February 29, 2008 Friday

Friday Fill-Ins #61
1. I'm looking forward to World Market opening up next week.
2. I don't handle chaos very well.
3. Cereal is something I could eat every day.
4. Warmth and sunlight are essential to my well being.
5. Atlanta here I come!
6. I do not have nor will I ever have any tattoo(s).
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to spending time with Bailey, tomorrow my plans include nothing too exciting and Sunday, I want to relax and craft!

Feast One Hundred & Eighty OneFebruary 29th, 2008

Appetizer
Who was the last person you hugged? Dave about an hour ago when he left for work.

Soup
Share a beauty or grooming trick or tip with us. I love Arbonne's NutriMinC RE9 Anti Aging face and body treatment!

Salad
What does the color yellow make you think of? Warmth and sunshine, the secondary color in my living room.

Main Course
If you were to make your living as a photographer, what subject would your pictures revolve around? Kids!

Dessert
What was the longest book you ever read? I read a ton of books but I don't know which one was the longest. Every once in a while a book with a small number of pages seems really long. I started a book called The Mission Song and it was so hard to read that I just stopped.

Ten on Tuesday February 26, 2008

10 Movies That You’ve Intended to Watch, But Haven’t

1. Knocked Up (have tried to rent it the last three times at Blockbuster)
2. Juno
3. Heartbreak Kid (we have the movie I just haven't watched it yet)
4. 27 Dresses
5. Definitely, Maybe
6. Wedding Crashers
7. Perfect Stranger (had to return it before I got a chance to watch it)
8. P.S. I Love You
9. The Bucket List
10. Enchanted

Dave and I hardly ever go to the movies, he falls asleep and snores! The last movie we went to was Music and Lyrics last Valentine's Day (2007). And yes, he fell asleep and snored! I take the boys but with them being 6 years apart it is hard to find something everyone likes. We did go see Alvin and the Chipmunks and it was great!

February 26, 2008 Tackle It Tuesday After Photos

It amazes me how little time it takes to tidy up a room. This Tackle it Tuesday project took me all of an hour. Now, total time was more. First I had to pick up Brent at his dad's since he missed the bus, drop off a load of stuff at the storage unit, take Brent to school. Then I came home and finished my blog posting and started on the utility room. About the time I got going good the phone rang. It was Brent's school, he is running a fever and he has to be picked up. No answer at dad's so I go and get him. Now off to home and to finish the utility room. It took me 2 1/2 hours total time but really only about an hour was actually in the room. Can't wait for next week.

Name That Tune - February 26, 2008

Name That Tune
I snatched this from Jennifer's Blog.
Open up your iTunes* and fill out this survey, no matter how embarrassing the responses might be.

How many songs total: 2372
How many hours or days of music: 150:28:19
Most recently played: I Can’t Stop This Feeling – Vonda Shepard
Most played: Ready, Set, Don’t Go – Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus
Most recently added: Everything – Michael Buble’

SORT BY SONG TITLE:

First Song: 100 Tears Away – Vonda Shepard
Last Song: Zig Zag Stop – Toby Keith

SORT BY TIME:

Shortest Song: No Signal – Toby Mac (1:11)
Longest Song: Unglued – Tait (11:54)

SORT BY ALBUM:

First album: 20 Greatest Hits (a country sampler)
Last album: Your Man – Josh Turner
First song that comes up on Shuffle: Hold Me Now – Wayne Wonder

SEARCH THE FOLLOWING AND STATE HOW MANY SONGS COME UP:

Death – 0
Life – 58
Love – 236
Hate – 5
You – 442
Sex – 1

* I don't have iTunes so I did this with Real Player.

February 26, 2008 Tackle It Tuesday

This is only my second week using Tackle it Tuesday but I am loving it! Last week I posted pictures of my desk. I moved it into the family room from the living room. Now the living room looks great but I still have a mess (although a smaller mess than before) on my desk BUT I got the thing moved!

This week my tackle is the Utility Room. I have a nice sized utility room with lots of great cabinets but it looks like a bomb went off in it. Here are the before pictures:

Wish me luck! I am off to work on getting this room "after" picture ready!

Menu Plan Monday February 25, 2008

Monday

• Chicken Strips Salad
• Bread

Tuesday

• Fried Chicken Livers and Onions
• Brussels Sprouts

Wednesday

• Best Meatloaf
• Baked Potatoes
• Corn

Thursday

• Corned Beef
• Cabbage

Friday

• Calico Bean Bake
• Bread

Saturday

• Cube Steaks
• Baked Sweet Potatoes
• Cottage Cheese

February 25, 2008

The more time that Wendy and I spend together the more things we find that we have in common. One of those things we found out this past visit was that we are both Crazy Cat Ladies. We both said we would have a houseful of cats if we could. She has two cats Max and Maya that are the coolest cats. I had two cats Oreo and Radio. Radio is a cool cat but Oreo is a bit of a b****! She nips and bites and generally does not socialize at all. But she was a gift from Dave early in our relationship so she stays. Now you will notice I said I "HAD" two cats. Thanks to Brandon we now have three cats. This picture is of our newest family addition, Foxy. Foxy is a stray that adopted Brandon. She is much bigger than our two other cats and she lets everyone know that she has decided to adopt us as a family. And get me closer to my label of "Crazy Cat Lady".


These three bottom pictures are of the living room. I am so happy with the way it turned out. For the past several months I have had the office in the back part of the living room (behind the couch) and it made it so crowded with all the baby equipment we had in the room. We moved the office and craft room out to the family room and although that room is not done at least when you walk into the living room it looks like a living room and not a nursery. And you can walk through it without running into a piece of furniture. We replaced a couch and loveseat with a double reclining couch so have less furniture in the room as well.

February 24, 2008 Sunday Scribblings

Sunday Scribblings word prompt this week is Passion.

As I think about the word passion many things come to mind. There are different kinds of passion. I have passion for a number of things - Dave, my family, my friends, my crafts, my house and the things that are in it, my animals, etc. All are different in the type of passion. Dave fits in the "passionate" passion column. Family, friends and my pets fit in the "love" passion column. And the rest of my list fits in the "things I am passionate about" passion column. Passion.

February 23, 2008 Smart Habit Saturday

Ok, So I am day late but I have been working on my goals. My goals that I have worked on this past week:

1. I have continued in taking care of my skin. Arbonne NutriMinC RE9 anti-aging products are awesome. I have received the weight loss products and intent to start those tomorrow. Will see how that goes?


2. The dinner planning went pretty well this week. Dave treated us to Fujiyama's on Friday night and we went out to lunch today but other than that I planned and cooked dinner at home. The freezer and pantry are getting bare so I guess grocery shopping will be on my list for tomorrow.


3. The organizing continues. Both couches have arrived and I have taken a ton of stuff to storage. I got the living room set up and it seems less of a nursery now since I was able to hide Bailey's port-a-bed a bit.


4. The laundry is back on track as far as washing and drying. Now I need to spend a good portion of tomorrow hanging and putting it away. I was flipping channels and on HSN they had something called Huggable Hangers. These things are pricey but way cool. I may have to splurge and get some.

New goals for this week:

1. Really try the Arbonne weight loss products.

February 22, 2008

1. Getting there is the best thing about traveling.
2. I love a good cup of cocoa when I'm cold.
3. I often use my computer.
4. I'm reading The Remorseful Day by Colin Dexter right now; I am enjoying it.
5. My troubled daughter is something I dislike talking about.
6. When I visited Arizona I most looked forward to seeing Wendy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to dinner at Fujiyama's tomorrow my plans include continuing the organizing process and Sunday, I want to chillax!



Feast One Hundred & Eighty
February 22nd, 2008

Appetizer

Have you ever played a practical joke on anyone? If so, what did you do and who was your victim?

I am not much of a joker. The only thing I can think of is dumping a cup of water on Dave while he is in the shower.

Soup

What do your salt and pepper shakers look like?

Blue and white with hearts.

Salad

Where is the next place you plan to visit (on vacation or business)?

Possibly to Atlanta in April for the Arbonne convention.

Main Course

What kind of lotion or cream do you use to keep your hands from getting too dry?

Arbonne NutriMINC RE9 REactiving Body Serum and REfinish Hydrating Body Lotion. Just started using it in Arizona and it is awesome!

Dessert

Make up a dessert, tell us its ingredients, and give it a name

Take the Italian waffle cookies that my mom makes, put a scoop of coconut ice cream in the middle and pour a good amount of homemade hot fudge sauce all over it. YUM!

February 20, 2008

There is no picture today but I have accomplished a ton. The sectional for the family room was delivered early this morning and it fits perfect! Brandon and I went to Wally World and got a TV stand and an end table. He it putting then together right now. We still need to get a TV and then I think we'll be done. I ordered ceiling tracks for curtains to block off the storage part of the family room.

Tomorrow the new couch for the living room will be delivered. I have some reorganizing to do so they can deliver it and place it where it needs to be. It will be nice to have everything in place.

I hope to take pictures tomorrow and post.

What's Your Name Hidden Meaning Quiz

What Christine Means

You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

February 19, 2008

Today I need to clear off the desk and get it ready to move to the family room (formerly known as the garage). The new sectional for the family room will be delivered tomorrow and the new couch (with dual recliners) for the living room will be delivered Thursday. Do you think I have enough to do?

There is a bunch of stuff to move, computers to unhook, junk to be gone through. I sure hope when this is all done it helps to keep me organized!

February 17, 2008

Well, I am exhausted! Dave and I worked most of the day in the garage. He took two loads to the storage unit and we moved stuff out there. Tomorrow I am going to purchase our new couches and look for a tv and a tv stand and possibly end tables and a coffee table. I am excited about setting it up out there and having another place to hang out. I am also setting up a shipping station for my eBay stuff.

60 Things

I love the cool questionnaires that Jennifer finds and this one looks like fun!

60 Things You Possibly Didn't Know About

1.. What is in the back seat of your car right now? A jacket, Bailey's car seat, a few of Brent's hot wheels and I am sure a few more things I don't know about.
2. When was the last time you threw up? I honestly don't remember
3. What's your favorite curse word? Don't have a favorite, use whichever one fits the situation best.
4. Name 3 people who made you smile today? Since no one else is up this morning I will name the three people who made me smile yesterday. My dad, Brent, Brandon and of course, Dave. I know, I mentioned four.
5. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? It's not quite 8 yet so I will probably still be blogging
6. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? drinking a cup of coffee
7. What will you be doing 3 hours from now? Either working on my garage or shopping.
8. Have you ever been to a strip club? No, but I dated a male stripper for two years, does that count?
9. What is the last thing you said aloud? I told Dave I hoped that he felt better in the morning. He is so sick.
10. What is the best ice cream flavor? Have you tried the Tagalong ice cream from Eddy's?
11. What was the last thing you had to drink? coffee.
12. What are you wearing right now? stretch pants and a shirt
13. What was the last thing you ate? dinner last night, ravioli with meat sauce. Yum!
14. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? I bought Brent a pair of shorts and Miami Dolphins t-shirt for Valentine's Day
15. When was the last time you ran? in the airport a couple of years ago.
16. What's the last sporting event you watched? The Super Bowl.
18. Who is the last person you emailed? Wendy
19. Ever go camping? yes, but I don't think I will ever again unless it involves a motor home.
20. Do you have a tan? No way!
21-23. I don't know what the heck happened with these questions???
24. Do you drink your soda from a straw? Only in restaurants
25. What did your last IM say? I don't do much IMing so I don't remember
26. Are you someone's best friend? I hope so
27. What are you doing tomorrow? Church (haven't been in over a year), spending time with Dave and the family
28. Where is your mom right now? Probably still sleeping
29. Look to your left, what do you see? My living room.
30. What color is your watch? Silver, gold, black
31. What do you think of when you think of Australia? Steve Irwin, down under, kangaroos and Outback. Oh and how could I forget Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban??
32. Would you consider plastic surgery? Possibly
33. What is your birthstone? Sapphire
34. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Drive thru!
35.How many kids do you want? I have three and a grandbaby. Don't need any more kids!
36. Do you have a dog? yes, two. Buddy a Shitzu and Baby a Yorkshire Terrier.
37. Last person you talked to on the phone? Dave last night at 10 p.m.
38. Have you met anyone famous? I don't think so. My daughter is certain she will be famous some day so can I say her?
39. Any plans today? If Dave is feeling up to it we are shopping for a new couch. If he wants to stay home, I will be working in the garage.
40. How many states have you lived in? 2, Pennsylvania and Florida. But I was born in Ohio.
41. Ever go to college? I went right after high school and again when the kids were 2 & 4. Never finished.
42. Where are you right now? duh, sitting in front of my computer
43. Biggest annoyance in your life right now? the overwhelming clutter all around me. But I am working on it.
44. Last song listened to? Ready, Set, Don't Go by Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus. My fav right now.
46. Are you allergic to anything? Sulfur drugs
47. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? flip flops all the way. I live in Florida
48. Are you jealous of anyone? Not anyone in particular.
50. Is anyone jealous of you? I hope not!
51. What time is it? 8:06 a.m.
52. Do any of your friends have children? I don't think I have too many friends that don't have children.
53. Do you eat healthy? No!
54. What do you usually do during the day? Organize, clean, cook, scrapbook, bead, watch a bit of TV, love my family.
55. Do you hate anyone right now? Not hate but possibly extreme dislike.
56. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Every time I answer the phone.
58. How old will you be turning on your next birthday? 46
59. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes and I got sick as a dog on the Spider ride. I think that was the last theme park ride I have been on.
60. How did you get one of your scars? I have a scar on my upper lip from having a radio dropped on me as a child. I was laying on the floor reading and book. How dumb is that? I also have a huge scar on my abdomen from a car accident in 1992.

February 16, 2008 Smart Habit Saturday

It is funny how many things you find when you are internet surfing. I had made some small goals for myself and then ran across this Smart Habit Saturday. How cool is that?

My goals that I have worked on this past week (in no particular order)

1. Taking care of my skin morning and evening. I have just started using Arbonne NutriMinC RE9 anti-aging products. They are awesome. I have signed up to sell Arbonne and am looking forward to starting yet another business.
2. Dinner planning. We spend an enormous amount of money dining out. And our waist lines are showing it. So, although I didn't plan a menu for each day, I did go to the grocery store with dinner planning in mind. I bought enough for the whole week and we only went out the evening I got home from Arizona.
3. Organizing. This is an on going goal. I am now working on my garage. Brandon and I have taken two loads a day since I rented the storage unit. The garage is looking better but it has a long way to go.

As far as new goals for this week:

1. Continue on with the past weeks goals. Just one more week and my skin care regime should be a habit
2. Order the Arbonne weight loss products and start on them.
3. Get back on track with Monday laundry. Since the two older kids do their own laundry I can usually complete my laundry in one day. I also need to work on completing the task and put the laundry away the same day I do it. Not two weeks later! Me thinks we have too many clothes??

Learn more about Smart Habit Saturday here.

Friday Feast February 15, 2008

Feast One Hundred & Seventy NineFebruary 15th, 2008

Appetizer Name one thing that is unique about you. I love being at home, I do not enjoy working outside the home. So, I have an eBay business and am always looking for another way to make some extra money.

Soup Fill in the blank: My favorite drink is diet root beer but I like iced tea and flavored water too.

Salad What type of wood do you have for your home’s furnishings? I have white painted wood in my living and dining rooms.

Main Course Who do you talk to most often on the phone? I am a phone-a-holic. Dave, my Mom and Wendy are the top three people I chat with. My kids rank up there too!

Dessert What level of responsibility do you have in your job? As a mom to a pre-teen (12), a teen (17), and a young mother (19) and a grandma to a 6 month old, my responsibility level is higher than I would like it to be. Maybe someday everyone will grown up and leave the nest?

February 15, 2008

I worked on this set and finished the earrings yesterday. I think they turned out nice. I had purchased the seed beads in Tucson but I had everything else. The silver spacers are flowers as are the earring posts. Cool, huh?
I guess I missed the animals more than I thought. After the astronomical bill at the vet's I spent more money on them at Wal-mart yesterday. I got this cute mat for the new bowls. It looks good on the kitchen floor and everything is matchy matchy.

We had a nice relaxing Valentine's Day dinner. Dave made it home early enough to enjoy it. We have enough leftover scallops and shrimp to do a scampi with it tonight. Yum! The kids seemed to like their gifts, as well as Dave. I love Valentine's Day!

Friday Fill Ins February 15, 2008

1. Snowdrops are an amazing creation.

2. I'm going to have a chat with my son about his grades!

3. Ready, Set, Don't Go by Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus is a song whose lyrics have meaning to me.

4. Just one sip and I may want more!

5. Home is where I'm happiest.

6. I believe that love is a necessary part of life.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing in front of the TV and beading, tomorrow my plans include working on my garage renovation and Sunday, I want to spend the day with my honey!

Friday Feast Waterloo Style February 15, 2008

Note: The Friday's Feast website is still down, so this comes from Life from Waterloo.

Appetizer - The world is coming to an end. There's no way out. You only have time to say one thing to one person you know. What would you say, and to whom? I would let Dave know how much I loved him.

Soup - Name something you're absolutely crazy about. Ok, since this is "things" and not "people" I would have to say crafts in general. Beading and scrapbooking being the top two.

Salad - What's that nickname you don't want anybody to know about? C'mon! This is a nickname that only two people can call me, my dad and my niece. It is Chrissy. The reason I don't like it is it makes me think of Chrissy on Three's Company and I don't want to be thought of as a ditz!

Main Course - Which country would you like to visit, and why? Maybe Australia for no particular reason or Africa to go on a safari? Since I hate to fly I doubt either one will ever happen.

Dessert - Your favourite pet peeve? Red light runners!

See more posts here: Friday's Feast official home.

February 14, 2008

Happy Valentine's Day! I have already received my wonderful gifts. Dave brought home a dozen roses last night and I got a huge box of chocolate from Norman Love Chocolates. The boys are with us this week so we are going to do a fondue tonight for dinner. We have steak, chicken, shrimp, scallops and potatoes to fondue. YUM!

I completed this set last night. After spending a week with Wendy I am much more interested in doing some stringing. I had been so into weaving that I had forgotten how much fun stringing is and how quick it is. I already had the pendant from Blue Moon and the blue beads. I had purchased the silver beads in Tucson. And the green beads are some of the stash that Wendy gave me. I am really happy with the way this set turned out. I also started another set that is almost done. I just need to finish the earrings and I will post them.

I am going today to rent a storage unit. I feel my house is closing in on me. I have so much stuff to list on eBay and just no room to work. I work and work on the garage but just don't see to get anywhere. I think if I put a bunch of stuff in storage and then have Dave bring me a box or two at a time I might be able to make some headway. We want to set the garage up as a craft room, family room and office.

February 13, 2008

Here is the link to my beady treasures from Tucson. What an awesome trip. We went to Bead Renaisance on Tuesday, To Bead True Blue on Wednesday and Best Beads on Thursday. We were exhausted each day when we were done bead shopping. We also stopped at a local bead store on Thursday and I found a bunch of great stuff there as well. Since we had the whole weekend and decided not to do any more bead shopping, Wendy and I up set up Bead Central on her recliner couch. We beaded, ate, had an occassional cocktail, had some chocolate and watched Chick Flicks most of the weekend. The week was too short but I was glad to be home.

February 12, 2008

Well I am back from Arizona after a wonderful week of bead shopping, jewelry making, eating and watching chick flicks. I missed everyone and it is good to be hope but I had a ton of fun that I will share in the coming days.

I was checking out Jennifer's blog and found this great quiz. You answer a bunch of questions and the quiz tells you the top 24 cities that you should live. Here are my top five:

Murry, Kentucky
Aiken, South Carolina
Gainesville, Georgia
Oxford, Mississippi
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

So, why am I posting this? Well, about two years ago I was searching for a place to relocate. The housing market in Southwest Florida was booming and I thought it would be a good time to move. After a bit of searching, I came up with Aiken, South Carolina. Dave, the boys and I (and Baby) drove to Aiken and absolutely fell in love with this charming little town. Circumstances kept us from moving but I think we will keep Aiken as our retirement city. As Wendy and I would say "It's a sign!"

Friday's Feast 2/1/08

Feast One Hundred & Seventy Eight

Appetizer What is your favorite kind of cereal? Cinnamon Life

Soup When was the last time you purchased something for your home, what was it, and in which room did it go? I have been on a decorating kick for my kitchen. I have purchased a ton of stuff to go above my cabinets all in blue and yellow. Plates, vases, bowls, stuff!

Salad What is the funniest commercial you’ve ever seen? I don't really remember anything too funny.

Main Course Make up a name for a company by using a spice and an animal (example: Cinnamon Monkey). Black Pepper Baboon

Dessert Fill in the blank: I haven’t ______ since ______. I haven't slept past 8 a.m. since the birth of my first child 20 years ago.