More memories.....

When I was younger (actually up until my Grandfather passed away), my whole family on my Mom's side would go to my Grandparents on Christmas Day. There were probably about 25-30 of us. We would all be sitting around the kitchen table nibbling on whatever Nana put in the middle. We all brought stuff and there was enough for an army.

What was really funny is, the majority of us would be in the kitchen. You could barely make it out for the bathroom or to check on the little ones. If you got up, someone would steal your seat. The motto in our family is "Move your feet, loose your seat!" The rest of the house was empty except the finished basement where the kids were.

The adults would all eventually move downstairs for gift opening (sometimes a Yankee Swap). My Grandfather always played the organ and the kids would sit on the bench and around him and sing.

Those were some of the best days of my life, just being surrounded by my family. I seriously missed all that when we moved away. I'm so thankful we came back so that my kids could experience it.

I really wanted to post photos but I didn't have time to dig. (***Edited: Finally got a couple to scan. The first is my grandfather playing the organ and the second is me and my mom sitting at the kitchen table).
Thanks to everyone who is playing along. I just love reading about your memories!!

The stockings were hung, well...not really....

When our kids were little, we started a tradition (or continued one) on the stocking delivery.

Santa always left DH's family stockings at the foot of their beds. The child would have fun ripping through it and playing with whatever they got. That would delay the trip into their parents' room for the rest!

We thought it was a good idea too. Up until last year, we carried on the tradition. It was a completely different year last year....maybe that'll be tomorrow's memory.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Seventy One

Appetizer
What was the last game you purchased?

Gee, I have no clue! Well, I have the game Clue but...I honestly can't remember that far back. It was probably Scattegories many yrs. ago!

Soup
Name something in which you don’t believe.

I'm not a big believer in fortune tellers/readers.

Salad
If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?

I'd love to work for George Clooney. Of course, I wouldn't get much done, but I know he'd be a nice guy!

Main Course
What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?

I learned not to steal at a young age. My mom would NOT buy me a pack of gum when I was little. She didn't allow us to chew gum because she didn't want to ruin our teeth. So.....I decided to pocket it instead. When we got home and she discovered it, she marched me right back to the store and made me apologize to the mgr. It was not worth the pack of gum! LOL

Dessert
Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.

While not perfect, I do love my porch. It has a nice relaxing watery green/blue color with lots of windows that face the woods. The furniture is really comfy and I love to just sit and read in there during the summer or early fall. It would have been perfect if we purchased the hot tub that the room was built for but now we are moving.

Older memory.....

My mom has a large family and I have a lot of cousins. We're all very close because our mom's (7 sisters) always brought us together. So.....with that said.....

When I was little, we used to go to my grandparent's house for Christmas day. The first thing we would do is run down to the basement. Theirs was finished off. So the reason we ran down those stairs was to see if our grandfather got coal in his stocking.

He would always tease by saying that Santa was a big fat...and then he'd cover his mouth as we all gasped. He wouldn't finish the sentence most times. Once in a while he'd say slob. We just could not believe that he'd say such things!!

Of course, he ALWAYS got coal and nothing else in his stocking.

We still laugh about that with my cousins.

Christmas memories....

I want to be positive on this blog so I'm ignoring the bad stuff for now.

What I wanted to do is post a Christmas memory each day of December. I know I'm a few days late but I thought I'd start today anyway, in random order.

When we lived in PA, the Fire Dept. used to have Santa on the fire engine each Christmas Eve. He traveled throughout the town, waving at the kids as he went by.

I used to tell the boys the could see Santa and then they'd have to get ready for bed because he'd be coming shortly.

So we would get the boys Little Tikes chairs out and sit them at the storm door with coats ready. When we started to see the flashing lights around the corner, we'd put the jackets on and run out to wave. My boys really enjoyed this as they were pretty young (from 4-8 yrs. for my oldest and infant to 4 yrs. for my youngest).

I have photos of them from the back. I wish I had them electronically to share! It was so cute, just the two of them sitting on their little chairs, waiting for Santa. I did scrap this by the way!

Feel free to play along. I would love to read about your holiday memories.

Snow day here....

I was so excited when I called the number to find out if the univ. was closed today. I almost jumped for joy but I didn't have the energy. I was awake most of the night listening for noises or cars coming up the street. I don't want to get into it here (I posted on SBA), but we had someone squirt our cars with lotion and it was a mess. My son was threatened on the phone and we had the police involved. I'm sick to my stomach over it. The only upside to it is I've lost a couple of pounds finally.

I didn't sit down all day. I did at least 5 loads of laundry, cleaned bathrooms, dusted, vacuumed. Then I baked banana bread again & made a no carb meatloaf for dinner. It came out great!

I'm really tired and my back hurts from standing all day. OH yeah, and I baked a batch of cookies for a Christmas party tomorrow night.

Anyway, no sense complaining. I'll try to be more positive tomorrow. Here's the view from my door today.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Seventy

Appetizer
What is your favorite carnival/amusement park ride?

I love roller coasters or that little mousetrap ride that whips you up and down and around!

Soup
How do you react in uncomfortable social situations?

Hmmm...not really sure what you're looking for here but I do blush easily and become very quiet.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy discussing deep, philosophical topics?

Well, I hate to argue so I never go the politics or religion route. I guess I would say around a 2.


Main Course
Did you get a flu shot this year? If not, do you plan to?

No, I did not. I hate to even say these words because you know what happens....but no, I rarely get a flu.

Dessert
Approximately how many hours per week do you spend watching television?

I'm not a tv person. I only watch 3 shows per week, if that (Private Practice, Greys Anatomy & ER), and about 10 min. of the news each night.

At last count....

After last night, I'm up to about 50-55 Christmas cards. I have to make at least 80. I'm out of paper for my main design and it's a specialty paper that the lss doesn't carry (well, they carry it but not that color). I ordered a pack of 50 from them and used every bit. So I need to come up with a simple design so that I can make up a quick 30.

Do you ever feel like things come in bunches? I know they say they come in threes but I recently had to make a bunch of baby cards. Now I'm on to sympathy!! I've sent out three so far and have one more to go. I want to move onto a new category!!

I'm having trouble posting any photos because I got a new camera and the card doesn't fit in my USB or my adapter. So I need to install the software and hook up with the USB cable and haven't had time. Maybe tonight after yoga.

My new friend....

It's hard to get used to but this is my new friend. It helps my wrist out but I can't type fast yet!

When it came, it was nice and cold. Ahhhhhh......

Piped music...

I heard an interesting question on my favorite station on the way in.

If you could pipe music into the White House for the world leaders to hear, what songs would you pick?

The DJ said one he would choose is Ben Harper's I Believe in a Better Way. Excellent choice!

The only one I could come up with at a moments notice is Waiting for the World to Change by John Mayer. This is from his Continuum album.

Very thought provoking! Do you have any suggestions?

Question for you....

I recently spoke to an online friend for the first time and I was just wondering....

You know how you have a picture of someone in your head and then you meet them and they look completely opposite? How about the voice? Do you have a voice in mind also? Do you hear the person talking online to you? Sounds strange, I know.

This is the second time I've spoken to someone that I only know online. Both times the voice was completely different than I thought it would be.

I wonder if my voice is different than they expected?

And, Kimi, if you're reading this, I'm thinking of you and hope things work out today. Big cyber hugs to you!

I'm so tired...

I guess I had too many days off. I feel like we flew through the weekend though. All of the preparation for Thanksgiving tired me out. Then Fri. I had a Lia S. open house (I baked for that). Sat. we went to a fun wine tasting party at my neighbors and I baked for that as well. Sun. I ended up going food shopping and when things finally settled down, I sat down and made another 15 or so cards. Well, they still need to be adhered but the pieces are made. I ran out of paper.

I hardly slept last night. My mind was racing. I'm not sure if it was from zooming through the cards or what! I have a wake to go to tonight and hope that I don't fall asleep on the ride home. I'm getting a ride with someone thankfully. I'm not a city driver and this is right in the heart of the city.

Ok, back to work!

Great news...

I just heard that my cousin is pregnant. They got married last year and then moved to Germany because her dh is a pro hockey player. I just hope they can get home before the baby is born!

Here's the card I made for her. Images, paper and ink are SU.

Banana bread....

I baked banana bread on Sunday. I haven't done this since before my Nana passed away. She loved my banana bread. I would go to the assisted living facility to visit her and I always had a loaf in my hand, just wrapped in foil. The ladies would watch me coming in and start whispering things like, "There's Esther's Granddaughter, you know, the one with the banana bread." It was pretty funny.

I started to show up with the bread in a bag instead, hoping to conceal it. They still recognized me.

My Nana used to keep it in the freezer and dole it out a slice at a time. And she only shared with the ladies she liked. This was her all time favorite thing to eat.

So I took a break for a while because I get sad when I think of it. The other day I decided to go for it and I was happy thinking about how it made her happy.

I think I'll do a layout in the future so I took some photos as I went along.




































I haven't lost my touch. The banana bread was gobbled up fast at work! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

5 Things Meme

Saw this on Stacy's blog Exceedingly Mundane

5 Things found in my room (this is my craft room I'm speaking of)

Bose Docking Station with Ipod ready to rock
Our captains chest filled with photos and negatives
Photos of my boys & my Nana so that I can look up and see them while working
Big comfy chair with ottoman & leather recliner
My scrapbook armoire filled with stamping & scrapping stuff

5 things I’ve always wanted to do:

Travel to Australia, California, Alaska, go back to Hawaii
Go on a cruise
Go on a Hot Air Balloon Ride
Go on the Orient Express (train ride out west)

**Edited: I didn't realize I put four down!
Go on a just girls trip with my bff in MI (to a nice warm island)


5 things found in my bag

Wallet
Cellphone
Lipstick
Reading Glasses
pen

5 things in my wallet

Driver’s license
Debit & credit cards
Insurance Cards
Union card
small amount of cash

5 things I’m currently “in to”

Stamping
Scrapping
Reading
Blogging
Watching Grey's Anatomy & ER

I won’t tag anyone specifically, but feel free to play along. Please let me know if you do!

A little hairy....

We went up to Maine yesterday to visit our land. Sounds funny, I know. We met with our builder to talk about excavating to get a jump on it.

We took a trip to Evan's pass on the way home. It's part of the White Mountain National Forest. It was really pretty. They do not maintain the roads during winter. The gate wasn't closed so we thought we'd give it a shot. We've never been through before.

So....off we go. We ran into a little bit of snow, just a dusting really. Then it got to be very icy where the sun didn't hit the road. Then more snow. We had no place to turn around and it was getting scary. We were worried about having to go down or up a big hill with icy roads.

We stuck with it and it was fine. It was really steep at times but not so much the road, just the cliffs to the side of the road!

The sun was so bright, the photos didn't come out great. Here are a few anyway. I guess I can turn this into a thankful post. I'm so thankful we made it out alive! Can't wait to visit here in the fall or summer.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty Nine

Appetizer
What was your first “real” job?

This is a great one. I got a part-time job in high school at Nature Foods warehouse. I started out as a packer and was promoted to assembler. What's funny is a friend of mine worked at the end of the line and I used to send him down pistachios and carob chips in my bins!! LOL

Soup
Where would you go if you wanted to spark your creativity? Either in my scrap/stamp room or to a class at my lss (local scrapbook store for you non scrappers!).

Salad
Complete this sentence: I am embarrassed when…

I walk into a room and everyone looks. I hate to be in front of a crowd. I like to blend in.

Main Course
What values did your parents instill in you?

Always tell the truth. If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything. And it CAN be done.

My mom's family motto is from the following poem:

It Couldn't Be Done
Edgar Guest

Somebody said that it couldn't be done,
But he with a chuckle replied
That "maybe it couldn't," but he would be one
Who wouldn't say so till he'd tried.
So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin
On his face. If he worried he hid it.
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: "Oh, you'll never do that;
At least no one ever has done it";
But he took off his coat and he took off his hat,
And the first thing we knew he'd begun it.
With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin,
Without any doubting or quiddit,
He started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done,
There are thousands to prophesy failure;
There are thousands to point out to you, one by one,
The dangers that wait to assail you.
But just buckle in with a bit of a grin,
Just take off your coat and go to it;
Just start to sing as you tackle the thing
That "cannot be done," and you'll do it.


Dessert
Name 3 fads from your teenage years.

Oooh, they've all made come backs recently! Low rise bell Bottom jeans, pheasant tops and wedge sandals.

Not much....

I didn't do much of anything last night. I made a quick card for our friend. I wasn't totally thrilled but it's a guys birthday card with a guitar on it.

I was too tired to do more. I watched Private Practice and struggled to stay awake for the 10:00 news.

Tonight's yoga-lates class ought to be interesting with this thing on my wrist! I'll just have to pass on the exercises that use hand/wrist strength. That's about half of it! LOL

I made this one last week for my card group. I was sent the image and had to make a card with it and send to my partner. I can't remember the paper manufacturer but the cs is SU. I used that cute little felt flower sent to me by my nice friend, Kimi!!

Ramblings...

Ok, first of all, you ladies are the best! Thanks for the nice comments. I always cringe after I hit that Publish button, thinking my things aren't so great and why publish when there are so many talented ladies out there. So thanks for making me feel ok about it.

Second, my wrist is hurting but just an annoying ache. I have an appt. with a hand specialist on Tuesday because I wanted to go to their office near my house. I'm sure it must be a ganglion (sp?). It looks and feels like bone. My ds' eyes popped out of his head when I showed him last night. He's the one who has been to that specialist's office several times for broken bones.

I'm really looking forward to next week. I only have to work Monday. Tuesday I have my dr. appt. and then I have to take my mom to the airport. She's going to her sister's for Turkey Day. I decided I'd take Wednesday as well. I have the vacation time and my dh won't get any this year with the new job. I plan on doing more Christmas cards, layouts and also getting ready for Thanksgiving. Can't wait!

p.s. I've added a new link to the side. I saw on someone else's blog that Tim Holtz has a new blog and you all know how much I love Tim Holtz!!

My weekend projects...

Just in case I don't have time to post in the a.m., I thought I'd share what I did this weekend. I stamped & bleach painted 25 images. Then I cut and mounted several of them, stamped the sentiments outside and in. I ended up with 18 finished cards. It's an Outlines stamp. I got the idea from their site and added my own little twist with a sentiment and brad.













I also did two 2 pg. layouts for my Hawaii album. I had a great time reminiscing. I want to go back with my dh some day.

I cut the edge of this one! It says Wailua Falls. I used Basic Grey paper and letters and the green paper is CTMH. I found the leaves from an old stash of Sizzix die cuts.









I used my new Fancy Pants stamps on this one. There was a corner scroll that looked like a sun so I stamped away. It's not the best but I had fun and learned for next time.

Babies.....

I've made a couple of baby girl cards because two coworkers have had them, one a first grandchild and another a second daughter. So they were pretty simple because I had to get them right out. I used the Mike's $1 stamps.




p.s. Not too sure I like the peek-a-boo photo of myself. It's showing my laugh lines!! Yikes, and I thought I didn't have a lot of wrinkles....

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty Eight

Appetizer
Which snack do you like to get when you go to the movies?

Let me first say that I never go to the movies for one simple reason....I fall asleep. So the last movie I saw was The English Patient. When I used to go to th4e movies with my kids, I would always get popcorn. I always had a hand full of mini reese's cups or swedish fish in my pocket for dessert!

Soup
What year did you start using the internet? Oh boy, my memory is bad. I will guess at 1998? It could be a year earlier but I honestly don't remember.

Salad
What is your first name in Pig Latin? (Here’s how to speak it if you don’t already know!) Ichellemay, I think!

Main Course
Name something you are picky about.

This is a toughy. Let me first say that I am a Virgo and one of the pickiest people around. I am picky about how clean the house is or where something is placed, I'm picky about the messy office if someone has left a mess, etc. I'm also picky about how perfectly straight things need to be on my cards and layouts. I am picky about how my laundry is done. I could go on and on. Wait - I already did!!! Let's just say, I love things to be just perfect.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: I did yoga-lates yesterday and I am sore today.

Thanks for stopping by!

Back to work...

I can't say it's good to be back. I'm pretty tired still and not feeling 100% but the sore throat and headache are gone.

DH's job seems to be going well so far. We haven't had a lot of time to chat about it but he's coming home smiling and has a lot of energy. I want the paychecks to come in!! hehe

After being out for 1 1/2 day you'd think I'd be full of energy!

I totally forgot to bring my camera card to post a card I made the other day. Tomorrow is another day....although we may have a wake to go to. I need to check the obits for my dh's uncle.

more later...

quick post...

I'm home sick today and my mom is too. She has a bug. I think mine is allergies but can't tell (sore throat, headache, tired). My mom is NEVER sick so I was worried until she came down today. She didn't get out of bed from 11 a.m. until this morning. I asked if she wanted anything to eat or drink but she said no. She is starting to feel a little better today.

Here's a get well I made for my uncle after his surgery. I hope I didn't already post this!

IS the rotten egg!!!

This morning my dh's alarm went off at 5. I thought it was early but I know he had to drive pretty far today. He's like a bull in a china shop. He's getting ready, tosses his belt on the bed, it bounces, sits down on the bed and it bounces, puts his shoes on, you get the picture.

So it's now 5:30 and he says, "Oh, I cannot believe what I did. I set my alarm an hour early!" I'm ready to strangle him at this point. So he left the room and I tried to sleep until my alarm went of at 6 but that didn't happen. Oh well...we will get it right one of these days! :-)

Last one out...

DH is off to work once again after a long 6 months. I finally get to be the last one out in the a.m. I thought it was nice....

I ended up having to empty the trash & take out dinner for tonight. So...I was finally heading out the door...you know how us women are, always multi-tasking. I grabbed my Macy's bag (return), work bag, lunch bag, purse, coffee, and the recyleables (sp?) to put out on the way through the garage. My hands and arms were completely full and my cell phone started playing, Love Me Do by the Beatles. This is my dh. I quickly tried to put my coffee mug down (spilled a little) and two bags so that I could search through my purse for the cell phone.

Finally answered and he asked me if I hit something with his car. NO, I told him. So apparently my ds hit something and didn't realize it or just kept it from us. He said it's a scrape below the driver's door which looks like it was from a curb. Grrrrrrrrrr.....this kid needs a car he can beat up, not my dh's one year old car which now has a scrape and a dent on the back fender (someone else did this in a parking lot).

I proceeded to pick up the recyleables and toss them, picked up my bags and purse and got in the car. I hope tomorrow morning is a better last one out!!! :-)

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty Seven

Appetizer
How much money do you plan to spend this upcoming holiday season? Not a whole lot! My dh was unemployed for 6 mos. and is starting a job next week. We are keeping it low key this year.

Soup
What was the last television show you watched, and was it good? ER - it was great! Love that show.

Salad
If you had to paint the walls of your living room tomorrow, what color would you choose? Hmmm...I really like what we have now so I guess I'd do it over. It's kind of a light khaki color. It looks olive-ish at night and buttery yellowish during the day.

Main Course
Name something clever or practical you have thought of that should be invented, but hasn’t yet. I'm at a loss here but I'd love a cell phone that shows a live video of what my son is doing when not at home! Then I wouldn't worry so much....or maybe I would!!

Dessert
List 3 things you would like to receive as gifts this upcoming holiday season. I need some stamping things so I was going to make a list of SU & CTMH and let dh contact my reps. He asked if they do gift cards. So...I may be getting gift cards and that's fine. I don't have much else on my list since we're keeping it low key.

So sad....

First about Halloween and my trick-or-treaters - I had 34 if I remembered to count all of them. I had some with manners, some without and some who were nasty! One kid talked about a "weinus" (his sword) if I didn't give him candy. His older brother was completely embarrassed to be with him. I told him it wasn't very nice and he ran off. Another two kids came up and sang the song (Trick-or-treat, smell my feet) with an ending of "I'll pull down your underwear". NOT nice.

Then I had two trick-or-givers or whatever you want to call them. They came to the door dressed as Santa, said, "Merry Christmas" and tossed some Dum Dum lollipops my candy basket. I said thanks and asked them if they wanted candy. They said no, it is better to give than receive. I thought it was really sweet but my paranoid dh looked at the Dum Dums and thought they were tampered with. I was going to toss them anyway, no one eats them at my house. So we tossed! Weird.

One more thought and I'll stop rambling. My dh reminded me that this will be our last Halloween in the house. It made me so sad. We live in a small neighborhood and I will really miss my neighbors and my house. I love where I live. So now each holiday will be "our last". On a positive note, it will also mean we will have a vacation home.

Happy Belated Halloween...

This is what I did while waiting for kids to come to the door. The photo is really blurry(updated with better photo). Oh well, you get the idea. I used the Splitcoaststampers color challenge (so saffron, tempting turquoise and real read. I like the combo.

Brrrrrrr...

It was a brisky 34 degrees on my way in today. Tomorrow it will get up to 67. Go figure. Crazy weather.

Yesterday I drove home and thought we should hurry up and take a photo of my house with the leaves (we plan to sell in the spring). When I got there, I realized most of them are rusty colored now. I waited too long! The burning bush is really pretty right now against the gray house though! I'll have to take some tomorrow.

Got in the door and my dh told me some shocking news - our realtor passed away! I feel so bad. She was so nice and very successful in my area. It was very sudden, pneumonia & congestive heart failure. I will miss working with her on the sale of our house. I didn't know her other than as a realtor but I'm sure she will be greatly missed. Her husband passed away 6 wks. ago. I don't think she was even 60, unless she looked great for her age.

On to my work day.... I'm so happy I have tomorrow off.

Two yahooos!!!

I forgot to say, Yay, Red Sox!! I'm so happy the won the World Series!! I did not stay up for the game. I was way too tired and knew my dh would update me in the a.m.

Another yay, it's official now - dh has a job!!!!!!!!!

It was an uneventful weekend....

and I'm not complaining. Fri. night dh and I went out to dinner and then went food shopping. I know, we are so exciting, aren't we?!! LOL

Sat. I went to the bank with ds finally to open an acct. for him. DH and I went to the mall to buy my ds a shirt for the wedding this weekend (my niece). Luckily we found pants and shoes to fit him in his closet. I only had to buy a shirt and belt. My dh was looking for .... are you ready? .... work pants. I'm hoping to say he's employed after this afternoon. It's been a long 6 months. We still will be scrimping though. The salary isn't great but hopefully he'll make a bundle in commission (in my dreams).

Sun. I made some cards for my France friends. I met them in Hawaii and they are two of the sweetest girls you'd ever meet. One is engaged and the other graduated and got a job in t.v. I made them fairly simple so they weren't too bumpy to mail.

You can't see the shimmery hanger and flower middles in this photo. The dress is an SU stamp.



















This one has a sparkly glass of champagne you can't see. I'm trying to use my stash with the SEI paper here!

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty Six

Appetizer
Name a great website you would recommend to others.

Well, of course, I'm going to recommend scrapbookaddict (side bar). I spend half my life there! LOL But it's only if you're a scrapper. Otherwise, you may not like it.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how often do you dream at night?

Oh I would have to say about 9? I have the weirdest dreams and they are so vivid!

Salad
Did you have a pet as a child? If so, what kind and what was its name?

I'm not a pet person but we did have a cat or two and one was Put (as in Puttie Tat). We had a miniature daschund (sp?) and his name was Budweiser, Buddy for short. My dad was a drinker. Nice huh?!! When he died, we got a replacement who was called Oscar (Meier Weiner).

Main Course
If you had the chance to star in a commercial, what would you choose to advertise?
It would have to be some sort of stamping or scrapbooking tool.

Dessert
What is your favorite kind of hard candy?

I'm not a big fan of hard candies. Every once in a great while I'll eat a butterscotch or a Werthers.

Off to a busy day...

I'll be swamped today. We have a big meeting here tomorrow with some important outsiders. Vrrrrrrrrrroooommm......I'll be flying around.

I started my day with a few great songs and just had to share. One of my all time favorites is Dave Matthews Band/Best of What's Around. I sing that to myself when I'm stressed or scared about something. Crazy, I know, but it calms me.

Then I heard Corinne Bailey Rae (sp?) - Put Your Records On. She has a great voice. Also heard a nice one from The Fray - I'll Look After You. Great start. Then I got to work and my network was down. Ugh...I got on my broomstick and it was fixed. People around here will be hating me today. Very stressed....I'm going to try to be nice! ;-)

p.s. Stacy - I read more last night and liked S. Plum a little better. Must be the mood I'm in! LOL

Vacation day?

Ok, took yesterday off because my dh scheduled car service and I didn't want to deal with car issues. Besides that I have a ton of vacation time left (15 days) and my dh won't be taking any once he starts his job.

I woke up with a major sinus headache, woke my ds up and went back to bed after taking medication. When I got up, I felt horrible so I took some Advil. Felt a little better and washed the bathroom floors and kitchen floor. Showered and went up to the mall to find a dress for my niece's wedding.

What is with all of the 70's fabrics in dresses?!! Very psychedelic. I found one $79 later. Not too happy with that. The first problem is that I'm too chubby for anything. Ugh.

Got home and thought I'd play in my sb room. NOT. I started seeing the squiggles. I had a major migraine so I was done for the afternoon. I felt a little better last night and tried to make a card. I didn't even finish it.

Back to work today. So I can't call it a sick day since it was scheduled and I shopped. I guess I'll chalk that one up.

I am such a Bozo!!!

I totally forgot to pass on the award below. Believe it or not, I woke up at 4 a.m. thinking about this. Anyway, I'd like to pass it on to Maia at Iannosphere. She always gets me giggling with her cute posts about her son and his funny sayings and such. Very sweet!

Sorry for the delay!

Wow! An award for me?!!

I was so excited when I read that I had been awarded the Sweet Treat to Read blog award. This was given to me by Theresa at the link above. How sweet!

I wish I knew how to link it with Theresa's name. I hope the link above works! I'm not the most knowledgeable blogger! LOL

Thanks Theresa!! I really enjoy reading your blog too!

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty Five

Appetizer
If you were a dog, what breed would you be, and why? Ok, first I want to say I'm not a dog lover but I warmed up to my son's new minpin, Reese. I guess I'd be a Golden Retriever. They're very calm and friendly and blondish.

Soup
What does the color purple make you think of? The movie...hehehe! I love the color purple. It actually makes me think of eggplant.

Salad
Approximately how long does it take you to get ready each morning? I get up at 6 and leave just before 8. Not all that time is for *me* though. I wake my ds up, boil the water for my mom's tea, make the coffee, make my lunch, etc. too. I can get ready in about 40 min. I if I have to.

Main Course
How many cousins do you have, and are you close to them? Oh my! I have so many cousins. I think it's 21 first cousins and 32 second cousins. Yes, I'm very close to my cousins. We are spread all over the country and still remain close (CA, OR, NY, MD, DE, MA). We have the best times together!

Ooops, I realized after reading a few posts that I completely forgot my dad's side. I'm obviously not close to them! I think of my mom's side only. I guess that gives me another 8 or so. NO, I don't ever see them which is why I forgot about them. My parents divorced when I was in high school.

Dessert
Take your initials (first, middle, last) and come up with something else those letters could stand for. (Example: SFO = Sweet Funny Otter) MLQ- My Little Quahog (UPDATE: NO ONE KNOWS WHAT A QUAHOG IS? It must be because I'm from the Northeast. It's in the clam family. It's a little tougher and people usually grind and stuff them.)

It's always something...

Ds came home last night from a place my dh and I don't like him at with a dent in the fender of dh's car. He said someone hit and ran in the parking lot. He was outside skateboarding and the car was fine. Went back inside for a while, came out and saw the dent. Grrrrrrr....we do NOT have the money to fix it right now! My dh told him not to take the car back there. He'll have to get his own ride if he decides to visit his friend.

On the good(?) side....his hand is just a contusion. There's some bruising and swelling but no broken bones. Another $75 down the drain for the specialist. That's why I waited but his regular dr. said it should be xrayed. Oh well...better to be safe than sorry, right?

My new Granddawgter....

Hehe...I keep telling my son I'm too young to be a grandmother. This is what he and his gf brought by last night. Her name is Reese (she looks like choc. & pb and it's his favorite candy). She was very well behaved and laid back. Apparently she came from a neglectful home so she's really loving the attention.

I cannot believe I warmed up to her. I don't really like dogs or cats. She was so cute and jumped up on the couch and snuggled up to me. I think my ds was shocked! My dh was petting her too.

She has a couple of sweaters and fleece jackets already and a Halloween costume. Can't wait to see that!

Not much to report...

Nothing new on the home front other than my son will be having his hand xrayed today.

Here's a card I made for an animal challenge and also a simple 30th anniversary card I made for dh using Stampin' Up inks, papers and stamps (All About U set). The giraffe is also SU (In the Wild?).

Weekend update...

I'm pooped. We had a busy weekend. Fri. I had to food shop and make desserts for Sat. We went to a party for our friends' son who came back from Iraq. It was fun catching up with people from high school!! And it was great to see the Marine safely back home. He'll head out again in the spring.

I spent several hours at a workshop yesterday making Christmas cards. I couldn't fit them all in so here are a few. They weren't the usual easy cards. There was a lot of cutting but they came out nice. The one in the back on the left has a snowflake ornament hanging in a window. Not sure if you can tell by the photo. She came up with some beautiful designs, huh? I wish I could do that!!

Just a quick note...

Ds sounds SO much better. He called me after work and told me his bf told his ex off and said she was a jerk for doing what she did. He said he thought about it and hated feeling so awkward talking to my ds and valued their relationship.

"Oh yeah, and thanks for cashing my check, Mom"! (yep, he's feeling much better - thanks for your good thoughts).

Now if he could stop causing me grief now and then.......

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty Four

Appetizer
When was the last time you were surprised? On my birthday (sept.) when my son and his gf came to dinner. I thought he had to work. It was a nice surprise!

Soup
Fill in the blanks: My eyes are ________, but I wish they were __________. My eyes are brown, but I wish they were either blue or green.

Salad
If you were a Beanie Baby, what would you look like and what would your name be? I'd be Greta the Giraffe. I love giraffes and I'm tall!!

Main Course
Name two things you consistently do that you consider to be healthy habits. I drink only water (no soft drinks). I'm currently taking a yoga-pilates class.

Dessert
What brand of toothpaste are you using these days? Do you like it? Why or why not? I use Colgate. I used to be a Crest snob but I tried Colgate once while traveling because I left my Crest at home. I ended up liking it better!

Feeling a little better....

My ds is feeling better apparently. Maybe receiving his first paycheck helped!

He called me at work, during work, to ask if our bank was open after work. He just has no clue about these things. So I explained that Thurs. night is usually the bank's late night. Then I remembered that the grocery store has a branch. So I told him I'd take him there and then remembered the ex works there. He said he didn't care.

So I showed him how to detach and sign the check and he was smiling with the cash in his hand when we left. She was not working last night. Whew.

He did eat yesterday. Not a whole lot but some. He had a slice of pizza and some goldfish at work! LOL Then he came home last night with a Wendy's bag for the trash. Back to normal, I hope.

Poor baby...

Oh, my poor ds....I feel so bad for him. It was bad enough his gf broke up with him on Fri. but he found out yesterday that the reason was a lie. She likes his best friend.

I didn't think it affected boys like it does girls, but he's not eating. I keep telling him he'll get sick but he said I just didn't understand. His stomach will not tolerate much food right now. I got him to eat a little bit of mashed potatoes last night but that's it. This kid is way too skinny as it is. I hope he gets hungry soon. He is drinking lots of water.

He also hurt his knuckles from hitting cement. This is not like my ds either. He's not a fighter or a tough guy. He thought the knuckle was broken. I don't think it is since he has mobility but I'm not a nurse/dr. I'll give it another day or two unless he's in a lot of pain. Please think good thoughts for him.

A fall card I made for a challenge...

I used the scraps from my scrapbook I made a couple of weeks ago with Angela Moen from the Button Farm. I love the papers! I think I only used one of them here.

Feast One Hundred and Sixty Three

Appetizer
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you look forward to your birthday?

I guess I'd say maybe 6? I don't like people at work to know because I get embarrassed if they do a cake or gift. I like getting presents but I hate aging. And I don't have to have gifts. I tell my boys not to spend any money on me. I'd much rather have a hug or nice conversation. My dh surprised me this year with a cake the day after my bday because I crafted all day on the real day.

Soup
What is one word you don’t like the sound, spelling, or meaning of? Sorry, it's gross - Puke. I would much rather hear vomit, throw up, etc. I hate that word!

Salad
Do you wear sunglasses when you’re outside? If so, what does your current pair look like? Yes, I usually do. My eyes are very sensitive. I had this cool movie star pair but I left them at a cookout. So I just have the normal oval shape in a tortoise type frame. And a black oval pair in the other car.

Main Course
If you were to write a book, to whom would you dedicate it? Hmmm...I guess that would be my dh and boys.

Dessert
Name a beverage that you enjoy. I love Margaritas but they don't love me!! I have learned some control in my age, I think. Sometimes I still get carried away! LOL I pay dearly the next day.

Motherhood....

I have a beautiful kit from The Button Farm (side bar) that my son's gf gave me titled, Motherhood, A Work in Progress. I've been dying to get this album done so every time I come across a photo I love, I put it in the package so I don't forget. I found this one last night. It's my now 17 yo. who causes me so much grief. He looks like an angel.

Unfortunately I had to photo the photo with my Palm Pilot so it's not great (my techie helper with the scanner is out).

Let me point out, he's never been angel ... or should I say since he became a toddler. He was a great infant! Anyway, this child had stitches twice before he was two. He was always a monkey, climbing out of his car seat, high chair, crib, you name it.

I love this kid dearly and chuckle sometimes when I think of the things he's put me through. I just have to keep looking at photos like this....
how could you get mad at that face?!!




Well, I tried to post the finished album from The Button Farm site but it won't let me right click. If you go to the site, just look for Motherhood on the side bar. She is SO talented.

the Leaves....

I couldn't see the ponds on the way in this a.m. It was really foggy. But, ooooh, the leaves are getting pretty outside my office window! I'll have to try and take a photo when they are peak.

I hope to get to Maine during the next weekend or two which should be perfect for the foliage.

Not much to blog about today so I'll just *leaf* it at that! LOL

Musings....

What a gorgeous day out there! It's sunny, crisp and the leaves are a changin'! I was wishing I had a camera in the car this morning. On my way to work I pass three ponds. They were all so cool looking with the fog hanging right at the water. Gorgeous! Makes me thankful for where I live.

My dh and I had a really nice dinner last night for our anniversary. We went to a converted barn. It's very upscale and gorgeous inside.

We started with a crab dip appetizer and dh decided we needed another so he ordered the crab cake. We shared both and could have stopped there! They are known for their Angus beef so we both had filet mignon. It came with garlic mashed potatoes and butternut squash with maple syrup. It was scrumptious! Oh yeah, and I had a cosmopolitan and my dh had one of their micro brew beers. Then came dessert. I ordered the raspberry cheesecake. It had fresh raspberries on it and a chocolate crust -- to die for! My dh had a brownie sundae which were TWO homemade brownies and two scoops of a gourmet ice cream from Boston. Yum. It was really a nice night. I don't think we'll be going back soon. It was pretty expensive too!

30 Years

Wow, I cannot believe I have been married for 30 yrs. today. Of course, I was a child bride! I got married two weeks after my 18th birthday. Who would ever think we'd still be together? Weird, huh?!

We went out to dinner on Sat. night because my mom gave us a gift card. It was a casual dinner (Smokey Bones, one of my favs). Tonight we're going to a nice place in a converted barn. It's very elegant and expensive. I know, a barn doesn't sound so elegant but they did a great job and the views of the farm are gorgeous. We've tried to get in on a Fri. or Sat. night but they're always packed.

We've been toying with going on a cruise to celebrate but we don't want to do it in the fall, during hurricane season. We may wait until spring and go for it. It's really hard when you don't know if you'll have a job or not so that's another reason we are waiting.

DH said we could go to an island now for a long weekend and then go on a cruise but I said why spend the money. Let's just wait and go all out for the cruise! I've heard Royal Caribbean is the best. Anyone have experiences or opinions? Please leave them for me if you do!

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty Two

Appetizer
How are you today? On a scale of 1-10, I'd say a big fat zero. DS issues again.

Soup
Name 3 television shows you watch on a regular basis. Ugly Betty, Grey's Anatomy and ER.

Salad
What’s the scariest weather situation you’ve experienced? We had a tornado touch down a mile from us when we lived in MI. It was our first and we didn't know what to do being from the Northeast. We went to the basement and were petrified. It turned out fine but it was scary.

Someone else's post just reminded me about the Blizzard of '78. DH and I drove home through it and it took 2 hrs. to get home. The highways were all closed with people stranded in their cars or at work. They had emergency crews out delivering food to people. My dh and I lived in NH so the next morning we went skiing since we couldn't go back to MA to work.

Main Course
If you could wake up tomorrow morning in another country, where would you want to be? I'd say Australia, just about as far as I can get!!!

Dessert
What do you usually wear to sleep? sleep shorts and tank. I'm always hot at night.

A few more cards...

Here are the kids cards I made recently. I didn't think I took a photo!













and here's one I made for a stitch challenge on a yahoo group I belong to.

Taken from Jennifer O's Reflections post....

I brought these in today to show my coworker how little my youngest was when he started walking. He was only 9 1/2 months. It's a funny picture of his face. He had a weird mouth expression in this. I think maybe the colander just came off his head when I shot the photo.

This is my 17 yo. who just started driving...

Some of my Sat. workshop creations ...

The pumpkin item has a Hershey bar inside. I left two of my favorite projects behind and haven't heard from the rep. One was an adorable snowman diorama card and another was a cute Halloween card I made for ds & his gf. I hope they surface!

Almost through with the forties....

What a weekend! Fri. night we went out for a pre-birthday dinner. It wasn't so great. I wanted to go to Margaritas and dh thought it would be too crowded so we went to another local Mexican restaurant. It used to be great. Well, they put us in this little corner booth that was a weird place so we asked to be moved. They put us in a regular booth (the restaurant wasn't even crowded).

So....the margaritas came and they were practically clear, definitely not green. Took a sip and it was like pure alcohol. We told the waitress and she said they're all like that (we ordered Gold). She said they use lime juice, triple sec and tequila. I think they forgot the lime juice. She brought us some sweet & sour mix to add to it and we still couldn't drink them so we sent them back and got a beer. At least the food was good.

Saturday I started early (up til midnight fri. night). I had a 9 a.m. class that was 30 min. away. Had a blast at my Angela Moen (Button Farm on my side bar) class. We made a gorgeous stadium album but didn't finish. I still have a few pages to do but her directions are great so it's not a big deal. She has absolutely gorgeous kits to purchase. I was dying to get another but just couldn't spend the money. My son's girlfriend was there as a helper and it was great to see her.

Went to my SU workshop and had fun making 8 really nice holiday projects. I was exhausted when I got home at 10:45.

Last night my son and his gf (and my other son and his gf) surprised me by coming by for dinner and ice cream cake. And my mom was home from her trip too.

It was a nice weekend.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Sixty One

Appetizer
What is your favorite type of art? Don't really have a favorite art. I guess photography is what I like to look at. My boys are both photographers and love to experiment with lighting/color, etc.

Soup
When was the last time you got a free lunch (or breakfast or dinner)? Who paid for it? Hmmmmm...it's been a while. A friend tried to pay for my lunch over the summer to thank me for something but I didn't let her. Tonight my dh is buying me dinner!

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how emotional are you? I'm not that emotional on a daily basis. The only time I cry is when I see a sad movie or go to a wake/funeral. So I guess I'd say a 2?

Main Course
Approximately how long do you spend each day responding to emails? Oh boy, I do this all day for my job so I'm guessing 6 hours? It's not constant though.

Dessert
To what temperature do you usually set your home’s thermostat? My dh is in charge of this and I think he sets it to 68? If I'm too hot when the a/c is on or too cold when the heat is on, I manually adjust to my liking without him knowing! LOL

I hope this year goes by fast...

Not that I want to rush my son's life but I hate the worrying already. Last night he asked if he could be home around 9:30-10 with the car. Is said, Sure, but no later. 10:15 rolled around and my stomach started to churn. 10:40 rolled around. I finally called his cell, not wanting to scare him while driving but worried at the same time. His phone was either dead or had no service. So I sat there worrying and considered calling my cousin, the cop, if he didn't show up by 11. I thought he could help me search. I had visions of sirens and everything else in my head. So just about 11:00 he strolled in. He claims he asked for 10:30-11. Grrrrrrr....
My stomach is still killing me.

Oh, on the upside, he did get a job!!!!!!!!!! I hate to put more negative in but (and that's a big one! LOL), he was given the choice to start today or Friday. What do you think he chose?!!!!! Yep, he was busy with social obligations today. I hope this job works out. I'd love to end my ATM role....

End of the taxi driver role...

I feel a new chapter beginning in my life. I'm no longer the taxi driver for my ds. It makes me happy and sad at the same time.

I'm sad because it's the only time I can have quality conversations with him (as he's trapped in with me! LOL).

I'm thrilled that I can get into my pjs at 8:00 if I want to and not have to go back out to get him around 10:00. On the weekends, I'm happy I don't have to say no to a second beer or margarita or whatever, just because I may have to pick him up later (not that I constantly drink but when the occasion arises, I can have another!!).

He has an interview this afternoon. Please send positive thoughts our way! I'm tired of being the ATM....

We're baaaaack!

Ok, my son got his license!!!!!! I am so nervous. He just drove off with the car.

Not that exciting!

Ok, I think I've intrigued some with my post below. It's not all that exciting it's just that I feel like I jinxed it two weeks ago. It's about my youngest ds. I hope to be posting good things later on.

On another subject, I really need to dig into my photos because I want to do a teen & baby post. I think it'll be fun to see the photos everyone posts. My only issue is I think I used my favorites in my scrapbook so I don't know how I'll scan/photo.

Weekend update...

I was the cardmaking queen this weekend! I got the house cleaned early on Sat. and went to work in my "shop". I was trying to use up images from stamp camp (still have two envelopes full) so I ended up making several kids cards. I forgot to take a photo to post.

Anyway, Sunday came along and I cleaned a little more and went to work again. I had nothing going on this weekend and it was nice and relaxing. My mom was at her sister's two nights (yay!) so I was really chillin'!

And speaking of chillin', I was freezing this morning when I went out to the car. Brrrr...it was down to almost 30's last night. I hated to do it but I dug out the nylons/stockings and a pair of shoes instead of sandals. That didn't make me too happy.

I have tomorrow off! YAY again. I won't post why until after something happens. I jinxed it last time. Can you guess? NO, I'm not pregnant. I'm too old for that.

Signs of Fall

I think Punky B (in the SBA ring) posted this as a challenge. My burning bush isn't vibrant enough yet but I found lots of leaves on the ground already! Also, the berries are on my dogwood tree.

Had a great mail day!

I don't usually get it. My dh or my mom gets out there before me. Today it's just me and dh and he was playing guitar. So I got several envelopes and a package.

The box was from Fiskateers. It was my free pair of scissors nicely presented in a green burlap bag.


























and I also got two sketch cards from a talented lady in Australia. I belong to a yahoo group for cardmaking. They're so pretty! And one early birthday card from another in that group.

Feast One Hundred and Sixty

Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital? Sore subject! LOL My dh had knee surgery in August. It was the longest day of my life. The surgeon was 2 hrs. behind and they have you come in 2 hrs. ahead. So four hours before the surgery and it took forever after because he had to have a spinal due to having sleep apnea. It was over 10 hrs. start to finish!

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you? I'm probably an 8?

Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.) Living in poverty stinks. (I don't live in poverty, just in case you're wondering!!:-)

Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it? It would have to be stamp related.....maybe Stampin' Sisters. Not very original but I have to get to work!

Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home? Most of it is a light taupe-ish color. There's not much left since we put hardwood on our downstairs floors.

Misc.

Another gate thought....for three days now, I've driven in to find a broken parking lot gate. I go out at lunch and it's replaced but sometime during the afternoon or evening, someone drives through it. I wonder what their front bumper looks like?!

Had my first yoga class last night. I'm not feeling very sore YET. I had a hard time getting the breathing down. I don't have issues with the pelvic and hip exercises. It reminds me of my ballet days. Anyway, I hope I get some benefit from this!

He he on me!!

Ok, remember I posted about the people who used their card to get through the non-existent access gate at work? That was me this a.m. I was the first in line and was in deep thought (ds issues again :-(| ) and I drove up, scanned my card and looked forward to the stump and laughed.

I watched the others drive up (only two) while I was walking by and only the first one did the same as I did.

Stupid thing but I got a much needed chuckle!

I start my yoga-lates class tonight. I probably won't be able to walk tomorrow!!!!!

Whew! Had a whopping 3 votes....UPDATE

I appreciate the votes from the few who posted. I think I have to go with the bottom one, the flowers on flowers card. My dh liked that better and I happened to like the other, like Stacy. I think had one vote more for the flowered one.

I really wonder sometimes why I bother doing this since I don't get many readers (or maybe comments). I do find it fun though. So my new motto is not to worry about others liking me so I will continue to post for my own sake and enjoy it.

Thank you SO much to the regulars who leave comments. I value your online friendship!

Have a great day!

OOOPS, I THINK WE HAVE A TIE! THANKS, MAIA! That's the one I like better, not dh. Yay!

Ah...rest

I got some sleep last night but I still woke up several times. I do feel much better and more alert today.

My oldest came over to play his new guitar. We ordered pizza since my mom just got home from MD too. It was nice to get a little bit of conversation in with my son. He usually comes in and goes out with the band on practice nights. He was so cute with the new guitar. It's gorgeous, my favorite color...teal! I should have taken a photo for his sb!! I have that cool Rock Star paper in that tealish color. Oh well, maybe tonight (practice).

Swap cards

Please give me your opinion on whether or not you like #1 or #2 better. I did these for a sketch challenge in my cardswap group. I took the easy way out and used SEI papers that coordinated. I used Mike's Studio G stamps and primas. My dh picked one (I'll tell you later) and I picked the other. I have to send one out to my partner so that's why I'm asking.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz......

I barely slept a wink last night. Not sure why but I just could NOT sleep. I'm so exhausted. I hope I can make it til 5 at work.

We had our block party/cookin this weekend and it was rain delayed. We had horrible downpours and thunder and lightning. We ended up at one of the neighbor's house. I felt so bad for her! Anyway, it was fun. We are having the cookOUT again next weekend but when I looked at the forecast it said showers. This time it will be cancelled if it rains.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Fifty Nine

Appetizer
Using only one word, how does grocery shopping make you feel? Hungry!

Soup
What is your favorite part about the season of Autumn? The pretty leaves, cool nights and my birthday ;-).

Salad
Have you ever had any bad experiences online? Well, it wasn't horrible but I was trading on SCS with someone who thought an item was part of our trade when it wasn't. I couldn't find the original post so I decided to send it just in case I was wrong. I couldn't find the item, spent a fortune buying a new one to send. Then I found the post AFTER the item was sent. I was right. NOT a good trade.

Main Course
Name three things that make you happy daily. My coffee in the a.m., music on the way to work, sitting down to my sb/stamp area after dinner.

Dessert
What one household cleansing or organizing item would you not want to be without? Pledge Multi Surface wipes (copying Jodi here) and my Kaboom shower cleaner.

Not enough coffee in the a.m.?

Ok, I'm still laughing about what happened in my parking lot at work. We have a gate/card scan system for faculty/staff. A lot of times students get frustrated when they don't find parking in their lot and they drive through the gate. So when I drove up this a.m., the gate was broken. I wasn't surprised since it was the first week of classes and they just don't know where to go.

I drove in without using my card, parked and walked toward the street which is past the gate. I watched as 3, yes 3 employees drove up, dug for their id (first of all, why aren't they ready when they get there?), scanned the card and drove in when the stump of a gate lifted! I was trying to contain my laughter as I was walking across the street toward my building. Just had to share. Happy Friday!!

Busy, busy, busy....

It's been so busy at work, I haven't had a lot of time to play!

Well, I didn't get back to scrapping since the weekend but I've made a few cards each night. Here are a couple.

This one was made with one of my many images from stamp camp. I'm slowly using these images up. I used SU stamps & paper, mm eyelets, CTMH fibers, and Studio G sentiment stamps.





















This one is an idea I got from the Hero Arts website but I put my own twist on it. I used SU So Saffron paper, Ranger Distress Embossing Powder in Apricot(I think?), SU inks in So Saffron, Apricot Appeal, Marigold Morning. I think the bling is Hero Arts but can't be sure. It's for a friend in my card group.

Back to School....

It's the day we dread all summer....the students and faculty are BACK!! My son starts here tomorrow though. Maybe I'll see him once in a while!

What a weekend. Too long to post but it was pretty relaxing except yesterday. First my husband almost electrocuted himself in the room next to me in the basement. He was screwing something in by the fuse box and blew it out. I heard a bang but couldn't see anything. Scared the you-know-what out of me. He said he was ok so I ran up to get a flashlight. I was shaking for a long time. Then he opened the bulkhead doors to take out a fridge. There was a little snake waiting for him. Yuck.

Then my ds flunked his road test. Poor kid. He did so well with the three point turn, parallel parking, etc. Unfortunately he's not used to city driving and the instructor told him to take a left at the end and he did not see the lights mounted on the building. He would have gone through the red light (left) if the instructor hadn't pulled the emergency brake. I need to call to make another appt. today. I felt so bad. He was really disappointed and embarrassed.