anyone with special needs, have put aside a portion of the launch funding to support caregiving organizations. For every person that joins Caregiver Village, they will donate $1 to that persons organization of choice. Caregiver Village members connect with friends, participate in book clubs with celebrity authors, journal, play mystery games, solve puzzles, and learn valuable information about caregiving. So feel free to check it out!

Now for my link up this week with Goodnight Moon I am picking a song I heard on the radio yesterday that has been stuck in my head ever since...



Enjoy!

My First National Commercial!

Watch AMC's The Walking Dead tonight at 9pm to see the commercial for Run for your Lives!!!


Or if you miss it enjoy the sweet youtube posted version here:



YOU CAN SEE ME! It is quick, but in the second woods shot you see me and over his shoulder running. Plus when he goes through the finish line I am just behind him on the left! Not sure if you saw? Well my husband helped me find myself and we may or may not have taken some screen shots! I am a dork and proud of it! Cannot wait to see it on tv!










Are the circles too much? :P Sorry, I am super excited! Enjoy!!!

Winner!

Using random.org I have chosen a winner for my poster give away, sponsored by UPrinting. And the winner is Kaylee at Moore Kaylee!! Congratulations! I will be forwarding your information on to them so keep an eye out for an email.

Thank you all for entering, now I am going to crawl back into bed with my hubby (:

Guest Blog!

Today I have a guest post over on Erin's blog Moore To Love. Go check it out! (:


Carrie and I decided to go swimming last night, seems to be a Thursday thing now, despite the fact that there was a tornado warning out. It wasn't even raining when we left the apartment, although there were some wicked streaks of lightening happening! I love lightening. But we get halfway there and the rain starts pouring down. I mean the kind of rain that makes you put your wipers on full speed and you still cannot see. Of course we get to the pool and the rain stops, such is our luck. But we got a good bit of swimming in plus some sauna time and then went grocery shopping as slightly drowned rats.

Note to self: BUY GOGGLES. Red eyes are not nice looking on anyone. At all.

I also had to watch Josh Groban on the Office last night.... even though I am still on last season (woah pregnant people on the show!) I had to make an exception to see Josh be Andy's Bronard! I wish he could have had more screen time but he was awesome.

Today is the LAST DAY to enter my give away! Go!

It has got to stop raining soon. It stopped long enough for our fire drill this morning, at work, and started again. Oy. I cannot wait for some good sunny days.

Ryan lands in 12 hours and ten minutes. So excited. I cannot wait to see him!!!

Thursdayyyy

My husband will be home extremely late Friday night, actually Saturday morning really, and stay for two weeks. I AM SO EXCITED. I cannot wait to see him!!! Tomorrow night cannot come quick enough. Half an hour more at work now, swimming tonight, tv, phone call, sleep, work, bounce around in excitement after work, drive an hour then HUSBAND. (:

This week for the link up with Goodnight Moon I am going to go with a little Coldplay - Viva La Vida. It is the first concert Ryan and I ever went to together because... I won tickets on the radio! I was caller 14 or whatever it was, I was driving home from an audition and could not resist calling in. I was so excited I almost drove off Rhose Island Ave! That's why cell phone hands free laws are important :P



Coldplay is amazing to see in concert. They have tons of energy and each song is just so well done! The singing, the music, the effects... it is pretty sweet! They even had one stage in the audience about half way back on the right and other to the left on the lawn so tons of people got to be close!

Don't forget to enter my give away!!! Quite a few people entered yesterday which made me very excited. I will pick the winner tomorrow before I go to the airport to pick up my husband! GO Enter! Please (:

What have I been up to?

Going to NJ to see Kim in a show:



Reading lots of books:



Being addicted to Pintrest and other random online finds:



Watching Season 7 of The Office on Netflix Instant:



Work:



Swimming twice a week with Carrie:



And hosting give aways no one seems to want to enter:



Really? One person? Come on readers! Don't you want an awesome poster to hang up of anything you want? Baby pictures? Wedding pictures? Go enter! Please? So I don't feel like every give away I do is a dismal failure?


Bragging rights:

My husband graduated from basic electronics school yesterday. With honors. And the second highest GPA in the class! I am so so proud of him. His next school doesn't start until the first week or so in November so he is coming home this week. Probably on Friday or Saturday once his leave gets approved. I miss him so much and I am honestly convinced time is dragging to get me to the end of this week. To have him HOME for a few weeks will be such an enormous blessing and I really just cannot wait!

Fellow Bloggers:

I have read Wife [Window] of Wounded Marine for a long time. Today I signed on to AOL to check my mail and saw her face on the front page for this Huffington Post article. It moved me to tears more than once, and on her blog today she does clarify some things, but it is definitely something you need to read.

Giveaway Time!

UPrinting is an online printing company that offers different printing services that are pretty awesome. You want just regular poster printing? Calendars? Bookmarks? Got it. They can even go a step further and offer custom posters for you! Their site offers amazing services besides posters and their design templates are great. You can upload your own images and text with their design studio, it is pretty easy!

Prize Details
One (1) Winner of an 18”x24” Poster Print
Semi gloss OR high gloss
1 business day print turnaround time *Free Shipping
Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only.


How can you win?

Mandatory:
- Follow my blog with GFC (one entry)
- Leave a comment saying what ideas you have for your poster! A series of pictures? A design for a business? A welcome home from deployment sign? (one entry)

I kind of want to take all the pictures of all the houses I have taken in Old Town Alexandria and put them together... I think it will look neat!

Optional:
- Blog about it! (two entries, leave two comments saying so)
- Facebook about the giveaway with a link to my blog (one entry)
- Like UPrinting on Facebook (one entry)
- Tweet the giveaway once a day, linking to my blog (one entry per day)
- Follow UPrinting on Twitter (one entry)
- Refer someone to follow! If they comment that you recommended them you each receive two entries! Just post both your names each comment.

So for two entries:
Post one comment/email 1
Post another comment/email 2

That is at least ten (or more!) chances to win!

Please include your email address with at least one entry to win! No email = No prize!


This give away will close on October 14th, 2011

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given and I will receive a poster for hosting. (:

Art for Wounded Warriors

I was contacted via email this morning about this and thought it sounded amazing! All my readers with children, I encourage you to participate!! It is for a great cause. Happy Friday!

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The National Museum of the Marine Corps is conducting its “Art for Wounded Warriors” program for the second year, after receiving overwhelming support from children and youth from across the country in its inaugural year. The “Art for Wounded Warriors” program, managed by the Museum’s Teacher-in-Residence, is again calling on young artists to submit art to decorate recovery facilities and brighten the days of our wounded Marines. The Teacher-in-Residence program is supported by the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation.

“The wonderful support this program received in its first year was so heartening,” said Museum Director Lin Ezell. “We can’t wait to see what the young artists send us this year. It will surely help make the holidays much brighter for the wounded warriors recuperating in hospitals around the nation.”

This year, the Museum is working with the Wounded Warrior Regiment to distribute the artwork submitted by children to brighten the walls of hospitals from coast to coast. All children who enjoy drawing, painting or coloring are encouraged to show their support for America’s Marines by submitting their original works.

“The Museum’s call for artwork is a wonderful way to teach children about service to the nation as well as for children to express their gratitude and support for our Marines,” said James Hunniford, Teacher-in-Residence, National Museum of the Marine Corps. “Art is a fun, stimulating activity for both parents and teachers to do with children; especially for such a great cause. We hope this program helps our nation’s children understand that there is something they can do to help.”

Children who wish to participate should create a picture and write a supportive message on an 8 ½” x 11” piece of paper. Artists should also write their name, hometown and grade level on the back of their pictures. The Museum will accept drawings, paintings or colorings from children of all ages and abilities. All works of art must be submitted in a flat, rigid envelope postmarked by December 10, 2011. Artwork becomes the property of the Museum and cannot be returned.

“It’s always inspiring to see young artists’ creativity and commitment to support our wounded heroes,” said Lt. Gen. Robert R. Blackman, Jr., president & CEO of the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation. “I can imagine how much it will mean to our recovering Marines to know that we are thinking about them and especially that young Americans hold them in their thoughts and want to brighten their day.”


Children’s Artwork for Wounded Marines
Create your picture on an 8 ½” x 11” piece of paper.
Package your work in a flat, rigid envelope.

Submit your art by December 10, 2011.
Mail all submissions to:

The National Museum of the Marine Corps
Attn: Teacher- in- Residence
18900 Jefferson Davis Highway
Triangle, VA 22172-1938

A is for Apple and Australia

If 1% of the people posting Steve Jobs quotes right now follow the advice in that quote tomorrow, tomorrow will be his biggest innovation,



Very brilliant and innovative man, my thoughts are with his family most definitely.

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Today my link up song is a blast from the past, for me! When I was 16 I had the amazing privilege to travel to Australia as a Student Ambassador with People to People.



I was with a large group of high schoolers, four teacher/guides, our Australian leader and a bus driver as we traveled from Syndey up to Cairns over the period of six weeks. It was amazing. I had the chance to see some amazing sights; the Opera House, the Outback, the Rain Forest, the Great Barrier Reef... and even a home stay for a few days where I went to an Australian high school for the day. I saw a Sugar Cane burning, Cattle branding and castration on the outback, tons of fish and sea life, held a koala, pet a kangaroo, even held a snake and a crocodile. It was such an amazing trip that I will never forget.

How does this link to my song choice?

Every morning when we got on the bus Dolly, our Australian guide, would play our "Day Song". It was to pump us up and get us singing and our energy flowing because some of our bus rides were very very early! Our song was by this Australian band called The Choir Boys and it was called Run to Paradise...



For a long time after my trip I would tear up when I heard it! But when I drove up to Jersey this weekend I had my ipod hooked into my car stereo (I LOVE that I can do that!) and this came on so I totally rocked out on 95.

I also may or may not have forgotten my windows were open and was blasting Defying Gravity from Wicked when I hit some traffic... and I was singing very loudly. And I am NOT known for my singing.... the guy in the car next to me was laughing. Oops!

Enjoy!

Boots and Nails

Blog loves... I need your help!



These boots/booties are ones I tried on at DSW last year. They were just a tiny bit out of my price range and I regretably left them... mistake. I cannot remember what brand they are or find them anywhere! I am sorry for the terrible cell phone quality picture, but I figured I would give this a shot. I literally left this picture on my phone all year in hopes I could find these again. They were sooooo comfortable and just adorable. Help!



In other news and awful cell phone pictures... I got my fake nails removed. I put the pink and white gels on two months before my wedding. So from March 2010 until October 2011 my nails were sanded and poked and prodded mercilessly. Manicures feel great, getting a fill does not. When someone literally sands down your nail with a little drill thing it is not known for pleasantness. My husband used to say me going to get my nails done was a luxury and I must enjoy it, soooo not the case!



So I went from these...



To these. A light pink manicure on paper thin bendy nails that are quite sore. I cannot wait until they grow back and get stronger. My nails were never terribly strong, but they were better than this.



Then at Carrie's I decided to follow the advice of a style blogger I recently started reading; love maegan and used glitter to accent my ring finger... and I like it! I am excited to try new nail polishes again, the crackle stuff and fun fall colors. I hope it lasts.... I usually mess up manicures pretty badly (my thumb smeared before I got to my car after getting them done!) so fingers crossed!