Here it is!

The link to my new blog!!! I'm very excited about this. Hope it's everything I dream it is! *haha*

Please follow me over to: http://www.abitofsilliness.tumblr.com

All I have so far is one post, but the layout is FAB and completely appropriate.

Goodbye for now, Blogger!!

Recap, Wrap-up, Moving on

A time warp...that's the only explanation for why my last post could have been so long ago. I mean, AUGUST?!? Seriously? I'm not THAT delinquent, couldn't possibly be. I truly must have been stuck in some sort of time warp that made the months speed by at such a fast rate that I couldn't possibly have kept up! Yes yes, that's it. And I think that they have a name for this kind of time warp: "LIFE!"

I never intended on taking that kind of break. I wonder if anyone is even still following this vacant space? I apologize if you are! ;) Now that I'm typing, I feel like I don't even remember HOW to blog! *ipe!* The problem is obvious: I just don't have as much time as I used to. But the good news is that I think I may have found a solution.

Have you heard of Tumblr? As much as it bothers me that they dropped the "e" for a lame attempt at being cool (and that a lot of people use it for pretty raunchy stuff), this is an AWESOME new site. It's just like blogging, but it allows for a more random format. I can write a full bloggy-post if I want, OR I can just post a photo, a quote, a funny tidbit - anything I want! So I can check in briefly, if that's all I have time for.

But wait, you haven't heard the best part: THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!!! I can do all of the above from my iPhone!!! Which is great, because my phone is always with me...meaning I can blog anytime, anywhere: waiting for a movie start, on my lunch break, during a lull at work. It's the perfect solution!!! Seriously people, I feel like this website came gift-wrapped from God. (Ha, good thing I never get too high of expectations. *hehe*)

Anyways, so I'm going to be leaving this space behind in search of greener pastures. But first, I need to update you on a few things (in case you're not a real-life or Facebook friend) so you know what's been going on!

-Took our "2nd Annual" family vacation to Branson at the end of September. Dad rented a condo and we chilled, ate, shopped and enjoyed each other for a long, wonderful weekend. We went to Silver Dollar City (for the first time since I was a kid) and had a blast. Livvie and Jack enjoyed the kiddy-rides more than any of us even expected, while Jeremy, Mom and I got our thrills on an impressively fast and frightening rollercoaster.

However, the "thrill was gone," as the song goes, the minute we exited the ride and I realized the my beloved camera was gone. Apparently, the sheer force and momentum of the coaster had popped the thing right out of my pocket (where I had confidently thought it was wedged tightly). It was a devastating moment...I LOVED that camera. (RIP, my dear little Canon Digital Elph. We saw many good times together.) But Jeremy proved himself to be the amazing man that he is, by not once yelling, scolding or losing his temper. He calmly told me that it was alright, that he would get me another and to be glad it wasn't my iPHONE that I'd lost. *haha*

- I finally got to see Wicked!!! I developed an irrational fear that it wasn't going to be able to live up to my lofty expectations. But it SURPASSED THEM!!!

What an amazing memory! I didn't know how great our seats were going to be until the doorman tore our tickets and said, "You have AMAZING seats." And they were - second row, dead center!!

And as if that doesn't make me spoiled enough...the next week Jeremy got us tickets to ANOTHER showing and invited my Mom and Dad along. So I got to see it again and my parents got to enjoy the experience with us.

- Got a new camera for Christmas! Glory Hallelujah! Ain't it a beauty?

I told Jeremy that I wanted the exact camera I had before...and I basically got it, except this one is better (and obviously prettier.) I didn't mind new features, but I wanted the controls and everything to be in the same spot (aka: I wanted to learn as little as possible in order to use the thing.)

-One of my favorite NEW features on the camera is the auto-timer function where the camera doesn't take the picture until it recognizes a new face in the shot. It's amazing. We used that to take some family Christmas photos:

And lastly, because I forgot that I promised my sister I would post this, here is the final of the 4 photo-montage videos that I made this year. This is the one I made my brother in law for Father's day. Sorry it took me so long Lauren!

Ok, as soon as my Tumblr blog is up and ready to go, I'll come back and get you!!! :)

In My Arms

Here's another video gift...this is the one I made for my sister. The song, "In My Arms" by Plumb, made me think of my precious niece and nephew the very first time I heard it. The lines "your baby blues" and "curly Q's" describe these sweetie pies SO perfectly!

These Are The Special Times

Ready for the second iMOVIE?

This is the one I made for my Mom for Mother's Day. When I began to do this, I wanted to use "The Best Day" by Taylor Swift because that song perfectly describes the relationship my sister and I have with our wonderful Mom. We are great FRIENDS and always have been!! But the song (if you haven't heard it, you need to. It's precious!) talks about very specific experiences (pumpkin patch, finger painting in the kitchen, etc.) of which I had no pictures. AND it starts out, "I'm 5 years old," then proceeds to "I'm 13 now," and I just couldn't get past the fact that my pictures weren't matching what the song was talking about. It drove me crazy!

So I gave up and used this song instead. It's actually from Christina Aguilera's Christmas album. I've always loved it and because it isn't specifically about Christmas, just wonderful memories with family, I thought it worked!!

Daddy's Little Girls

I love iMovie! Using this easy software made gift-giving especially simple this year. I made photo montage videos for Mom & Lauren for Mother's Day and for Dad & Rich for Father's Day. I carefully chose music that went with the photos and evoked the proper emotions (my goal was to make each of them cry and I think it worked every time! *hehe*)


Facebook has recently buckled down on copyright infringement, so it won't let me upload these videos there because they contain copyrighted music. *phooey* Well after my success uploading my little dog video the other, I decided to try putting my other videos on here too. I'm going to post them one at time, since they take so long to upload.


First, here is the one I made for my Daddy for Father's Day. The song ("You're The Only Little Girl" by Steve & Annie Chapman) is particularly sentimental because we used to listen to it as a family when Lauren and I WERE little girls. I remember thinking that I would always be that age...that the future, with boyfriends and weddings and all that, seemed so far away. None of us could even imagine it. So perhaps you can see why my entire family gets emotional watching this video.
(Note: I'm the younger, blonder one. *hehe*)

Cuddly Toys

Today was an exciting day to be a dog in the Butler household. I came home from running errands after work bearing gifts: a stuffed toy for each puppy. Even though plush toys are their absolute favorites, I don't often buy new ones. Wrigley destroys them within mere seconds of their arrival, so I don't see the point.

But today at Target I found these super cheap little plush puppies that DIDN'T have squeakers (meaning they stand a significantly better chance of lasting for a few hours). What the heck. It's worth having to pick up all the little bits of stuffing that end up all over my floor, just to see the thrill it gives them. :)

(Cuddly Toy - The Monkees)

Like I need something else to occupy my time.

When I began reading the Twilight series, I did it a little begrudgingly. As I mentioned, I was talked into reading the books by my sister who, like me, never really reads anything. I thought, ok I'll try the first one and see where this goes. Well the whole thing avalanched into me devouring the whole "saga." No, I didn't read it as quickly as some others have (Anne read the whole series in a couple of weeks, Lauren read them all in ONE), but for me, reading four books in a row was quite an accomplishment.

I hadn't anticipated the feeling I'd have afterwards. My lunch breaks? Boring. My evenings in front of the TV? Unfulfilling. Stupidly, it took me a while to figure out what was missing. It wasn't until I discussed it with Anne and found out she was feeling this same void that we realized our problem - gosh darnit, we MISSED READING! How on earth did this happen?!?!?


So logically, I ran out and picked up Stephenie Meyer's newest book, "The Host" even though it had nothing to to with Twilight. It's a kinder, gentler, romantic take on the "Invasion of the Body Snatcher's" theme. Sounds weird, I know.

It took me a little longer to get into than Twilight did, but once it hooked me, I loved it! The characters are infatuating. The story is intense, full of heartbreak and longing and anger and fear and drama, OH the drama. :) I couldn't put it down. I spent my entire Sunday afternoon ignoring the real-life responsibilities and chores I should have been attending to.

But...but now...what do I do now?!? I don't have anything to READ!! And the sadness has returned. This is ridiculous, I DO NOT NEED another hobby!!! Seeing as how I already feel like my free time is always sucked into a tiny black hole never to be reclaimed. The last thing I really need is something else I want to do.

Ignoring that logic, I need advice. Recommendations. I know many of you are readers. What books or series or authors float your boat? Let me preface this request by saying that I have no desire to read another vampire series. Yes, I adore Twilight and all of the characters therein. But vampires in general are not something I'm drawn to. Beyond that, I don't really know WHAT I would like to read!? There are so many options out there, it's absolutely daunting. I'm thinking of reading this, since we're going to see the musical in October. I already kinda know the story just by listening to the soundtrack, but it would probably be fun to know more. Other than that, I'm clueless!!

(BTW - my one year anniversary of blogging came and went without me noticing!! August 10th. Happy Anniversary to me! *hehe*)