Thursday, November 5, 2009

I got a job ;)

I'm excited to start a part time job at a store in the mall called CJ Banks! I've shopped there a few times, they have beautiful clothes! I can use the scheduled time out, the extra money (did you know minimum wage is up to $8/hr?) and the 50% discount is certainly a plus as well!! I know, I know; If I'm not careful my whole check will go back into the store. You're not the first one to tell me that. It's ok--I'm only going to allow myself one article each week! ;)

Being that it's retail (and I know how retail works because that's pretty much all I've done in the past) I put open availability on my application. And it's not that I mind working weekends, I don't--I just don't want to work EVERY weekend. There's plenty of times when we go up north that we're gone from friday to sunday evening. So I'm a little anxious about how that's gonna work, and I hope I'll get next week's schedule today.

Today I'm only there from 1-5 for orientation. There will be another girl there as well, her name is Tina. I have no idea what she's like, so I hope we click right away and get along without a problem!!

The kids are ok alone until Ken gets home, but my parents are going to bring them to their house. The kids can do their homework while my mom cooks her dinner and then Ken can stop by and get them on his way home.

After work I'm going to Lisa's for a MICHE purse party and then to watch the dvr'd "Vampire Diaries". Catch up with you after that!!

Have a fantastic fall day!

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

October 2009

For the past few years I've taken the kids' pictures myself and have them printed at walmart. It's cheeper than the school picture packages, and I can print EXACTLY the sizes and amounts I need.

Tom didn't want to have his picture taken. Can you tell? This is the best shot I was able to get. He turns 12 this November. I can't believe it. I remember his birthday like it was. .. well, not yesterday, but certainly not 12 years ago.

Eric was much more compliant, although he had a raging case of strep in this picture, and we didn't know it yet. 10 and a half years he is.
Abby! She is so happy! I had quite a few shots to choose from for Abby's picture! She is 8.


Here's our house decorated for fall. It's hard to see much with the leaves and the shadows. You can click on the image to get a larger shot.








I took the following two pictures of laundry for my facebook page. A friend of mine 'teased' me to show everyone how bad I was claiming the laundry was. So I did it!









And my husband, Ken, just decided to start a facebook page for himself. He didn't want to put his picture on the internet, though, so this is his status picture. . . .












Thursday, October 15, 2009

Is it just me???

I'm tellin' ya, I thought I had a kind of easy, laid back life. . .but lately I've been so busy, I'm ready to pull my hair out! Wait, that's not really accurate. I'm so busy, I want to just chuck it all and curl up on the couch with a blankey and the remote. Yes. That is more like it.

So I've been helping the kids with homework (and LATE work. .. UGH), taking them to the dr's, keeping them home from school with various sicknesses, going to morning bible study, cleaning the kitchen, doing MOUNTAINS of laundry every three days or so, going to wednesday night church program, mom's group, going through everyone's clothes and putting away summer clothes to replace them with fall and winter (still not done with this chore), book club, stamp club, crop club, dr's visits for me, working 5 hours a day (ok, I haven't been able to keep up that pace, but I'm working on it) and pulling all the (dead) summer flowers out of pots, dumping the dirt and decorating the outside for fall.

I know, I know. . .alot of people have the same types of things to do, I'm not unique. Everyone has to run their lives. Notice I didn't add paying the bills, dusting, vacuuming, grocery shopping, CHANGING THE TOILET PAPER ROLLS. . . is there some unwritten rule I'm not aware of that makes the rest of the family think they are unable to do this task??

So on top of that I'm coordinating Eric's 5th grade halloween party and leading Abby's brownie troop. Not because I'm looking for a way to strengthen my leadership skills. . .no, no. .. because I'll do anything to keep my kids happy.

Ok, almost anything.

But how can I say no to Brownies? (Girl Scouts) No one else would step up, so here I am. And again, no one would take the lead in 'putting together' the halloween party. Nothing earth shattering, but both new tasks definitely involve alot of emailing and calling people. In fact, there is ALOT more involved in leading brownies than I thought there'd be. I had to take a mental day from it today. I'll get back up on that horse tomorrow. Or monday.

So, I've been creating cards and layouts, I just haven't taken my camera out. But don't feel slighted--I need to update my facebook page, too.

Below is a picture that's in my computer from LAST FALL. (There are SO MANY pictures I need to print!! Not that they'll get much further than that. .. I'm more than a year behind in scrapbooking.) So here' my niece and nephew in the fall leaves of 2008. . .



Adorable, aren't they??

And below is a picture you may recall from my birthday post.

This is the breakfast my best friend, Deata, made for me when I stayed at her house the weekend of my birthday. I'm posting it today because I'm going to her house again tomorrow night! The end of August was the last time I was out there, and I'm looking forward to spending time with her. . .we hope to find a festive pumpkin patch type place with apple cider, a little shop. . ya know, the whole kit -n- kaboodle. Plus we're going to window shop in a few of our favorite stores and see my other BEST friends at Jodi's house saturday night! (Beth and Anita, I'm talking to YOU! Pull yourselves up by your boobstraps and get to Jodi's by 7!! I miss you!!)

I am going to take pics of the house, my kids, and all the festivities to come and I'll post them up SOON!! ;)

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

This -n- that

Abby loves the camo shoes with the wedges that matches her 'princess' camo t-shirt. She is NOT a girly girl and doesn't like pink or purple. The ONLY reason she 'puts up' with the crown is becuase it's on a camo shirt!

Here are the kids gathered around Beth as she messes with John's cell rings! (Hee hee hee!)


Friday, September 11, 2009

Labor Day Sunday

My brother and his family came down on sunday before labor day to spend time with all of us! It was fantastic! Here are a few shots from a nearby park we visited.
Nicolas looks so much like my brother at this age. It's the shape of his head, I think!

Abby in the 'spinny thing' that is coveted by aaaaall the kids at the park.

Nicolas ran from one ride to another, laughing and playing!


My dad helps Nicolas on the swing. How cute is that face!?



My parents with Nicolas.





From left to right. . .Tom, Ken and Dan. Takin' a break.




Animated story.






Abby rocking very fast!








Eric was in on the action, too.







STOP THE PRESS!! My (almost) 12 year old son is having FUN?! And LAUGHING!? All hope is not lost.









My birthday weekend

I turned 35 on August 20th, which was a thursday. I got to spend friday night and saturday with my very good friend, Deata! I love to sit at her dinning room table drinking hot tea with her. We talk and laugh way into the night!

Rather than a meal for dinner, Deata made cole slaw, pasta salad, refridgerator pickles and cut up fruit for us to snack on. Oh, and there was potato salad and cottege cheese, too. Yum!

Here was saturday's breakfast! Oatmeal with rasins and yogurt with peaches!

Deata is 'cat sitting' for a friend. This is Ariel. She is a meow-er!


What's a birthday without CAKE!? Mmmm, this was a very delicious pound cake with whipped creamn, bananas and strawberries. My favorite!



There's Ariel again.
Lots more pics to come. . .I need to catch up on alot! I have a limited amount of time this afternoon--I have an appointment I need to leave for in 30 minutes. Have a great friday!




Thursday, August 13, 2009

Card Swap

I love the stamp club I go to on the second friday of each month! This is the second card swap I've participated in (ever) and am nervous that my card won't be good enough.

So there were 10 of us signed up for this swap. I'll bring my nine cards to the club meet (the 10th one is for myself) and come home with 9 other cards. Just like a cookie exchange.

The theme was "Cards to Go"-- a complete card (as opposed to just the card front, which we usually do) along with a decorated envelope. I always decorate my envelope, but being that my artwork will be going home with someone else for them to give out, I'm afraid that it will be less than they'd like.

I know. I have approval issues.

Anyway-- I love fall, and school being just around the corner brings fall in the not so distant future. So I felt like doing a halloween card. Searching through my things I found that I have a very limited supply of Stampin Up halloween stamps. (One of the rules is to keep the cards as close to Stampin Up stuff as possible.) So the card turned out a bit differently than I was originally thinking. So here it is. . .


Eh. See, I'm not really happy with it.

So first I calculated how many squares I needed on each card and multiplied it by 10.
I layed it out in order of how I wanted it on the card.


I adhered the squares to card stock,

then rolled the card stock through my Big Shot on the Big Note Die.


I don't have a cute little sewing machine to add the stitching (which is soooo cute) so I used a stamp set that is not Stampin Up for the look.





That went onto the certainly celery green cardstock, and layed that onto black cardstock.




Below is a shot of the inside of the card (contraband image) the front of the envelope, and the back of the envelope. (I'm happy to say all of those images ARE stampin up.)






I would've liked to have had a cute saying to go into the oval, but the only thing that would fit was BOO! with a Stampin Up alpha set.



So here it is. I hope everyone that gets it likes it!!



I'll post up pics of the cards I receive tomorrow at club!!







Monday, August 10, 2009

"T" minus one week untill school starts. . .

WOW I've had a crazy busy summer! And I downloaded a TON of pictures to my computer from all kinds of things we've done, but they got deleted! Long story. Not worth going into it. Although I *did* save them in my kodak easy share gallery. I wonder if I can get them here from there? I'll try.

We went to a wedding, went blueberry picking, had friends and family over, went to three different parties at friends and families houses, helped my inlaws pack and move, took home furniture and things they didn't want from the move, been to four different parks, rearranged the living room and family room, painted and rearranged Abby's bedroom. . .and kept up with laundry and cleaning the house all the while.

Oh, and I've been going to the gym three days a week (for exactly one week ;) and I'm down 6 pounds! Gotta love it. I'm going after dinner on monday, wednesday and friday. It's working out well!!

Today I need to get a haircut. It's waaaay past due. Then I need to make 10 cards (all the same) for a card swap I'm in through my stamp club, which meets this friday night. (I'll get to the gym in the afternoon so there's no excuse to 'skip it'). Tomorrow I have to go to Springfield, Il. for an appointment with my dermatologist about my psoriasis. The methotrexate wasn't doing any good, so I'm about to start Humera. I'll let you know how it goes.

OMG it's nearly noon! I need to get going. I'm getting a haircut today, then I need to stop at Cub grocery store because of a few things on a great sale. I have a gift card for Borders and I've been dying to get over there to see what's on sale. (End of season. There's gotta be a good sale going on.) Plus I could use the distraction. Oh, a friend of mine is starting her first book club and I'm in! Starts September 2nd! I need to cycle about 3 loads of laundry today and OH I need to get some liquid miracle grow. . .my flowers are at the stage where they need to be cut way back and fed/watered miracle grow and water. According to my garden guru, they will bloom wonderfully again after that.

I leave you with my favorite LOLCatz image. I still laugh out loud when I see this.

Have a great monday!!


Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Ribbon is done!

I found these glass containers at Walmart for $4 a piece! I'm really happy--they look beautiful!


I reorganized my scrap shelves (again) and fell in love with the wall. Again. :)


I love this basket I got at Target for $15 this past spring! It hold mostly my Great Impressions stamps of the month, but a few other of my favorites are in there, too.


Here's a shot of my desk and the family room from standing in front of the scrap shelves.




And here's the wall behind my desk. (Also re-done.) :-D






Stacy from My Love Affair with the Label Maker is hosting an 'organize your stuff'' challenge, and this week is pictures. I pretty much have that under control, so I can take the rest of the week off. Watch, next week will be ribbon.





The 3rd of July

My brother and his family came down to see us on the 3rd. Good thing, because it rained all day on the 4th.

Here's Kenney grilling the chicken.

My (nearly) two year old nephew is looking for the cats.
"Where titty tat?"
"Not me. He's looking for JackJack. I don't play."


"TITTY!!!" (I know. It was even more hilarious in his little voice!)



Nicolas loves puzzles (and 'damma'!!)




Nicolas plays with Abby and Grandpa by the swing set.





Ah, playing catch in the backyard, Father and Son.


Does is get any more American than that?
Well, probably. But that was a pretty cool moment!!





Things that make me smile

Things that make me smile