Color Challenge

On Kristina Werner's color challenge 32, (http://kwernerdesign.com/blog/2008/11/color-inspiration-32.html), the colors were: riding hood red, sahara sand, very vanilla and whisper white.

It's been SUCH a long time since I participated. Nothing like last minute. (I posted right at the last second, I think.)

I used: Ruby Red, Kraft, Very Vanilla and Whisper White card stock.

Background trees were stamped with VersaMark ink. Stamp was from SU Lovely as a Tree. Everything else was stamped in StazOn black ink. 

Torn paper in whisper white to make snow. SU scallop punch and 1.25" circle punch were also used. Truck stamp, people and gifts were from SU Loads of Love and Loads of Love Accessories. Colored with SU blender pen and SU Ruby Red Watercolor Crayon. Celebrate the Season stamp was from SU So Many Scallops.

It has been AGES since I broke out my crafting supplies. Was feeling a little BLAH and lonely today since hubby is stuck working for Black Friday. Spent the entire day alone - living 8 hours from family and friends. Needed a little therapy break to stamp.

(Kind of embarrassed ... after viewing the photo, you can see all kinds of dust where I had taken the photo at... guess I should have spent the day cleaning!  OOPS, my bad!)

What will happen when you are NOT the center of attention?

Meet "the boys".  (They are spoiled and are Mama's Boys.)

They like to snuggle wherever it is warm.

We are starting to wonder... 

What will happen when they are no longer the center of attention?

How in the world will we ever keep them out of the baby's crib? 

(Thankfully, we've got time to figure that one out.)

Seriously? 11:30?

Was going to run to the post office on this cool, Saturday morning. I had my mind made up that as long as I got there by noon, I would be fine.

Busy working on getting the last of the wedding thank you's written and addresses found out. Thought I would go buy my stamps and then throw the bulk of them in the mailbox later today.

Guess I thought wrong.

The post office lobby closes at 11:30am.

Seriously? 11:30? (Thought for sure I had til noon.)

Change of plans: 

Guess I will try to buy stamps at the grocery store instead.

(or else they will have to wait until Monday... what's another day or two?)

Job is getting better for "the recess lady"

For the record, my job is getting better than it was at my last posting. For about a week now, I have had all of the holes filled in on my schedule. (Sadly, it took only a month...)

A good part of my day is spent on playground duty. I am a little concerned about standing outside in the Minnesotan winters for 2.5 hours each day, but they tell me "fresh air is good for everyone".

Now that I am pregnant, I am wondering how much fun it will be to take off my snow clothes whenever I have the urge to go to the bathroom...

Just discovered this week that I need to let the school nurse know of my pregnancy so that if any health conditions arise at the school, I can be notified ASAP because there are some things that I shouldn't be exposed to. Sadly, I never thought of that.... good thing someone told me!

Mr. Right and I just keep telling each other "Don't know... never been pregnant before"

A little worried how I will get out of the tiny kindergarten chairs once my stomach reaches epic proportions. Or how I will haul myself off of the floor after my reading group.... YEP, things could get interesting.

All in all, my job has been going better. I am recognized in pulic places.... when I go to Wal-mart, the kids have to wave in EVERY aisle that they see me in! I am also recognized in the hallways at school as "the recess-lady" or "the playground lady".

Ah, what can I say? (The simple mind of a child...)

My personal favorite is when they stop me in the hallway to say "Hey, I saw you outside!". (That is when I really want to say "NO DUH", but instead have to politely say "Yep, that was me outside on playground duty.")

Ah, yes... the simple mind of a child....

When the schoolkids cry "I want my mom..." (I do too!)

Started a job last week working with little kids. It was a job that should NOT be so darned trying, but it hadn't been organized the best (in fact, CHAOS would be a better description); therefore, leaving a new worker bee with little security and even less gumption to go back the next day. (I REALLY had to convince myself to go back each day.)

I am not really much of a crier; although, I cried almost every day after school. (NOTE: Friday I did not cry.)

I am normally such an optimist; although, I somehow managed to utter the words "I HATE MY NEW JOB!" I am reminded that there is stress in starting ANY new job. I am told that all of the kinks will work out and that each day will get a little better than the last. (I sure do hope so!)

And while at school - when the scared, little kids started to cry – they always exclaim "I want my mom...." Truth be told, being in my 30's, I found that I wanted my mom, too!

Monkey Love Challenge 20

OH, CRAP.... I sure hope I make it! Blogger seems to be having issues... it wasn't letting me log in; now, it isn't letting me move the position of my photos... Sorry everyone... please bear with me during technical difficulties.

Here's mine.... (competing with husband)

Since Mr. Right left all of my supplies out, I thought I would quickly try to take a stab at this challenge as well.

Sorry I can't tell you the source of the striped paper, but the colors were ALMOST perfect! It was from one of those Scrap Packs from Joanne Fabrics/Michael's, but the cover page has fallen off long ago. I used the new SOCK MONKEY stamp set. The words are made with SU's Rough Edges Alphabet. (I was FREAKING OUT because the "N" got lost in the move... it had fallen behind and underneath all of the bins in my organizer wall bin. Each organizer - from the hardware department of my local home improvement store - had been shrinkwrapped for transport.)

Also, please note the AWESOME rack my wonderful husband built me for all of my punches!

Husband's creation for Color Challenge 20

While I had to work today (since YES, I FINALLY got a job since moving 2 months ago) my husband mentioned that he would make a submission for the Kwernerdesign.com color challenge. So, last night before bed, I gathered a sheet of each color of cardstock and left out my stamp pads, markers, etc.

Each week, I hope to win so, this time - he thought that HE would try to win on my behalf.

So, when I came home from work - THIS was on my desk. He even put it inside of this LOVE picture frame all on his own. (The only thing I did was take the photo and submit his posting, but perhaps I will make my own card creation later.... if I can get it in before the deadline.)

Now, he says - TOGETHER, we have to MAKE A BABY so that we can put the picture in the circle part and the baby's name in the oval. (I'm proud of him for digging through all kinds of stamping supplies to make his own creation with these colors.)

Next window of fertility falls on GRANDPARENT'S DAY.... think THAT is a sign?

Color Challenge 19

It was SO EXCITING to see another Color Inspiration challenge on one of my FAVORITE BLOGS! (I love to see what all those other creative people in the world come up with - as far as their interpretation of the challenge.)

This week's challenge: basic black, basic gray, whisper white and a color of my choice. Hmmm, what color to use as my MYSTERY COLOR? (Mine is PUMPKIN PIE.)

Interesting challenge.... I was inspired to make a halloween card because today, after my job interview at the local elementary school for a teacher's aide position, I stopped at Target and saw the cutest t-shirt for $5 that was black. In very simple letters, it said "trick or treat" across the chest. I figured that I would wait until Monday to hear if I get the job (since that is their deadline and first training day for the position) before I go buy a t-shirt to wear to work/school. Kind of excited for the opportunity.... this particular school is strictly K & 1st grade, which I'm thinking is a pretty cute age to work with. So, crossing my fingers..... need some spending money to support my paper crafting hobby.

It is actually just on a black background for the photo, but looks nice framed like that as well. This was also my first time working with Thickers stickers. The bat shape was scanned out of my Oct. 2007 Paper Crafts magazine (Alice Golden's "Haunted Halloween Bat" submission). I had scanned it and resized the image to fit on my card size. Then, I printed it out to use this shape as a template (instead of freehanding a bat). I held the printout (tightly) on top of black cardstock and cut out the image. The bat eyes I had drawn freehand. (If I thought cutting the tiny eyes out with scissors was challenging, I hadn't yet considered how difficult it would be to use Tombow Multi Purpose Adhesive to glue them onto the bat..... let's just say that it was fitting to have eye boogers for a little while. The bat was adhered with dimensionals for depth. Moon was 2" circle punch by Marvy Uchida (purchased from Michael's, I believe.)

Inspired by Genealogy: Family History Interviews

I have only one living grandparent – my maternal grandmother.

Yesterday, after listening to an interview with Ali Edwards about her new book, I felt inspired to do a little digging. Ali spoke about a mini-album she made called "You should know..." She described the mini-album as a full-sized photo of a family member on the left-hand page, followed by a list of tidbits about that person on the right. For example, in this book she made for her son, when writing about her father-in-law, she listed facts like that he lived in a tent for an entire summer. I found this inspiring to capture pieces of history.

Being that I have only one living grand-parent, who wont be around forever, I felt the need to find a list of questions so that I could get some answers. (About.com has a great article: Fifty Questions for Family History Interviews)

I called Grandma up last night and started interviewing her over the phone. I assured her that I wouldn't do all 50 questions at once. (I would have done it face-to-face, but I now live 7 hours away from her.) She got call-waiting twice during our interview. (Ah, modern conveniences.... she can remember getting a telephone and electricity as a little girl.... and I have since been spoiled with call-waiting, caller ID and cell phones. However, for the record, Grandma had a cell phone for about two years longer than I did.)

• There were 10 kids born to her parents; although, the 2nd and 10th both died at birth. Grandma was the 7th birth and the 2nd girl. Her father was a teacher and her mother was a home-maker. (College degrees were not required to teach back then; only a high school diploma was needed.)
  
• The family, originally from southern Indiana, traveled by horse and buggy to South Dakota. They somehow settled in northern Wisconsin and bought 80 acres of land which they had built into a farm. Later, they purchased more land to add to it.
  
• Her older brothers used to tease her that she got her name because "you were such a freak, they just didn't know what to call you...." (How's that for Brotherly Love?)
• She, along with her siblings, walked two miles to school each day.
• She was not allowed to go to school until her chores were done. She learned to milk a cow at age 6 and couldn't go to school until her cow was milked. As she got older, her parents added more responsibilities and she remembers having to milk 2 or 3 cows before walking to school.
• Because they had no running water on the farm, in the winter, she said they would drive the cattle in to the woods where they had chopped a hole in the ice for the cows to drink out of Levett Creek. With no electricity in the house, they used lanterns and lamps for light. (Candles, she said, were too dangerous.) They used to carry a lantern with them out to the barn to milk the cows.
• Grandma's house had an outhouse.
  
• She went to school in a one-room schoolhouse at Woodland School, which is no longer standing. There was one teacher (Mr. Nagel) who taught all eight grades (1-8) as well as all subjects. (That teacher is still alive today.)
• Grandma said she always struggled with arithmatic. (Gee, now I know where I get that from...)
• Because the school didn't have enough boys to fill a ballteam, they allowed the best girls to play ball. Grandma says she was "sporty". She said she usually played in the outfield, but sometimes she played a base; she would play wherever they needed her.
• When asked "Are there any special items in the house that you remember?" she told me that they used to have a wood cookstove in their kitchen and the coffee pot always sat on the back burner.
  
• Grandma told me that my great-grandmother had quit school to help raise her younger brothers because she had been the oldest of three kids, at age 5, when their father had been killed on the railroad. She quit school in 3rd grade and had to educate herself. Grandma said that her mother was very smart, was good at writing and was a very good cook.
  
• Grandma said that when she was a young girl, her mother sewed her a doll. (They didn't have money so, everything was hand-made.)
  
• Grandma remembers that every other day, her mother baked 8 loaves of fresh bread. (Grandma says that was always her favorite food, until she discovered that she loved chocolate.)
• Although Grandma did not get an allowance, she used to babysit for the neighbor kids. She would earn 50¢ a night. Living in the country, there was nothing to spend your money on so she would save it. Then, once a month, they used to go into town to go shopping where she could take her money to buy herself a little treat. She laughed and said "You could bet that mine would be some kind of chocolate."
• Before her teenage years, she remembers that they had gotten electricity and telephone on the farm.
• They did not have kindergarten back then. Grandma attended grades 1-8 and then 3 years of high school.
  
• At age 16, Grandma met my grandfather at a hunter's dance. (He was not a good dancer, but was a good talker.) She married him at age 17. She also became a mother at age 17. (THIS, I can't imagine.... how scary to have a baby at age 17! When asked about it, she said that she was quite apprehensive and didn't know what to expect.) Grandma had six kids: 4 girls and 2 boys.
• As a young adult, as a gift of appreciation, her father gave her a cow that he had named after her. That cow later had a calf so they were able to have fresh milk.
• In 1965, with 6 young kids, Grandma got a job as a state worker. She said that it was the smartest thing she ever did. They were on the verge of losing their home so, she took the bull by the horns and entered the workforce. She, for once, handled the money and saved their home, supporting 6 kids.
  
• She worked for 29 years before retiring.
• When asked "If you could have had any other profession, what would it have been? Why wasn't it your first choice?" Grandma responded quickly: A Nurse. She said that she thinks she would have liked that a lot; however, there was no time for education to become a nurse because she had to get money right away to support those 6 kids.
• She kicked her alcoholic (and abusive) husband out of the house in May 1972, after supporting the family for 7 years. Their divorce was final in May 1973.
• Her second marriage has been put 'out of her mind' she says.
  
• In 1989, Grandma had met the love of her life. A man she describes as: gentle, down-to-Earth, a man who loved life and treated her with such respect. Those four years of marrige made Grandma the happiest she had ever been. Grandma had met "Jack" at a wedding dance. They loved to dance the polka, as well as have and attend card parties. (My card parties are to make greeting cards, while her card parties were to play cards.) He taught her how to play Sheepshead and how to golf. They also travelled a lot. "Those were four wonderful years" she says.
• Q: "What was your proudest moment as a parent?"
  A: When your mom got her diploma at age 49 and we went to Iowa (Upper Iowa University for her college degree) to attend her ceremony. Afterwards, when your mom had that party at their house, she raised her glass and said "Mom, I owe this to you. You always told us that we can DO ANYTHING if we work at it." I was real proud of her and think that was the only time I ever willingly had a sip of alcohol was at that toast.

So, in my first interview installment, I learned a lot about my grandmother. (I even got to tell my own mother WHY she was named after her aunt, which was news to her.) I look forward to capturing more of her life.... for my own memories.

CARDS: With Sympathy and Miss You

My brother's best friend from high school just lost his father so, I felt inclined to make a sympathy card for that family because they are the nicest of people.

They are in my thoughts.














Also, since I had all of my supplies out, I figured that I may as well make another card. Especially since I LOVE to use my watercolor crayons (which we always used to refer to them as "adult crayons" because it sounds so much more exciting...) So, I made a card to send to my parents (since I moved 7 hours away from them). Here is that card:

Color Challenge 17

Alas, this week's color inspiration from Kwernerdesign.com/blog: rose red, regal rose, sage shadow and whisper white.

My supplies: SU! ink pads and markers in the colors listed above, SU! 1/2" circle punch, SU! 1.375" circle punch, SU! 1.25" circle punch, dimensional behind giftbox, adhesive tape runner behind circles and birthday runner. Ordinary scissors used to trim out giftbox. (Stamp-a-ma-Jig also used for positioning purposes on the Happy Birthday stamp.)

Stamps sets used: "Happy Birthday" from SU! Favorite Teddy Bear, top half of the giftbox from SU! Birthday Whimsy

Technique: Hand-colored the giftbox stamp with SU! markers. Then, huffed onto the stamp before pressing it onto the paper.

Color Challenge 16

Here I am, for my SECOND time participating in the Kwernerdesign.com/blog Color Inspiration Challenge. The inspiration for the week was Martha Stewert booties as posted by Kristina.










This week's challenge colors are: Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky and Very Vanilla.

For supplies, I used:
• SU! Heard from the Heart "Wishing you happiness today & always"
(brand new - available in upcoming Fall catalog)
• SU! Fun & Fast Notes for the cute little critters
• SU! Basic Black ink pad, SU! Soft Sky ink pad and SU! Certainly Celery ink pad
• SU! cardstock in Certainly Celery, Pumpkin Pie, Soft Sky and Very Vanilla
• SU! Aqua painter pen
• SU! Pumpkin Pie and SU! Certainly Celery markers
• Punches: ordinary office handheld hole punch, SU! 1.25" circle punch, SU! .5" circle punch
• dimensionals and adhesive tape
• SU! Sticky strip (to hold down the non-watercolor paper after it had been wet)

I had water-colored the background around the little critters, leaving them Very Vanilla. I also water-colored the background Very Vanilla cardstock that is mounted onto Sofy Sky.

This will be a PERFECT anniversary card for my parents.

Waking up wondering WHERE AM I?

No fear of waking up wondering where I am... the view from my new apartment window is this:

Job hunting is frustrating

Job hunting is rather frustrating. It AMAZES me how many people are unable to return a telephone call. It would be one thing if their voicemail said "I'll be out of the office until..."

On more than one occassion in this town, I have left messages of inquiry - asking for a return phone call.... and NOTHING!

Mr. Right and I, for once, do not see eye-to-eye. I had applied last week for a job that posted that it starts tomorrow. I have not yet rec'd a telephone call so, he thinks it is in my best interest to call upon it. I think that if I call to say "Yes, I am calling about the posted job that starts today and was wondering if you are interested..." that they would think "Hello? What planet are you from? Obviously, we would have called YOU if we were interested, but since you didn't get the call, we OBVIOUSLY are NOT interested."

He thinks that the phone call won't hurt, especially since I know no one in the area.

Now, as of today, I am attempting to apply for a job where I have actually rec'd response via email a few times. My original inquiry was on a graphic design position, but I discovered that it is mostly a web design position. I still have PLENTY of qualifications and skills to offer. I am fearful that they will think that I am over-qualified for the part-time receptionist position that is posted. Although, at this point in my life, that job sounds great... no nights, no weekends, 30 hours/week in an environment where I get to talk to people!

I have downloaded an application and will be ready to drop off the application and resume tomorrow. So, we'll see where that goes.... you never know unless you try.

My mother got her foot in the door as a temp who did receptionist work. She's since been promoted to the head of HR at the company who had hired her on as a temp. SO, sometimes you just never know what will come of it.

Mr. Right should have married an Octopus

Funny story... the other day, having lived in MN for just over one week and still unpacking slowly, Mr. Right went into the bedroom and yelled "HOLY CRAP". Instantly, I thought that he had stepped in cat puke or something of the sort so, I replied "What? What's the matter?"

His response: "I sure hope you have about 48 more feet because THAT is A LOT of shoes!"



Perhaps Mr. Right should have married an Octopus.

:)

Kwernerdesign Color Inspiration Challenge 15

OK, so ever since I ran upon it, I have been a HUGE Kwernerdesign.com/blog fan. I find her completely inspirational and visit her blog pretty much on a daily basis. I have never participated in one of her Color Inspiration Challenges until now.... and I must say that all of the other bloggers make it look easy because it truly IS a challenge to use all of the colors involved.

This week's challenge: chocolate chip, close to cocoa, really rust, certainly celery and whisper white.

So, due to my recent relocation and since I am currently unemployed, I had time to unpack my paper crafting hobby and participate in the challenge so, here's my take on it: I created a mask of the flower so that I could sponge the background colors in the square frames.

STAMP SETS USED:
SU! Wonderful You for the flower
SU! Short & Sweet for the "thank you"

Things that make you go... HMMMM

C&C Music Factory had a hit song a few years back. OK, so I am OBVIOUSLY dating how old I really am since now that I think about it, it has been the better part of nearly 15 years ago. And to think... I used to laugh and think my parents were SO OLD whenever they said "You know, twenty years ago..."

OUCH! I truly AM getting old!

So, I have been recently transplanted from Wisconsin to Minnesota. I had lived here in MN, along-side Mr. Right, for less than one week when I happened upon a job posting in a local weekend shopping guide. Interesting... a position posted for "full-time, one year commitment".

Things that make you go.... HMMM....
Mr. Right happened to take a promotion with a one-year commitment, which means that I am here for... YEP, you guessed it... ONE YEAR!

Interesting.

Needless to say, I found the ad on a Saturday afternoon and the deadline to apply for it was 3pm Monday. Needless to say, Sunday was spent updating my resume, writing a letter of inquiry and contacting my references so that they are not alarmed by a random phone call.

So, we'll see what comes of it. (Mr. Right reminds me that it is difficult to catch fish without putting your line in the water.) The open position starts in just 7 days so, I would hope to hear SOMETHING by the end of the week. If not, I guess I will have to continue exploring other career opportunities in MN.

HELP WANTED

HELP WANTED: Friendly and outgoing person with creative flair wanted in small-town MN. No nights or weekends required. Photography, scrapbooking and cardmaking skills a plus. Graphic design skills helpful, but not required. Must be able to fulfill new wife and domestic goddess duties as well. Apply in person.



Yeah, one of these days, I will need to find a REAL job again!

Torn... not sure if I want to work an office job where I am forced to sit and do my work without talking to anyone. Other than working nights and weekends, retail was QUITE NICE for this social butterfly. I've never waitressed before, but could always give that a shot as well.

I just don't want my new husband to freak out that HE is the only source of income right now. (Remember honey, it is TEMPORARY.)

The world is full of endless possibilities.... it's almost time to go explore.

WHAT A WHIRLWIND WEEK!

Oh my goodness... what a week!

I had spent this past week in a packing whirlwind while my fiance was away at his new job promotion in MN, while I was left to pack up our entire apartment's worth of belongings. (He likes to give me a hard time that it is 95% mine and 5% his, which makes me feel bad.) I had good intentions that I would go through many of the boxes that I moved in with in March '07 and had yet to look inside... thinking that NOW is the PERFECT time to go through them all. However, after a week of packing by myself, I had lost ambition and decided that they were all conveniently boxed already and that I can look through them later (since I don't have a job arranged in MN yet.)

Friday, my fiance left work around noon. He stopped along the way home and picked up his dad, arriving back in my hometown around midnight. I, of course, had to work at 6:30am the next morning so, I was torn whether to wait up for the man that I love and had not seen for a week - or go to bed and catch up with him between the sheets. Eventually, my EXHAUSTED body couldn't take it so, I went to bed and woke once they had arrived home again.

Saturday was my last day. The name of the paint color that I had mixed last was TRAILBLAZER, which I found rather fitting for someone embarking on a new adventure in life. On my way home from work, I had opened my bottle of carbonated water which had exploded in my car. The peach flavored drink splashed the roof of my car and wet my entire lap. Of course, when I got home, my dresser had already been packed away in the Uhaul so, I did not have readily accessible clean underwear so, I had to airdry and go on with my day. The apartment looked 98% empty when I got home from work.

When all was wrapped up there, we had a LAST SUPPER with my local family members at my parent's house, which was nice. And then, we were ready for bed. Although, my cats had decided that SLEEPING was not on the agenda that night either.

One of the cats couldn't quite put his finger on the fact that "SOMETHING in this apartment has changed, but I just don't know what it is". The other cat, had been on to us for the entire week and had realized "Hey, they took all of the furniture and boxes so, we're next..."

Sunday morning was saved for some last minute cleaning and packing.

Then, oh yeah.... we got married Sunday morning.

(NOTE: Our fall wedding is still ON!!! We are thrilled for that day to come... we have the entire wedding booked, planned and paid for. It will be MAGICAL, just like we had planned. The only difference is that we wont have to sign a marriage license that day in October - and we will then, be surrounded by all of our friends and family instead of a select handful.)

Our parents, my grandmother, my brother and his fiance, a friend of mine and my aunt were witnesses while my uncle had performed the brief ceremony. (Sure beats paying for my own insurance for the next few months while waiting for the fall wedding that we had planned and paid for already.) Yeah, so, after the wedding, we grabbed the cats and ventured 7 hours in a Uhaul and trail of cars. (My dad followed so that he would be able to help unload the Uhaul the next day while my new husband was working.)

We arrived at our new home a little before 11pm. We grabbed the cats, their food & water, litterbox and our mattress and we camped out for the night. The cats decided to open up and sleep inside of the bathroom cabinet under the sink; although, I am not sure if they actually slept at all. Poor little guys... after a few days they are starting to come out more often, but under the bed is still a favorite spot to hang out.

As you can see, internet (and cable tv) service has been set up here now. Telephone comes tomorrow. I have made fair progress on unpacking and decorating our aparment. My husband had the day off today so, we talked to the bank and insurance company, as well as did a little around the apartment. I can tackle it [unpacking] all again tomorrow. Then, one of these days, I will have to figure out some type of employment.

Tomorrow is another day in the journey we call life.

Hip Hip Horray!

I was a little nervous about moving so far away from my hometown and everything/everyone that I know. With the thought of a long-distance move, I looked forward to getting a new computer that has a webcam; however, I think I can make due without for a little while yet... especially since I had planned on upping my cell phone minutes to compensate for my need to talk to people I know. That's when my fiance surprised me... by telling me that the phone system that he had set up has UNLIMITED LONG DISTANCE CALLING!

Hip Hip Horray! That's great news! FANTASTIC FIND, HONEY!

Heck, if my twin brother could make it through a year in Afghanistan, then I should be able to make it through a year in Minnesota. It certainly will be an exciting new adventure.

Nearing the end of packing - the countdown begins.... MN, here I come!

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness

So, here I sit – feeling like one of the orphans from the movie/play "ANNIE" because Mike is gone and I have been starting to feel slightly overwhelmed with packing all of our belongings by myself. When you look at everything left to be done, you kind of want to say "Oh my goodness, oh my goodness..." but when you look at how far you've come on your own, you're pretty proud of the accomplishments.

Just taking things one day at a time.

I am attempting to have everything packed and ready to load in the Uhaul by this weekend. I would LIKE, in an ideal world, to have everything cleaned as well so that all we have to do is pick up the mattress off the floor, grab the cats and pitch the old, dirty litterbox. That way, all my mom would have to do is one final run-through with the Hoover to get any remaining litter pieces off of the carpet.

The fridge still needs to be wiped out and there still is plenty left to do/pack. Tonight, my focus is organization more than packing. I would rather not move all kinds of crap that I don't plan to keep. So, with that... I had best log off and get back to work. Only have a few more days and will eventually need to unplug and pack the computer so that I have no more distractions.

Did I mention that moving by yourself is not all that fun?

Missing Mike,
The Busy Bee Packing Queen

CHALLENGE: something positive about myself and something I believe in...

FROM: http://cathyzielske.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/06/presenting-mond.html

Yes, you have to leave your name in the comments, but in my own personal effort to rid all of that wanky negative self talk out of my own brain, I'm asking you to do the following: tell me one thing about yourself that you really dig and that you actually BELIEVE to be true.

That's it. Simple. Goodness. About you.

Here, I'll start: I have really thin wrists and I'm funny. (HEY! Look at me! That's TWO things. I actually believe them, too. I'm not just blowing smoke up my own... well, you get the drift. Because remember: I DON'T SMOKE!)

So how about you? What do you like about you? It's a positive self talk, no holds barred, balls to the wall celebration! And I don't even HAVE balls!

Sarah's MY TWO CENTS:
SO, here was my posting (as well as my opportunity to win one of Cathy's giveaways):

Interesting challenge.... something positive about myself and something I believe in...

ABOUT MYSELF: My fiancé informed my neurologist that I am "annoyingly happy". (Slightly embarassing situation at the time, but definately true to who I am.)

I BELIEVE THAT: Happiness is contagious.

Sarah in WI, but soon movin' to MN

Dear Mike... Love, Eddy

Dear Mike,

I sure hope you are coming home soon. I keep waiting for you every night to come home. My mom tries to talk me into coming to bed, but I insist on laying in the hallway so I can keep an eye on the door where you always come in. The floor isn't as comfortable as our bed, but I don't want to miss my chance to say HI as soon as you get home.

The cat grass has been good. Otto ate most of it this morning. Mom let us go outside to smell on the deck. I sure wish she would let us go downstairs so we could lay in the grass and roll on the sidewalk like we used to do at our house.

Mom keeps telling us that we are going to move. I'm not sure what that means, but as long as we have you and our mom - I think Otto and I will be OK.

Mom doesn't do a very good job digging in my ears either. I really miss our quality time in the recliner. I can't wait to stretch out and scratch my paws on your pocket as soon as you get home. I love you.

Love,
Eddy

Poor cats miss their best friend

So, when I was married, my cats NEVER slept on my husband! So, I found it comical the first night that my boyfriend-turned-fiance stayed over at my place when my cats slept right between his legs. I told him that it was a fluke and that obviously, he had to stay again another day.

Well, over the past year, my cats have grown to LOVE him. He teases me often because there are a lot of days when they run to greet him before they greet me and he always says that HE is their new best friend.

With him being on vacation, it is so sad to watch that they are sleeping in the hallway faced towards the apartment entrance door. I am pretty convinced that they are waiting for it to open and for him to come home so we can all go to bed together. Multiple times this past week, I woke to discover that I had a shortage of feline friends in the bed with me. Last night, I don't think Eddy ever came to bed.

Poor, poor putties.... they REALLY miss their new best friend. (Good thing he'll be home soon!) Granted, I sleep better with him here too, but I am managing to make it through the night without him. It will be so nice to have him home again. (I love to snuggle.)

De-stressed for the weekend

I had been sent home a little early today, which is not a bad thing on a Friday – especially on my weekend off. I would have probably had more than just chocolate milk on my break had I known that I wouldn't get lunch though.

So, it was a nice surprise to leave early. I can now take time to go home and hop in the shower before going to the spa for a massage. I had wanted to do one earlier in the week, but my masseuse was never available when I had time off of work so, a Friday night massage is a good way to start the weekend off right!

I did manage to put away all of my neglected clean laundry pile. I am pretending not to see the mailpile and few dishes in the sink. I really should run the vacuum and clean the bathroom, too. One thing at a time... I think I'll get ready for my hour of relaxation now. Time to shower and mentally prepare for it.

Nice.

LIFE: Turned upside down in a whirlwind

My fiancé had a telephone interview for a promotion yesterday. It was for a job that is 6.5 hours away from my native hometown. He has been apprehensive because I have never lived more than 30 minutes away from my parents before (unless you count the two weeks that I was away as a college freshman before calling my mom to say "I hate it here; please come get me.")

He had an opportunity to interview at a store that is 1.5 hours from my hometown and parents (Wisconsin state capital), as well as 6.5 hours away in Minnesota. It just so happens that both locations have pro's and con's and the farther distance happens to be the one who called him first.

Either way, chances are – we'll be relocating rather quickly. (Initially, when he came to this community, he was given about 3 days notice.)

Did I mention that following his 40-minute telephone interview, corporate decided that he still MUST meet face-to-face; therefore, we are traveling 13 hours (at more than $4/gallon) for a technicality. I'm thinking we'll get a tour of the store (which will be the same as what we are used to already) and shake the General Manager's hand. Although, if it means that he gets the job, it will be worth the drive.

I did feel bad calling my boss to see about getting out of work for a mini-roadtrip with VERY LITTLE forewarning. I'll be working just a few hours before we leave Thursday morning and I will come in later than originally scheduled on Friday. He says I owe him a beer or a gift of some sort. It kind of put the damper on our wedding gift registry at Target when we got the telephone call informing us that he'll have to drive all that way for the interview he already had over the phone.

6.5 HOURS AWAY
(+) Pro's

• Great opportunity for advancement up the corporate ladder.
• Life is an adventure. Explore territory outside of your comfort zone.
• A small-town environment is less intimidating, but exciting and new.
• It is a great opportunity to meet new people.
• Great demographics for the community: low crime, high(er) average per household income.
• It is twice the size of my native WI hometown, but not as large as a state capital. It will be a nice change of pace.
  
• We'll be able to enjoy the thrills of marriage as we get to know each other.
• While he stays with the same company, I'll have the opportunity to find a new job and/or career path to follow, which can be exciting.
• I'll have more incentive to get a new Macintosh computer so that I'll have a built-in camera to say HELLO to my parents.
• Most likely, it will be less expensive to live here vs. our other option in Wisconsin's state capital, which tends to have more opportunity to spend money rather than to save it.
• My fiance has LOTS of experience with moving around; he can show me how it's done.
• Most likely, it is only a one-year commitment because this store is good about developing people for advancement in their careers.
• Our cell phone still offer coverage there. (We may just need to UP our plan since we'll need to talk on the phone instead of hop 4 minutes across town.)
  
• It should be cheaper to live here vs. Wisconsin's state capital.
• They have Culver's there so, if I need comfort food - I know where I'm going for a hot fudge malt, a Butter Burger Deluxe and fried cheese curds! (Ooh, and the Cheeseburger Snack Pack is A MILLION TIMES BETTER than McDonald's!) YUM! I absolutely LOVE Culver's!
• No matter what, we still have each other.
  

(-) Con's

• We'll be 6.5 hours away from my comfort zone and everyone I know.
• It will be more difficult to continue planning our wedding from a far, but certainly still do-able. However, without having my own insurance through work, we'll need to consider marrying a few months early (on paper) so that we can avoid extra costs and complications. Heck, we're ready with all of our October wedding planning; we could have easily pulled it all off by June anyways. (The only exception is that we have not taken care of our prenuptial agreement yet.)
  
• With a longer drive, it is more difficult to make treks home in a pinch.
• BBRRRR, winters will be cold. (Although, we had record-setting snowfall in Wisconsin this past winter.) Good thing I got a new Columbia coat and matching accessories for Christmas this past year!
  
• Once we decide to start having children, we will be farther away from our parents, support system and baby-sitters, but did I mention - we still have each other.
  

1.5 HOURS AWAY
(+) Pro's

• Only 1.5 hours away from my comfort zone.
• Nationally voted #1 place to live in America multiple times.
• Last week, on the TODAY show, it was nationally voted as #5 Friendliest City to live in.
• There is still another store nearby for me to continue working for the same company and remain in my comfort zone of dealing with the public.
  
• My neurologist is in Madison.
• Our wedding can remain as scheduled – in October.
  

(-) Con's

• Living in the Wisconsin state capital, there are LOTS more opportunities to spend money exploring all of the shops and restaurants that make Madison, WI great.
• Higher crime rates.
• Higher cost of living.
  
• Missing out on an opportunity to work somewhere new, which could be rather exciting (since there is a nearby store for me to transfer to).

I have been awake since 1 a.m. and finally dragged myself out of bed around 2 a.m. Now, it is a little after 3 a.m. and I am still WIDE AWAKE. (My fiance is concerned about my worries and inability to sleep, yet I reminded him that I will be OK... I've got him!!!) It was pretty nice to get an EMERGENCY HUG in the middle of the night though. (Thanks for that, honey!)

So, it appears that my life may be turned upside down in a whirlwind in a very short timeframe. Life is an adventure – exciting and new. I'm looking forward to this journey together.



Now, since I still can't sleep... I wonder if I should shop online to look at my new Macintosh computer options..... apple.com, here I come!

HGTV Green Home

I have registered online to win the HGTV Green Home. I registered to win it almost daily - missing just a few. (The reveal of the winner is coming up... within the week, I believe!)

Last time, they gave away a 1.2-million dollar dream home in the Florida Keys. It was absolutely beautiful! I looked at it online a lot, dreaming about what it would be like to win it and what I would do to change it. (For example, one of the bedrooms was an awkward shade of green that I was not absolutely lovin'.)

This time, I didn't go online to explore the house from every angle and dwell on the fact of how nice it would be to win.

I was SO DISAPPOINTED with the winner of the Florida Keys Dream Home. On live TV, she showed almost NO EMOTION! I would have been thrilled! It was a beautiful home in a beautiful location! It seemed like such a social injustice to show such a lack of emotion and so little enthusiasm for winning.

It seemed like such a social injustice to show such a lack of emotion and so little enthusiasm for winning.

So, I plan to clean up my tiny apartment so that the live TV crews don't capture my mess. (Perhaps seeing such a small space will make me more deserving to win it...)

Since it is an energy efficient Green Home, perhaps it is best not to leave every light in the apartment on while we watch the reveal of winner on live TV. (That would be ironic.) So, if I just can't manage to win the lottery, a free home would be OK with me – just as long as I can afford to pay the taxes on it.

Yep, that sure would be nice....

Hands Portrait

So, we set up our engagement pictures a few weeks ago. Since most wedding portraitures do contain a hands portrait, I asked our photographer if he could shoot a photo of our hands at the engagement picture session because we had wanted to frame a picture for our wedding ceremony. Despite my mother's persistance that everyone NEEDS a guestbook, we would like to have a picture framed and have all of the wedding guests sign the matte for the photo in lieu of a guestbook. This way, our wedding memories can hang on our wall.

My uncle is a municipal judge who will be marrying us. These beautiful words came off of one of his sample ceremonies and we have continued to tweek them to make them our own. These words will also be part of our ceremony, as well as a reminder of the love that we have now and will continue to have throughout our future life together.

So, here is our picture:



Good thing I was a graphic designer in a former life, eh?

(And for the record, I do NOT believe that it is a bad omen for him to wear his wedding band BEFORE the wedding. It was on for just a few minutes worth of pictures, as well as in the jewelry store when we were trying to pick the perfect ring for him.)

Seriously, I'm gonna be a blogger

OK now, so, seriously, I want to be a blogger. I want to take the time to express my creative freedom – even if I have no followers. I want to do this - for me!

I had recently purchased a new journal. I had been inspired by Ali Edwards' blog where she suggested writing your own story because someday it would be a treasure for your family when they get to read things that are written in your own handwriting. So, I went and bought a journal. From time to time, much more often than this blog, I write in that journal.

I have even done a little research online to get journaling inspiration. Granted, some of them are geared more towards kids, but it still awakens the thought process and allows me to throw my thoughts and memories on paper.

"Seriously,
I'm gonna be
a blogger.
Someday."

Ideally, if I move more than 30 minutes away from my parents sometime in my life, I think that this blog would be a great way for my family to still be able to know what is going on in my life. (I would also want to either upgrade my Mac so I can get a webcam or else get a new Mac that has a webcam built in.... that way, I will still be able to see and be seen by my family.)

The thought of moving away from home is not THAT scary to me. My fiancé thinks that I will not handle it very well. Although, if given a webcam, I would be able to wave and still tell my parents that I love them. Moving away from home, at this point, sounds like a new adventure. It is an experience to spread my wings and learn how to fly.

Also, I have seen blogs out there where people have documented their pregnancies through the eyes of the unborn child, which I thought was quite clever and a priceless way to keep the memories. Yep, there are so many clever ideas out there....

So, seriously, I'm gonna be a blogger. Someday.

Irony

The song includes some great examples:
• a traffic jam when you're already late
• a no smoking sign on your cigarette break
• 10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife
• meeting the man of your dreams and then meeting his beautiful wife

My case of irony begins with my most recent profession. I work in the paint department.

We had scheduled our engagement pictures for a Friday afternoon on our weekend off.

I had forewarned my boss that I would be wearing gloves for the week prior to my pictures so that I would not have paint - or worse yet - stain all over my hands.

Typically, it isn't a big deal for me. However, in our particular instance of engagement pictures, I had requested that they take a photo of our hands.

Our plan is to have a hands portrait framed at our ceremony for everyone to sign the matte in lieu of a guestbook. Hence, the hands picture.

So, all week long, I had been using extra caution so I would not mess up my hands.

Irony comes into play when all I thought about for a week was my hands – and I wake up on the day of the engagement pictures with a cold sore on my lip!

I had apparently not taken the proper precautions to care about my lips. I had over-worked my tired body and drank nearly no water or fluids. My dry, chapped lips took revenge.

I was assured that if I smiled, you couldn't really see it. So, my goal was just to keep smiling.

I think this is why they say "Make lemonade when life hands you lemons."





(And with that as my closing, I think I'll go drink some fluids.)

Admiring talent of others

I am impressed by people who have talent, especially talent that is measurable.

For those who can sing, I wish I could carry a tune, but I sing when no one else can hear me. If I feel really gutsy, I sing in the car - sometimes even when I am waiting for someone to pick up the phone on the other end while I am dialing. As a child, my twin brother used to tease me that my singing lessons hadn't paid off; however, I never took singing lessons. Although, I could probably belt out a pretty bad version of the ALL IN THE FAMILY theme song called "Those were the days".

I admire the dancers on Dancing with the Stars. They make it look so darned easy.

I am thinking that we will have to sign up for our dance lessons soon, especially if we want to have our first dance choreographed for our upcoming wedding. Thanks to my mother, I am fearful that I will look like a frog in a blender.

I admire those who are able to follow their dreams - to throw themselves out there, to take risks and to dust themselves off when they fall. (As for me, I tend to be more of a chicken.)

I used to want to be a writer.... this blog is the closest I am coming to that.

Taking life one day at a time....
trying to enjoy every minute of it.

Beautiful spring

It has been a beautiful spring here in the Midwest. The birds are singing. The rain has greened the grass. Flowering trees are POPPING their buds. Trees are budding and starting to show peaks of color. Daffodils are in full bloom.

And then.... they throw weekend snow in the forecast!

Spring is in the air!

Other than an excessive amount of "chances of rain in the forecast" and random unpredictable fog, it is beautiful here in the Midwest. We've got crisp morning air, birds singing and spring flowers starting to peek their way out of the ground. (There is also a lot of localized flooding in the area, but not in my perfect little blog world. In fact, we'll forget to mention the road noise from the highway outside of my apartment so that I can focus on the songs of the birds and happy times instead.)

Granted, the past few days also brought snow flurries, but none of that has stuck to the ground so, that is good. The rains are starting to make the grass greener – a true sign of spring. The local high schoolers are practicing afterschool at a nearby golf course. The end of the week has temperatures climbing in the mid-60's. It has been a great start to spring!

People, here in the Midwest, grow impatient with snowfall and complain about the rain. (At least no one has to shovel rain though, right?)

Soon, the humidity will return as well. It will give people something to complain about; although, I welcome the humidity. My poor cats get shocked each time that I touch them because of the dry, dry air. Therefore, I will gladly welcome some moisture. (Granted, on those 90% + humidity days that are ahead, it will probably make me grumble as well, but I will remind myself that I asked for it! Or perhaps, I need to clarify – I asked for SOME of it!)

Today's bright blue, cloudless sky is a perfect backdrop for the naked trees that will soon be sporting fresh buds. The days of scraping frost off of my windshield are also numbered for the remaining winter season. Then, like so many others, I can tuck away my ice scraper/snowbrush combo and forget where I put it so that next year, I may have to buy new.

Like the Disney classic 'Bambi', animals are starting to pair up and become "twitterpated".

And I am pleased to report that in my own life, I really couldn't be happier! Indeed, I feel like THE LUCKIEST GIRL IN THE WORLD to be given a second chance at finding love and happiness!

I have 'paired up' with an AMAZING person... and now that we are knee-deep in our wedding plans, I look forward to experiencing many changing seasons, growing old together and spending the rest of my life with him!

I look forward to building our future together.

I look forward to a lifetime of LOVE.

Blog neglected, but plenty to talk about

So, I admit it... I have neglected my blog. I thought it would be fun to start one... to be my creative outlet. I had even contemplated writing EVERY DAY. OOPS! Guess I fell off the wagon with that one – just like I do each year with my New Year's Resolutions. As far as neglecting my blog, it truly was not intentional at all.... I've just been really busy.

Busy with what, you ask?

What could POSSIBLY take up all of your free time? (Especially given the fact that your hours have been cut so far back at work that you seem to have PLENTY more free time than you are used to?)

So, truth be told, wedding planning has been taking up a lot of my free time.

I am getting married and I am thrilled because I feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world!

I have NEVER been treated so well in my life. I am also convinced that I believe I have managed to find the ABSOLUTE SWEETEST man in the world! (Funny what you find while you are out looking for yourself, isn't it?)

So, remember that SECRET PROJECT that was driving me absolutely CRAZY?!? Yes, well that turned out to be a decorative string egg that held my FAVORITE candy (Reece's peanut butter eggs) and a little wooden box inside of it. An incredible engagement ring was inside of the little wooden box.

And with a proposal of "Will you please be my wife and the mother of my babies?" how can a girl possibly resist such a question coming from such an incredible person?

So, since we had a four hour drive home from my parent's cabin, we had plenty of time to feel out each others ideas on the perfect wedding. Upon arrival at home, he jumped right on the internet and started doing research. Ends up that we had mostly everything planned out within just days of our engagement. (It does make us laugh a little since my brother got engaged this past October and appears to have no plans set other than an idea of Summer 2009 and here we sit, just 2 weeks post-engagement, with almost everything lined up already.)

We've got to figure out our tuxedo options and flowers yet, but that is pretty much all that is left to do. (Nice feature to have been a graphic designer in a former life and able to make all of our own invites, etc.)

And with that, I must get going... we've got to go look at envelopes.

Signing off,
The LUCKIEST girl in the world




(Now, if only I could use that luck to win the Powerball jackpot....)

Inspired by The Bucket List

Inspired by "The Bucket List"
POSTED March 18, 2008–

A few months ago, I went to see the Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman movie titled "The Bucket List". The theatrical trailers made it look quite good. Plus, with these two Hollywood hard-hitters, it just had to be a good one. The premise of the movie is that these two hospital room-mates have just been told that they are both terminal so, they make a list of all of the things they want to do before they kick the bucket and set out on some great adventures.

I found the movie inspiring to the point that I, too, wanted to create a Bucket List of my own. So, here is MY Bucket List:

• Take a photography class.
• Take dance lessons and hope that I don't look like a frog in a blender while doing it.
• Visit the Grand Canyon.
• Go on an Alaskan cruise.
• Take a hot air balloon ride.
• Go on a polar bear expedition to Churchill, Manitoba.
• Experience the shock of hot tub/snow bank/hot tub once in my life.
• Run a half marathon. (Although, I don't know if I could run a mile without stopping at this
point in my life.... may have some work cut out for me with this one.)
• Pose for a photo similar to the nude (and tasteful) Dove ad portraits.
• Walk around Geneva Lake on the walking paths that go entirely around the lake in Lake Geneva, WI.
• Photojournal one year of life.
• Marry and experience the joys of parenthood and family.
• Publish a book.
• Acquire a million dollars in my lifetime.
• Visit every National Park in the US once I am retired.

His SECRET PROJECT is driving me CRAZY!

So, when you are a kid – on a long car trip – sitting next to your sibling, you tend to purposely poke and prod at each other because you know that it drives them nuts. I remember my brother sitting next to me, with his finger pointed just inches away from my face as he announced "I'm not touching you...."

Come on, unless you are an only child, you've been there, too.

Well, my boyfriend is working on a SECRET PROJECT and it is starting to drive me nuts. He brings it up and has managed to leave out pieces of evidence a few times now. The great part of it is that he knows it is driving me nuts, which is making it all-together more fun for him now.

Last Saturday, I worked in the afternoon. I was suprised that he had announced that he was going shopping. I had offered to give him directions to bookstores, car dealerships, etc. I had even offered him a Metro map of the area. He informed me that he didn't need the map because he knew exactly where he had to go. (Funny thing being that a few days later, I discover that he willingly did take the Metro map with him, despite the voiced objections.)

So, he's not much of a shopper. He is strictly business: In & Out. Get it done.

Oddly enough, he announced that he was going shopping after work on Monday as well.

Saturday, I came home to find a bottle of Elmer's glue in the bathroom. Adhesive tape runners had exploded on the desk in my office. A bag of balloons had been left out. A plastic bag from Joann Fabrics, as well as a bag from WalMart were both left in the room.

I asked him what he had been doing. He informed me that he was working on a SECRET PROJECT.

When I saw the bag of balloons, I announced "Hey, you left evidence of your secret project in the office."

He asked "What did I leave? The string in the garbage can?"

I said "No, a bag of balloons on the desk."

"Yep, yep, yep. Used balloons for the secret project. And some string too."

"What are you making?" I asked.

"Can't tell you." he said. "It's a secret."

My mother had informed him that his secret project is driving me nuts. Funny thing, he uses that to his advantage because a few days later, I discovered a piece of fabric left on my desk.

"What do you call this?" I asked.

He grabs it from my hand, sports an eyebrow wiggle, flashes a huge grin and walks away. "Oops, I thought I had cleaned up after myself." he said. " That must be from my secret project."

I've tried to con it out of him, but he won't budge.

He randomly asks me "Hey, can you keep a secret?"

I say "Yeah." and I get all excited – thinking he will tell me about this secret project.

That's when he hits me with "Yep. I can too."

Twice this week, the SECRET PROJECT has turned up in my dreams. He laughed when I told him. "You poor, poor thing" he says each time I ask about it.

He finally told me to just forget about it and get it out of my head. Then, I check my email an hour or so later to find this:

SECRET PROJECT
Secret Project
secret project

OOPS, SORRY TO HAVE BROUGHT IT UP
my fault


After suffering from a cold for most of the week now, he asked me yesterday "What's worse... your cold or the secret project?"

"It doesn't really matter. I can't seem to get either one of them out of my head."

After the sassy email, I made a new desktop for my computer:


Today, he announced "Girl, this is going to be great fun since your birthday isn't for another two months. If I knew it was going to drive you this crazy, I would have started my secret project a long time ago."

Nice. Whatever have I gotten myself into?

Then, tonight, he informs me that he is keeeping a mailing tube for his SECOND secret project.

Oh, brother.... here we go again!

Let's Talk About - The Element of Surprise

Let's Talk About...
THE ELEMENT OF SURPRISE

I am a believer that leaving little notes for a loved one to find is a great boost for relationships.

I first learned this concept from my Aunt Sue because she taught me to discreetly write "present for Sarah" onto my mom's shopping list. (You can picture a mother's smile when she grabs the list off of the counter and runs to the store to pick up a few things... milk, eggs, bread, burgers, buns, present for Sarah.) That's when she thinks to herself "I've got a pretty neat daughter."

When dating my high school sweetheart, I used to sneak into his laundry bag and tuck notes into his socks or into the flap of his whitie-tightie underwear to let him know that I was thinking of him while he was away at college. Of course, he wouldn't find these notes for a few days so I'm sure it was a nice surprise.

Once, I tried to make my own fortune cookies, but I had to tell my boyfriend that they were, indeed, fortune cookies. (They had, sadly, turned out NOTHING like the picture in the magazine and looked NOTHING like fortune cookies as we know them.)

In my current relationship, I recently taped a note to the back side of the remote control as a surprise for my boyfriend to find. It simply said "You turn me on."

We've left little notes for each other taped around the apartment before. (i.e. bathroom mirror, fridge door, etc.) It really is kind of a sweet way to let someone know that you were thinking about them.

The one that I left him that really caught him off guard was the note taped to the bottom of the toilet seat. He admitted "that one, I was NOT expecting." (SEE PHOTO.)

So, I encourage you to sneak a note or a special treat into the bottom of a lunchbox, into a glasses case, as a bookmark in the book that they are reading, scribe a note on the steamed bathroom mirror... tell someone that you love them.

You'll be glad that you did.

Trying out someone else's kids

While on vacation to South Carolina, I had the opportunity to meet these adorable kids who, I must admit, are 100% ALL BOY!

While fishing on the property's pond with the kids, the oldest of the 3 boys was first to catch a fish. Cameron wasn't shy at all to pose for the camera after knowing me for less than an hour. He even asked "Y'all are gonna send a copy of the photo, aren't ya?"

Following my horse ride, the middle child (Owen) took one of our horses back to the stable. My horseback ride had turned into a walk back since I was too chicken to get back on after my original hourse geeked out on the trails.


The youngest boy, Clay, was the one who was keeping up quite well with his two older brothers. (See photos below this text.) The way he flew around on a 4-wheeler was quite impressive and almost second nature to him. In fact, he made it look so incredibly easy that we laughed when my 37-year-old boyfriend struggled to get one started when the kids were not around to show him how it's done.

You've got to admit that the INCREDIBLE photo is adorable. He posed for a few photos in his puffy muscled costume. I caught this look of complete admiration as he sat in the kitchen chair, talking to his grandfather – whom he calls Papa.

YEP, CUTE KIDS! My mom reminds me that my biological clock is ticking so someday, maybe I will be lucky enough to have some of my own... only time will tell!

WIDE AWAKE for no particular reason

Don't you just hate when you go to bed tired, have gotten only about an hour of sleep and wake up feeling like it is morning?

Yes, I am that person right now.

At 12:32AM, I finally got out of bed because I have been WIDE AWAKE for 30 minutes now.

Now, I sit at my computer running through my previous day in my head, wondering where I had consumed some late-night caffeine, having caused this episode of insomnia. Sadly, I am coming up with NOTHING.

Sadly, it is the time of night when many people are still out in the bars having a good time. And here I sit, after an hour (or so) of sleep – feeling well-rested.

Perhaps, I subconsciously wanted to get a head-start on my day of therapeutic fun since I had planned to make cards, scrapbook and work on artsy projects on my day off of work. YEP, I'm going to go with that.

Therapy now in session...
have creative work to do, quietly, in the middle of the night.

(Although, I am sure that I will end up back in bed before the night is over.)

YES, therapy now in session...

Life of a Domestic Goddess

I was scheduled an easy shift today– only 4 hours. (Lucky me, eh?)

So, what will I do with the rest of my afternoon, you ask?

Well, the current state of my kitchen is disasterous... the dishwasher is full of clean dishes, the sink is full of dirty dishes, and the neglected pans from dinner last night are still on the stove. (I did manage to put the leftovers away.)

The bed is unmade, but that isn't unusual at all. I like it to look warm and inviting. (Mom and I disagree on this one, as she thinks that a made bed looks more inviting than an unmade one, but I feel that an unmade one is more ready to just crawl in....) Did I mention how much I adore the flannel sheets that we just purchased? They are cozy, especially when used in combo with my electric blanket.

I have a load of laundry from last time around that I didn't feel like putting away yet. (The important point is that it is all clean.) The hampers are full of dirty clothes and it is time to wash again. Perhaps, this time, I will be able to put all of it away at once.

The bathroom could almost always use a little attention.

There are kitty kibbles on the floor near the food bowls and there are scraps of paper debris scattered on the office floor, which is my evidence of last week's home-made valentines. So, perhaps I need to get out the ol' Hoover, too.

So, needless to say, I will be a domestic goddess today – following my trip to the post office, bank and laundromat (aka my parent's house).

And when all that work is done, I will need to make something for dinner, clean up my mess and then hope to have a therapeutic afternoon/evening where I will be able to do some scrapbooking. (I love that hobby and find it so darned addictive!)

Well, I had better mosey on with my day... especially since I can't play until the work is over.

Domestic goddess signing out.

You get what you pay for - TOAST

So, I am here to tell you that YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.

For example, if you buy a $5 toaster, keep in mind that it will not last as long as the one that was handed down from your dad's great-aunt and still works to this day. In fact, you should probably not leave your $5 toaster unattended.

In my divorce settlement's division of property, I had not acquired the toaster. So, for 2 months, I made toast under the broiler, but my friend (turned boyfriend) laughed at me and eventually bought me this $5 toaster for my birthday.

This morning, for example, I had thrown an English Muffin into the toaster. A few minutes later, my boyfriend informed me that we had a fire in the kitchen. He had unplugged the toaster. I went into my tiny kitchen to investigate and was bewildered to find that the muffin was not toasted at all so, I asked him about this so-called FIRE.

"Don't you smell the melting plastic?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, but the toast isn't burned at all so, where's this fire?"

He then pointed to the panel of the toaster and informed me that there were flames shooting out right there.

"Needless to say," he says "we need a new toaster and I am thankful that I was in here to see it happen."

SO, YOU ASK.... where is your toaster right now?
ANSWER: Out in the snowbank on my deck.




(May the toaster rest in peace after a lifespan of just 9 months.)

OK, so I'm new at this

OK, so I am new at this whole BLOGGING thing. Truth be told, a few months ago, I found a blogger's webpage and have been addicted to her site ever since. She is a graphic designer and paper crafter (scrapbooker, card maker, etc) in Utah and I go to her blog every day that my computer is on. (kwernerdesign.com/blog) I think she is great and I especially love how she posts a video every Monday where she makes a beautiful card right before your very eyes. Check her blog out. Chances are, you'll be hooked, too!

So, I was a graphic designer in a former life, but opted to work retail now because I LOVE to talk to people.... even better to get paid to talk to people.

I love my Macintosh computer and wish that I could afford a new one. (One with a webcam would be GREAT.)

I keep trying to win the Powerball jackpot, but in all the years of playing, I don't think I have ever cashed in more than $4. I buy a ticket whenever I am feeling lucky (or whenever my palm itches because mom told me once that it meant I would get money). I buy tickets under the philosophy that I can't win if I don't buy a ticket. Maybe someday....

I like to write, but seldomly ever do it. In fact, once upon a time (catchy, eh), I wanted to be a writer. I have no formal training in it, but am told that I tell a good story. Maybe someday I will follow my dreams...

When I was married, I used to write a goofy newsletter to my in-law side of the family as well as to some of our friends who thought I was hilarious and wanted "to subscribe". It was my way of being creative and venting my frustrations of my brother-in-law spending too much time at our house. I had a lot of fun with it. It showcased my quirky personality.

So, I am tempted to post this now... just to see what it is all about.

Then, I will have to call my mom and tell her to check it out. (HI MOM! ... I love you!) She will agree that I am slightly quirky, too, but I know that she loves me, despite the quirks.

OK, so here goes..... my first blog posting.