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!

I confess

I have a bad habit. I blame my mother for it. I'm sure you're probably guilty of it also and are either hanging your head in shame or rolling on the floor now in laughter. What is it you ask?


Buying patterns that then sit and collect dust.


Not willing to admit to it yet? I only bring it up because I want to make these:




I'm trying to be good though, and abide by DH's wish to pare down our ownings. So I've made the decision.... I can't buy the pattern until I have finished at least THREE of the shoebox full that I already own. Which include the pants that I'd dearly love to wear.

don't run away!

so a few weeks ago, rather desperate for some last minute baby shower gifts I made some cute little chapstick holders and kleenex pretties for the guests. We were low on $$ and I had lots of fabric. Sadly not a lot of time. :/

They were great in the bags though and with some added candies, no one knew different. lol. My bigger issue though, was that I realized (just recently) that I never made one for me! Auwe, how could I do that! I go through more Kleenex than any THREE people I know! seriously. I do! for reals! This past weekend, I was clearing off my desk for Andrew & Jack's Karazhan run when I discovered some left over fabrics. quick as a wink I sewed myself up the prettiest kleenex pretty of them all! The kicker? Last minute all the plans changed and Jack decided to do something ELSE sending Andrew over to Pauls and me home alone for the rest of the day. :( I dunno when the last time I felt so abandoned was! Needless to say, my sewing machine was there to comfort me! ;)

SWAPITY SWAP

I participated in my first swap this month on craftster.com and learned quite a few things. Swap details? This is the Easy Peasy Swap - it's just that! Easy Peasy!
You are required to make ONE MEDIUM SIZED CRAFT and that is it. No more, no less. Just a medium.

What is a medium? For this swap please plan to spend 2-4 hours of crafting time. Crafting time is actual time that you are spending physically crafting. time to dry does not count. shopping for the crafting does not count. physically crafting is the time that counts

easy peasy! love anything that has that phrase attached. I sooo didn't love this swap though :( I think mostly because of the time of year...tax time. I had procrastinated on getting my expenses for my Partylite business detailed down so I could do my taxes and so spent zero hour online at taxact.com finishing up. but THAT'S a whole nother story.... I drew Disneybelle as my swap partner and learned quite a few things about her. The obvious being her love of disney stuff. ;) I also learned that she's graduating from Perdue and moving to Florida soon. She was hoping to get stuff to decorate her new home with utilizing her favorite colors of Black, Brown and "martha stewart blue". I had no idea what MS blue was, but she explained that it's that light almost tealish blue found on her website. I had so many ideas running through my head that time ran away from me before I realized it. I had to hurry to finish up so it's not as pretty as I would *like* it to be, but she still loved it!

Did I mention I still haven't finished my quilt a long blocks? I've got to meet a hostess tonight in Southcenter so I think I'll finally stop by Joann's and get a self healing mat big enough for my sewing projects. The small 8x11 one for my scrapbooking just isn't cutting it. pun intended ;)