No Monday Mosaic

Well Yahoo has been not working most of the day- and therefore Flickr (my mosaic fun site) is also not working- so Monday Mosaic is postponed until further notice- Sorry!

On a different note-
I had wanted to spend the weekend in the craft room cleaning, organizing and creating- but on early Saturday afternoon, my parents show up with the (large) remainder of my stuff from their house.
It has been over 3 years since I moved out (after moving back in) and so there was stuff that I had not seen for quite awhile. 40% is trash i assume (old papers, magazines, letters) that I can throw out- 50% is going to go to goodwill (old books, clothes, toys) and the remaining 10% is "keepers"- old photos, special items and so on.
I am not sure what to do with it all (not all of it is Scrapbook-able) but at least when I am finished with it all I will not have to worry about it anymore.
But there were 15 or so boxes and totes of stuff, and I spent most of Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday working on it, and I am about 1\3 of the way thru it all- and the living room looks like a hurricane hit it- random stuff everywhere.

John is a very tolerant man- that is all I have to say. My personal artifacts seem to be out pacing the abilities of storage in the house- and he just smiles and is happy that I am getting rid of most of it, and the stuff left over is going to be crammed in the scrapbook room somehow.

It is like my life is flashing before my eyes (very slowly) but it is kinda fun to see all the old memories again.

Sleepy!

Well Last night for work we had a Seminar and it went really well I think. There was a good size group of people, and everyone that I talked to was really nice and friendly (NOT always the case) but I was tired all day and didn't get back home until about10:20 or so.

And then John (who is usually half asleep when I get home) was awake and ready to chat and talk (a total reverse for us- I am usually awake and wanting to chat) and so we were up until probably 11.
6:30 comes REALLY fast after days like yesterday (it was a 13.5 hour work day for me). And I usually have Friday Afternoons off- and I am still having to work today. But I get to go home in about 20 minutes.

Today I have nothing even close to witty or cute to say- except that I am going to go home shortly, going to start a load of Laundry, and sleep on the couch for a hour and then start some house cleaning. But I plan on having some tasty Baileys tonight, and maybe a pineapple rum drink (see recipe a few blogs below)--- oh yeah- I decided to call it a "SLO Sunset" SLO is what the locals call the town I live in, and since the yellow pineapple juice is on top and the pink\red cherry is "sunk" at the bottom it looks like a sunset. I will still try to get a picture soon- it is really pretty :)

"Photo Ode" to Darwin Bell

I LOVE Dariwn Bells' Photos (visit his photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/darwinbell/.) He has AMAZING Pictures! He lives in San Francisco, and he has such a great eye for color, shape and form. He also finds the most awesome things (old trucks, wall art, vintage stuff...). I covet his talent!

Maybe next time John and I up in the Bay area, We will get to stop by a gallery that is showing his work. But in the mean time I will have to be content with drooling over his art on Flickr.

Check Him out! He is Awesome!

Mosaic for Monday 7/23

1. fresh kiwifruit, 2. standing still, 3. shell #2, 4. uppity faucet, 5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/gemfireair/474958521/, 6. dahlia, 7. Unfamiliar, 8. GMC 150, 9. three phones a hangin', 10. chair, 11. very, very hot chile, 12. Green door, 13. a lime green cone, 14. Fresh Fruit and Lime Green Wall, 15. 'round and 'round, 16. Untitled, 17. In the most advanced country for mobile phones, 18. Full bodied, 19. got pots, 20. orange chair, 21. Hotline, 22. Waiting, 23. oh my goodness gracious!, 24. DQ Treat, 25. Club Duvet, NY. Dec 2004

Here is my Monday Mosaic. *edit* I have now rearagined the photos to a better "flow", that I like better *end edit*

As you can see- I have a thing for Chairs, Phones, Food & Traffic cones today- they are all happy looking to me.

Hope you like =)

Mission Complete!

I did it! I am finished with Harry Potter 7! I made pretty good time I think. I started reading it at about 9 this Morning, and I finished it at about 6:20Pm.
I ate breakfast and lunch as I read- but I did take a few short breaks so that my neck would not fall off- but other than a few mini breaks- I think that I made it thru pretty fast.

No Spoilers here- but I was pretty please with the book. As few people got the axe that I had wished to survive, and a few survived that I figured would have bitten the dust- but all in all I was pleased.

Last night was a experience. We got to Borders at about 10:40 and the place was packed!!! there was probably 400 people in there, and then by the end of the night, there was probable around 600. There was a lot of cute costumes and little kids that were excited, and it was fun. I am kinda glad that it was the last book- because while it was fun, I am not sure I would do that again. We were lined up by wristband color and then by the number on the band- and I was 318, and so when they sold the first book at Midnight, the line started to move. I got my book at about 1:10 Am and I was in bed almost asleep by 1:20. I am just not cut out for late nights anymore unless there are more friends around to help keep you awake.

So- I can now go take my shower for the day- and figure out what to do for dinner =)

It is Finally time!

It has finally arrived! It is Harry Potter day!

I have not always been a Harry potter fan- but I have always enjoyed the movies, and so about 5 months ago I decided to buy the 6 book set and give it a try. Oh My goodness! I think that I read the entire series in the course of a week and a half.

It was not just intriguing- it was Cannot stop reading, skip meals, forget to shower, stay up until 1 am to finish a book kind of intriguing. I could not put them down, and when I HAD to put it down for work, all I could think of was when I was going to be able to get back to them.

So tonight I will be among the other Harry Potter fanatics and will be in my local Borders bookstore, joining in with all the others at the "Grand Hallows Ball" awaiting Midnight so I can get my copy. (I have had it reserved for almost 5 months).

Will I feel stupid- a 24 year old giggling along with the 12 year olds waiting in line with me? Nope! I am just as giddy and excited as them =)
Since I am new to the Potter Mania- this is my First and Last chance to join in on the "Midnight Magic Mania" and since it is Friday night- I think that I will survive staying up late to get my hands on the final book and find out the fate of everyone.

Since there is HP spoilers ALL over the web,TV and radio, I will not be back on my PC until I have finished the book (how ever long that takes). So if you happen to drive by my house this weekend, and see a curled up ball sitting in a chair reading book, do not be alarmed- I will get back to you "just as soon as I finish this chapter"- which as John can tell you, means "i will get back to you in a few hours" :)

See ya all when I am done!

Supprising Events

Well A few weeks ago, john and I were examining a few large and thick "weeds" that had popped up in the pebble walkway in the backyard. We both thought that they looked like Sunflower stalks, but the only way that was possible was if the birds in the feeder nearby had thrown them overboard (and a few inches away), and if the seeds made it thru a few inches of river rock, got enough water and survived the climate. We decided to leave them be and see what happend.
Well- now a few weeks later we have 3 large sunflowers that have bloomed.

It is a funny sight- 3 out of place sunflowers happily swaying in the breeze in the middle of our stone path in the back yard. They look happy, and healthy, and we now have some fresh sunny yellow flowers greet us as we walk in the front door (thru a window) and while we are looking out the window as we wash dishes.

I *Heart* Whoppers

Whoppers,

(No this is not a shelf in my house- but wouldn't that be nice!?)

Like Mother Like daughter I guess. My Mom's love of Whoppers has passed on to me & I cannot keep my hands off them. I have consumed almost (5) 12oz boxes of them in the last month or so!!!

I take them to the movies, Have them for dessert, keep a box at work, 2 boxes on the Scrapbook table, and a few hiding for emergency back up purposes.

(Sigh) O how I love them!

Joined the Gym

I really don't think I need buns of steel. I'd be happy with buns of cinnamon. ~Ellen DeGeneres

Exercise is a dirty word. Every time I hear it, I wash my mouth out with chocolate. ~Author Unknown

Whenever I feel like exercise, I lie down until the feeling passes. ~Robert M. HutchinsYoung

I believe that the Good Lord gave us a finite number of heartbeats and I'm damned if I'm going to use up mine running up and down a street. ~Neil Armstrong on jogging

(can you tell how I REALLY feel about it?)

Well I finally did it- I joined the Gym again. I had a membership before, but I was also working 2 jobs that required me to be on my feet all day, and I worked until 7PM- at that point there was NO desire to head to a workout. But now, my 2 jobs require a lot of bootie-sitting time, and I get off work at 5Pm most days. That gives me 2 hours to go to the Gym, get home and make dinner before John gets home.
I hope that I will actually have the motivation to go, but only time will tell.

I have a year long membership, and I am hoping that I will go at least once a week- and maybe more in the future. I HATE working out, and due to bad knees I am limited to what I can do on my own. But with Yoga classes, elliptical cardio machines, and personal trainers- I think that I have a pretty good shot at losing another 30 or 40 pounds.

Wish me luck!

A Mosaic For Monday

1. Green telephone, 2. to boldly go..., 3. Is this thing on?, 4. 54 Pontiac, 5. BsAs sin titulo X el momento (7), 6. in daytime, 7. mug abstract, 8. Jane's house in Logan Square, 9. peek a boo, 10. Orange is In..., 11. Antique gas pump, 12. Airstream Trailer Caravanning ----- PAR_DSCN1095, 13. Sunday afternoon, 14. Breakfast will be served in 10 minutes, 15. cottage living door, 16. doren*took*this


Here are some of my new Favorite Pics from Flickr. If you have not played around on Flicker- give it a shot! It is great fun, and gives me great inspiration for my art projects.

Made me Laugh

"You WILL Have Tea!"

I saw this on Flickr Today, and it made me laugh. Just thought I would share it = )

Now go have some tea!

Shaken- not stired!

Yum! Nothing is as quite as relaxing as a nice summer time Cocktail.
I have a new favorite that i have made a few nights in a row- but I have no name for it yet.
(This is not what is pictured above- but I will work on getting a picture of it)


-Lauren's unnamed summertime drink-


In a martini shaker add~
4 or 5 oz of thawed Pineapple juice concentrate (however strong you like it)
1 cup cold water
4 oz Bacardi Raz Rum
1 cup ice

~Shake well & Pour mixture over in ice in a Highball or your favorite Iced Tea glass~

Add 1oz of cherry grenadine slowly (it will sink to the bottom)
Garnish with a pineapple wedge and cocktail cherry on a stick
Stir drink before sipping to mix the flavors and colors

Enjoy on a warm sunny porch

For those of you who go the alcohol free route- Skip the cold water and mix pineapple with 3\4 cup of 7-up and shake with ice (yes it will get very fizzy- just wait for most of the fizz to go down before adding to glass), then pour over glass of ice & add 1 cup more of 7-up and finish as usual-

Cheers!

Sprouts Blog Debut

Well Here is our little Sprout. He was sitting on the windowsill in the kitchen watching John do some gardening. He is such a fun little guy. He has been overly active lately, crawling all over the place, chewing on EVERYTHING, and causing ruckus anywhere he goes. This photo was captured in a rare moment that he was holding still. He is a cute, sweet baby and we just love him!

Card Making With my Mom

Here are few photos of our fun the other day. The "cluster" of cards are ones that I have made recently, and my mom is holding the ones that she learned to make = )

What's New with Me

Well I have had a handful of people in the last few days ask me what is new- so I figured I would give a update for anyone else that was curious.

1. Saw the new Pixar movie on Tuesday night. LOVE IT! it was super cute.
2. Still no Bed- the guy says that it is now a month away (back order issues) so we are still sleeping on the mattress on the floor
3. Had fun making cards with my mom the other day. I hope we can do it again soon
4. I have some new Favorite songs. They are: "Umbrella" by Rihanna, "Fidelity" by Regina Spektor, and some crazy song called The' a' la Menthe- it was in Oceans 12 (the laser room dance)--- and that is some of my new faves.
5. I am craving a new Digital Camera. I want a Cannon Rebel XT- but I do not have the $700 for it at the moment--- one day
6. I am rejoining the Gym here in town in a week or so. It is a great place- and hopefully it will help me drop another 30-40 pounds (I lost 30 pounds without exercise, but it is time to give exercise a go)
7. I am reading "King Leopold's Ghost"- it is very slow but good reading.
8. Just Finished reading "The Secret lives of Bees" it is very good- very visually rich and easy reading.
9. Just bought my first pair of Capri Pants today. I have not ever liked the look of them on me- but I found a really cute pair today (and 40% off too!)
10. I am SOOOO addicted to Etsy- Especially all the jewelry by PSODesigns- i have bought 5 or 6 pieces from her already in the last month. Great site! very addictive.

well that it is- a quick recap of what is new in the last 2 days or so =)

Ciao

Procrastination is my Middle Name

The only thing that ever sat its way to success was a hen. ~Sarah Brown

On my To-Do list:
Laundry
Vacuum House
Clean bathrooms
Read book for book club
Clean Craft Room
Clean out fridge
Go Grocery shopping
and a million other items...... but I have NO motivation to do any of them. A few of those have been on the list for LONG time and they are still not done. Oops :)

I was supposed to start reading a book for my book club about 6 weeks ago (we meet in 1.5 weeks) and I JUST bought the book today at lunch. Oops! I need to make sure I give myself more time next time.... (as usual!).... and my Craft room.... LOL... that is a joke. I have been in our house for almost 2 years, and getting 3 square feet of clean space on the floor is still a novel experience. It seems that as soon as I clean up the room a bit, I feel creative, and then the room goes back to "chaos 101" faster than you can blink..... (sigh) oh well...... one day it will be clean (and that will probably be when I have NO inspiration to create for a few weeks).

I am hot, tired, and want to go home (I am at work trying to not nap after my tasty clam chowder-bread bowl lunch). For the 4th I didn't' do much at all..... I had a attack of exhaustion, and spent 2\3 of the day trying to not fall asleep standing. Otherwise I hung out in the craft room, and made a few card demos. But John and I DID go to a friends house and watch fireworks and eat tasty pound cake and strawberries. :P Good eats!

I am excited about tomorrow. My Mom is going to come spend the afternoon with me and we are going to work on making cards. She is not a huge "crafter" but I think that it is because she has never had the time to learn or work on anything. But now with only my little brother left at home (and at 16 he can entertain himself pretty well) she will now have some time to work on crafts (if she so chooses).

I have offered her lessons in Scrapbooking, Dry Embossing, Card making, Knitting, Crochet (which I am still learning) and a few others.
She wants to start her "craft lessons" with some card making, so I made up a few "demo" cards for her to choose from, and we will go from there. Ahhh.... Now I just need to make sure I have the good set up. Iced Tea (check!), Good music (check!) and some tasty treats (will need to work on that one).

Well time to get back to work and try to shake the "post lunch Coma"...... (YAWN!) See ya!