Happy Birthday Erynn Lee

‎5 years ago today, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, I arrived for a routine doctors appointment with my mother Lucinda Stokes. Little did I know, by the end of my appointment, my life was going to change forever. At 4:32pm I delivered Erynn Lee, 4 weeks early, weighing 5 lbs. 9 oz. Here we are 5 years later & this little girl still has me wrapped around her little finger. She has turned into this amazing little girl, who has taught me so much about love & about life. Erynn Lee, mommy could not be any more proud of the beautiful young lady that you have become. I cannot believe my baby is growing up, & although you are getting older, you will always be my baby. I love you angel. Happy Birthday!!

Walkin' Disaster: Please, Judge Me :)

Walkin' Disaster: Please, Judge Me :): I am going to explain to everyone why I really don’t care about these pictures that I post, because apparently, I have no self esteem or, confidence, & I lack self respect. When I first starting using Twitter, I thought it was just a game and an alternative way to talk to my sister…It’s all fun and games with me. I don’t really know any of you and the ones I do know, know me so well enough to know that that I have balls and “judgmental” people are my favorite people to study and I never really mind anybody's business or judge what other people do, so when I see other people doing it, it drives me to figure out why. What a lot of people don’t know is that, I am smart…I have a lot of brains & honestly I don’t feel like I need to share something with a bunch of people that I don’t know. I know what people see when they look at me. I am not stupid people. I am aware that I have a pretty face, and I flaunt my chest a lot. But, it is MY CHEST to do what I please with it. & if that means that by entertaining a few people haha that is completely fine with me. When I have kids and I’m sharing stories, I get to say, “baby girl/baby boy when I was 22 I competed in a boob contest with your Aunt JoJo and I won!” haha because that is what life is about, having memories of doing silly things and loving every minute of life. It makes me happy doing things that make people laugh, happy, and makes a grumpy man smile! & one day when you’re sitting with your kids all you’re gonna get to say is “there was one time on twitter, there was a girl posting pictures of her chest and that’s just wrong. You should never be like that girl!”
I learned a long time ago that, I might as well do the things that are going to make me happy, smile, & laugh cause, whether I am doing the “right” things or the “wrong” things, people are going to judge me for it. I am not into this whole twitter thing for FOLLOWERS so, if anything I post offends you, please, feel free to push that unfollow button. It is not going to hurt my feelings that a bunch of strangers don’t like me. SOCIAL NETWORKING is not my life…so what you say about me on facebook and twitter, actually doesn’t phase me at all.

The only thing that you do by voicing your opinion that other girls don’t have any self respect, and self esteem, and confidence is, you’re being the bully. You’re judging people for actions that actually have nothing to do with you. What you are doing, is giving people the permission to judge you as you judge others. As you find flaws in another person, someone else will find flaws in you, because we all have them. People are always complaining that they just want acceptance for being who they are, but what people don’t always understand is that they have to accept everyone else for who they are. Even if is not everything you agree with…

My favorite saying by the judgmental people is “If you don’t respect yourself, how are you going to expect others to respect you.” This is what I have to say to that… How are you going to expect others to respect you if all you do is look down upon their decisions and actions…? I respect myself in a way that no other person is going to understand because “self respect” is a pretty intimate & personal feeling that happens within a person, its something that nobody else in the entire world can see, so how is it that everyone can comment on anyone else lacking self respect when they couldn’t possibly know if that is a fact?

& also, id just like to say that, I am a strong individual who can take the mean comments and criticism… but not a lot of girls are like that. Some of these girls really get their feelings hurt and by your comments they really do lose self esteem because of them. You’re telling them that there is something wrong with the person that they are choosing to be… & how can someone actually think, in their mind, its okay to say that to someone else. KNOWING that everything that makes you different makes you the individual you are…

Triple Layer Fudgy Mint Oreo Brownies

Makes 24 brownies

one 7-ounce jar Marshmallow Fluff

1/8 teaspoon mint extract*

8 drops+ green food coloring, or until desired shade of green is reached

1 batch of brownies – see ingredients below in step 2 (or use 1 box of brownie mix – make according to directions on the box by adding the water, oil, eggs)

12 Cool Mint Oreo Cookies + 18 Cool Mint Oreo Cookies (almost an entire 17-ounce package), hand-crumbled

3/4 cup white chocolate chips, melted

1 cup vanilla frosting – see ingredients below in step 4 (or use 1 cup storebought vanilla frosting; use the entire plastic container if you want a thicker final green layer)

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with foil and spray it with cooking spray. In medium bowl, stir together marshmallow fluff, mint extract* (be very careful and do not use more than this unless you love mint; a little bit of mint goes a very long way), 4 drops of food coloring, or until light green is achieved (known now as ‘green minty marshmallow mixture’)

2. In a large bowl, prepare the brownie mix as directed on box, using water, oil, eggs, and fold in 12 hand-crumbled Oreos at the end.

or make brownies from scratch (based on my Fudgy Nutella Brownies):

4 ounces baking chocolate (I used 9 squares of TJ’s 72% chocolate bar or use 4 squares Baker’s Chocolate, semi-sweet)

3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted (1 1/2 sticks)

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons espresso or brewed coffee, optional

1 cup all-purpose flour

12 Cool Mint Oreo Cookies, crumbled

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwave-safe bowl for 90 seconds or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar (it will seem very granular, this is okay). Stir in eggs and vanilla. If adding espresso or coffee, add it now. Stir in flour until just combined, do not overmix. Hand-crumble Oreos over the bowl and fold them in.

3. Spread brownie batter in prepared pan. Drop about 1/2 cup of green minty marshmallow mixture onto brownie batter and reserve the remainder. Gently pull a table knife through the batter in S-shaped curves for a swirled design. Bake 23 to 25 minutes or until brownies are set, taking care not to overbake. (Some people’s ovens and taste preferences may require 25-30 minutes, bake until brownies are done and to your liking) Cool completely, about 1 hour, or put the pan into the freezer for 10 minutes if you’re rushed.

4. While brownies are cooling, make vanilla frosting by combining the following and beating until fluffy (or use 1 cup storebought vanilla frosting – or use entire can if you want a thicker final green layer) and set finished frosting aside.

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

3 to 4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

splash of milk, if necessary for consistency

5. In another small microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chips (microwave on high for 30 seconds; stir and microwave 30 seconds longer; stir until smooth, taking care not to scorch it as white chocolate scorches easily). Add the melted white chocolate chips and the vanilla frosting to the reserved green minty marshmallow mixture. Stir in 4 drops+ food coloring, or until light green color is reached, and spread over cooled brownies. Sprinkle with 18 hand-crumbled Oreo Cookies, slightly pressing them into the green mixture. Allow top layer to set fully before slicing and serving. I prefer these bars chilled and I store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container or store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Note: Use regular Oreos if you can’t find Mint Oreos and possibly add a touch more mint extract to the ‘green minty marshmallow mixture’ in Step 1 if desired.

Southern Belle Secrets

#1 Hay is for horses

#2 I'd rather be "nekkid"

#3 Northerners bug you

#4 Cowboy boots are essential

#5 Its tea, not sweet tea. It should always come sweet

#6 Y'all NOT Ya'll

#7 A moderately attractive man can become a God if he can play the guitar

#8 fried chicken, fried pickles, fried shrimp, fried steak, fried ocre, fried crab, fried eggs, fried bananas FRIED EVERYTHING

#9 We don't sweat, we glisten

#10 “Bless your heart” is the worst insult you can get

#11 The higher the hair, the closer to God

#12  We know how to properly use the word “fixin”

#13 Knowing the family history. we’re southern royalty.

#14 Everyone is your darling

#15 Sundays = church goin’ and front porch sittin’

#16 “Ma’am” or “Sir” can be added to the end of every sentence without being redundant

#17 If anyone tells you a southern girl shouldn't drink, tell them we don’t drink. we sip… a lot

#18 Nothing too easy, or done too quickly is going to be right. it takes time to create perfection, whether it is your tea or your hair

#19 Flip flops are worn all year long

#20 Southern hospitality is NOT a myth

#21 We don’t start fights, but we know how to finish them

#22  Not only do you have to love thy neighbor, but you have to make sure they never go hungry

#23 We say reckon just as much as we say y’all

#24 Just because we’re southern doesn't mean we’re ignorant or lazy

#25 Manners are not optional 

Eleven Hints for Life

1. It hurts to love someone and not be loved in return.
But what is more painful is to love someone and never
find the courage to let that person know how you feel.

2. A sad thing in life is when you meet someone who
means a lot to you, only to find out in the end that it was
never meant to be and you just have to let go.

3. The best kind of friend is the kind you can sit on a
porch swing with, never say a word, and then walk away
feeling like it was the best conversation you've ever had.

4. It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose
it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been
missing until it arrives.

5. It takes only a minute to get a crush on someone, an

hour to like someone, and a day to love someone-but it

takes a lifetime to forget someone.

6. Don't go for looks, they can deceive. Don't go for wealth,

even that fades away. Go for someone who makes you

smile because it takes only a smile to make a dark day

seem bright.

7. Dream what you want to dream, go where you want to go,

be what you want to be. Because you have only one life and

one chance to do all the things you want to do.

8. Always put yourself in the other's shoes. If you feel that it

hurts you, it probably hurts the person too.

9. A careless word may kindle strife. A cruel word may wreck

a life. A timely word may level stress. But a loving word may

heal and bless.

10. The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best

of everything they just make the most of everything that comes

along their way.

11. Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss, ends with

a tear. When you were born, you were crying and everyone

around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die,

you're the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.

As we grow up, we learn that even the one person that wasn't supposed to ever let us down, probably will. You'll have your heart broken and you'll break others' hearts. You'll fight with your best friend or maybe even fall in love with them, and you'll cry because time is flying by. So take too many pictures, laugh too much, forgive freely, and love like you've never been hurt. Life comes with no guarantees, no time outs, no second chances. you just have to live life to the fullest, tell someone what they mean to you and tell someone off, speak out, dance in the pouring rain, hold someone's hand, comfort a friend, fall asleep watching the sun come up, stay up late, be a flirt, and smile until your face hurts. Don't be afraid to take chances or fall in love and most of all, live in the moment because every second you spend angry or upset is a second of happiness you can never get back.

Today

Why is there a picture of me on my blog today is probably what you are asking yourselves right now.... LOL the answer to that question is:: I tried really hard to look good today & therefore I wanted to show everyone that I can look put together sometimes :)

So.... I asked everyone on twitter what they wanted me to talk about today & I only got one response & it told me to talk about whatever I wanna talk about. (Great advice)

Lately, I have had plenty of time to think & evaluate and it seems like today we have higher buildings and wider highways, but temperamental and narrower points of view.


We spend more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses, but smaller families. We have more compromises, but less time. We have more knowledge, but less judgement. We have more medicines, but less health.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk much, we love only a little, and we hate too much.
We reached the moon and came back, but we find it troublesome to cross our own street and meet our neighbors. We have conquered the outer space, but not our inner space.
We have higher income, but less morals… These are times with more liberty, but less joy… With much more food, but less nutrition…
These are days in which two salaries come home, but divorces increase. These are times of finer houses, but more broken homes.
That’s why I propose that as of today -- You do not keep anything for a special occasion, because every day that you live is a special occasion. Search for knowledge, read more, sit on your front porch and admire the view without paying attention to the needs. Pass more time with your family, eat your favorite food, visit the place you love. Life is a chain of moments of enjoyment; it isn’t only survival.
Use your crystal goblets. Do not save your best perfume… use it every time you feel you want it. Take out from your vocabulary phrases like, “one of these days” and “someday”. Let’s write that letter we thought of writing “one of these days…”
Let’s tell our families and friends how much we love them. Never pass up a chance at adding laughter and joy to your life. Every day, hour, and minute are special… Because you never know if it will be your last…
If you’re too busy to take some minutes to share this message with someone you love, and you tell yourself that you will share it “one of these days”… “one of these days” can be very far away, and you may not be there to see it…

Relationships

Brandon & Britni Bird

April 10, 2010- Present

                      LADIES & GENTLEMEN 

David & Brittney Sullivan
June 27, 2004- Present

 There are decent men/women out there in the world!!!

I post these pictures of these lovely couples to let every "single" person out there know, that there are great women/men out there. Not all women are "bitches" & not all single men are "creepers" or "assholes".  Some of these couples are just dating & some of them have been married for years but they all have found someone that they wanna be with & that's what matters. 

Don't there all look happy !! :) 

Chris Hill & Ana Moya
February 9, 2012- Present

Matt Middleton & Anna Fitzhugh
August 21, 2011- Present

Okay, so I originally thought that this was going to be 2 different blog posts but now that I have started typing I'm going to go ahead & smash the two posts together.  Relationships happen for many different reasons. Usually, it's because something, chemical or physical, attracted someone to another person. I like to think that people choose their partners based off of the attributes that they like about themselves. For instance, if you are a genuinely happy person you are drawn to someone who is generally happy with themselves & the person that they have become. I know for a fact that people choose their partners based off of what they lack as well. If there isn't enough humor in their lives, they choose someone who is funny & who can make them laugh. All relationships have their flaws. There are always going to be things that you don't like about the person that you are dating/or are married too but that just comes with being in a relationship. You have to take the good with the bad. 

Joey & Lynise Scott
November 1, 2010- Present

Megan Newkirk & Stephen Warne
September 28, 2008-Present

The beauty about relationships is that you can overlook someones flaws & appreciate that person for what the bring to the relationship. When you let someone's flaws outshine all of their GREAT qualities, that's when you know that the relationship isn't meant to be. No one is perfect & no should should expect their partners to be. 

ATTENTION ALL SINGLE MEN & WOMEN!! YOU ARE 100% RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TYPE OF MEN & WOMEN THAT YOU ATTRACT!!

Lately, (mainly on Twitter & Facebook) I have seen a lot of women saying that they are tired of the same old chit chat that comes with meeting new guys that are all the same. Have you met all the guys on the planet? How do you know that all guys are the same? Has it occurred to any of you girls that maybe there is something wrong with you? I honestly don't think that all the "assholes" in your area come knocking down your down coincidentally. 

EVERY WOMAN & MAN HAVE THE EXACT LOVE LIFE THAT HE/SHE WANTS!

This means that whatever circumstance your love life faces, you are making the choice for it to be that way.

If things are not going so well, you are choosing to listen to fear and hatred.

If things are going fantastically, you are making the choice to listen to love and happiness. You are owning your own power.But whether you listen to love or fear is not the point, the point is that the decision is your’s to choose.

If you begin to pay particular attention to the circumstances in your love life, you will see that somehow, there was a choice that led you to it. It’s hard to hear, but somebody’s got to say it!

LADIES I'M SPEAKING TO YOU!!

Many women get themselves wrapped up into a victim mentality. A victim mentality is the opposite of making a choices. A victim believes that all of the choices were made for her, and a victim usually lives her problematic life enjoying it.

Women, unlike men to a large extent, feel guilty for all of their problems.  Women feel somehow to blame.  But this is not true!  You are not guilty, you simply have not taken up the responsibility of your love life yet.  And there is a VERY fine line between responsibility & guilt.

Guilt looks to the past and to what cannot be undone.  Responsibility looks to the future and to what can be created with what you have available to you right now.  And let me tell you that no matter how many times you have failed, there is always room to change right NOW.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but women enjoy their problems! They go out to a bar and have a round of martini’s discussing man troubles. It’s a night out. The victim mentality is everywhere and it’salways being shown to you. It’s on TV, soap operas, movies, the theater, your mom.

People are rewarded for being victims and losing at life, being pushed around by the seas rather than grabbing life by the balls and making their own choices about how they want to live.

There is great fear that once she make the choice to live by her freewill, she will no longer feel valued by others.

A woman who takes responsibility for creating her own love life has the love life she has always wanted. 

When she lives by choice, validation drops away and instead of the validation once received from others, they become jealous. Most women have crappy love lives and they want you to live it right there with them.  We are all selfish and want what’s best for us.

It’s like this: 10% of people grab life by the balls and the other 90% are jealous of them, and the jealousy is disguised in disrespect, anger, insults, rudeness.

But dropping the validation of jealous wannabes for the magnificence of love and happiness is more than a fair trade off 

A victim never gets the love life she want. A victim is always a half-hearted event. It can never be full of heart, because even she knows that she’s making the choice to fool herself.

You have the power to make your love life the way that you want it.  I would not say it if I hadn’t experienced it myself.

You hold all of the marbles for your own love life. It starts with choosing to be a victim or to grab life by the balls.

GRAB LIFE BY THE BALLS TODAY & QUIT YOUR BITCHING!