Anniethology Asks

I will be teaching a class on manners to a group of teenagers in a couple of weeks. What advice would you give teenagers on manners? What bothers you most about teenage manners or the lack thereof? What are the "modern manners" associated with e-mail, cellphones and texting? I've noticed that teenagers are dating less and "hanging-out" more. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? What advice would you give teenagers on hanging-out?

Christmas Anniethology-style Part 2

Thank you to everyone who signed my Christmas Guestbook and thank you to everyone who sent me a real Christmas card. If you see your card here...you are cool.

Anger and malaise are two of the less desireable side-effects of Christmas morning.

Secret Agent Man with his superior snow removal skills, cleared the way for the boys to try-out their new scooters.

The aftermath.


After staying up late to wrap presents and waking up early to unwrap them, this is where I was at 10 a.m. this morning.

Don't send me a Christmas card, just sign my guestbook.

Scroll down to see my Holiday pics! Thanks and keep signing everyone!

This is how we roll: Christmas 2008

I'll take a stretch Excursion limo ride to see Christmas lights over a one-horse open sleigh any day!
Pretty, pretty, shiny, shiny.

Mini Me's Gingerbread house is good enough to eat.

I'm Fairy Godmother to Madison. Her mommy brought her over so I could see Maddie in the outfit I bought for her.

Chillaxen in the limo.

Monkeyboy loves his candycane!

Before you go to the toy store, practice the three "R's"

Click here to read my latest post for the Mile High Mamas.

Thanks to all those who have signed my Christmas Guestbook so far. Especially those who are de-lurking to do so. Keep signing! I would love to hear from you all. (scroll down)

Annie speaks her mind: Jennifer Aniston needs to shut-up already; Part Deux

Jennifer Aniston just keeps getting classier and classier. Not only does she appear nekked on the cover of a magazine this month, she is also talking about the Pitt-Jolie kids by name. Joking about going on vacation with them and holding them.

She is a freaky-stalker-ex-wife. She's a headline grabber. She can't build a career on her "talent" alone, so she has to drag her ex and his children into it.

It looks like jealousy, plain old jealousy. Angelina Jolie is the highest paid actress in Hollywood and Brad Pitt's babymama.

And what is Jennifer? A cougar. Wasn't John Mayer like 16 went he wrote, "Your body is a wonderland?" PUKE! (I bet Tibs could answer that question.)

I am not going to go see your stupid movie, Jen! So there. Take that. I'll keep my nine bucks, thankyouverymuch!

The Nightmare before Christmas

Twas a couple weeks before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for the Payne family mouse. All the stockings were hung by the food storage closet door with care in the hopes that Saint Obama Claus soon would be there.

(Scraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatch the record)

Say what?!

You heard me. Obama Claus!

The other night I woke up from a horrible dream. Obama wanted to give everyone in America a bicycle for Christmas and the Payne family had to buy them.

The voice in my nightmare went like this,

"Obama is giving everyone a bicycle for Christmas and it's YOUR turn to pay."

The Payne Family is going to pay for other people's healthcare, abortions, and failed businesses, but bicycles?!

Mr. President Elect, that's where I draw the line.

Anniethology One Liner Wednesday

You have one line or less, what would you say to Santa?

Christmas Anniethology-style Part I

"My Martha" and I went on a Holiday Tour of Homes this weekend. All the homes were beautiful and inspiring. I immediately came home and made some improvements to my Christmas tree.

"But Annie," you ask, "your tree was already pretty. What more could you have done?"

I added peacock feathers! Everything is better with peacock feathers...

...even this guh-lady!

And I added a mascot... a peacock. We haven't come up with a name. I'll take suggestions.


****

More fuzzy pics of my Christmas decorations. Santa, I've been a good girl. Please bring me a new camera.

Marital bed decorated for Christmas by day

Elfin Magic by Night




Early Christmas Present to Myself

I realized on Thanksgiving that I was pathetically low on salt and pepper shakers. When I saw these on Etsy.com it was chicken love-at-first-sight.

Annie speaks her mind: Jennifer Aniston needs to shut-up already

Jennifer Aniston wants to pretend that Vogue took her remarks about Angelina Jolie out of context, but I saw her on Oprah, she won't shut up about that family.

Speaking of "uncool," I think Jennifer is uncool. If she wants the world to move on, she needs to quit talking about the Pitt-Jolie family. She is perpetuating this, no one else. When a reporter asks her about them, she can say, "no comment" or "different topic," or "I don't want to go there." But, nooooo. She is squeezing the publicity of her highly-publicized marriage and divorce to Brad for all it's worth, afterall she has a movie coming out.

If she doesn't have the sense to shut up, her manager or publicist needs to be fired, because they are not keeping her from making a donkey of herself.

The horse is dead, D.E.A.D, dead already, Jen!

All this talk makes her look small and petty. Granted, the way her marriage to Brad ended and his relationship with Angelina began was not classy by any means, but they are together now. They have children. They are a family. Jen needs to butt out.

I think it's uncool and not classy to remark, make up stories, or re-tell histories about former boyfriends and or husbands, especially if they have moved on and have family of their own. For pete sake, he is someone's father now. Again, it's dead, it's over, leave it alone already. It benefits no one and just makes it look like you have never gotten over it.

I wasn't impressed with Jen and Ben's marriage in the first place. When I saw them on Oprah and Brad said something to the effect that they are in this marriage for as long as it both makes them happy, I was like, "This marriage is goner!"

Since when is marriage about happiness?!

My Twilight Review and Aubrey says...

It's been over a week since I saw "Twilight." I've seen two other movies since then ("Bolt" and "Australia"). My interest in writing a review has waned to the point that I am boring myself just typing this. But, seeing that it is a mandatory requisite in Blogland, I'll do it, but I'm going to keep my review short and sassy.

I think it was great to be in a theater with a bunch of fans. I loved that the group of 13 year olds behind me squealed when Edward came on the screen. One yelled out, "I love you, Edward!"

An older, obviously more jaded fan responded, "Get over it, Honey."

I liked the "movie." Was it great cinema? No. But it sure was a fan pleaser.

My problem was that the intensity between Bella and Edward was turned up to a 10 from the very beginning. The intensity had no chance to build.

I will say that I was pleased with Bella and Edward's onscreen chemistry. Their still shots did nothing for me, but Edward, live and in action, has a charisma that is undeniable, even for this Jacob fan.

Will I see the sequels? Did Jasper look constipated? The answer is, oh yeah!

***

Aubrey said, in her characteristic lower case style:

"i was just thumbing through the new VS catalog
and thought they should change these
from the boyfriend pajama
to the bella pajama.
no?
frumpy flannel pjs?
don't they remind you of bella?"



I agree with Aubrey on changing the name from the "boyfriend pajama" to the "bella pajama." I don't know any self-respecting man under the age of 75 who would wear those.

"Look, Grandpa, I got you some new pajamas. I'll put them in your top drawer so the nurse will know where to find them."

Grandpa unable to voice his displeasure due to the stroke, wets his bed in defiance.

So, that's where the Halloween candy wrappers ended up!

Someone(s) shoved their candy wrappers underneath the couch cushions!

I will not confirm or deny whether I contributed to the shoving.

Thanks to a helpful son and the Dyson....

...this mess was cleaned up.

I told my helpful son he could keep any of the money he found in the couch.


I may or may not know how candy wrappers ended up in the couch, but where did the two dollar bill come from?!