Best PostSecrets from Over the Years

First of all, if you are NOT familiar with postsecret, you should be. This blog has been around for years allowing people to send in a postcard decorated with their deepest darkest secrets. The goal is suicide prevention. Read about it, and go see the real site, which is updated every sunday . here......http://www.postsecret.com/

This is my collection of my favorite throughout the past five years. The ones that have resonated with me or I've related to. The ones I saved in a folder and always feel something strong while reading them. Which ones do you like?

All The Little Things I can get in trouble for......

If you know me, you know I like to stir interest, or perhaps trouble...depending on how you look at it. Sometimes i'm not trying to stir trouble, i'm just trying to make someone think twice about something they've only thought once about. I grew up open minded and though my parents lean more toward the conservative side, they are incredibly independent and encourage me to be independent in my life and in my thoughts. The one thing that pushed me away from the Christian church for so long was the politics attached to it. How could Christians hate people who get abortions? I thought they were supposed to be loving to those in the most need? How could Christians not support homosexuals? Didn't they have enough ridicule from everyone else? How could Christians go to a sunday service in a big shiny stained glass building and completely ignore the barefooted homeless man on the outside?

Sometimes I know I go too far. I know I can make people upset, and just so you know it's nothing personal. I think I just like to say things sometimes to get a reaction. Or maybe, just maybe, you'll think twice before relating conservative politics to my Jesus again. You do not have to be a republican or a democrat to be a christian. Here are some images I've collected over the years, some extreme, some not so much, but all show how I felt about this at some point or another.

Baby Name

So Alex and I recently decided that if we have a boy we are naming him ...

JUDE. (after the beatles song of course). For the middle name I really really like Holden. (after catcher in the rye).

So it would be Jude Holden Retter.

If we have a GIRL....we are naming her....

SCOUT. (after scout from to Kill a Mockingbird). Probably my favorite person in literature, and i'm remembering reading that many times hoping that one day my daughter would be like her.

Alex is working on a middle name for Scout.

I'm wondering what you guys think about the names and also if you have any suggestions for middle names for Jude or Scout...we like literature names mostly. But we're open! :) Thanks !

REASONS WHY MY HUSBAND IS COOLER THAN YOURS.

I swear, I was really bored at work today. (which never happens considering my work is like a sweat shop). BUT, today was slow, my patients stable, and I had nothing better to do than to think about my awesome wonderful sweet and amazing husband. And these pictures remind me of JUST how great he really is.

1. HE ALWAYS *ROCKS* the Headband, bandanna band, whatever. Also, he MAKES hemp. And wears it. and looks like, so freaking hot in it.




2. Although he says he HATES school, he obviously enjoys indulging in his dorky side.

3.. He is tattooed. :) and he also loves nature.

4. No comment, but obviously, awesome.

5. I stumbled across this picture, from way before we even met. And thought, oh my lord what a badass. I love badasses. Hence, i love my husband even more than a second ago.

6. This was on a camping trip the first summer we met. Not only is alex a genius (shedding light for all of us at night) but he looks so cute in his eagle scout type fashion.

7. He is passionate about music, loving and being a free-spirit. Look at that bearded burly dream. I really love that man :)

I may actually be getting a little excited....

I may actually be getting a little excited to be having a little baby.

Mostly because I can dress him/her in THESE!

1. Naturally....the Chicago Flag!!!

2. A little joke....haha

My baby will a pacifist like their mommy.

I love internal organs! haha

Maybe my favorite!

Another awesome one

Gotta love Ghandi!

Anyways, life is sure moving fast. I'm still big time adjusting to this huge huge huge life change that I never expected and could have never been ready for. I will be the first to admit I still get bitter and sad when I think about how life is not going my way, but I'm very blessed to have a husband who continually reminds me that life's most wonderful gifts are not always planned out. He shows me cute baby clothes, looks up pregnancy questions, and always makes me sleep on my left side. (apparently you are supposed to do that?) Anyways, although I feel as though I sometimes stepped onto a traumatic episode of Teen Mom, I realize that I have it really good. I have a great job, make a lot more money that i need, have an awesome apartment, a great dog, supportive parents, and most of all a husband who I'm madly in love with more and more everyday...(and who will make an outstanding daddy). Although I realize all these things, I adjust S-L-O-W-L-Y. I still find myself incredibly hesitant to look at baby clothes, talk about nurseries, or try on maternity clothes. I'm fifteen weeks pregnant as of today. I'm eating a little more than I have been, and although I'm still behind on my weight gain, I think I'm doing better. In a few weeks, if I can make myself, I may even have a belly picture to put up on here. (I think that unfortunately I cannot stop this from happening, and yes, a baby is DEFINITELY growing in there!) Anyways, I know that a lot of people are praying for us and we thank you.

Looking at these onesies was a big step for me, Alex said he was proud. ;)

A New Craft From Me to You :)

Candle-Making.

An art.

A craft.

A fun way to make cheap (and cute) presents!

MATERIALS YOU SHALL NEED

1. Whatever little container you want to put your candle in. I went to a thrift store and bought quite a few teacups and saucers to put my candles in. (I thought it would be fun!) and the grand total of all those little cups and such ? $3.00

2. You need microwavable soy wax. You can buy any time of wax you want, and you buy much smaller containers depending on how many you want to make. But the best place to buy this? Michael's! (my fav store ever maybe?) It will run you about 12 dollars.

3. This is optional. But if you want color or smell in your candles you need to get these little guys. They are about two dollars each. The Cinnamon one smells great by the way!

4. You certainly need this! (also at Michaels). You need this to glue the wick to the bottom of the container before you pour the wax in.

5. You need a thermometer. You may not need to buy one if you have an old meat one, or any one you don't use anymore. Just one that goes up to at least 200 degrees F.

Now that you have what you need, it's super easy! Use the tacky wax to glue the wicks (which you buy at michael's too: really cheap!) Hold it down for about thirty seconds with your fingers. If you're using teacups like me, make sure they are already washed out and dried well.

After that, warm up your wax in old microwaveable safe container. You'd probably be best not using a bowl that your husband uses for his food ....because it may be hard to get the wax out! (haha..ooops). You can def. get the wax out with some work though. Depending on the wax you get, the amount of time you warm it up will be different. For me it was about three minutes. You basically are warming it up until it becomes completely liquified. After you take it out (be careful it's super hot!!!) Put the thermometer in it. You want to let it cool to 180 degrees and then put the dye into it. Keep the thermometer in there and let it cool down to 140 before you add the scent. (Do not add more than a few drops of scent to soy candles!) After it's 140 degrees you can slowly pour it into the container with the wick already glued to the bottom. It takes about thirty minutes for it to completely harden. You may want to go over there and make sure that the wick isn't leaning too far to one side. Try to keep it centered. If you made a lot of wax you can make more than one candle at a time.

This will probably happen to you too. The wick will fall over to one side while it's hardening, as long as you catch it in the last stages and center it...you'll be fine.

VOILA! My own little teacup candle!!!!!!!! I love it!

One Red and one white but both delightful! :) I have been burning them on and off for a week now and they are awesome, look great, and will make great gifts! Super fun and people do not believe that you actually made them! Just think of all the fun things you can make candles out of!

If you have any questions, just leave me a comment. I'd love to help!

Happy Crafting!

To Name a Human

To me, naming our first child seems like the hardest most daunting task of this whole shenanigan.

Giving a child a name they will live with the rest of their life.

I have always been and am still against naming my child a common name. I really like names that you hear and you are like "Wait, what?" But then later you grow to truly love them.

Like George Costanza says in the episode "Seven" of Seinfeld.

"Don't all names sound weird the first time you hear them?"

Here are the names that we love for our future offspring. :)

GIRL

1. Scout Harper Retter

2. Willow Scout Retter

3. Harper Emerson Retter

4. Evangeline Emerson Retter

BOY

1. Jude Holden Retter

2. Holden Jude Retter

3. Finnley Holden Retter

4. Jude Sawyer Retter

Let me further explain.

My favorite girl name in the world is Scout. (After Scout Finch in to kill a mockingbird). I never thought about it being a modern child's name until my good friend Hannah had a new niece and they named her Scout. I thought "duh!" That's the greatest name ever.

I also adore the names Willow, Harper, Emerson, and Evangeline.

Harper after Harper Lee (who wrote to kill a mockingbird).

Boy names: Jude is our favorite name and according to my husband, if this baby is a boy, his name will be Jude. (which is exciting by me, cause I have always loved that name). And it would be after the Beatles song. :)

Holden was another boy name that I loved, after who else but Holden Caulfield in the catcher in the rye, my absolute favorite book of all time. We may use it as a middle name though.

Finnley after Huckleberry Finn. :)

Can you tell we like literature names?

Well these our thoughts. What do you think?