Friday Fives

My TOP 5 favorites smells/scents:

1) This is the whole reasoning behind this topic of today's fives...The smell came to me while driving home from work yesterday and brings be back to my childhood. The smell of sculpting clay. My best friend growing up, Addie - her dad is an artist. My favorite past time is playing upstairs in her dad's studio and smelling that bitter smell of sculpting clay. I can't describe it, I just love it. And for some reason, I smelled it on my way home and memories started to flood back like it was yesterday - Listening to Paul Simon and playing with Addie upstairs at 5516 Queen Ave. I miss those days.

2) Anything and everything BABY. Not just any baby, MY baby. I think any mom can agree with me that their baby smells amazing. Their hair, their breath, their toes, their....yes, diapers (ew!), the way they smell right out of the bath and even their spit up. YUM! I crave that smell more than anyone can ever imagine.

3) My mom. She has been wearing Burberry perfume for years and I swear I go to Macy's or where ever they sell the Original Burberry, just to smell my mom. Even when she's not wearing her perfume, she always smells good. My favorite thing to do when I go home is lay in her bed. It smells of Burberry, clean sheets and breath. HA! It may sound gross to you, but it smells like my mommy and I love it.

4) Garlic and Onions cooking. You know darn well something yummy is being cooked up by someone who knows exactly what they are doing. The combination is intoxicating.

5) Christmas. Not sure if Christmas has a particular smell, but when I think of Christmas, I think of candles burning, fires going, monkey bread baking and Mrs Clark's Eggs. Its the most amazing smell. It smells like family. It smells like comfort. It smells safe.

Happy Friday everyone! Have a safe and FUN weekend!!

Fall Foliage in Arizona

One thing that I promised myself I'd do this year is catch the change of season from Summer to Fall in Flagstaff, Arizona. Something that I've wanted to do since I moved down here from Minnsota 8 years ago.

I found a couple articles here and here that tell you when and where to go up north to see the change in colors of the leaves. I can just smell the cool, crisp, fresh air right now. Give me my family, a hot coffee and a camera and I'll be in heaven.

Flagstaff, here we come!

Happy Fall!

Friday Fives

With last weekend being a holiday weekend, I was off last Friday and was unable to post my FRIDAY FIVES..... But I'm back!

Today's Five:

FAVORITE SONGS:

1. Southern Cross by Crosby, Stills & Nash

2. 3 Libras by A Perfect Circle

3. Come Monday by Jimmy Buffet

4. Pride & Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughan

Last but not least........................... 5. Sgt Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band by The Beatles

I think I have an old soul. Stay tuned for next weeks Friday Faves!

Have an excellent weekend!

Lets Remember

Today, my heart is heavy. I sat this morning with my little baby girl and watched the President of the United States of America give his speech at the Pentagon. As I was holding Lucy and remembering where I was at that moment 8 years (wow! 8 years ago!!) ago today - I wanted to hold her all day. This day brings new meaning to me now that I have a child to protect.

I also was remembering September 12Th, 2001 and how overwhelmingly amazing it felt to have our nation come together as one. Politics set aside - even if it was for just one day. It felt amazing and makes my heart happy. I wish everyday could be like that day.

Today, I hope that you hold your loved ones. Tell them you love them and that you will do anything in your power to protect them. I also hope that you, as a citizen of this great nation, can find time to set aside your viewpoints on Politics and remember what we stand for as a Country.

God Bless you all!

Scent.Net

I am absolutely addicted to perfumes. Today I'm wearing Viva La Juicy and yesterday I was wearing Burberry for Women. Something about changing up my scent day to day, keeps my life exciting and fresh - and also creates memories. (You know that saying that a certain song reminds you of a certain day or year in your life and when hearing that certain song, floods of memories come back at you at that instant?) I feel the same way about perfumes.

Every week I browse online perfume at Scent.Net to find the latest perfume selections for that particular season. They also have GREAT gift sets available for the holiday season coming up!

Foggy

Its been a week since I've written or posted anything - but I have a logical excuse. Lucy's Baptism.
Picture this: Family in town (i.e. Older sister, younger sister, Mom and a surprise for me...my niece, Sophie - who is 3) A 958 square foot apartment, Wade, Lucy, Me and the family all snuggled into one small teeny tiny apartment - in Arizona - in the summer.
Yep, that's why I haven't written in over a week.
It was a GREAT time if you take out the fact that every single one of my out of town visitors got a special gift from us called the flu. (eeek!)
This is was no ordinary flu....no aches, no pains, no fever. Just the uncomfortable and annoying amounts throwing up, stomach pains and well, need I say it? #2. - AND LOTS OF IT.
This virus, good riddens, only lasted for 12 hours. By Monday, everyone was feeling better - we indulged in some In and Out burger (a tradition for anyone who comes to see me) - and then Monday at 2 p.m. they had to leave.
Thankfully, no one was sick for the actual Baptism - and my wonderful Mom kept reminding all of us, that that is why they came down in the first place - The Baptism.

The Baptism was a beautiful ceremony. Private, with all our friends and family. The ceremony only lasted a good 45 minutes. Lucy was a doll. Not a peep from her (as always) - I might quite possibly have the most chill, relaxed, easy-going baby in the whole world. She was just precious and I am so proud to call her my daughter.

Here's a couple pictures from the weekend, enjoy and God Bless my little angel, Lucy Patricia!

This is my life

Well. Its about time I've started a blog. I guess you could say I've been "scared" to take a jab at this whole blogging society thingamajigg. So today's the day I endeavor into the unknown world of blogging....psshh! (thats me laughing at myself).

So, where to begin? As you can read from my ever so detailed "about me" section to your right, I'm from God's Country, (also known as Minneapolis, MN) and man do I miss it everyday! I come from a long line of family members, which are known as the Pivecs & the Harmsens--two last names I'm very proud to call my own. (Pivec alittle more than the Harmsen's--sorry dad)
Moving on....The Pivecs and The Harmsens---I was born March 12th 1980, Mom-Patty(55), Dad-Butch(56), Sister-Ellie(29), Sister-Jenna(22). Grew up on good ol' Queen Avenue in Southwest Minneapolis, attended Armatage, Lyndale, Southwest---brief stay at Academy of the Holy Angels--then graduated successfully from Mpls Southwest, Home of the Lakers.....blah blah blah blah....boring.....how I ended up here-in AZ is a mystery to me. In June of 2001, one of my "late" best friends (late=not a friend anymore), asked if I wanted to go to Arizona to see her boyfriend..."Sure! Why the hell not", I said. One thing led to the other and before I knew it, I recruited my best friend and cousin Molly to move along with us (if any of you know Mols, she's up for anything!). September 13th, 2001, my Dad and I were on the road to nowhere, aka the desert.
Talk about change of scenery!!!! Holy Shit, what the hell did I get myself into!!?!?!?! No large bodies of water, mountains everywhere, DIRT, and its 118 degrees in September!! WTF!?!
That day that my father had left me in my first apartment, in a different state...to go home, was the sadest day of my life. I've never felt so alone in my entire life than in that moment.
Later to find out, my dad sat outside of my apartment called my Mother in tears saying, "I can't leave my baby girl down here!" --Brings tears to my eyes.

So anywho, That eight months that I lived with Molly and Jenny was the most OUTRAGIOUS roommate situation I've ever been in. Molly and I get along just great--always have and always will (we're family, there's no way we're not ever speaking again) :) To begin, can I just say that we thought we were on vacation for the first 4 weeks after moving down here, so our day consisted of: Wake up around 10 a.m., eat some breakfast, watch TLC's A Baby Story, watch TLC's A Wedding Story, get on bathing suits-head to the pool, 3 hours later--come in, take nap, wake up, get ready, eat, go out on the town. And keep in mind, we didn't pause for a night or two, it was the same routine, over and over and over and over......until we ran out of money. Boy was that a sad day. So, we all found jobs (boo!) and it started to feel like we actually were NOT on vacation. :(

Long story short, 6 yrs later---here I am. Molly married, Jenny married--both in MN. I must say, I'm very proud of myself, however---there's alot in between 2001 and now that I'll share with you in my blogs. Some interesting, some boring, some exciting, some I probably shouldn't tell you and some that will touch your heart.

Til next time my friends!

Laters!

Jules