A hidden message....

I'm so mad...forgot my camera at home. We have a hydrangea bush that we planted when we first moved in. We never got flowers for 11 years - only healthy green leaves.

Two years ago my dh moved it out front. We got nothing for a year and then last year we got two perfect periwinkle blue blossoms. Now we are ready to move out and we have about 18 flowers!!!

This is the photo of last year's flowers.














I'll have to post this year's flowers tomorrow. They are not in full color yet, just that limeish green edged flower with a little bit of blue. So pretty! Also, our dogwood tree is full of flowers.

Are they trying to tell us to stay?!! hehehe


Here you go:

Cards, cards, and more cards....

I've been on a roll trying to get all of my July cards finished. I made another baby boy last night for my second cousin in MD and a cocktail card for my neice who is 32.

I used Stampin' Up papers and inks on both. For the drink, I used Aileen's Paper Glaze to make it look wet. I am trying to use my stash so I put one of those star clips from MM on the baby one. The sailboat stamp is definitely SU. I borrowed it to make shower favors and still haven't returned it! I am not sure about the cocktail stamp but I wish I had it! It was in a pile of images that I made from stamp camp. The flowers on the cocktail card are by Hero Arts. Love the bright colors!

OH baby....

I had a pretty relaxing weekend. Fri. night we looked at a house - didn't work for us. It's amazing what they can make a place look like on the internet!

I spent Saturday getting the house back to "immaculate" status for showings. Our realtor thought we would have a showing for sure - we didn't.

Sunday I was a lazy person. I read the paper, a magazine, finished a book. Then I proceeded to my temporary craft room. I finished the 8 grad thank yous and made 8 more cards! I'm almost done with July.

My cousin had her baby on Fri. so I made the sailboat one for them and the other for her parents. Can't wait to meet the little guy!

Friday's Feast One Hundred Ninety Five

Appetizer

What is the weather like today where you live? It's hot and muggy.

Soup

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you? I'm not so much career-minded any more. I am happy doing what I'm doing and not looking to move up the ranks at my age! I like to leave at 5 and my work stays at work. I guess I'd say a 2?

Salad

What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.? All of the above! I have blinds on all windows except my den/scrap room. Those windows have shutters and valances. All other windows have curtains or valances. I also have a porch full of windows with nothing on them.

Main Course

Name something that instantly cheers you up. The thought of vacation or the beach, or a photo of when my boys were little.

Dessert

How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning? I never hit the snooze. It's just not me. I hear the alarm, shut it off and get up. I am a creature of habit.

Finally.....

Here's my big mess from last night. I was able to cut a bunch of pieces for graduation thanks and put a few together. The designs are pretty basic but that's all I have time for right now. The hardest part is getting my ds to sign them. He's never home....which is a story in itself but I can't go there. I'm way too tired from his early a.m. arrival......

Still no crafting...

I made a fast thank you for dh's aunt who sent a nice grad gift to ds the other night but nothing since.

I was so tired last night so I sat down to read a magazine after dinner and I dozed off. Then I made myself get up and move. I started to get my stuff ready for the lss' yard sale coming up this weekend.

I hope I get a bunch of $$ in credit. I could use a little shopping spree. The other issue is I'm hoping to get rid of bulk before the move!

A successful party ...

Well, it flew by but my son's party was a success! We worked our butts off (my dh, mom & I) and got it all done with about 30 min. to spare.

A lot of my ds' friends didn't show up so I felt bad for him but he had a blast with a smaller group of friends and his cousins. They stayed late and played frisbee and just hung out and laughed. It was so nice that his cousins and friends got along so well.

Our friends stayed late with some family and we enjoyed it. Those same friends have their son and daughter's grad party today which we'll be going to. It'll be nice to relax and enjoy!

We have so much food left over. I was worried we wouldn't have enough! I froze what I could but I have a bunch of finger sandwiches and ham. Tomorrow night my son's band will come for practice and those guys are always hungry! I'm sure they'll help us out.

p.s. I didn't clean the kitchen floor before the party. I'll have to do it later today after the other party!

No news is good news....

Hmmmmm...I somehow don't believe it in this case. We still have not had our test results on water/air. We had to extend the date to sign a p&s. Don't know what is up there.

So starting tonight I'll be like a maniac - cleaning the house (small task since we've had to keep it immaculate); food shopping; starting to make foods that can be done ahead, etc.

My question of the day is: Do you clean your floors before a party? I used to but a few years back I decided why bother?! You end up having to do it again the next day anyway.

This is the first time we are having a party with hardwood floors. It should be interesting how dirty they get! What's really nice is we have the weekend of from showings. YAY!!!!! I can hang my towel on the rack!

Moving ahead...

Ok, we have a possibility or two on the house situation. We are still waiting for our home inspection results (water & radon tests). Things are moving ahead, I hope!

I am also getting ready for the grad. party this weekend. We have such a busy weekend! First a 30th bday party, then my son's party, then our good friends' son's party (also a friend of my son).

Calgon, take me away!!!!!!!!!!!!


p.s. too funny on the smoooching/lipstick comments from you ladies! and another comment - when I don't wear lipstick, people ask me if I feel ok. Yep, just no lipstick today. Some day I'm going to get them tinted!!

Ignoring the negative....

I have such a hard time finding lipstick. I can't live without it because my lips are really pale. Just when I find the perfect lipstick, it gets discontinued. My latest favorite (for the last couple of years) is Maybelline Forever Lip color in Mauvey. As soon as I saw they were getting rid of it, I stocked up on as many as I could. I'm now on my last one.

I've been on the hunt for a replacement with no luck so far. I've tried at least four and that gets expensive after a while. I hate throwing out a brand new tube. It's like taking a ten dollar bill and tossing it out the window.

Yesterday I made a quick trip to Walgreen's and I saw a new lipstick by L'oreal (Infallible in Gardenia). I thought I'd give it a shot because the color looked great beside my Maybelline. I tried it this morning and the color is perfect!!!!!!!! I sometimes like the long lasting and sometimes don't. This is one that has to be removed with make up remover. I'm very happy with my purchase though.

What kind of lipstick do you buy or do you even wear it? It's my one makeup I could not live without.

Well, believe it or not, this snow woman is still partially standing in JUNE!! It was close to 80 degrees when we were there on Saturday and I was shocked to see the mound of snow!

We met with an excavator to clean up and redesign our driveway in Maine.

For those who have asked, and I"m trying so hard not to be negative but.........house hunting is for the birds!!!!!!!!!! It's getting more depressing each day. Just when we think we may have one (yes, we found our very first the other day where the room sizes actually work), it falls out from under us. This one had small garage doors. Weird, I know. My Explorer would probably fit in if we turn the mirrors in. That is just too small. The house was a little more than we wanted to spend anyway.

We are back to the drawing board. I'm sure we'll be out looking this week but I will be really busy getting ready for my son's graduation party and also the lss garage sale next weekend.

Friday's Feast One Hundred Ninety Three

Appetizer

Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?

I'm the ultimate optimist! Just a piece of info - I used to do accounting for the Optimist Club in MI.


Soup

What is your favorite color of ink to write with? I love medium blue.

Salad

How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?

I rarely get a pedi/mani though I love them. I love a french manicure and I can't do that myself. I paint my own nails but lately I haven't had time. I just love a pedicure, I just can't do it right now.

Main Course

Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it? I won some blog candy. It was scrapbook supplies!

Dessert

In which room in your house do you keep your home computer? We keep it in the basement family room.

A little bit of time...

I had some time to play last night. I finally finished these owl cards for upcoming male bdays. I'm trying to make two at the same time so that I have one for later. Most of the guys I'm sending to don't know each other and won't see the same cards! LOL They are for uncles, dad and brothers.













I made a quick thank you for my mom. She already gave my son his graduation card & check on the night of graduation. It's not my best work. I was tired and in a rush and the photo is cockeyed! But anyway....here it is. I have to come up with an easy design for the tons of cards I'll have to make after the party.

No crafting for me....

I have been sick as a dog. I have a major sinus infection. I was home sick for two days which is SO unlike me. I had no energy and a full head. You know I'm really sick when I can't even stamp! All I did was watch movies for two days.

The preimium cable channels didn't have a great selection but I caught a few on HBO. I watched Georgia, Rule which was good, Evan Almighty which was just ok, The Kite Runner (borrowed mom's dvd) which was great. I think there were a few more but I can't remember them.

The one thing about Kite Runner is I don't think I could have followed it if I hadn't read the book. I hated the subtitles because you couldn't read half of them (light colored text) and it took away from looking at the surroundings. It was pretty good though.

I hope to get back to semi-normal tonight. We may be looking at a house or two though.

Quick update....

We just got our first offer on the house. I'm very nervous. I have no place to go yet and they want to move fast!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not a full offer so we'll definitely counter on the $$ and the closing time.

So....it took two weeks on the market to get our first. I guess that's a great thing during these times. Now if we could only find something decent to move into....

Taking a DEEP breath here.

A BIG positive....

I just received the news that my son WILL graduate on Fri. We thought he'd be ok but I just didn't want to count on it until after finals.

Yay!!!! We will be having a long awaited party. It's been a tough four years....

p.s. I tried to upload the flying grad caps from the invitation but it wouldn't work.

Not liking the threes.....

They say things come in threes and I'm not liking it one bit. I have had the worst news on the health of people in my family & extended family in the last week. Makes me want to cry and also makes me very thankful for my health.

First was my uncle who has a terminal disease (ALS). Then was my aunt's sil with the big C. Last night my mom told me my SIL could possibly have MS or ALS. They are all way too young to die.

I also have a friend who is very sick.

I certainly hope that's the end of bad news. I'll try to be a positive blogger tomorrow.

Zipping through them....

I zipped through some cards last night because my time is short these days. I will post two I made for my mom but I made those a week ago. I always give her one from us and one from the boys. She likes blue - can you tell?! I used SU cs on both & SU designer papers on one. You can't really see the glittery flowers on the first one but ...
















I also cheated a bit. I copied the owl card I made a while back and made two other versions for upcoming birthdays - my brother and my dad (the owl and the moose).

Updates...

Well, I haven't been a very good blogger these days. I am just tired of repeating myself.

My house was shown a ton of times last weekend but I haven't had a phone call this week. It's really stressful each morning though. I have to make sure everything looks perfect and hope that when my son gets up, he makes the bed and doesn't leave stuff around. I'm wondering if it's weekend traffic only or there aren't many people out there that match my product. We'll see. Last Thurs. was the first day on the market and we had 4 showings.

I made a couple of cards last night. It's tough when the band is in the room next to me, now that I'm in the basement. Things were rolling off shelves in the closet due to the vibration.

Here's one I made for a new cyber friend. I don't want to post the other until the recipient receives it (sent to a fellow blogger/poster).

Ah, yuh....

We're back from Maine. It was a nice relaxing trip. We stayed at a nice Inn in a small village. We had a delicious meal in their dining room the first night. I had a macadamia nut encrusted scallop dish with apricot/mango salsa and it came with their yummy salad - field greens with red grapes, walnuts, bleu cheese and a maple vinegarette dressing. I was really bad and got their cheesecake. It had fresh raspberries on top. The second night we went down to the pub and enjoyed the entertainment and another great meal. Well..I got an app as a meal. It was a lobster artichoke cream cheese dip served with toast points. DELISH! The band was great!

Anyway, we drove around to see the sites. It's amazing how different Evans Notch looked. The last time we were there it was snowy and the roads were icy. This time it was all green with big puffy clouds.












We did see snow. First was the worlds tallest snow woman, Olympia. She was 122 feet tall but she's meellllltting....... and she's pretty ugly. Here's a photo.














Here's a view of Sunday River ski area:













Here's a suspension bridge we found. It's actually a snowmobile trail that goes from Maine on one side to New Hampshire on the other. It was kind of scary as it was windy and swaying but I made myself go across.

Heading up north.....

Just saying that makes me laugh. DH used to call our land "the Property" and I did a layout with the same title. He now refers to it as "Up North." When we are going through things in the house and are trying to decide whether or not to keep it, dh says, "We could always take it up north." I think I'll be hearing that a lot when we actually pack up for the move. We better build a huge place to fit all the junk!!LOL

So we are going up to Maine for an association meeting and to relax. We finally got into the Inn we've been wanting to stay at. It should be fun. I'll try to take some photos at Evan's Notch since my ds asked me to, and post when we get back. I took fall and winter photos and posted way back and maybe even some summer ones.

Hope everyone has a fun & safe Memorial Weekend!

Mixed emotions...

I was excited and nervous when I got two phone calls for showings on our first day. Got home and saw the For Sale sign and nearly cried. My dh said he was heartbroken when he got home and saw the sign and felt we may be doing the wrong thing. Then my oldest came for band practice and said it was really weird to see the sign when he drove up. Dh told him he was feeling bad about it and ds told him that new beginnings are good too. He can be so sweet!

Anyway, the house is sparkling for our showing this morning. Maybe we're counting our chickens before they hatch but I am really nervous about selling without a place to go. I want a full offer, but then again, I don't! I want to move so we can do our thing up north, but then again...I don't! We'll see what today brings.

** UPDATED: We are now up to 4 showings!!!

Ahhhhhh...

I'm petrified. My house went on the market yesterday afternoon with showings beginning tomorrow. Just got the first phone call...I have a showing tomorrow morning!! I'm so scared, I don't know why. I have to make sure my ds is up and his bed is made and tell my mom she may have to leave for work early.

I am so afraid we'll sell it too fast. I know most people want this but we still have not found a place that works for us and we've been through most of the inventory out there!! I really do not want to end up in temporary quarters. We can't even look this weekend because we're going to Maine. I want to say wish me luck but I'm not at all sure I want it!! LOL

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr......

Sorry but I have to gripe again. I ran around last night making sure every crumb was off the floor, every door wiped down, etc. The house looked perfect (well, to me it did). I had the realtors tour scheduled for today. My son is home sleeping so I asked my dh to call the realtor to confirm 10 a.m. so that I didn't wake ds up for nothing.

Guess what? It's scheduled for NEXT week. Now I know I didn't get it wrong. I wrote it on my calendar while he was at my house. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr......

So I will go through the same thing next Tuesday. It's so frustrating. The lawn looked good, the house was clean, etc.

My other big frustration is I have NO idea what my mom and son will do after I leave. Will everything get wiped down (sinks)? will the toilet seat get left up? will my son shave or cut his hair and leave the hair behind?!!! I don't know how I'm going to make it through this without ending up in the looney bin.

On cheating....

Ok, so I'm cheating. I had a limited amount of time to finish a couple of cards so I used the same basic design from the owl one in my previous post for a birthday card for my cousin. This cousin is from NYC and he's a twin to the SF cousin. I love them both dearly. They keep me laughing.

The second is for a baby shower for another cousin. Did I tell you I have a lot of cousins and we're all pretty close?!!

I used SU cs in Kraft & CTMH pp for the owl (Hero Arts). For the baby shower I used SU in Bashful Blue (one of my favs), Barely Banana & Certainly Celery. I used the SU scallop punch and So Many Scallops stamp (ink was Apricot Appeal). The background stars are Mike's $1. The photo isn't great.

No crafting time...

I made two quick cards this weekend because I had to. The first is for my funny/crazy cousin in San Fran and the second is for my card group Father's Day challenge. I bought the cute little owl set at lss last week (Hero Arts).

I used almost all SU cs except the sanded wavy section. That's CTMH in Ocean. Love the fact that you can sand their papers.

Woe is me....

I know you're probably all sick and tired of hearing about our failed house hunting missions but that's what's going on in my life right now.

Saw 3 or 4 houses today and one worked. And that's stretching it. It is a big house (3,000 sf) but the two extra bedrooms were small. It's an odd house with a humongous great room and a big inground pool. It has a two car garage under the house and a detached. My dh was thinking man town, I'm sure. He needs a place to jam.

The master bedroom was huge for a change but the other bedrooms were small and I hate to stick my mom & son in a small room. There was a nice smaller room downstairs that was just perfect for a scraproom and a nice big bar area with a pool table and another family room.

I don't know what we'll do at this point. We've moved up in price and further away than we wanted to and still can't find anything.

Anyhoo, I'll try to stop the whining.

What does your taste in music say about you?

Ok, you know me and my music. I never seem to shut up about it. I just saw this in Blogthings and had to post. The outcome isn't really true about me (not physical - I'm not athletic at all, don't take that many risks unless I'm under the influence! LOL jk).

What Your Taste in Music Says About You

Your musical tastes are intense and rebellious. You are intelligent... but in a very unconventional way. You are curious about the world. You love doing something new. In fact, you enjoy taking risks and doing things most people would shy away from. You are very physical. It's likely that you're athletic, but not into team sports. You have the soul of an artist. Beauty and harmony are important to you.

What Does Your Taste in Music Say About You?

Bad blogger.....

I've been so busy in my personal and business life that I haven't had time to update. I haven't done a thing in my scrap space for at least a few days, maybe more. It's all a blur at this point.

My house is as ready as it's ever going to be. Tomorrow will be the photos/video and I'll be at work. I worked like a dog last night because tonight I won't get home until late from work. I have a big event here this afternoon and that's kept me busy too.

Next on the menu is my son's graduation party. I still haven't done invitations and I know I won't be making them. I just don't have the time. :-( I'm sure everyone is expecting a homemade invitation. OH well...not this time. I also have to do a photo board for him since I did that for my oldest. You know you have to keep things equal! Later.

Happy Mother's Day....

Hope everyone was treated nice on Mother's Day.

We started out at my cousin's for a First Communion cookout. I had a great time catching up with cousins I haven't seen for a while (one in from San Fran, one from NY, one who just moved up from FL). It was fun.

Then we got home to spend time with the boys. We were supposed to cook but were too full so my cousin sent me home with food for the boys (one came with us). So...NO cooking. I was very happy about that.

So we celebrated dh's birthday with a Carvel cake. DH gave me $$ to spend on stamp supplies!

I got the cutest gift from my oldest son and his wonderful gf. My favorite animal is a giraffe and they got me a cool giraffe tote and filled it with a kit from the Button Farm (my favorite). It's a beach album so that'll be fun to put together.












Hope you all had a great weekend!

Sat. update....

We didn't have any success house hunting today. I'm starting to think we are doing the wrong thing by putting our house on the market because I know it will sell fast and then we'll have no place to go. I'm getting nervous....

DH and I went out for his birthday lunch at Smokey Bones. Yum! I semi stuck with my diet. Then we went to the mall shopping. I haven't shopped in so long. I ended up with a couple of tops and white capris for tomorrow.

Anyway, here are a couple of mother's day cards I made. I had to keep them semi simple for my sanity. I hope all of you mother's (that does not sound good) have a wonderful day tomorrow!!!!!!!!

For Diana....

Here's the retirement card I made. You probably thought it was for a man? It was just your basic floral with a nice retirement saying inside. I found a few good ones so email me if you need them.
(oops, forgot to crop and edit my photo).

No Friday Feast for me...

I'm just too busy this weekend. I spent my day off cleaning out closets, doing laundry and food shopping. Also had lunch with dh at Panera.

Tomorrow morning we head out again looking at houses. There aren't many on our list because there aren't many out there that fit our criteria (2 car garage, parking enough for 4 cars, min. 2 full baths and bedrooms bigger than a postage stamp). It is NOT easy. Oh yeah, gas heat and central air, and in our price range. We are getting very discouraged. We started looking in MA today just to widen the possibilities.

Anyway, we may go to the IMax theatre tomorrow night to see the Rolling Stones movie. my dh is a big fan and it's his birthday on Mother's Day. I also have to make a dessert for the First Communion party on Sunday.

The boys will be coming for dinner after the party and I have no idea what we'll have because we won't be that hungry after the party. Ok, I am rambling....over and out!!

Amazing...

It's truly amazing what you can do when you know you only have a small amount of time.

Last night I was bound and determined to get a couple of cards done and NOT work on closets. My mom was out for dinner and dh was on the phone when I got there (Wed. is my night off from cooking). So.....I ran down to my new space in the dungeon and started making a card for my ds' teacher (today is his last day). I zipped through that and made another penguin card for someone who bought one. I ended up making a third for a retirement at work. I could not have done that on a normal night. I was so happy!!


Here's the teacher thanks. And thanks to you, Becky, for the rub-ons!!

No time last night...

My dh and I met with a realtor and my house will be on the market in two short weeks! I will be a maniac going through closets and cleaning windows, etc.

So I sat down to make a teacher thank you last night for someone who has spent a lot of time with my ds over the last four years of high school. We couldn't have done it without him. Anyway, got an idea in my head for a gift card holder. Asked ds' opinion if it should be manly or cute (penguin-ish). He said he didn't have a clue (no surprise). So....I decided on manly. Pulled out cs and printed papers, sat down, and my dh called me into the other room. He wanted to show me more properties - none were good. By the time we were done, it was way too late to start my card. Went upstairs to read for a few minutes and watch the 10:00 news....

I don't know how much I'll get done tonight but I really need to make that card for tomorrow.

I made this one last week but haven't decided what to use it for. It was a back up Mother's Day card and I didn't need it. Maybe a get well?

Night off....

Yay, my dh and I were both exhausted and we decided to take the night off from decluttering.

I went down to my new space in the basement and tried to organize a bit. I finished a few mom's day cards and made a graduation congrats.

I have a question.....am I the only person who sends mother's day cards to godmothers? I have four godmoms to send to (mine, dh's and the two boys).

Here's my mess:

NSD?

What is NSD? I didn't even get a chance to think about doing anything. I recently posted about how I'm so lucky to have an easy schedule with no young kids, etc. and I'm able to stamp and scrap whenever I want. NOT.

This weekend we saw six houses with not even one possibility. There were a couple that were absolutely disgusting. I started to feel guilty though - I could tell which ones were foreclosures and homeowners just didn't care any more. It's so sad that there are so many out there who have lost their homes.

Anyway, we went through dh's office yesterday and it took most of the day. He cleared out two bookshelves and gave me space for two tables. I relocated my scrap stuff down to the basement again. I miss my armoire already. I still have to organize it tonight if I have time. Everything is just piled up at this point. The realtor comes Tues. night to put the house on the market so I still have several closets to declutter. Woe is me. :-(

p.s. I know, the design is very familiar. I've used the same design a few times to get through all the cards! I used SU designer papers, cardstock, stamps, ribbon, ink (purely pomegranate, bashful blue, wild wasabi).

Here's one from last week. I can pretend that I had five minutes to make a card.

Cute little penguin...

Got this image as part of a swap in my card group. I made a quick card last night with it. I used orange stickles, SU Kraft, Pumpkin Pie and Old Olive cs & SU designer paper & inks. The metal embellishment is CTMH. The teal background was made with a cuttlebug folder. When did I become such an orange fan? I can't seem to make a card without it! LOL

Friday's Feast One Hundred Eighty Nine

Appetizer

What was your favorite cartoon when you were a child? I'm not sure, probably Scooby Doo

Soup

Pretend you are about to get a new pet. Which animal would you pick, and what would you name it? I would call her Greta the Giraffe. It's my favorite animal and I'm not a house pet person!!

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy getting all dressed up for a special occasion? I don't enjoy dressing up that much - maybe a 4?

Main Course

What kind of music do you listen to while you drive? I listen to a variety of music and I can't ever get the right genre. I guess it's sort of light alternative? I love Jack Johnson, KT Tunstall, Sara Borelis, etc.

Dessert

When was the last time you bought a clock? And in which room did you put it?

Oh boy, I can't honestly remember. It's been a while - like YEARS!

More updates.....

I know it's getting boring but I have nothing else going on in my life! LOL
After dinner last night I quickly headed to my room and started a card for my swap. My dh came in and asked if I wanted to tackle the attic. UGH....I relented....it wasn't really bad. We worked for a few hours and got a lot done.

I headed back to my scrap room to finish the card around 9-ish. I wasn't in there for 5 min. and dh came in and asked if I wanted to see the houses he found online. UGH again....I went to see them and gave up on the cardmaking for the night.

I made this one a while ago. It's not great but I just have no clue what to do with these scalloped cards I bought. They are Memory Box, I believe. The stamp is CTMH - Feb. SOM. I thought they were so cool and then I sat down to use one. I didn't add a sentiment or anything because I wasn't sure if I even liked it. I cut the other scallops with my cricut. It's hard to tie ribbon on these because of the shape. I had to glue it down with a glue dot.

A little play time....

Got in just a little bit of play time last night. My dh decided I was too crabby so he let me have the night off from decluttering.

I had to put together a card set for my aunt (add sentiments, etc.). I made a sympathy card & another mom's day card. I still have two mom's day cards and two May birthdays on my list, oh and a goodbye/happy retirement card. Then I can start on my June list.

I feel like I'm behind but I guess I'm not. It's not May yet and I have most of them done. I just feel so pressured to get it all done in case I have to pack it all up.

My dh eased my mind slightly last night - said we could move most of my sb stuff into his office in the basement while we show the house. WHEW! I was going to be having some serious withdrawals if not....

p.s. We are moving to Southern NH (or so we think at this point).

Nothing new...

My night was the same as the previous - decluttering closets. No stamping for me...

I did receive a nice package in the mail from Becky though. It was the blog candy I won. She send me some primas, chipboard and a package of thank you rub-ons. It was a nice surprise!!

As I was reading her blog today, I realized that I probably won't get a vacation again this summer. I obviously can't plan on anything since I don't know when my house will sell or when we will move. Ugh....I guess my time will come in a year or two. I WILL take myself to the beach for a day this summer. I only drove by it last year and I insist on spending the day ON the beach this year.

Busy weekend...

We went looking at houses/condos on Sat. We found one that may work (detached condo). We'd have to finish the basement so that my dh could play his guitar and I could have a scrap room. He has these great ideas for my room, shelves all around and an island to work on. I'm excited about that.

Sunday we went through our bathroom closet and under the sink. DH went through his side of the walk in closet. I need to do mine. Ugh....I hate this decluttering crap. It cuts into my creative time! LOL

I did sit down last night to finish 3 or 4 cards, some for May birthdays and one for Mother's Day.

Tonight we hit the attic while my ds' band is playing in the basement....

Friday's Feast One Hundred Eighty Eight

Appetizer

Name something you would categorize as weird.

I think it's weird that every time I think I heard my cell phone ring and check it out, I put it down and a minute or two later it rings. I swear I know when one of my boys is going to call.

Soup

What color was the last piece of food you ate? Ivory? It was rice pudding last night. I know it's not white but it's not yellow either.

Salad

On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you enjoy being alone? This sounds terrible but I would say about a 9.5. I like being alone in the office first thing (right now) and I also love my alone time in my scrap room.

Main Course

Fill in the blank: I will _________ vote for ___________ in _______. I will not answer this one. I feel it's private if it's meant to be about the presidential election.

Dessert

Describe your sleeping habits. I start out on my back around 11 p.m. and some time during the night turn to my stomach. I wake up briefly at around 5 but sometimes it's earlier. Then I go back to sleep until 6 a.m.

a few more...

Things are a little better today but nothing new to post about.

Made this for my dh's cousin. Unfortunately we can't make the party. I have to work at Commencement that day/afternoon.













This was for another online friend. I think I used Junkitz paper on both. Some day I'll run out of this and not know what to do! LOL I used Hero Arts stamp & bling on this and SU Pumpkin Pie paper (just for you Stacy! ;-)

If you don't have anything nice to say....

My mom always said, "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all." Please think good thoughts for me. I'm having a rough time at the moment so I'm not going to say anything (ds related). I'll just do what I always do, post a card!!

I made this for an online friend. I hope she got it and is doing ok. I keep meaning to pick up the phone and call but I just never seem to get there these days.

p.s. I know I'm supposed to tell you that the dp and cs is SU. Not sure about the image. I got it in a swap and I think it may be Amuse.

I need some color!!

Thought I'd post a card or two for some color on my oh so boring blog!!

This one was made for a vellum challenge for my card group. I got the idea a long time ago from a Take Ten (I think?) and I've used it quite a bit to use up some scraps (see? I'm recycling here). I don't remember when I became a fan of orange. I never used to like it but I bought a pack of SU Pumpkin pie and I've been hooked since.






Well, I guess that's it. I can't find the other two on my computer. They're probably at work!!!

Just another day...

Ok, I thought I'd get a closet or two cleaned out today, some regular cleaning I didn't finish yesterday and then have some play time.

I had a temporary crown inserted last week and it popped out the other night so I have a dentist appt. at noon, right smack in the middle. I can't run around cleaning and get all sweaty if I have to go to the dentist. I'm doing some light cleaning (as you can see while I'm posting - hehe) and I'll have to tackle the rest later.

This always happens when I get an "extra" day to take care of things. It blows by like it was only two hours long....

Hanging with the girls...

I spent my day hanging out with my aunts & cousins. We had a nice welcome back to the two who spend the winter in FL. It's so nice to have them back. My aunts are so much fun to be with. They're all young minded (and also young in age - one who is 9 mos. older than me).

It turned out to be a gorgeous day weather-wise so we sat on the deck for a while. I'm so happy spring is really here.

I'm really happy to have tomorrow off. I need to clean a closet or two but then I'm going to play in my scrap room.

Quick Bday card...

Made this for my cousin last night. She's one of the May birthdays I have to finish cards for.


I used SU designer papers in Cutie Pie and SU cs. The stamp is SU True Friend and the sentiment is a Mike's $1 stamp.

I tried the holes out for the first time. Kathy M inspired me to take out the paper piercer. I need more practice....

Friday's Feast One Hundred Eighty Seven

Appetizer

Name a color you find soothing.

I love aqua. It reminds me of my favorite place, the ocean.

Soup

Using 20 or less words, describe your first driving experience.

My stepdad pulled over the side of the highway and made me get in the driver's seat and just drive.

Salad

What material is your favorite item of clothing made out of? I guess that would be a soft cotton.

Main Course

Who is a great singer or musician who, if they were to come to your town for a concert, you would spend the night outside waiting for tickets to see?

I don't think I'd ever wait outside for anyone but just for yucks I'll say Eric Clapton. I did see him once and it was a fantastic concert!!

Dessert

What is the most frequent letter of the alphabet in your whole name (first, middle, maiden, last, etc.)?


L most definitely. I have two in my first name, my middle and last (maiden) begins with L. Ok, I just recounted and L and E are tied.

Misc. chatter about nothing....

I finally got to stamp last night. Finished two cards. I think my stamping days are going to be few and far between soon. This morning dh said, "I hate to bug you but we need to start going room to room during the week nights." Ugh....it makes me want to cry just thinking of all of the decluttering I have to do with no play time!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.

Heard two good songs on the way in and I just had to give them a mention - Tears for Fears/Everybody Wants to Rule the World and Goo Goo Dolls/Slide. I remember Tears for Fears songs from way back in the 80's. I love that band. And the Goo Goo Dolls are right up there too.

Have a good one....

Have you ever....

Saw this on Stacy's blog at Exceedingly Mundane and I was thrilled to play along.

Have you ever…

(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped School
(x) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada
( ) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost
(x) Been on the opposite side of the country
(x) Gone to Washington , DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
( ) Played cops and robbers
(x) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke ….
( ) Paid for a meal with coins only?
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn’t?
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose - or other places!
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(x) Been kissed under the mistletoe
(x) Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(x) Been skinny dipping outdoors

Let me know if you decide to play!

Rotten teeth......

Well, I had yet another crown yesterday. My tooth was cracked. Oh well...another $900 down the drain. My throat is very sore today. I think it's from holding my mouth open too long. It's way in the back and it feels like a sore muscle although I had a sore throat yesterday before I went to the dentist. Can't go home though, I'm the only one in the front office today.

I got two cards done last night - one for a SBA friend's dh and I just copied it for my dh since I liked how it came out. It was a CASE from splitcoast though. I just didn't have time to come up with my own ideas!

I'm hoping to get another done for a SBA friend tonight (not telling who yet but it's not a bday ;-) and maybe my SIL & cousin. I have a list of May occasions/bdays to do before I pack up my schlock for a move and/or showing the house.

Weekend update...

Grrr...had a rocky weekend with ds but otherwise the weekend was good.

I had a lot of fun with the SBA cyber crop. I didn't think I'd get more than a page or two done with my schedule but I actually finished 7 pages!!

And I made 60 baby shower favors on Sunday with my mom & aunt. We covered York Peppermint Patties (3/bag) and put them in cello bags with personalized ribbon.

We also went condo hunting and that wasn't successful but at least we know what is out there.

Break needed....

Whew, I was all stressed about getting to Friday Feast before I get into my work for the day. I guess I needed the break.

Anyway, a sad story....

My oldest ds doesn't have very good luck, especially with cars. He's had ice fly off someone's roof on the highway and break his windshield, several hit and runs in a parking lot, his gf hit another car when he first got it (just a little dent on the bumper), etc.

So last night, he was driving home from work and two large dogs ran right into his car. He thinks they were weinereimers (sp?). He is such an animal lover so it really bothered him. One dog ran off and the other's leg was dangling and definitely broken. He has an imprint of the head in his car. The owners apologized to him so they knew it wasn't his fault. Somehow the dogs got out. Anyway, he felt SO bad, he didn't get their insurance info purposes. He helped the owner get blankets and put a splint on. He said it's only a car and he hopes the dog is ok. He is a sweetie...

A quick card...

I participated in an image swap and received the first group yesterday. I made a quick card for dh since his birthday is in May and I'm trying to get a jump on my May/June cards because I don't know when I'll have to be all packed up.

I used SU cs and inks. I used a cuttlebug folder for the wavy strip and some Creative Cafe suede brads. I'm not sure whose image it is but I thought it was cute (the image, not the card)! My sentiment is a tad crooked but I don't think dh will notice.

Not enough play time...

Got home late from work because I stopped to get my SU stuff and ended up yacking with my reps. They are so good to me. They cut a bunch of paper and put it through their new Cuttlebug folders so I have a big stack of really cute backgrounds!!

I was so excited my punch came in! Now I can get started on the baby shower favors.

I love the papers I ordered. I put some in my organizer and put the rest away. I tried out my new set briefly but I ran out of time. I put my stamp pads, markers and all that away, nice and neat. Here's a photo of my "schlock", as my good friend would say.

A bundle of emotions...

I am so excited....my SU order is in and I'm picking it up on the way home. I bought lots of cs, several ink pads & markers, etc.

Yesterday I bought a pretty Penny Black floral stamp (gossamer) and went to use it last night. It is defective. The middle of the flower will NOT stamp, no matter what. I've never had that happen before. Anyway, took it back to the lss today and they'll reorder. They let me keep the stamp to play. I'll have to fill in the middle of the flower with something in the meantime though. I also bought a pretty Artful Stamper floral stamp (go figure).

So I'm really excited about playing with my new stuff and also about my upcoming crop this weekend at SBA.

What I'm not excited about (and very nervous about) is putting our house up for sale and finding a new home. I'm sad but also excited to be moving on. I'm stressed just thinking about the cleaning out closets and all that and moving. I haven't moved in almost 13 years. Yikes....

My bad....

Just haven't been able to get on to update. I had yesterday off (dental appt. for ds, mtg. w/realtor). My dh took me to my favorite sub shop. I had the BEST Italian sub. The hot peppers are in relish form, pickles and tomatoes are diced, the rolls are the best, salami and other meets are so fresh. YUM. I told dh I could start my diet now. hehe

Today I walked into a hornets nest. My desk has had a huge amount of traffic today!!

Thought I'd just post a quick hello and two cards I made for my card group using sketches.