Spring Fever & I've Got It Bad!

Yesterday I woke to three inches of snow in my backyard and by the time I got home from work, it was all melted. Spring in Colorado is one of my favorite times of the year, closely followed by Autumn in Colorado. But today's post is all about Spring and how I've got Spring Fever, badly!

Last weekend I weeded my entire backyard area (it's only about 15 x 15 so don't let me fool you into thinking I was slaving away all day :) as well as dug up the hideous rose bushes the previous owner planted. I regret now not taking photos to show the progress I made and how much cleaner, nicer the backyard looks, but it is what it is and there's no photographic evidence of my hard work.


Since I cleaned the area, I'm starting to get a feel for what would work best and beginning to get excited about the possibilities the area holds. I plan on planting some ornamental grass that will act as a border and provide some privacy between my fence and the neighbors. My new neighbors' dog likes to bite at the fence and Presley does the same, so I thought it would be good to provide some natural distance between them.


I'm also thinking about planting a nikko blue hydrangea along the same fence and in between the ornamental grass to add some color and dimension to my yard.


I also found some cute flowers I want to plant along the side of my yard where my fireplace is:

And, this year, I am attempting an herb garden. My sister has had one for years and swears it's easy. Here's a few of the items I want in my herb garden this year:

The hard part will be waiting until Mother's Day weekend to plant all these lovely things!

World Health Day 2010

Today, April 7, 2010, is the World Health Orginzation's, World Health Day. This year the theme is 1000 cities, 1000 lives and focuses on urban living. Here's what the campaign means:


"World Health Day campaign: 1000 Cities, 1000 LivesWith the campaign 1000 cities, 1000 lives, events will be organized worldwide during the week of 7 – 11 April 2010 calling on cities to open up portions of streets to promote health activities. Stories of urban health champions will be gathered to illustrate what people are doing to improve health in their cities." - info taken from WHO site

"Urbanization: one of the greatest health challenges in the 21st centuryOver 3 billion people live in cities. In 2007, the world’s population living in cities surpassed 50% for the first time in history, and this proportion is growing. By 2030, six out of every 10 people will be city dwellers, rising to seven out of every 10 people by 2050. Urbanization is here to stay. It is an irreversible trend that is now part of the world in which we live. In many cases, especially in the developing world, the speed of urbanization has outpaced the ability of governments to build essential infrastructure. Unplanned urbanization can intensify an existing humanitarian crisis and has consequences for the health security and safety of all citizens in cities." - info taken from WHO site

Join the global movement and make cities healthier! Visit 1000cities.who.int today!

New Music Friday

I heard Animal Liberation Orchestra or ALO on the radio this morning and immediately had to hear more! Hope you enjoy as much as I do and Happy Friday!

Good Sounding, Bad Idea # 13

You know the drill, fill in the blanks - your first name, then last. Next comes, in no particular order; your address, birthday, phone number and blood type. Well, maybe not your blood type, but sometimes the questions do get tedious and seem never-ending. But how aware are you of how many times you give your information away and which sites keep and sell your information?

Good Sounding, Bad Idea #13 is all about our Online Identity

The other night I was watching the local news when I saw a story about a new site, Spokeo, where the story claimed all personal information could be found. I was intrigued! As a girl who has been known to "Google" herself from time to time, I had to check this out. After doing my best investigative reporter search on Spokeo, all I found was some very outdated info including my address from 2006, when I lived in Missouri!

While Spokeo was a dud, it did make me question who has my info and how do they use it?

Many who know me, know I am a sucker. I will fall for anything, anytime and admit I am gullible. Soon after I bought my home, return address labels from three different nonprofits asking for a donation in exchange began showing up in my mailbox. Maybe it's because I work for a nonprofit, but most likely it's because I have a hard time saying no, I wrote out three checks to these different nonprofits and mailed them off. I did not expect in return to receive address labels from EVERY other nonprofit in the Universe. (thankfully the organization I work for does not do this) Now, whenever I open my mailbox and see these return labels inside, I feel a ping in my heart. I want to help, I mean some nonprofit paid for and sent these labels to me, but I had to draw the line somewhere so I do not and will not contribute again. Not to mention that sometimes they come spelled DiAnna - honestly, who spells their name like this?

Side story aside, I removed my information from the Spokeo site and have since been thinking very carefully about where I post my info and as well as who I give my info to!

Good Sounding, Bad Idea # 12

Bret Michaels on Celebrity Apprentice is my Good Sounding, Bad Idea # 12.

I can see how producers would think the Poison front man would be good entertainment, however, I doubt they've ever seen an episode of "Rock of Love" or they'd know he's only interested in one thing...




He's not the hardest worker on the team and at every task asks to be the grunt guy. I think he's best suited for chasing crazy, tatooed women in bikinis rather than trying to win over The Donald, but hey, it does make good TV!

Good Sounding, Bad Idea # 11

If you read my blog regularly, you're most likely asking yourself, "where are the Good Sounding, Bad Ideas 1 - 10?" Well, I haven't published them yet and maybe never will, hehehe.

Today is all about Good Sounding, Bad Idea # 11: Blind Dates

While blind dates sound fun because there is the possibility of meeting new people, blind dates never turn out the way you imagine in your head. Or at least they don't for me! This past weekend, my sweet friend from high school, Danny, set me up with a co-worker of his.

Perhaps the disaster was my mistake from the get-go.

1. I NEVER asked to see a photo of this fella

and

1. I let a guy friend set me up.

The only question I posed was, "Is he tall?" I am 5 feet 8 inches in flats and am not comfortable being the Nicole Kidman of a relationship. I like the men I date to be taller than me. Only once in my life have I dated a man who was shorter than 6 feet and it/he was a disaster!

Boys don't look at other boys the way girls look at boys, at least Danny does not. While the guy he had in mind for me was okay, he was not my type in the least. He was nice, but "it" wasn't there. There was no unspoken heat and you've got to have heat in your relationships!

To top off my fabulous blind date that I left early, but not early enough, I had a parking ticket waiting for me. I told my sister I think the Universe is trying to tell me something. I've had two parking tickets in two weeks. This, after seven years without a single driving citation. What's next?

I did learn my lesson, I will ALWAYS ask for a photo, if I ever decided to go on a blind date again.

A Good Sounding, Great Idea!

For once, I'd like to tell you about a Good Sounding, Great Idea. Belle Deisgns is my big sister's company. Belle Designs offers custom graphic design and marketing services without the custom prices. She specializes in business and personal creations and can tailor anything to fit your needs and budget.

I know I'm biased, but she truly is one of the most talented people I've ever met! Not only does she have amazing ideas and vision, she's able to implement them. She's volunteered for the Ovarian Cancer Alliance, like me, and created this flier for their Ski Train fundraiser. She also created her own wedding program! These are things that I could never do.

On top of these great pieces, she's able to offer companies or individuals marketing plans and advice on branding. She's a one-stop shop for all your PR, marketing and design services. Check out the website and if you find yourself needing any help, give her a call!