Jordandainesart.blogspot.com.
Below is just one of the many pics available:
Monday, August 23, 2010
Art Auction
Glory days, don't worry, it's not my artwork. My sister-in-law, however, is extremely talented and is auctioning off her amazing artwork to help support my brother in architecture school (the last days, fortunately). Regardless of whether you want to support the cause or not, it is definitely a great chance to pick up some great original artwork at very reasonable prices. Anyway, while you are pining away for my next blog post, please check it out at
Jordandainesart.blogspot.com.
Below is just one of the many pics available:
Jordandainesart.blogspot.com.
Below is just one of the many pics available:
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Lotteries and Dreaming Big
I'm not gonna lie or pretend that I will happily live out my life in gracious humility if I never become rich and famous (anonymously famous, that is). Call me vain, I don't care. I like nice things and I don't think I need to apologize for that since I diligently avoid stores when times are tight. The BK and I, often on long walks when we run out of things to say to each other, and when the kids are so tired that we don't have to scream at them, often talk about what we will do with the $42 million we win playing the Texas MegaMillions. First we siphon off half to pay taxes (which I would almost be happy to pay - okay, I take that back). That leaves us with $20 million. Here's my list of the top 10 things I would do with the cash, in the order I would do them.
1 - Buy my food storage. This would also include replenishing my fridge which always seems to be in need of a fresh infusion of food. I might not even care if it all went bad. Just to have it brimming with beautiful, bright fruits and vegetables and lots of delicious choices would be a worthy luxury - at least once. I might even hire someone to organize my fridge, just this once, so that it could actually look like this:
2 - Pay off all the student loans for me and my siblings. Don't worry, I get a bit more frivilous once the bills are all paid. I know what you're thinking:
3 - Fund college for my kids (I will not be leaving millions to them in a will to ruin them, they will have to play the lottery on their own). Again, I know what you're thinking:
4 - Hire a personal trainer so that I have a good excuse to splurge on #5. He could look something like this, but he would absolutely have to have a British accent. Sorry Trainer Momma, you are neither male nor have a British accent.
5 - Buy a new wardrobe. With kids and bills I rarely buy clothes for myself anymore. And when I do, it's usually from Old Navy or Target. Barf. I would head straight to Ann Taylor, and then ask my friends with some taste where I should head next.
6 - Buy one of these. Not that I don't love driving a minivan. Love you BK.
7 - Hire a personal assistant willing to scrub toilets, do laundry, clean up the dishes (I don't mind the cooking), go to the grocery store, occasionally babysit, make phone calls, provide intellectually stimulating conversation, and write interesting blog posts for me. It would also help if she was well dressed in order to encourage me to shower and wear some of my nice new clothes.
8 - Adopt a few more kids. Probably only 2. Probably from China. We plan to have one more of our own. So 3 + 2 + 2 (me and BK) = just the right number to fit in #6. (Don't ask me about this picture, but putting up pictures of actual kids from China just didn't seem right).
9 - Build a big house on a ranch, designed by my brother, with lots of wood, concrete, stainless steel, etc.; inhabited by a few more children (see above), horses, and a few other animals that would require my kids to learn how to work and do real chores. Some of the incidentals that are included in this tall order include: grand piano, gorgeous library filled with gorgeous books (so I can read while the kids are out milking the cows), a master bedroom far away from the kids' rooms, and an amazing kitchen that cleans up after itself. Oh yeah, and an amazing garden. And really great landscaping. You're all invited to come and stay at the guest house.
10 - Really I could just end here, and tell you that I would put the rest away, start some charitable foundations, and figure out a way to sneak some of the money into my tithing. But, it wouldn't be entirely honest as I think that a large portion of the money (let's be honest that all of the above probably wouldn't even go over $2m and that's pushing it), would go to TRAVELING. We would love to pull our kids out of school and sail around the world for a year of homeschooling, doing crazy service projects in crazy places, and learning about the world.
I should also note that I would work doing something I love (I haven't figured out what that is just yet). I just wouldn't worry about whether I make money doing it. What's on your list?
1 - Buy my food storage. This would also include replenishing my fridge which always seems to be in need of a fresh infusion of food. I might not even care if it all went bad. Just to have it brimming with beautiful, bright fruits and vegetables and lots of delicious choices would be a worthy luxury - at least once. I might even hire someone to organize my fridge, just this once, so that it could actually look like this:
2 - Pay off all the student loans for me and my siblings. Don't worry, I get a bit more frivilous once the bills are all paid. I know what you're thinking:
3 - Fund college for my kids (I will not be leaving millions to them in a will to ruin them, they will have to play the lottery on their own). Again, I know what you're thinking:
4 - Hire a personal trainer so that I have a good excuse to splurge on #5. He could look something like this, but he would absolutely have to have a British accent. Sorry Trainer Momma, you are neither male nor have a British accent.
5 - Buy a new wardrobe. With kids and bills I rarely buy clothes for myself anymore. And when I do, it's usually from Old Navy or Target. Barf. I would head straight to Ann Taylor, and then ask my friends with some taste where I should head next.
6 - Buy one of these. Not that I don't love driving a minivan. Love you BK.
7 - Hire a personal assistant willing to scrub toilets, do laundry, clean up the dishes (I don't mind the cooking), go to the grocery store, occasionally babysit, make phone calls, provide intellectually stimulating conversation, and write interesting blog posts for me. It would also help if she was well dressed in order to encourage me to shower and wear some of my nice new clothes.
8 - Adopt a few more kids. Probably only 2. Probably from China. We plan to have one more of our own. So 3 + 2 + 2 (me and BK) = just the right number to fit in #6. (Don't ask me about this picture, but putting up pictures of actual kids from China just didn't seem right).
9 - Build a big house on a ranch, designed by my brother, with lots of wood, concrete, stainless steel, etc.; inhabited by a few more children (see above), horses, and a few other animals that would require my kids to learn how to work and do real chores. Some of the incidentals that are included in this tall order include: grand piano, gorgeous library filled with gorgeous books (so I can read while the kids are out milking the cows), a master bedroom far away from the kids' rooms, and an amazing kitchen that cleans up after itself. Oh yeah, and an amazing garden. And really great landscaping. You're all invited to come and stay at the guest house.
10 - Really I could just end here, and tell you that I would put the rest away, start some charitable foundations, and figure out a way to sneak some of the money into my tithing. But, it wouldn't be entirely honest as I think that a large portion of the money (let's be honest that all of the above probably wouldn't even go over $2m and that's pushing it), would go to TRAVELING. We would love to pull our kids out of school and sail around the world for a year of homeschooling, doing crazy service projects in crazy places, and learning about the world.
I should also note that I would work doing something I love (I haven't figured out what that is just yet). I just wouldn't worry about whether I make money doing it. What's on your list?
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