Me - You = Sad

When was the last time you sat down and wrote out,  
[BY HAND] , a letter to someone?

Well, Holy Ravioli. I tried to write my Mr. some overly sweet, mushy, make you want to gag, letter and I am ashamed of how hard it was to do. Not the words, those come easy when he's gone, but making my hand do what my brain wanted was far more difficult than I had expected. Admittingly, I have neglected my journal for the past few months and I think that is the cause of this. I'm still having a hard time wrapping my brain around the idea that I was so out of practice of writing. WRITING. The thing I had done every single day of my life in one form or another until a few months ago.

Technology has ruined us.

When was the last time you wrote a love letter to your significant other?

Relationships are hard - Even harder with you have to deal with long distance relationships. Regardless of the distance, sometimes its nice to put down your phone, stop surfing the web, or pinning your heart out. This Valentines Day, write your loved one a letter. I recommend having a huge pad of paper ready and practicing because there is no backspace/delete when in ink. And if you're anything like me, whiteout is NOT an option. I have to start all over if one letter doesn't look as nice as I would like. It's annoying, really.

“I didn't have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” - Mark Twain

If you don't have the time or desire to get all lovey dovey with your love letter, then don't. A perfect alternative is to make a list of 'I Love You More Than...'s.

I Love You More Than Doctor Who.
I Love You More Than Pinterest.
I Love You More Than A Trip To Target Alone.
I Love You More Than White Wine.
I Love You More Than Bubble Baths.
I Love You More Than Pancakes.
I Love You More Than Instagram.
I Love You More Than Warm Gooey Marshmallows.
I Love You More Than Pretty Vintage Pyrex.
I Love You More Than Fruit.
I Love You More Than A Warm Blanket From The Dryer.
I Love You More Than Sheldon's Mom Loves Jesus. 
I Love You More Than My Phone.
I Love You More Than A Good Thrift Haul.
I Love You More Than The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Ah those are always fun.

Moral Courage

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard about Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old Pakistani girl shot by Taliban gunman because she championed the rights of girls to receive an education.

I saw the illustration below on the Upworthy Facebook page here. It really makes you stop and think, at least it did me. This girl, she is an amazingly brave little girl... I don't even know what to say. She's still a baby. She was only born in 1998. I get emotional every time I hear or read her story. She is so brave. So intelligent. Simply extraordinary. I am in awe of her and her convictions.

As a mother, I cannot stop thinking about her parents.

How do you raise your daughter to stand up for what she believes in like this?

What the Taliban has done is beyond disgusting, but what she has potentially done for girls in her country- I am optimistic. 

Her story is one of the very few reasons I can appreciate the media. Her story is out. She has already made a difference in this world. I hope, with everything I have in me, that she is able to recover from her attempted assassination.

STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN - Courage is a quality in men and women. Courage allows them to face up to challenges and dangers. A courageous person is not afraid to face any challenges or danger. There are two kinds of courage - ordinary courage and moral courage.

I Am Malala

--- EDIT --- UPDATE ---

Oh man, you guys scared me. I haven't found anything stating that she has passed. If it was anyone else, they wouldn't have survived. I say it again, this girl is truly amazing. She is at a specialty hospital in Britain being treated. The UAE and covering the bill. I can't tell you how much I am drawn to this story.

the huffington post article

the.book.chat Favorite Quotes

*** Magical Thinking

“I like flaws and feel more comfortable around people who have them. I myself am made entirely of flaws, stitched together with good intentions.” 

“I hate news and information and anything that threatens to puncture the bubble of oblivion in which I live.”  

*** Possible Side Effects

“Although my parents never attended church or mentioned Jesus except when they screamed at each other—and then they used his full name, 'Jesus Fucking Christ” 

“and she's a nurse. do you know how hard nursing school is? it's like medical school. so she's obviously smart.”  

*** I'm Sorry You Feel That Way: The Astonishing but True Story of a Daughter, Sister, Slut, Wife, Mother, andFriend to Man and Dog 

“No one would ever know it to look at me that as soon as I'm alone I am busy busy busy in the head.”  

 

*** When You Are Engulfed in Flames

“Sometimes the sins you haven't committed are all you have left to hold onto.” 

“It's safe to assume that by 2085 guns will be sold in vending machines but you won't be able to smoke anywhere in America.”  

“Eleganza! Extravaganza!”

I am a HUGE fan of Rupaul and her shows; Rupaul's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag U. Amazing. They have it all. Entertainment, drama, fashion, makeup tips-EVERYTHING. You can check out RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4 episodes here. My all time fav Queen is the one and only Ongina. She was/is Perfection. Seriously.

Today, Dollface and I were spending a little quality time in front of the boob-tube watching the lovely ladies of the episode get makeovers from amazing Drag Queens. I mean, if I were to get a makeover, I would want some assistance from a drag queen too! Who wouldnt? If anyone knows makeup and hair tricks and how to flatter your body, it would be those fabulous ladies. Right?! So as we sat here Ooing and Ahhing I was always Tweeting... shocker, right? Wellll to my surprise Logo mentioned me in a tweet! *squeal* Ah, yes, it is the little things in life that make me all gitty.

Shit RUPAUL Says

something to scream about

As you may have heard, 'The Scream' sold at a record price on Wednesday. Well, this morning, my 8 year old son walks in the room while I have the news on. He sees the artwork, asks about it, then says "wow, my art teacher can draw better than that!" ah to be a kid again.  Maybe I should tell his art teacher this...

source

TOP SEVEN

Ordering delivery, popping popcorn, sleeping bags sprawled across the floor, and giggles- lots and lots of giggles. Of course, I am describing family movie night. It’s so simple yet so memorable and special. I am going to share with you our Top Ten Seven favorite whimsical family movies that are not cartoons.

OK, well I tried to come up with ten, but I was struggling. This list is of our absolute without a doubt forever favorites. Fun, exciting, whimsical, and enchanted movies that we LOVE to watch with our kids. 

1.      The Princess Bride
"Death cannot stop true love. All it can do is delay it for a while."

2.      Big Fish

 "There are some fish that cannot be caught. It's not that they're faster or stronger than other fish. They're just touched by something extra."

3.      Secondhand Lions

  "Hub: Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honor, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in."

4.      Stardust

 "Yvaine: You know when I said I knew little about love? That wasn't true. I know a lot about love. I've seen it, centuries and centuries of it, and it was the only thing that made watching your world bearable. All those wars. Pain, lies, hate... It made me want to turn away and never look down again. But when I see the way that mankind loves... You could search to the furthest reaches of the universe and never find anything more beautiful. So yes, I know that love is unconditional. But I also know that it can be unpredictable, unexpected, uncontrollable, unbearable and strangely easy to mistake for loathing, and... What I'm trying to say, Tristan is... I think I love you. Is this love, Tristan? I never imagined I'd know it for myself. My heart... It feels like my chest can barely contain it. Like it's trying to escape because it doesn't belong to me any more. It belongs to you. And if you wanted it, I'd wish for nothing in exchange - no gifts. No goods. No demonstrations of devotion. Nothing but knowing you loved me too. Just your heart, in exchange for mine." 

5.      Labyrinth

"I can bear it no longer! Goblin King! Goblin King! Wherever you may be take this child of mine far away from me!"

 

6.      A Knights Tale

 "Jocelyn: Better a silly girl with a flower than a silly boy with a horse and a stick."

7.      Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium

"No matter what they tell you, you don't have to stay within the lines."

 

 What movies are on your must watch list that you share with your kids?

KONY 2012

Where you live shouldn't determine whether you live. Please, take 30 minutes and watch this video in its entirety.

We've Seen These Kids

We've Heard Their Cries

This War Must End

We Will Not stop

We Will Not Fear

We Will Fight War

KONY 2012

We are not powerless
[you can help too]

I am sharing this, today, because I care.

LOA Already, WHAT!

Tis true. I must take a leave of absence from Roller Derby ALREADY! Not by choice and not due to any injuries. Duty calls, and by that I mean, the husband will be gone for a while with the military. And as any good Army Wife would do, I have to cancel things in my life in order to hold down the fort and take care of things at home while he is away. I'm not complaining or anything, really I'm not. This is a way of life for us. My kids need me home at night more than they need to be at the neighbors (kids may disagree here, they love going to the neighbors.)

Since I will have nothing derby related to blog about for the next month or so, I will leave you with this:

I have heard time & time again that the most descriptively true roller derby quotes are  
"roller derby saved my soul" and "roller derby ruined my life." 
It is very time consuming. The hubs has already showed a slight bit of jealousy towards the amount of time I am either at practice, researching derby rules, or looking for awesome new gear online. But we are still new to the game and I am confident that everything will work itself out.

Here are a few phone snaps from the last week or so:

Snazzy new tights!

de agua

Gots to stay hydrated!

Hijacked the hubs army bag.

Gear fits perfectly in here, who knew?

Skates: check, helmet: check, crappy pads (need these): check,

mouth & wrist guards: check, check

*Ready to rock*

Fresh Meat

Juliet:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

Do you know why this blog has the title of Ballistic Gypsy? No? Well, pull up a chair, my friend, I have a story to tell. 

Well over a year ago, I was reflecting on my life, as I often do. I was thinking about my accomplishments, misadventures, and everything I still longed to do and experience. 

One thing I could not stop thinking about was joining a roller derby team. 

I mentioned this to my BFF and the hubs. The husband, who is often sarcastic and/or condescending, but ALWAYS supportive, started tossing name ideas around. Since I married and left home so early in life, I felt the name Gypsy needed to be in there. Now, Gypsy alone, I like, but it just wouldn’t do, not for this Roller Derby [Wanna-Be.]

We had so many ideas. I even had a poll up on the blog here for a while and let people vote on what sounded best to them. Ultimately, my gun-loving guy suggested Ballistic Gypsy and it stuck. I would say ‘and the rest is history,’ but it’s not. Not. At. All. It is only the beginning for Ballistic Gypsy. 

Last week I went to check out our local roller derby team. I was pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. The girls were warm and welcoming; they exceeded all of my expectations. So much so, I went back for more on Sunday. I laced up my skates and did laps as I begged my body to remember how to skate-then stop. Tomorrow night, I plan on signing up with the team and in a few months I hope to transform into my alter ego Ballistic Gypsy and wreak havoc on unsuspecting derby girls. Muhaha! 

Just Stitchy

Stitch by stitch my little dollface baby/big girl is starting to heal.  She has compared herself to both Tim Burton's Sally and a Lalaloopsy doll.... I don't see it.

                    via                                                                                            via

  

In all, she has about 20 stitches. [Ouchies!] This really pains a mama, but she has been Ah-Mazing! Such a trooper. Here's hoping she can get them out by the end of the week...

She is a whopping 7 days post-op. More on that here.

and now we are off to a follow up appointment. I'm sure I will have an update for you when we return. Until then, "You stay classy, San Diego."

insightful

Sometimes things don't go our way. Sometimes we are faced with minor obstacles, but obstacles nonetheless. Today I was feeling slightly discouraged about a project I was working on, as well as being distractedly concerned about a dear friend of mine. Her son is having surgery this morning. My daughter, who is almost always a breath of fresh air, said to me “it's going to work out, mama” me: “yea, how do you know babe?” her: “I see it in your eyes.”

And my heart melted. 

Sometimes kids know exactly what to say and when to say it.

[UPDATE: He is still in the hospital, but today he is all smiles]

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing
is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
 Albert Einstein

linked to:

{That Face}

I adore this little freckle face kid of mine ♥

"A Face Without Freckles is Like a Sky Without the Stars"

Today

Even after ten years, I find that the wounds and emotions are still very raw.  The pain is there. We have not healed. Our lives have changed.

In exactly two months from today, nine years ago, my husband (then boyfriend) spoke to a recruiter for the first time. Three months after that, he was off to basic. By March of 2003, we were in the midst of our first deployment. Operation Iraqi Freedom

As I sit here now, typing this, listening to my husband play with our two children, I cannot help but feel the pains of 9/11 again, and reflect on the past 10 years of our lives. Wartime deployments have become the norm. We have lost family members and we have lost friends.

Today, I will do the only thing I know how to do, in honor those who have fallen. Today, I will 
Pay It Forward. I will not allow the tragedy that occurred 10 years ago or the many deaths since, to defeat us. 

Don’t wait for people to be friendly, show them how.  ~Author Unknown

 Army Cpl. James E. Summers III: killed in action 5/28/07

RED-Retrofuturist

Evoke sultry retro sirens of the 1940s with this striking red lip shade from Lime Crime Makeup! Each Lime Crime lipstick is cruelty-free, and comes in a spectacular purple tube adorned with a sparkly little unicorn! Pair with a smoky eye, defined brows, a cute vintage frock with a sweetheart neckline, and a feathery fascinator for maximum pin-up appeal!
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Oh you know I'm gonna be kissin on my SoLDIER with some uber red lips on the 4th of July. I am so thankful that he is able to spend this holiday home with us this year. XOXO
Oh yes, There Will Be Fireworks.
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 Each man must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which isn't.  You cannot shirk this and be a man.  To decide against your conviction is to be an unqualified and excusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let men label you as they may.  Mark Twain

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge: Friend

❤.BFF.❤

Thick and thin, tall and small, fast and slow. 

Tell me who is always there for you. 

I am sure you know. 

Your best friend, of course, don’t let him or her go.

a special thnx to:

Sweet Green Tangerine

for having an amazing little boy who 

my children love like a brother

[Side Note]

Anyone see a future engagement picture? 

*LOL*

What's in a name?

Juliet:
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

Romeo and Juliet (II, ii, 1-2)

I love my blog name, I truly do. Its so random and so me, and the lovely SGT picked it out for me! However, I feel that my opening intentions are evolving as I begin to figure out life when constantly in a blogger state of mind. Maybe I am not meant to be a raw potato after all...

I just want you all to be aware that my blog title and twitter name will be changing in the near future. I have a few details I want to work out and make sure that I am in love with the new name. 

Wish me luck!

Hey you bloggers- did you do this? Is this a common thing or do I suffer from a more sever case of ADD than I thought I? 

Freckle Face

♥ "A face without freckles is like a sky without stars!" ♥
Stephen Majercik

or lyrics from a Natasha Bedingfield song

either way, it is a saying that I love

As I looked at my son who started out life with glow in the dark orange hair, I can't help but notice those adorable spots that adorn his face. In fact, we are a freckled face family and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

[ Love Who You Are ]

gypsy

“When you look into my eyes

And you see the crazy gypsy in my soul

It always comes as a surprise

When I feel my withered roots begin to grow

Well I never had a place that I could call my very own

That's all right, my love, 'cause you're my home”

Billy Joel

Shenanigans

"Savannah would be better for you. You'll just get in trouble in Atlanta."
Gone with the Wind
Mammy to Scarlett O'Hara

 Lucky for me, the past few years, I have had a wicked cool, partner in crime, 

making it possible 

to get into trouble in both 

Savannah and Atlanta.

Atlanta Trip:

 

If I could move to ATL, 

I'd want to move as close to 

Little 5 Points as possible!

Keep it classy, SGT. 

Keep. It. Classy. 

I Love Zombies :)

 

View from our room [54th floor]

We thought we were going to see 

A Fine Frenzy, but she was in the hospital with the flu. BOO :( 

Anywho, we were able to meet 

Landon Pigg- um, SCORE!

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and now, just a couple from our most recent Savannah adventure:

Live music for SGT's bday.

1st The Low Anthem

:::Sooo Good:::

then it was time... time for some 

Iron & Wine!

Ooo Yea! 

I wont be mad if you're jealous :)

This album is so good, my 4 yr old daughter 

sits in the back seat nodding her head like, yeah

when it is playing. 

No Joke!

 Ahh, what am I going to do when I move? I don't want to have to make friends again. Do you know how hard it is to find normal, down to earth, people? Have any of you moved recently?

For more on our exciting evening, check out SGT's post: live music heaven