Dear Darla Diaries

go.see.angel

My buddy Angel is doing a sweet competition for FREE PARENTING STUFF over at  her blog. I will now shamelessly share her good news:

I am now going to have a competition of my own, and give away the set of five autographed “No-Cry” books by Elizabeth Pantley!

 

Anyone can enter, and to enter I would like you to write a blog post about an old-wives tale that has to do with raising a child, and whether or not you think it has any relevance today (you can find some here if you’re stuck for ideas).

Now I've heard some crazy wives tales like why you should or shouldn't spare the rod and spoil the child and the like but as I am not a parent I will leave this for others in this area.

breast cancer awareness month

I got this brilliant idea from WhyRUStalkingMe, and since I hate to turn down a cause to support, I too just donated my boobies at the 2009 Boobiethon. If you are willing, donate yours too. Gentlemen, you can donate your boobies as well ... and they are highly appreciated. Also, cancer research support is highly important in my family since three of my grandparents have died long painful cancer riddled deaths, as well as my grandmother-in-law being a breast cancer survivor with only one breast:

The 8th Annual Blogger Boobie-Thon returns October 1, 2009! That’s right, the Boobies are Back! In an effort to raise money for breast cancer research, hundreds of bloggers (both women and men) are donating their rack shots between October 1st to 7th. The boobiethon.com site features a covered section and bare boobie area (which requires a $50 donation to access). In the past 7 years the Boobie-Thon has raised over $50,000 and we’re back again for another year of fun for a great cause. For more information regarding breast cancer, visit the Susan G. Komen site.

sarah's obnoxious elephant

Through that glorious ever changing BlogHer blogroll on the right of my site, (under the ad bar), I found a new blogger to stalk in my spare time. (Read: not that often behind Angel, Morgan, Queenie, Sarah, Mia, and MrD ... but oh the attempt will be made.)

Sarah Stealy is the name, IonaPig or Tinseltown, Tagalog & Tar Heels is the blog. I am going to directly quote her blog so all my few faithful readers can see what makes this new writer, to my visualize world, stand a little higher than the rest:

Bernie is big. Bernie is bossy. Bernie likes to sit on my chest. Bernie also changes color depending on his mood. And since he sits on my chest most of the time, his color greatly affects mine. When he is bright red and angry, I can feel my temperature rising. When he is blue and sad, so am I. When he is bright and green, I want to ask about things I know I shouldn't and I push lots of buttons. When he is yellow, I am calm. When he is pink, I am filled with ADD and jumping around like a five year-old. He is rarely gray and he rarely lets me sleep.

pot calling the kettle ... well you know

For whatever reason I have never like Oprah. Granted, the woman has done great things to inspire people, like donations to third world countries and orphanages .. however, I am not the hugest fan. I don't know if it's her relationship to Dr. Phil *blech, hairball, long convoluted story about how my BFF was totally hosed on his show* or just that whole crazy goody two shoe overdone talk show thing? I can't blame the yo-yo weight thing, but apparently even her best dietitian left her with a real girls body ... and there again I completely digressed and my mouth got the best of me. So before you start lambasting me about the shoulders and head this blog was actually to tell you about an incredible gem of a story I caught when flipping through the channels after work.

Oprah was talking to a blogger and not one of those 'blindside-the-blogger-and-look-like-a-doofice' moment like Meredith pulled on Melissa at Suburban Bliss. Since when did day time talk show hosts begin stooping to Jerry Springer level and turning brilliant minded bloggers into cocktail holding slightly neglectful parents that they aren't? Oh we so went there back than and I better leave this topic alone as well.

Did Darla take her Snarky pill this morning? Why yes, a DOUBLE dose apparently.

So on OPRAH, back on topic little girl, a really cool blogger by the name of Matt was being interviewed. Matt has a very unique and cool single-daddy-widower story. Matt's story began with his now-deceased wife's pregnancy blog and morphed into his struggle to survive after her death blog. In the interview it described how he'd use his wife's blog as a resource for how to be a parent. A near quote was that she was going to be a strict parent and he was probably going to let the baby learn by eating an occasional stick or rock. Than it all changed.

His story of survival and life is such an inspiration, I highly recommend you go check him out, I'm fairly sure I'll be regular. That is to say A LOT because I tend to steer clear of anything slightly Hallmarkish with a 25-foot pole and I think I'm encaptured with this one.

we are in agreement

I googled Perou after watching bits of the snarky and a little too over the top "Make Me a Supermodel" on Bravo. Perou is a photographer judge used week after week like Nigel Barker on ANTM. Perou is brilliant. His work is the next eye crack candy, absolute delicious tender bits for those like myself who like the different, unique and edgy in art.

oh delicious lover

One of my all time favorite comfort foods is mac-n-cheese. The ooey gooey delicious melt onto my tongue cheesiness coats my throat and soothes all the crinkly irritation in my tummy. I'm not sure if it's because it evokes memories of my family gathered around a triple box of the old school generic kind and a side of a fried chicken or my first home made batch with a yummy crispy topping.

Ree, who I've been a long time fan of over at Pioneer Woman, posted a great recipe of this addiction:

I highly recommend you go check it out.