A New Word & A New Cut...

E! On-Line has a new word to add to their Celebrity Addictionary. Any guesses what that might be??? Well, if I'm posting about it the you probably have a good guess! Here you go!!

Today's Celebrity Addictionary word of the day is Pattronize. You could look it up. It's a verb that means "to humor one's Twilight-obsessed friends" who are all gaga over grungy-hunk, sensitive-vampire-dude Robert Pattinson.

Hypothetically, we might be tempted to say something like "Twilight is a cheese-rageous bit of campy fluff designed to fleece tween girls of their allowance money." But because we're wary of raising the vamp ire of all the fanggirls out there, instead we say something like "It's a fun little preteen, chick-flick thrill ride." Did that sound Pattronizing? Oh, we didn't mean it that way.

Oh, My Spunk... Who'd have thought he would get his very own word someday! :) If you want to see the article for yourself you can go here --> http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b74432_addictionary_word_of_day_pattronize.html

They have lots of pretty pictures of him too... But I'll Pattronize you with one of my own!! :D




And we knew it was going to happen sooner or later, but it still came as a shock. My Spunk got a haircut. Seriously. Here he is out and about the other day, getting some large boxes and then trying to stuff them into his fancy new little Audi convertible. I guess time will tell if he actually bought a new car, especially since he seemed to love his old one so much. Maybe this one is just a loaner... I kind of like the thought of him driving around town in a falling apart BMW. :) He did say it makes him feel like "One of the people." :P Oh, he's goofy, but he's lookin' pretty darn good with this fancy new haircut!



Here's a little better shot showing just how short it is. Luckily it should be grown out enough by Spring that it won't affect his 'Edward do' when they start filming New Moon and Eclipse. Oh, the sunglasses and the scruffy beard are seriously killing me...



So, now that the hair is gone for a while I thought I would show you what I think is my favorite hair of his. It's from the middle of October when he was in Austin, Texas and also in Mexico. He was having a good hair week, that's for sure!! And I couldn't love it more!!! :D

At the Austin Film Festival promoting How to Be.

And in Mexico City for Twilight. Holy Hannah this picture is something else!! :)

I guess we won't be seeing this for a while. Although I'm sure he will still do it, especially when he's nervous. It seems to be a little habit of his... And I love it. :)

Ahhh, that's enough pretty for now. :)

Me and My Girls...

Oh, my school friends are so awesome!! And I miss them already!! :(

Most of them had their last class tonight so they decided to go out afterwards and just hang out. Truth be told, most of them wanted to drink and gab! :) After they got out of class I was just getting the kids to bed so I headed out to join them. There were about a dozen girls there, but a few of them left for home around 10. The rest of us stayed and chatted for another hour or so before finally letting the restaurant close down for the night. These girls are all so great and they have made my last couple of years at school so much fun! We have all had several classes together and spent lots of time getting to know each other, so I think they are the biggest reason I am sad to be finishing school. But luckily most of them are finishing up too, so I'm not the only one. Let's meet them, shall we? I don't think any of them are being sought after by the FBI, so it should be safe to show their faces here... :P

L-R - Samantha (Sam), Jennifer (Jen), Erin, Heather, April, and Me



Now for the good stuff -- why I have enjoyed them so much!!

Sam -- Seriously SO FUNNY!!! She is always so cheerful and smiling! We had classes together almost every day for a year and and a half and every time I would see her the first thing out of her mouth was "Hey Girl!!" She makes me laugh and I have been so bummed not to have any classes with her this year. But I was glad she was there tonight!!

Jen -- The Rendering Queen!! I really need to find her a crown... She is so fun and always such a hoot to talk to!! I have loved getting to hang out with her several times a week for the last year and a half. She always has great stories and it's been a highlight of my evenings to see what alcohol she has chilling in her fridge at home for after class! :D She's so funny!!! And she has a son named Jayden too!! Every time I see her she sings the 'Brandy' song to me and she even showed me her cell phone tonight where it says in the index - Brandi - she's a fine girl... :D

Erin -- Oh Erin, what can I say??? She was my best bud in our Sales and Marketing class last Spring and she's the one who broke the news to me about Heath Ledger dying. We've had several classes together and I always loved getting to talk to her about nothing at all. She's really pretty quiet but she can make you laugh!! Plus she told me once that I didn't look old enough to have 4 kids, much less a teenager. Since that point she can do no wrong in my book. :D

Heather -- As Jen says, Little Tiny Heather can best be described as a stick of dynamite - a small package with a big boom! Heather is so cute with her love of all things retro. She always wears the cutest clothes and she has the tiniest feet!! Which, of course, means she has really cute shoes that us girls with big feet can't ever find in our size. Don't let that blonde curly mop fool you!! The best part of Heather?? She loves speed metal music! :D I think that's what you call it... :P And she talks Lost with me!! Yeah!!!

April -- April is so quiet!! She's so sweet and reserved, but away from school I think she has an alternative personality! She's been going to school and working and planning a wedding! I'm not sure how she does it but I am sure glad she does! I have loved getting to know her over the past year and a half. We had the Building Codes class last year and I think she and I were the only ones that the teacher was not afraid of by the end of the semester! :D She was in my group for my final project, along with Jennifer, and we had so much fun and got along so well. It was a really great way to wrap up my school experience.

These girls are all so great and they have been so much fun to hang out with and share classes with. It's so wonderful to have people along side you -- going through the same things you are. I think they are the reason why I have loved these last 2 1/2 years of school more than I ever enjoyed the first 2 years. I think I literally talked to about 5 people total during my first 2 years of classes. Lucky for me things changed.

It's only been 3 hours and I miss them already...

I'm Officially Edjumacated...

Well, tonight was it. My last class for school. I still have to finish my internship next Spring, but I'm all done with my classes.

4 1/2 years it's been since I started, and yet it seems like yesterday. There is no graduation or anything until May, so maybe that's why it doesn't feel like I'm really done. But I am.

And I couldn't be sadder about it...

If you want to check out the final group project that I did with my friends Jennifer and April, you can see it in my Beegurl13 Creations blog -- the link is to the right. And man, if things go well I might just pull off straight A's again. I guess we will see on Friday.

Now back to my depression. I really do love school.

Merry Christmas Quiz...

Okay, seriously...when did I become Mrs. Scrooge??? I have finally reached the point where I totally understand my dad's hesitation to put up Christmas decorations when I was growing up. I get it!! I have NO Christmas Spirit. How sad am I? And I realize that I am probably scarring my children for life by ruining their childhood Christmas memories. But I just have no desire to put up a tree, or lights, or decorations, or buy presents, or send Christmas cards... NOTHING!! Oh well, I was kind of this way last year too, but not nearly as bad. Good thing my kids are getting old enough that in the next couple of years I can just tell them to put up the decorations, and then also to take them down and put them away. I think that's the part that I dislike -- the putting everything away!! Everyone loves to put it up, but no one wants to help take it down. I feel like the Little Red Hen who is making the bread -- everyone wants to eat it but no one wants to help make it. :(

So, in an effort to boost my Christmas Spirit a little, I decided to Blog this little quiz that my friend Michelle sent me. Anyone who wants to do it is more than welcome to!! I'm sure you've got more Christmas Spirit than I do and your answers will probably be WAY more fun!! :P

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Depends - for Christmas we wrap, for most everything else we bag.

2. Real tree or Artificial? I like fake because they are easier and cheaper, but apparently we are getting a real one this year... Not my choice...

3. When do you put up the tree? When I absolutely can't put it off any longer. (Seriously, scarring my children!!!)

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually right after New Year's Day, although last year we took it down earlier and it was pretty nice. But I figure if I haven't put it up until the week before Christmas, I can't really take it down a few days afterwards.

5. Do you like Egg Nog? I don't really know. I've only ever tasted it once and it wasn't bad, but it wasn't the greatest thing since sliced bread either.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? I always got dolls and Barbies and I really loved those. The most special was probably the Christmas right after my Grandma Loe died and it was my year to get a big porcelain doll. She had already made it and it was one that I had told her I liked, but I never dreamed I would get it. I was 16 so I don't know if that really counts as a childhood memory, but it's one that I love.

7. Hardest person to buy for? Probably my parents or my Grandpa, yeah, I think he's the hardest one.

8. Easiest person to buy for? My kids. They are pretty much good with whatever.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, a few of them. I got a Little People one last year that I love!! That's the one thing I am excited to get out this year, and none of my kids are even little enough to still want to play with it!! Except maybe Jensen. :)

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? We always mail them but this year I'm thinking can't I just Blog it??? :P

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Oh gee, I don't even know. I guess when someone buys me something just because they need to get something and they think it's something I will use, yet I have never even mentioned it to them. But I'm not naming any names or presents in particular... :P I'm always happy with whatever I get, and I'm always thankful for the thought that went into it. :)

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story is really great. I also like National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation too. The scene on the front lawn when Clark is trying to show off the lights on the house is hilarious!!!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? The day before Christmas Eve... You think I'm joking! :D I try and start before then but it usually boils down to that day, and then some on Christmas Eve. Pitiful, I know.

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Of course, but nothing too cool. And not to anyone that I really care about. It's usually something for Tim's work or something.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Green Olives. I love them!!

16. Lights on the tree? Yep. I like white but the kids and Tim liked colors, so colored lights it is.

17. Favorite Christmas songs? O' Holy Night. I like the hauntingness of it when it gets to the "Fall on your knees..." part. I've finally discovered that all of my very favorite songs have that eeriness to them. I don't know why but I love that!!

18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We stay home. Our families live in opposite directions so instead of going to one or the other, we just stay home. And as the kids get older I think they will prefer that anyway. I know I did.

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? Yep, I can sing that song!!

20. Angel on the tree top or a star? I think we have an angel. I wanted a really pretty star but I just couldn't find one. Although maybe last year I did... I can't remember. I guess we will see when that box of decorations comes out this week.

21. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Christmas Morning. When I grew up we were never allowed to open anything on Christmas Eve, unless we were getting pajamas, so my kids have to abide by the same rules. Too bad for them!! :)

22. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Having to spend money that I don't have on things that my kids don't need. That bugs me to no end!! Oh, and it's cold. Why can't it be like 90 degrees??? I'm a desert rat, I need heat.

23. Favorite ornament theme or color? Well, we don't have a theme, the ornaments are just kind of a mix and match of past years. I used to get the kids an ornament every year, but I don't know that I have the last couple of years. Again, NO CHRISTMAS SPIRIT!!! :(

24. Favorite thing for Christmas dinner? We usually have ham, but a couple of years ago we were gonna have turkey and I didn't know that Tim had used all of my turkey oven bags and not told me so when I went to cook the turkey, I couldn't. Needless to say, we ended up driving through Jack-in-the-Box and I gotta say, it was awesome!!! So nice!! Everyone ate good and I just threw the wrappers away and the cleaning up was done!!

25. What do you want for Christmas this year? Nothing really. The things I actually want are not really feasible. And NO, I don't mean My Spunk!! :D Although, that's not a bad idea... Except that I think some kidnapping would have to be involved and prison is not on my agenda for 2009. :P

Well, I'm done and I still don't have much Christmas Spirit. Just call me Debbie Downer. Then again, only 11 more days and it will be over. Yippee!! How sad is that!!! :P

Here'a a little picture to remind you of the children I am scarring for life. I can't believe it's been 5 years since this picture was taken!! :o Gee, they have gotten so much bigger since then... :( What happened to my sweet little babies...

Rock The Box Office...

What a great idea!! If you haven't seen Twilight yet, or haven't seen it in the last week, then you should totally run out today and watch it!! December 12th was the original release date, so as a way to honor the movie, and to bump up ticket sales and show how much we really do love the book, Twilight fans are suggesting that we see the movie again, TODAY!! Why not!! It's Friday and what better than to watch a good movie with a great cast!! Come on, you know you want to! :)

Just think, you can sit and watch Robert Pattinson for 2 hours... That right there is worth the price of the ticket!! :D

And you get to enjoy Kristen Stewart and the awesomeness that she brings to Bella. I really do enjoy watching her!

And who could resist Kellan Lutz as Emmett??? His amazing fans made him this sign for the movie premiere in LA -- SO CUTE!! And if you think this sign is cute, just wait until you see him as Emmett!! Wild Grizzly Bears never looked so fun!!

Excuse me while I go check movie times... Yippee for cheap matinee movies!! :D

Happy Birthday Momma!!!

Today is my Mom's birthday! Now, I know that most people think they have the best mom ever, but sadly I'm here to tell you that this is just not the case. As my siblings and I can tell you, we lucked out!! We actually got the best mom ever! I sometimes feel bad for my kids because I know that I will never be as good of a mom to them as my Mom was and is to me. But at least they get to have her as their Granny, and that's almost as good!! She is always so thoughtful and helpful - always taking time out of her schedule to do things for us and to come and see us. She is always picking up things for me just because she knows I like them - candy, lotion, candles, anything! And she always sends cards for every holiday, which the kids LOVE! She also takes them birthday shopping - a special day that the kids get to spend with just her doing whatever they want. They love that too!! She even plans a special Christmas weekend at Granny and Grandpa's house for all the grandkids. They have been asking about the one for this year since they got home from the one last year! My Mom is such a great example to me and my kids and I am so grateful to have been blessed with her as my mom. She used to tease us growing up about other girls my dad had dated before her and how we could have ended up with one of them as our mom but I'm sure glad that didn't happen!! If it had, I'm sure I wouldn't have a bag of Christmas Peppermint Nougat candies and Christmas Nerds Jelly Beans in my room. :)

We love you Mom and we hope that you had a wonderful day!!!!

Let the photo tribute begin!!

My Mom and Grandpa Loe

My Mom and Grandma Loe

My Mom in High School

My Mom and Dad at a High School Dance

My Mom and Dad just after getting married

My Mom and Me - Spring 1973

My Mom and Me - Fall 1973

My Mom and Me and Beau - Fall 1975

Me, My Mom, My Dad, and Beau - Winter 1977

My Mom and Me - Fall 1978

My Mom and Dad with Blake - Fall 1978

The Jones Family - Winter 1981

Beau, My Dad, Brooke, Blake, My Mom, and Me

Me and my Mom - Fall 1989

The Snowflake High School traditional Mums for Moms pinning - yeah, she had to do it so that I didn't stick her with the pin... :D

The Jones Family - Fall 1992
Me, Brett, My Dad, Beau, My Mom, Blake, Brooke, and Brianna

The Jones Family - Winter 2004

Brett, Beau, Elliott, Brooke, My Dad, My Mom, Laurissa, Blake, Jillen, Me, Jensen, Tim, Jayden, and Jorden (the only ones missing where Brianna and Justin :( )



The Jones Girls - Winter 2007

Me, Brooke, Brianna, and My Mom (with Ellee in front)

My Mom and her sisters - Thanksgiving 2008

My Mom, Peggy, Micki, and Nancy

Jorden and Granny - 1996

Jillen and Granny with Jorden - 1999

Jayden and Granny and Grandpa - 2000

Jensen and Granny - 2003

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

We Love You!!!!!

TAG: My Mosaic...

I saw this on Bri's blog and thought it looked really fun! And it was!! Some pretty weird pictures came up for all of my normal words!! :D Wanna know my answers? See if you can guess them from the pictures I chose...

Questions --

First Name?
Celebrity Crush?
Favorite Drink?
Favorite Color?
Dream Vacation?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Favorite Dessert?
What do you love most in life?
One word to describe you?




Some are a little confusing huh? Okay, I'll take pity on you.

First name? Brandi (You should know that!)
Celebrity crush? Hmmm, let's think... My Spunk!! Robert Pattinson :)
Favorite drink? Vanilla Pepsi
Favorite color? Green
Dream vacation? Scotland
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Mom
Favorite dessert? Strawberry Pie
What do you love most in life? Seeing my children learn
One word to describe you? Obsessive (Gee, who'd have thought...)


The Rules: answer the following 9 questions about yourself:

First name?
Celebrity crush?
Favorite drink?
Favorite color?
Dream vacation?
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Favorite dessert?
What do you love most in life?
One word to describe you?

Want to play? Type your answers to each of the above questions into flickr search. Using only the images that appear on the first page, choose your favorite and copy & paste each of the URL's into Mosaic Maker. (3 columns, 3 rows)