Easter and My Mom

It took a trip through the archives for me to remember that I’d already done a post about Easter and My Dad. So, this year, I’ll post about my mom. (Warning–this is religious–a first for the Fashion Paramedic!)

My mom once told me that she had been in church one Easter and the priest had explained in his own words about the rising of Christ. He closed the story with “I wish there was a song that could capture what Christ’s rising must have felt like to all of his followers.”

And my mom wanted to tell the priest, “There is.”

But her version of the song was on a worn out VHS tape of a country awards show that took place years ago. I don’t think she ever got to share it with the priest. She showed it to me once, though.

And ever since then, I’ve been searching for this video on DVD so that I could give it to my Mom on Easter (with NO success!). This version is too small to put on DVD, but it’s fit to post here.

He’s Alive, Mom.

The Big Move Part II: WordPress dot COM

How come I have to practially pay people to come to fashionparamedic.com, yet over at my test blog (http://fashionparamedic.wordpress.com/) I’m already getting visits?

Anyhoo, if you want, go over to the test site and take a gander. I’m playing and tweaking and am just about where I’d like to be before I start my big move. (I am LOVING the tabs, and hating the fact that some of my sidebar “widgets” and links aren’t working because the WordPress.com themes/templates do not support java. They’ll work once I’m finally situated.)

I’ve decided to follow several suggestions received via e-mail and on the WordPress forums to start a blog on the “WordPress Hosted Blogs (.com),” then import all of my posts from Blogger to the WordPress.com site.

Then, when I’m done with that step, I can make the final transition to the “WordPress.org” (Self-hosted on my own server) site. (Which will still be fashionparamedic.com, just not on Blogger anymore.)

So, I’ve still got some work to do, but things are starting to take shape. Let me know what you think!

What’s Going On, Alexa?

So lately I’ve been completely obsessed with my Alexa ranking, which is currently 1,664,584. Certainly nothing to write home about, but considering that there’s well over 100 million blogs around the blogosphere, it’s not too shabby.

I was looking for ways to boost my Alexa ranking (hey–I once broke the million mark, and I’m hoping to break the 250,000 mark by the end of the year), and found out that if you post about them, they will reward you. (Sometimes.) I’m hoping it works.

It is Sooo ON!

I love clothes. I do. Even as a plus-size diva, I love to look at fashion rags and websites and watch as the new trends emerge.

The other day, I was playing my usual “look at the print ad and try to guess the designer” game while flipping through In Style, and I was completely stumped. The ad was very “editorial,” containing models with hip hair wearing clothes and accessories I guessed to be either Dior or Chloe.

But it was “ON.” Who is ON?

Old Navy!

I thought it couldn’t be. These clothes were right out of Hamptons Magazine. I could picture Heidi Klum wearing some of the outfits. But it was Old Navy–Home of the $29.50 and under specials.

The thing I love most about Old Navy is that they take care of size 14’s and up gals like me. The clothes are A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E, and affordable.

And don’t forget the accessories too. Talk about adorable!

So yeah, the tag may not read “Dior,” but the clothes are amazingly fashionable.

I am SOO going to go shopping now!!

Reasons to be Happy

This was going to be a “Happy St. Patrick’s Day” post, but everyone else is doing that, and I want to be different.

And I’m miffed at the LOML today. We’re fighting, and I’m really not sure why. (BTW: “LOML” means “Love of My Life.”)

Anyhoo, instead of immortalizing our stupid fight in a post, I decided that I would take just five minutes and write down all the reasons I have to be happy. Here’s what I came up with:

1. My children are healthy.
2. I am healthy.
3. I am not homeless.
4. My car is paid for.
5. I have full mental health.
6. I have the use of my arms and legs.
7. I can smile.
8. I have a good-paying job with awesome benefits.
9. I married the love of my life.
10. I have the right to vote
11. I have tivo.
12. Both of my parents and all seven of my brothers and sisters are still alive. (And so are their kids, and their kids’ kids, and all of them are healthy too.)

I didn’t think that was bad for five minutes. What do you have to be happy about?

‘Frankenstory’ Friday: The Trouble With Chipmunks

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you already know that a “Frankenstory” is a story about my dad, Frank. Today’s installment is more of a “Blankenstory.” Here’s why:

My father is hard of hearing. He’s also going blind, but he’s been hard of hearing for as long as I can remember, and he’s never admitted to it.

Instead of getting the help of a hearing aid, he’s spent the last 35 years filling in the “blanks” (what he doesn’t hear when someone speaks to him) with words of his own–most of which don’t make much sense.

One of my favorite “Blankenstories” took place about 20 years ago in our backyard. A few of us were sitting on the patio with my parents, and after a conversation had sort of “died down,” my mother asked my father:

“Dad. Can I have a kitten?”

[Dad shoots mom a 'What-Into-the-Hell' type of look.] Then he replied:

“A chipmunk?!!”

[Everyone on patio falls out of chairs laughing. One of my sisters runs into the house and down the hall to the bathroom to avoid peeing her pants.]

“No!,” my mom said, “A kit-ten!”

“Oh! A kitten?,” he replies. And quickly shakes his head. “No! I don’t want no kitten running around here.”

“Well . . . then, “ said my mom, “Can I have a chipmunk?”

Something New: YOU Blog the Blog!

I’m so excited about this! I got the idea from Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing.

It involves YOUR participation, so if you read this post, you have to leave a comment! (I won’t track you down and make you do it, but . . . it would be much more fun to get everyone involved!)

Here’s how it works:

I will ask and answer question #1.

Then, I will ask another question
(question #2).

The first commenter will answer that question (question #2), then leave a question (question #3) for another commenter to answer.

If you don’t like the question that the previous commenter left, then come back later and see what comes down the comment line.

Feel free to comment more than once!

Click HERE to view the comment line over at Stephanie’s “Blog the Blog” if you are looking for questions to ask, or if you need a “visual” on how this works.

Are you all ready? Follow me:

If you had the whole house to yourself . . .

Wordless Wednesday — Blue Frosting

Jake after eating birthday cake iced with blue frosting.

Tackle It Tuesday: The BIG Move

[And all of you thought I'd be reorganizing my shoes today! Maybe next week . . .]

So, I’ve chosen the worst time to do this . . . I’m in the middle of a party, I just switched domains, and my Google Page Rank is still stuck at ZERO. (It was 2, but it reset after I switched domains.)

But, it must be done. I’ve gotta move, because Blogger is holding me back!

And no, I’m not going to bash Blogger. When I first wanted to blog, I found Blogger was easy to set up and use and maintain. I never had any issues.

Over the past couple of months, however, the issues that I have been dealing with are more egotistical than anything. I can get jealous rather quickly, and I’ve been plagued with blogger template envy for quite some time now.

I’m also very much aware of the fact that my posts are L-O-N-G. Very long. Sometimes TOO long. And many of you have asked that I “truncate” the posts to a paragraph or two, then provide an option to click to read the rest of the story. I don’t have the option to do that in my current digs.

So, here it is. My very first “Tackle it Tuesday” project: I’m moving to WordPress.

And it’s a big fat hairy project, too.

First, I had to find someone to host my site. So, I went to GoDaddy.com. And, for the awesomely low price of $6.99 per month, they’re providing me with hosting support. [PS: If you want to use WordPress, make sure you choose a hosting option that uses Linux.]

And that’s as far as I have gotten in my big move. Up ahead: Choosing a template, moving the blog, making sure my archives and Alexa ranking come with me, and getting the pictures loaded up again.

(So no, I will not be completing my project today. It’s a labor of love. A lotta love. And a lotta time. But it will be sooooo worth it!)

Make sure to come back and check my progress!!

Super Fabulous Shoes

I was playing around on my new laptop tonight when I decided to visit an old friend:

Payless Shoe Source.

Did you have ANY idea that they’ve gone into designer mode? I didn’t, and I’m totally stoked about it!

Wedges, strappy sandals, pumps, stilettos, flats . . . you name it, they’ve got it. And I haven’t found anything that costs more than $40 yet.

Don’t think that Payless can appeal to your inner shoe snob? Check out this video featuring three of the designers that have helped Payless transform into “fashion forward”:

http://www.paylessontherunway.com/?cm_re=S08_p03a_20080304*Runway*Runway(SITE)#/

One more thing that I love about Payless is that they carry sizes over 10. I wear a . . . well, let’s just say that my feet resemble Fred Flintstone’s. Not pretty. But at least Payless has shoes that fit my jacked up feet!

I’m going shopping!