And the winner is......

Lotto Tickets, Bingo, Red Rover...these are games you will never see me win.  The only time I've ever won something was in middle school when I called the local radio station and won an EP of The Shake.  (A fantastic local band!)

Lately, I've been in the mind-set of, "do it all, whats the worse that'll happen?"   

C'est La Vie, mon ami!

So, I've been applying for lots of random sweepstakes, trips across the world, free pants...whatev.  I'm game!  The only annoying consequences have been my email blowing up from spam & my new found friendships with telemarketers.

Dearly Beloveds....my time has ARRIVED.

Bobbie Thomas is a fashion expert you can find on the Today Show and on Hoda & Kathy Lee.  (FYI, today was Wine Wednesday)  I decided to follow her blog awhile back, cuz I can use as many fashion tips I can get!  Well, BT has a Weekly Win-It every Friday.  I've started entering these contests in hopes of winning something.  This past Friday's contest had these:

 I LOVE these!!!!!!!!  I've been wanting a new case for my newly purchased iPhone, so I entered with the only thought, "Hmm...do I get to choose which one when I win????"

BT mentioned the winner would be announced  by Saturday evening.  Sunday rolled around and there was no announcement.  Monday crept up and there was still winner.  I commented, "Do we know who won this?  I keep checking back in hopes to see my name announced.  :)"

Well, today I was at Target to receive this email:

Hi Natasha! The original win-it winner never replied to our email so we picked you as the new winner (noticed you'd been checking back so figured you earned runner up :)

Please send us your full name and address and we'll get it shipped out to you!

xo,

Team BT

 

I tried to respond with a cool, trendy, breezy (Friends quote!) email:

 

No way!!!  Persistence does pay off! :) This is so nice of u guys! Thanks. :)

 

Natasha Saran

 

So...YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have no clue which one I'll end up with, but who cares! 

 

I won something else!!! 

Yay :)  

 

To check out my win, go to Bobbie Thomas' site.

 

Omit your laugh lines from this

My favorite morning routine is watching The Today Show as I get ready for the day.  I usually don't pay attention during the commercials, but from the bathroom I heard a familar voice say, "Hello wrinkle face..," and I immediately popped my head out the bathroom door to see this:



I couldn't help, but laugh!!!!!

Venting a little

I'm sitting here on the couch for my last, glorious, day of summer vacay.  As I am sitting here I ran across this new Bob Marley video supporting the East African children in the midst of the famine.



As I was watching this video on my computer the new Pampers commercial came across the television, and I just I found it ironic, contradicting, despondent, interesting, disheartening, (I really don't know, so fill in the blank)______________.



These children are in two drastically different worlds, facing vastly different problems, and these different worlds have different goals for their lives.  One world's goals are for education, money, and deciphering which of their many dreams they will pursue.  Sadly, the other world's goals are for water, food, and safety from people and other elements.

I'm aware that I'm putting people groups in very stereotypical, black and white boxes, but the past month or two I've just been overwhelmed with our reality.  I get daily news updates on different countries, and for the past few years I've just allowed myself to be numbed by what's been going on.  It's easier to be made aware for a second then push it aside, because it doesn't make me feel as guilty when I buy another pair of earrings. 

I'm not going to preach to you atop a soapbox, because you know what's up.  You know what to do and how to react.  So are you?  I'm also not going to sit here thinking I'm better and have donated monies and time to different groups. 

It just truly breaks my heart to actually soak in the reality of our world.  It isn't only overseas...its here in our backyard too.  We live in a hurting world, and I just wish Jesus would sound the trumpets already.  Yet, when we've reached the world THEN He will return.  (Correct me if I'm wrong...I'm not a Biblical scholar.)  So are you doing your part?  Cuz I'm not quite sure I am...

Da Boys!

As the best daughter ever, I got my dad and I tickets to a Cowboys Stadium Tour for this past Saturday.  We went and had a great time.  Here are some pictures from the tour!

Will.I.Am and Ursher on the big screen.

Did you know the old stadium cost $35,000,000 to build, and this fancy screen cost $40,000,000?  

Good think we're in a recession, Mr. Jones.

  Views of the field.

This is the Cotton Bowl Room.  Outside of it they have the Big 12 helmets mounted on the walls, and inside they have the final 2's helmets on display with the trophy.  It was actually really neat!

 

 Throughout the building Jerry has picture hanging on the walls, so we took advantage of some Kodak moments.

 It looks as if my dad is apart of the moment!!!

Watch out!!

 The image on the far right is, Sasha.  We taught at the same school last year!  

I know someone famous!

 Mecca.

The little boy cracks me up!

 They're retiring.

 

There's a story behind this.  If you know it you may win a prize!!! 

                     Emmit crying!! 

A quick run down the tunnel onto the field!!!

 

A few field shots:

Father-Daughter shots:

Happy Father's Day!!

Carib Girls Night Out

The other night I sent my friend, Dieula, a text to see what she was doing.  A little later we had plans to head over to Jamaican Gates for a little island fun.  We got there and saw that our old friend, Sing Kumba, was the performer for the night!  He started making eye contact with us, and next thing we knew he was sitting with us during his break.

 

 

Sing Kumba claims he remembered us from Taste of the Islands (the other restaurant we saw him at), but I highly (get it?) doubt he remembers.

After chatting for some time we took some photos, and he taught us the rasta peace sign!  I didn't know this was an actual thing, until our server confirmed that Sing Kumba wasn't making it up.

 

During SK's break he was drinking, Mount Teman Roots, to help with his libido.  He and our server said its a natural beverage with lots of great health benefits.  I'm assuming this is true since our server was pretty cute.

 

All in all it was a great chill night with great a friend, with new friends, and fantastic food & music.  

Get up, Stand up, Stand up for your rights!

Car$

Driving into work is always interesting because. Parking at work is always fun...

The BMDub and Lex are just your average car at work.

Road Trip!

Welp...yesterday was my last day of vacation.  I had a GLORIOUS 8 days off from work, and you know I didn't sit still those 8 days.  Well...I guess I did, physically, sit still, BUT after sitting for 7 hours (or 6? I didn't pay attention) I ended up in Corpus Christi!!

I drove down last Sunday to visit my sweet little family down south.  Back in March, Becca & Ozzie had their sweet little man, Jonathan.  (I posted when the girls and I visited him.)  I decided its been too long since I've seen him, so I went down to just chill and change diapers.

While down there I loved just hanging with Becca and Ozzie.  I only see them a couple times a year, and I'm usually with the girls, so it was nice to have them all to myself.  I ALSO got extra baby time!!  Baby J is about 2 months old and weighs 17lbs.  This is a big baby!!!  He's so squeezably cute! :)

 Nap time with his favorite Tia Tasha!

I put this toy together for him.  Its for babies 4 months and older, but we figured since Baby J is bigger he'd do fine.  Well, Becca and I busted out laughing cuz poor thing couldn't hold himself up.  We propped him up with a blanket, but yeah...he needs to wait a couple months for this toy to be beneficial for him. :)

 However, Baby J discovered his wrists!  We put these wrist rattles on, and he was entertained for quite some time.  OH, and this little man may end up a left handed hitter!

 I think this is after he left me a little gift in his diaper.  :)

Last picture is of me and the family at Niko's Restaurant!  I, seriously, had the BEST Ahi Tuna Steak here!!  They seared it a little, and it was delish!  This was a fun dinner cuz I got to spend time talking and laughing with Ozzie and Becca.  I know I've said this before, but I love love love my girls and I enjoy getting to know the men that they've each married.  I'm so happy that I LIKE their husbands!!  It would make visiting them real awkward.  So yay for no awkwardness! :)

I had a fabulously relaxing time just hanging in Corpus.  I had an even fabulous time driving to and from CC.  This surprised me...My trip to CC was my FIRST SOLO ROAD TRIP!!!  Crazy right??!!!  I suited up with a playlist for the pod, cords to attach my tunes to the airwaves, and a phone charger cuz my phone doesn't hold a charge after a couple of rings.  (I know...go get a new phone...but....I don't wanna spend the monies.)

There were only a few hours that I wished someone was there to entertain me, but I enjoyed the time to myself.  

ANYWHO...thanks Ahumadas for happily, inviting me to your home!!  Love you!!