Arrested for Doodling

Jen: Wow, did you hear about the junior high student in New York who doodled on her desk and was arrested for vandalizing? She wrote something along the lines of "I love my friends" and the teacher caught her. The teacher told the principle who then called the police, and they cuffed her in front of her classmates! Now she has a record, and for what? Doodling? I know I did that as a student back in the day! I get that they're trying to set an example, but in the end I think the school comes out looking like a bunch of idiots. This punishment doesn't fit the "crime" in my opinion! Have her clean desks as punishment for crying out loud! Thoughts?

Crystal: Serious???  That's nuts!  I hate tagging, and think that people who do it are dumb...but I did my share of desk doodles as well....not respectful in any way, but I was a dumb teenager and it was harmless in my eyes.  I didn't do it with malicious intent....so had I been arrested for it...wow!  What a change in my life that would have been. 

I would have hated the teacher, the school, the police...I would have grown up with this thorn in my side towards authority and the police for sure...may have changed my whole path in life!!

Punishment shouldn't be thrown off the table....it's still wrong to vandalize property on any level...but I definitely think cleaning desks or something to teach you a lesson, without leaving a mark on your legal records, is much more called for!!

Infant Accessories?

Crystal: I'm thinking about expanding, or rather starting I guess I should say, my infant accessory collection for use in my photography (Avery James Photography). I'd love to get some cute knit hats, diaper covers, headbands, blankets, those netting things to put the babies in, etc.
So I figured that the best place to start is on Etsy…I love all the handmade stuff, and I love to help out small businesses.
With that said, I'd love to get some suggestions and references for products. Feel free to pass along your own sites or your favorite sites…and if you're willing to work out an exchange or discount for photos of your products, I'm all ears. I'll even throw in a ton of advertising for you in all my various social networking avenues.
Thanks everyone!

Photo below from Laura Renee Photography: http://www.laurareneephotography.com/blog/

Valentine

Jen: How was everyone's Valentine's Day? I'm munching on a box of chocolates and I write this :) I ordered this Black Apple print for Joe, and gave these Black Apple Valentines to my family. Then we spent the day at Disneyland where we enjoyed a lunch of margherita pizza and Italian sodas and a dinner of seafood and gumbo crepes! My legs are a little sore today from all the walking, but it was definitely worth it!

Rental Car?

Crystal: Interesting site I just came across...it's called Vroom Vroom Vroom. You put in the city, state, date, and length of time you want a rental car for...and the results come up with a lowest to highest priced page of rental cars from all the different rental companies, all on one page.

I'm all about price comparisons....love it. :)

Jen: Haha! You're funny with the comparisons. Man, it makes me want to take a trip! Vegas perhaps? I missed the Groupon bus deal, but I think I would prefer to drive anyway. I like having a car so I don't have to depend on cabs.

Award!

Crystal: So I technically got this on my photography blog (Avery James Photography), but she noted both that blog and Beachy Keen in her post…so I'm just going to assume this award for both blogs!!

Thank you so much to kateyleigh @ let.it.be for the awesome Sugar Doll Award!!

According to her post, we're supposed to list 10 things about ourselves, and then tag 10 other blogs that we would like to award this to! So like we have done in the past…I'll take 5 of each, and Jen can take the other 5!

Here goes mine!

5 Things About Me

1. I've been on t.v. and movies before! Granted, I was probably a flicker of color walking behind the real star of the show…but that's not the point. Most recently I remembered that I was in a Richard Simmons workout video! A salsa dancing one…in the background though…I'm gonna have to find that so I can check it out, lol.
2. I love notebooks…I rarely write anything in them, but I always buy them when I see ones I like…I have boxes of blank notebooks at home.
3. I am loving my new Kindle…and currently reading the 3^rd installment of the Twilight series. LOOOOOVE IT!!! Team Edward here.
4. I'm on a Tigger collecting kick right now…it, among many other things, has sentimental value relating to my first son, Avery…plus he's just so darn cute.
5. I'm about to attempt to make my son's 4^th birthday cake in a couple of weeks…with fondant…I have no idea what I'm getting myself into, but I'm hoping I can do it!!

5 Blogs I Would Like To Award!

1. Novel Vault – It's not quite up and running yet…but this is gonna be BIG.
2. All Things Creative – Because I like creativity…and because she posts some great pictures. I love pictures.
   
3. Art Bead Scene – Because beads are fun!! It takes me back to mine and Jen's high school days when we had our bead business!!
4. Bridal Bliss – Because even though I'm not in wedding planning mode yet, I love to see all the fun ideas!!
5. The Pink Ninjas – Seriously…just check out their stuff…scrapbooking awesomeness.

Okie doke…Jen's turn!

Jen: Good stuff, Crystal! I love notebooks, too! I found a bunch while I was setting up my new bookcases. I don't know what to do with them all!

5 Things about me:

1. I absolutely love Pakistani food!
2. I had photos of my dream home printed last month so I can finally create my dream board.
3. I'm a huge Disneyland fan. I've even been to Club 33, thanks to a past co-worker's membership. I would love to be a member one day!
4. I spend a ridiculous amount of time theorizing about Lost.
5. I'm a Joss Whedon girl for life! I adore everything he does!

5 Blogs I Would Like To Award!

1. Michelle Woo - The best anecdotes around!
2. Some Girls Wander by Mistake - This fashion blog is written by the Black Apple's Emily. I love her style!
3. Cupcakes and Cashmere - This is one of my favorite daily reads! Emily (yes, another one!) charms us with her fashion presence and amazing recipes!
4. A Fanciful Twist - This girl knows how to throw one heck of a blog party! She's quirky and whimsical, and a delight to visit!
5. Mashable! - I pretty much learn everything cool from them!
   

Haiti

Jen: The coverage on the Haiti situation has been steadily slowing, so I thought it might be nice to touch base on the topic now. I really hope that people are still donating, talking, and sharing information about Haiti's circumstances.

Anderson Cooper and Dr. Sanjay Gupta (from CNN) are back in Haiti after a short stint here at home. I'm blown away by their compassion and dedication to easing the suffering of these people. Anderson Cooper said that being back home left him with a feeling of disconnect from Haiti, and that it felt wrong.

I used the Red Cross texting initiative to donate to the cause last month, and while it was only $10, I know it will go a long way as their antibiotics only cost a nickel! Since then, I've found other donation avenues, but my mind keeps going back to that $10. Most of us can afford that. Even my little brothers donated!

Crystal: So here's my schpeal (sp?) on the Haiti situation...

It sucks...it's horrible what happened...I feel horrible for the people and the town and everything....I wish that everything could be magically fixed....and I wish that they could have all the money they need to do what needs to be done with country....

BUT....

At the same time...I can't help feeling a little resentful, if that's the right term....it takes a huge disaster for people to start giving and be generous....and I'm completely guilty of this myself.....but what if all of that effort and generosity being put forth by U.S. citizens was put back into our own country.....think of the possibilities!

I also can't help but wonder if we all put back the same effort into our country, if it would somehow come full circle and increase the help we could give outwards.....?? A long chain effect basically:

Money, care, and help is put into the U.S. --> thousands, if not millions, of people benefit and grow, better their lives, get better educations, have better health --> less strain on the welfare systems, less strain on the healthcare systems, larger pool of competent and employable citizens, more people to create businesses that allow for additional employment opportunities, etc. --> more money flowing throughout the country in all directions --> down the line, this leads to more money and skillsets that can be given outside of the U.S. to other countries in need.....

It seems so simple to me.....isn't it????

Jen: I agree that our country needs some major revamping, but for the time being, I'm happy to help the Haitians. Again, a $10 donation buys a lot of medicine for them. What would $10 do for the US? Cover a co-pay? Perhaps, if you are lucky enough to even have medical insurance. It goes to show how inflated we really are.

Super Bowl

Jen: Who here watched the Super Bowl yesterday? I spent the afternoon with my teenage brothers and tons of munchies (7-layer dip, YUM!). I was lucky in that the Saints and Colts are my two favorite teams, so it was going to be a win in my eyes either way!

I also loved a few of the commercials! My favorites were the Doritos and Google commercials! What about you?

Crystal: You know, I didn't know you were such a football fan...seriously. More and more I'm surprised by how many females like football!! I am so anti-football that I just keep thinking everyone else is like me too, lol. :) :)

I did go to a Super Bowl party yesterday though...and they had 3 football pools that we played in which makes it much more fun to sit through hours of sports...and the commercials make it better too, although they have the sound kinda low and there were a TON of people there who were loud, so I actually couldn't really hear the commercials...just watched the pictures. I'm glad you posted the Doritos commercial though because I saw that one and could imagine what the kid was saying, but it was much funnier when I actually heard it. :)

The only commercial that really stood out to me was the Bud Light commercial with the human bridge...but I didn't watch ALL the commercials, and I definitely couldn't hear them all, so there were probably some better ones. :) :)

Oh - and my new favorite party dip, while we're on the topic of 7-layer dip, is Buffalo Chicken Dip!!! OH MY...TO DIE FOR. Dan's cousin's wife made it twice now and it is sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo DELICIOUS. We'll (aka Dan) make it for the next get together. :)

Jen: You know, it's not that I'm a huge football fan (I'm a basketball fan!), but over the years boyfriends subjected me to it enough that I chose the "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" route. I do love football movies and TV though. I'm a huge fan of Friday Night Lights!

Buffalo Chicken Dip sounds amazing, by the way! I love dips, and I love buffalo sauce, so I'm in! I'll have to make Pizza Dip for you sometime, too. So good!

Crystal: I just recently started watching Friday Night Lights!!! I haven't gotten through the first season yet as I don't get time to watch it much...but I'm about halfway through it and I love it. I'm totally caught up in the story line....I don't get the football scenes at all, but I still feel the happiness when they win. :) :) :)

Time…where does it go??

Crystal: So weird…I was sitting here trying to think of what to write my blog post on, and the thing that's been on my mind all day is Caydan's (my son) birthday party at the end of this month…so I was going to see if anyone had any fun suggestions for games or party favors or anything…..then I realized, wow – I remember writing a similar blog asking for party game suggestions LAST YEAR for his birthday…..which means that Beachy Keen is over a year old already!!! Serious?!?!?

Where on earth does the time go…? That just blows my mind. It seems like yesterday we were scheming our usual schemes…what concept to run with next, how to develop it, our logo, etc.
I have high hopes for the future of this blog though! We'll be making a Facebook Fan Page soon, which I hope all of our readers will join!! Facebook is a great way to post a quick update or be able to say a quick HI to everyone.

Looking forward to 2010 and all it has to offer.

Jen: Time sure does fly! It was such a surreal feeling when Haute Whimsy hit its one year mark back in October. And I really didn't realize that Beachy Keen was already a year old, too!

We started started strong on this blog, focusing on trending topics and controversial conversations, with the goal of generating great involvement from our readers. But, as it tends to go from time to time, life got in the way.

Dear readers, in case you haven't noticed, Jen and Crystal always have a lot on their plates at any given time ;) We love living this way, but need to be better about stream-lining it to our blog. My resolution this year is to share my life here if I get too busy to concentrate on trending topics. Beachy Keen deserves our attention, regardless of the topic :)

I think that our upcoming fan page is going to be a great success, and I sincerely hope to see you all there on Facebook! Our readers are the best!