Birthday goodness

let me begin this by saying DH is one of those do or die shoppers when it comes to gifts. Either it will be REALLY REALLY awesome, or he gets you nothing at all. For my birthday this year, we weren't able to get home in time to get into the manager's office to pick up packages. They were there, he was there, but it was after hours so they wouldn't let him in.


But I got home yesterday, we picked up the package and then went to the apt. I went to change and while I was in the bedroom he layed it out for me so I'd see it when I came back into the main room. DECALS!

with one for my phone. He thought this design rather artsy-fartsy and since I've been so inclined lately, he thought I'd like it. (My first thought was of Colette ). Even cooler was that the phone decal comes with a code for a wallpaper so that it is one "complete" design.

Once I got done cooing over it, he showed me this one too


I got a spare set! and I got to choose which goes on first. so I've put the 2nd one on my phone and I'm saving the laptop decals until we decide how everything here is going to layout. space wise (we've been doing some massive moving around)

Angela Lansbury move over.

DH really has to learn to be more sneaky. My birthday is on Tuesday and he IM'd me yesterday asking "Hey which model BB Curve do you have 8830? 8810?"

Not the typical type of question from him so I told him I have the only one Tmobile sells - the 8820. This also happens to be the only non-GPS model.

A short time later he IM's again... which Dell Laptop do you have?


Today right as we're getting home, he mentions... HEY I have a box coming in. Under noooo circumstances, are you to open it!

Doesn't this just reek of giftage?

dolla dolla bills baby!

So one afternoon, I was awaiting DH in front of my jobsite. We carpool, partly to save gas and partly because I don't have a drivers license yet. (more on that later). One of our HR reps walked by and told me I should look into the commute program the company has. I kinda wrote it off, but she remembered and called my desk the next day to remind me. So I go and sign up and discover the city ALSO has one! Since DH also worked within city limits, I signed him also.

Fast forward a few months and I get mail at my desk! I never get mail at my desk. It's from the city & contains the $50 gift card for being a commuter. Sweeeeeeeeeet! Off I run to spend it at my LSS. (Local Scrapbook Store for my non scrapping visitors). Fast forward a few more months and the city revamps the program and relaunches the program. The sucky part of that $50 award is that it was once per person and DH left that job between the time that we qualified for the award and getting HIS $50 gc. That and it was a one time award. BUUUUUUUUT, with the revamp happening, I could get a NEW award!

Today I get an email stating that I qualified and here's my amazon gift code#. How cool is that? Off I go to spend it. LOL. and yes, I did it on the clock I was so giddy for the free moola. My shopping expedition sent me straight to my saved items. I spend lots of time building a wish list and adding/saving stuff to my cart. Eventually I get around to getting the stuff, I just don't like to forget.

You're probably getting bored at my rambling at this point and wondering what I got huh? Well I picked up a desk lamp. Recently on the Cricut Message Board someone extolled the virtues of a cheapy lamp they found at Walmart that worked just as good as an OTT-Lite. My problem with that is that DH and I decided to no longer shop there. So far I've done good. Almost a full year! But I found a lamp on Amazon that worked just as well!

This is Norm. He cost me a whole whopping $17.08 before tax. Compared to the Ott-Lite of the same size?
Hmmm... the immediate differences I see is that the Ott-Lite swivels and I can see the cord in Norm's Amazon image. I also picked up Charmed, S2 & a Mahjongg game for my DS. Both things I'll enjoy, but I'm not as excited about either as much!

Where in the world is Carmen San Diego?

I remember being in school and playing this game. This one and The Oregon Trail. Exercises in using our Noggins to reason things out most likely. (This is waaaaaaaaay before the Carmen San Diego kids game show on TV...) I bring this up because I was recently in Half-Price Books with my MIL. It's so not hard to get her to go in. You just mention it and point the car and she's all for it.

While we were in there I overhear a conversation about the game. It's one reason I love shopping. People watching and eavesdropping on random conversations. Sorta Pygmalion if you will without the need to count the different accents and such. Anyways. A mother was asking if they had this game and the young girl at the counter had never heard of it and suggested where it might be if they had it. It's more evidence that I'm just getting older.... bah! lol.


But today I was blog-surfing through things and I came across Shutter Sisters equipment list subpage. Each of the contributors listed what they had in their camera bags. down to the sand and used kleenex. It made me wonder. What's in the bottom of your purse? Most of us carry them and we all know how things can get lost at the bottom. A book I'm currently reading even mentioned it. The heroine dumps an "armful" of stuff onto her companion and when he dryly commented "anything else?" she responded by telling him that the keys "always sink to the bottom." So I wonder...What's in YOUR purse.... or coat pocket as the case may be.


Mine?
I have empty gum wrappers, a needle to inflate my volleyball(purchased a year ago and the ball is still waiting), a paperclip, a airline lock key (you know...the one that also fits your diary?), various folded up post-its, the business card with my eye appt for tomorrow, my wallet, two pens, a screwdriver (don't ask I dunno either), mascara that should be dumped, two things of travel kleenex, 2 Partylite Sponsoring CD's , 2 checkbooks (well one is only deposit slips...), my wallet, sunglasses, eyeglass case, eyedrops, keys and two Partylite tealights.


and don't ask me why there's a mayonaise packet beneath it all...I dunno about that either. I'm sure I had a good reason to stick that OR the shoyu packet in there... (oh yeah...and that's not my purse up there. Mine is NEVER that neat....)

Miss Aloha strikes again.

This past Saturday was Kainoa's birthday party. I was originally going to make excuses to not come, but decided to go anyways. Auntie Donna held it at 56th Street Community Pool which is super neat bc it's got water slides and a lazy river and all sorts of fun stuff for kids. I unfortunately don't have tons of pictures. I think subliminally my mind is telling me that my camera sucks. After the pool closed though, we gathered for a "BBQ" bday feast out front. I hate that I have absolutely no pictures of it, but he's seven and I'm sure I'll get more as he gets older.

What I did get though, was pictures of Chelsea walking off with my purse! She grabbed it, slung it over her shoulder and waved bye. Total hilarity because she even said bye-bye! How did she know my purse would be the one with all the money?!?! I'm telling you... Mikey's in a world of trouble when this girl gets old enough to shop!

Go the Distance with Partylite

so it's been an awesome week in St Louis with my Partylite friends. even got to Busch Stadium (the third) and take a tour. I now want to tour baseball stadiums ALL OVER!

This is me in the Cardinals dugout. How cool is THAT? i MAY just have to start watching baseball!

Chickens like their heads....

We've all heard the phrase "running around like chicken's with their heads cut off".... or at least most of us have. I guess as time goes by, phrases like this become more and more obsolete. (does that mean I'm getting old? o.O



The last few months have been so crazy for me that I barely have time to do my favorite crafts, much less come on and blog. (in fact, I'm ignoring work to take a sanity check with you guys! ;))

This last month in particular has been even harder. I had to deal with the passing of my 3 year old nephew and then as I started to come out of the doldrums THAT brought on, my aunt passed away of complications of breast cancer. Both passings are bad enough on their own, but each incident could have been prevented. I've come on here to blog a few times, but then put it aside because I could not adequately put into words what I wanted to say.

My last post talked about a few projects I was going to do. Mainly the note-taker found at Pink Chalk Studios. Even though I *said* I'd whip up a few of the projects I already owned before purchasing it, I couldn't resist. I bought the supplies I would need to make this....


I bought the crayons and the paper happily anticipating a fun bright yellow pad with the elmo print I had purchased for Kekoa. It was going to be another one of those "Just because Auntie Loves You" gifts.... one that he could use at his other aunt's home while his mother went to work. But circumstances changed and she wasn't caring for him any longer and then suddenly he was gone. Now the project sits undone bc everytime I look at those crayons I cry.

I WAS productive though. I got more active in my scrapbooking as DH allowed me to buy a CRICUT.



Boy the die cutting fun I had! I made scrapbook pages....
This one looks like a book! -->



Nugget tins...

I made some cards that I have no pictures of and also picked up stamping and the use of a cuttlebug to make EVERYTHING extra pretty.

I also did a couple real quick table cloths and cloth napkins. One set for my aunt because she liked this placemat/napkin set I made for a swap and her sewing machine was broken.
I really need to go back for more of that brown palm print.... I don't have those pictures with me though. camera's at home so I'll post those tomorrow....or something. The 2nd set was mine bc I got tired of the ugly green "formal" tablecloth I had hiding my "dining table". So I bought a nice sturdy floral print and whipped up a quick cloth for myself. sorta....still have to do those edges, but it was either leave the fugly one on or leave the foldup/scratched up 6ft folding table bare. I like the illusion so I choose to cover it.


oh yeah...and those kleenex holders? Everytime I make that floral one, it "disappears". huh. so I've got to make ANOTHER one bc I'm in the middle of allergy city here. *sneeze* 'scuse me!


that's me in a nutshell (austin!) Hopefully you should see more posting here again in the near future. Lots of crazy variety in my crafting made me feel like that chicken, but thankfully I'm almost totally caught up. Except for the Fling ACS Auction table....still go to get those monkeys going!