Chaotic Tranquility

Feeling Overwhelmed

2010-08-25T19:18:00.000-07:00

Overwhelmed- that is the word for this week-month- maybe even year. It seems like it was just Christmas a few months ago- but now that I stop to look at a Calender I realize that August is almost gone, I am still thinking about what I want to "do" this year.

I have SO many things that I am trying to focus on all at once, and I am not sure that I am doing any of them very well. It seems like every category has about 6 or 7 things to do- and each one is a huge task.
Things like:
~ Getting the house organized (going thru all my stuff and purging as much as I can (clothes, dishes, crafts, junk mail, old memories, giving the craft room a entire new overhaul...)
~ Being more active (finding time and energy to work out, go swimming, play softball, try to hate being outdoors less... (yeah- I am not a outdoorsy kinda person)
~ Being more Creative.... this is a HUGE one- I have SOOOOOO many things that I want to do- or improve on that I find myself chasing my tail most of the time. Painting, sewing, knitting, card-making, scrapbooking, photography, learning and using Photoshop.
~ My Business: it involves a LOT of planning, working, creativity (which doesn't arrive on command and so that can be a issue at times as well), and then the entire "setting up a website\store and keeping it stocked with new and cute things that all need photographing and etc." can be very draining....
Plus- there is SO many other areas that I am trying to work on or do things... and I am not feeling like I have been doing very well at them- and the feeling is just.... well... overwhelming.

I just feel like lately that I have been so wrapped up in the "Do Do Do" mode that I have not remembered the "enjoy, relax, remember" aspects of it all.....

And so for the rest of the month I am going to play hooky with all the "must do's" and jsut try to focus on the "breathe and enjoy" aspects of life. Oh I am still going to have to clean, and do laundry and all that nonsense, but I am also going to try to remember to stop and ENJOY what it is I am doing.

Tonight after dinner I think that I am going to wander into my "under construction" craft room and just pick up, and clean up in a nice relaxed fashion. It is becoming a entirely new space in there. I am trying to get it into a "work at home" style of clean and organized craft space instead of the "craft room that looks like a craft store exploded inside" kind of space. John built me a new workbench, I am getting shelves hung, walls painted (still not sure on the final color yet), baskets put onto storage racks, and all 20 or so of my Rubbermaid bins of "stuff" is being pawed thru and thrown\kept\sold or at least put back in a nice and orderly fashion.
It has been 3 or 4 weeks of part time work in there- and I think that it is finally reaching a point of completion. It is not "pretty" yet- but I am finally getting to a place where I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So, on that note- have a great night- wish me luck, and remember to stop and breathe once and awhile! I certainly gong to try it!

I'm Still Here!

2010-08-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!
I am still here! Things have been crazy around here lately, and so I have been MIA from the PC for awhile. But there are big things happening in the craft room and Kitchen, and so I will be back and posting soon. With the Holidays around the corner, I am getting my Craft room all set up and renovated for all the sewing goodness to come. In the Kitchen I have been making Jam (oh so tasty!) and working on my diet with lots of tasty recipes that I will start posting soon. They are all SUPER easy, SUPER tasty, and as luck would have it- all of them are 400 Calories and under.
So stay tuned and I will be back in action soon!

Back In the Garden Again!

2010-03-13T22:00:00.000-08:00

Hey all!
Go Checkout my Gardening Blog- SuperChicken Gardens! Now that the Spring has returned- I am back in the garden!

I have not had much time (or energy) to post lately. I am have been on a break from the Etsy shop, and from the PC, but I will do my best to keep things up to date soon.
But due to the weather- and the lack of time to craft- I will be posting in the Garden section (and cooking section) more and more often than in the past.

Wanna Learn how to Garden? Organically? with little trouble? And learning from the mistakes of others? well come check it out!
it is fun! give it a try! and start at the beginning if you want the whole story, and how to build your own garden to garden along with me :)

Cheers!

Ho Ho Ho!

2009-12-26T18:02:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

Well- to be honest- this is the first time i have had my PC on in quite awhile. I have been so busy with the Shop that I have not had any "fun" time at all.
I almost skipped over Christmas it seems, because the weeks were flowing by, orders were rushing in, and I almost didn't get all my holiday stuff done for my family- let alone the shop. But it all worked out, and now I have some downtime to work on new sewing projects to sell, and some time to clean up the crazy messes around the house. (I keep finding string in the most odd places since I seem to track it around these days.)

Well- not much to share- but I will hopefully be back soon!

:) Merry Christmas to all...!

New Ventures

2009-11-08T20:30:00.001-08:00

Hey all!

Ok- Long time I know... But I have been working on new things!

Most of all is a new Etsy.com venture. I made up a few coffee cozies, and decided to see if they would sell on Etsy. So I posted them around 11 at night, and by noon the next day they were all sold out, and I had a request for more. AND the local coffee shop I visit some days (ok ok... Mon-Fri to be exact) said that I should make some for them and they would sell them for me (Provided I figure out a way to put the logo on there- which I am still working on).... and so I have been sewing like a madwoman this weekend making more and more Cozies.

I have set up a new Website for them, and it will take you right to my Etsy page for now.... I will have to see what happens before I spend too much more time on it... but here is a photo of some of the ones that will be listed tonight.

But that is all that is exciting for now.... but it has been enough to keep me busy this last week.

I hope you all check out the Shop, and tell anyone who you think may want one :)

The name for the new business is www.CuteCozy.com and I am hoping that once I make a go of it (IF I can make a go of it) that I will also add other "cozy" items.... like cozy phone cases, Ipod cases, Teapot Cozies, French Press Cozies, purses, baby blankets... and all the other items that I seem to make around here for myself but never tried selling.

Anyway- Wish me luck!

Stuff

2009-10-05T17:10:00.000-07:00

Hello!

Well- ya- it has been awhile, but I have been really busy! I promise!
Well the project that I was working on is pictured below. I decided that my first real project would be a baby quilt. It actually turned out so much better than I had anticipated, but unfortunately, I didn't take a better picture than the one below, and this was just before I wrapped it up and took it to the baby shower.

I then made about 5 or so other baby blankets for another baby shower gift, but those were of the flannel receiving blanket variety, and I also failed to remember to take photos before I gave them away, but they were pretty cute too! My sewing has not been a huge time suck this months as it was last month, but I am still trying to get to the few items that I have had my mind on lately. I have a purse, 13x9 Cozy, Tea Cozy, and another quilt to work on, but at least I made some kitchen curtains finally! I have been meaning to do that for 3 years or so, but never got around to it. As soon as John trims the curtain rod to the proper length I will take a picture and show you the cute retro\kitchy fabric that I chose.

Other Happenings- I entered a purse in the Cotton Ball Purse Contest. It was on display, but it didn't win :( I didn't expect it too- but at least I was not laughed at when I dropped it off. Judy (the Owner) said that she loved it, and really like the hand detailing with embroidery that I did. I need to take a photo of it to post, but that will be next time (I am to lazy to go get it and take photos at the moment!)

The weather is really changing outside, and Fall has arrived with a vengeance. 3 days ago it was 95 and warm and lovely. Today's High was 67, windy, and leaves were blowing everywhere, and my fingers are freezing as I type this since we have not turned on the Pilot Light in the heater yet! That is coming soon!

Anyway- I just wanted to check in, but I have to get going. Dinner with friends tonight! :) Whoo-hoo!

Quick Update!

2009-09-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

Gotta make this fast- Lots to do at the moment!

I LOVE the sewing machine. I have been SO happy with it! It makes me feel like I know what I am doing. My project at the moment is top-secret, but I will show you once I have finished it and it is no longer a surprise. But I will show you some of the fabric that I am using for it. It is by Moda, and is called "Aviary". Here is a link to some of the fabrics in that line. I am not super "Girlie", but I LOVE the soft colors in it and think I will buy more of it since it is now a "retired" line and getting harder to find.
The Project is going better than I thought it would, and I will show you all soon how it turns out.

the 3 day weekend went OK- I have had better, and I have had worse- but all in all not too bad.

Ok- Back to work!

Well Hello There!

2009-08-14T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

Say Hi to my new friend! ("Say Hello to my Little Friend!") After debating and hemming and hawing for a few years now about getting a sewing machine, I finally went out on Monday and got one. I had wanted one for years, but people kept trying to get me to get a nice one ($300+), and I wanted just something to learn on for now (I mean who wants to learn to drive in a Porche? Best to start with something a bit cheaper!). So I got this nice Kenmore one, and I LOVE it. It has like 78 stitch options (which I have no idea what to do with) and it is nice and smooth, and SO easy to get started with. I am now just kinda sad that I didn't get one sooner. If\When I need to upgrade to a "Nice" one, I will at least know that I will not kill it trying to learn on it.

I Really have NO idea what to do with it, or how to really use it, but I sat down with it on Monday night and made a little Bag to hold all my sewing scraps and strings when I am sewing.... it is a Sewing-table Saddle-Bag if you will. Here is a Picture of it. (Please ignore the ugly flannel sheets in the background- those are the blankets we cover the birds with at night)

I have a lot of "jelly roll" strips in the house, and so I took a bunch of the strips, sewed them together and made a kinda mini-quilt out of them. I then sewed it into a bag shape and gave it a 1 1/2 inch "foot" so it would not look like a limp bag, and then for fun I decided to add a liner, and then attach a dried bean\rice bag to the top of it and sew it on the side of the bag so that it would hold itself out of the way on off the side of the table. It is not super exciting I know, but I was happy that it turned out so well, and no fingers, bobbins or needles were hurt in the process (I have been known to have needles snap just by standing to close to someone who is sewing so I was happy to escape unscathed!)

Other than that- I am not up to much. Work has been good- hot and smoky with the fires going on- but otherwise good. The garden is undergoing some changes, and I will get some photos of that and post them soon on the Gardening Blog.

Oh! A new obsession of mine lately is this book.

Oh My Goodness! I ADORE it! I have been reading it and re-reading over and over. There are SO many new and cute ideas in here that I cannot wait to try!

I have started choosing 1 cupcake recipe a week and making a batch (or 2) and taking them to work for all the guys and getting their opinions about them and how they like them. So far I have made the Chai-Tea Cupcakes with Vanilla Milk Glaze Topping, a Cookies and Creme Mini Cheesecakes with whole Oreo's as crusts... and then not from the book but inspired by it- a triple chocolate chunk cupcake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

I have been a big hit at work lately, and guys have come to anticipate Fridays more than usual and most rush over to see what I have made that week. I have not been good about keeping it up, but I am thinking that I will start recording some of my attempts and photos and posting them to my Cooking Blog. (along with my notes and the comments from the guys who eat them). And now that my Garden is providing a nice hearty harvest, I can also start showing what I am cooking with my Homegrown Organic Veggies.

Well Time to get going! I need to get dinner started (and Martinis made!)
Have a great day!

Calling John Casimir!

2009-07-15T21:35:00.000-07:00

John-John??? Where are you?? Do you still read this? I tried your Cell and your Bro said that you didn't use that # anymore.... and that you moved!? Call me... or Jonner! I need your new contact info, and I really want to talk to ya. (and it is a good thing that we didn't "drop by" your place in Vegas while on our way home last week from Texas- we didn't know you moved!)

And in other news..... (really quickly)
In the last 2 months-
Canceled Cable (good riddance!), changed Internet service (hence the delay in writing sooner) got a computer bug thing, fixed it (hence MORE delay in writing), Garden is going well and will post about soon. I had my 26th Birthday in June (good times!), Bought a Wii and the Wii Fit (and have lost another 10lbs!) Went to Candy's wedding in Fresno, one of my birds passed away, took a trip to Disneyland, went on a road trip to Texas for a few weeks, Finally started to get some good harvesting out of the garden, got a raise, and um..... that about covers the bigger things since I last wrote..... but I will be back soon.... but I just need to find my Friend John-John.
If your reading this John-John, phone (or Email) in... I miss ya and need to talk to ya :)

Later all!

New things

2009-04-21T17:36:00.001-07:00

Hey Everyone!
Sorry about the MIA Lately- but I have not been on or around the PC lately.
Few new things to share....

#1- I am now at a new\old Job. I am again working with John, and I am loving it! It is not the same things that I was doing before- but new and fun things- with a little of the old stuff that I used to do all mixed in. I am loving it, and it is a nice new change of pace. But that Change of Pace is now a Full Time (or more) Change of pace- which is one of the reasons that I have not been around much.

#2- a good pal of mine, Candy (Hi Candy!) (waving) gave me Photoshop CS2 and I just put it on my PC today and I am SO excited! I have REALLY REALLY missed using it since I am no longer at the "desk job" of old, so I am excited to have it at my fingertips again. Time to bust out my HUGE training book I purchased, and try to remember all those things that are now half-forgotten.

And #3- I have now started a Homegrown Organic Garden in the Backyard! I was going to Blog about it on here, but I didn't want to force everyone to read about plants instead of other things, and so you can mosey on over HERE and check it out! I am Calling it "SuperChicken Gardens" and it is a sister blog to my "SuperChicken Cooks" (which I really really promise I will update soon!) but Head on over and check out what is new in the Garden and what I am learning along the way.

That is about it for updates, but all 3 of those things are HUGE time zappers, and so I will try to be back on here more often.... Also- John and I were talking and I was trying to find out from him what it would take for us to get a Nintendo Wii, and it came down to Canceling the Cable- and I think that I am going to take him up on that- so with no TV in the house- I think that I will have more time soon to spend on here, in the garden, and in the kitchen. I also will get more in shape since I am in LOVE with the Wii Fit and it really kicks your arse!

Anyway- have a great day and check out the new site!

MIA latley

2009-03-17T17:48:00.000-07:00

Hey all! I know, I know! It has been awhile. Life has been hectic- and lots has been going on.
Work is going ok- lots of changes lately. Life is going pretty well- Work, Clean, Birds, Cooking.... same ole same ole as always. I have not really taken any photos lately, but I will soon!

I will be updating my Cooking page soon. Random Recipes that I have been making lately that I thought would be tasty to share. But that involves turning on my PC and that is something that I have not been doing lately- but I will try to work on that :)

Saw this quote today- and I liked it- and wanted to pass it along.
"Ancient Egyptians believed that upon death they would be asked two questions and their answers would determine whether they could continue their journey in the afterlife. The first question was, 'Did you bring joy?' The second was, 'Did you find joy?".
Dr. Leo Buscaglia

I thought it was a good one :)
Take care- and I promise that I will try to update this page soon!

Good\Bad

2009-01-28T21:09:00.000-08:00

No real reason for the photo- but I felt bad for not posting pics latley- so I picked a random one that i used to have as a background photo- and it feels all spring like :)

Well- Here are some new Good\Bad things:

Good: Did my taxes today- and getting a touch over $600 back- Whoohoo!
Bad: All that and some more is going to pay for the root canal that I am getting really soon
Good: Tips at work today were awesome-
Bad: But that is becasue it was just me and the owner all day and I didn't get to see my friend that was supposed to work (I hear she ate some bad fish- bummer!)
Good: The Amoxicillin is doing a great job helping my jaw not hurt (due to needing a root canal)
Bad: I only have 2 days of pills left and at least a week or 2 before I can get the root canal- hello pain!
Good: The Rain has stopped
Bad: It is now in the 30's at night (very very bad!) without the warm cloud cover
Bad: I have to work again tomorrow
Good: But then I have the next 3 days off :) Whoohoo!

Also- Incase you are not on facebook (and really- I almost never am) Here is a list of 25 random things. I was tagged and so I filled it out and posted it... but if you are reading this than- TAG! Your it--- You can leave a list of 25 things in the comments if you like :)
Here is my list:

1: My full name is Lauren Anne Z***... I like that my middle Name has a "E" on it- it looks better i think

2: I really, REALLY do not like facebook\Myspace- I think it is a big waste of time- but I cannot stop myself from looking around at all the people that I know\used to know and seeing what they are up to (every now and then when I eventually log on)

3: I worked at a Starbucks for 3 years, and have worked at another coffee shop for 6 months now- but I HATE to drink coffee- I don't even like how it smells- but I love working in a coffee shop- go figure!

4: It is all about long hot baths people(with wine and a book if at all possible)-they are the best!

5: I have 5 Birds. 3 Parakeets named Gus, Ollie, and Mo (short for Mozart) and 2 Parrotlets- Sprout, and Pickles

6:I love to cook- I love love love to bake!

7: My goal for 2009 is to lose 5 pounds a month for a year- so far so so good- I am at 7 pounds for the month of Jan.

8: My homepage is set as yahoo.com

9: My little brother is one of my fave people in the world

10: I am tired of dating- I am SO ready to get married (I have been dating John for 4.5 years now)

11: I LOVED living by myself- but I love living with John more

12: I Watch A&E's Pride and Predjudice (the 4 or 5 hour one) about once a month, and have done so for the last few years

13. I love Tea. Hot Tea, Iced Tea, whatever, and drink at least 32 oz of it a day. mmmmmmm.....
14: I want to have 2 boys one day... but I can only come up with girl names that I love

15: If I had to move to another state- it would be Texas. It is pretty there, and I love Austin.

16: I don't like going to church- bible studies I love and enjoy, church not as much. It has always felt full of cliques that I am not a part of, or welcome in. So I gave up 5 years ago and stopped going. I now sleep in- it is kinda nice :)

17: My fave Season is Fall. I want to get married in the Fall.

18: I Love to watch Friends and Scrubs more than any other tv show.

19: If I could only eat 1 food for the rest of my life it would be Potatos. mashed, baked, souped, scaloped, breaded... you name it- you cannot beat a good potato.

20: If I could visit only 1 country it would be Italy.

21: I will be 26 in June and I am starting to feel old. the random greys don't help :)

22: I would love to make a living by being creative. So far all I have made is about $50, but it is a start.

23: I LOVE road trips with John... he can make a trip to the grocery store a fun adventure so road trips are really a blast.

24: Even though people tell me that working in a coffee shop is not a great way to spend my life- when customers tell me that I am the only one who has smiled at them that day, or the only one who asked them how they were that day, or the only person that noticed that they got a haircut\lost weight\etc it seems to me that maybe I AM doing the right thing with my life right now. Becasue what if I was not working there and that person never got a smile all day? If I can make someones day better by doing what I am doing, than I'm happy.

25: I used to hate my dimples- but now I love them. =)

Night everyone!

Things to Do Today

2009-01-14T08:14:00.000-08:00

* Start my Taxes (ugh! I don't think a refund is headed my way this year!)
* Do some Grocery Shopping
* Do some Lap Swimming (while the rest of the US is in a cold snap we have a high of 85 here today- gotta love it!)
* Clean out some Bird Cages
* Clean up the Front Room
* Continue to work on Cleaning the Craft Room
* Work on getting some Photos to the Photo Lab for Printing
* Plan Dinner for the next 3 or 4 nights
* And the MOST exciting---- Get ready for a class with DONNA DOWNEY! Yep! one of my idols and a goddess of crafting is going to be teaching a class in Santa Maria next weekend (the 24th) and I was able to get into one of the classes that teach the very thing that I have been watching her do for a a few years and wishing I knew how to do. I am beyond excited.... and John and I struck a Bargain. If I could get the craft room up to snuff (meaning have the room clean and not have stuff stacked knee high across the floor so that I could actually USE the room when I get home from my class) than he was OK with me spending the money to take the class. (we are trying to be careful with money right now).

I am beyond excited about taking her Class. Donna is the one who really got me started in all this. John was out of town for business, and i went to the store and bought a book by Donna and I went to dinner and read the whole thing. I then decided to give this Scrapbooking thing a real shot, and now- 4 years later- I have a entire room dedicated to Scrapbooking, I have worked in 2 scrapbook stores, am known by name in the only one still around here, and have been reading Donna's blog for a few years as well... and now she is going to be 30 miles away from where I live, and I get to take a 3 hour class with her (along with 6 or so other lucky women)... (sigh)
I am so excited- but i am trying to keep it under control.... but for you that don't know her... well..... it is like taking a swim lesson from Michael Phelps, or a camera class from Steven Spielberg, or a Photography class from Annie Leibovitz.... so you get my meaning?? She is a HUGE reason that scrapbooking is where it is today, and she is amazing. (now if only Ali Edwards would be there I think that I would die and be in Scrapbook Paradise!)

Anyway- I have to get some stuff for the class done (get photos, and some other items that I need to take to the class) so I better get going on my day.

Sorry for the lack of photos- I have not pulled out the camera lately.... but I will soon!
Have a awesome day!

Oh dear!

2009-01-06T09:10:00.000-08:00

Well I knew it had been along time since I had written, but when I finally checked my blog, I realised that it had been forever! Sorry about that- the last few months have been kindacrazy around here- trips, 3 holidays, parties, birthdays, crafts, job, fed the ducks a few times... and the endless housework of course.

John feeding the ducks after a jog to the Lake.

Well for a quick Catch up, in November John and I drove out to Tempe AZ to watch and cheer his brother on as he competed in the Ironman Event held there. It was really impressive to see someone compete on such a huge level for so many hours. He finished in just under 14 hours I believe. John and Matt’s mom had flown in from Texas to watch the event, and it was nice to be able to spend some time with her and Vicki (Matt’s wife) at the same time.

tempe at sunrise

IronMatt!

While in Tempe, we also went to the very large botanical garden, and it is filled with cacti and all manner of dessert plants and habitats. There was also a really cool exhibit being shown, and I am unsure of the artists name, but there were large and brightly colored glass sculptures all throughout the gardens.

Also- for my Christmas gifts this year, I decided to go the handmade route, and had started all my gifts in mid October in order to finish in time (and still barely made it). I Embroidered tea towels (which took beyond forever to do) and also made a lot of homemade preserves. Triple Berry Jams, Strawberry Topping, Organic spiced apple butter, Vanilla Sugar- and on and on. The Canning was a lot of work, but was the easy and fast part of the whole project. I still ended up finishing things right up to Christmas eve, but it was nice to give things made with love instead of just buying everything from a store.

I have also been busy at the Coffee house where I work. Most of the town disappeared for the holidays, and so with all the students gone, there were only a few of us left in town to work, and so I ended up working quite a few hours there. And the week before New Years, I went to a old job to help them out there for a week.

They do a inventory once a year and it takes lots and lots and lots of counting to get it done, and they were short on help this year, so I offered to help out, and so I would work my 5 hour shifts at one job, and go work 6 or 7 hours at the other job, and then repeat over r and over for a few days in a row. I was very happy when it was all over and I could get back to my other routine (which included getting more than 6 hours of sleep a night!).

New Years was quiet. I had to work that morning at 5:30 am, and so by that night I was really tired, but John and I had some dinner, had some wine, watched “The Godfather” and we were asleep by 11 or so.

Well that is a quick update- and I hope to not be gone for long. I have lots of the “New Years” stuff to cover- resolutions, new happenings, and new directions to discuss and share. I will hopefully be able to get it to tomorrow (my day off!) but we will have to see how that pans out.

Have a great day!

Good Quote

2008-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

I saw this and wanted to share...

"Eventually I discovered for myself the utterly simple prescription for creativity: be intensely yourself. Don't try to be outstanding; don't try to be a success; don't try to do pictures for others to look at - just please yourself."- Ralph Steiner

Today is full of chores- I have the day off from work, and that means lots of cleaning, and chores and getting ready for the holidays. Have a good one!

Long Over-due Project

2008-11-10T17:21:00.000-08:00

Well I finally got around to posting a project that I was working on for awhile. I still do it time to time, but I have not been as dedicated to it as I have been.

I call it "30 Days, My LG, & Me"... I decided to use my Camera Phone to capture a month in my life with a "photo of the day" type of feel. I ended up going longer than a month, but I kept the name. Here are a few shots taken with my LG Camera phone.

You can see the whole collection here ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/8707192@N02/sets/72157608813343680/ )

but if you check out my Photostream, they are all there as well- but for some reason Flickr didn't upload them in the order that I had them on my PC..... odd.. but I didn't want to go back and re-load them all again :)

New News:

Not much- after 3 years of the same ole same ole John and I rearranged the Front room. We have this long and skinny room and big furniture, and we finally found another arrangement that we liked- but it will take getting used to (and not walking into when it is dark in there)

On tonight's schedule is Dinner, Tea and Gingersnaps, and playing Canasta with John- very un-exciting I know, but we have fun :)

Good times :)

Long Time no Post!

2008-11-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

Ok- After another ribbing from my mother (!!) I will post again.

I didn't realise that it had been so long since my last post- but life has been busy. And I do not have a desk job that I sit for 9 hours a day at computer- and so the blog takes a hit. Sometimes I don't even turn the thing on for days at a time :)

Well- not much to catch up on here.....
I have been working in the coffee shop (and loving it) and playing around with things here at home. John is out of town for a few days for work (as he is every year at this time) and I am excited to have him come home on Thursday night.

I promise to post soon, and add some pictures of what I have been up to!

Remember to vote today!

Quick Note

2008-10-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

(Taken with my LG Phone)

Well Just a quick note since I have not posted recently-
Here is what I am working on:
~ Getting my garden from the indoor "greenhouse" potted and put outdoors
~ Creating some Stationary (as pictured above) which while fun, is not going as quickly or as easily as I would have hoped- but I have not spent a lot of time working on it yet.
~ Embroidering some fabric for some cute cafe curtains that will hang in one of the kitchen windows
~ I'm Still Plugging away at sewing Yo's for a Quilt, and working on a Patchwork quilt as well
~ Still having fun working at the Coffee House that I am at
~ Got OBSESSED over the "Twilight" series, and read the entire 4 book cannon in 3 days (there were a few midnight oil burning nights in there!)
~ Made some 3 Berry Jam and Preserves (that went nicely with the homemade scones I also Baked)

And in general I had a really packed weekend- but it was nice and relaxing as well.

I hope to have more to share soon! (or at least some better pics!)

Another PDF Pattern is here!

2008-09-28T11:11:00.001-07:00

As Promised, here is the "AHOY!" Alphabet Font. I also included a larger version of my Ahoy Pirate, and Bubble Border at the bottom. I like the smaller version for embroidery, but I went to scrapbook something, and realised that I really like the Larger one shown here for a Scrapbook border. So- short post today, but I just wanted to let you know what was new! Visit the store at www.superchickenstudios.etsy.com

Happy Crafting!

New PDF Pattern in the Shop

2008-09-26T13:42:00.001-07:00

Ahoy there! This is one of my new patterns that I have listed in the shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5962511) and it is called... you guessed it! "Ahoy!"

This has been one of my favorite ones to make... the "Long Live Mario" was probably the other fave, but this one was a lot of fun. I also have a "Ahoy" Alphabet that I am finishing up, and it will put to port in the shop in the next few days as well. I am only offering this one as a PDF right now because I am trying to figure out what kind of printing that I want to use, but I am not patient enough to wait to list it :)

I have now had 2 sales in my shop, and it is a slow start, but I am happy that other people think that my stuff is cute and want to buy it. My Friends that just moved- well one of them worked in a local Fabric shop (owned by her Aunt) and she told me that I need to make a Appt and speak with her aunt about selling my patterns in the fabric store. I am really excited about that prospect, but I feel like I need to really work on the look of the packaging, and my logo and all the stuff before I approach her about it.... I am not sure- it makes me nervous, but excited all at the same time. What if other people hate them? And they sit there and get dusty? How sad- but on the other hand- people may love them and snap them up.... we will see- it is something to think about.

In other news- I have started a Garden! Well- I have started the starting of a garden. I have planted seeds in a indoor green house, and I have been working in the yard getting it ready for some baby plants. We are growing Salad, Broccoli, Spinach, cilantro, green onions, and chives. (they do not mind the cold weather of winter so much) And when spring rolls around, we will be adding Tomatoes, Onions, peppers, and maybe some strawberries (who all love the heat of spring and summer). We already have the lemon tree in full production mode- the avocados are getting bigger, and the poor Lime tree is still not producing, but the leaves look nice and strong. So we hope that in a few months we will be enjoying some tasty fresh homegrown food.

Anyway- that is about it for now... I have to get back to housework (groan). Laundry is calling, and the birds need some new paper, and the carpet really needs some attention! Have a great day!

Today...

2008-09-19T13:04:00.000-07:00

Today I-
~ Made my First "Hot Caramel Apple Cider" this morning. Tasty!
~ Danced around the front room while dusting and listening to a Frank Sinatra CD
~ Ate seedless grapes the size of small plums **no joke- they were huge!**
~ Did some work on a Pattern in Photoshop
~ Did some sewing on the new quilt that I am working on (not the Yo-Yo one- but a new one for now)
~ Vacuum and Dusted and cleaned the Front room, Bedroom, and one of the Bathrooms.
~~~ And the hardest of them all-- I had to say goodbye to a old friend.
We have been friends for more than 10 years, and he and his wife are moving to Texas on Monday morning. It may be a few years before I see him again, and it was hard to say goodbye. I was lucky that I was one of the lucky few that got the "Goodbye Visit" in the days before they leave town. He came over and we got to chat for about 30 minutes before he headed off to another task that has to be done before Sunday night.

We Used to be co-workers for 5 years, and in the last 5 years we have tried to stay in touch as much as possible (seeing as how we live in towns that are 30 minutes away from each other) but in the last month or so we have attended multiple "farewell" events, and so while it was nice to see them a lot lately, it makes it harder to know that they will not be around anymore.
They will be living in Texas, and right along the route that we take to go visit John's Mom. So the next time that we head to Texas, we will stop and visit with them, but that may not be for another year or so at the earliest. (sigh) I just hate when friends and family move away!

And that takes me up to now- and it is only about 1:30. I think that I will do some more sewing, and then some laundry. Tonight John and I have a Wine Tasting event to go to (which is always fun) and so it is the beginning of a good weekend. Today: Wine tasting, Saturday: Volunteering for a NPR station fundraiser on Saturday morning, a Avocado and Margarita Festival in the afternoon, followed by a trip to the best fabric store that I have ever been to and also a peek in the nearby antique store. Then Sunday is the Bird Mart in Paso Robles- where we got Sprout, and also Pickles (our Parrotlets) but we will NOT be getting any birds this year.... maybe just some toys. Our newest Bird (Mo) is a toy FIEND and he loves anything we give him, and so I want to make sure he has some new ones..... he loves them so much that some of the old ones are getting broken\worn out in the few weeks that we have had him :) it is so nice to see him play with so much enthusiasm that I do not mind getting him some new ones :)

anyway- another post without pics, but hopefully soon!

New Happenings

2008-09-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA for SO long! I have been working thru a lot of changes and updates in my life, and my blog has suffered for it. sorry!

One of the changes I have been getting used to is not having a desk job where I spend 8 hours a day in front of a computer, and with the way things are now, sometimes it will be 2 or 3 days before I even turn the computer on. GASP! I know- I hate that I am falling behind in my blog writing, and keeping up to date on all the other blogs that i Love to read, but sometimes it cannot be helped- and to tell the truth- it can be really refreshing to not be a slave to the computer all the time. It seems to add many hours to the day when I avoid the office and Internet-land.

Well here is some of what has happened in the last month or so, and what I am working on.

In Crafty News:
I DO have a new Embroidery Pattern in the works, but not using the PC means that it has been gathering dust for the last few weeks- but I plan on dusting off the PDF and getting back to work on it pretty soon (maybe even some this weekend!)- it is really cute and I am loving this new one!

I have taken on a HUGE hand-sewing project. First off- I do not have a sewing machine, and I really like having the fabric and thread in my hand and doing it all myself, and so that is the direction that a lot of my projects go.... but I was reading around on a blog and discovered "yo-yo's" and I decided that hey! they are easy to make, and are cute.... so I wanted to make a quilt out of them. Yo-Yo quits were big in the depression era, as they were easy to make, and were made out of left-over scraps of fabric from old dresses and the like... and so I have started to make a ton of "Yo's" (as my boyfriend likes to call them) in order to make a quilt for our bed.

If you research them on the web, you might find some funky bright and (in my opinion) some ugly looking quilts.. but I am going with the 1920's theme, and I want to use very soft colors. lots of creams and light yellows and pinks and blues- to give it that really antique soft look... no browns and reds and dark blues here. I wanted to post a pic of what I wanted to make- but so far I have not found a picture worthy of what I am trying to convey, but here is a link that look ok.... http://pics.rubylane.com/graphics/shops/joysdolls/TX-JG560.1N.jpg but I will not be using patterns like she did- and not using those colors- but at least it shows something that is softer looking then some of the ones that I have seen online.

But here is the catch- I was not sure how many I would need to make a quilt, but I was not too daunted by the task... but after working on them for what seems like a good chunk of the last month of free time, I counted them all out, and I have about 200 of them made. I was happy with the progress, and then I decided to go lay them out over my current comforter and see if I could do a calculation of how many more I would need.... the answer- well for a CA King bed, I will need around 3700 more. 3700!!!! HOLY COW! and thanks to my boyfriend, he pointed out that I will need to make around 10 a day or more, and I would be done in about a year..... um yeah... thanks for that visual... but I am enjoying it, and I am spending about a hour or so a night working on them.... so I will let you know when I hit good milestones along the way :)

I am also working on a 365 type of project, but I have no real plans for it to be a full 365, and it is a bit more random. I am using my Camera Phone, and trying to remember to take a picture a day that will sum up the day in 1 photo, and not have me in it at all... only other objects. So fare I have around 40 something photos, and each time I look at them, I can remember that exact day, and not just think " I am not really sure what Happened in august- it just passed by" I can now remember every day of that month and what we did that day and what was going on. I have not posted any of them yet- but I will soon add them to my flickr account (I hope- it has been neglected as well!)

Other craft news is kinda slim at the moment- (yes- the craft room is a pit of despair at the moment- there is not even room to work at the table in there)... so on to Life Updates.

Well- I am loving my new job- and I am there about 20 or so hours a week... this week is closer to 30, but some weeks it is more like 18. It is also about a mile or so from my house, so I have been riding my scooter to work instead of driving... which is 2 good things, 1 of them is that I am not buying gas since it is a electrical scooter. and the 2nd is that my car broke down and it sure beats walking to work. John says that he thinks that it is the ignition switch or something, and so he will fix it as soon as the parts come in.
In the mean time I can drive my car at my own risk, since it has now 3 time died on me, (once in traffic) and takes like 5 minutes to get started... so Scooter it is, and it keeps me home more not having a car and when it is foggy and ugly outside (like today) and I do not want to scooter around.

Last Weekend my little sister got married up in the Bay Area, and we drove up to the wedding, and also stayed the weekend with John's Brother and Sister-in-Law. His Brother (Matt) was competing in a 1/2 Ironman that weekend, and so we went to Santa Cruz to Cheer him on (and get sunburned!) and we are excited to see him compete in the FULL IRONMAN this November in Arizona. I was also able to meet my new Niece at the wedding. My Older sister just had Baby #6 (and the last one!) and she was 2 months old, and since they live up in Oregon, I had not had a chance to meet her yet, and got to hang out with her after the Wedding.
She didn't seem to happy to meet me though- she was more interested in getting some dinner, but then to my surprise, (well maybe not too much) she was handed off to my boyfriend so I could take some pictures, and she quieted right down and started to fall asleep. I am not sure what it is about my boyfriend (who really has almost NO experience with kids at all) but all my nieces are IN LOVE with him. It is all "john this, john that" and apparently even my 2 month old niece has the "John Vibe" and was happy to lay in his arms for 30 minutes and just watch him. (humph! oh well- one day she will like me too!)

So on the agenda for today: I do not have to work today (WHOO HOO!) so today is a "at-home" day for me. Got up, Drank a Pot of tea (I LOVE that Hot-Tea weather is back!), caught up on some Emails and Blogs that I was behind in, and now it is time to move on to the tasks of today.
Such fun winners as : Clean my messy bedroom (which will involve laundry- ugh!) Clean out the bird cages and refill with fresh-goodness, Vacuum the Front room (and bedroom once I clear all the floor space) and then on to the fun stuff! I will be making batches of Shortbread today. It is SO easy and tasty, and I will be taking them to a BBQ that we have tomorrow. I will them take my shower, sit down with another pot of tea, some fresh Shortbread, and work on some more "Yo's" (gotta make my quota for the day!) and maybe watch a movie.

We are having dinner with friends tonight that we have not seen for many months (they are more booked up than the 4 Seasons during wedding season!! they are SO hard to get a "dinner date" with!), and then I have to work tomorrow morning (unless my co-worker can do it for me- she has to check!) and then we are headed off (with shortbread in hand) to a BBQ for some friends that are moving to Texas next week..... So in a LONG post- that is up with me :)

I am sorry that I do have a photo to share just yet---- I am still Photoshopping Pics of the wedding and more- but next time I will have some for ya :)

I hope everyone is doing well, and I hope to be better about staying on top of this blog better!
XOXO

Etsy Update

2008-08-06T17:07:00.000-07:00

I have added 3 more Embroidery Pattern Sets to my Etsy Shop.
They are as follows:

"Sugar & Spice"

"Leaf &\or Feathers"

"Border Set #1"

I am also working on about 2 or 3 more sets on paper at the moment, and about 5 in my head--- so I hope that I can keep working away at them. The most "time consuming" part is that I want to create the patterns onto tea-towels to show to others how cute they are... but when that means making a few shapes from each pattern, it starts to back up the creative system- so I will keep working on that, and hopefully I will have the new patterns out soon.

In Other news- I had a great weekend. John and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary :) And as tradition goes, we spent Sunday the 3rd at the Fair. (Our First date was at the fair 4 years ago) and it was fun. It was HOT, but fun. We usually go in the evenings (because the 3rd has been during the week), and this time we went during the day since it was the weekend, and the heat was a bit much for us. We are used to 75 degree days, and it was probably 95 and not much of a breeze for the first few hours.

We also saw the new Batman movie. It was really good- and we liked it :)

I am also working on a new mini-creative. It is not a huge deal, but a fun way for me to journal this month. I will share that in a day or so ( I want to do the first week first- and that is a still a day away!) Did I mention that I love the month of August? I think that it is one of my favorite months in the year. You get Warm days (maybe hot), nice nights, great sunsets, and fall is on the way. Fruit is everywhere, and you can see the pumpkins and corn just around the corner. Plus it is the month that I fell in love with John 4 years ago- how can I not love august? [Well to be honest- I loved John from almost day one- which was July 4th, but we didn't start dating until August- so it is august that gets the prize :) ]

Anyway- Go check out the shop and see the new goodies ( http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5962511 ) ( I know, I know- still with the ugly links!) and I hope that you love the new patterns! :)

Cheers! SuperChicken :)

My Etsy Shop is now Open!

2008-08-01T17:53:00.000-07:00

Whoo hoo! I have been trying to get this up and running for over a month now, and life has just been in my way so much lately. But today, during some down time (instead of a nap) I started to list things in my shop! :)

It can be found here http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5962511
(I know- my links are ugly! I need to learn how to make them pretty!)
But my user name is SuperChickenStudios and it is all one word (they cannot make them 3 words for some reason) but I will be adding more and more items in the next few weeks :)

Go and check it out and let me know what you think! :)

De Chickie!

Changes and a cool new book!

2008-07-29T18:10:00.000-07:00

Look what I bought today! I LOVE it, and I am only a few pages in.... this is the most awesome book ever! I have really wanted to be able to work on my "doodles" and after reading like 10 pages, I have already found some cool new ways to doodle on things, and I think that in time and with some practice, I will finally be able to draw stuff that people will think is cute :) My skills are pretty lacking at the moment :)

Well there have been some cool changes around here lately.... but I will not go into all of them right now.... but I am happy to say that I am now working only part time at a new job, and the rest of my time is dedicated to staying home, getting the house super clean and pretty, and after I tackle most of the main messes in the house, I will have TONS of time to create.... I am thinking that I will going heavy duty with the scrapbooking, cooking, jam making, sewing, making tea towels, and painting....... but I will have to get there when I get there- right now my days are full of regular house work- but I can feel the creative juice flowing and building up :) I will probably end up with a creative explosion soon :)

Stay tuned for more stuff soon- but in the mean time- see if you can find the book above and check it out- it is great! (and Candy, yes, you can totally borrow it soon!) lol

Cheers!

Hello Mo!

2008-07-14T10:25:00.000-07:00

This is Mo- Our new Baby Parakeet. He is still learning about getting on fingers when presented with them, but he is doing really well. He is at about 80% success rate when given a finger to stand on- he still will fly away (towards the other bird cages) but since he has no wings, it is really more of a pretty flutter (with various landing skills).

I have not been in the craft room for a few weeks :(
When having the windows done in the house, we had to move a ton of junk from room to room, and while the craft room was not super messy- it was covered in a concrete dust (that I still need to finish cleaning) but then a few days after getting the new windows, we had house guests- and so all the junk that was now in the guest room, had to be moved back into the craft room- and there it still sits- waiting to be put away. But this last weekend was more of a goof-off weekend than usual. On Saturday, while John was in bed (or the bathroom) suffering from a migraine all day, I made Strawberry Jam. I had never made it before and it turned out great. I will post info on it soon :) But in late afternoon\early evening, John was well enough to leave the house, and so we went in search of food and a different view than the inside of the house.

Sunday we went for a long long drive in John's Porche. He had some older gas in there, and he didn't want it to sit for too much longer, so we attempted to burn off as much as we could. We spent about 5 hours in the car that day- just cruising around the county and driving thru wine country around here. We then had dinner and a Blue-ray movie night with friends. Oh! Candy made the BEST dinner, and I will have to make it for the cooking blog soon. It was a "beef and broccoli egg noodle pasta dish" thing. SUPER tasty!

Anyway- I have to get going, but here is a last photo of Mo for ya :) I think that I spooked him, and so he did his "tall alert bird" pose for me :)

New Website Find:

2008-07-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

Quick Update:

I found a cool DIY craft site today and It has a lot of fun and easy projects for you to check out, and has nice step by step photos. Today's Item was lanterns. I tried and tried to get a picture to post of them, but Blogger is having some photo-uploading issues this morning, and refuses to post ANY photos. I will have to add a photo of my own when they are finished.

I was thinking of making some really small ones (with small glass votive's) and using them as place markers next time we have someone to dinner, or to line the walkway to the house. I think that instead of plain colored paper, you could also use some cool handmade paper that has texture and color in it as well.

Anyway- here is the link to the site http://www.designspongeonline.com/

Have a Great Wednesday!

Good Times, Sad Times & New Times

2008-07-07T15:31:00.000-07:00

Well the weekend was not your typical weekend around here. There was some fun, lots of sad, and some new joy all rolled up in 3 days.

Friday (the 4th) was started with some house cleaning for our guests that were coming into town. One of John's Best friends, her son and her fiance were going to come stay for a night and hang out with us. But, about 45 minutes before they were due to arrive, tragedy struck our house. Our sweet, kind, quiet and mellow parakeet Toby (one of the 5 birds we have) was the victim of bad circumstances and passed away Friday morning.

It is still really hard to go into detail, but one thing led to another, and he ended up crashing into one of our new windows (without blinds on it yet) and he broke his breastbone, and a few moments later, while laying in my hand, he was gone. He is the first of our babies that we have ever lost, and the only pet that I have ever lost that was not due to old age.

He was only about 2 years old. John and I are still in shock, and we still shed tears for him every night before we go to bed. He was the most mellow bird we had, and we are heartbroken that he is gone. We will be "laying him to rest" this evening, in our rose garden. We wanted to do it earlier, but with company, we wanted to wait for a private time. He is now in a carved wood box and I made him a custom marker for us to remember him when we are out in the garden.

But on the "new" joy front, we are bitter sweetly announcing that we have purchased a new baby parakeet. I would hate for it to seem like we ran out and got a new baby before saying goodbye to our friend Toby, but a few reasons seemed to support the idea.....

But mostly it was the behavior of our 2 remaining parakeets. Gus and Ollie were standing at the entrance of the cage for 2 days waiting for Toby to return. they were not singing, didn't seem to be eating much, and mostly acting forlorn. The 3 of them had quite a thing going. Gus was the happy "time to sing & Play" bird, and caused the other to participate. Ollie was the "time to eat and take a bath and preen" bird, who made sure they all started to eat and clean when they needed it, and Toby was the "mellow" bird. He took lots of naps, and kept them on the calm side. And without him around, it was like they were confused and didn't know what to do, and just sat there waiting for him to come back.

And Ollie and Toby were not super close buddies, and they would bicker from time to time, and steal each others swings, and so on, but it was Ollie who kept the best look out for Toby in the days after his passing. I was surprised to see this, but it was Ollie who wanted to keep the closest to the door and would look around the room and "call" for Toby. It was heartbreaking to see. And so John and I discussed it, and we went to our "local" pet store, and looked over the new baby Keets. (Our local store has SUCH nice birds over pet-smart and pet-co. they are always super quality in there.) And so John and I spent about a hour or so just watching the babies play around in the cage and decided on this little guy.

(Taken with camera phone that he was kinda scared to see)

We were not sure what to name him- and I mentioned calling him "Mozart", and John replied that in that case he would have to call him "Mo" and it stuck. So this is Mo.

And he is joining the ranks of Gus, Ollie, Sprout and Pickles.
He is a sweet little guy. And Unlike some of our other Keets that we have purchased (cough cough Ollie!) he doesn't Bite, and is already learning that hands are not scary things, and how to stand on fingers. We got him Sunday Afternoon, and so tonight will be his first 24 hours, and we hope that he is happy with us.

And the Change in the Parakeets was immediate! As soon as they saw the new guy (who is living in a separate cage for the first 2 weeks or so), they both perked up, started singing, playing with toys, and acting like they used to. And Mo is living on a bookshelf a few feet away, and the birds (all of them) are making a effort to see the new guy on his shelf, and chirp at him and talk back and forth.... and so we are happy that the birds have something new to focus on, and that they are acting much more normal. We will never forget Toby, but we are happy that we have Mo to help us heal and smile again.

(Toby all wet after a Bath in the birdie tub)

We will miss you Toby! You were our "Pudgy Budgie" with the grey feet, black toes, grey tongue and gorgeous long black wings. You were sweet and kind and we loved you so much, and you will be greatly missed!

This Weekend---

2008-06-30T10:59:00.000-07:00

... Was Crazy busy! To sum things up quickly, I drove all our birds to my parents house on Thursday night, and then John and I prepped the house for what was to come the next morning. At 7:50 the next morning, we had "Bud" and "Dan" show up at our house and start tearing the windows out... well not all of them at once- but we are having all of our old, nasty, thin, aluminum, rattling, non-insulating windows replaced with fresh new white double-paned windows that glide quietly, and lock with a gentle click (instead of the heavy hard clunk of the old windows).

So for 2 days from 7:50 am to 5 or 6 pm we were surrounded with sawing, pounding, chiseling, stucco dust, and the antics of the 2 installers filling our ears. The guys were a lot of fun- but the nasty rock-stucco dust all over the house we had to clean was not! They did their best to keep it down to a minimum, but there is just no way to stop it all- and it looked as though I had not dusted in 2 years on every surface in the house.

But on Saturday night the guys left, John and I spent a few hours cleaning, and then we fell asleep to the sound of silence- no neighbors, no cars, no dogs- nothing. In the morning we had to open the window just so we could hear the birds chirp- and before it was as though they were in the room with us. We are very, very pleased with the new windows. We still have a large 8 foot sliding door that we are having replaced (into a 6 foot door) and so the guys will be back in a week or so (after another job) to finish the slider, and wash and polish the windows, (and clean off all the hand prints they left on the walls!).

Sunday John and I went with Friends to go see Wall-E. It was SOOOOO cute! I was not super excited when I saw the previews- but the movie far surpassed what I was expecting, and was super cute. It also made me fall in love with the name Eva... or eeeeevvvvaaaaaa like wall-e says :)

We then picked up our cutie birds and brought them home (they were happy to be back) and by then the weekend was over and it was time to start another week. I didn't get a chance to create this weekend- my craft room was (and still is) covered in stucco dust and as soon as I get the room dusted and put back into better shape I will have more to share :)

Hopefully your weekend was great!

And the Winner is....

2008-06-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

Candy!
Yep, you were the first to guess correctly- I will be opening a Etsy Shop to sell some fun handmade stuff. It is called "SuperChicken Studios" and can be found at http://www.superchickenstudios.etsy.com/ but it is not fully up and running yet, but I will let you all know when it is :)
I have to say that I loved Sandy's Guess- I would LOVE to get a pet chicken one day- but we will need to live in a house that has a more "Chicken Friendly" yard :)

The prize is a "Embroidery Kit" that comes complete with a 100% Cotton Tea Towel, a large Embroidery hoop, A disappearing Ink Pen, a Embroidery needle, and a full Pattern Set of your choice. Each Pattern Set comes with a full size (8.5x11) pattern, a smaller version (for smaller projects), a full-size full-color pattern, as well instructions, tips, hints, and more.
I will not be launching the Shop for another week or so, but when it goes live you will be able to pick from the various patterns available... here is a sneak peek of a few of them--- (all designs were hand drawn by me, and colored in Photoshop)

"Snacktime"

"Hip to be Square"

"Snips and Snails"

"Long Live Mario"

There will more patterns available in the shop when it goes live- there will be a few Font sets, some more Shape sets, and some beginners kits that comes with patterns. After I get things rolling I will be adding original paintings on canvas, as well as prints of various paintings.

I am hoping to have the shop up and running by July 1st, but we will have to see how fast I can get things going. EDIT: I remembered that we may be having some company staying with us over the holiday weekend, and I would hate to open the shop and then be too busy to monitor it and any orders- so It may go active after the 4th of July weekend :)

So Candy- I will let you know when you can select your pattern (you are free to pick one of these- but I figure you will want to have the full selection to choose from!). Everyone else, keep a eye on here for the announcement of the shop opening.... I will be offering discounts and maybe another give away....

Stay tuned!

give away on another blog too!

2008-06-19T15:37:00.000-07:00

Hey! "Today's Creative Blog" is hosting a giveaway as well! Check it out! You might win! :)

MY Giveaway Contest is still going on- see the post just below this one for Details!!

Something SUPER this way comes...

2008-06-18T15:05:00.000-07:00

Hey All! Long time no update- I know... sorry!

My birthday was GREAT! I had lots of food and fun! I also went wine tasting with John on Saturday, and had a blast. Maybe being 25 will not be so bad :)

Also- A shout out to N from "Down Under", thanks for the happy wishes! Come back soon! :)

So- back to whats new- In the next few days (maybe sooner?) I will be announcing something SUPER.
Does this give you a hint?

Anyone care to venture a guess?? If you post a comment, and are the first one who is correct, you will win a prize :) I cannot tell you what it is, but it will be cool :)

(Mom- you are not allowed to guess- you already know! lol- sorry!)

And no- It is not a update of SuperChicken Cooks (that would be newsworthy indeed!) but this is something just a bit different- but stay tuned- I hope to have the surprise up and running soon. Too many things to do before the reveal- but my patience may run out before I am ready to let the news fly- so I better get cracking!

Anyway- if you want to give it a guess, post your comment, and if anyone gets it right, I will announce the winner when all is revealed :)

Happy Birthday To Me :)

2008-06-11T15:26:00.000-07:00

(taken with my camera phone)

mmmmm.... nothing like a "Circus Donut" to start your birthday (well a donut and a Sugar Free energy drink!)
I am not a huge donut fun, but for my birthday I just HAVE to have my sprinkle donut!

Well- I'm 25 today..... I am starting to feel old- but maybe that is just the lack of sleep last night (a almost full moon, on a much to warm night, with no AC, means lots of tossing and turning and not sleeping).

Today I am spending the day at work (as usual), but my little brother took me out to lunch today, and shopping at Urban Outfitters. It was a lot of fun (and a lot of calories!), and tonight is fun with the fam with the Famous Zech Tacos and cake! (mmmmmmmmm tacos!).

I think that this weekend John and I are doing something "fun" to celebrate, but I have not been informed of his plans yet :)

Also- big stuff going on in the craft room- photos to follow soon- but it is taking much more time than I thought since one of the major elements require that I receive a UPS package that has STILL not shown up (please Mr UPS, please bring it today!), and then there will be some good photos to post about 10 hours (of working) after I get the package :)

Anyway- Happy B day to me :)

WIP :)

2008-06-02T16:36:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of some of the projects that I have been working on lately. I have been working on making Tea-Towels- both by buying them pre-sewen, and also getting yards of linen and hand sewing them into a towel, and then putting cute patterns on them. I have been inspired by all the old Tea Towels that my mom has that my Grandma made by hand, so I decided to make some for myself, but with a modern twist. Instead of lambs and paisley, I have cupcakes, Vespas, and other random things. I have also been working on getting a transfer pattern of the old tea-towels that my mom has that has a fun and funky pattern. One of them is a grouping of toadstools with a frog, and other ones have some delicate and pretty butterflies.... but I am still working on all of them. I will post pics when I have more of them done :)

But it will be nice to have some new towles around the kitchen- the old ones are past due for replacement :)

Have a great Monday!

Hanging with the Fam

2008-05-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Eden and I

My older sister and her "crew" are in town this week :) Her Crew is her husband, 5 kids, and one on the way. They are in the area for a wedding this upcoming weekend, and so they made the trek from central Oregon and will be around for a few more days.

Niece #1 had her birthday a few days ago, and so we had a birthday party for her yesterday. I will post some more pics of the party later (maybe on my flickr account) but for now all I have is the one from above.

Eden is SO adorable- he is always happy, and when ever you say "cheese" he bursts into the biggest grin I have ever seen on a kid. I took the above photo and we were all laughing about how you can totally tell that we are related. He could almost be my kid he looks so much like me (and he is almost a mirror image of what my little brother used to look like). But I am sure that my kids will look almost like this- but with dark hair and probably with dimples of some sort (both john and I have DARK brown hair, and we both have dimples- his are faint, but since mine are crater-sized it will probably even out.)

Anyway- I have not been in the craft room as much lately. I DID do some cleaning in there, but not enough to want to work in there- but I have discovered a new craft that I am working on--- I will have a few pics of them soon, but in the mean time I will have to keep you guessing. BUT, It is a nice change- I can work on this craft while sitting on the couch watching a movie- no craft table needed- so that is for sure a nice change :) And my birds enjoy having me closer to them in the afternoons. I usually hear them cheeping at me from the front room when I am back in the craft room- and now I am a few feet away, which makes the house a quieter place all around :)

Anyway- new craft photos soon :)

Just Sayin'

2008-05-21T08:58:00.001-07:00

Howdy!
I just wanted to let anyone who stops by to know what I am loving right now. Have you been looking at Etsy lately? You Should! I adore it! I was web surfing the other day, and I stopped by Shelli's Blog- and it has a AWESOME Idea. How many times do you see a idea in a catalog and wish that you could have that room? (well I do it all the time) and she came up with this mosaic of items that she found on Etsy that would duplicate the room display that she liked. It is a great idea if you are looking to re-do a room, or are just bored and need something fun to do on the PC.
Anyway- I love reading her blog- there is always something fun going on over there. Check it out!
(follow this link- or use the one over there my right side bar) www.studiomelablog.com

She also draws the most adorable pictures and makes prints from them. I am in love with the kitchen line (love your forks, spoons, egg beaters and more!), and the Bird with a french Fry..... One of these days I will decide which one I love best and get a print, but in the mean time I love to look :) AND she is having a huge release today in her Etsy shop with a lot of new prints. You need to check it out and see how cute she is. It will go live at 1PM (EST) so i only have a hour to go before I get to see the new goodies. Here is a link to her shop http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5058797

Anyway- just wanted to throw that out there. She is so cute, and all her drawings are adorable. Check them out!

I Miss You!

2008-05-19T08:58:00.000-07:00

This Photo is for someone special- you know who you are!!! :)

I Miss you, and your Mr. (and the yet un-met little one)

Not to get to mushy or sentimental, but every time I smell a Illume Candle, buy a picture frame, use my Burt's Bees lip gloss, make REAL garlic bread (or Guacamole for that matter- since you taught me how!), Watch A&E's Pride and Prejudice, Clueless, or Hunt for Red October, and see or do a million other small things- I think of you guys, and miss you terribly. I wish that you lived closer- or that I was better at keeping in touch. Maybe this summer I can make a road trip and visit for a few days and catch up and meet the E-bear :)

You two made so many wonderful impressions and memories for me and I hope that we can meet again soon :) You Guys are the best! Drop me a Email or give me a call (my number is still the same), I would love to catch up :)

Look who's comming to dinner!

2008-05-08T15:17:00.000-07:00

(Update Below)
Well- maybe not TO dinner, but at dinner time.
The IRS decided very nicely today to deposit my Economic stimulus $$$ today in my checking account, and this is what I have been waiting for. After talking about it on and off lately, John and I agreed that the best way to get me to exercise was to follow the following 5 rules:

1. Make it indoors. My bad allergies aside- I am just NOT a outdoor person. And when you mix outdoors with the idea of working out- well... it is really not my thing!

2. Make it easy on the knee joints. I have a bad knee and so I cannot jog, run bike or hike without major pain (and see Rule #1), and the Elliptical is the ONLY equipment that I have used that doesn't cause me any knee pain.

3. Make it easy to get to. And the Gym at 5:15 pm is NOT easy to get to, get in to or get out of. Plus, I only use the elliptical when I am at the gym, so why not get one for the house?

4. Make it where I can read or watch a movie while I work out- because lets be honest- if I am bored I am only going to give up sooner.

5. Make it where I do not have to get "ready" to workout. And let me tell you, it only takes 1 workout session next to a Size 2 Miss America look-alike to not want to leave the house without a full makeover every time to want to go to the gym. At home, PJ's and a ponytail will suffice :)

Anyway- I think that I will be picking it up tonight at Costco after work. John said that he can be bribed to put it together as long as I bribe him with hot and fresh chocolate chip cookies (with extra chips!), and I think that can be arranged. And as a further bonus, I will make him one of his favorite meals (which I don't like all that much) but whole wheat pasta with red sauce.

Anyway- The deal is this- I can have it in the Front Room (with the TV and DVD's and Stereo and so on) as long as I use it 3 or 4 times a week. If I don't, then it will get sent into our bedroom (the only other room it will fit in, since the office, guest room and craft room are already set up with furniture), and it will sit in the bedroom and I will have to work out in there (where there is no TV or anything but a bed and a window) until I have earned my way back into the front room.
These are not really John's rules, but it will help keep me motivated, and he liked the idea, so that is how it will be.

Anyway- hopefully I will have good things to say about it soon :)

Update:
HOLY MOLY! This sucker is HEAVY. it took 2 burly manly men to load it into my borrowed surburban, and then when we got it home we were not sure what to do to get it out. A Dolly was not even a option. I mean, this thing is as heavy as a fridge, and longer to boot. But we came up with a good idea, and John got it 1\2 way set up last night. More goodness to come after it is set up- but in the mean time- my front room looks like a cardboard tornado hit. No Joke- there was probably 100 pounds in cardboard alone!

wishing for a clean craft room

2008-05-06T10:07:00.000-07:00

Short post today, I have lots swimming in my mind and need to focus on getting them down on paper before I forget about them.
I have been looking around at cute childlike prints lately, and I have been excited about "ocean" looks lately. Sea Snails, octopus (octopi?), Lobsters, fish and more. I am not sure why, I am NOT a fan of the ocean itself. I am scared to death of sharks and avoid even going to the beach for any number of reasons (seagulls, sand, sea water in my hair) but I am in love with "Finding Nemo" and all the cute creatures. I have been inspired to paint a "set" of ocean prints in a cute childlike look, and while I have canvas, paints, and time, I do not have a clean craft room (sigh).

Time to dig out the shovel and clear a path back to the craft table......

Here are a few cute things I saw on flickr....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/whatwhat/11174518/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beneaththerowantree/2324213017/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/12103954@N06/1249155757/

Have a great Tuesday!

Chillin' Out

2008-04-30T14:16:00.000-07:00

(Photo sent from camera phone)

I have found myself living a quiet and restful life the last week and a half since we got back from our road trip. Taking time to breathe, relax, and re-acquaint myself with being home and back at work.

As relaxing as it was to be on vacation, it was not relaxing to be back home. I had to go back to the whirlwind of activity that includes work, tons of housework, laundry, grocery shopping, cooking, and the other random activities that have occurred this week (Shopping and getting things ready for mothers day, having friends over for dinner, attending a Birthday party for a friend, working on my finances, reading the piles of books and magazines that are new and waiting, and spending time with family).

All of them good things, but I have found myself tired from it all, both emotinally and physically, and so I have been taking a break from anything that doesn't "demand" my attention.

I have not really set a toe in the craft room since we got back, other than to drop off things, (stash things) and grabbing random items that are kept in there. It is also a ROYAL mess in there again, and I have not had the time or energy to try and tackle it, so there the room sits, a wreck and all alone.

I have however, cleaned and started the "remodel" of the guest room which included changing the curtains, buying and setting up a (super heavy) bookshelf, and I will be working on changing around the whole look of the room. I am not positive what I want it to look like, but hopefully less like it did before (which was a random hodge-podge of left over furniture and extra bedroom stuff) and more like a real "guest room".

I also tackled most of the mess that is my half of the bedroom. Everything looks clean and tidy, and my closet is not a mountain of mess ready to knock over the first unsuspecting person that dares open the door, but a mostly respectable looking area, that looks even more so when I keep the closet doors close. Still- I would still not want my mother to see inside- but that is one of the benefits of being a adult- I can tell my mom to not look in my closet anymore to see if it is tidy or not.

Also- have you seen the new cover of Martha Stewart Living? I scanned it, but the colors are a bit off. But I am in LOVE with the colors on the cover. Bright Blue, Orange and White have been my addiction now for about 3 months, and when I saw this at Borders I had to buy it :) The Blue walls are much more "robins egg blue" when you see it in person, but the scanner doesn't like it I guess.

And as a update, What I am working on:

~ Gathering items and ideas for a Art Journal

~ Trying out some new recipes for the cooking blog- I have had 2 mishaps (tasty but not quite right), and so I need to tweak the recipes until I get it right.

~ Cleaning and purging junk around the house (how DID i get all this stuff!?!)

~ collecting visual ideas for some more paintings

~ Brainstorming some guest room and guest bathroom ideas (they both need some help)

~ Eyeballing a Elliptical for the house (no more drives to the gym and having to wait while "chatty cathy" and her 4 workout buddies get off all the machines!!)

~ Exploring the massive depths of Photoshop- it is SOOOOOO slow, but fun to learn!

Anyway- that is what is new in that area, and I will hopefully have something to post in the next few days--- at the least, maybe a successful version of one of the recipes I am working on.

Have a great day!

Back Home Safe & Sound

2008-04-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

Well we are back from our road trip.

We had a blast- it was a LOT of driving, but it was mostly a good drive (on the way back there was a 600 or 700 mile driving day and the whole time it was into a strong headwind) but having a hybrid this time was nice. We got about 46 MPG the whole trip, which beats out the 13 MPG that we got with the Porche last time, and when you are driving 4000 Miles, it make a HUGE difference.

Between the destinations of Georgetown, Texas and back home, we were able to see some dear friends. We met up with our friend Jamie in Tempe AZ for lunch one day. And on the way back we were able to spend the night with our awesome friend John-John. We LOVE to visit him, and as usual we had a great, but short visit. And also as usual, we have lots of tasty food, a "few" margaritas, and some great coffee- all in 24 hours :)

I do not have all of my pictures at my disposal yet to post, (they are at home on a CD) but the one of the train above was taken in New Mexico on the way home.

I will update this again soon, but for now I am still getting back into the swing of being home. It is Weird, for 2 weeks I didn't have to drive, cook a meal, wake up anytime earlier than I wanted to, could stay up as late as I wanted, and my only really chore was to do laundry once..... and getting back to "real life" seems kinda harsh on my relaxed attitude.

But on Sunday I did get up early and went to the local swap-meet and I found some cool things. I also FINALLY ordered the bookshelf for the guest room and in the next few days I will be setting it up and re-doing the look of the guest room- so stay tuned :)

Lauren

Getting Ready to Hit the Road

2008-03-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

Well John and I are getting ready to hit the road soon. We are taking a 2 week road trip to go see his Mom (and step-dad) in TEXAS! We will heading to a cute little town called "Georgetown" and it is about 30 or so minutes from Austin.

We drove out there a few years ago, and I am SO excited to go again. There is a whole lotta NOTHING between here and there, but at the same time, so much to see. There is a lot of desert, dirt, trains, cactus and more dirt, but they all hold a certain beauty. John is the best travel buddy you could hope for, and I am excited to start a new trip with him.

I have had the travel bug for a few months now, and it is way past due for a visit to see John's Mom. We last saw them....mmmmm.... at a wedding, and that was 2 years ago this May. So long over-due. I am not quite sure what we will do along the way this time. Last time we stopped at the Grand Canyon, hiked thru the underground Carlsbad Caverns, took a tour of Hoover Dam, and stayed and played at the Luxor Hotel in Vegas. That about covers all there is to do on the way, and the way back. So this time around we are going to try to see some people on the way and way back.

A good friend of mine has moved to Phoenix and we will try to see her on the way out. And then on the way home we will try to visit our one of our favorite people in the world, John-John. He lives in Vegas, and we will try to see if we can see him on the way back. If you are a regular reader, you will remember our trip to see him last year. But he is hard to get ahold of, and travels around alot, and so we will keep our fingers crossed that we will be able to see him.

As far as craft room progress goes- I have finished the 2x3 foot canvas, and 2 of the 8x8 inch ones. I will have to let you know what I do with them- that should be a week or 2 after we get back :)

In the Studio Again

2008-03-24T12:46:00.000-07:00

Photo from
http://www.flickr.com/photos/blockpartypress/2210303986/

Well I am finally back in the Craft Room after a bit of a break. Sometimes I just get.... well... bored is not the right word, but sometimes I need to get out of the craft room for awhile. So instead of spending the evenings and weekends in the craft room, I have been curled up in one of the armchairs in the front room, reading books and drinking tea. Lots of tea! I drink a custom blended "Rose Petal" tea. Loose Leaf black tea, with rose petals & rose oils. It is a dainty, yet refreshing blend. Over the last 3 weeks or so, I think I have gone thru almost 2 pots a day, every day. (Along with a dozen or 2 books, and a few plates of scones).

But I was not feeling the "urge" to go into the Craft Room, and even trying to "make" myself create was not working. I would spend a hour or so reading thru craft mags, or browsing blogs and Flickr, but nothing was inspiring me. I think that I just needed a break, and reading is a good relaxing escape from having to really think about anything in particular.

But on Friday afternoon, I found myself wandering in there, (book abandoned mid- chapter, which when you consider that I read a book about every 1.3 days it is saying something that I could walk away so easily!). I spent some time picking up in there, moving around some stuff to make my desk look cleaner ( I am not sure if it IS cleaner, but it LOOKS cleaner) , and by Saturday afternoon, I was back in the mood to create.

It was nice, it was easy, and I didn't have to force myself to think about what I needed to do- it just flowed. And flowed quickly- I think that I finished a painting in about 2 hours from start to finish- I usually hem and haw over it for hours or DAYS at a time trying to be happy with it. I just put in "Casino Royale" and by the time that James had his heart broken, my painting was drying, and I called it good.

I have not taken any pictures of it yet, but I will post it when I do. I am now officially out of Canvas, so I have all this creative juice ready to flow, and I am empty handed. ARG! And let me tell you, after the cheap, ugly, hard to paint, flimsy, flat canvas that I got from Aaron brothers last time, I am not touching those. At $8 (on sale) each, for a lousy little thing, I think that I can wait 2 days for Dick Blick to deliver my high quality, nice and thick canvas (at $3 each!). So for the next day or so I will have to cap on the creativity and wait for my Delivery.

Also- I ordered a 3x2 foot canvas! I think that I will be a bit scared of it (the biggest that I have ever painted is a 8x8 inch). I am going to try to make a painting to hang over John and I's bed. Our house is SO lacking in any kind of art. (At least outside of the front room and guest room anyway.) Our Bedroom consists of a bed, a nightstand (which is really a pine-wood tv tray) with a clock radio, a lamp, and a silver tray with my perfumes on it. That is it. No Photos, no dressers (we keep those in the closet), no art or anything.

We have painted the room so many times in the last 2.5 years (white, to a soft mocha, now to a cream- with many coats of each) that we have never really put anything up.
I would love to have a mirror on the wall behind the bed (to reflect the light from the window on the wall across from it- our room is kinda dark before the sun shines in there in the late afteroons) but John has a "thing" about hanging a mirror over our heads. I think he has images of a huge "crash, glass everywhere, sliced heads or necks, and trips to the ER" in mind, so hopefully a canvas will not scare him.

Oh well- my canvases will be here in a few days, I already know what I want to do with the big one for the bedroom, and I will go from there.

I am also starting to plan for our road trip. We are driving to TEXAS in a few weeks. It should be tons of fun- but we leave in 2 weeks. Time to get the outfits, luggage, pets, maps, plans all worked out. That should fill the time until I write again :)

Have a great day!

Back in Action

2008-03-06T12:10:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I have been MIA for awhile. I had this issues with my back\shoulder area last week. It was itchy and stinging and just really hurt. I was going nuts because nothing was working- Aveeno Lotion, Neosporin, lots of other kinds of lotion- and nothing was fixing it, adn to top it off- there was nothing showing on my skin. It looked perfectly normal. Then some bumps appeared (like spider bites) and after a few days of it getting more painful, I finally gave in and went to the Dr to see what he had to say.

Well turns out that I had Shingles! Which I think is kinda weird. I mean I had them when I was really young (which is REALLY odd- kids normally never get them) and then to have them again before I even hit 25 is weird (IMHO).

For those who don't know what Shingles are: When you get Chicken Pox the virus lives in the base of your spine for the rest of your life, and can resurface at any time it pleases in the form of Shingles.

They are really really painful. It is one of those things that you cannot SEE, but your nerve endings are basically going nuts and it feels like you have a sunburn and someone is scratching it with needles. And it also itches (like a sunburn) but the goal is to not itch it- because even having your clothes touch it means that you are in pretty bad pain. Even a breeze that touches your skin can cause pain (because of the over sensitive nerve endings under the skin).

They are not "catchable", you cannot get them from anyone, but since it is the same virus as ChickenPox, you can give CP to someone who has not had them (like little kids). As a matter of fact- that is how my little sister got CP when she was young- she got them when I got shingles.

Shingles are normally brought on by lots of stress- and the last month has been one of the least stressful that I have had in a long time. I was missing quite a bit of sleep lately- but I have not been stressed out about it- just tired.

So the worst part is the pain, but coming in close second was the cost of the pills (which doesn't cure them- shingles just go away after a week or so- or when ever they feel like it, the pain can last for months if it feels like sticking around that long- but the Meds try to rush the process and pain to finish a bit more quickly) but the cost of meds for a 7 day rounds was $216! YIKES! and that was WITH Healthcare and going to Wal Mart to get the best price. OUCH! (sigh) It seems to be my lot in life to get odd illnesses and then have to pay a bundle to fix it.

But I will be back in the Craft room this weekend, and we will have to see what pops up. I may do some painting, but I may just clean up. No matter how much I clean in there, all it takes is about 2 hours of creating, and the whole thing is a mess again. But last weekend I did manage to go thru some of my stuff and I took a stack of things over to a friend who also loves to get crafty. She got "new" free stuff, and I was able to pass along things that I didn't think that I was going to be able to use, and I freed up some space in my paper bins :) Everyone wins that way!

I am also REALLY wanting to buy a sewing machine. Not a nice one- just the bottom of the price range from wal mart sewer (like$75). I want to use it to be able to sew on my projects, and to be able to make some things for around the house. do you know how long it takes to HAND SEW a pillowcase, or a curtain panel? I do- and it takes forever and still looks funny. Hey, I can hand sew, but I never said it was pretty. So I may get one, but we will have to see. I spend almost $300 in heathcare last weekend(not including the cost of insurance, which just went up almost 45% this month! ouch!), and I was not expecting that expense, and so my money fund for the next month is smaller than I would have expected.

Oh well- enough chit chat! I have to get some lunch and then back to work for me!

Have a great (and Shingle-less!) Day!

New Painting

2008-02-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

I was really inspired by the cover of the March 2008 Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. I was not sure what I wanted to do about it- (paint, scrapbook, cardmaking?)- but I decided to do another painting using the shapes and colors of the cover photo.

My last one went over pretty well- but I wanted to change up the shapes of the flowers to give them a more soft and flow-y feel (like Peonies have) and so that is what I made. The colors for some reason are not as true as they are in person- the soft green is kinda muted in this photo- it almost has a yellow look to it- but in person it is much more soft mint green. In real life it stands out a bit better, I think my camera doesn't like that color (I have had issues in the past with it).

So that is one thing that I worked on this weekend. I ended up having a pretty full weekend- there were fun things to be done that I had forgotten about- but I will post about that soon :)

News From the Craft Room

2008-02-22T10:07:00.000-08:00

Ok- my mother of all people chided me about not updating my blog often enough, and so I thought I better do it before another weekend creeps up and passes me by without posting. (and Due to bad weather I plan on spending the weekend in the craft room creating, and not on the PC)

Above is one of the painting that I had been working on that I finally finished last week. I thought it was pretty cute, and I posted it on Flickr, and it has been getting pretty rave reviews- I feel so flattered. Someone (who knows what they are talking about since they are in respected scrapbook\art kit as a designer) said that they loved it and that I should be Designing Scrapbook paper. (!!!!) I nearly died! To have someone mention (even loosely) that I had any kind of skill and say that I should do something that I have as a dream, well- that was life affirming! It was a good day :)

I like the photo that is posted above- but it is this one that is getting the better views and comments- so I will post it too. It is the same pic, but from a different angle and you can see around the other side.

I am not quite sure what I am doing in the craft room this weekend. I am out of canvas- and I order mine from Dick Blick. They are SOOOO nice and SOOOO cheep compared to what is to be found around here. I went to Michaels the other day, and a 4x4 canvas was 7.99 and it was totally cheaply made. At Dick Blick a 4x4 nice canvas is about ohhhhhhh $2 or less. How can you beat that! (except I have to actually ORDER them and wait for UPS to show up.)
I may check out Aaron Brother's and see what they have. They will have good stuff if they have anything, but I only need 1 or 2 to tide me over until my UPS man shows up during the week.

I also want to start sewing- but I still have no machine. And I should probably not spend any more money this week, so maybe not this week. Oh! I bought the most amazing "quilt stack" at a fabric store last weekend. The prints are all amazing- they remind me a bit of Amy Butler, but it is a touch more cute, and a touch less formal looking, but it is adorable. I will post picks of the fabric when I figure out what to do with them. I wanted to scrapbook with them, but they are so cute that I will probably kill myself trying to make my first sewing project a quilt. :)

Oh well- I am still rambling about nothing. I have not slept very well lately. I was really tired all of yesterday, and it was a LONG work day. Got to work at 7:50, didn't take a lunch, left work at 4:15, went to my parents house and got dressed up, and then went to the place where my work gives a Monthly presentation, and I was there from 5:00 to 10:00 last night. Went home and got in bed by 10:30, but I could not fall asleep. I was TOO tired to sleep, and I tossed and turned forever it seemed. And we had a 10am appt this morning, and so I had to be perky and happy and not tired looking when I got to work at 7:50 again this morning. Ugh- I think that I may need a nap today :)

Anyway- I Hope you have a great weekend!

Well Hello My Pretty!

2008-02-19T11:03:00.001-08:00

This is my New Phone- The LG Voyager.
Cute huh? It is the "other" iPhone. The front has a full touch screen, and it also flips open for keyboard use ( I still use the touch outside for all of my Texting). It is a Full MP3 player, has US navigation abilities, voice recondition (which works really well) and it Also have a pretty decent camera.

I am now a "Verizo-ian" and this was my fave. I have big thumbs, and honestly- I needed a phone that I could Dial and Text with that was not going to get messed up by my thumbs (hitting 2 or more keys at a time). And the Buttons and touch screen buttons are really easy to use.
John (who had the same phone since 2003) also needed a new phone (both our phones had charging issues and also had a hard time keeping a charge)- and he also decided to get one. We have spent the last 2 day messing with them, and they are awesome :)

I did finish one of my painting this weekend. It was 7:15am on Monday morning, and I was awake, showered, dressed and about to finish getting ready when I got a call from my boss and he informed me that it was a holiday and we were going to be closed today- so to take the day off and enjoy:) So I decided to make some tea and go into the craft room and finish my painting. It turned out ok- I was pretty happy with it.

It was a "copy" of something that I had seen at Borders, and I will post the Painting and the inspiration sometime later today.
I hope your weekend was awesome!

Long Time no Post!

2008-02-16T07:31:00.000-08:00

Howdy!
It's been awhile since I posted last. I'm not sure why, but I am guessing that the 8 hours a day I spend working with a PC may be the reason I am not jumping for joy at the PC when I get home.

I have been spending a lot of time in the craft room latley. I am working on a painting right now- well 3 of them really. one of them is going well and should be done today. One of them is stumping me- I cannot figure out how I want to finish it- and the third? Well I may have to just give up on that one. You can only repaint and paint over somthing so many times before you just are over it. Maybe I will use that canvas as my "Paint Board" and so after I make a few more paintings it will have some random paint blob affect going on.

I am also thinking about making some 4x4 canvases. Dick Blick has great prices on them, but I may pick one or 2 up at the local art store and see if I like the size before getting a shipment of them..... we will see.

Sorry for the random rambling. I have had trouble sleeping latley. I had a bad 2 weeks, then 4 or 5 nights of great sleep, and now I am going to bed at 9:30\10 ish and I wake up at 4:30ish and cannot fall back alseep. So this morning (and on a Saturday too!) I woke up about 5ish and by 6:30 I was sick of laying in bed trying to not wake John up. So I have been web surfing for a hour, and am finally ready to leave the office and start my day. It is still early, but maybe I will go into the kitchen and make some "saturday morning Cinnamon rolls" for John as a supprise :)

Have a great day and I will post some pics in a day or so :)

Gettin' Crafty and Other Stuff

2008-02-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

Hello :)
I hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was pretty good- cold and rainy- but good.
Saturday I spent the morning playing in the craft room (with lights, DVD’s and space heater all running and making me happy) and sipping my Rose Petal tea (Yum!)... hmmm now that I think about it... I might try making some of my own rose tea-hmmmm.... but that is for another post- and most likely a post for my cooking blog).

Anyway- Saturday night John and I went to the Symphony at Cal Poly. As usual, we were in our favorite seats, and the music was amazing! They played Debussy, Tychoskhy, and A wonderful piano sonata4 by Beethoven. The Pianist was the most amazing musical thing that I have ever seen. She played the entire piece by memory (blending in and out of the orcustrha flawlessly), and her hands were really amazing. The piece was fast and complex, but her hands flowed like liquid silk and was smoother than seemed humanly possible for such complex music. It was amazing :)

The next morning (the 3rd) was John and I's 3 and half year anniversary- and so we went out to the Apple Farm for Brunch (our favorite place to get breakfast) and it was Cozy and fun.
We spent part of the early afternoon doing our own thing (me reading with some tea- him with his laptop) and then we headed over to my parents house to watch the Super bowl. (Random fact: we have been dating for 42 months, and it was the 42 super bowl- and meaning of life of you have read hitchhikers guide to the galaxy)

It was not a overwhelming weekend- but we will do something more "special" for our anniversary in the next month or so- this month is just so busy already with the weekends already half full of plans.

Well, as promised, here is the project that I was working on for John. The PDF of the pages are available from Ali Edward's site (see link on my sidebar) and I put it together a bit different than she did. She used a sewing machine (which I still don't have) and red felt (which I have but am using for another project).I made mine in more of a "board book" style.

Here are some of the photos from the book. It was about 10-12 pages long. Each page got something different done with it. Some had longer writing, some had just 1 sentence, some had just a touch of embellishments, and some were more elaborate. Each page had a photo that corresponds with a reason why I love Him.

(We are in the Jelly Belly Factory getting a Tour- Because I couldn't just drive by the factory without a tour!!)

(BTW: those are NOT my kids- they belong to my sister!) lol

It was a bit harder than I first thought it would be. I had to cut and measure all the pages and in essence- make a book, and then figure out the best way to attach it to the outer binding, and how to make it close properly. (A "hanging inner hinge" bind worked pretty well- as you can see in the above photo- the spine of the book is free floating and keeps the spine from cracking when you read the pages).

Anyway- I need to get back to work- but I hope you enjoy the pics :) I will try to show more projects later :)

Inspired By Color...

2008-01-31T10:20:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a few things in the craft room the last few nights. I cannot show any of it yet- some is still "in process" and 1 of them is a gift for john for our 3 year 6 month anniversary.

We celebrate out 6 month mark with somthing nice or romantic since our first date was going to the Fair and that is what we do on the "year" Anniversary. And the smell of corndogs, sheep, hay and kettle corn are not quite what you would call "Romantic"- fun- but not romantic.
So we do somthing "fru fru" at the 6 month mark. This year we may cop out and just watch the Superbowl with friends\family, but it will still be fun, and I will still have a gift made for him.

But he lurks around sometimes, and knowing his comic timing- he would visit the day I post pics of what I would be giving him- so I will post picks after I give it to him :)

But here are some photos From Flickr that I have found recently that have inspired me in some way or another. I love the Colors and texture of them.

Enjoy :)
(PS- I noticed after i posted all of these that I am in a "blue green" mood I guess- :) Which explains why everything I touch latley ends up those colors.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominicspics/821487676/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/backlitcoyote/636618434/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ms_jane_under/1936287830/

(to me it looks like the lights are smiling at me) :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrzeb/399289895/

Keep Calm & Carry On

2008-01-29T10:56:00.001-08:00

Here is one of the canvases that I painted on the other day. The Colors are not really super close- in person it is much more vibrant- but these are some of the colors that I will be using in the Craft room when I get around to painting it. It will have blue walls, white trim, Brown and White storage baskets and shelves and soft lime green and soft orange accessories here and there (Urban outfitters has some cool ones) here I want this http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?color=80&navAction=jump&id=14406581 and This http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?color=30&navAction=jump&id=12982740

I spent a huge part of my time this weekend in the Craft room. The floor is mostly clear, the work table has about 2.5 square feet of space clean for use (which is only about 1/3 of the table, but it is a start) There is still of alot of stuff to put away- but the hard part (finding a home for it all) is mostly done- now I just need to get it there :)

I will post more later as i finish more projects, and make more progress in the room. In the mean time- you can check out Flickr and see the pics that I took months ago of the room and get a idea of what it looks like when it is cleaner. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/8707192@N02/sets/72157602112510460/)

Have a great day!

New "crafty-ness" to come soon

2008-01-25T09:12:00.000-08:00

Ok- I have not been very "crafty" Latley- and most of my recent blogs were bemoaning the eveil sickness that I had (which I think is really gone now- the coughs are almost non-exsistant now) and the fact that my blog was not getting along with me- but with sickness and blog issues resolved I plan on getting back to the crafts.

The Cooking Blog has been absorbing a bit of my time latley- which seems like a good excuse for avoiding the craft room- but I will be honest. The Craft room is in SUCH a state of disarray that I spent about 4 hours in there last friday afternoon, and I can now see about 75% of the floor, but most surfaces are covered in "stuff" tha still needs to be put away- over even harder- found a home so that I CAN put it away.

Also- we have had nasty cold weather here- (there was SNOW on the hill the other day- that only happens about oh- every 15 years or so) and the craft room is usually pretty cold since I keep the door closed to keep the avalanche from gaining access to the hallway and it takes a hour or better to get to "warm" and lets face it, if you have to choose between cleaning a cold room, and baking somthing tasty in a warm kitchen- most would choose the kitchen as I did.

But today I am going back into the depths of the room and will try to make some more progress so that I can start crafting again in a nice clean space.

And one of the biggest reasons that I have not been "crafty" is that after the holidays of rushing to make and get out christmas cards, and getting crafty with wrapping the gifts, and trying to make the house look cute- I was burned out and had no inspiration to want to craft. But Last night I watched 3 hours of Project Runway (and I am now caught up!) and I am full of crafty Ideas. It is odd that I can watch a fashion\sewing program and get inspired to work with paper- odd- but it works for me :)

Anyway- I hate to post without a picture- so above is a pic that I took the other day. It is of a plant that is in our parking garage here at work.

Ciao!

SuperChicken Cooks is Now Live

2008-01-21T16:35:00.000-08:00

Well I now have a cooking Blog. It is www.superchickencooks.blogspot.com/
It is still new, but I am working on it :)

Hope you like!

Ciao

Finally Making Progress

2008-01-18T09:47:00.000-08:00

Yep- thats right! I am finally getting this thing up and running the way that I want. Of Course changing the templet means that all my links and "extras" have been erased and I have to start from scratch, but that is ok! It was time to do some purging of old info and adding of new goodies.

I will be probably eb working on this over the weekend, so check back soon and hopefully things will be looking up to standard them.

Also- and super huge "thank you" shout out to Rachel From "Bling". Without her help, links, and letting me know I am not alone in the HTML confusion, I would have been totally lost, confused and frustrated. So Go check her blog out (http://www.blingonmysewingmachine.blogspot.com/), see the cute genius that is her work, and also check out the Etsy shop with new goodies (see her blog for the correct links).

Welcome Friday! I am happy to see you!

Updating the Blog

2008-01-16T10:58:00.000-08:00

"If you want to truly understand something, try to change it." ~Kurt Lewin

That is For Sure! I am not so good at figuring out the whole blog stuff- and trying to change it has been a learning experience. Hopefully things will look ok when I am done :)
So Pay no mind to the oddness you may see in the next few days- I am trying to figure out some new looks for the Blog.

The most notable is the background color. No More Black for now- White Feels so fresh to me for now- and so Fresh White it is. Also- Because I used to have black, I could use color Fonts easier, and I am trying to go back and change all my old posts to a normal dark color that is easier to read- but If I do not get to all of them- oh well I guess.

I am also changing up for fonts, and items on the sidebar- so stay tuned and I will let you know when I am done and you can give your opinions on the new overhauled look :)

Also- I am finally on the rebound from the Evil cold I had. I still have a cough here and there- but I am back to the land of the living (and without the hernia inducing coughing). Glad to be back :)

On the Slow Mend

2008-01-04T09:14:00.000-08:00

Well I am on the mend- slow but sure.
I went and saw the Doctor yesterday, and I now have some antibiotics and I am feeling better. The cough is the most annoying part of the ordeal. If not for the cough I would be able to sleep thru the night ( I take full doses of Nyquil and I still cannot sleep thru the night) and I have not been able to "lay down" for over a week now. I have to sleep sitting up, it is really annoying, and not very comfy- but it keeps the coughing down.

I think that in the next day or 2 I will have shaken most of the coughing. My head and chest are almost cleared up, so that will be the end of the cough :)

I am off to the Chiropractor today. A few days ago, I must of pinched a nerve, because half of my left hand has gone mostly numb. I can feel it, but it has a odd half life feel and I would like to get it back to normal--- after avoiding Doctors and Chiropractors for the last few years (they are too much $$$ for me) I have 2 appointments in 2 days- the Irony of it has not been lost on me. I guess I need to be better at "maintenance" and less on the "overhaul". :)

Happy (and healthy) day to you!

2008-01-02T13:48:00.000-08:00

Still sick- still feel miserable- not much to say- but I thought I would post a pretty pic for ya :)
It is of our lavender plant in the back yard. I took this yesterday. It was the first time that I had gone outdoors for about 4 days, and it was nice and warm and the lavender was too pretty to pass up.

Have a good (and healthy) day! :)

Oh So VERY Sick!!!!

2007-12-29T19:25:00.000-08:00

John and I have been attacked with the worst sickness that both of us has had in forever.
Last time was just a trial run I guess.

I could blame my little brother- but it was not his fault that he was sick on Christmas day- or that we spent about 11 hours there.
And then the next day John and I had to get to work early, and start the DAYS long chore of Inventory. John and I both started the Cough and nose issues that morning, and while he was sitting at his desk and I was in Assembly counting millions of little parts (and it was COLD out there- in the 50's or low 60's)

Then 2 days later, we both got attacked big time. So for the last 2 days we have had 101-102 fevers, and are not hungry (a HUGE sign we are sick) and have been coughing and sneezing to no end. To top it off, we were stuck at work, and he was sitting at his desk burning up with a fever, and I was out in the shipping area, in the misty wet cold, and we were both doing inventory. (and to top it off- John is the ONLY one who knows what to do and can make all the corrections- it sucks to be the "go to man" at times.)

Inventory is at best- a horrid & miserable thing in the best of conditions, and with the 2 of us down, it was a long, long long horrid day. And we are not done yet. It all has to be finished by the 1st, (for tax and inventory reasons) and so no matter how bad we feel in the next day or so, we will have to drag ourselves in and finish it. At least it is all computer work for now (I think).

I technically do not have to go in- my Days at Maximum Motorsports were over on Friday- but the last thing I am going to do is send John into work to finish it himself into the wee hours of the night, while I sit at home and mumble Thur the shivers.

All I can say is ugh- and ugh again.
Typing is not a huge chore at the moment. John and I are in the office- 2 jackets each, scarves, socks, slippers and polar fleece pants, and the heater is on, and we also have a space heater that is at the moment pumping out 76 degree warm air, and has been for about 2 hours. It is nice and cozy in here, and I almost feel like my finger can function. But poor John, he was laying on the floor in front of the space heater in 2 jackets, many layers of socks and slippers, and a thermal headband and shivering. I keep jabbing the new thermometer at him, and have informed him that if his fever hits 103.5 or higher it is time for the doctor (he hates to go).... but I am grateful that as lousy as I feel- i can still care for him- he really shuts down when he gets sick, and it worries me.

Oh well- off to drink more tea- that is all that sounds tasty to me. Even chicken soup is not appealing. ugh.
night all!

Ho Ho Ho!

2007-12-24T16:41:00.003-08:00

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope that you all have a very merry, happy and wonderful Christmas.
John and I are about to sit down and watch "The Bishops Wife" (oh how I love Cary Grant!) and have some dinner. And then we are going to go get some tasty Starbucks holiday drinks and drive around and check out some of the amazing lights around here, and then home to watch "the Grinch" and then probably play a game or two (not sure what yet, but I am hoping for trivial pursuit 90's edition) and then off to bed and then tomorrow- Christmas!

We will have out Christmas together (and with the birds- they love to play in the wrapping paper) and then we will head to my parents house to hang out there and do more gifts and have dinner :)

Well- Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a Good night!

SO True!

2007-12-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

Ok- we have birds- and this movie truly highlights how they interact at times. Yes they are usually sweet and kind, but they can be a bit "peckish" at times. The Parrotlets are not overly sweet to the parakeets, and while the parakeets want to be friendly with the parrotlets, the keets usually turn on each other faster than anything else. Anyway- Enjoy the movie! This Is John and I's fave short movie that Pixar has made :) Pixar is the best!

A Christmas Treat for you!

2007-12-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

How the Grinch Stole ChristmasBy Dr. Seuss

Every Who Down in Whoville Liked Christmas a lot... But the Grinch,Who lived just north of Whoville, Did NOT! The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be his head wasn't screwed on just right. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. But I think that the most likely reason of all, May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

Whatever the reason, His heart or his shoes, He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos, Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown, At the warm lighted windows below in their town. For he knew every Who down in Whoville beneath, Was busy now, hanging a mistletoe wreath. "And they're hanging their stockings!" he snarled with a sneer, "Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!" Then he growled, with his Grinch fingers nervously drumming, "I MUST find some way to stop Christmas from coming!" For Tomorrow, he knew, all the Who girls and boys, Would wake bright and early. They'd rush for their toys! And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the Noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That's one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE!

Then the Whos, young and old, would sit down to a feast. And they'd feast! And they'd feast! And they'd FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! They would feast on Who-pudding, and rare Who-roast beast. Which was something the Grinch couldn't stand in the least! And THEN They'd do something He liked least of all! Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, Would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing. They'd stand hand-in-hand. And the Whos would start singing! They'd sing! And they'd sing! And they'd SING! SING! SING! SING!

And the more the Grinch thought of this Who ChristmasSing, The more the Grinch thought, "I must stop this whole thing!" "Why, for fifty-three years I've put up with it now!" "I MUST stop this Christmas from coming! But HOW?" Then he got an idea! An awful idea! THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA! "I know just what to do!" The Grinch laughed in his throat. And he made a quick Santy Claus hat and a coat. And he chuckled, and clucked, "What a great Grinchy trick!" "With this coat and this hat, I look just like Saint Nick!" "All I need is a reindeer..." The Grinch looked around. But, since reindeer are scarce, there was none to be found. Did that stop the old Grinch? No! The Grinch simply said, "If I can't find a reindeer, I'll make one instead!" So he called his dog, Max. Then he took some red thread, And he tied a big horn on the top of his head.

THEN He loaded some bags And some old empty sacks, On a ramshackle sleigh And he hitched up old Max. Then the Grinch said, "Giddap!" And the sleigh started down, Toward the homes where the Whos Lay asnooze in their town. All their windows were dark. Quiet snow filled the air. All the Whos were all dreaming sweet dreams without care. When he came to the first little house on the square. "This is stop number one," the old Grinchy Claus hissed, And he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist. Then he slid down the chimney. A rather tight pinch. But, if Santa could do it, then so could the Grinch. He got stuck only once, for a moment or two. Then he stuck his head out of the fireplace flue. Where the little Who stockings all hung in a row. "These stockings," he grinned, "are the first things to go!"

Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant, Around the whole room, and he took every present! Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums! Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums! And he stuffed them in bags. Then the Grinch, very nimbly, Stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimney! Then he slunk to the icebox. He took the Whos' feast! He took the Who-pudding! He took the roast beast! He cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash. Why, that Grinch even took their last can of Who-hash! Then he stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee. "And NOW!" grinned the Grinch, "I will stuff up the tree!" And the Grinch grabbed the tree, and he started to shove, When he heard a small sound like the coo of a dove. He turned around fast, and he saw a small Who! Little Cindy-Lou Who, who was not more than two. The Grinch had been caught by this tiny Who daughter, Who'd got out of bed for a cup of cold water. She stared at the Grinch and said, "Santy Claus, why,” "Why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?"

But, you know, that old Grinch was so smart and so slick, He thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick! "Why, my sweet little tot," the fake Santy Claus lied, "There's a light on this tree that won't light on one side." "So I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear." "I'll fix it up there. Then I'll bring it back here." And his fib fooled the child. Then he patted her head, And he got her a drink and he sent her to bed. And when CindyLou Who went to bed with her cup, HE went to the chimney and stuffed the tree up! Then the last thing he took Was the log for their fire! Then he went up the chimney, himself, the old liar. On their walls he left nothing but hooks and some wire. And the one speck of food That he left in the house, Was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse.

Then He did the same thing To the other Whos' houses Leaving crumbs Much too small For the other Whos' mouses! It was quarter past dawn... All the Whos, still a-bed, All the Whos, still asnooze When he packed up his sled, Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings! The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings! Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit, He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it! "PoohPooh to the Whos!" he was grinchishly humming. "They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!" "They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!" "Their mouths will hang open a minute or two, Then the Whos down in Whoville will all cry BooHoo!" "That's a noise," grinned the Grinch, "That I simply MUST hear!" So he paused.

And the Grinch put his hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow. But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY! He stared down at Whoville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise! Every Who down in Whoville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?" "It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!" "It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store." "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"

And what happened then? Well...in Whoville they say, That the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day! And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight, He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light, And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast! And he, HE HIMSELF! The Grinch carved the roast beast!

Back in the game...

2007-12-11T13:04:00.000-08:00

Hello Hello!!! I have returned from the land of the plague. It took about a week to go away, but I am finally feeling mostly back to normal. I still cough from time to time, and I am still sleeping a bit more soundly than normal, but I no longer feel like I am walking around in a fevered fog.
Since I wanted to post a update about the time that I was struck down, this will be a bit of a mini catch-up.

For the Holidays I wanted to have some fun tasks that John and I could do together. So instead of the usual Advent calender, I made a Holiday Project Bowl. I made up some small cards with Holiday Ideas, and stamped them, and tied them with ribbon. So every evening we pick a card to open and we follow what it says the next day. Some of them are tied with blue ribbon, and those are bigger tasks and so we save those for the weekends.

The First one that was drawn was one of the larger tasks. It was "bake Holiday cookies and Deliver them to Friends". John (who can bake, but has not done it for years) was a bit wary, but we had fun. Here we are about to get started. (john will be upset that I posted pics of him unshaven, but If he only wants to shave once a week, than he is risking getting posted on the blog looking scruffy) If any of you notice my apron- it is vintage Starbucks. I still have a few of my Aprons from when I was a Barista :) (good times, good times!)

Here is John making one of the most popular treats we made. It is a cookie\bar that is filled and topped with Chocolate chips, white chocolate, marshmallows, and Caramel bites. Very tasty and rich! And you can see a bit of the kitchen remodel in the background. We tore out the old window and have not yet Drywalled up the wall yet.

Here is some of the packages we made up for family and friends. We ended up making Frosted Sugar Cookies, Peppermint twists dipped in chocolate with crushed peppermint on top. Chocolate surprise cookies (chocolate cookies, topped with a marshmallow as it bakes and then frosted when cool with chocolate frosting) the Rocky bars (already mentioned) and last but not least- the snicker doodles that John made all on his own :)

Then a few days later the plague set in, and I was not able to function very well, and avoided the blog out of guilt and and not feeling well.

Then as I was feeling better, I started taking more pics again. On Saturday night John and I went to the PAC and we saw "The Nutcracker" Ballet. I had heard some of the music, and knew the story (sorta) but I had never seen it performed (live or on TV). WE had Awesome seats. We were at the front row of the top balcony, and seated front and center. I was thinking that we may be far from the stage, but it really was perfect. I would not want to pay double just to be about 10 feet closer- we could see everything, and I liked the higher up view. It was sun to watch, and they took some liberty in the story and so I was a bit confused from time to time, but we had a good time :)

Well that about sums it up for now.

I am really happy to be feeling better. I am finally feeling more like myself- I am happy most of the day, feeling creative, happy for the holidays, and wanting to eat again. I know when I am sick when I am warm, un-talkative, never hungry, and unhappy. It is nice to be back :)

I Surrender!

2007-12-06T10:53:00.000-08:00

Fever- Check.

Stuffy head- check.

Sneezing- Check.

Throat on Fire- Check.

Bottle of Nyquil and a king size bed- CHECK!

I have been hit with a mini plauge. I was feeling kinda "off" on monday and tuesday. But there was a Brush fire around here, and I blamed the sore throat and sneezing on the smoke that was lingering in the air. Well yesterday it all hit the fan. I had a fever, and was chilled (I was wearing a long sleeve shirt with a jacket with the heater on and it was 77 outside). But I gave in, went home from work, slept all afternoon, and last night I took the Nyquil.

John is not very fond of it, but it is one of my best friends, and I surrendered to the bliss that I knew it would bring. I took a half dose, and was asleep in about 15 minutes. I didn't MOVE last night. I woke up in the same spot that I feel alseep in & I still had a clip in my hair this morning, and it didn't move either.

I slept like the dead last night, and when I woke up this morning I felt better. Not well, but better. I am sitting here at work, drinking hot water with Lemon and Honey (trust me, that works better than any cough drop that I have ever used!) and sitting back here waiting for the phone to ring and happy that I feel a bit better.

I love you Nyquil.... you are the best.

40 Months

2007-12-03T16:44:00.000-08:00

Today John and I have been dating for 40 Months. (3 Years and 4 Months for those of you who are year inclined)
He is the best guy ever, and it has been the best "40 months" that I have ever had.
Here's to you John, I love you and Happy Anniversary!

The "Long Catch Up" Post

2007-11-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

Alright, Here it is- the long awaited (and promised) Post. This Covers quite a Bit so sit back, grab some popcorn (or whatever floats your boat) and get ready for a lot of scrolling down!

About 2 weeks ago I was in a Holiday Mood. So I decided to do some pre-holiday time decorating. Never mind that it was a week and a half before thanksgiving, I was in a Christmas mood. I took some white Xmas lights, and ran 2 strands of them around our large front window. I then took some Silver Bulbs and hung them with some holiday looking ribbon from the lights. I staggered them height wise, and it looks quite nice when you walk in the door, flip the light switch and it is warm glowing lights that come on and not just a lamp.

(Half of the Front window)

I also have a large collection of "mini" sized Christmas Bulbs. (they are silver, pearl and frosted glass) I decided to place them in a spare Martini glass and display them with our "Birdie Santa". Our Santa is on display all year on the table, but it now looks even more festive with some holiday spirit behind it. I also placed a few "mini pedestal compote" dishes with holiday Mint M&M's around the room (much to Johns delight!), and it really made the room feel like Christmas was coming.

Well John Had his birthday on the 20th, (a Tuesday) and I decided (on Sunday) that it would be fun to throw him a surprise birthday party. So I scrambled around and in 2 days I managed to pull off a party :) It was a lot fun. There was a nice size turn out, (about 11 adults and 2 kids) and it was a nice relaxed evening.

We had drinks, and food and john was excited to see the cake that he had been drooling over at Costco. It was a fudge Macaroon caramel cake thing.It was super rich, chocolate, and covered in toasted coconut, caramel and fudge hunks. Just his style :)

In the midst of the rush to get things taken care of (and be a good hostess) I didn't manage to get pics of any of the party. I did get 2 shots, but none that had John or the "partyscape". Sorry!

Then 2 days later it was Thanksgiving. We headed over to my parents house for dinner. It was a lot of fun, food and laughing. At the dinner was My parents, My younger brother (because to call him my "little" brother would be to ignore the fact that he towers over me at 6 foot 3), My younger sister, her boyfriend, My grandmother (moms mom) and my uncle (moms brother), John and myself.

And last but not least, my sister, her Husband and their 5 kids "joined" us Via Webcam. Us "kids" spent a good deal of time in front of my brothers computer so we could talk and laugh with them and see how the children reacted to being able to "see" us while we were talking to them. It was a great deal of fun to see them react to us in that way.

(John and I on Thanksgiving)

Both my brother and sister made pies for this thanksgiving. Usually I, or my grandma, is in charge of making pies, but this year I ducked out and (gasp!) purchased a pre-made pie pumpkin pie from costco. So my brother (who at 16 can bake as well as my mom and myself!) (sorry mom, but you have to admit that his Toffee is better than anything any of us has ever made!) So this year Chris made a pecan pie, and my sister made a peach pie. They were very proud to contribute pies this year......

Of course- they had different ideas as to who had the best pie.

(Chris and I after dinner)

My brother and I got a little loopy after all the turkey and pie, and somehow ended up in the bathroom for a "Zoolander" inspired photo shoot. Crazy glasses- check. Messed up hair- check. too much sugar and nothing to do- check. Crazy photos to last forever- check!

(THE "ZOOLANDERS")

The day after Thanksgiving was pretty Mellow. Yeah, John and I went out and did some shopping, but nothing really all that drastic. We are not the 4 am door buster types..... we were the 1:30pm- after a good night sleep and a tasty brunch- kind of shoppers. I think we did score a few good deals, but nothing that I would have woken up at 3:30 am to get.

Then the day after that (Saturday) we headed on down to Anaheim to go to Disneyland. It was a pretty nice drive and we got off the 101 outside of Ventura and so we missed a lot of the holiday traffic (if there was any). We got to our hotel (the Ho-Jo) around 4Pm and it was nice to get there and have time to relax before it got dark.

Our Hotel was RIGHT across the street from Disneyland (no joke- our balcony view was Tomorrowland and the Matterhorn) and so we admired the view and then went out looking for food. We ended up at Islands. It is a great Grill and we do not have any around where we live. I have only been there a few times, and it was a favorite of John's when he was living in LA, so it was a perfect place to go and unwind (With a tall mug of passion fruit Iced Tea of course!).

One nice thing that has changed about Disneyland since we were last there (in May) was that the "finding Nemo" Ride had finally opened. It was a LONG LONG line, and after it looked like it had died down some we finally got in line.
It was "only" 75 minutes before we got to get on. Lucky for us it was a warm but overcast day- I know that I would have not been able to stand in the hot Anaheim sun for that long for just 1 ride. The ride was a update of the old yellow submarine ride, and for the last 3 years we have been going, this is the first time that they have been up and riding around- the ride was closed even from view- and it was nice to be able to see the blue lagoon again with the yellow submarines riding around.

I also saw this sign, and my first thought was "Yeah- that is always a good Idea" no matter where you are. They should post these on every roadside- not just at Disneyland.

"Always a Good Idea"

While waiting for the Firework show to begin, I decided to play with the slow night speed on my camera.
I set it for night shots, focused on some lights in the distance, and was playing around with making "light storms". (this happens to be the Top of the "Carnation Cafe") I got a lot of cool shots, but this was one of my favorites..

On the way home, we were stopped at a red light and I looked over and look what I saw! A Bobs Big Boy! Those are SOOOOOOO hard to find. I used to go to one here in town when I was quite young, and my grandparents would take my family and I out to breakfast from time to time.
I remember that my grandpa purchased a Bobs Big Boy Piggy Bank for me, and I still have it (somewhere) to this day.

The BBB in our town closed years ago, but John and I still go to eat in the cafe where it used to be, and I am always reminded of those "good ole days". It was nice to see that they are still around in some places (even if the Bob statue is smaller, and is considered a "express") :)

Well- That is about it for now.... I need to go get ready for bed, Put the flock to bed, and make sure that John doesn't stay up to late working on his PC.

I hope you liked all the photos, and I will try to not take so long to update things so that you do not have to spend 20 minutes trying to catch up :)

Good night!

Button Love and Random Thoughts

2007-11-27T14:42:00.001-08:00

Yeah- Buttons are kinda random- but I was Flickr surfing today, and I found these pics to be cute :)

Well I have a lot of blogging to catch up on. There was John's Birthday, Thanksgiving, a Trip to Disneyland and I STILL need to post the photos of the decorations that I made more than a week ago. I am pretty tired from our trip, but as soon as I upload my photos I will try to post about all the above subjects.

Here are some random thoughts for today:

1. I really want a sewing machine- I am also scared about getting one because I have no idea where I will find the space to hold yet another "craft" in the craft room- it is bursting at the seams already.

2. I am really excited about the holiday season- but the #1 item that I get most excited about (the Christmas Tree) I am not excited about yet. It will probably hit me all at once and I will be ho-hum about a tree one minute and then the next moment I will have a "all consuming" need for one- but that is just me I guess :)

3. I am so excited for bubble baths right now- How can you not love a tub of hot water with pretty smelling bubbles and a book- that is my fave way to spend the nights right now.

4. I am about 70% done with my Christmas cards--- well 70% done MAKING them- I still need to make another 30% and then write and send them all- (so there goes the bubble baths- I need to spend my evenings working on those instead!)

Anyway- I need to get back to work- but I will really work on getting things more updated around here :)

Happy Birthday John!

2007-11-20T11:24:00.000-08:00

(note: I did not make this cupcake, but I will try the cute decorating idea sometime)

Happy birthday to you honey! (He is 38 today- but I didn't tell you that!)

I have not posted lately- but I have been busy and I have a few things to do before I can post again (get photos off the camera, edit and crop them, etc.) but I will try to post again soon!

With Johns birthday, thanksgiving, decorating the house for Christmas, working on Christmas cards, and getting some shopping done I have kept myself busy- We are also leaving on Saturday and heading down to Anaheim.

And anyone who knows me, knows what that means..... That's right! DISNEYLAND!!!!! (whooooooo hoooooooooo!) I have not been there since mothers day when we met up with my family there for the day (we had been at a wedding the day before down there, and my fam was on the way back from a vacation). We will be in DISNEYLAND on Sunday and maybe a bit on Monday morning before heading back home.

But I will try to get with it and post all the stored up stories and photos soon, I promise! :)

Lots of fun stories and photos to soon follow!

Tuesday Mosaic

2007-11-13T13:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a Mosaic for today. I just wanted to share a few photos that I thought were cute :)

Enjoy!

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

2007-11-08T15:54:00.000-08:00

They are BACK!

YES! I love love love my eggnog lattes on a cold weekend morning! Ahhhh- so cozy, so warm, so..... christmasy!

Even a Tall Straight Eggnog (straight eggnog-no milk) with 1 shot is enough to give me a happy day.

(sigh)

It really IS the most wonderful time of the year!

"Brew me a cup for a winter's night.For the wind howls loud and the furies fight;Spice it with love and stir it with care,And I'll toast our bright eyes,my sweetheart fair." ~Minna Thomas Antrim

Beware the "Curse of Palm Desert"!

2007-11-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

That is right- "The Curse of Palm Desert". I seem to have this curse attack me each and every year for the last 5 years, and this year was no exception.

My parents (and any siblings still living at home) travel to Palm desert every year at this time to stay for a week or 2. My dad has Business seminars to attend and they make a vacation of it and usually stay a bit longer. I have never been, but I get a "special" treat anyway.

I am not usually a person that has "issues". Yeah, I have my own set of problems like anyone, but for this 2 week time period every year, some disaster strikes me in one way or another.

The first 2 years my family went to Palm Desert, I got a infection, was stuck in bed at home for a few days on antibiotics. This only happened once a year, and each year was during the week they were gone. I thought that it was kinda funny, and joked that maybe I am cursed when they go away.

Skip ahead to one year later. A few days after they left town, I was having dinner with my Boyfriend and I started to feel funny in my chest. It became a sharp, crushing pain. After laying awake all night in pain, (thinking that I was maybe having a heart attack since it runs in the family) I felt all fine, and went about my life. Later I was to have a full check up (EKG included) and nothing bad happened, but it still scared the bee-geezus out of John, and when he filled in my mom on what happened, I was nearly in big trouble with her for not going to ER when I was in Pain. Once again, we laughed about the Palm desert thing, and wrote it off.

Skip ahead another year. I had lived in a large walk-in part of my parents attic for awhile a few year before, and they wanted it cleaned out of all the other stuff that I had left in there. So one hot afternoon, I was up there cleaning it (a few days after they left for Palm Desert). Since it was so hot- and I was alone in the house- I took off my shirt and was in my jeans and kinda skimpy undershirt (and I am not skinny, so it was not super attractive) but I didn't think of it since I was alone and inside. Well I went down to the kitchen to get some water to drink, and somehow the attic door locked itself from the inside (it does that sometimes- I am not sure why) and we don't have a key that works. So I walk out to the garage to get a chisel and hammer to take the door off it's hinges so I can get back in and finish up in there. I go to get back in the house, and I discover that the door from the garage back into to the HOUSE is locked. My keys, shoes, and shirt are all inside. That door is NEVER locked, but they locked it before the left, and it is one of those doors that you can open from the inside even if it is locked. after all- all i was getting was a few feet from the door and didn't think that it would lock behind me.

As fate would have it, I had my cell phone in my pocket, but the ordeal was not over. They had just changed the locks on the house the day before they left town, and so NO ONE had a spare key (I was the only one). So I then decide to check and see if any of the doors or windows were unlocked that I could crawl thru. I walk outside to the side yard where the dog lives, and I look over the railing, and see water gushing out of a retaining wall that runs under the driveway. I then get confused and call my dad. Turns out that the water main to the house had broken, I was going to have to be talked thru how to turn the main off at the street. So here I am, barefoot, sweating, in a ugly and revealing undershirt, bending over at the curb outside as traffic goes by, trying to turn off the water main. After I fix it, I am still faced with the "how do i get back inside where my shoes, keys and purse are?" (and since I drove to my parents house, I cannot get my car, because it is locked and ALL my keys were in the house). and to top it off- the attic was still locked upstairs as well.

Well I remembered there was ONE open door in the house- my parents balcony door was open to keep the house fresh. The Balcony door that is 3 stories up the side of the house. I had to drag a HUGE heavy latter to the exact opposite side of the house, and set up the ladder, and climb all the way up and crawl over the side of the somewhat shaky railing (barefoot) and get in the house. By that time, John had made it over and he was able to take the attic door off it's hinges and get my stuff out of the attic.

Since the water was still off- I had to melt all the ice in the house and use up the Reverse osmosis water just to be able to water all the pets. Once again- we laughed about the Palm desert thing. (it was less funny this time)

Now move onto this year- My parents were supposed to leave for Palm Desert on Saturday- but postponed it for 2 days (they leave tomorrow).

Well- yesterday was proof that I am not nuts about this Palm desert thing.

I was at In-&-Out for lunch yesterday. I stood up to get some napkins and ketchup- and there was water on the floor unannounced to me under our table. As I took a step forward, my back leg slid out from under me and went backwards. My left leg collapsed and my knee down to my ankle and toes made full contact with the floor (getting cut up on the grout and concrete tiles). In that position, i was doing a half split with my back leg, (I cannot do splits and so that didn't feel so nice). they came out and cleaned up the water, and I didn't think of it at the time. 2 hours later my ankle and foot were getting pretty puffy and it was throbbing pretty well. We went home and iced it and I was on the couch for a few hours resting it. The swelling went down, but it still hurt.

John then walked in the house and stated "I stabbed myself". I leap (wobbley) off the couch, and hobble to him. He was using a sharp screwdriver and it slipped and it jammed into the flesh under his thumb and only stopped when it hit the bone. Of course, his hand are covered in grease and gasoline and are super dirty. We both hobble\walk to the bathroom and I try to wash his hand off as well as I can. At the site of the puffy gash bleeding all over the sink, he needs to lay on the couch. I hobble off to get rags and something for him to drink to bring his blood sugar back up. I call my mom and between her advice, WebMD and me, John and I decide to head off to the ER. (for a tetanus shot if nothing else- but I thought he would need some stitches)

So we go off to the ER. I hobble in with a ice pack on my leg, and him with a towel wrapped around his hand- we made quite a picture- and after about 25 minutes we went into have his hand looked over. They decided to not give stitches (because he may have some zinc bits in his hand), the cleaned it well (twice actually) and gave him a shot and we got to go home.

So- people laugh when I mention a Palm desert curse- but I beginning to think that if my parents keep going to PD that one of these days it is going to kill me :)

UPDATE: My Dad says this is probably the last year they will go - Thank goodness! I may make it yet. But I still have 2 weeks to try survive this last trip they take- I am worried about what can go wrong in 2 weeks :)

Here is John and I in the ER. I had my leg still elevated with a ice pack while sitting next to him, and John was still holding the rag to his hand while we were waiting for his Tetanus shot. We made a pretty sad pair :)

Thoughts for Today

2007-11-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am SO excited that John is coming home today! He has been gone since Sunday, and this is the only time during the year that we are not together every day. He had to go on a business trip and he is also happy to be heading home. His plane will be in around 5 tonight, and he will be home in time for dinner ( I am making one of his favorites- BBQ Chicken Pizza with purple onion)

Also- talk about some good marketing. I was listening to Pandora Radio, and a song came on that I thought was pretty rocking. I then started thinking about Chocolate dipped fruit, and how tasty that sounded. I did some research on the song, and it was the song that Verizon played on the commercials for the new "chocolate" phones over and over again. (the ones with the phones rising out of melted chocolate). I thought that while I never payed any attention to the commercials, it obviously had some merit, because "chocolate" came to mind- Too bad that the image that came to mind was chocolate dipped fruit and not the "chocolate" phone :) LOL, Oh well!

I am also glad that it is the weekend. This week I have been feeling really tired and worn down- but that may be because I do not sleep as well when John is not next to me. Funny how that makes such a difference.

Anyway- Have a great weekend all!

Projects Galore for Method Playground

2007-10-27T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ok- As Promised- Here are some of the projects that I have been working on. I have already gotten razed by 2 people about for taking so long to post anything- so I figured I would put up the first few I have made to stave off the pitchfork and torch bearing crowds. This is a long post- but I have lots to share with my new "method" that I leaned this week. My Ideas went crazy and I made about 5 projects, but I will share 3 with you. I have never posted a scrapbook layout before so I am a bit nervous about putting it all "out there"

Ok- over at Method Playground (http://methodplayground.blogspot.com/) there was a challenge posted from Ali Edwards (one of my fave artists ever- her blog link is at the top on the right side of this bog) and I knew that this would be one that I would have to participate in.

Her challenge was to use Diamond Glaze and glass beads to create art. Well as luck would have it, I already had the Diamond glaze and needed to find Mini-Beads. After 3 stores I settled on Mini Seed beads- not exactly what i was looking for but I would pull a "tim gunn" and "make it work".

The night before I discovered the challenge- I was reading my new copy of "CK" and I saw the article titled "Because NICE matters" and as soon as I read that phrase, John came to mind and I KNEW that I had to do a layout about him using that phrase. And when I discovered the MP Challenge, I knew that is what I wanted to work on with my new Ideas.

Here is the Layout I created.

(PS I TOOK THESE PHOTOS WITH A WHITE BACKGROUND- THE LAYOUT IS ONLY KRAFT COLOR AND BLACK)

I really wanted to focus on the "story" and so I created the layout in a very simple manner so that you can really just focus on the story and not a ton of accents (which i usually love to use, but I am REALLY trying somthing new and I hope you all like it).

I used Bazzil Kraft color paper, with a simple black under layer. I used naked Chipboard letters (basic grey), and painted them in a ox blood red, and them covered them in a layer of Diamond Glaze for a "pop" affect.

I used a Rub-on (fancy pants) and then placed a layer of DG over the swirls, and then I tried to "pour" the beads over it. Well that was a disaster- and I ended up having to HAND PLACE all the beads over the swirl- needless to say that took about 1 or 2 hours to get "cleaned up" and looking right- but the effort was worth it- it has a great 3-D Quality that is also delicate looking.

Also- John in the Photo is holding our Baby bird Sprout- who as you can see is falling asleep.

While I wanted to tell the story of "Nice" to me with out distracting from the photos, I decided to write the story and added it to the back of the layout. I also Punched out 2 flowers from cardstock, and then added 3 layers of Diamond Glaze and Beads until it was a nice thick heavy accent for the page. (the large letters are rub-ons from Making Memories)

To read the text- click on the Photo and it will expand.

Here are some Close ups of the accents

Ok- for the other 2 projects. I was So inspired by this idea of beads and glaze that I wanted to see what else I could make besides a layout.

I was at the craft store the other day getting beads when I saw that a 6 pack of Glass Christmas bulbs were only $1.30 and so I grabbed a pack thinking that I would create something cool this year with them.

I removed the holder on top and I took a long paintbrush and used the Diamond glaze to make a puddle on a plate. I then used the glaze INSIDE the Bulb like you would if you were painting inside it. I made swirls, or lines or even spelled out "love" in one of them for some fun. I then gave it a few seconds to start to settle, and then poured in some beads and swirled them around to cover the glaze. I then added more and more beads until no more would stick and then poured the rest out. 1 of them I made 2 tone. I just waited for the first beads to dry and then "painted" a new coat of glaze with a new pattern and then added different colored beads. They look so cute that I think I may make some "year round" bulbs to hang in the craft room as a whimsical decoration.

I also took a 4x4 square of acrylic (left over from my clear acrylic album I made a few weeks ago) (found here http://1craftygirl.blogspot.com/2007/10/my-really-busy-weekend.html )

and I "painted" a pattern on the corners, added green beads, and let it dry. I then added red beads around the edge, and after those dried I added a inner band of green. when it was fully dry, I covered all the beads in 2 thin layers of Diamond Glaze to set them firmly. I now have a festive colored Coaster for my cups.

Well that is my LONG Post, and I hope you all like them. I love that I was so inspired to play with beads in a new way ( meaning not just on jewelery or fabric) and I think that I will use them again in the future. I love the flowers that I made- they turned out great.

Hope you all like :)

Comming Soon...

2007-10-22T14:23:00.000-07:00

Some new art projects and fun things- stay tuned =)

Jumping the Gun

2007-10-16T21:35:00.000-07:00

Ok Ok- I KNOW that it is only the middle of October- but it is never too soon to be thinking about Christmas Crafts and Decorations. My new Pottery Barn catalog showed up today and I found some major inspiration.

Here are a few items that I thought were awesome---

I was thinking of buying some Foam balls at the craft store and using some of the overflowing ribbon I have already and making some of these myself. (since these are not really the colors that I like to use, and to top it off they are $10 each-I can make them for about $1 or less)

I also love these-

But I am not sure if I will buy any- but they are cute. It will keep the tree from being too "cute".

I also love the tablescape here- if you tweak it a bit you could use it year round

Anyway- that is a few things that I found today that I loved. :)

Networking

2007-10-16T09:52:00.000-07:00

Well we are back from Vegas. We had a great time, and the weather was perfect. 80's in the day, and high 60's at night.

And like I thought- we didn't put 1 toe on The Strip. I never really knew what Vegas had to offer off the strip, and so it was nice to see. John-John Lives in a cute gated community, and if you walk out on the street in front of the driveway, you can look down the road and see the stratosphere standing in the not to far distance.

(Here is the 3 of us. From left is John-John, Me and then My John)

The first night we went out to a super tasty Italian place and had a lot of great food and conversation, and back to the house for glasses of port and a walk around the neighborhood to burn off some of the carbs we ate. I love being outside at 10 at night, and it is still warm enough that you don't even need anything other than jeans, a tee shirt and flip flops.

Day 2 was a slower pace day. We had a bagel\Juice\coffee feast for breakfast and decided what to do with the day. John-John and John wanted to take me on a motorcycle ride up to red-rock, and go hiking. Well... one of the motorcycles were not being super co-operative, so they spent about 2+ hours working on it in the drive way, while I sat in the shade in a comfy chair and worked on my crochet in comfort.

They were both having a grand time getting greasy and grimy, but the fun had to end when they fixed the bike (something about Carbs and Floats kept getting mentioned) and they cleaned up and we rode out to find some food. We ended up in a great place that had awesome food, and was a nice place to kick back and talk some more (yes- this weekend ended up being mostly about food, drinks and talking).

After lunch we made the attempt to go out to red rock. After about 15 minutes of riding, the bike decided it was still not happy, so we cut the trip short and went back to the house to hang out. Later that night we headed out to see some "night sights" and headed up a nearby hilltop and came to a place called "La Collina" which was a swanky Italian place with a amazing panorama view of the strip all lit up down below us. We sat at a front window seat and had drinks and dessert. ( The Pear Martini was amazing i must say)

The next morning was a bit sad because we knew it was time to pack up and get going. We finally made ourselves leave about 1pm and made it home safe and sound at 9 something that night.

John and I are already going thru "John-John" withdrawls, and we hope we can see him soon. Next time we think that we will find some cheap Airline tickets (so that 16 hours of the trip is not spent driving) and we will try to get out more often to see him.

Also- I am now exploring the world of Myspace and Facebook. I have been really NOT wanting to use them, but it seems that most people I know use them more than once a day and it would be SO much easier to try and keep in touch that way. So I bit the bullet and actually DID something with my Myspace page (it had been blank for quite awhile) and created a Facebook Profile. You can find the links on the right side of this blog under the title "where you can find me" or something like that.

Anyway- time to get working. Hope your weekend was great!

Vegas Baby!

2007-10-11T11:22:00.001-07:00

That's right, John and I are off to Vegas for the weekend. We were supposed to go to a wedding up in Utah this weekend, and we were going to crash at a friends house in Vegas on the way there and back. But this has been such a busy month, (and John will be out of town for a week later this month) so we decided to not go the wedding, and just make a quick road trip over to Vegas to see our Friend (who is also named John, so I call him John-John to keep things easier for us all).

Ok- Vegas is not exactly a "quick trip", it is about 8 or 9 hours to get there, but what is 8 or 9 hours when there is such a friend to be met?? (stealing a line from Pride and Prejudice there- hope Jane doesn't mind).

John-John is one of my favorite people on earth. He is sweet, kind, fun, loving, caring (and single ladies!) and he is the one of the people that I can share my real thoughts, dreams or disappointments with, and he is always there, always understands, and can always make me feel better if something is wrong. I have been distraught and missing him since he moved to Vegas almost 3 years ago. If not for him, I would have probably never met MY John.

John-John had a crush on my roommate\co-worker and asked us to his house for a 4Th of July BBQ, and that is where I got to know MY John, who was living there as well. They were about 5 guys living there together, and they came into Starbucks all the time (where I was working) but I didn't really know them that well. But after the BBQ, my John and I have been together almost ever since, and John-John is a best friend to both of us, and we miss him incredibly.

Seriously Ladies- He is awesome! (hint hint)

Anyway- we leave tomorrow morning, and will spend Friday night through Sunday morning with him. We will see what kinda mischief we get into- we do not gamble, we do not drink "heavy" (aka more than 1 drink) when cars are involved (and he lives way off the strip) and we do not "do" shows. So we will see what is planned. But for me- I would be happy to sit in a coffee shop and just talk with him for 3 days- I have missed all the "coffee talks" we used to have.

My Really Busy Weekend Part 2

2007-10-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

Also- I came up with my own recipe for Caramel Apple Martinis. I had to tweak it to get it just like I like it, but here is the easiest way to make them.

3 Parts Butterscotch Schnapps

2 Parts Apple Pucker

1 Part Vodka

Garnish glass with ribbons of caramel (ice cream topping works ok)

Shake with ice, and pour in glass (Makes 1 Drink). Drink while very cold for best flavor.

This is not a heavy apple flavor. if you prefer a stronger apple flavor, use equal parts of the Pucker and Schnapps.

My Really Busy Weekend

2007-10-08T13:54:00.000-07:00

Ok- What a weekend! It was so busy that I never really got a chance to relax in the conventional sense- but it was a great weekend.

There was a TON of stuff that I did, so this is going to be a long post (with lots of pics to keep things interesting).

Ok Friday-

I spent the early afternoon at my old job visiting friends and using a band saw to cut up some acrylic that I bought. After seeing Elsie's post about her clear album, I decided I wanted to make one, but I didn't want to spend a small fortune on clear panels of plastic and shipping (around $40 to get what I needed and not much at that) and so I decided to get creative. And I LOVE finding Scrapbook and Art supplies where you would least expect them.

Like I told my friend Matt, It is not that I am cheep, I just try to have some ingenuity. I ordered some 12x24 Acrylic sheets from McMaster Carr (a place where you can get almost anything that is remotely related to hardware and manufacturing supplies) (http://www.mcmaster.com/) and got decided to cut the panels up the size that I wanted. I cut out a ton of 8x8 sheets, and then made some 4x6 for a smaller albums. I also cut a few 4x4's but that is another project.... (you will see in the next few weeks when I get a chance to make it)

I then went home and drilled out holes and went to work. I made a Album about my siblings and I growing up. Nothing fancy, but I took some old family photos, scanned them, changed the colors to black and white for a better flow, and had them printed in wallet size. I then painted on, used rub-ons, added stickers and paper and made this little guy-

(I just love how you can see thru multiple layers at once)

Ok, then that afternoon I was in a baking mood, and I had found a SUPER *tasty* sounding recipe for Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake. I like cheesecake- I love pumpkin pie, and I adore baking- sounded like a good plan. I had never made a Cheesecake before and so it was a adventure of sorts. By the end of the adventure, I had cream cheese on my shirt, ginger snap crumbs in my shoes, and batter that somehow ended up on the toaster (I think it was the electric mixer that is to blame for that one!), but it was SO pretty and super tasty.

If you would like the Recipe- go here ( http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/kraft/50339/pumpkin-swirl-cheesecake )

Note- I used half ginger snaps and half gram-crackers, and skipped the Pecans- it keeps the ginger flavor from being overwhelming and keeps the crust smoother.

On Saturday I spent the morning Scrapbooking and finishing the above album. On Saturday afternoon I went over to my parents house for a visit. My sister and her 5(!) kids were visiting from Oregon. I then went over to a nearby Nail Salon to use a Gift Certificate that I received for my birthday 4 months ago. I got the Deluxe Pedicure and a Manicure. It has been AGES since I have had a Pedicure and my toes were very happy (and cute!)

John and I then went to the San Luis Obispo Symphony's Opening night at the PAC in Cal poly. We had the TOP balcony, in the very back in the very center. Before we got there I was nervous that we were too far away, but once I saw our seats, they were perfect. We have been much closer before, and I really liked being so high- you could see all the musicians playing in harmony- it was like watching a ballet. The music was amazing and there were great pieces by Mozart, Shostakovitch and Brahms. It was a nice relaxing way to end the day.

(our seats were center- but I took this after the concert from the side)

Then Sunday Morning John and I got up and went to Church and saw all the fam there.

(Me and my "little" brother, Christopher)

After Church we, along with my Mom, Dad, Brother Older sister and her 5 kids went out for pizza and Salad for lunch. It was a loud but fun event. Here was my nephew Eden, (yes, he is always that happy!) enjoying his pizza.

Sunday afternoon was spent shopping at Costco, and baking another Cheesecake (to share with the masses) and trying to get some rest while reading my book. Sunday night John and I caught up on our taped TV shows and headed to bed totally wiped out from the weekend. It was a busy weekend, a exhausting weekend, but all in all- a great weekend!

I hope yours was great too!

Busy Weekend

2007-10-05T11:35:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend is going to be a busy one.

Check in on monday or tuesday for a long post :)

New Addtion to the Flock

2007-10-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

Pickles having a snack

Well- after telling ourselves (about 20 times) that we were NOT going to buy a bird at the Exotic Bird show on Sunday- we walked out with a baby Parrotlet. (taking our total number of birds we own to 6! 4 parakeets and now 2 parrotlets)

We already have a parrotlet (named Sprout) but we could not pass this one up. It is a "He" and he is just over 12 weeks old (hatched on 6*26*07). He is SOOOOO small and new! He was not hand raised like Sprout was, so instead of taking to us in a instant like sprout did, this one will take some time to train. But what a cutie.

We have named him "Pickles" or "Sir Pickles" when we are in the mood to address him as such.

He is a bit small for his age, and is about the size of a travel shampoo (2.5 inches long and about 1.5 inches wise- not counting his little stubby tail) and since he is not used to handling, when we take him out of the cage, he burrows his head into any available space and acts like a ostrich. If he cannot see us, than we are not there. He tucks his head into the space between your thumb and finger and falls asleep =) We have great hopes for him and hope that he grows into a sweet baby like Sprout. =)

Our little "Gherkin" taking a rest

Happy 31st Anniversary!

2007-09-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

To my parents Larry and Robin (aka Dad & Mom)!
Today they have been married for 31 Years. (Yikes- that is a long time!)
Happy day to them!

~Photos of the Studio~

2007-09-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

Well I have been playing around in the Scrapbook Room\Studio lately and I figured I would share some pictures of it. It is still kinda messy but I have been trying to get it picked up. I will ONE day get the walls painted, but I still cannot decide which colors to use where and what I want to do with the rest of wall space. Any Suggestions??

Here is some of my regular paper storage\ shelf of buttons

Here is some small shelves near the door and closet door- In the little stand I keep most of my paints, stamps and extra "storage" containers (jars, buckets etc.)

Here is another storage area of mine. I have large cookie jars for my ribbon collection, MM paint on the shelf along with all my Prima Flower jars ( I have 11 jars up there I think) and some random art from time to time. If you notice the White Binders with the Names Ali E and Elsie F, those are binders of work they have produced that I have been able to collect. Nothing original unfortunately, but articles from magazines, or layouts that they have posted online. When I do not have the time or access to a PC and I need inspiration, I turn to those binders and I always am inspired for my next project or layout.

Another shot of my shelf of buttons. I also place random art that I make on this shelf. The Family one is a covered Canvas that I made into a layout, and you can kinda see my "ART" letters in the background. Those were raw wood letters from Wal-Mart and I covered them with paper, paint and ribbon for a fun project.

When more space gets cleaned I will post more pics :)

How Cute is this??

2007-09-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

Here are some Ideas that I may try out this year for decorating. I am not huge into Halloween decorating- but i LOVE LOVE LOVE fall decorating. I love Pumpkins, gourds, leaves and all of it!

If I make any of these I will post pics :)
(Photos Courtesy of Better homes and garden (http://www.bhg.com/)

With this Wreath- I would skip the Black ribbon, and spooky stuff, and maybe stick with a nice fall color ribbon and some red Berries..... maybe....

Feeling a bit better

2007-09-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Well After work yesterday, I went to CPK and picked up some takeout dinner. I got 2 bowls of the Adobe Chicken Corn Chowder (SOOOOOO Good!) and took it home and kept it warm on the stove until John got home.

My night consisted of Warm Chowder, blankets, some Port, TV, and lots of sleep. I am feeling a bit better- still kinda chilled (it is supposed to rain today) but all in all- the R&R last night made me feel better.

Time to get back to work for me =)

Under the Weather.....

2007-09-19T15:48:00.000-07:00

.... in more ways than one.

I think that I may be getting sick- I have not been feeling right the last few days- and today it has turned into a "super tired, warm head, chilled body, watery eyes and cranky temper" kinda thing.

Also- it it getting Ugly outside. The clouds have chased away all the sun today, and it is cool and getting damp outside. This is the perfect weather for turning on the heater, having some tea, turning on the lights in the middle of the day and watching some good classic movies and welcoming fall- and since I am feeling sick, that sounds even better than usual.
I was supposed to hike up Madonna Mountain today with Candy, but as the day goes along, i just feel worse and worse. I had to take a "rain" check (no pun intended) and will go home and probably make soup and tea for dinner.

Ugh- and tomorrow is a "big" day here at work. We have a monthly presentation that we give to the public, and it takes most of the day to prep for it, and it goes until 10 or 10:30 at night before I get home to bed- and then I have to get up at 6:30 the next morning for work- UGH! but that means that the weekend is near- whoo hoo!

My book club meets on Sunday and I need to finish the book- maybe that is what I will do tonight- just cozy up and read. I am reading "the Memory keepers daughter" and it is pretty good so far- sad but good.

Later!

Yep! It's Monday alright

2007-09-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Whew! I am SO feeling the Monday Blues today. It is more a black hole of one thing after another, but it is not depressing- just exhausting.

Had Lots of fun this weekend. Thursday and Friday night I spent in the Craft room Cleaning and trying to get it more organized. It is always a mess in there, but for the first time in a long time, I can see most of the floor, almost all my "extra" scrapbooking stuff is picked up (meaning there are not half finished projects all over the place, with all the "maybes" that I might use piled on top of them). It was nice to see everything start coming together. It went from mass Chaos and impossible to find anything, and now it is mostly clean and organized.

I then spent some time on Saturday at Walmart and a scrapbook store with my Friend Candi. (Candy, Candi... I am not sure how she spells it now that I think about it), and Yes, before you ask, I did buy more things to put in the now cleaner Craft room- but I am proud to say that most of it is now in it's proper place, and not in a pile awaiting use or placement. I also got a craving to Bake Cupcakes and decorate them, and so Saturday night I made a batch of cupcake and colored some frosting for some Sunday fun.

On Sunday Candi and I went Yard Sale\Estate Sale hunting in Pismo Beach\Grover Beach area. We didn't find much to look at (maybe next time we will check the paper first) but it was the thrill of the hunt that was so fun. We also went to lunch and drove around a bit after that, went to Avila Valley Barn and explored. I tasted Concord grapes for the first time and also my first flavored "honey stick". It was weird but tasty =)
I then went home and decorated some festive "fall" cupcakes. I wish that I would have taken pictures all weekend, but alas, I didn't.

Sunday night John and I went to dinner at Candi & Clarence's house. It was a huge tasty feast. Chips and my special guacamole for appetizers, and we together made Steak, Candi's awesome Salad, Corn on the Cob, Baked Potatoes, Wine, and then the Festive Cupcakes for dessert. At the time I didn't think that I ate too much, but in retrospect it was way too much! The scale was up 2 pounds and I woke up last night feeling like I ate a bowling ball... ugh... but it was good times.

But this morning Monday rolled around with a Bang. I was over tired and it was after my shower before I started to wake up. My stomach was still stuffed and I didn't even bother with breakfast. I walked out to my car to go to work and poof.... my car battery was as dead as a doornail. I caught a ride with John to work and we came home at lunch and had to buy a new battery for my car and install it before I was able to leave for my other job. I cannot complain too much- that battery has never been changed the entire time that I owned the car (and that has been 6 years so far) and so this one should last quite awhile.

Work is pretty decent for a Monday, but I just want to go home, make some tea and take a nap... oh well... there is always next Saturday (sigh).

Happy Monday all!

Studio Friday

2007-09-13T15:12:00.000-07:00

Ok- I am a bit early, but this is the Studio Friday for this week. I have not been able to do the last few weeks due to a vacation (see post below for pics of vacation) but I am glad to be back.

This weeks topic was This week's topic for Friday September 14th: IN CASE OF CREATIVE EMERGENCY...
In case of a creative dilemma when you are unsure of how to proceed, what do you do? Is there anyone special whom you can ask for advice, call and talk to or go visit? That special person that believes in you no matter how crappy you feel and how afraid and doubt filled you are. Who is there to assist you and help you? Maybe you are still looking for that someone? If so, what does your wishlist look like for him/her?

(Text Reads: These are the Women that Inspire me. Without them my Art, Photos and Way of seeing the World would not be the way I see it now.)

Well- I am a blog Junkie- I read lots of Art Blogs and my 3 "go to" blogs are Donna Downey, Ali Edwards and Elsie Flannigan. they are Amazing. I have been SOOOOO inspired by them over this last year or 2. (and you can find links to their Blogs up on the right of this post under my faves)

Donna always has clean lines, easy to follow ideas, and such great ideas.

Ali has such a way with Items and Photos. She can take some old items, a old piece of furniture and a camera and make such captivating and inspiring art that I crave her artistic vision.

And then there is Elsie.

She is FunFunFun!! Bright Colors, fun shapes and can dress like the cool girl that you always wished that you were. She has inspired me to use color in ways that I would not have dreamed. I now wear Aqua with red, I am not afraid to carry a retro huge yellow bag as a purse, and I try to see things in my camera lens the way she does.

They Inspire me- not matter how "blagh" I am feeling, all I have to do is read the blogs, look at the pictures they take, and look at layouts they have created, and I am filled with such a creative rush that I usually cannot get to the craft room soon enough. They are the best!

Back From Vacation

2007-09-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Well we are back home (all safe and sound) and we had a great time. We Spent time in San Francisco, Oregon, Washington, and also made a trip to Victoria Island- BC in Canada.

Here are some shots of what we did and what we saw.

The One room Schoolhouse in Sequim, Wa

John in front of the Parliament Building in Victoria, Canada

Some Awesome Flowers at a house in Bremmerton, WA

The Local Free-Roaming Elk Heard in Sequim, WA

John and I made it for Levi's Baptism in Roseburg, Oregon

(left to right) Titus, Eden, Me & Levi, John and Esther, & Cana

View of the Olympic Mountain Range as seen from a home in Bremerton, WA (you can also see some of the purple flowers in the left hand corner that was in a above photo) (it was sunny when I took the other photo). This is where we spent Labor Day. John's Aunt and Uncle live in this amazing house that has amazing views all around and we spent the day out on the porch, drinking and eating, enjoying the view, and spending time with friends and family. We also sat on a front porch with heaters and watched the sun set over the mountains (it cleared up as the day went along) and we had dessert and wine as we watched the sky change colors.

Well that is just the tip of the iceberg of stuff we saw. I will have to add more pics later :)

We had a great time- but we are happy to be back home and getting back to normal life. But the sleeping in all morning and staying up late playing pool in the living room was a nice change from the average days we have when we are home.

On Vacation!

2007-09-04T11:41:00.000-07:00

We Are on Vacation in Washington right now. Access to a PC is a bit harder than usual, and so Pics and stories are to follow in a week. We will be back home the 12Th, and I will have tons of things to share then :)

Ciao

Studio Friday

2007-08-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

This is my "bluebird" of happiness. Yes- he is orange, but he makes me smile every time I see him. He is not only my newest addition to the craft room, but he is also my favorite.

I found him in a wild bird food store and just HAD to have him for the craft room. Is it because I have 4 birds of my own? Is it his cute blue beak? Is it the curly wires for a tail?? I am not sure, but he has been my inspiration for the last few weeks. He sits on a shelf in the craft room and is one of the first things I see when I walk in.

I have a tendency to get caught up in my crafts, and take them too seriously. Bluebird (Yes- that is his name) reminds me that cute and whimsical is just as "artsy" as some stuffy over thought SB page. He also reminds me to use color in ways that I usually do not. I admit it- I use a lot of creams and tan and kacki in my pages, and since he came along, I have been going wild with color. Lime green, neon blue, deep red and (gasp!) orange had crept into my pages- All thanks to bluebird.

Just a Random Thought for Today~

2007-08-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

Text: "I am obsessed with Stacking my coffee creamers- I am not sure why, but I am pretty good at it."

It is True- even from the time I was a little kid and would get in trouble for it, the moment those creamers hit the table I am all over them and usually try to create some kinda art form out of them.

Above is my rendition of the leaning tower of Pisa. It lasted about 20 minutes until john needed more cream :(

Not sure why I love them so much- but here is to the waitresses who see what I am doing and bring me extra so they can see what I will make of them. :)

Daily Somthing

2007-08-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

Well on Ali E's website\blog (see link over to the right- it is the first one), she has created a Flickr group called "Daily Somthing". It is about taking the time to tell 1 story from"today" and create the story in a form of art. It can be a photo, a scrapbook page, or just a handwritten note saved in an art journal. I have only posted 2, but I hope to keep up a bit better in the future.

The picture above is my "daily somthing" for the day- if you want to follow my DS's the link to my "daily somthing flickr set" is here ( http://www.flickr.com/photos/8707192@N02/sets/72157601330915127/ )

and to follow the whole group go here ( http://www.flickr.com/groups/dailysomething/ )

Have a great day!

New Favorite Thing

2007-08-14T09:19:00.000-07:00

Is Scrubs!!! It is on for a hour each night on comedy central. I have always "liked" it, but I never really made much a effort to watch it- (there are always too many other things to watch) but now after getting a nightly dose of it, I am hooked. I went out yesterday and bought season 1.

I love to have movies or "TV on DVD" playing while I am in the Craft room- it keeps it from getting too quiet or mellow (and can be a nice distraction time to time) but I have overwatched almost every movie I own. And I have all 10 seasons of "Friends" and I have watched those probably 5 or 6 times already- so it was time to infuse some fresh blood into the selection.

So Scrubs it is, and I am loving it. Every episode makes me laugh (a lot!) and it is good to have something new to watch :)

On a different note: I am still working on getting things done on the blog- but I have still not changed much- thanks for the patience :)

Ciao!

Blog Under construction

2007-08-09T12:20:00.001-07:00

Ok--- I need to do some work on the blog- header pic, and other random things- so if you check in from time to time- you may see some odd looking "temp" looks for the next few days.

I am so Novice at this that it takes me longer to upload and fix things than it really should. I am also trying to learn a few different editing programs and that makes things confusing as well- I am never sure WHAT I did, and have to figure out how to fix it :)

Anyway- have patience with me and hopefully things will go smoothly for a bit.

Coolest thing ever!

2007-08-06T14:20:00.000-07:00

Ok- This weekend John and I were driving around, and he decided he wanted to take me to the SLO eGO store and show me around. The Ego is a scooter\vespa\bike, and it is fully electric. (no gas, no fumes, no pollution) and so we went on tester bikes and took them for a spin. Well I have not been on a Bike since I was about 10 (I have bad knees and bikes are a no-no). It was SO much fun- so fun in fact that we went back the next day and John bought me one!!!!

Well, when I say "me" I mean "us", but I only have to share until he sells one of his motorcycles and then we will buy another one for himself. (he knows that if he doesn't sell a motorcycle first, He will "forget" and then he will have a scooter, 2 bycycles, and 2 motorcycles- not that he would mind- but that is too much for 1 person) (plus his 3 cars mean that he has MORE than enough transportation for 1 person)

It is SOOOOOOO much fun! I took it out in the neighbourhood yesterday afternoon, and rode it until the batteries needed charging. This this is freaking AWESOME! It makes almost NO noise (it is electric after all), you can charge it in any outlet, and it goes 20-25 miles before it needs a recharge. That is plenty of miles for quick errands to the bookstore or shopping, and is more than enough for commuting to work.

You should really check it out. go here (http://egovehicles.com/home/) and see what you can find! It really has "Zip" too. It goes about 25 MPH (faster than almost any bike on the road), and you get to that in about 4 seconds, and it totally has oomph as it goes up hills- it is SO much fun. Check it out!

No Monday Mosaic

2007-07-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-07-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-23T16:53:00.001-07:00

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!

2007-07-21T18:35:00.000-07:00

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 =)

Chaotic Tranquility

Feeling Overwhelmed

I'm Still Here!

Back In the Garden Again!

Ho Ho Ho!

New Ventures

Stuff

Quick Update!

Well Hello There!

Calling John Casimir!

New things

MIA latley

Good\Bad

Things to Do Today

Oh dear!

Good Quote

Long Over-due Project

Long Time no Post!

Quick Note

Another PDF Pattern is here!

New PDF Pattern in the Shop

Today...

New Happenings

Etsy Update

My Etsy Shop is now Open!

Changes and a cool new book!

Hello Mo!

New Website Find:

Good Times, Sad Times & New Times

This Weekend---

And the Winner is....

give away on another blog too!

Something SUPER this way comes...

Happy Birthday To Me :)

WIP :)

Hanging with the Fam

Just Sayin'

I Miss You!

Look who's comming to dinner!

wishing for a clean craft room

Chillin' Out

Back Home Safe & Sound

Getting Ready to Hit the Road

In the Studio Again

Back in Action

New Painting

News From the Craft Room

Well Hello My Pretty!

Long Time no Post!

Gettin' Crafty and Other Stuff

Inspired By Color...

Keep Calm & Carry On

New "crafty-ness" to come soon

SuperChicken Cooks is Now Live

Finally Making Progress

Updating the Blog

On the Slow Mend

Oh So VERY Sick!!!!

Ho Ho Ho!

SO True!

A Christmas Treat for you!

Back in the game...

I Surrender!

*40 Months*

The "Long Catch Up" Post

Button Love and Random Thoughts

Happy Birthday John!

Tuesday Mosaic

"It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year"

Beware the "Curse of Palm Desert"!

**Thoughts for Today**

Projects Galore for Method Playground

Comming Soon...

Jumping the Gun

*Networking*

Vegas Baby!

**My Really Busy Weekend Part 2**

**My Really Busy Weekend**

*Busy Weekend*

New Addtion to the *Flock*

40 Months

Thoughts for Today

Networking

My Really Busy Weekend Part 2

My Really Busy Weekend

Busy Weekend

New Addtion to the Flock

Feeling a bit better

Studio Friday

Back From Vacation

Studio Friday