the michelle show

is this one of those war flashbacks?

2010-09-14T10:52:00.003-05:00

The other night around 2:30am, I was sleeping soundly and comfortably in my bed. Alas, this was not going to continue for long. I started hearing, "Hey, B! Wake up! Wake up NOW!" in a loud whisper. I pulled myself out of my slumber and awoke to see my husband standing next to my side of the bed holding his gun.

*sigh*

Me: "What the hell are you doing?"

Him: "There's someone out there!"

At this point, I'm really confused and rather startled. I didn't hear any noises or anything, so I asked him to clarify. He said he had gotten up to use the bathroom and saw lights in the window (our bathroom window looks out onto the street). He said it was a loud truck and it was driving really slow. After he got back in bed, he started hearing noises behind our house. He said it sounded like construction equipment.

*Side note: They're building the rest of our neighborhood behind our house, and they have all kinds of equipment back there and they make a ton of noise all day long.*

He was afraid someone was messing with and/or stealing the equipment. Made sense to me because I know those people wouldn't be working at 2:30am on a Friday. So I got up and followed him into the living room.

Him: "Me and Jers are going to go in the backyard and see if we can see anything."

Me: "You're not taking my dog with you."

He mumbled something about me babying her. I ignored him. He had a gun; she didn't. So out he goes to the backyard. I still haven't heard anything. After a bit he comes back in and says he saw lights behind the fence and it looked like flashlights. I cocked an eyebrow.

Me: "Is this one of those war flashbacks?"

Him: "I hate you."

He went to the front door and told me he was going to go down to the construction road and look. Out he went. I waited a bit, got bored, and went out front. I didn't see him, but I hadn't heard any gunfire so I was pretty sure everything was cool. Then a truck with a huge flatbed trailer pulled out of the construction road. Shortly thereafter, my warrior came back down the street with his gun tucked in his basketball shorts.

He said it looked like they weren't able to get anything. He had me Google the sheriff's office phone number. He called. The guy sounded less than concerned. We went back inside. The dog was snoring on the couch. We went back to bed. The end.

That was our big adventure for the other night. Too bad we didn't bust any bad guys. That would have been cool. And I would have taken all the credit :)

Other than that, it's been the same old story. Last night we went to Buffalo Wild Wings to watch Monday Night Football. It was me and a bunch of guys. I got a margarita and a trivia game pad. After awhile, TJ jacked the game pad from me because he decided I wasn't pushing buttons fast enough. I got out my phone and played Solitaire.

I was then informed by one of the guys that I should be paying attention to the game. The others agreed. I had no clue why they cared. They said I needed to start watching ESPN and learning about all of the teams and stuff. Again, I was baffled. Apparently, they've decided I need to help them pick teams so that they can bet on the games. They told me that "chicks were good at that kind of stuff."

I said that the Bears would always win cause teddy bears were cute. They quit asking me to watch the game.

Well, I have to go take the dog to the gun range. She's gotta learn to shoot so she can accompany TJ on his neighborhood stealth mission next time.

xoxo

i'm such a slacker

2010-09-07T12:03:00.003-05:00

No more promises and pretty words about how I'll write more and all that jazz. I mainly suck and I'll write when I write. How's that for brutal honesty?

Although, at this point it might actually increase. Life has been crazy lately, but things should be settling down in minor ways. Here's a recap:

I had my step-daughter, Kylie, for the last 3 weeks of June. We had a blast doing girly things, watching movies and eating popcorn, playing in the sprinkler, and watching the Disney channel. She's never, ever boring :)

The weekend of July 4th, I drove her back up to Ohio and spent the holiday with my in-laws. A few days after the 4th, I drove from Ohio to Texas to spend a few weeks with my parents. A few weeks turned into a month, and I arrived back in Alabama on August 9th. It was so, so, SO nice to be able to spend that much time in Texas though. I hung out with my parents a lot, and spent tons of time with my BFF, Stacy, and her daughter, Kaitlin. I went to a few weddings, reconnected with some old friends, and generally enjoyed myself.

After I got home, I had to tame my lawn, go through a ton and a half of mail, and do all the little projects that needed doing before TJ got home from his "vacation". The days took years, but finally he arrived stateside! He will have been back for 2 weeks on Thursday. We've been having a blast hanging out with friends, doing stuff around the house, and just being together (cue the sappy "awww").

He went back to work today, so it's my first day home alone after all the togetherness. I'm finding it rather lonely. I'm supposed to meet him at his unit at 4:30 so we can go grill shopping. After that we're going back to the unit to use the gym there. He's been offering to be my "trainer" for years now, and I finally took him up on it. Mostly because I'm not working. Now I have the time and energy to make myself really get in shape. He promises I will meet my abs for the first time in years. I remain skeptical. Either way, it's better than some gym trainer cause I don't mind looking stupid or whining in front of my husband :) Poor guy. He's going to realize that I wasn't kidding all those times I said I really, really HATE the gym.

In other news........we are trying our darnedest to get pregnant!!! :) I got the itch really bad this summer while he was gone, and he's ready too. So here goes nothing! Hopefully it won't take too long. We're on a tight schedule. The military doesn't much care about our baby making, so we have to plan around those pesky TDY's and deployments. Plus, it requires precision because I would actually enjoy it if he could be here for the birth. This is going to be some very structured procreating.

TJ has taken to saying the word "impregnate" because I hate it and I get really mad. He's also convinced all of the guys at his unit that our child should be named Mick. He rationalizes this by saying it would be really cool if we could call him "Mickey G". He had all the guys toasting to "the Mick" the other night at a party. He gets sick pleasure out of making me crazy.

On that note, I'm out. Gotta eat some lunch and take a shower before I have to appear at TJ's unit at the designated time for Operation Cookout. I say things like that because he hates it. I get sick pleasure out of making him crazy :)

xoxo

take a ride on the rain train

2010-06-16T11:42:00.007-05:00

So, if you'll recall, in my last post I ranted about the plight of watering our lawn. In my quest to make my life easier (this is never ending, BTW) I found a genius invention called "Rain Train". This fantastic gadget drives around the lawn while watering. You never have to move the sucker because it moves itself! Why do I not think of things like that??? Anyway, my very own Rain Train should be arriving today via the United States Postal Service. I can recall few times in my life when I have been this excited.

How cute is that??? There was one that looked like a John Deere tractor and I really wanted that one cause it was way cute, but it got really crappy reviews. So I went with the original. Apparently it's cast iron and weighs 22 lbs. As long as it cruises around and waters my grass, I don't care if it's made of cookie dough. I will be sure to post action shots as soon as it makes its maiden voyage.

In other news, my step-daughter Kylie is visiting me for 3 weeks. We've been having little adventures. She now wants to take a trip to the American Girl store in Atlanta. For those of you who don't know what American Girl is, here is a brief description: a money-sucking, wallet-draining piece of plastic in the shape of a doll. They do it up big - there's a doll hair salon, an ear piercing place, a restaurant that serves you and your doll, and a huge store with thousands of accessories (think beds, pets, clothes, jewelry, etc.) You can get dolls that look like you or choose one of their historical characters. Those come with their own series of books about the time that they're from. I had one when I was younger, and they are lots of fun. Plus you get the whole experience.

Anyway, I told her I'd have to talk with TJ about it because they were really expensive. So he called today and I told him about it. Here is how the conversation went:

TJ: The way you said that makes me think it's gonna cost me.

Me: Well yeah...a doll with the basics, lunch, hair styling, and ear piercing are going to be pushing $250.

TJ: Holy shit! That is ridiculous! For a doll? A DOLL? Insanity!

Me: I know, but that's the deal. It's the experience too. But that isn't counting like an extra outfit or accessories. And it's pre-tax.

(I'm going to interject with an explanation...Ky got accepted into a program at her school for excellent students. It's a separate class she goes to once a week and they do cool things. We have told her we were going to take her to do something fun to reward her for working so hard. She wanted to go horseback riding when TJ got home.)

TJ: Well, lay this out for her: You can get an American Girl with the BASICS or you can do horseback riding. If you get the doll, it's your congratulations gift.

Me: Ok, I'll tell her. But what if she wants an extra outfit or something?

TJ: Then tell her she can't have lunch with the damn thing!

At this point I started cracking up. Tears were streaming down my face. Just the way he said it...all outraged and incredulous. It was hysterical. For those of you who know TJ...I'm sure you're laughing too.

And one last bit of news...I saved up for some patio furniture to go under the canopy that the in-laws got us. I ordered it and had it delivered to the store and I got an email yesterday that it was ready for pick-up! So we're going to head over there and pick it up. Then we're going to assemble it. What will likely happen is I will assemble it while Ky plays in the sprinkler. Oh well...I get furniture!!!

So now I'm off to shower after our incredibly hot, sweaty run (me and Jers)/bike ride (Ky) this morning. Then it's destination furniture!!!!

xoxo

vote for jess now!!!

2010-06-11T09:40:00.002-05:00

Ok everyone, I need for you to visit this link and vote for my friends Jess & Carl so that they can have new wedding photos! Believe me, they deserve it!!

Go vote for Jess & Carl now!!!

hayley scares me...

2010-06-10T19:22:00.005-05:00

So, I've been given a blog award by my love Hayley. With it she included a sharp and pointed reprimand: "Heaven knows you don't deserve it since you haven't posted since MARCH!" Talk about a sharp kick in the you-know-what! But it also works out, timing wise, because I have recently quit my job! So now I'll have time to post again! I know there are cheers going up all around the country.

I quit my job because it sucked. Not the job. The boss. And that's all I'm going to say. Basically, I was incredibly unhappy and life is just to short to dread waking up every morning. Plus, since TJ is gone so much I like to have the freedom to visit friends and family if I so choose and I can't do that when someone expects me to be somewhere at a certain time everyday. Inconvenient. So now I am in the beginning stages of starting my very own business. A work from home venture that will be portable. And being a military wife, needing to be portable is just a fact of life.

I'm dipping my toes into the world of Virtual Assistance. Basically, I'll be providing office and administrative support services from home. This saves the business from having to pay the overhead that an employee would generate (office space, equipment, supplies, etc.) because I provide all of that myself, as an independent contractor. Also, I wouldn't require benefits, sick pay, vacation time, retirement plans, and things of that nature. And since I'll work on an as-needed basis, they will never have to fill 40 hours a week for me.

I went to the county probate office today to file for my LLC. Once that comes back, I can really get in gear and get everything set up in my business' name. I'm also working on my website at the moment. I purchased my very own domain name yesterday, so I'm super excited about that! This has been brewing in my head for a few years now, and I am so glad that I'm finally able to give it a go.

Now, let's all pray frequently and fervently that I don't fall flat on my face. Ready? Go!

Anywho, I'm sure you've noticed that my blog has undergone some changes. I decided a face lift was in order. And I am no longer "Tile Me Beautiful". Sad, sad day. That was hard for me to take down, but with everything on my plate right now, I just don't have the time for that. So now it's just little old me.

Anyway, back to the blog award from Hayley....

Rules of the Award:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.

2. Share seven things about you.

3. Pass it on and let the recipient know.

So, thanks Hayley! And seven things about myself...I'll try not to bore you with stuff you already know.

1. Watering our immense lawn has become the bane of my existence. However, if my husband arrives home from "vacation" and our lawn is brown and dead, it will not be pretty. So I drag out the front and back hoses and move the sprinklers a total of 15 times over about 5 hours. Unbelievable.

2. Being an official Alabama resident isn't nearly as painful as I anticipated. I have the driver's license, car registration, and I own property in the state and I'm still breathing. Don't tell me miracles don't happen.

3. I have recently become a vitamin/supplement addict. I now take a total of 16 pills a day.

4. My new guilty pleasure is tuning my TV to HGTV, turning the volume down low, and drifting off to sleep on the couch in the middle of the day. I only allow myself to do this about once a week.

5. I was totally gung-ho about painting my new house when we moved in. Now I look at the walls and cringe at the thought. That doesn't stop me from spending at least 30 minutes in the paint section every time I go to Home Depot though.

6. I have horrible, awful, traitorous knees. They hurt incredible amounts from just sitting too long. Heaven forbid I'd do something like walk...

7. I plan on being the first person ever to own a dog trained in Shiatsu massage.

So, that's that. And now, I'm going to pass the award on to someone I truly, truly adore...

Angela!!

She is one of the sweetest, most entertaining, most dedicated bloggers I know. She always has super cool pictures and stories that make me want to live in her life! Plus she makes me smile and laugh and just feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Mainly I just stinking love her! So go check out her blog. It's guaranteed not to disappoint :)

Gotta go move the sprinkler now...should be the 2nd to last time. I started at 6 and it's now 10. Hopefully I'll get to sleep at some point.

xoxo

random pictures that i feel the need to take...

2010-03-31T18:14:00.005-05:00

There's something about having a camera phone that makes me take the weirdest pictures just because I have a camera convenient. Some I send to my sister (because she understands and shares my weirdness) and sometimes I show my husband. He's good about nodding and acting like he cares. Bless him. However, my phone memory only has room for so many of these pictures. I was deleting pictures the other day and thought these needed to be share. Mostly because it makes me sad to delete them. I am that strange.

Anyway, without further ado, I present my randomness.

This is a picture I took from my front yard. The guys that are in jump school on the base are practicing. Their drop zone is right behind my street so I get a front row view of the little parachutes floating down. My crazy husband does that.

This is my super cool thermos with a sweater. I was admiring it one day in a Starbucks and a few weeks later my husband surprised me with one. I take it to work with me everyday. It keeps my water sooooooo cold!!

This is a random sign that hangs over the road on my way to work. There are like 3 lines of these in a row and they all have a big red "NO" sign on them. I want to know what the "NO" is for! It's not over a turn lane to signal there's not left turn there. It hangs over the side of the road I'm driving on, so it's not to indicate that you're driving the wrong direction. I haven't the slightest idea what they're for.

We were grocery shopping and I saw this sign for kumquats. I had never seen an actual kumquat before so I was excited. Plus, kumquat is fun to say. Kumquat, kumquat, kumquat!

Ok, the sign is kind of hard to read...But I was driving somewhere with TJ, and on the way there we saw this sign and laughed our asses off. So on the way back I told him that he had to slow down so I could get a picture. The sign says, "STRIPPERS. Need we say more?" and it has two little drawings of girls on poles on either side. Talk about direct advertising...

This picture and the next one are from brochures in the military clinic. When TJ tore his Achilles tendon during Ranger school, I had to drive him to the doctor cause it was his right foot. So we were sitting in the exam room waiting for the doctor and I saw this brochure. The pictures are backwards and I can't make them move and I'm too lazy to delete them and re-upload them, so the bottom one is the front of the brochure. I laughed so hard I cried. The little cartoon people look so disgruntled and you can just tell how serious they're trying to be. But really..."nothing to rave about"??? Hahahahaha!

This one makes me miss my hubby :( I love, love, LOVE Krispy Kreme donuts! I always get excited when the light is on because it means that there are fresh, hot donuts - straight out of the oven. YUM!! So one day he was driving by without me and snapped a picture to send me. The message attached: "IT'S ON!!!!!" I adore my husband :)

This picture was taken in College Station, TX on the way to my sister's graduation from Texas A&M University (so proud of my baby sissy!!) Anyway, we were sitting at a stoplight and there were THOUSANDS of birds sitting on the power lines. I have never seen so many birds in one place. I couldn't even get them all in the picture. They were behind us and on either side of the road too. It was insane. Why do they all sit there? Crazy.

I took this one the night that TJ and I went to see "A Christmas Carol" in 3D. We were rocking those glasses!!! Plus we were wearing matching colored shirts. Not on purpose, I swear!

Hahahahahaha! This one was sent to me by the lady who owns the daycare place that Jers goes to everyday. Yes, my dog goes to daycare. Get over it. Anyway, they were taking cute Christmas pictures so they could make ornaments, and Nancy thought that Jers was hysterical. She looks so stinking pissed off. Like she's screaming, "You fricking idiots!" in her furry little head. Classic Jersey. I love my puppy.

So I hope you enjoyed my random pictures. I've already started replacing these on my phone. It's a sickness...

xoxo

i'm baaaaaaaaack!

2010-03-27T16:23:00.002-05:00

Not that I really went anywhere in the technical sense. It's just been really busy and I've been spending time with my hubby. However, hubby is now gone again on an extended vacation. The sand, the sun...lucky man!

Anywho, I pretty much won't have a life for the foreseeable future. That means I'll have time to blog again and to work on something I'm very excited about! I'm going to start another Etsy store. I really, really miss selling on Etsy. It's not just a place to sell stuff, it's a whole little community. Kind of a lifestyle, even. It was a ton of fun and I felt so accomplished. I just don't have the time to make enough of my tile stuff to keep a store stocked. Each piece takes days, and I just have too much other junk going on right now.

Plus, in the next few years (years, people, years...don't get all excited...you know who you are!) we're going to try to have a baby and I want to be able to stay at home with him/her and still bring in some money. So I'm going to begin building a new store. Something that takes a little less time per item than my old one. I am going to turn another one of my obsessions into a business. I'm going to make bath stuff!

I'm more than a little nervous. Failing miserably is never a fun experience. But even if I bomb, at least I'll have a whole bunch of yummy bath stuff in which to drown my sorrows.

I have yet to choose a name. This is will probably be the hardest part of the whole process. If there are any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

And cross your fingers for me cause hubby left the credit card here and I just bought about $250 of various supplies...

snow makes the state go into lockdown

2010-01-07T18:49:00.002-06:00

It supposed to snow tonight. It'll probably be more like nasty slushy sleet. Ugh. I'm watching the news and they're scrolling all the closings of schools and businesses across the bottom. Pretty sure half of Georgia is going to be closed tomorrow. Holy crap people. It's not a blizzard. I think we can all make it. Unless my boss lets us off for the day...then it's impossible to get there and it would be much safer if we all just stayed home.

I feel awful for my poor husband who is sleeping outside right now. It's a horrible time to be in the field. It's been getting down in the teens at night, and now it's supposed to sleet/snow bad tonight. Poor kid. It breaks my heart to think of him freezing his ass off out there.

In very exciting news, I got a letter from TJ today!! YAY!! I've read it like 812 times. It's so good just to hear from him and feel like we're talking. I've been sending him letters everyday, even though they don't get them until the end of the phase. I want him to have a nice stack of mail for those last few days. He's supposed to get his 8 hour pass on the 22nd. I can't wait! After that, I'll get to talk to him once three weeks later and then he'll graduate on March 5th. Cross your fingers that he gets straight through and doesn't have to stay longer to redo any phases!

I'm thinking about getting new faucets for our bathroom. all the doorknobs and light fixtures and stuff are that oil rubbed bronze finish. Then they cheaped out and made the faucets shiny silver. It looks stupid. I looked online last night to see how much faucets are. I figured they wouldn't be too bad. Do you know that there are faucets that cost like $800??? Insanity. I have to buy two of the things. Maybe three if I decide to go ahead and do the guest bath too. Which I probably should. I really want to get a bronze kitchen faucet where the sprayer thing is the actual faucet and you just pull it off. But if bathroom faucets are that expensive, I'm a little afraid to look at the kitchen ones.

What you might have deduced from all this is that if I get new faucets, I'm going to have to install the new faucets myself. This isn't strange, as my husband is gone a whole lot. I'm used to doing things for myself. I've never installed faucets before though. It could be quite and adventure. I'm rather excited. I'm not sure if that should worry me or not though.

Does anyone know of any at home workout programs or videos that really work and are somewhat fun? I want to surprise TJ and get in really good shape while he's gone, but I have a problem paying to use a gym. One, it's un-Godly expensive and two, I use like 3 of the machines. So not worth it. So, if anyone has any suggestions for at home stuff, I'd love to hear it. I really like kickboxing. I don't want anything too complicated. I don't want to get pissed and frustrated cause I can't do the stupid dance moves. Something that is kind of a short, all-in-one, whole body deal would be awesome. In other words, find me the perfect workout. Haha.

Well, I need to write my sweetheart and get into bed. Vaya con Dios.

xoxo

it's scary in my head

2010-01-05T18:32:00.002-06:00

I was attempting to entertain myself today at work. Some days are really slow and boring. So I started a letter for TJ and just kind of rambled like a loser. I was boring myself, so I decided to just write down some random thoughts that maybe I could write about later. Not all of them made it into the letter, but without context they're pretty amusing. So I decided to share.

- That Frito Lay truck is driving erratically.

- I really hate motivational posters.

- That stupid alarm guy messed up my brochures.

- Goldfish are much healthier than Cheetos.

- The Nissan Cube: worst idea of the century,

- I sure love being lectured like a 5 year old.

- Who names their kid Brighty?

- I wanna drive a Bobcat.

- Holy hell just let me make the damn key.

- I want a McDonald's cookie too!

- Could the homestead exemption be more vague?

- That bird needs a sweater.

- Damn you, brick breaker!

- Dial the number your own damn self.

- Jose Cuervo, you are a friend of mine.

- Apparently manners are hard to come by these days.

I miss my husband's voice. Boo for not talking for weeks at a time. Hopefully it goes quickly though. If all is good he should graduate in early March. Then, of course, he up and leaves for deployment not too long after that. I try not to complain though. I've really been working on concentrating on good things and being grateful. I am grateful that we have each other and that we have a happy and full life. I'm grateful for wonderful family and friends. When I look at it that way, it doesn't seem quite so bad. We'll see how long all this positivity lasts...

xoxo

long time, no blog

2010-01-04T18:59:00.004-06:00

I have a good excuse: we didn't have internet! You see...we were borrowing internet from an unknown source in the neighborhood. Great way to endear ourselves to the new neighbors, I know. Anyway, it suddenly disappeared right after Thanksgiving. TJ was gone at that point, and he deals with the DirecTV people. I tend to say rude things when they're involved. So I waited till he got back like a week later to schedule a tech to come out and install our internet. But then I realized that in about another week we were leaving for a long while to drive across the country (like 2 weeks) and I didn't see any reason we should have it installed and pay for it when we weren't going to be here so I rescheduled it for this past week. That was a very long and possibly confusing run-on sentence.

Anyway, DirecTV homeboy came last Tuesday and installed our internet. Then on Thursday we left for Atlanta for our big New Year's party. We got back Friday and TJ left yesterday. So, I've been without internet, out of town, or spending time with my hubby before he left for two months of no talking to him and no seeing him (grrr). Some damn good excuses, if I do say so myself.

The point is, now I have internet access and time to kill so buckle in folks. Here's a quick synopsis of the recent holiday season:

Dec 17-22: Houston, TX for my baby sister's college graduation (go Lins!!) and Christmas with my family.

Dec 22-Dec 27: Christmas in Ohio with TJ's family.

Dec 31-Jan 1: New Years in Atlanta.

Lots and lots of road trip fun, much exhaustion, and a little bit of a head cold.

My brain is still recuperating, so I'll leave you with a re-posting of something that used to be on my MySpace page (which has been long gone for a long time). A friend asked me about it the other day, so I thought I'd put it back up. Mostly because I'm just so, so wise (ha). Here's is my list of things I've learned along the way...

* People are not nearly as interested in you as you think they are.
* You will turn into your mother.
* People who are mean and hateful are usually just jealous.
* Everyone, every single person you know, will let you down at some point. You'll let them down too.
* Never say anything about someone behind their back that you wouldn't say to their face.
* People rarely do what you expect them to.
* Sometimes you have to suck it up and do the shit work cause no one else will.
* There are very few people who will stick by you no matter what. Do not, under any circumstances, let them go. Ever.
* No relationship is perfect.
* You can never please everyone so its pointless to try.
* It's easy to mistake something more for something better.
* Sometimes getting what you want really sucks.
* It's ok to wear the same jeans for a week straight cause you don't feel like doing laundry.
* Something good always comes of something bad. It just might take awhile.
* Having your heart broken makes you a better person.
* Some people are just determined to be miserable, no matter how hard you try.
* Don't waste your time on anyone who makes you feel less than wonderful.
* You never really know someone till you live with them.
* One day you will thank your parents for all those rules and restrictions and all the other seemingly horrible things they did to you growing up.
* If it won't matter in a year, it's not worth worrying about now.
* The first time you're a victim, but the second time you're a volunteer.
* Self-respect is much more satisfying than instant gratification.
* If it's worth having, it's worth waiting for.

* Never start it, but make sure you finish it.
* Just because there's not something big going on in your life, doesn't mean its boring.
* People are always going to have opinions. The only ones that matter are the ones you like and the ones that come from people who love you.
* The times that life isn't fair will balance out with the times that it is.
* People are generally selfish. It's human nature. You're no different.
* Not everyone is going to like you, but you probably won't like them either.
* It's ok to be old-fashioned.
* Your problems are no bigger or worse than anyone else's.
* If it doesn't affect you, it's none of your business. Stay out of it.
* Everyone should know how to two-step.
* The more you drink, the less tequila affects you.
* When you're hunting, pee before you get in the stand.
* Before you drink a flaming shot, blow it out.
* Fishing makes me cry. I think fish are gross, stupid, and smelly, but I can't stand to see one on a hook.
* Boys don't notice what shoes you're wearing, and even if they do, they don't care.
* Don't ever shoot better than a boy when he's present.
* Sticky notes are way better than a planner any day.
* Always know where your water shut off is. Not the one under the sink, cause sometimes that one is useless. The big one. For the whole house.
* Know how to use tools. All of them. Sometimes a boy won't be around, or you just won't like him at the moment.
* For God sake girls, know how to check your oil!
* Everyone should own a dog.
* You are the only one in control of your feelings and attitude. If you start blaming someone else for that, its a cop out.
* Just because you don't feel butterflies every time you kiss, it doesn't mean you love him any less. It means you're past the stage where love and lust are the same thing.

* Never try to change a man. Not because he can't change, but because you'll hate yourself if he does.

* Learning how to say you're sorry will serve you better than almost any other skill in life.

* Love does not remain the same. Love changes and grows. If you don't change and grow with it, you're going to regret it.

Love and kisses and all that jazz.

xoxo

i don't think oprah would like me very much

2009-12-02T18:54:00.001-06:00

I have a new guilty pleasure – the Oprah channel on XM radio. My lunch break is planned around the Gayle King show. I sit in my car and eat while I listen to the show. Loser-ish? Totally. But I love it. Then, on my 25 mile drive home, Dr. Laura Berman teaches me all about sex and relationships. It’s like radio crack and I love it.

Sometimes they play old Oprah shows. One that I caught the beginning of today was about living your best life. I’m all about living my best life. Sounds cool, so why not? But I’ve come to the conclusion that Oprah would not like me very much. She does all these shows on spiritual awakenings and being in touch with the universe and blah, blah, blah. She reads books like “Eat, Pray, Love” and “A New Earth”. It’s all kinds of new age mumbo jumbo. And to this I say, “Massive eye roll.”

Perhaps this makes me unenlightened, but so what. I believe in good old-fashioned common sense and hard work. I don’t seek some deep spiritual or philosophical meaning in everything. Here’s what I think: as long as what you’re doing is working for you and the people you care about, keep on trucking. If it’s not working, fix it for crying out loud. I listen to these people talk about meditation and past life regression and being one with the universe, and I just wonder who the heck has the time for that. You spend more time thinking about life than actually living it. I can’t think of a single instance in which over-analyzing has done anyone any good. This could be why I’m so sucky at yoga.

Anyway, not sure why any of that matters. It just occurred to me earlier as I was stuffing my mouth full of McDonald’s double cheeseburger and listening to Oprah radio. I’m sure that’s not helping me live my best life. Oops.

I got my Real Simple magazine in the mail today. I love that freaking magazine. One, it’s thick. So I feel like I’m getting my money’s worth. That’s lots of shiny pages of joy. Second, it has great advice and ideas and the articles are actually interesting. Third, and most importantly, it’s pretty. It’s the little things. Tonight I read an article and there were a few things that stuck out to me. I’ll leave you with them…

These come from the article “10 Truths I Wish I’d Known Sooner” by Amy Bloom

“Events reveal people’s character; they don’t determine them. Not everyone with divorced parents has terrible relationships. If two people are hit by a bus and crippled for life, one will become a bitter shut-in; the other, the kind of warm, outgoing person (cheerful despite everything) whom everyone loves to be with. It’s not about the bus, and a dreadful childhood is no excuse. You have the chance to be the person you wish to be, until you die.”

All I can say to that is, “Amen!” I can’t tell you how many times this has proved itself true in my life. There have been times that I have questioned whether you can truly know another person. I’m not sure that you can. Because sometimes people you thought you knew, people you thought you could freely love and trust do such horrible things that seem so out of character. The truth is, though, that they aren’t out of character. It just wasn’t apparent before. I’ve learned a lot about myself and other people in the past year. It’s been a year full of pain, heartbreak, tough realizations, and cold reality. I have one friend in particular that rocked my thoughts about relationships and trust and the goodness of people in general. Think of the worst thing that someone very, very close to you could do. She did that to me and then some. It changed who I am and how I look at other people. It was one of those defining moments in my life. I truly think that tough times make you a better person. Although it hurt me more than I could ever explain, her lack of character only added to mine. For that I am grateful. I have never believed more strongly that circumstances reveal a person’s true character, and that that character will remain unchanged because it is part of the fabric of who they are.

That got longer than I intended. Just brings up some still fresh and very painful parts of my life. But never fear, I made it to the other side. Although I’m not unscathed, I am better for it. Anyway, here’s the other part of the article that really spoke to me:

“Mean doesn’t go away. Some people get better looking with age; some don’t. Some people soften’ some people toughen up. Mean streaks tend not to disappear. A person who demeans and belittles you and speaks of you with contempt to others is probably going to be that way for years. The first time it happens, take note. The second time, take your coat and go.”

xoxo

smooth criminal

2009-11-19T19:15:00.002-06:00

I got fingerprinted today. Apparently it's Georgia state law that anyone employed by a mortgage company has to be fingerprinted. Random. Especially since they did a background check. What are fingerprints going to show that a background check wouldn't? I guess maybe my aliases.

Funny story about aliases...When we lived in NC I worked for an insurance company. In order to do quotes we had to order a tier score. Tier scores are based on credit scores and give you that kind of info without putting a hit on your credit report. So you don't get your actual credit score, you just get another number based on it. If that makes sense. Anyway, I checked my tier score shortly after I started working there; just for giggles. According to the report, I had an alias. WTF??? The only other name I've ever had is my maiden name, but it sure wasn't that. I don't recall exactly what it was, but it was something way off. Like Katherine Ann Jones or something random like that. I had to call the people and get it taken off. Crazy.

So I wonder if my mystery alias will show up on anything. No one has ever asked me about it, so I suppose it doesn't. Anyway, the place that you get your fingerprints done at is g-h-e-t-t-o. I was slightly terrified. In the middle of the day...I felt like I was getting booked. For someone who has never been arrested, that's an odd feeling. Especially when I didn't even do anything wrong! I went straight to my car and busted out my hand sanitizer. I love hand sanitizer. I have multiple bottles so that they're accessible wherever I may be. One in my purse, one in my car, one in my desk at work, one at all the sinks in my house, and so on.

I just ate a lot of goldfish and now the top of my mouth is all raw. I don't just chew up my goldfish. I have to suck on them till they get mushy and then I eat them. Totally random and pointless, but it's how I eat them. That means the little salty dudes get smashed up against the roof of my mouth and rub it raw. Fun fact for the day.

I wish I had something more exciting to say. I'm trying to get back into the habit of blogging, so even though I was totally boring tonight I wrote anyway. Now I have to get in bed cause I'm way sleepy tonight. I've been sleeping without my sleeping pill though!! I'm proud of myself :)

In other news, the husband comes home tomorrow. He's been in Florida for the last week. He was in Vegas two weeks ago. Funny how the military trips are always somewhere "vacation-esque". I'm starting to doubt the actual amount of work that gets done on these trips...Oh boys. I'm glad he's coming home. Mostly because I missed him, but a lot because we're having everyone (and I do mean everyone - his mom, dad, brother, brother's dog, Kylie, my mom, dad and sister) here for Thanksgiving and we need to get ready. I'm only just a little neurotic and freaked out about the whole thing. Just a tad. First time I'm hosting Thanksgiving...no biggie. How hard can it be to have 6 extra people and 1 extra dog in your house and get them all entertained and fed? Cake.

Yeah right. I'd be delusional to think that. It'll be fine though, and I cannot wait to see everyone!! Ok, ok I also can't wait to show off my new house :) Now I'm really going to bed. I wore a semi-itchy sweater today and it's starting to morph into a majorly itchy sweater the longer I wear it. PJ's and Ghost Whisperer re-runs here I come!!

xoxo

using cliff notes is not cheating...

2009-11-18T18:08:00.004-06:00

I don't even know where to start. I've been a bad, bad blogger. There has been soooo much going on lately! I barely have time to breathe. Then when I think about catching up on everything y'all have missed, my head feels like it's going to explode. Then I caught up with my blogging friend Angela on Facebook the other night and I began to miss this badly. I miss catching up on everyone's live and I miss writing about mine.

Angela is a doll and she made me some cliff notes of her life for the past month or so. It was so awesome! I love her for reasons just like that. But she inspired me, so now I present the cliff notes version of my life recently.

Last time I wrote I think TJ was in the first part of Ranger school. It's called PRC (Pre-Ranger Course). He was there for two weeks and we only talked a few times. Stupid. He was supposed to come home for a weekend after that and then leave directly for Ranger school. That's 2 months of absolutely no talking (minus two weekends that he has phone privileges). His class date ended up getting pushed back to January 4th, so he didn't have to leave.

During all that I was job hunting and house hunting. I found a house and made an offer. Shortly after it got accepted, TJ got back from PRC. We closed on our house on October 28th. We moved that weekend because TJ had to leave on Saturday (Halloween). He went to Las Vegas for a week. Before he left we got everything to the house. I worked on unpacking and organizing while he was gone.

He got back the following Saturday. He had a few days off and we spent them doing finishing touches on the house. Hanging stuff, setting up knick knacks, etc. We also went to a ball that Thursday. It was my first military formal! Ranger Ball was a BLAST! Good friends and food and drink :) Plus I got to wear a stunning dress that a friend was nice enough to let me borrow. I felt like a princess.

On the day of our closing, our mortgage guy offered me a job. I had to get all kinds of background checks and junk, so that took awhile. I just started the job this Monday. On day three, things are looking good. The people are sweet as can be and the job is pretty ok. It's a lot to learn since I could fit everything I know about mortgages on a post-it note. In big handwriting. I think it's going to be good though.

In miscellaneous news: we had mice in the house. I caught 3 while TJ was gone and when he got back we caught another in the garage. This was quite traumatizing for me because I think they're actually really cute. Here's the story of my first mouse-catching experience that I posted on Facebook:

i met the mouse. gosh but he was cute! i snared him in a little trap thing. it said it would kill him, so i get home, check the trap and the release is tripped. i picked it up. it didn't feel any heavier. i thought maybe it tripped itself cause it's touchy. so i slowly pulled down the hinge. mouse head! i screamed and dropped it. he got trapped by the squishy thing with his little head sticking out. we made eye contact. i thought "crap, i can't kill him now." he was just a tiny little thing. his head was all cute and furry. he kinda looked like a mini-hamster i had once.

he started squeaking. i grabbed the trap and ran to the car. i was barefoot and didn't take my purse because i was so worried that he was going to die if i didn't get him out of that thing stat. as i was backing out and closing the garage door i realized i left the door from the garage to the house hanging open. oh well. no time for that now. there was a life hanging in the balance.

so i drove him about 3 miles away, opened my car door, placed the trap on the ground while staying safely in my vehicle, and opened the trap door. he scuttled out into the grass. although i'm sure he has internal injuries and won't survive very long, i feel better since i set him free. my husband is going to kill me...

So yeah, there you have the mouse story. That's all the highlights I can think of at the moment. My brain is fried from being a grown-up working woman. It's been about a year since I worked, so I have to get back in the swing of things. I'm quite put out that I have to be somewhere at a certain time and I can't do whatever I want. I sound like a brat, but it's true. It'll be nice to have the extra cash money though. At least that's what I tell myself at 6:30am when my alarm goes off.

I don't know how much time I'll have to do Spoonfuls now. I'll do them when I can. I'm thinking of doing something more like a featured store/artist kinda thing. It'd be more detailed and involved on a particular artist, just less often. We'll see. I definitely don't have time to make tiled stuff anymore. That makes me infinitely sad. I can't express it. But I'm back to the real world now, and I just can't balance a full-time job (with a 25 mile one way commute) and my tiling. The process is much too involved and time consuming. I'll have time for some here and there, but not enough time to maintain a shop. It breaks my heart. I found a lot of myself in my work and I'm devastated that I can't focus on it as much anymore. But such is life, right?

Here are some links to my Facebook pictures, if you want to see the house and some other stuff.

Okey dokey; the cliff notes of my life lately. Questions? Comments? I'd love to hear. Show me some love so I keep coming back :)

Missed you all massively!

xoxo

let the sugar be your guide

2009-09-28T18:32:00.003-05:00

I grind my teeth at night. My mom says that she used to check on me at night when I was a kid, and I ground them so hard she could hear it from the hallway. I still do it, especially when I'm stressed. Lately I've been waking up with a pounding head, sore jaw, and aching temples. Sometimes it's hard to open my mouth in the morning. I've been battling a headache all day and it's really wearing me down. I can't rub the muscles because they either lock up or send sharp shooting pains down my face and neck.

I'm stompy and grumpy today. I'm lonely and stressed and I'm barely sleeping at night. I'm getting really frustrated about not being able to get a job. I feel like a deadbeat. I'm college educated, I have excellent references, and plenty of experience. The problem is that they make you apply only online anymore. They specifically say "don't call, don't fax, and don't come in". They just want your resume and/or cover letter in an email and that does it. I despise it. I can't look someone in the eye and convince them that I am an intelligent human being and I will do the required job and excel their expectations. I rock at the interview, and now it's virtually impossible to get to that point anymore. UGH!

I'm trying not to pig out. All I do is sit around and job hunt and house hunt on the Internet. Therefore I am hungry all the time. Because I have zero willpower where food is concerned, that means I eat all the time. Krispy Kreme will be my downfall. I'm just not very motivated to cook for one. It's so much easier to hit McDonald's. It happens to be the closest fast food restaurant to my house and I adore the double cheeseburgers. And fries. And apple pies. And Oreo McFlurries. And yes, I order that all in one trip and then eat it. To my credit, I drink water at home. No soda. Although that's like trying to plug the Hoover Dam with your pinky. Pointless.

Now I really want McDonald's. And I'm in such a bad mood I'll probably go get it. Food makes me feel better. It makes me happy. That is a downward spiral. Food that's bad for you just tastes so much better too.

Anyway, I found our house. It's incredible. I am in love. But it's a "For Sale By Owner" place and the lady is way difficult. She doesn't want to deal with agents, but I don't know enough about this to do it myself. I have no clue what to look for or what to ask. I don't want to end up getting screwed because of my ignorance. So my agent is going to try to convince her to deal with him. If she won't...well then I guess there are other houses. It would be a huge let down though. I'm trying not to get my hopes up at all, but that's almost impossible. Let's just say I haven't stopped looking yet.

My Spoonful word for today is lantern. I saw some in the store the other day and had to drag myself out of the store without buying them. I have no idea what my deal with lanterns is, but I am incredibly fascinated.

Paper Lanterns from Foamy Wader, Magical Night from Like Deco, The Lantern from Escape Monotony, and Lantern from Tekstila.

The style of these hoop earrings is awesome. I love how the hoop goes all the way around back into itself. The beads are such beautiful colors. The wire wrapping is flawless; each bead is perfectly spaced. They're decorative and dainty. They have something going one without being too much. I think that's a fine line to walk.

These star shaped lanterns are handmade. HANDMADE! Can you believe that?? I have never seen anything so intricate and gorgeous! I think they're so incredible. How cool would these be in a baby's room? It would be like a mobile. Plenty for mommy and baby to look at and adore. Check out the other items in the shop and I swear you'll be amazed.

The green color on the building in this photograph is so gorgeous. I now have to duplicate that for my house. The amber lanterns really go well with it too. I've found a whole new color scheme! The lighting in the photo is perfect for the subject matter. It enhance the picture and doesn't distract or take away from it.

Pillows, pillows, pilllllllllows! I am in love! I already love pillows in general, but I saw this fabric and almost died. It is so gorgeous! I love the simplicity of the pattern. It's so different from anything I own. It's so trendy looking. There are other colors and sizes, and I must have them all! So, so, so cute!

I'm going to try to not eat McDonald's now. I walked the dog twice today and she's still sitting at the door begging. She is KILLING me!! I don't know what the heck she wants. I walked her, played with her, took her on a car ride, and filled her chewy ball with treats twice. It's never enough. Neeeeeeever enough.

xoxo

sugar and spice

2009-09-24T17:44:00.003-05:00

I got my Real Simple magazine in the mail today. Oh wait...I got the COVER of my Real Simple magazine in the mail today. It had a note attached to it from the good ole USPS. It said that the rest of my magazine had been damaged in transit. I was so pissed! First of all, that's my favorite magazine ever and second, it's freaking expensive! Argh. Just so irritating. I ripped the cover up into little pieces. Stupid USPS.

That's how I'm dealing with my problems lately. Ripping them up into little pieces; figuratively and literally. I'm so bored and I feel like a deadbeat cause I don't have a job, but I go, go, go all day everyday job and house hunting and running other various errands. But I feel like stomping and yelling a lot lately. I'm stomping in my head right now just thinking about it.

I got my hair done today. I needed it bad. It was getting long in the back, so my super cool asymmetrical haircut was just starting to look uneven like a drunk person had cut it. So that was nice. I found someone I like here, but it's not the same as Laura. I miss her!! The lady that cut my hair today was asking who did my highlights because they were perfect and looked awesome. I almost cried :(

Tomorrow I'm getting my toes done. I need to do something besides looking at jobs and houses online and driving by houses. Otherwise, I will lose my mind. I might have lost it already. Hard to tell.

The apartment was smelling musty today, so I lit a candle. TJ and our roommate LB are surprisingly obsessed with candles. They burn them nonstop. Probably because it always smells like boy in here. Ugh. But anyway, I like the candle LB picked out and it inspired my Spoonful. The candle is cinnamon stick, and I really don't like it. It's a bit too heavy for me. I'm not a fan of the spicy smells. I like clean cotton and fruity stuff.

Anywho, it got me thinking about spices and then I was thinking about sugar and spice and then I realized that would be a cute title because I'm having trouble coming up with new ones. So, in case you haven't guessed, the word is spice.

Pumpkin Spice Pillow Cover from Nestables, Sugar and Spice Trinket Box from Fun Wall Art, Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino Solid Shampoo from In a Lather, and Spice Market Earrings from Wrist Candy Creations.

I'm really digging the orange thing lately. I think when we get our house, I'm going to do the office area in browns and oranges. Yum! This pillow cover is absolutely beautiful. The shade of orange is perfect and it's so simple. The pattern is awesome. I just love it!

I'm going to have to acquire some trinkets to put in this darling trinket box. Or one of the gazillion other ones in the shop! There is SUCH cool stuff in the store, you have to check it all out. There's something for every taste, and they're all adorable.

Ok, I know I said that I'm not into the spicy scents, but this shampoo bar sounds glorious! Maybe it's the cappuccino scent that grabs me. I think it would be an awesome combo. The rich smell of the cappuccino would balance out the pungent spicy scent. Plus it looks so smooth and soft. I want to touch it.

I loooooove me some earrings! These chandelier style earrings are so gorgeous! I love the detail on the actual hoops and the colors of the beads are a perfect match. I also really like how the actual earring part that attaches to the hoops has a little character with the ball on the tips.

Well, I have to get some pictures together to send to my personal jewelry designer. I'm feeling the urge for some more earrings and bracelets, and she always does such a fantastic job on my custom orders! Love you Dian!

xoxo

sweet lovelies

2009-09-23T15:34:00.004-05:00

I learned something incredibly horrifying today. The dirtiest place in your bedroom is your pillow. *gag* I'm something of a pillow freak. I wash my pillowcases obsessively. I always buy like 4 sets so I always have a clean one on hand. I will not, WILL NOT, sleep on a dirty pillowcase.

The only things allowed to touch my pillow are my clean face and my clean hair. Period, the end. I do not lay on it with make-up on. If I happened to sweat that day, I wash my hair before I go to bed. Even when I'm falling-over, puking-my-guts-up drunk I wash my face before bed. My husband is not allowed to lay on my pillow. If the dog gets within a foot of it, forget it. Heaven forbid it should touch the floor.

So just now I was reading my Glamour magazine and it has a little article in it about how nasty pillows get. The actual pillow. This is what it says, "It hosts a miniature ecosystem of human skin cells and dust mites (microscopic bugs that eat those dead skin cells - yuck!), plus up to 47 different types of fungi." Oh. My. GAWD! Bugs that eat my skin cells. I'm on the verge of dry heaving. I went directly upstairs, grabbed our pillows, and put them in the washing machine. Hot wash, hot rinse. Extra soap. Lot's of bleach. Some baking soda for good measure. Probably 2 or 3 drying cycles, just to make sure those bugs have been sufficiently nuked. I'm washing TJ's too because I don't want any of his shit-nasty bugs jumping onto my pillow. *shudder*

The article also suggests that you get a zippered pillow cover to put under your pillowcase as an added layer of protection. Wal-Mart will be getting a visit from me later this evening. I'm actually wondering how many of those thingies I can put on my pillow and still have the pillowcase fit...

Ok, I have to stop talking about it now. Blah, blah, blah. Change the subject. I used the word mammals in my post yesterday. Anytime I hear that word, I get that song (you and me baby ain't nothing but mammals...) stuck in my head for like 3 days.

Today my Spoonful word is lovely. I was watching House Hunters (doing my research, Ang!), and this British couple was looking for a house. They said lovely like every 3.5 seconds. Lovely this and lovely that. So it got stuck in my head. Here are my lovelies:

Josephine from Jasper Hilburn, Recycle Me Lovely from PixiSette Jewelry, Lovely Heart from The Wheel And I, and Lovely from Spa Goddess.

I am loving this necklace! The colors are awesome and the eclectic design gives it so much character. It would look awesome with a solid colored shirt. It's made to be a focal point in your outfit.

I adore the simplicity of this bracelet. It would go with anything. The glass beads are recycled, so they have a rough worn look that really give it a unique look. Read the description the seller wrote. It makes the bracelet feel very adventurous.

I can see this bowl on my kitchen counter filled with fresh fruit. Ok, ok I don't really buy fresh fruit so it would most likely hold candy or something equally as unhealthy. But it's a beautiful piece. I love the color. It looks like metal to me, but it's clay so I thought that was pretty neat.

Spa Goddess is one of my favorite bath product makers. I have purchase numerous products from the shop (bath salts, body scrubs, shower steamers - DIVINE!!!), and I have absolutely loved every single one. They always smell awesome and are the highest quality. The seller has answered a great many questions (many stupid) with patience and incredible knowledge. I guarantee you will love anything you get. I'm going to get this milk bath. It sounds just like the name - lovely. Creamy and soft and sweet. Yum!

I'm feeling random lately, so here you go:

Did you know that they have this new thing called Le Whif? It allows you to inhale chocolate mist. That way you get the taste of chocolate minus all the calories. You puff on this thing and it has like super concentrated chocolate junk in it. Weird. Talk about addicted to chocolate. I wonder if they can make a puffy thing that tastes like ravioli or cheeseburgers.

I hope everyone has a lovely night :)

xoxo

p.s. What do we know about short sales in real estate? I know what they are, but I'm not sure how open the bank is to negotiations, etc. Is anyone familiar???

crazy makes me crave sugar

2009-09-22T16:48:00.006-05:00

I am crazy. Insane. Certifiable. Seriously. I'm buying a house while my husband is gone. For 3 months. Like gone gone. Incommunicado. No talkie. I know people buy houses everyday, but not Michelle. Michelle has never bought a house before. The pressure of picking a house that both of us will like is beginning to wear on me. We've never disagreed on anything in that area. We have the same taste and the same ideas and stuff. But I start second guessing and thinking about things too hard. I actually wondered today if the granite in this one kitchen would be too shiny for him. Like he would care. It's supposed to be shiny. Who worries about shiny granite? Me. I do. Because I'm losing my ever-loving mind.

This is what happens when I'm all alone. I have lots of time to think and research and look and get a whole bunch of details that do not matter. TJ is my sounding board. I bounce things off him and think out loud. He grounds me and calms me down. I'm what you might call high-strung. I get really worked up about things and then I get all obsessive.

But find a house I will because we're trying to take advantage of the tax breaks for first time home buyers. Seeing as how he won't be back until mid-December, that job falls to me. Not to mention the packing and moving and all that junk. It's all me. Luckily his being in the military gives me a wide range of boys to choose from to do my bidding. Rally the troops, if you will. And rally I will. I have no shame. And no way to lift the couches by myself.

I'm also looking for a job. I think that contributes a big chunk of crazy to my crazy.

So my days have been filled with job hunting and house hunting. I'm trying to do a drive-by on all the houses. That sounded really bad. I'm not shooting anyone. I'm just trying to make sure I like the area before I drag our agent out to look at a house. I'm trying to get familiar with a new area and decide where we want to live. I found the PERFECT house the other day. Then we went to look at it. I would be scared to walk the dog. Who puts brand new houses in places like that??? Someone does, cause there it was. Its perfectness mocking me. Do I want the perfect house or do I want to live through my first night in my perfect house? It's a toss up...

I've done my house recon for the day, so I'm taking a break. I'm not allowing myself to look at jobs or houses online for the rest of the night. I need a reprieve.

TJ left Sunday for Ranger school. Yippee. It's going to be 3 fantastic months with zero communication (minus 2 weekends when he can use the phone between phases). Well, you can write letters, but I doubt he'll have a chance to actually write me. He'll be too busy being in the suck. Must be a boy thing because you couldn't pay me enough money to do something like that. He's been gone before. Once for 8 months (which is nothing compared to the 15 months that some people have to deal with), but talking on the phone makes a huge difference. The silence is deafening over here. On the bright side, I have a General Power of Attorney, which means I can do just about anything I want to in his name. This kind of power gives me a little bit of comfort. I like being the boss.

Anyway, my Spoonful word for today is crazy. I was having a hard time finding anything I just loved until I came upon these cards. So today my Spoonful is 5 things from the same shop. It's the "Crazy Love Card" series from Up Up Creative.

These cards crack me up. The two big ones are my favorite. I'm going to be such an angry pregnant lady. I will be the lady in the delivery room cursing a blue streak and screaming, "Look what you did to me!" at my husband. Forget my ice cream and it would be over for you. And have you ever tried natural peanut butter? Cause that shit is nasty. Like really, really nasty. I have yet to figure out how peanuts can be so delicious and natural peanut butter can be so utterly disgusting.

I love them because that's how I talk. I'm not all sappy and weird like some cards. If you ask me, this gets the sentiment across a lot better. And anyone who really knows me (i.e. my husband) would be fighting back tears if I gave them one of these. They made me smile and laugh a little and I couldn't pick just one, so I thought I'd just use them all. Cause I'm the boss and I can do that.

And as an added bonus, the products are all eco-friendly!

A few random things before I go:

I saw a sign on base yesterday that said "Tank Crossing" and it had a picture of a tank. It was incredibly awesome. Next time I'm on that road I'll remember to slow down and take a picture.

Did you know that the human eye has more visible sclera (white part of your eye) than any other mammal? I had never really thought about it, but we so do. Most other mammals only have the colored part of their eye showing. Craziness. Really random, but I thought it was interesting.

Everyone must try Planters NUT-rition Energy Mix. It's got almonds, honey roasted sesame sticks, peanuts, dark chocolate covered soy nuts, walnuts, and pecans. The soy nuts are superb, but the whole mix is way yummy. I don't feel so bad when I eat the whole container of something healthy while I sit in front of the TV.

Ok, that's all. I promise to be around more. Thanks to those of you who noticed I was gone and even more thanks to those who actually missed me :)

xoxo

here i am!

2009-09-15T08:43:00.002-05:00

Oh how I love my Angela! She missed me :) I missed you too!! I'm back now. We were in Ohio for a few weeks. Now I'm back in Georgia and TJ leaves on Sunday for 3 months. So never fear, I will once again have no life and do nothing but shop online, play on Facebook, and post to my blog. I'm going to get a job, but this is a minor detail.

In other news, I'm sick. Ohio always makes me sick. I have no clue why, but I have yet to visit when I haven't gotten sick. It's unbelievable. I thought I was going to make it out ok, but yesterday (driving home day) I woke up feeling like butt. I had felt it coming on because I had a stuffy nose, cough, etc. for a few days before. I was just hoping I would get out of actually feeling sick. Not so much though. I'm propped up in my bed with my puppy and we're being lazy and mopey.

TJ has to work till like 11pm tonight. No really, it's cool. He's just leaving Sunday for 3 months. Oh and he's not allowed phone or Internet access, so the only way I can talk to him is by letter. If they decide to give him my letters and/or time to write me. But go ahead and have him come in to work until all hours of the night this week. I really didn't want to see him anyway. Stupid military. They make me real mad sometimes. Ugh.

But now I have to shower and deliver some stuff to base since he needs more junk for tonight. Yay.

xoxo

crabs are creepy and have weird beady eyes

2009-09-02T22:18:00.003-05:00

I really, really don't need any more TV shows to be addicted to, and yet I have another. Oh Deadliest Catch, how I adore thee. There's something about men screaming curse words and getting injured that draws me in. TJ keeps saying he wants to be a skipper. Lord. I told him he only got one make-me-lose-sleep-at-night career per lifetime.

We're headed to Nashville tomorrow. I have yet to decide what we're going to do. We'll probably just end up wandering around and finding somewhere cool to eat. We have to drive to Ohio on Friday and get there in time to pick Kylie up from school, so that means that we have to get up at a decent time. That means I can't stay up too late. Well, actually I could since TJ is my chauffer. That's gonna be so nice. I had to drive myself freaking everywhere for the past 6 months. No thanks. So in theory I could sleep the whole time. That could be pretty awesome.

I'm bored out of my ever-loving mind. I need a job. Or at least a distraction. Tonight TJ was telling his mom about how crappy it was sharing a closet with me. She was saying that of course my wardrobe is bigger than his because he wears a uniform to work everyday (thanks Leta!!), and he was saying that I don't have a job right now. She said I did and I will, and I needed outfits for work. Any my smart-ass husband says, "Those aren't work clothes. Unless she's working a corner." TO HIS MOTHER! Thanks, hon. I'm feeling the love and respect. Ok, so I was actually laughing pretty hard, but the story is better when I make myself sound all scandalized and mad. Right now I'm watching him wash and fold my hooker clothes. That's what I'm talking about.

I was going to do a Spoonful, but now he's stomping around telling me it's bedtime and we need to go upstairs. Such a crybaby. It's probably a good thing he doesn't read this.

Anyway, I really do need to get in bed since we're being slackers and not packing till tomorrow morning. Sleep tight!

xoxo

sugar with a flourish

2009-09-01T23:12:00.006-05:00

I finally got my closet organized today. I'm not used to sharing a closet with the hubs. I booted him into the guest room in our last house. But for the moment we only have one bedroom, which means one closet. I have a ton of clothing. Seriously. I had to purchase 150 hangers. I started out with 40, thinking that would surely be enough. HAHAHA. I am such an idiot. Then I had to buy extra shelves to put on the floor so I could fold the rest of my clothes on them. In my defense, I currently only have one drawer in the dresser and it's underwear and socks. But today I got my shelves put together (took me forever to find the right ones!!) and I got the rest of my clothes settled in. I'm rather proud of my closet organization skills. I done good.

TJ is laying next to me in bed reading. He's got a lot of tattoos. I was looking at them and he goes, "You can lick them. They're flavored." I rolled my eyes and punched him instead. He actually used to tell girls that his tattoos were flavored. Some of them believed him. I can just picture the ones who did...*shudder*. I told him I was writing that in my blog. He said he'd deny everything. Like that's gonna do him any good.

I'm on a bracelet kick. I just got the most gorgeous one EVER from my good friend Keirsten over at Lune Designs. Check this baby out...

How awesome is that?? The picture barely does it justice. It's incredible. I get so many compliments. And because she is so very wonderful and knows how much I love earrings, she included a matching set for me! LOVE HER! Plus it makes this awesome clinky sound when I move. I walk around twisting my wrist back and forth to make it clink. Anyway, just excited about that and wanted to send some love Keirsten's way. She has some gorgeous stuff over in her shop (Etsy and Artfire) so go check her out!

Anyway, tonight's Spoonful word is flourish. I'm excited about this word because I've been having trouble thinking of good words. Probably because my brain is fried with packing, moving, unpacking, and organizing thoughts. We're leaving for Nashville and Ohio on Thursday, so there's going to be more packing. Oh boy, oh boy. Just what I want to do. Again. Here are the picks:

Flourish from Ara 133 Photography, Green Flourish Magnetic Display Board from Sentimental Stones, Flourish Medallion Throw Pillow from Asmus Home Interiors, and Ginger Spice Sugarcude Body Scrub from Flourish Bath & Body.

Again with the tree prints. I can't help it. They call to me. This is just beautiful. The little pink flowers are awesome. This shop is a must-see! There are some incredible photographs. So much variety and color. I adore almost all of them. That's rare because usually I find one or two prints in a shop that I like, but this one is awesome. Such an eye for pictures.

I love this little magnet board. Green is one of my favorite colors and the design on the board is so classy and elegant. It would be awesome set up on a plate stand in your kitchen. A cute little place to keep reminders and photos.

I love pillows. I think that's been established. I probably need to branch out, but this is the kind of stuff that catches my eye. That blue is the color of my living room. I can't wait to have all my furniture back so I can decorate! The colors are awesome together and the pattern is noticeable, but not too busy.

Bath products. I'm so predictable. But how yummy do these little bath scrub cubes look?? I could eat them. I had so much trouble deciding which one to use for my Spoonful. The colors are so awesome. There are some unique scents too, so be sure to check it out.

Okey dokey...I need to go to sleep so I can start getting up at a decent hour. TJ is twitching violently in bed beside me. It's hysterical. I don't know how he gets any sleep. I'd wake up every time. I'm going to turn on our new 32" LCD HD TV :) It was our present to ourselves since our other bedroom TV passed on not too long ago. I don't do a TV-less bedroom. I adore it.

Oh and real quick, I learned how to drive a stick shift tonight!! I knew how logically, but I've never been good at the execution part. So tonight we were on our way home from dinner with friends and I said, "Pull over, I want to learn to drive your car." So he did. TJ is a very patient teacher and it didn't take me too long to get the hang of it. I even drove the rest of the way home! I was very proud of myself. I only killed it once :)

Ok, off to bed! Sleep tight!

xoxo

found me a husband :)

2009-08-29T17:17:00.003-05:00

I picked him up on Thursday afternoon!!!! He snuck up on me! He wasn't on the bus with the rest of his guys, so I was just standing there talking to my friend and all the sudden some guy's arms are wrapped around me from behind. Good for Amy, cause she didn't even bat an eye. I had no clue he was walking up. I thought everyone was going to mutiny because he got there ahead of everyone else. So we're having a happy reunion and they're all still waiting. Oops...

Anyway, I know I've been way not around, but I'll do better. Here in a few days :) In the meantime, here's a pic of our reunion. There were things in the background that aren't supposed to be photographed, so I cropped around our heads. It sucks, but I love this picture!

wild horses and rockin' plastic tubs

2009-08-22T21:42:00.011-05:00

I'm trying to avoid eating. I really, really want some Froot Loops. Bad. They sound sooooo good. Ugh. Must stop talking and thinking about Froot Loops.

I got pretty much everything packed today. I have a shit ton of stuff. It's all sitting around in my rockin' matching plastic tubs. I look super duper organized. Pretty unsure about how I'm going to get it all in my car though...*sigh* Oh well. That's a problem for tomorrow.

You know what's really hard to pack?

Hangers. In retrospect, it wasn't a good plan to try to pack them. As my husband so kindly put it, "We can buy new hangers. Seriously. They're like 10 cents." Thanks for the observation, sweetheart. What he was thinking was, "Holy Mother Mary. What is wrong with this chick?? She's packing freaking hangers. Hangers! What did I do when I committed my life to her? I wonder if that's a reason to back out. Hanger packing. Hmm...sounds familiar. I'll have to look into that..." I really do feel bad for the kid though. I've been running around like a nutcase stressing about all this shit. He just keeps telling me to calm down and that I don't have to bring everything and that it'll all be ok. He's trying to be all Zen and I really just want to kick him in the shins real hard.

I had been packing for 4 hours straight and for some reason it seemed like a good idea to cram all my hangers into my suitcases. I have a lot of hangers. I then realized 2 things:

1. I didn't need to take my suitcases because we have like 8 at the apartment in Georgia and all my clothes are in rockin' matching plastic tubs. Basically I was going to transport 2 suitcases of hangers. I know. I'm an idiot.

2. I don't have room in my car for 2 suitcases full of hangers.

So I wrestled them back out. They were all tangled because I had zipped the suitcases partially closed and then just forcefully shoved them in. The whole thing probably took me 45 minutes. Such a waste.

I'm trying to pack only things I really need in like the next 2 months or so. After that I'll head back down to Texas for a few days and get whatever didn't fit the first time around. However, I have this strange compulsion with getting everything in one trip. We'll see how that goes, come loading time. I'm going to have to be really creative. Somehow, in my head, my car had a lot more cargo space than it did when I opened it up today. Oy vey.

Basically, I just want to throw everything out of a 12th story window and watch it crash to the ground. I have this fantasy of my rockin' matching plastic tubs bursting open and watching my clothes scatter everywhere. It would have to be in New York or something because there are a lot of people around watching and gasping in awe. There's even a soundtrack with an orchestra and when my stuff hits the ground there's like this huge crescendo with cymbals. Another fave is all my bins being lined up in front of a firing squad and then my crap exploding everywhere as they're riddled with bullets. There's a soundtrack for this one too. It starts with the song they play at the showdowns in the movies. There's also tumbleweeds involved. There's also the tried and true "trampled by wild horses" vision. Although this is usually one I reserve for people and not things. I'm making a special exception. This is where my mind goes...

Tomorrow is my last torturous packing day though. I'm on the road Monday morning. Then I get to unload all of it and find somewhere to put it. Oh goody. Maybe I'll just wait till TJ gets home and make him do it. "Here honey. Help me unload, unpack, and put away all my crap after your 18 hour, multiple flight trip. Missed you!" I really don't know precisely how long it takes to

get back from where he is. Although it feels like I should, since this is his 3rd trip. It's funny how you forget things like that. At the time it seems life changing as you count every hour. Now I can't even remember. Guess he's kind of old news at this point...Stop gasping and making tsk-tsk sounds. I'm kidding.

I was going to do a Spoonful, but the only words I can think of are stomp, packing, moving, kick, and cramps. You'd be surprised how little there is to work with when you type those things into the Etsy search window.

Well, after all that, I still want Froot Loops. Problem is, I kind of feel like I deserve them. Just like I felt like I deserved 812 Cheez-It's and that ice cream from Chick-Fil-A.

I'm going to do something mind-numbing and brainless. Have sweet dreams, everyone!

xoxo

p.s. The pictures represent about 1/3 of the stuff I'm hoping to fit into my car...Check back tomorrow, when I will go insane after attempting to load my car. It promises to be a good read.

real quick...

2009-08-21T23:07:00.001-05:00

I have an article to write and more packing to do, but I just wanted to post this link so you can all go look at my feature in a really cool blog!! There's a giveaway too :)

http://otherhoodllc.blogspot.com/2009/08/tile-me-beautiful-review-giveaway.html

xoxo

lemon sugar sunshine

2009-08-20T22:17:00.005-05:00

I know, I know. My titles are just getting downright stupid. I have this strange obsession with having something about sugar in them though. I can't help it. My fingers itch to type something less idiotic, but I can't do it.

Read a great blog post today...for any of you who buy bath and body stuff from sites like Etsy or Artfire, this is a must read. I never thought about the effects of essential oils on your body mostly because they're supposed to be "natural" and "natural" can't possibly be bad for you. It's natural, right?? Since I know absolutely nothing about all this stuff, this provided some really good information and made me stop and think.

I got absolutely nothing productive done today. However, I suppose that depends on who you ask. I got 3 perfect fitting bras. If you're a woman, you know what an accomplishment that is. I despise bras. I hate them so much that I hate spending money on them so I usually just get one that fits pretty ok from Target or something.

As we all know, the husband is coming home soon. It's been almost 6 months since I've seen him. So I decided I'd go to Victoria Secret and get something nice. I figured about $60 for a nice little set wouldn't kill me. So I go to the mall, pop into the store, browse a little, and head for the dressing room. I've never been into a dressing room at VS. I felt like a freaking rock star. It was a bit awkward at first since they measure and grope you, but it was oh so worth it.

So you walk up and they ask "what size bra you're wearing today". Not kidding. So I announced it in front of a roomful of strangers. The chick looked at me like I was crazy. Now, I'm not going to tell you my bra size. That borders on tacky. That's clearly info that only gets shared in the privacy of the VS fitting room. I will tell you that I was wearing a bra that was 2 sizes too big in the band and one cup size too small. Go figure. You know, you feel like a bleeding idiot when you find out how off you've been in that kind of thing. I mean, I'm 25. You'd think I'd know what size bra I wear.

Anyway, back to feeling like a rock star. The girl measured me and put me in a dressing room with my name on the outside on a little pink card. Then she starts bringing me all these bras in my size. Then she checks them all for the perfect fit. And I'll be danged if she wasn't absolutely right. It was like a rebirth for me. A bra that fit. I went insane. I got out of there for under $300...barely. I told TJ that I spent "kind of a lot of money". He didn't ask how much. He even actually said something along the lines of "oh that's fine". Funny how accommodating they are when you're buying VS lingerie.

Anyway, that was like the highlight of my year. If you've never been properly fitted (don't I sound fancy??), you should take care of that. It's a whole new outlook on life.

I'm sure you all feel very enlightened now. I'm getting sleepy and TJ will be calling to tuck me in soon, so I'm gonna do my Spoonful now. It's lemon-themed.

Metal Kitchen Sign with Lemons from In Him Designs, Summer Sunshine from Bagatelles & Co., Lemons Anyone from Faith Works 4 You, and Lemon Creme Body Sugar Cubes from Naiad.

I love, love, love this little sign! It makes me want to have a sunny yellow kitchen. At this point, I really just want my own kitchen. Soon. Soon. But I do have yellow dishes...I'm halfway there!

I don't know why I have this thing for lemons all the sudden. I'm so ready for autumn and winter, but I pick this bright summer yellow. I kinda want to carry this little clutch with a little black dress, but then I'm afraid I'd look like a bumble bee. But the purse is so stinking gorgeous. Not only do I adore the color, but the style is incredible. Very classy and elegant.

Is it just me or is this like the most precious little girl in the whole wide world? How cute is she in her little model pose with her big blue eyes and lemon dress?? The dress itself is darling too; with ruffled sleeves and a bow at the waist.

I love bath stuff. Especially salts and scrubs. This is a super cool scrub in cube form. And it smells like lemon creme! How yummy and decadent! I love lemon cookies. I'd smell like a lemon cookie all day. Then I'd be hungry all day. But I would smell delicious! And I'd be silky smooth.

And now I have to go downstairs and have some lemon cookies because all this lemon talk had given way to a craving. Not that it takes a whole lot to make me hungry.

Don't let the bed bugs bites!

xoxo

sugared rose petals

2009-08-17T22:39:00.004-05:00

More packing today. Ugh. I'm getting there, slowly but surely. I'm starting to realize just how much crap I have all over this house though. I got out a big box and threw a bunch of it away today. Do I really need the last 5 1/2 months of People magazine? Noooooope. Gone. There was a lot of other stuff that just kind of had me shaking my head. At what point did I decide that some of this junk was worth keeping? Clearly it's not good enough to pack up and move.

Last night TJ called after I had taken my sleeping pill. Which, by the way, I find completely unfair. I agree to things that I would never agree to when not under the influence. Like, "So I'm going to get a whole new set of golf clubs, cool?" or "I was thinking we could get a gigantic flat screen TV instead of eating for the next 8 months. Does that sound like a plan?"

Mary knows what else he talks to me about. I've probably agreed to name my first child something stupid like Mickey (don't ask...). Anyway, when I woke up this morning, I seemed to remember him saying he bought me the first 3 seasons of 30 Rock. DVD's are incredibly cheap over there. He got Kylie like 500 cartoons for $40 or something. I also remembered him telling me we could go to Nashville when he got back.

Two very random things, but two true things. So I will now be caught up on all of my 30 Rock's and I will be headed to Nashville shortly! Does anyone know what we should do while we're there???

Tomorrow Jers has to get all her shots and I have to get my oil changed. That means I actually have to get up, get dressed, and put on make-up tomorrow. Gawd. I know I keep saying this, but I really don't know what I'm going to do when I have to get a job again.

Ok, ok I won't stall anymore. I know you're bored out of your mind and you're only reading this because you have a burning desire to know what the 4th and final universally flattering color is. That is, if you haven't already Googled it.

The 4th color is rose. Apparently it compliments the natural blush of all skin tones. Plus it makes you look way tan :)

Baie Rose Eyeshadow from Orglamix, Magnolia Pleated Bag from Sweetgum Handbags, Camille Necklace from Kande, and Florah Skirt from Stuff by Kate.

I wish I felt confident wearing eyeshadow. I feel retarded when I do. I just can't get used to it. I am in love with this gorgeous pink shade though. It's pink without being gaudy and the sparkle is just right. Might even make a girl change her mind about eyeshadow...

I love bags. We all know this. But I'm really loving all the pleated bags that are popping up lately. This one has some really pretty, yet casual fabric, but the pleats make it look fancy and sophisticated. I love the combo of those two and the simplicity of the design.

This necklace is to die for! The round piece used to be a buckle! How cool is that? I love the pearls too. So delicate and the perfect offset for the silver of the necklace.

I could never pull this skirt off. I don't have precious tan legs. But it's so fun and flirty and perfect for summer. I don't know why, but I keep seeing someone wear it to a baseball game with a little white tank. We'll never know why I think the things I do. I love the lace around the waistband!

Well, that wraps up my 4 universally flattering colors series. Kind of sad...I like having a little mini-theme to post about. I'd appreciate suggestions...Hope you enjoyed the info! Here's the link to the article where I got the info.

Have sweet, rose colored dreams!

xoxo

drops of teal sweetness

2009-08-16T20:37:00.006-05:00

I hate moving. It just bites. I don't even actually have much of anything to move at this point and I still want to burn everything I own so I don't have to transport it. I got some space bags today to pack my winter stuff and jeans in. I'm only taking my car, so I have to be conservative with space. They work ok. Not as flat or fantastically small as I had hoped, but it'll still will take up about 50% of the room as it would have. I also got a bunch of those under the bed plastic organization boxes. I'm trying to do this as neatly and as organized as possible. This means all my stuff has to be in matching boxes. I'm not sure why that makes me feel more efficient, but it does.

But I got all of my closet (hanging clothes and shelved clothes) and all my jeans into 6 of the large bags. If you knew how many items of clothing I have, you'd be amazed. Vacuuming out the air was fun. Except I got a pillowcase caught in the vacuum and now my room smells like burning rubber. It's making me nauseous.

I need to get stuff done though. This week is going to be all packing, sorting, and loading. I'm leaving next Sunday or Monday probably. I can't believe how soon TJ will be home! I'm so stinking excited! I'm not excited about packing, driving 11 hours to Georgia, and having to unpack when I get there. Buuuuut it will be the last time for awhile hopefully.

I went to Target to get all my stuff today and when I got back TJ called and asked if I spent a fortune. So I asked what he considered a fortune. The conversation unfolded as follows...

TJ: Well, I'd say about $175.

Me: Oh, ok. Then no.

TJ: I know you spent more than $100 though. You have a $100 minimum at Target. (He then transitioned into his Michelle voice which is high and squeaky and not at all representative of the way I speak.) If I don't have $100 worth of stuff in my cart, I just start scraping packs of gum off the shelves.

Me: Whatever. I do not.

TJ: (Still in the Michelle voice) But I start at the purses. You can never have too many purses. If I don't find enough there, I head to the clothes. You always need more shirts. Next comes shoes and then housewares. If I get really desperate I'll buy something for my husband.

Me: You suck. Shut up. I'm never buying you anything ever again.

TJ: Aw baby. I'm actually really glad to have the Target addiction back.

Me: Could you say that again please? I need to turn on the tape recorder.

TJ: I said I'm just glad to have you back. And if the Target addiction comes with it, then that's fine.

Me: Nope. You said you loooooved the Target addiction. Said it gave you a reason to get up in the morning.

TJ: You can prove nothing.

Anyway, that was all random and really for no good reason other than that I love my husband and we have a blast together. Plus I'm getting all giddy to see him.

The 3rd color in the universally flattering color list is Indian teal. I wasn't really sure what the difference was between that and regular teal, but it seems that Indian teal is more blue and a little darker than the light greenish-blue-turquoise that I think of when I think teal. I tried to find things that were the right shade, but it's rather difficult. I think I did well though.

Teal Satin Flower Hair Pins from Nomsa , The Weekender from Kelly Hillis, Lolita Earrings from Rose Marie's Bijouterie, and Teal and White Peonies Tunic from Harrilu.

I know, I know. Again with the satin flower things. I can't help it. They're so gorgeous! And these were the perfect color teal. It was fate. They called to me.

I've been looking for a weekender bag for awhile now. I want something huge that I can put enough stuff in for a few days and not have to pack a suitcase. Since this was the perfect color teal too, I choose to think it was fate as well. I love that it zips close too!

Lolita is fun to say. It sounds saucy and sexy. Kind of like these earrings. How fun are they?? They make me want to have long dark hair and dance the salsa.

I love the tunic style shirts. They're kind of flattering on every shape. They're very forgiving and are baggy in all the right places. A universally flattering shirt in a universally flattering color...does it get better than that? No. It doesn't.

Well, TJ is getting irritated because I'm typing on here and not talking to him so I'm going to go before he pulls the Target addiction funding. This would be disastrous. We do not want that to happen.

xoxo

sweet red wine

2009-08-14T22:15:00.004-05:00

I know you're all anxiously waiting to see what the next color on the universally flattering list is. In case you missed the title...it's "true red". Like red red. Fire engine, firecracker, cherry red. I'm way tired, so this is gonna be short and sweet.

The Spoonful...

Henrietta Bag from Sew Mo', Butterfly Corsage Jacket from Dark Pony Designs, Love is Red from T8 Designs, and EcoCollar from Greenbelts.

I'm loving this bag. It sold today after I had it picked out! I was too lazy to re-do my picture collage and I adore it, so it stayed. There are other colors, so go check them out!

I think this jacket is absolutely darling! The sleeves are the perfect length and the fit is sublime. The buttons are really cute too. Plus I love anything that's cropped like that too.

I don't usually like gold jewelry, but this bracelet is too cool. I love the multiple chains and the toggle clasp. I also love how the beads are randomly clustered. It has this messy, sexy look to it.

The last one is a little something for your doggie. I couldn't resist. They're eco-friendly and freaking adorable! It's fancy without being all prissy dog.

Sorry I'm so boring tonight. I picked some really good stuff to make up for it though!

xoxo

IMG00145.jpg

2009-08-14T19:19:00.001-05:00

Jers and her new frisbee. She actually fetches it! This is rare for my dog. She loves her frisbee though :) It's indestructable too!

a spoonful of eggplant

2009-08-13T22:07:00.005-05:00

I smell like grease. It's embedded deep in my hair. Every time I move my head I smell it. That always happens when I eat at a Mexican food place. My friend is going into the Coast Guard next week and we had a going away dinner for her tonight. Yummy food, nasty after-smell. I'm going to have to shower before I lay on my pillow. Otherwise it will be tainted.

Anyway, according to Real Simple magazine, there are 4 colors that flatter everyone; regardless of coloring and skin tone. I'm not sure if there's some kind of scientific reason behind this or if someone just decided that everyone looked pretty cool in these 4 colors. Either way I found the info pretty interesting. So I'm basing my next 4 Spoonfuls around it. Each one will be a little ensemble of one of the most flattering colors.

The first color on the list is eggplant. I think eggplants are really pretty. I always want to buy them in the store even though I know I'll never eat them. Plum and eggplant seem to be pretty big colors for the fall (don't I sound all fashion savvy??).

Tillie from Fussed, Weekend Scarf from Lush, Eggplant Shasta Slouchy Top from Circular Accessories, and Eggplant Earrings from Jure's Wire Jewellry.

I absolutely adore the fabric on that coin purse. I think it's so gorgeous. I'd love to do my comforter in that fabric. Yum! And the flower is gorgeous. I love the flowers like that.

I've never lived somewhere where I actually needed a scarf, but I've always thought they looked terribly sophisticated and stylish. Especially with a pea coat. A white coat would look especially cute with this scarf. I love the chunky knit look of this one. So cozy looking!

I've never thought about pairing eggplant with yellow, but I can't get enough of the color combo on this shirt! Plus I love the slouchy style. It's sexy and *ahem* forgiving at the same time. I look trendy and I don't have to suck in. Doesn't get much better than that.

How cool are those earrings?!? I can't imagine how long it would take to twist the wire into the beautiful intricate pattern. I also love how the bead is slightly off center. The perfect eggplant earrings!

Well, it's time for me to put on my PJ's and have a date with my DVR. It missed me while I was gone. Gotta catch up on the quality time. Hopefully my hubby calls soon. When he calls too late we don't get to talk for very long. Buuuuuut we did get to talk on the webcam today!! :) His always freezes and is really blurry so I don't get to see him really well, but it's so nice all the same. Plus he tells me how gorgeous I am the whole time. Can't beat that with a stick.

xoxo

p.s. Love the multivitamins I got at GNC! They're coated in a yummy sugary flavor so they don't taste like ass. Big plus. The pink pills make me a little jittery and kind of hurt my stomach. Supposedly I'll get used to it. We'll see. I'll give it a few more days.

testing...1, 2, 3...

2009-08-13T09:47:00.002-05:00

My sleepy road trip partner :) I'm testing out my new mobile blogging thing...

the sweetness that is google

2009-08-12T22:46:00.004-05:00

Google is my hero. Want to know what song you just heard on the radio? Only remember 6 words and 3 of them are "it", "the", and "can"? Not a problem. Google will find it.

Have no clue what the hell a Catahoula is and need to find a picture? Bring. It. On.

Want a true-to-size ruler on your screen? Google will get you one.

Are you in desperate need of a new Spam recipe? Google will suggest them before you even have to ask.

Got a blind date? Google his name. No surprises.

Experiencing severe depression and/or anger issues? Google will offer something better than Prozac.

Want to chat with your husband right through your email? Google is there for ya, babe.

Whether it's tracking the visits to your website, blogging, financial advice, satellite pictures of your house, photo editing, a map, a translation, or even someplace to organize and store your medical records, Google will never fail you.

Is there anything Google can't do? Probably not. Because today I found out something exceptional. You can send a text to "Google" on your cell with the name of something, a city, and state and Google will promptly text you back with all area locations and addresses. Ho-lee crap.

My sister taught me that today. Am I the only person who didn't know about this? And am I the only person who thinks that is it the absolute coolest thing EVER? GPS? 411? Who needs that when Google will freaking text you back! Blows my mind.

So in case you couldn't tell by all my subtle lead-in's, my Spoonful word for tonight is "google". Feast your eyes...

"Google It Sign" from Sawdust & Stitches, "Google Eyed Headband" from Wenopia, "I Will Not Google My Ex-Husband" from Mister Hannah's Sponge, "Google Eyed Watch" from Unstrung Sisters.

I believe that the "Google It" sign says it all. This will grace my entry way. It will say to all who enter, "Don't ask me stupid questions; ask Google." And there are a lot of other fun signs in the shop as well. Another fave: "Sarcasm: Just One More Service I Provide".

How fun is that headband? Seriously. It made me smile when I saw it. Plus whoever is modeling it has super fantastic hair of which I am insanely jealous.

For those of you who have faithfully read my blog, you know how "me" the next sign is. I know I'm no longer headed down the ex road, but the sentiment still makes me smile. I think I heard TJ roll his eyes on the phone when I told him about it. Husbands never understand things like that.

I love bracelet watches. They're cute and functional. Plus I like dangly things on my wrist. But this is like classy google eyes. I love that. The colors are just gorgeous too.

Anyway, travelling always makes me sick. I think I just get so exhausted. But it never fails. I always get sick. I had such an awesome time seeing everyone. I have the best family ever. I'm lucky to have been raised to be so close to them all. I'm so glad I got the chance to spend time with them all before I head back to Georgia.

But I'm tired and I feel icky, so I'm gonna call it a night. Sweet dreams!

xoxo

sh-sh-sh-shopping!!!

2009-08-12T13:26:00.004-05:00

I'm going shopping today! With my sissy! I'm excited. Shopping and my sissy are my favorites!

I recorded this new show, "Southland", and I'm watching it right now. Ir's really weird and random and jumps around all over the place. I haven't decided if there's a point yet. I don't think I like it.

I applied for a job in Georgia as an academic advisor at my alma mater. Everyone cross your fingers that I get it! I want, want, want it! Plus I hate job searching, so it would be so awesome if I got the one I wanted most right off the bat. We'll see if I'm actually that lucky. Send good luck vibes my way!

So I went to GNC yesterday. I take their little VitaPack things and I really like them. They just came out with a new line of products especially for women, and I wanted to try them out. So I go in and look at them and they're all on sale and special and stuff. So I get this box of VitaPacks and it's called "Be Hot". Let's hope so. Plus the pills are pink and shiny orange and pretty gold. I like to look at them. People like me are their prime targets. "Let's make these things fun colors and then some sucker will buy them just because of that." Yeah. That's me.

Anyway, if you bought a box of the VitaPacks, you got $5 off the matching multivitamins. Now, most of the VitaPacks have the multivitamin in them, but the one I bought was more of a workout enhancer thing. So I needed a separate vitamin. I was just going to get them at Wal-Mart or something because they're so expensive at GNC. But I'm like, what the hell. I get $5 off a 2 month supply and the price wasn't too bad. So I grab those too. Then I get to the front and the lady says, "If you buy one multivitamin you get one free." So I got my VitaPacks and a 4 month supply of multivitamins for way cheap. It was like the highlight of my week.

But the pink pills make me crazy ravenous. They're energy and metabolism boosters and they slammed my metabolism into overdrive. It's crazy. I think I'm going to like this. I'll let you know how they work out.

That was all so random, but I've been neglecting my blog lately. Not really my fault since I've been having Internet issues. However, I need to do better. Spoonful later tonight!

xoxo

p.s. Ang - Jersey is a Lab/Pointer mix, or so they tell us. I've thought about doing that blood test to see what breeds she has in her. But that's my best guess.

the road trip chronicles are coming to a close

2009-08-10T08:52:00.009-05:00

Well I've got a whole bunch of pictures for you that I haven't gotten a chance to upload yet. So here they are, in no certain order. I tried to put them in chronological order, but blogger kept sticking them in random places and I don't have the energy to fight anymore.

This is Jers swimming in my cousin's pool in Fort Worth, TX.

Woo hoo!!! Welcome home, where people are at least semi-normal!

I looked at this and just thought, "Well crap." I almost didn't make it to a gas station because I was in BFE, Kansas and the exits with actual stuff at them were like 25-30 miles apart. I was cheering my car on the whole time. When I filled up, I put 15.9 gallons of gas in my car. My tank only holds 16 gallons...Note to self, fill up at about 1/4 tank.

This is Winnie the Schnauzer floating around my aunt and uncle's pool like a princess. It was hysterical. She got on it all by herself when I floated by.

Since you guys don't know my Grandma Ruby I will use a visual to tell her story. The picture pretty much sums it up. She labels everything, so I just thought it was cute. Then my aunt told me that there is a "big boy" dish and a "little boy" dish because the little boy's bites are sliced smaller for their smaller mouths. This is my grandma in a nutshell. Everyone in my family grew up thinking that watermelon came seedless and pre-sliced.

This would be a Dairy Queen Crunch Cone Blizzard; a.k.a. the best dessert known to mankind. They only serve them in Lyons, KS and I have no clue exactly what it is. Crunchy peanut butter things, sprinkles, nuts, and other delectable mysteries.

If my previous story didn't tip you off about Rube, then this one will help fill in the blanks. I love, love, love pumpkin pie!! Except I don't like the crust with it. I eat the crust on other pies, but it just seems to ruin pumpkin. So I usually just use my spoon or fork to scrape the pie off the crust. Usually works really well. Anywho, Grammie always makes me a separate one in a mini-casserole dish so I can have just the pumpkin and not have to deal with the crust :)

This yard and tree are some of my first and best memories. There used to be rope swings on the tree and bunches of kids in the grass. It was quiet this time around, although Jers did enjoy it.

This, my dears, is the bell tower. We call it such because at Christmas they decorate it in red lights and make it into a bell shape. You can always see it as you drive into town. Gotta love the Lyons water tower...

Haha, yay! Amish buggy! I've always wanted to see one in real life. I tried not to slow down and gawk, but I so wanted to see. I only slowed down a little!

Tid bit windy...my car was all over the road.

Welcome to Kansas everyone. Enjoy your stay, but don't stay long.

I was so excited as I watched my temperature gauge go down. It was the bet thing ever!!

Jers is being princess of the car. She has to sit with her paw on the console so she looks like a person.

The Oklahoma hills! It actually is really pretty through most of the state. And I was born in Tulsa, so duh it rocks. We lived in a place called "Broken Arrow". Dad always called it "Busted Stick" and it freaking cracked me up.

Anyway, that's all I have for now. I still have to drive back to Houston later, but only from the Dallas area and it won't take me long! Ready to be home......

xoxo

while visions of netflix dance in my head...

2009-08-06T00:00:00.002-05:00

Well, the Internet gods have decided to cut me some slack. For the moment, I'm up and running.

Of course, it could also be because I'm sitting outside in the driveway in the middle of the night with my computer aimed in the direction that I suspect Gerry lives. This conjecture is based on Internet preformance at different points around the yard. I feel pathetic. I'm sure I look ridiculous. Jers wouldn't even come outside with me. Oh well. TJ can't call for another hour, so I have time to kill.

Funny story; I signed up for Netflix last night after I took my sleeping pill. Figures that the Internet in my bedroom would choose to work when I'm so high I have no clue what I'm doing. I'm pretty sure I wanted to watch this TV show "Dexter" on my computer and Netflix has it on the instant watch thing. So I signed up for a free trial. I woke up with my wallet in my bed because I had to give them my credit card number to sign up. Of course, now I can't get enough signal to watch any kind of multimedia presentation on my computer. Someone up there is laughing their ass off at me.

So here I sit with intermittent Internet signal in the middle of my grandparent's driveway at midnight in my pajamas. I'm just waiting for someone to call the cops. It would be the most action they've had in a long time and I'm sure they'd take great pleasure in having something to do. It's ridiculous really. But like I said, time to kill.

Does anyone else do such strange things or is it just me? It's probably just me. You know, it's not so much that I want the Internet so badly, it's just that I need something to do in the dead of night while I sit up alone faithfully waiting for my husband to call. I can go all day long and be just fine till the middle of the night when there's no one to talk to. Then I get all restless and bored and I end up outside in the dark looking shady as I steal someone's Internet.

You know what rocks though? There's fireflies here. So I'm kinda getting a fun light show.

I've thought about reading a book. I have plenty and I love to read. But now all the lights have been off and I really don't want to turn them back on. Don't ask me why because I have no clue. I just want to be in the dark. Holy crap I'm creepy.

Oh well. What can you do? I am pretty irritated that my Netflix trial doesn't let you watch the movie unless your connected to the Internet. I was thinking (ok, I know I was on drugs...), but I think I was thinking that once you put it in your basket or queue or whatever they call it, it kind of downloaded to your computer and you'd have access to it with or without the Internet. That's what I get for thinking. Or that's what I get for taking drugs. One of the two.

I've watched all my DVD's. I guess I could turn one of those on again though, just to have something to look at. Whatever I decided to do, I probably need to go inside. The concrete is hurting my butt. Have a good night/morning!

xoxo

p.s. For some reason Blogger's spellcheck is not working, so I apologize for any spelling errors. I'm too lazy to check it myself.

2009-08-05T02:07:00.001-05:00

Well, Gerry's internet has failed me. It was such a tease. It worked so nicely the first night I was here and now it silently mocks me as it fails to load websites. Too good to be true.

So this is brought to you by my BB. I have yet to figure out the picture thing on here though. I'm going to my aunt and uncle's on friday and I know internet exists there. You'll all just have to be patient until then.

I'm going to sleep now. It's stinking late.

xoxo

gerry saves the day

2009-08-02T23:23:00.000-05:00

Holy crap, there's internet in Lyons, KS. Thank you Gerry (whoever you are...) for having an unsecured network. You are my hero.

Driving was pretty uneventful today. Pretty sure I'm in traction from sitting that long. And good news, I only almost committed murder about 812 times. This has got to be a record for me. Mostly because for about the last hour and a half there was no one on the same road as me. This drastically cuts down on the number of morons I encounter. Don't even get me started.

Oh, creepy. I saw this sign on the way into town that said "Save the human babies." Uh...ok. I mean, I totally get the whole pro-life non-abortion thing, but save the human babies? Really? As opposed to what? The zebra babies?

I stopped at a rest stop today to stretch and let Jers pee. I always park waaaaaay down at the end so I can just let her out of the car and not have to screw with a leash. So I'm like half a mile from all the other cars and Jers is wandering around sniffing junk. Then out of nowhere comes this pack of children. Ok, it was only three, but they were travelling in a mini-herd. It was a boy and two girls. Maybe 7, 4, and 3. So they just waltz up to me and start chatting me up about Jers. Which it totally cool. Kids rock. But the whole time I'm wondering where in the hell their parents are and why these children are wandering alone at the far end of the parking lot. At a rest stop for Mary's sake. Do you know what kind of things happen at rest stops??

Anyway, they're petting Jers and telling me all about where they're from and where they're going. They all but gave me their address and very specific directions to their house. And still I wonder where the grown-up's are. So about 10 minutes after we struck up a conversation, these two ladies come walking down the sidewalk. They just kind of smiled vacantly at me and told the kids to come on. If I was a not nice person (which I'm totally not) I could have had those kids in my car and halfway through Oklahoma by the time dumb and dumber realized they were gone. For crying out loud. I don't advocate child leashes, but for people that clearly brain damaged, it might be something to consider.

I was going to do a Spoonful, but I'm really kind of worn out. Stupid people make me tired. So I'm going to fire up "Design Star" on my computer and wait for TJ to call and tuck me in. Sleep tight everyone! And pray that Gerry doesn't secure his network anytime soon.

xoxo

sugary ruffles

2009-08-01T19:05:00.006-05:00

Ok, please refrain from saying that my husband is hot. I mean, I know he is and I'm proud of it, but if he ever reads this, he'll be hell to deal with when he sees all that. That's all I'll ever hear about...

Tomorrow I'm off to Kansas. Lets hope it's really a driving mood day because it's an 8 hour drive. But I have yet to figure out how to post pictures to my blog using my BB. I'll try to figure it out, but I might be MIA for awhile. Unless I can steal a neighbor's wireless or something. Well, I guess I could still post things even if I can't figure out the pictures.

Here's a cool website for everyone: http://www.listography.com/. If you look underneath the sign-in window, there's a pane where you can look at their fill-in journals. Kati has one and it's so neat. I love scrapbooks and the like, but I am just completely horrible at them. Cutting, sticking stickers, writing pretty...mostly everything you need to be good at to have a cute scrapbook. So these books are the same idea, but it's your life in lists. So it asks you to list things from your life; i.e. favorite games, people you've lived with, people you love the most, etc. So it's a cute little book of your life in nice, easy lists. It's a cool idea too. Anyway, just thought you might enjoy it.

I have a Spoonful now. My word is "ruffle". I saw some cute little ruffled butt underwear at Target today, so that's what created the ruffle Spoonful.

Venni Caprice Ruffle Neck Layering Dress from Venni Caprice, Romantic Flower Wrap Top from Lirola, Jr Ruffles Mini Pillow Pair from Miss Mosh, and Dogwood Ruffle Bag from Sweetgum Handbags.

As we all know by now, I have a thing for dresses. I love that you can wear this one multiple ways. You can build your own too! It's super cute and versatile.

And how cute is that top?? I love the fabric! It's so flowy and pretty. Romantic is the perfect way to describe it. It would be gorgeous for work with some black pants. Yum!

I adore the mini ruffle pillows! They would be just right for some chairs or to pile on your bed. And gray is totally my color too. Plus they look so soft and cushy!

And a bag. Must have a bag. I love the color and the style of this one. Kati just said it looks like something I would own. It definitely is. I had a suede bag like that before and it rocked. It lasted freaking forever and was super easy to spot clean. I love how the side on this one is ruched with buttons. Darling.

I hope everyone has a good evening and night!

xoxo

just for angela...

2009-07-31T23:38:00.011-05:00

Well, I don't have any fun road trip pictures today cause I didn't go anywhere, but I will make up for it.

Kati and I went shopping today. Cause I totally needed more clothes. Then we had lunch at Panera (one of my FAVES!), and we ran some other errands. Then Kati's sister and her boyfriend came over for dinner. It was a fun day. Tomorrow Kati's husband is getting up and making breakfast for us. I suggested that he take my husband under his wing...

By the way, I asked the husband if I could use his name and he said yes. Well, I can use his initials, but that's what everyone calls him anyway. I just can't say what it stands for. Anyway, his name is TJ. So yay for that. Now I don't have to call him "the husband" anymore.

So more details for Angela...I will be living in Georgia. He is not home right now, but will be back not too long from now. Sorry, but I have to be vague about that he says. When he gets back, I'm going to go up there. He lives with a friend in an apartment right now. I call him LB. Apparently we're big on initials.

Anyway, when everyone gets back, we're going to move into a new townhouse thing together. We're a precious little family. LB just wants to have a wife without actually having a wife. He likes it when I go get stuff for him at Wal-Mart and make the house look nice. But that's ok. I don't mind. They have some training to go to about a month after they get home. They'll be gone for another 3 months or so. I think I'm gonna stay in Georgia and find a job and enjoy having the place to myself. I'll use that time to girly up the place. No more bachelor pad for the boys.

Angela didn't have anymore questions, but she wants all the details. It's funny to think about how I never really mentioned him or our relationship in all the posts I've written. I mean, ok, I realize that I frequently mentioned him, but not anything about us. So here are the basics:

We've been married for 4 years, together for 5. He has a daughter who is going to be 8 in November. He's 27. He is obsessively neat and frequently throws things away that I need because I happened to leave it sitting on the kitchen table for more than 18 minutes. We tease each other relentlessly and we have a shit ton of fun doing it. He is my absolute best friend. I tell him everything and I can totally be myself around him. Which I realize should be the case when you marry someone, but I think a lot of people still don't have that. I have so missed having him around to talk to.

He laughs out loud when he watches TV. He mouths the words I'm saying when I talk to him. It's really kind of creepy. It's like he knows everything I'm going to say. Like lip syncing. It's also fun to watch, and he doesn't realize when he's doing it. He thinks I've turned Jers into a sissy. Which I so have not, BTW. He gets a new car like every year. Well, not new new, but new to us. In the months that we've been, *ahem*, not together he's managed to acquire a different one.

He always notices when I paint my toenails a new color. He is OCD about working out. Goes to the gym everyday. I personally think he's unbalanced, but it's whatever. We sleep back to back. He won't eat McDonald's, which again, I find unbalanced. He takes the longest showers of anyone I've ever known. Like ever; in my whole life.

While I stomp around and yell, he's incredibly patient. I get mad when he won't fight back. I mean sometimes you just get good and mad, and it's incredibly irritating when the person who is supposed to be fighting with you stays impeccably calm. He gripes at me for hogging the covers, but I think he secretly likes it. Some days I want to kick him in the teeth, but I love him every day.

Oh, fun story. So, he proposed to me on a beach in Florida. It was late at night and he suggested we go for a walk on the beach. So we do, and it's just like the movies. The waves were crashing, the moon was our only light...so romantic. So we're walking and he starts telling me how much he loves me and stuff. Then he stops and hits one knee. So I'm like super excited. He asks if I'll marry him, opens the ring box, and the ring goes flying out like it was spring loaded.

Now the light of the moon is not so much romantic as it is a huge hindrance. We couldn't find the ring anywhere. We were so careful and sifted through the sand, but to no avail. I have never seen him look that ill to this very day. So he called a friend who brought a flashlight out. We still couldn't find it. So I go to Wal-Mart (at 2am, mind you) to buy a metal detector. The boys stayed on the beach with the ring.

So I go into Wal-Mart, find a metal detector and batteries, and go to pay. The lady is looking at me like I'm nuts. So I told her what happened. So she was just like, "Oh honey. After you find it, just bring this back and you can return it." Which was good since it was like $250. So, I'm hurrying back to the beach and I get pulled over for speeding. You know how the cops always ask why you're in such a hurry? Yeah. I had a good reason. So I told him and he looked like he didn't believe me till I showed him the metal detector. He started looking ill too, so I'm thinking his wife's ring was rather expensive. He let me go.

So I get back out there, and the boys had used their shoes to cordon off a possible landing area for the ring. Geez, military much? The boys put the batteries in and TJ started sweeping it across the designated square. He started in the bottom left corner and swept up diagonally. It wasn't looking good. He got to the very top right corner and it went off. His friend hit his knees and started digging like crazy. Then all the sudden his hand shot up in the air. He had the ring. He was in our wedding.

TJ yanked it out of his hand and jammed it on my finger. I never did answer the marriage question. So we went back to Wal-Mart and when I walked in, everyone kind of looked at me expectantly. I held my hand up in the air and a cheer went up. It was awesome. We returned the metal detector and went back to the hotel and passed out.

Looking back, it's pretty funny. But only because we found the ring. I think he would have wept if we didn't. He probably wouldn't have left the beach. All the old people come out early in the morning with their metal detectors and they're like vultures.

Anyway, enough detail for now. I'm sure I've bored you all to tears. It's Angela's fault. Blame her. So here are some pictures for ya'll. One of us and then like my favorite picture ever of him. He's sexy :)

So, I hope you enjoyed the details and the pictures. I'm a sleepy girl. I'm gonna eat a chocolate chip cookie and watch "Design Star" on my computer. Then I'm going to drift off to dreamland where I can eat all the chocolate chip cookies and chocolate donuts I want and not gain an ounce.

xoxo

road trip: day 1

2009-07-30T23:56:00.017-05:00

Well, I made the 4 hour drive to the Dallas area today. It went really quick. I guess today was a driving mood day. I took some pictures for ya'll. I was telling hubby about my pictures and he made fun of me because I turned around to take one of them. I think he's scared that I'm going to turn all our future road trips into a big picture fest. He's probably right to be scared. I told him to shut up cause I was having fun.

I'm at my friend Kati's house. Gawd...gorgeous. I'm so jealous! And it is so Kati. She's awesome at decorating and even used orange in her dining room. I love orange!

Holy crap there's a Spam commercial on TV right now. I didn't even know they had Spam commercials.

Angela has requested more details about "you know who". I think I know who "you know who" is...kidding. What do you want to know?? I'll take questions :)

So, this is the one I turned around to take. I was flying down a back road and I happened to look to the left, where a horse was standing on the front porch of this house. It's kind of hard to see, but that's totally what's happening. I don't know why I'm so amused by this, but I am. Enough to flip a U-turn, take the picture, and flip another U-turn.

This is a picture of the big white statue guy that we always pass. It's Sam Houston. I don't know if anyone who's not from Texas even knows who that is, but it's kind of a thing on our trips to Kansas to point out statue dude.

Ok, so this is my Dairy Queen Blizzard. They shut down all the Dairy Queens that are by my house, so when I stopped to get gas and there was a Dairy Queen at the same exit...well, I got one. Clearly. It had Snickers in it.

These would be my chocolate donuts. I so told you I was getting some. Did I get them at the same exit at which I got my Blizzard? Yep. Is that really bad? Yep. Did I still eat them both? Absolutely. Calories don't count when you're in the car. Duh. My husband begs to differ. He was just like, "Holy hell you have got to stay away from that stuff!" I can't. Impossible.

The clouds were pretty. And I was in a good mood because I had been watching the temperature thingy on my rear view mirror drop steadily. I'm only 4 hours north of Houston, but it's so much nicer here! There's like zero humidity. When I left this afternoon, it was 103. When I arrived in Dallas a little under 4 hours later, it was 88. I find myself strangely eager to continue north...

This is my view during the majority of the drive. Where she gets the energy to stand on my console and balance the entire time, I do not know. She likes to scope out the road though. Whenever we pass cows (which is quite often) she almost kills herself in her hurry to get back into the back seat to look at them as they go by.

So, those are today's pics. I'm sleepy now. But I have to wait for husband-o-mine to call. Hopefully that will be soon.

xoxo

road trip sweetness

2009-07-29T23:04:00.004-05:00

Well, I'm off on my road trip adventure tomorrow afternoon! I'm headed up to Dallas to visit a friend and her husband, then off to Kansas, then back through Dallas to stay with my cousin and visit family there. I really hope I'm in a driving mood tomorrow. Sometimes I could drive forever and just sing to the radio and sometimes I just want to be out of the car. Fingers crossed that it's the former for this trip...

I'm still trying to figure out how to upload pictures from my BB to blogger. I'll get it at some point. I'll be sure to take interesting pictures and have good stories to tell. I'll definitely take a picture of the vast bleakness that is Kansas. Love visiting everyone there...but I would be terminally depressed if I lived there. Not near enough trees and green. Lots of crops as far as the eye can see.

Anyway, in honor of my road trip, my Spoonful word tonight is *gasp* "road trip". Shocking, I know. Totally didn't even see that one coming. Don't pretend like you did.

The line-up: Classic Airstream RV Trailer Necklace from Charm Star, Which Way Today from LJ Design & Photo, Weekend Bag by Retrofied, and Atlas Bangle Bracelet from So It's Gray.

First of all, how cool is that charm??? I love those trailers. They're so cute. I always thought they looked like eggs. A friend from college had an uncle who lived in one on his parent's property. We called it "The Egg". As in, "Does the A/C work in The Egg this week?" I have never seen a charm of that before and it just stinking rocks.

There were a whole lot of photos and prints that came up when I searched road trip, but I fell in love with this one right away. I love those old signs with all the wooden arrows. And it has Route 66 on it, which I really wanted. I've always wanted to drive Route 66. It's on my list of things to do before I die. But the photograph is gorgeous and I love how it captures the whole mood.

I. Adore. This. Bag. I want one soooo bad! It's huge. I could actually fit more than my toothbrush in it! And it's so darn cute. I love the fabric. Gray is my fave. Now, there is actually a Road Trip Bag in this shop as well, buuuut this one is the same bag with zipper upgrades. I love zippers. So technically it's still the Road Trip Bag, only on steroids. I will have this bag. Too bad it won't be in time for this road trip.

These atlas bracelets are so darling. I can't wear big bangles like that because they make my arm look like a freaking twig. I hate it cause they're so cute, but it's just one of those things. Anyway, I can totally see myself wearing this on the road and walking into a gas station to buy a nice, healthy snack (ok, chocolate frosted donuts...) with my sunglasses on top of my head. I would love so incredibly road trip experienced. Which I really am, I guess. But then people would know, you know?

I'm aware that I think about really strange things sometimes. Atlas bangles send me into a whole scenario. By the way, my weekend bag is in the back of my car in full view of anyone walking by. That way if they don't see my bangle, they'll still know. Mmmm...chocolate donuts. I am so getting some of those tomorrow. It's like a road trip staple. My husband doesn't even ask anymore. He just comes out bearing donuts. Good man. Took awhile to train him to do that though, so be patient with them girls. They get it eventually.

Now I'm thinking about donuts and that makes me think of breakfast. Which in turn makes me think of cereal. And now I want cereal. So I'm going to get some Corn Pops and then I'm going to bed. I have a lot of packing and other little things to take care of before I leave tomorrow.

Next time I talk to you, it will be from the road!

xoxo

muahahahahahaha

2009-07-28T22:14:00.000-05:00

I'll have you all know that I'm posting this from my brand new BlackBerry Curve!!! It's pink. Is my computer right next to me? Yep. But am I still loving using my BB? Oh yeah. Now I just need to figure out how to post pics...

and the sugar comes full circle..

2009-07-27T17:18:00.011-05:00

Gosh but Gmail is helpful. I still get the "be happier" ads, but those have since lost their appeal. However, I was checking my email earlier and I have a new one that is not only highly entertaining, it's rather enticing too. For reasons unclear to me, Gmail has picked up on my pyromaniacal tendencies. I have been offered the opportunity to get a degree in "Fire Science". What I want to know is why this wasn't available when I was in college. Forget my Master's...I'm starting fresh with "Fire Science". (Yes, I do realize that this is a degree for firefighters and the like, but pyromania is so much more fun. Besides, I'd learn everything I'd need to be an accomplished arsonist anyway.)

My blog has probably just been flagged by Homeland Security for writing that. I imagine next time I go to the airport I'll have quite an experience. They'll see my ID, think my name sounds familiar, check their watch list, and take me to the back room for a chat. And a cavity search. Golly, something to look forward to.

Speaking of watch lists, I got the phone call from CVS this morning; automated voice saying my scrips were ready. They called at 7:30am. I'm thinking that was totally on purpose. I know the automated voice didn't call anyone else at 7:30am. Anyway, I then got a call later in the day from a real live person to tell me that they had tried to refill some of them and they realized my refills were gone. Which I knew. I have the new scrips, I just haven't taken them in. I was wondering if they'd catch it. I was quite impressed when they did. The whole "we don't know anything about any prescriptions ever in the whole world" act was getting a tid bit tired. Glad they're changing it up. Keeping it fresh. Gotta keep me on my toes. Doing their jobs all the sudden; what a strategy. I certainly didn't see it coming.

Anyway, if you you remember, I talked about some good news that I got. I needed some time to get things figured out and just hold onto it for awhile. But now I'm just happy and excited and I want to tell people. So here it goes...my husband and I are going to work things out! He called me last week to say he missed me and he wanted to do whatever it took to fix our marriage! So I said yes. That's all I ever wanted from the beginning. It was a shitty, sucky, horrible, painful, awful 6 months, but now that everything turned out right in the end, the path I took to get here seems irrelevant. We both had a lot of time to reflect and learn things about ourselves. I know I've learned lessons that I will never, ever forget. I think we'll be a lot better for it. When it comes down to it, if either one of us wanted to be somewhere else, it would have been simple. All the hard things - telling our families and friends, divorce papers, etc. - were already taken care of. We both know what it's like to think you've truly and completely lost each other, and I know that neither of us will take it for granted again.

So, now I'm starting on a new journey. A happy, rebuilding journey. Believe me when I say that there will still be plenty of angry, sarcastic, entertaining posts. That's just who I am :) I told my husband that he might not want to read my blog because it said not nice things about him. He said my next post should be entitled "an apology to my wonderful husband". Ha! As if. I told him not to hold his breath. He called me a hooker and I called him an ass. God it's good to be back. I actually missed him calling me names. I guess I should put that in context since no one knows a whole lot about the good parts of our relationship. That's what we do. It's done with much laughter and love. Disturbing? Maybe. But I wouldn't trade it for the world.

You know what's really disturbing though? Calling him by his name. Cuh-reepy. Unless I'm talking about him, I never use his name. I call him B. His name doesn't have a 'b' anywhere in it, and it's a long story as to how we got to that point so I won't bore you. But I just never use his name. He doesn't use mine either. Even when he's talking about me to someone he usually calls me Chelly. One of the things he did to really get under my skin during the dark times (that's what we decided to call the past 6 months or so) was to call me Michelle. It was the worst. My name was a punishment.

I'm not sure what the point of all that was. Maybe cause I'm stupid giddy happy. I realize that that could be quite a scary thing for all of you. I think I had a point though...

I just took a shower and I'm all shiny clean and ready to do my Spoonful now. My word for tonight is "circle". I'm at a point in my life where I feel like things have kind of come full circle, and I guess it symbolizes a new start. Whatever the reason, that was the word that stuck in my head. So circle it is.

You know the drill...Matchbook Notepads from The Card Stall, Abstract Fancy Tree from Else Studio, Recycled Wool Pillow from Bonjour Teaspoon, and Antique Silver Circle Drop Earrings from Simply Betty.

How adorable are those notepads??? I am obsessed with notepads, especially sticky notes. But notepads in general. I'm forever needing something to write on and I never have anything in my purse. Which is shocking because of all the other crap I have in there. I usually end up writing things on the back of receipts and losing both my receipt and my note. Ugh. Paper gets all bendy and ripped in the bottom of my purse, so I stopped carrying it. But not these neato things. They have a little matchbook case to protect your precious paper.

I know what you're thinking...more trees. I can't help it! Trees apparently speak to me or something. I just looooove the colors in this one though! How darling would it be in a little girl's room? It's a happy tree. Like the "Giving Tree", but that story always kind of made me really sad. That little kid was a jerk. But I digress...

Gray is one of my favorite colors (what does that say about me, K?) and green is right up there too. I love the simplicity of the pillow. It would add the perfect touch to a room that already has a lot going on or it would draw the eye in a room that doesn't have much going on. A win-win, really.

And earrings. We all know how I feel about earrings. I am a little hurt that my polite request for all Etsy sellers to cease and desist earring selling until I got my obsession under control was ignored...But I have this thing for the earrings with the chains dangling like that. They're gorgeous and sexy! And these are certainly no exception. They caught my eye right away.

Anyway, I need to catch a little nap. Husband calls really early in the morning. Stupid time difference. He tells me not to wait up, but seriously. I missed 6 months of this shit. No way I'm taking my Ambien and then being all coked up and loopy when he calls.

Have a good night all!

xoxo

p.s. I think I'm going to get a BlackBerry in the next few days...if I do I'll totally have Internet access when I go to Kansas. Depending on how you feel about me, that could be good or bad :) Anyway, how much fun would that be??? I've always coveted those stupid BlackBerry's. Now I get a pink one! It's nice to have cash flow again!

twice in one day; will wonders never cease?

2009-07-27T02:14:00.002-05:00

Yeah so. I was all set to do my Spoonful. I already have the little picture collage made and everything. But Etsy has chosen to do scheduled maintenance at this very moment, so I can't link any of the stuff! It is 2am, so I guess they tried to pick a good time. 'A' for effort. Too bad I'm up way past my bedtime feeling the need to post my Spoonful. Oh well. Shit happens.

I really should go to bed. Maybe it's a sign that Etsy is unavailable. Maybe the universe is screaming at me to quit staying up till all hours of the night and then sleeping half the day away. It does make me feel like an incredibly big deadbeat. But I don't need to work at the moment. So it's ok for awhile, right? I need to get back on a normal person schedule. For some reason I find myself feeling less and less normal every day. Wonder why that is...

Anyway, since Etsy has deserted me, I guess I'll go to bed. Don't let the bed bugs bites!

xoxo

as long as it's after noon

2009-07-26T12:51:00.004-05:00

Well, it's almost time for my monthly battle with CVS. Last month it was pretty painless, but I figure that can't possibly happen twice in a row. I'm not that lucky. I'm probably on some kind of watch list behind the counter. Like the ones at the airport for Osama Bin Ladin. That would be so awesome. It's a new life goal for me. Be on the CVS watch list. I'd strike fear into every employee's heart. Oh the pure, unadulterated joy of it all.

I had a sweet girl order one of my items and request a custom one! I'm so excited. I love doing custom items. I'm trying to get everything done before I leave next weekend. I'm also mailing a sample to the owner of a blog so that she can feature my items and do a giveaway. I'm pumped about that. She's been ever so patient with me as I was a horrible person and took forever and a half to email her back.

Well, the road trip is coming. Next weekend Jers and I are off for our big adventure. We're leaving Thursday to hit Dallas and stay with my friend. Then Sunday we'll cruise on up to good old Lyons, Kansas. Try to find that on a map. I'll probably spend a little over a week there and then head back through Dallas on the way home to stay with my cousin. Whew.

Unless I can bootleg a neighbor's wireless Internet connection (which I'm not even fully sure exists in Lyons...), I'll be MIA for awhile. I will, however, be taking pictures and making notes of entertaining things to tell everyone when I get back. Travelling never fails to bring out the crazy, sarcastic bitch in me. It should be fun.

Oh and while I'm thinking about it, I got the sweetest award from Michele over at By Your Side. It's the International Bloggers Community Award. There's a master list you get to be on if you get chosen! Too cool. At some point, I will be a good sport and play too. I just wanted to be sure to thank her for it though! So, thanks a ton Michele!

I had lunch with my Stacy yesterday. Always good, good times. Her in-laws had Miss K. That means we got to consume alcoholic beverages. You look like a really bad mother and aunt if you're drinking at 2pm with a 2-year-old in your booth. Not that it looks really great to be sucking down a Long Island Iced Tea at 2pm anyway, but hey. Like Stace says, "As long as it's after noon..."

Mmmmm...Long Island Iced Tea.

Anyway, we went to Marshall's afterwards and I got me some kickass Steve Madden sunglasses for $10. That's what I'm talking about. I could spend the rest of my whole life in Marshall's and/or Ross. There's just so much to see. And shit is so cheap! God I love cheap. Did I ever tell you that I got 7 pairs of jeans at Ross the other day for $100? I can't remember if I did or not. It was thrilling. And I'll have you all know that I did, in fact, need new jeans. I dropped a pant size and was sick of walking around yanking my jeans up with every step. I looked like an idiot. Anyway, back to the shopping experience. When the madness is over, the trip to the register is in slow motion with the "Chariots of Fire" theme song playing in the background.

I really need to stop using my blog to avoid all the things I should be doing. Gotta wash my sheets and vacuum and do some staining. Hopefully I will have enough time to get on later and do a Spoonful. Fingers crossed.

xoxo

sugar covered grace

2009-07-23T19:49:00.004-05:00

I know, I know. I'm kind of a tease. I talk about big curve balls and then I won't explain. It's good. Really, really good. But I'm going to hang on to this one awhile. I'm gonna hold it close and just savor it for a bit. Then I'll tell you guys all about it.

I found a new quote that I adore. It's from Shel Silverstein and it makes me smile:

"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me...Anything can happen, child. Anything can be."

Doesn't that just make your heart happy?

Anyway, my Spoonful word for tonight is grace. I just love that word. It's Kaitlin's (my niece) middle name, and if I have a daughter I want it to be her middle name too. It's just such a pretty word and I've always thought that if you take to heart the things it means, you'll be a better person.

We've got Grace Postcards from Unravelling, Metal-icious Pearls from Strands of Grace, Grace Kelly from Cuddle Regards, and Grace Eye Candy from In a Lather.

I absolutely adore those postcards. They are so gorgeous. I love the use of color and lighting. I really love the perspective they used too. They're stunning.

I find pearls to be incredibly elegant and classy. They seem to be the jewelry incarnation of grace. I love how this necklace combines a traditional style with a more modern look. The contrast is gorgeous.

And how freaking cool are those cards that look like a purse! You have got to make absolutely sure to go browse that shop because there are so many cool, fun, unique, and beautiful cards to look at. I'm in awe of the creativity and talent. I'd feel horrible writing in them!

I love how yummy that soap looks. The scent sounds so soft and feminine and the colors are awesome. Does anyone know how they make the perfect little swirls in the soap like that? They're crazy cool.

Anyway, last night was a late night/early morning and I'm tired as hell. I'm gonna call it a night.

Ugh. The palm of my hand itches. I hate that. No matter how much I scratch, it doesn't make a difference. What's up with the skin on your palms that makes it un-itchable?? Drives me nuts.

Totally off the subject. Lack of sleep is messing with me. I hope everyone has a fantastic night!

xoxo

just when you think...

2009-07-23T00:03:00.002-05:00

As soon as you figure everything out, life laughs its ass off and throws you a big curve ball. Holy crap.

little black spoonful

2009-07-22T13:45:00.003-05:00

This is going to be kind of a "post and run" thing. Sorry about that. I'm just excited about my next Spoonful and wanted to get it in real quick! I was feeling sassy the other night and I searched "little black" on Etsy. I found some really fun stuff, but I've narrowed it down to 4 for my Spoonful collection.

Jessica from My Black Dress, Ayala Levinger Art Bag from Ayala Levinger, Little Black Dress Olive Oil Soap from Savor, and Little Black Earrings from Linda Trent Jewelry.

Everyone knows about the LBD. Sadly, I don't own one. I need one now. That's exactly what I picture when I think of an LBD though. Simple, sleek, sexy, elegant, and classy. It's absolutely fantastic!

And that BAG! Oh my gosh! That would go with my LBD (the one I don't own) perfectly! It's such a cool and unique style.

I picked the Little Black Dress Soap because it seems powerful to me. Really feminine and sexy. Plus, it's black soap. How cool is that?? The perfect thing to prepare for your LBD night out.

Heaven forbid I don't include jewelry in my Spoonful...Love, love, love those earrings though! They'd look great on my ears with my hair pulled up. All shiny and dangly and cute. I can see it now :)

I just need somewhere to take all my cool little black stuff now! It's on my list though, believe me!

xoxo

catch some sweetness in a jar

2009-07-18T21:40:00.003-05:00

Well, trouble found me. I knew it would. Didn't take nearly as long as I expected either. Although my sister and Ben were sick last night, I took one for the team and went out with a friend. We went to see his friend's band play and then to two different people's houses. When I went to bed, the sun was completely up. Lordy, Lordy. Someone please remind me that I am too old for this. I've done all this crap already and it almost killed me the first time around. I had an awesome time though and I didn't drink so much that I feel like ass today. So, overall it was a success.

Luckily I don't have to be grown up or responsible quite yet. I'm pretty sure that will put a direct stop to all my wildness. Haha. Oh well. Enjoy it while it lasts, huh?

My dog is currently laying across the pillows at the top of my sister's bed. Lins is too nice to move her. If I was sick like that, I'd be pushing her furry little rear over. Instead Lins is just wandering around the apartment finding things to do until my princess dog feels like moving. I hope she's not holding her breath.

Anyway, my Spoonful word tonight was "firefly". I don't know why. Other than the summertime always makes me remember catching fireflies at my grandma's house. And I like fireflies cause they're pretty. There aren't any in Texas. This upsets me. So tonight I have brought fireflies to the Lone Star State.

The line-up: Tree of Fireflies from zMac Photography, Mini Firefly Lantern from April Hiler Designs, Sterling Silver Firefly Bookmark from Ysabelle Sol Art & Jewelry Designs, and Firefly from Bean Tree Designs.

I apparently have this thing with tree art. Those are the ones I'm drawn to. Isn't it cool though? All the lights in the branches? Yeah. I thought so. I thought that little lantern was darling too. It's supposed to be for a flower girl to carry at a wedding. I'd just hang it up somewhere since I will never, ever be party to another wedding in my life :)

I love my Amazon Kindle, but I really like bookmarks too. And this little firefly bookmark is awesome. But I have nowhere to put it. Good thing that doesn't make a bit of difference when I'm picking out stuff for my Spoonful!

I've noticed that I always have jewelry in my collections. This just highlights my sick obsession. But you know how they say you should love yourself for who you are? I'm just gonna go with it. But I love the colors and the dangle beads. I have a thing with dangle beads too. I have lots of things. That sounds awkward...

I'm going to bed now. I feel like I've taken my Ambien even though I haven't. In case you were wondering, that's a rather scary phenomenon. Since I'm not allowed to be on the Internet after I take my Ambien, I should probably go now before it gets really ugly. Jers is still snoring away on my sister's pillow. Imagine that.

xoxo

sugar falls

2009-07-17T09:25:00.004-05:00

Well. I'm in College Station. Where everyone is sick as hell. My sister and her boyfriend both sound like they're dying and I'm going down with them. Damn sick people. So now we have a chorus of hacking, coughing, sneezing, and nose blowing. It's way attractive. So far I'm not as bad as they are. Just a sore throat, runny nose, and coughing. I don't feel sick sick yet though. I'm taking Tylenol Severe Cold like my life depends on it. Which it kind of does, I think.

So much for trouble...oh well. Trouble has a way of finding me. I doubt it'll be too long before the opportunity presents itself again.

You know what is so stupid? Paper towel commercials. There's always this kid making a massive mess. Like throwing a cereal bowl or kicking a plate of spaghetti. Then it splatters everywhere into the biggest mess on the planet. A mess that would inspire yelling and stomping from me. But nooooooo, this mom just grabs one sheet of Bounty and smiles and laughs and hugs the little demon child. This does not happen in real life. "Oh sweetie, it's ok that you smeared hot wing sauce all over my white walls because we have Bounty!" Yeah friggin right. Random, I know. I just think of that every time a paper towel commercial comes on.

Today's Spoonful keyword was "autumn". Call me crazy, but I'm a tid bit tired of triple digit temperatures and scorching heat and suffocating humidity. I long for just a cool breeze. *sigh* I can't wait for fall and all the pretty leaves and fun holidays. When people can go out and get the mail and not need a shower afterwards. Only in my dreams at present. Ugh.

Anyway, so here are my autumn things that make me almost feel a few degrees cooler!

Here's the roll call: Autumn Sterling Silver Ring from Firefall Studios, Eternity Brass Antique Leaf Necklace from Rhonda's Treasures, Rococo Shawl from Tickled Pink Knits, and Autumn Landscape Metal Artwork from Copper Leaf Studios.

I adore the ring and necklace. I have this thing with leaves. It's just lately. I've never been a leaf person before. But I love how the ring spirals around and how elegant the pearl makes the necklace look.

My most favorite from this particular collection is the shawl. Oh. My. GOSH! I don't know if I could pull it off, but how stinking cute is that? I love, love, love the color and how it drapes on the edges. The pin is beautiful too. I just fell in love as soon as I saw it.

The last one is actually metal art. It's a maroon background with a gold metal overlay. I love how there's a picture in the cutout, as well as an etching on the metal.

I gotta refuel on the Tylenol. Rapid Release is the way to go in the Tylenol world. Just FYI. I hope everyone is having a significantly colder day than me!

xoxo

ruby red sweetness

2009-07-15T12:04:00.006-05:00

Hot. So hot. I feel like I live on the equator. This is outrageous. I've probably said this 812 million times, but I don't ever remember it being this miserable before. Come on fall! Not that it will really cool off here at all till October, but I can't wait for all the fun holidays! Fall and winter make me happy.

So, my Spoonful theme today: ruby. I was inspired by Keirsten's necklace/bracelet (which is included in the collection). I love that sucker. Plus, Ruby is my grandma's name. I adore my grandma. She is the most incredible person I know. So rubies make me happy. So I went with it. I found some really awesome stuff.

Today's lovely collection includes Ruby Red Rose Natural Soap from Intentions, Ruby Red Convertible Necklace-Bracelet from Lune Designs, Ruby Jade from Honeytree, and Ruby Flock Flower Placemat from Kainkain.

How fantastic is that print? It's incredible. I love the colors together. I usually have a hard time deciding what to pick, but I saw that and immediately knew it was going in. Doesn't that soap look yummy? I'm kinda scared to buy something like that cause I really want to eat it. Is that weird? Probably. But weird is what I do, so it's cool.

I think you all know by this point that I am not a place mat type of girl, but this one ROCKS! I love the black and red together. And it's so simple. I'm actually setting my dining room table in my head. For someone who wants to throw her remote through the TV when wedding shows come on, that is awfully domestic.

And I saved the best for last...that necklace! First of all, it's two pieces of jewelry. Common sense tells us that two is always better than one when it comes to jewelry. And the colors are incredible. The beads look so smooth and cool. Kinda like glass tile. I apparently have a glass thing.

I really need to take a shower now. I have to finish laundry before I can pack to go visit my sister. Oh, I'm going to visit my sister today. I'm going to spend the rest of the week with her. See if I can't get her in a little trouble.

xoxo

roping some sugar

2009-07-13T20:18:00.007-05:00

Blah. It's been a day. A hot one. Holy crap. I swear that it has never, ever been this hot and humid and miserable here. I know I was gone for awhile, but this was not how it was. I ran errands today and I felt like I was gonna die from walking in and out of the store. I got some new furniture for my bedroom though. I was running out of places to put my clothes (how horrible is that??), so I got this little cabinet and some cubes with baskets. I got it all put together this afternoon and it looks cute.

Funny story - I have a friend who flies Apache helicopters in the Army, and he got some new gear the other day. So he was looking at the box, and it was talking about the warranty and what it did and didn't cover and all that. He said the last two lines were, "This guarantee is void only if the PELICAN product has been abused beyond normal and sensible wear and tear. The above guarantee does not cover shark bite, bear attack or children under 5." Hahahahaha. I laughed my ass off. Children under 5 go in the same category as sharks and bears. But seriously, who puts sharks or bears in their warranty anyway? It's not like they're even closely related or anything. Too awesome. I guess people who make products for the military have to plan for every occasion. So, there's a little humor for tonight. He saved the box, so hopefully I'll get to see it one day. It would make me incredibly happy.

Job searching sucks, just so you know. I'm not to the point where I'm desperate and I have to take the first thing that's offered to me. It would just be nice to be able to find something I like. I wish someone would just offer me a really awesome job with a great salary and fantastic benefits. Anyone? At all? *crickets* No? Ok then...

Just a warning, what I'm going to say next will spoil The Bachelorette. So if you haven't watched it yet, and you want to, read no further.

Ok, now can you believe that Ed couldn't close the deal??? And then he talked about it on TV? Holy crap. I mean, I know it's one of those things and it probably is really awkward with cameras filming everything for millions of people to see. But seriously. Poor dude. They didn't have to show that shit. He's going to be that guy from now on. Guarantee you that's the first thing they'll ask him on the reunion show. God, I just feel bad. That's no one's business.

My Spoonful tonight is a collection of lariat style necklaces. I absolutely love them, and I've found some of the most gorgeous ones ever.

Yummy! How awesome are those?? First of all, I'm going to say that I'm a horrible person and I have no idea where the first one came from. Here's the thing: I always look over a few days and pull up some Internet windows with items I like. Well, that one got closed AFTER I already made the little picture collage. I've tried really hard to figure it out, but I can't. So sad day. From there on, we have Maeve Lariat from Eye Love It, then Prepster Lariat from Silver Dot Jewelry Designs, and the last one is Summer Sun from Made By Sam.

Anywho, off to finish up the laundry and hit the sack. Hope everyone has a great night!!

xoxo

YAY!!!

2009-07-09T21:04:00.001-05:00

I got featured in Angela's treasury!! Too exciting. I love her. You will love her too, so go see her shop and her blog.

Then go look at the treasury!!

Ok, gotta keep trying to catch up on everything...ugh.

drunk on sugar

2009-07-09T19:38:00.010-05:00

You guys are so sweet! You missed me! You don't know how nice that is. I got so many comments and emails from everyone, and I really appreciate it. I'll do better from now on, I swear.

Today has been a day. My computer erased an article (along with all my research) randomly today. Jers has been limping lately. I think she just stepped on her leg wrong, but it still makes me nervous.

This is the best part though: I had TWO flat tires on my car. I just replaced the battery. Piece of crap. I don't think I ever told my battery story. So. I take my car to Auto Zone to get a new battery because my car just decided to stop starting. Love that. So I give the guy all the info about my car, he gets the battery, and then we go outside so he can put it in.

Oh, oh first of all, he saw my military ID in my wallet and he (I shit you not) whips out his wallet, flashes his ID, and says, "Army Reserves." Wait. For real? So I'm just like great, he's one of those guys. So now we go outside. He sees my base sticker on my car. I also have a sticker with my husband's unit on it. Clearly I need to take it off. He has a really cool job. I could explain it, but I don't think I'm supposed to and it would just confuse the hell outta everyone anyway.

So then Auto Zone homeboy (who will now be referred to as just "homeboy" for the duration of this post), starts talking about how he does the same thing as my husband. Which he does not. I promise you. I asked him what unit, and he rattles off the big one. Everyone is part of the big group. Then you're assigned a specific battalion. So that right there proved him wrong. I guess he thought I was one of those wives who had no idea what my husband did. Ha. I know it all.

So he's telling me all about his "war stories" and how he has 7 Purple Hearts. Again, he doesn't. I promise. And wouldn't you learn to duck or something after the first 3 or 4? Anyway. That irritates me because people have earned those and he's using them like it's nothing. That's a whole other topic though. So then he's telling me about his 6 Mustangs and really cool motorcycle. Homeboy works at Auto Zone and he's in the reserves. He doesn't have any of that shit. He thought we were tight though. Dumb shit.

Oh but it gets better. He pops my hood and he can't find my battery. Yes, for real. He was so confused. So I kindly pointed out the plastic housing that encased the battery. He goes, "They wouldn't put it there." Oh really? They wouldn't put it under the big battery shaped plastic thing with the terminals sticking out and a big positive/negative sign on it? No?

Good God. So he gets out the owner's manual and is like pouring over it. It was sweltering. I had the urge to start the car and give him a nice little kick. That's the closest he would have ever come to a Purple Heart. So I just told him that my dad would put it in for me and not to worry about it. Then he all the sudden decides to unscrew the plastic battery housing. Good call. Then homeboy actually has the audacity to say, "I'm a genius." Totally what I was thinking...

GAWD! People just amaze me sometimes. It's just another one of those rapid blinking situations. There's just not a whole lot you can really do or say in the face of that kind of stupidity.

So, the point of all that was that I need a margarita. I've made a new friend who used to be a bartender and he makes the best margaritas EVER! Yum :) Tequila and I have always been close, but we're quickly getting really reacquainted. Haha. So fun. Not sure what I'll do when I actually have to get up and go to work like every other upstanding contributing member of society.

Anyway, I'm going to try a new spin on my Spoonful. I think I'll pick a theme or word, search it, and then do a couple different items from my results. So I used margarita tonight. I'm really in the spirit now. I think I'm going to go have a few later tonight...

Anyhow, here are the things I loved the most:

So, we have the Margarita Clutch Purse from Davie & Chiyo. The Margarita Necklace & Earring Set from Bead Stylin'. Next is the Margarita Glass with Red Hibiscus from Aressa. And last, but certainly not least, is the Margarita with Salt Bath Bomb from Pink Bricks Bath & Body.

I love all my sugars :) The clutch is so, so cute and summery! I love that style of fabric flower. There was lots of margarita jewelry to choose from, but I couldn't get over how much that set really captured the exact color of a margarita. And that glass...hand painted! Oh my gosh. I am in awe at the talent it takes to do something like that. I don't even think I have to explain the bath bomb. Baths and margaritas...are there really any words?

So, let me know how you like the new Spoonful. I missed you guys! I'll get back around to commenting and everything in the next few days. Thanks for sticking with me even though I ran away for a bit. It was really good for me, just so you know.

Have a great night!

xoxo

i didn't die

2009-07-09T10:06:00.004-05:00

I know some were probably hoping I had :) I'm playing catch up from my almost week long vacation. Figures that I leave and then I sell stuff. Not that that's bad, I just have a lot to do. Plus, I'm job hunting since I won't be moving after all. I think I'm going to stay in Houston. I've been applying to some colleges and universities for advisor and coordinator positions. Fingers crossed for me! That would be my ideal job.

I really am going to get back into my routine and be a good little blogger again. Cross my heart. But now I have to ship some stuff and run some other errands.

I hope everyone had a great holiday!

xoxo

p.s. The beach was AWESOME!!!!!! :)

real quick

2009-07-02T12:07:00.005-05:00

I have so much stuff to do today before I leave. I need to get a coat of grout on the mirror, do laundry, write an article, and pack. Lordy. But I wanted to share some pictures of my work in progress with y'all!

It's just been stuck and sealed, so it's nothing spectacular. But that's where it starts! Gotta grout now! If I don't make it back before I leave tonight, happy 4th of July to everyone! Be safe and remember the ones that are keeping us safe!

xoxo

my personal jewelry designer

2009-07-01T15:11:00.004-05:00

I'm taking a break from working on my custom mirror. It's pretty big so I have to do it on the floor. My back and knees are killing me. I've been trying to stop buying stuff till I start selling stuff, so it's been awhile since I've really gotten to work on something. It feels good.

I'm so, so excited! I asked my wonderful friend Dian from Holmes Craft to make me some earrings, and she listed them for me today. Holy cuh-rap, they're absolutely gorgeous! I was so giddy. Not only is she incredibly good at what she does, but she's the sweetest thing ever. Working with her is a blast.

She did such a good job. I sent her some pictures of some earrings I liked, but wanted in different colors. I'm pretty sure it was confusing as hell. But she did it all perfectly. Very rarely do things turn out exactly like you planned.

So yay for earrings! I can't wait to get them :) Go visit her store! You can have your very own personal jewelry designer just like me. Actually, on second though, she's mine. Find your own :)

xoxo

"you'll be so proud" sugar

2009-06-30T17:34:00.003-05:00

I'm planning ahead. I know I'm going to be gone tonight, so I'm doing my Spoonful before I leave. Novel idea, I know. Aren't you proud??? :)

I gotta hurry though because I had a bunch of stuff to do today and now I'm running late. Haha. Not enough hours lately. That's good though. To quote Keirsten, "Don't you feel kind of perversely self-satisfied when you feel exhausted because you were out screwing around with your friends?" I definitely do :)

Tonight's Spoonful is very festive. I'm in a festive mood :) God, I need to quit with the smiley faces. I'm annoying myself. Anyway, it comes from Linda Sue Designs.

It's called a Fairy Light! How fun is that? I have this thing for lanterns already, but I love the vintage look of this one. How cool would a whole bunch of them be outside at night? Yeah. Really cool.

Ya'll have a good night. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!

xoxo

i'm sorry sugar :)

2009-06-29T22:03:00.005-05:00

I know, I know. I'm bad. Life has been crazy lately though. Things got really stressful. Then I kinda went crazy and got a social life all the sudden. I'm remembering what it's like to be able to do whatever I want. It's a hell of a lot of fun. I've gotten home after 4am three nights this week. My body is very, very upset with me. I'm so danged tired. But I can't stop smiling. I think I might be truly happy for the first time in a long time. Who knows if it will last, but I'm going to revel in it while it does.

I actually ended up signing the papers today. You know, it was pretty ok. I have to mail them off tomorrow. I think it's gonna be all right. I was afraid there for awhile. I need to slow down though. Haha. The stress combined with the late nights is kicking my butt.

I really need to get back on track. Like actually working during the day...I had a custom order today though. I'm really, really excited about it. It's going to be my biggest project yet :)

For now, I'm just going to do my Spoonful and get some sleep. That way I don't tile my work table tomorrow.

It comes from Letter Perfect Designs. I've been having a thing with pillows lately. I need to get my own place because I'm totally having decorating withdrawals. These pillows are the cutest things ever!

How darling are those! I'm loving the buttons. Jersey would probably chew the buttons off and then I would have to wring her little furry neck. Maybe I'll just get like 12 back-ups :)

I'm getting delirious. Oh! I went to CVS today and had only minor issues. It was an effing miracle. I called this morning to check on them and they said that they had refilled them and I hadn't picked them up so they put them back into stock. Funny story. This time, I didn't get a phone call. Before I get calls and they act like they've never heard of prescription meds, and now I'm not getting calls. But I planned ahead for their stupidity. I call this morning and they were all ready when I got there this afternoon. I was incredibly nervous. Now would not be a good time for something like that to happen to me. I get grumpy when I'm tired.

Anyway, everyone have the sweetest of dreams.

xoxo

favorite person sugar

2009-06-26T21:39:00.007-05:00

So I was thinking. There are just some people who make me smile everyday. Angela is one of them. She cracks me up, says things I would so love to say, is always on my side, and is just generally tons of fun. She's decided to be more aggressive in her advertising and stuff, and I want to help. Even if it's just a little. So she's tonight's Spoonful.

Her shop is called CutNGlue. She makes the most gorgeous collages. I do not know how she has the patience. I'd start cutting these intricate little things and get pissed and tear it to shreds while screaming and stomping. These are two of my faves.

The doggie one is my absolute favorite! It looks just like my doggie and it's just so stinking cute. I love how the sky and grass are all different shades and textures. So cool. If I tried that it would end up looking like a 2 year old did it. I can't imagine the time and creativity it takes! Plus I just adore her :) Check out her way cool blog while you're at it. You'll smile, I promise. And believe it or not, I still like her even though she likes pickles on her pizza!

Have a fantastic night!

xoxo

i'm horrible

2009-06-25T21:07:00.002-05:00

This will be the second night in a row I haven't done a Spoonful. I can explain...yesterday was awesome. I went see the Astro's play and then out afterwards for drinks and stuff. I didn't get home till 5 this morning. Haha. I'm too, too old to do that. My body hates me for it. It was tons of fun though. I needed that.

So today I woke up wanting to just go back to sleep all day. If only. Then I had the day from effing hell. On top of being exhausted, my car wouldn't start and you-know-who called and messed with my head a little. Oh so fun.

So I'm just way tired and mentally done. I'm going to go to bed pronto and watching TV. I'm in a slump. I'm starting to feel like I want to revert back to the lay-in-bed-and-cry-all-day days. It's sucking me in. I'm just tired I guess. Rough week. I have to sign the divorce papers tomorrow. So it'll prolly be another crappy day. I'll be back at some point. Post pity party though. No one wants to hear that shit.

Sweet dreams!

xoxo

risky sweetness

2009-06-23T22:34:00.007-05:00

Well, Gmail had some new words of wisdom for me today. It's been awhile. No wonder my life was spiraling out of control.

Take a D E E P breath - www.happier.com - Exhale...Get yourself to happier.com and Let Go Of All That Anger!

It's so funny how it does that after I write a depressing post and all my wonderful people leave me sweet comments! You guys are awesome. Every single comment makes my day. Thanks for taking the time.

Have I mentioned how much I love my prison show?? It's probably unnatural to get as much enjoyment out of it as I do. Do you know that there are still prisons that execute people by firing squad?? I guess you get to choose your method of execution and this guy was talking about how he chose firing squad because he wanted them to "have to look at who they were killing" and not "just inject him with something". Like he's trying to get them to feel bad about it. Give me an effing break. Then he's talking about how the conditions are horrible and it's like a dog in a cage and dogs get treated better than prisoners. Blah, blah, blah. He said that he's humiliated, degraded, and neglected everyday. Golly gosh, my heart just freaking bleeds for you. Perhaps we should have considered that before we slit some one's throat, hmm? Pardon my lack of sympathy for your plight. People like that disgust me. It's prison people, not Club Med.

I learned something else useful from my show though. You can totally buy drugs with a credit card! Dude. I had no idea. It's been awhile since I was on the streets. I just had this hilarious picture of drug dealers in creepy alleys with a credit card scanner. "Would you like credit or debit? On no, we don't take American Express. Killer usage fees. Input your pin number please. Now, this is going to show up on your statement as 'Crack Cocaine'. I just want you to know what it is, haha." Oh and they were talking about how they smuggle drugs into prison. I'm sorry, this is a little graphic, but I don't want to smoke, snort, or inject anything that has been hidden in some one's "body cavities". Withdrawal sounds preferable, thanks.

Tonight's Spoonful makes me smile. She has a shop on Etsy and ArtFire. It's a shop called Risky Beads and it's as cool as the name sounds. Her catch phrase is "Accessories with Issues". Finally someone else sees the necessity of this. I have issues; it's only right that my accessories should as well. Plus, a lot of her stuff is named after food, and well, we all know how I feel about food.

It took me forever to narrow down some of my faves. Make sure to go look at her whole shop because there's something for everyone. She has fun and impeccable taste.

Hahaha. This guard was just searching and cell, and he goes, "And this is a crack pipe. So they can smoke crack." Wait, really? It doesn't like hold precious keepsakes or something?

I didn't sleep too well last night, so I'm gonna go. Don't let the bed bugs bite!

xoxo

i've been iced!!

2009-06-23T12:56:00.004-05:00

Oh my gosh, I'm so excited! I got featured on Indie Icing today! Now I can put that darling little badge in my blog that I've soooo been wanting for forever. Doesn't "I've been iced" just sound dang fun??

I have been anticipating this day for awhile :)

xoxo

bittersweet

2009-06-22T22:44:00.007-05:00

Deep breaths tonight. It might seem stupid to some, but watching "Jon & Kate" tonight ripped my heart out. Watching them go through what I am brought up a lot of pain. Pain that I've been pushing down so hard it physically hurts. It made me so mad when Jon said he was "excited". I think my husband said that at one point. It's the most hurtful thing anyone can say. They're so ready to be rid of you that they're actually excited. Then Kate just said, "I don't want to be alone." That just says it all. I don't want to be alone. I'm not saying she's right and he's wrong or anything. No one knows what truly went on. No one knows what truly went on in my marriage, but I'm seeing it from the perspective of someone who has been there. Who is there. And it's just what I see.

It's weird how the pain goes away and I feel almost ok. Then all of the sudden it comes back with such force that it literally drives me to my knees. I'd rather it just hurt constantly than surprise me like that. When I least expect it and I'm least ready for it, there it is in all it's glory. I haven't let myself miss him for a long time, but God help me, I do. So, so much. And I'm so mad at myself for that. How can I possibly still miss him? I know better. Haven't I learned a damn thing? Seems not.

I want my life back. I don't want a new life. I want the one where I was happy. I want the life back where I wasn't in limbo and I had security and I knew where I was going to be the next month. I don't want to have failed.

I'm giving myself permission to cry tonight. I'm crying right now. I can only run from it for so long. I'll catch my breath soon enough and take off running again. Until then, all I can do is feel it. Let it wash over me and drown me. Just get it over with. Sorry to be so depressing. It's just one of those nights.

A Spoonful of Sugar helps the medicine go down though, and it's a good one tonight. So here it goes...It comes from warpeDesign.

I love how the light shines through the punched holes. Especially up against the gray shade. It really stands out. I know I would rub a hole in it from running my fingers over the bumps. I'm odd like that. There are some more lampshades and some cards and other cool paper stuff in the shop, so go check it out.

I gotta turn the light off and get lost in my prison show. I will picture no one being violated. Cross my heart...

xoxo

SALE, etc!

2009-06-22T11:07:00.002-05:00

Hey all! I'm having a sale on my serving trays! Down to $60 from $75! Head to my Etsy or ArtFire and check it out!

It's also about time for my monthly throw-down with CVS. I'll be sure to document every shock inducing moment here. People seemed to enjoy my pain last time :)

On a lighter note, my Kroger card is getting mysteriously filled up with points. For those of you who don't know, when you use your Kroger card you get a $.10 discount per gallon on their gas for every $100 you spend in their store. So, $200 equals 2 fill ups at $.10 off. If you just have the card, it's $.03 off.

Anyway, I don't ever use my card cause when I go shopping for mom, I put the points on her card. However, every time I fill up it offers me the $.10 discount. Yesterday I was out running errands and Mom called to see if I could grab something from the store. I used my Kroger card. At the bottom of the receipt, it tells you your points balance. This is the only time I've used it this month, but somehow I had 286 points on my card. They don't carry over each month either, so it's getting continuously refilled. Someone, somewhere is not getting their gas discount. I've tried to figure it out, but it's a mystery. A cool mystery though. I'll take a discount on gas any day!

Gotta do some research for my next article now! Go see my sale!

xoxo

antiqued filigree sugar

2009-06-21T23:09:00.006-05:00

My sister came over with her boyfriend tonight. We had a big yummy dinner and dessert. Homemade lasagna, Caesar salad, and garlic bread. Then warm chocolate chip cookies with ice cream for dessert! Oh so yummy! Just thinking about it makes me full.

I'm really too tired tonight to be cute and mouthy. It's so hot here and it makes me exhausted. Jers and I have started a longer walk. We do 2.5 miles in the morning and 1 mile at night. The heat of summer was not a good time to start that.

Anyway, sorry to be less than charming. My super-fantastic Spoonful should make up for it though! I've been saving it for a night just like tonight when I really need to redeem myself through no actual effort on my part.

It comes from Jennifer Magnesi Designs. She makes the coolest stuff. I really love her latest line of brass filigree jewelry. She also makes so gorgeous lucite stuff.

These are some of my faves, but she's got a whole bunch of stuff to see, so go check out her store. She's got a shop on ArtFire too. She also has a fantastic blog that you can see here.

Have a great night and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

xoxo

do it now

2009-06-21T11:30:00.003-05:00

First installation of my "Green Has Gone to the Dogs" series is posted! Tell me what you think! And leave me thumbs up and comments!!! :)

i'm missing you like candy

2009-06-20T22:26:00.004-05:00

You know you're getting desperate when you use a Mandy Moore song for your title. And the 101st post seems a bit anti-climatic after last night. I'd better make it a good one.

I was talking to a friend on Facebook, and he was telling me about this chick he went on a date with the other day. And he said, "She's hot, but she kissed like an iguana." So gross. I would want someone to tell me if I kissed like an iguana. Then he says, "And she cuddled like a seal." Which I had to have explained to me. He was saying that she cuddled without arms. Like wiggly and weird. Like trying to hug someone with your hands cuffed behind your back. Holy crap that sucks. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to keep myself from actually laughing out loud. Like just laugh-till-you-cry hysterics. Who does that?

The highlight of my day was learning that there was a Target with an escalator. Holy cuh-rap. Two floors of Target! I didn't think it got better than Target; but wait! Twice the Target! Nirvana. If there is someone who can go to Target and not buy something, I don't want to know you.

In other news, I've been searching high and low for purple tile for my grandma's candle holder. Purple tile in itself wouldn't be an issue, but I need 1/2" x 1/2" purple tile. It was damned near impossible. There were mixes that had purple in them, but none that were all purple or the right shades of purple. I needed like pretty much violet. I've been looking for weeks. I finally found some today! She wants a dark green one too. Have I mentioned that dark green isn't really the thing in tile right now??? I didn't have enough energy left to look for that. Half the battle is won though.

Ok, I'm getting a really late start tonight. Soooo, without further ado, here is my Spoonful. It comes from Sakura Urban Studio. It's cutest little leather pouch with a leather poppy on it!

How precious is that?!? It would be a lot less complicated than my wallet. Everything would be in one place. I can never remember what slot or section I stuck something in. Plus leather is yummy! I love the way it smells. Then my fake designer purse would smell real :)

Love to all!

xoxo

100 sweet posts!

2009-06-19T21:08:00.007-05:00

It's my 100th post! That's so fun! I should celebrate. Maybe I should quit now. Just hit 100 and give up while I've still got it :) But who said I ever really had it...

I was thinking today, I totally should have done ballet. Then I'd have this lithe, graceful dancer's body. That would be awesome. I'd look like I was floating when I walked. I dunno why I thought of that.

So for my Spoonful tonight, I searched for "sexy dress". I need all the help I can get. The feeling sexy factor is way down. Anyway, I found this one dress that was way cute, so I clicked on the picture. I don't really read the description, I just open the window and then go look at a bunch of them in a row when I have like 12 windows open. So I clicked on this link and went on to look at others. Then I was going through them and I got to the listing for the cute dress. I was all confused because I was like, "Why is it shown on a Barbie?" Then I realized that was because it was a Barbie dress. I liked a Barbie dress. That just cracked me up for some reason.

But after awhile I realized that I had searched "sexy dress". Am I the only one who thinks it's wrong for my child's doll to wear anything with "sexy" in the name?? And I hate those Bratz dolls. Are you for real???

Off topic. I had to pick an extra special Spoonful for my 100th post. So I kinda went out on a ledge with some I absolutely adore, but I'm not sure I could pull off. It comes from GrazioliN.

How awesome is that??? I'd almost consider wearing it because the part of my stomach that would show is the part that's flat. Haha. Oh and by the way, I'm asking Santa for that body this year :) I just love all the colors and parts of the dress. And that bandeau top is too cute! And it's on sale. Holy crap. Pretty sure I'd wear it as a top though. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to do it as a dress. Still it's danged cute. And maybe after 12 drinks or so, I'd go in the bathroom and take off my jeans and have a cute dress. Haha. But God I absolutely adore it.

I really like the mirror in the picture too. Wonder if that's included :)

Happy 100th post everyone! I have a few more things to do, so I'm gonna move on.

Night all!

xoxo

sugar flickers

2009-06-18T22:29:00.005-05:00

My dog loves Twizzlers. Like cannot get enough of them. They were on sale at CVS today (and they're a low fat food, hello!) so I bought some. I usually share whatever I'm eating with Jers, but she doesn't usually chew anything. She freaking savors those things. It was crazy. And also hilarious. I hope they're not bad for her...

On a random note, I saw a sign today that said, "Unattended children will be given an espresso and a free puppy." I cracked up. That's awesome. I would so do something like that. Then you can be pretend to be all innocent and nice while really being passive-aggressive at the same time. Like, "What? I just gave the kid a puppy. Look how happy little Timmy is!"

Oh and I got the "Lovely Blog" award from Art's Desire the other day. Thank you so much for thinking of me!

I waited till late to do my stuff again tonight. I had good intentions, but we all know how those go. I did find my Spoonful earlier today so I don't have to do that. It's the coolest candle holder. It's so pretty and feminine. It comes from LA Glass. There's a shop on Etsy and ArtFire.

How cool is that? It's fabric inside the glass. I love them. I saw them awhile ago but forgot about them. While browsing ArtFire today, I came across them again.

I hope everyone has a great night! Or day if you're on the other side of the world :)

xoxo

google alerts

2009-06-18T11:24:00.002-05:00

Does anyone use this? Does anyone know how to use this?? I get the basic idea, but what are some good ideas of terms to put in the search? Is it worth it?? I'm so clueless. It seems cool though.

Someone please guide me through the world of Google Alerts...

pretty colored sweetness

2009-06-17T22:04:00.005-05:00

I'm tired tonight. Today was an exciting day - my first article published! Yay! I submitted another one this evening. Tell your friends so my page gets lots of views :) And thanks for those of you who took the time to read it. I appreciate it so much!

My eyes ache, so I'm going to get to it and eat something and go to bed. I've decided if I just accept the fact that I'm going to eat in the middle of the night, my life will be a lot less stressful. I'll just eat less during the day when I'm not thinking about it cause I'm doing stuff. Not sure if that will really balance out cause I've heard it's not good to eat at night. Does anyone know if that's true?

Since today was a fun day, I picked a fun Spoonful. It has a lot of different colors in it and it just makes me smile. It comes from JuNu Creations (and also here on ArtFire).

Isn't it pretty? I love all the different colors that you wouldn't normally find together. It makes it really versatile and exciting. Plus I love the beads that are like that. And brass is pretty. It's kind of one of those things that "safe" but not. It's pretty neutral, but it has a little kick too. If you're afraid to try new things like me, this is the perfect first step :) There's a lot of other gorgeous stuff in the shop too. Some of my favorite earrings ever! Visit her blog too!

Food and bed. Night all!

xoxo

I'M PUBLISHED!!! :) :) :)

2009-06-17T12:57:00.001-05:00

Well, here it is; my very first article. I'm incredibly excited! So go read it now and tell me how much you adore it! :)

http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=1718

sugary recycling

2009-06-16T21:10:00.009-05:00

I'm featured in Audrey's blog today! She's so sweet and hers is one of the blogs I never miss! So go see it!

Today was a good day. I submitted my first article to my editor. Now I hope she has mercy on me and approves it. If by some miracle that does occur, I'll let you all know where you can go read it. Until then you can just check out the whole website. I have a bio on there. Go to www.handmadenews.org and click on 'Green Wise' on the right hand side. Then at the top where the columnists are listed, you can click on my name. Yay! Fun!

I'm going to be writing a 'Going Green with Your Dog' series. That's going to be a blast. Me and Jers did our first green experiment tonight. I made her some sock toys. She loooooved them. It was darling though. She shook them around and kept hitting herself in the head. She killed them in less than an hour. *sigh* At least it was free.

So I made like two posts on Twitter about how I had submitted my first green article or whatever, and all the sudden I have like 12 new green people following me. Within a few hours. How do they do that?? Not that I'm complaining. I just wonder.

Mom and Dad had sod delivered today. It came on a pallet. When they got done laying all the sod, there was this nice, spanking new (if somewhat dirty) pallet left. Dad wanted to keep it and Mom was arguing about where in the heck they'd put it. I can't blame him, I'd wanna keep it too. I just do stuff like that. Like one day I'm going to desperately need a pallet and then I'll have one. Anyway, I said something about tiling it and Dad goes, "$5000 on Mastercard. Having the only one of its kind...priceless." I don't know why but that really amused me. It doesn't sound as funny when you type it out. I guess you have to know my dad. The way he says things is just funny. That was rather random and pointless.

Stacy visited from the sticks today. She wanted to go shopping in my store. FYI, my store consists of all my stuff laid out on the floor in my workroom. Anyway, she needed a gift. She picked out my brown oval tiled mirror. I was sad to see it go. I finished my earring holders and posted one of them on Etsy! I'm waiting to post the other one and a new tray. You're supposed to spread them out, apparently. Oh, and I'm going to post it on ArtFire. Because I got a free upgraded seller account because I write for them now. When you look at my page it's looks all fancy with my "verified seller" label on there! Go look! I have to figure out what all the verified seller account includes that I didn't have before. I have a job that has perks! This is way cool :)

In my quest for greenness today, I found this awesome shop that uses recycled aluminum cans to make stuff like jewelry and magnets. The picture caught my eye on ArtFire and I was hooked. It comes from Funky Recycling. There's a shop on Etsy and on ArtFire. They call their stuff "Funky Junq Eco-Art".

Make sure to check out both of the shops cause there's different stuff in them. In the ArtFire shop, I really like the paw print and the chicken. Rock on. I just love the stuff! It's so shiny and good-for-the-environmenty. And yes, environmenty is totally a word.

I'm getting kind of a late start on my stuff tonight, so I'd better go now. I was actually asleep before 1:30am last night though! Baby steps :)

Have a good-for-the-environmenty night!

xoxo

while i'm thinking about it...

2009-06-15T23:05:00.002-05:00

I always mean to comment on your comments, since you take the time to write them. But I forget. But now I remembered. So here are some comments on recent comments. I'll do better, I swear.

I got a "Lovely Blog Award" from Southern Girl Florals like forever ago and I keep forgetting to acknowledge her! So thank you so much! Go check out her blog!!

Also, everyone needs a doggie!

I got the oatmeal shampoo at Wal-Mart (of all places...)

And how cool is a dog named Todd?? My sister is getting a puppy soon and she's going to name him Dave.

The convicts that I watch on TV do not make their wine in the toilet. That's disgusting. They're classier than that :)

Dogs are supposed to go crazy at the dog park. Although shitting in the pool might be an issue. I was wondering the other day if dogs peed in the pool. My mom used to tell me that there was a chemical in the pool water and if I peed in it it would turn bright red and everyone would know. I know better now, but I still think about that every time I swim.

I think it's windfall. There was a show on TV for one season called "Windfall". It was about a lot of people who bought a lottery ticket together and then split the winnings. They like all went berserk and corrupt. It was weird. Maybe that's why it was only on for one season...

She is my niece. Although, not technically. She's my BFF's daughter, but she might as well be my niece. I consider Stacy to be family, so it counts.

Ok...I think that's it.

I'm going to eat a muffin (I have no self-control, I know...) and go to sleep now.

xoxo

i'm really having trouble thinking of sugar titles

2009-06-15T21:40:00.004-05:00

I listed my slate mirror today!! I'm excited, but I'm kinda sad cause I really like it. But don't let that stop you from buying it :) Go look at it!

It just keeps getting hotter and hotter today. It's been in the triple digits the past few days. Along with triple digit humidity. Ugh. So freaking nasty. I took pictures outside today for like an hour in the relative shade, and I still almost died.

I'm addicted to "Jon & Kate". It's my favorite show ever. It makes me so sad that they don't do their interviews on the couch together anymore. It looks so empty. I totally get it though. I'd probably want to drop kick him. I'd sit on the couch with him just so I could drop kick him. Not that he's guilty, but at the moment I'm just more likely to side with the woman. That will probably last for the rest of forever. Men don't deserve it.

My sister took some pictures and a video of Jers at the bone pool yesterday. They're not great quality cause they're from a cell phone, but she's still the cutest ever. Plus you can kind of see the bone pool. She's so cute. Prettiest doggie ever. I can't get the video centered and it's really driving me up the wall. I hate things like that. I like everything to be in a nice line. Oh wait, I figured it out.

I picked another dress for my Spoonful. I'm clearly in a dress phase now. This one is GORGEOUS! I love the color. And it was leftover from the 2008 spring season, so it's on sale for $35! It was originally $108. This might have to become part of my little treat for myself. How can you pass up a deal like that??

Anyway, it comes from Gina Michele Vintage. Check it out...

There are some incredible clothes in this shop, so make sure to browse thoroughly! I love the light jersey fabric! So comfy and pretty and soft. Makes a girl feel yummy!

This no shopping thing is having a crazy effect on me. I'm like debating over what I want to get instead of just buying something I like. I have all these windows open with stuff that I like and I keep looking at them all and I just CAN'T DECIDE! It's driving me insane. What happen to the reckless girl who threw money around like it was nothing (ok, I don't think I was that bad). But really! When did this become such an ordeal. *sigh* I fear I am growing up and getting responsible. I knew this day would come at some point, but I just didn't think it would be so soon.

On that depressing thought, I still have junk to do tonight so I need to go. I couldn't sleep last night, so I still didn't end up getting to sleep till like 2am. I'm going to make another attempt tonight. If at first you don't succeed...

Hope everyone else sleeps well!

xoxo

something in which to carry my sugar

2009-06-14T21:22:00.005-05:00

I took my puppy swimming today. It was a bone shaped pond. How fun is that?? She had a blast. I totally forgot my camera though, so that was sad. It took her awhile to get comfortable with the water again, but once she did she was swimming all over. She's darling when she swims, in case you were wondering. Then I gave her a bath in the doggie showers outside the park with her oatmeal shampoo. It's for sensitive skin :) She smells divine.

So today my mom was looking for something in the house. I said something about a shake-down and my family all stopped what they were doing and my sister said, "Have you been watching 'Lock-Up' again?" Ok, so I like prison shows. But last night I totally learned how to make prison wine and use an outlet as a cigarette lighter. Who says convicts can't teach you anything? I'm watching it now, and this guy just said, "I can't get along with people too much. Especially when they're evil." How in the heck do you argue with that? I don't get along with evil people either.

I am determined to go to bed at a decent time tonight. Last night I didn't take my sleeping pill till 1:30am. That becomes an issue when I'm trying to get up before noon. So I'm doing all my computer stuff early and I'm really proud of myself. I'm trying not to get distracted.

So in the spirit of expediting my bedtime, I'm going to do my Spoonful and finish up my other nightly stuff. I found the most darling bag. I really like purses and bags. It's yet another manifestation of my shopping disease. It comes from Ika Bags.

It's huge! I love huge bags. I love imagining all the things I can put in this bag. My computer, my Kindle, my wallet, my cell phone (that is really a waste of space because it doesn't work half the time), a bottle of water (which might not be smart with all those electronics). The list goes on and on. I would so have everything I ever needed if I had this bag.

Ok, I have emails to return and I have to browse and comment on blogs. I'll talk to ya'll later!

Sweet dreams!

xoxo

need help picking some sweetness

2009-06-13T23:23:00.004-05:00

So I'm gonna buy myself a little present since I got a surprise check in the mail. Not a lot. Maybe around $50. I want to get a couple little things instead of one big thing, but I can't decide what to get!! I haven't shopped in forever. I'm not keeping track of how long though because it might make me lose my ever-loving mind. It's unnatural.

So anyway, one of the things I'm looking at is a new watch. I found these spoon watches that I really like. They're my style - silver and simple. They come from LT Creates Jewelry. I've narrowed it down to two choices, but I can't decide. I've left them open for a couple days on my computer. That usually helps me pick cause I lean towards one or the other, but I'm so stuck on this.

So the watches are going to be my Spoonful and everyone is going to help me decide which one I need!

So what is it? One or two? Hammered or smooth? Check out all the other spoon jewelry in the shop while you're at it! I love spoon jewelry :)

In my quest for a little treat, I've found that I really like expensive things. These watches are totally reasonably prices though. I love it when I find something like that!

So give me opinions! And any other ideas you have for cool stuff for me to buy :) I'm going to make this last!

Sleep tight!

xoxo

sweet and sexy

2009-06-13T00:08:00.003-05:00

I totally got a check for $250 in the mail today!! It was one of those really official looking envelope thingies. The one's where you have to tear the sides and the top and then peel it apart. It reminds me of carbon copy paper. Anyway, Mom brought it in and handed it to me and I said, "Oh maybe it's a check!" And then we laughed because of course it's not a check. I'm not nearly that lucky. But it so was! And a pretty big one :) It was just my pension cash out from my last job. I was only there like 5 months, so I didn't have much. Apparently there was a provision that you either had to contribute or cash out. I was just gonna let it sit. But a check it cool too! Too bad I have to be responsible and pay bills. Although, I might splurge a little bit to celebrate. It's not everyday you get a random check in the mail!

We watched "Gran Torino" tonight. It was awesome! I love Clint Eastwood. His voice makes my throat hurt though.

My Spoonful tonight is a cute and sexy little dress that I found. Stacy was wearing an awesome summer dress the other day and it made me want one. I don't do dressy a whole lot, so I wanted something pretty casual but still hot. I adore gray, so this little number was perfect. It comes from Young Monster.

I wasn't prepare for the mask, so it kind of startled me at first, but it certainly makes it stand out. I just love the dress though.

Oh and I'll have you know, they totally jacked a picture of my body and put someone else's head on it. Hate that. But when you're as hot as I am, sometimes you just can't contain people :)

Sleep tight ya'll!

xoxo

fun pictures!

2009-06-12T13:39:00.014-05:00

I have some pictures from my fun little outing with Stacy and Kaitlin the other day. And I took some pictures of my slate tile mirror I've been working on because I love it! It's just had it's first coat of grout and the mirror is dirty from finger prints and grout smudges, but you get the idea...

Here's Miss K playing in the fountains and enjoying her mini-smoothie:

And here are some pictures of my slate mirror. It was hard to get good pics because I really wanted to get the sparkly-ness of them and the colors at the same time! I took them with my flash so that the light would reflect. I know that's a no-no, but the flash-less ones didn't do it justice.

So anyway, just wanted to share some pics. I can't wait till my mirror is all done! I love it!!

xoxo

sugar coated soul

2009-06-11T22:46:00.004-05:00

Hey all. Sorry about yesterday; fantastic day, horrible night. It's going to be over soon. At least that's what I keep telling myself. *sigh*

Anyway, I had a great day with Kait and Stacy. We shopped and played in fountains and ate out. It was a total blast. I took lot's of good pics, so I'll post them later. I gotta go to bed tonight. My soul is tired.

I found the most fantastic painting for my Spoonful tonight. I was half-heartedly searching for one (you know it's bad when shopping fails to excite me...), and I saw this picture and I was just struck by the vibrancy. It's incredibly gorgeous.

It comes from Terrace Gallery. It's called Kindred Souls. And it's unbelievable.

Isn't it striking? I love the colors and the way they're blended. There's so much going on, but it doesn't look frantic or chaotic at all. I actually find it really peaceful. I'm not usually a big art person, but I want this on my wall. Along with some of her other stuff. I really like the "Some Like It Hot" painting too. I love the style and technique. Love at first sight.

I'm going to go take my wonderful sleeping pill and dream abstract, colorful dreams :) I'll try to be a little more chatty next time. I know how much everyone looks forward to my ramblings, haha. Have a good night!

xoxo

sweet, sweet love

2009-06-09T21:58:00.006-05:00

Holy crap I'm tired tonight. I was a busy girl today. It was a two shower day. Unfortunately there are a lot of those in Houston. Ugh. I went shopping for some custom orders and a b-day present for my BFF. I'm really excited about her present, but I can't say in case she reads my blog. It's way cool though :)

I also got this cool slate tile. I'm making a mirror and I really want to keep it. That would be bad though. It's just so gorgeous! Kinda sparkly and iridescent. There's pinks, greys, and blues. I got these ceramic edging tiles to put in between the slate. I'm in love.

Then I came home and stained stuff. In white shorts. Yeah, I know. I asked for it. I got "Deep Walnut" stain all up on them. After that it was just a free-for-all. I didn't know it was possible to make that much of a mess. I think I splatter painted the garage wall. I was covered, from head to toe. The only was to get stain off your skin is to exfoliate. Or you can just wait for it to wear off, but that takes a few days and I have to go in public tomorrow. I don't want people to think I have some weird disease. I was scrubbing with my salt scrub and I couldn't get this one spot off my arm. Then I realized I was scrubbing a freckle. See what happens when I have to take more than one shower in a day??

I was so gross though. I just stood in the garage staining today for maybe an hour and a half and I was literally dripping sweat. So nasty. I came in the house and it felt like an icebox. We've been keeping the air low cause of A/C bills too. My dog even ditched me about halfway through. She sat in front of the door and looked pitiful. Deserter.

I totally got a witch catalog today. Like for real. It's weird because that stuff scares the crap outta me. It has like these red and black velvet cloaks with hoods. There's a spell book and witch lingerie. And a coffin ring. Really. I'm not saying that everyone isn't entitled to their own beliefs, but there's some weird crap in there. I just have no clue why I'm suddenly getting that.

Anyway, I'm getting delirious. I wanna watch my DVR and drift off into an Ambien induced coma. But first, my Spoonful!

I fell in love with these necklaces from Just Peachy. I couldn't just pick one cause I love them so much, so I'm using 3 pictures. I seriously adore them.

I want them, I want them, I want them! They're so classy and unique. My list of things to buy when I get off shopping probation is getting long. I'm going to have to prioritize. These are going straight to the top of the list though! And she's in Houston too! It's fate :)

Hope everyone has a good one!

xoxo

gimme some sugar

2009-06-08T22:24:00.005-05:00

You guys crack me up. Thanks for all the supportive man-hating earlier :) Makes a girl feel not so alone. I just had a good phone call. Put me in a good mood. It's always nice to talk to fun people. I laughed a lot. Very, very nice.

I'm watching "The Bachelorette". This show cracks me up. First of all, there's a guy named Kipton. Really? Kipton? I couldn't even say his name without laughing. It just screams tennis club with a sweater tied around his shoulders. Second, you've known these people for like 2.5 seconds and it's life altering if you don't get a rose. And boys are so drama. Like maybe worse than the chicks. They get in fights and try to be manly. It rocks to watch them make idiots of themselves. Kinda like match.com on TV. Except it would be a lot funnier if they got to make up screen names. Guys seem to kick themselves in the ass on that one. I wanted to laugh a little more, so I went and picked out a fun screen name for today: DareUtoClick. Wow...can I pick truth?

I held off for as long as I could, but I had to pick more earrings for my Spoonful tonight. Plus the seller has a picture of dogs as her avatar. Cute earrings and doggies?? I never had a chance. The lovely earrings come from DorisWorks.

How gorgeous are those?? So elegant. I love the colors. The red is beautiful, but it's not too much. I have to have all my stuff match and I'd actually wear these with something other than red because it's so understated. Neeeeeeeeeeed them!

But ya'll, I totally haven't bought anything in over a week! Well, I bought more of those shorts the other day because I got an email saying they had new colors in stock (yes, I signed up for the email to inform me of that). But we've been over the fact that shorts are a necessity. Anyway, I'm quite proud of myself. I might need a little reward. Like one that dangles sexily (is that a word?) from my ears...

xoxo

isn't cyber-stalking a crime?

2009-06-08T14:40:00.003-05:00

So I know a lot of you have seen my status on Facebook or Twitter and you've been asking about what's up. My soon-to-be-ex called me from deployment the other night to ask me some questions. Apparently people from his unit are spreading all kinds of fun rumors about me and stalking me on Facebook. He said they're reporting back to him all like, "She has a new Facebook page!". Uh, ok. And what? I made a completely new page with a new email address so I could distance myself from that life. My old page is in no way linked to my new one and I'm not friends with anyone from there or friends with friends of people from there, so they had to actively search for me. God. For real?

Even if any of the things they're saying were true, it's certainly none of their damn business and it's not his either for that matter. He wanted it to be over and it's over. I don't owe him a damn thing anymore. He was really nice about it. Said he just wanted to hear the answers from me and warned me to make all my FB stuff private. He said he was glad that I had moved on and to ignore the idiots.

I don't even live in the same damn state as any of them! I was never good friends with them and the one person I really considered my friend screwed me over big time in the end. So I'm not in their shit anymore and I expect them to stay the hell out of mine.

It just upsets me that people can't leave well enough alone. Why do you have to cause more pain? It's so not necessary. I just wish people would grow up. I'm not going to lose much sleep over it. They're not worth it. I just get so irritated when grown people act like they're 12.

So, there you have it. Now I don't have to tell my big long story over and over. People are dumb and it helps to vent. Now I'm just going to watch my prison shows for the rest of the day and wish all of them were in there getting violated.

See ya later!

xoxo

her lips tasted like a sweet red wine

2009-06-07T21:03:00.007-05:00

I sold something today!!!! Yay! I'm so excited. I sold a blue serving tray I just listed a few days ago. I came home from the party and I had a sale. Very good day :)

The 2nd Amendment Party was cool. They had good food. Hamburgers, hot dogs, watermelon, peaches, strawberries, chips, cookies, brownies, cole slaw, potato salad...everything you could think of. And everyone brought all their guns and we shot stuff. Mainly targets, but there's this weird phenomenon that occurs when grown men get around guns. They want to shoot everything. So after awhile we ended up shooting water bottles. Which was pretty cool cause the bottles exploded and water sprayed everywhere. They also had a thrower so you could shoot skeet if you wanted. I should have done that. I love to use shotguns! But I shot my dad's M-44 and his SKS. They were fun. The both have a kick and now I have gun marks on my shoulder. My fault for shooting in a tank top though. He brought his pistol too, but I don't really like handguns.

There were really nice people there too. Sometimes I feel out of place when I do things like that where I don't know anyone (and you know how good guys are at not ditching you...), but they were all so sweet. So it was a day full of food, guns, and rednecks. Just another day in Texas :)

You know those popsicles that are in the plastic tubes and you have to push them up to eat them? They're kind of old-school. Anyway, they always make me cough. Does anyone know why they do that?? I Googled it, but there's no answers. I really wanna know. Someone be smart for me!

My Spoonful today is too cute. It comes from Anja Designs. It's a bottle topper for wine bottles or olive oil bottles. I've seen them before, but I really like the style of these. They're kinda fun and cheery. I can totally see pretty bottles full of pretty stuff on my counter with these in the top.

Everyone would wonder where I got my awesome bottle toppers! I kind of have this thing with people wanting my stuff. I've noticed the theme running throughout my posts. I always want people to be jealous of my cool things. I wonder if that signifies some kind of deep emotional problem? Probably so.

Oh well. I could get another prescription, but it would just be one more opportunity for the sadists at CVS to torture me.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Too bad tomorrow is Monday. Boo!

xoxo