Audra Jennings

This week at work, in our Facebook group message gather we call the "Water Cooler," we have had some interesting conversations. A couple of us educated the others on the lyrics of "Up in Here" by DMX. This was mainly driven by the fact the two of us who were educating the others wanted a cross stitch of the lyrics such as these seen here on Etsy (click the lyrics). Ya'll gonna make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here. Yeah, we got really side tracked. One of our more productive conversations (sort of - at least it was work related and based on a client question) was about comments on blog posts. I don't know if you guys are reading anything here, but you don't comment. I can tell someone, or someone's bots are visiting by the page visit counter on the blog and the stats from Blogger. Over 150 specific page views in one day of The Bachelorette finally, but not one comment. I don't believe that a lack of comments necessarily means

Here is my next project about two hours in. The finished product is going to be a square (how big depends on how long the yarn lasts). I bought four small skeins on clearance at Hobby Lobby a while back and haven't done anything with it. I figured if I did a square: A) I could tell the whole thing would seem to be getting bigger B) I wouldn't have to guess at what dimensions it would need to be to start off horizontal (last time I started out wide, ran out of yarn, and make it look like I meant it to be vertical stripes) C) I liked how the last square one I did turn out. No intended recipient yet. It's probably going to depend on size.

I think I'm back on a crocheting kick again. Even if it is short-lived, at least I finished this baby blanket for my co-worker Christen. I started it around Christmas. Oliver Scout was born in January. Better late than never. I talked to Paige on the phone. She saw my Instagram post that I was done. Her kind words were "at least he's not in high school yet."

I saw a post from The Bachelorette on Facebook billing tonight's finale as the "MOST. DRAMATIC. FINALE. EVER!" The skeptic in me highly doubts it. As a public relations professional who graduated with a minor in advertising, I understand the need to put a dramatic spin on things, but for Pete's sake. You can only say that about every episode and/or finale and still expect some gullible soul to believe it. So here I sit, poised to start blogging live, with my laptop already warming my left thigh as I sit here, ready to torture myself for three hours. Like Grumpy Cat, if I weren't complaining, I don't know what I would do. If I actually got the TV network that aired Married at First Sight because I caught two of three episodes last week (I can't get the first one because of my cable provider), and I must say, I am sucked into it. However, watching it online again and blogging isn't as easy as sitting here with the TV on (or I'm just making it

You never know what's going to come up in class before we do these videos.

If you ever come to my house, I can promise you it's going to be straightened and arranged without stuff out of place. I cannot promise there won't be a layer of dust over the perfectly arranged knickknacks, tables or even the TV. Nor will I promise the floors won't need vacuumed, there won't be dishes in the sink (and the sink needs to be washed too), and the bathrooms won't need scrubbing. I'm a neat person that hates a mess and wants everything organized. However, I hate to clean house. For weeks, there have been reasons I haven't spent Saturdays cleaning. Because goodness knows I'm not doing it at night or on a Sunday between church services (as you all know, that's the sacred nap time). I need to go shopping to use a coupon before I meet Rakia at the Ranger game. I have to go take my great aunt to go see my Grandmother. I spent all day painting letters at my parents.  I have some work I need to get done. I was determined I was goi

I would say thankfully that tomorrow we would be able to not hear about getting pictures taken for our church directory, but they've added three dates in August for people unable to make it for pictures this week/weekend. Somewhere in the announcements at every worship service, we've heard, "you will get a directory and a free 8 x 10, but you do not have to buy anything." Well, I don't see how you could afford it. As one of the church members put it (a former preacher around 90), "It costs $40 just to take the warts off your face." Yes, the touch ups on your pictures - which will be in everyone's directory and your "free" 8 x 10 - cost around $40. If you're looking in the mirror daily, you know what you really look like, as do most members of the church. With too much touch up, you may not look like yourself, defeating the purpose of a church directory. Besides... can you really see warts and wrinkles in a 2 x 2 inch photo? What

Susan May Warren 's newest book in the Christiansen Family Collection, When I Fall In Love ,  has won over readers' and critics' hearts alike. With critical reviews like, ". . . an exquisite romance. Profoundly touching on the topic of facing fears, this book is a true gem," and more than 60 five-star reviews at Amazon, When I Fall in Love is sure to please. Susan has teamed up with some amazing  food bloggers for a fun food challenge and a KitchenAid Mixer giveaway!   One grand prize winner will receive: A KitchenAid Mixer The first three books in the Christiansen Family Collection . Melissa Ringstaff’s Kitchen Planner Jackie Brown's Freezer Inventory sheet Grab your aprons and wire whisks and buzz on over to the When I Fall in Love website to learn more and enter the Hawaiian Chef Showdown!  Susan is challenging you to make a Hawaiian-inspired dish using coconut, mango, or one of the other ingredients mentioned in the book. You’ll get e

Susan May Warren hosts Hawaiian Chef Showdown — the perfect pairing for her new book To celebrate her new release, award-winning author Susan May Warren is hosting a contest every foodie will love! When I Fall in Love (Tyndale House Publishers / June 20, 2014 / ISBN 978-1414378435 / $14.99) is the third installment in Warren’s Christiansen Family series and is filled with a sense of adventure — and lots of good food. From July 24 – August 10, Warren’s readers have the chance to win a KitchenAid mixer by entering the Hawaiian Chef Showdown, hosted on www.susanmaywarren.com . Readers can enter by creating or selecting a recipe using one of the main ingredients mentioned in the book, then pinning the recipe to Pinterest, and sharing it via other social media sites, including their blog. The grand prize winner will receive a KitchenAid mixer and all three books in the Christiansen Family series. Food bloggers Jackie Brown from Mom on a Mission and Melissa Ringstaff from

Welcome to the launch campaign for debut novelist Kristy Cambron 's  The Butterfly and the Violin . Romantic Times had this to say: "Alternating points of view skillfully blend contemporary and historical fiction in this debut novel that is almost impossible to put down. Well-researched yet heartbreaking. . . ." Kristy is celebrating the release of the first book in her series, A Hidden Masterpiece, with a fun Kindle Fire giveaway and meeting her readers during an August 7th Facebook author chat party.   One winner will receive: A Kindle Fire The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 7th. Winner will be announced at The Butterfly and the Violin  Author Chat Party .  Kristy will be connecting with readers and answering questions, sharing some of the fascinating research behind the book, hosting a fun book chat, and giving away some GREAT prizes. She will also be giv

Tonight's episode of The Bachelorette presents viewers with "The Men Tell All." I bet the men don't tell us much we don't already know. We can all hope for juicy tidbits, but in reality, it's going to be watered down blah, blah, blah. Before it even starts, we find out that a good chunk of the time is devoted to a live ultrasound to tell the gender of J.P. and Ashley's baby. Ugh. OOOOOHHHHHH!!! But, we find out who lied during the lie detector tests. Chris Harrison has a copy of the results that Andi didn't tear up. More men than ever before told Andi that they loved her teases Chris Harrison. Before we learn which of the guys that have been brought back to talk about their experience... Marcus, Marquel, Farmer Chris... we have to talk to Ashley and J.P. about their upcoming baby. They are so over the top happy it's sickening. Not only are they moving to Miami to escape the polar vortex, Chris teases they are moving closer to Juan Pablo

Since we're in Revelation which talks about angels and trumpets and all, I thought this song was appropriate for today. Except, I thought they would have known it a little better. You can't tell we practiced it first.

So, obviously, July has not been a big month for book releases as evident by no book posts this week. As busy as April and May were for new releases and tours, coupled with prepping for ICRS in June, it has been nice to catch up on the items of my to-do list that kept being pushed down the line. My email inbox is remarkably empty as I tend to things as they come. However, I know there are also things I need to get ready for upcoming releases, but I digress. This is one of those periods of time that prove just how boring my life is with no idle chatter to fill each day's post. The girls don't have any sporting events going on right now, so there's nothing to post about there either. This week has been a bit different. My grandmother had surgery Wednesday, and I took her sister up to visit her today, so that's two days that I have been away from the house. Thankfully, everything went well and evidently smooth. The most eventful thing of yesterday was when I scared

So, only two more weeks of The Bachelorette... sadly about the only thing on TV that I am watching right now. Further proof I need to find better things to do like go walking and have a heat stroke in the evenings (I should have gone this week when it was record lows for July), work on crochet projects or read. There was a commercial with a good tease about the "Men Tell All" episode, but it's not up on the site. Will Andi question her choices? I doubt it. The payoff of the actual episode is never, ever as good as the tease. But then again... would we watch if the commercials said, "There will be nothing unexpected and everyone pretty much minds their Ps and Qs." Here's the only preview from the site for Monday night. In other boring TV news, the "season" finale of Sister Wives is Sunday night. I think it's a bunch of rehash of rehash of their lives and how each wife joined the family. The commercial teases, "is Robin pregnant

Tonight I have been contemplating how I really hope time flies, and we get to start the Fall TV season soon. Usually I can cope from TV series withdrawals by watching the Texas Rangers for the summer, they have been so absolutely horrible this season, I just can't do it. On a Thursday night in the summer -- which is normally my favorite TV night -- the pickings are slim. As I scroll through the channel guide, my choices include TLC's  Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and VH1's Dating Naked . I may watch a bunch of dumb reality crap, but I do draw the line somewhere. I do have my standards, and obviously my morals. Even if I do end up watching the train wreck that Bachelor in Paradise  will be. I don't plan to blog my way through it, but that could change. I "tried" to watch NBC's debut of  Welcome to Sweden . I give that show less than a month before it is cancelled. I found it that annoying. With all this horrid swill on TV, maybe that contributes to the fa

As I am sure you know, because I posted so many pictures here, I did a lot of crocheting last fall/early winter for Christmas presents. That hexagon blanket big enough to cover the top of my parents' king size bed, a couple of headbands, and more hats than I can remember (at least 10).  By the time I started a baby blanket, I was so over crocheting, I had to put it away. About 1/3 to 1/2 way through a baby blanket I promised someone, I just couldn't do anymore. I told my co-worker, Christen, that Scout would have it by his first birthday.  Getting the itch again, and after buying more yarn that I didn't need yet bought anyway because it was on sale last weekend at Hobby Lobby, I pulled my project back out this week. I'm hoping to whip it out. It may end up more of a vertical stripe blanket because I think I'm going to run out of yarn to make it be horizontal stripe.  This year, I'm hoping to make up a bunch of hats before winter and have ready to se

As I mentioned Sunday, it's a light blog tour week, and I need something to ramble about this week.  Maybe it's because I don't venture far from my little corner of the world, but people frequently ask, "where do you work now?" or "what are you doing now?" While well meaning questions, for some reason, they always seem to come off with a sense of "do you have a job?"  I'm sure that's just me. I'm sure they don't mean it in a way that sounds like, "are you an old maid that lives with your parents?" Since graduating college (when I lived away for three years), I stayed with my parents for only two brief intervals: 1) less than 6 months when I graduated and was looking for a job, and 2) about 6 months when I needed to move out of the 'hood I was living in after an incident of coming home to find police in my front yard looking for gun shell casings and another time of finding out the apartment on the other side

I gave up an invitation to go swimming with Paige and Peyton tonight so that I could go to the grocery store (I had no form of cheese or eggs) and be able to blog with The Bachelorette live. Actually, I went over to my parents house to eat after work and left late enough to have to run through the grocery store, and I'm still 20 minute late starting The Bachelorette . I'll be caught up by right after an hour in though. That's how many commercials there are. As much as I hated to say no to a very chipper sounding Paige, I was down to my last 4 Coke Zeros in the office fridge and goodness knows, that is more troublesome than being without cheese. Plus, I didn't want another late night of blogging on the episode some other night like I have for the past two or moer weeks. So who will Andi invite to the fantasy suite? Word around the web is that one of the three guys will be let go before the invitation is extended. I don't guess there is a chance that the word of