Life... One Step at a Time

A breakfast surprise from... Link??

So Noel and I were in the office working on some projects and there was a noise coming from the kitchen. Next thing we knew, Alex came around the corner carrying this "tray" (cookie sheet!) containing two slices of toast with cinnamon butter and two glasses of ice along with our favorite beverage - Diet Pepsi! Yes, that is a Zelda hat he is wearing, albeit a homemade version. he loves the game Zelda, and he asked his grandma to sew him a hat just like the one that Link wears in the game. This kid wears that hat everywhere - even falls asleep with it on sometimes! So here is our breakfast surprise from Link himself. What a lil' sweetheart! The caffeine was just what we needed to start the day.

Summer is flying by. Matthew started band camp this morning and will practice twice a day for the next two weeks, in order to get ready for marching band season. Alex and Domonique are busy trying to squeeze in the last few weeks of summer by swimming, socializing, and sleeping in late.

I received a phone call tonight from one of my lost long best friends! I haven't talked to him in nine years, as we lost contact. It was awesome to hear from him and see how he has been doing. I had so much to tell him about things that have happened over the years.

I have been thinking a lot lately about karma. Yes, that old adage that pretty much says what goes around comes around.

• "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap." St Paul, Galatians 6-7

I firmly believe that you should do unto others the way you wish for them to do unto you. If you wish ill will toward someone, I believe that it will return tenfold. Gossip and nastiness not only can consume a person, but it can also create negativity around its originator. I try to think positively about those around me, even if I don't agree with their ideals, their views, or their attitude. I believe that you get what you give, not only in the creative industry, but in real life as well.  :)

Well, what do you expect - it is late, and I do tend to turn philosophical in the wee hours. LOL! Have a great night! Peace.

More random thoughts...

Here is a layout of mine that was hanging in the Basic Grey booth at CHA. It is one of my favorites. The first and only time I have ever created anything with Basic Grey, and now I am hooked! Just got the new Gypsy and LilyKate lines in the mail (thanks Amy - you rock!) so I am chomping at the bit to tear into those packages and create something!

I am so not ready for school to start. Domonique has been begging me to teach her how to put on eyeliner. I am not ready for this! EYELINER! Geesh, seems like yesterday I was changing her diapers. The time goes by faster than I can keep up. They will go back to school in less than three weeks. School supply shopping = done. School clothes? Now that is another story! Found a great sale on True Religion jeans and Juicy Couture, so Domonique is all happy about that! Back to Nordstrom's in the next two weeks to pick up some cool clothes for them. Still need to find out where the Mavericks get their shoes so I can get Matthew some more skiis for his feet. HAHA!

Well, the BHG stuff is finally starting to sink in a little! I am really excited about starting some assignments. My legs have recovered from walking the floor at CHA (finally!) and now I am ready to dive into some new projects headfirst. Thank you to those of you who sent me such kind words and encouraging e-mails as well as your congrats on making the BHG team! I came home to several hundred really cool e-mails! If I haven't answered you yet, I will very soon! Still catching up.

So what are you listening to? I am in love with "Far Away" by Nickelback and "Me & You" by Cassie (my phone's ringtone, by the way - LOL!). I have also downloaded some more 80's stuff (as always!) and some cool remixes of old favorites. There is an awesome cover of "Wicked Game" by a band called HIM that sounds great - check it out if you like the old Chris Isaak favorite.

Ok, cereal time. My late night snack. Frosted Mini-Wheats this time. Yummy! Later!

Thought I forgot about ya, huh?

Sorry for not updating over the weekend! This weekend was crazy but lots of fun! We went to a Hawaiian Luau party for some friends of ours, then a neighborhood pool party on Saturday. We have made so many terrific friends here in Texas, and every weekend for the last month we have been to one social event or another. This coming Friday night, we have been invited to a Texas Hold'Em poker night at the house of some friends, and the following weekend we have another party to attend plus Alex's 8th birthday! Lots of fun coming up.  :) We just love it here!

This is a layout I did for the new Scrapbooks, Etc. Baby idea book so I thought I would share it with you here. Yes, yes, I know, yet another page with a black background. The good news is that I am almost out of black cardstock, and I have promised myself that I will find a new favorite color.  :) Anyhow, if you don't have this idea book, it is a MUST have! Even if you have no baby photos to scrap, just the design ideas are amazing. A shout-out to my buddy Jill who has her very first published layout in this idea book!

Public Service Announcement: I have learned that if you stash a giant bag of M&M's next to the computer, you WILL eat them. Bad, bad idea. I probably gained two pounds this week just looking at them; sniffing their chocolate-yness, and finally succumbing to the little voices from the bag that called out to me to devour each little colored treat. *sigh* Alas, tomorrow I am back to walking around the neighborhood with my lil' poochie for some much-needed exercise.

Like Home Depot? Wanna save 10% off your next shopping trip there? Fill out this form to have a 10% coupon mailed to you. :) I got mine in today! I also got my giant (two feet tall!) wooden letter in from Janna today - run and get yours! They are awesome! I haven't decided how I am going to alter mine yet, but I know it will go in my scrap studio. I think I may get a big "D" for Domonique's room, too!

Here is a cool challenge from the 2 Peas board:

Random YOU:
Fave hair style you ever had: The way it is now - just long and natural curls.
Fave song on the radio you just love right now: Oh gosh, that would have to be "So Sick" Remix with Ne-Yo and LL Cool J.  :)
Fave tv show: Well, if you can actually catch me watching TV, it would probably be something like "Deal or No Deal". I hardly ever watch TV. I usually just peek over the shoulder of someone else watching it and catch little bits and pieces of whatever is on.
Fave musical artist: Male: Phil Collins       Female: A tie between Madonna, Gwen Stefani, and Celine Dion.
Fave thing to eat for supper: Food. No seriously, anything pasta! I think I lived in Italy in a past life or something.
Fave movie: Top Gun. Pretty nerdy, huh?
Best date you ever went on: My first date with Noel. It was amazing!
Your most fave friend: I would probably have to say my Grandma.
The best Christmas present you ever recvd to date: Three years ago, Noel gave me a trip to the Bahamas for our whole family. It was the most incredible trip, and we all had the most wonderful time. The kids want to go back so badly! Hopefully one day soon!

Ok, I am off to get my nightly bowl of cereal, then crash.  :) Thanks for reading my gibberish.  :)

Please say a few prayers. :)

Noel is really sick today. I mean REALLY sick. Vomiting, nauseated, chills, diarrhea, the whole nine yards. I am pretty worried about him. Just say a few prayers for us, if you could. We have no health insurance on the two of us, so little things can turn into big things financially.

I am totally addicted to this carrot juice! It is so awesome - tastes just like crunching a whole bag of fresh baby carrots! If you are a carrot fan, this stuff is to die for, and healthy too. I am trying to make sure I get enough vitamins in since I am trying to lose some of this tubbo hiney that has been velcro'd to the chair as of late. I did get out and take a walk this evening, and have done tons of laundry - does that count? LOL! Of course, the brownie I that sneaked in probably was a little bit detrimental. *sigh* BUT oh was it tasty! I need to buy a bathroom scale so I can at least track my progress (or lack thereof!). Maybe ignorance is bliss... then again, since my jeans are a bit tight in the thighs, maybe not. LOL!

I have done a lot of thinking in my personal life about the type of people I associate with - both in the scrapbooking industry and out of it, and have come to the conclusion that I need to "clean house", so to speak. This article has really opened my eyes about a few things; that I have allowed "toxic" people to hold me back and control my thoughts, actions and emotions. I have made myself a promise to make an effort to seek out and surround myself with positive people and rid myself (as much as possible) of the toxic relationships that stress me.

Well, it sounds like I have cleanup duty calling again! Poor guy - Noel is just so sick. Again, please say a couple of prayers for us, and if you don't pray, just think good thoughts! I will love ya forever!  ;) If you got this far, thanks for reading.  :)

The elusive ice cream man - finally!

Finally!!! An ice cream "person" who doesn't just ZOOM through the neighborhood so fast that by the time you hear the dinging of the music, they are already on the next block! I mean, seriously, how the heck do these people expect to make any money at all if they don't STOP??? This lady has it together - she actually comes through our neighborhood several times a day, instead of just once. Usually all the construction workers give her a ton of business, but since she is younger and cute, they probably like to talk to her, too! HAHA! The kids are just thrilled to get ice cream. And on another note, when did the ice cream truck start charging such high prices? Good grief, for $2.25 a treat, I could go up to Kroger and buy the kids a WHOLE BOX of frozen goodies! Ah yes, I know, it isn't quite the same.

Well, I got some really fantastic news tonight that is scrapbooking related, and I am just floating on air right now. I can't wait to share! Also, I got my article done for the November/December issue of Scrapbooks, Etc. so I am very excited about that. I did the "Snapshot Savvy" article. A huge thank you to those photographers who contributed great shots for my article!

Ok, I feel really badly because my awesome friend, Leah Fung, tagged me last week and I am just now getting around to posting my answers. I am so sorry, Leah! It was a nutty week!! Here they are, although my answers are probably not near as interesting as hers. HAHA!

What's in your fridge? Here are some of the things in there right now, and I will omit the stuff that needs to be thrown out - haha:

• Skim milk, and lots of it.
• Chopped up hearts of Romaine lettuce. Noel eats it with Caesar dressing, I stick with Wishbone Italian. The kids love the Good Seasons Zesty Italian. We all nosh on this stuff often!
• Shredded cheeses - mozzarella, cheddar, etc. We are cheese freaks. Not so good for the arteries, but yummy stuff.
• Boring stuff like stick margarine, sour cream, fat-free cottage cheese, eggs, ketchup, mustard, Miracle Whip Lite, and one of my faves - Sweet Gherkins by Vlasic. YUM!

What's in your purse?

• A ton of receipts from the grocery store, the bank, gas station, etc. I hold onto receipts for WAAAAY too long! I only need them if I throw them out. *sigh*
• Dental floss. I am seriously addicted to flossing my teeth. I carry this stuff everywhere!
• Loose change on the bottom of my purse, and tons of it. I need to actually take it out and use it.
• A cool metal-covered notebook from Andrea at Scrappers Bliss. I jot notes, to do lists, etc. in here.
• A small cookbook, some coasters from my last trip to Starbucks, and a little bit of cash. Note I said a little bit. HA!

What's in your closet?

• Lots of too big clothes! Right after the hurricane, wonderful people donated clothing for my family. I was a lot bigger then than I am now, which is a good thing, but I can't bear to get rid of the clothes. They remind me of how many wonderful friends I have out there that I have never even met.
• Flip flops in almost every color. I am addicted to flip flops!
• Sheets for the bed
• A small section for Noel's clothes. Isn't that terrible?
• A wide variety of stuff - lots of jeans, fitted Tee's, tank tops, a few capris, X-Large T-shirts that I love to sleep in because they are roomy and comfy, and some sundresses.

What's on/in your DVR/DVD?

• Something G-rated. Always!  :)

What's in your car?

• TRASH! I seriously need to clean it out.
• Dental floss. I am telling you, I keep it EVERYWHERE!
• Loose change
• Miscellaneous fast-food toys either stuffed in between the seats or on the floor.
• Alex's booster seat
• Cell phone and charger - now you know why I never answer it - I always leave it in the car!

Who's tagged next?

• Anyone who wants to play! Just be sure to post a comment here so I can go check out your answers!!

Ok, I am off to watch Noel play "Need for Speed" then go to bed!

Does this look yummy or what?

THIS is the reason my diet went all to crap this week! Matthew turned 15 on Sunday and instead of a traditional cake, he asked for a cheesecake! So we went to the store and special ordered him this beauty with whipped cream and fruit all over it, since he is not crazy about chocolate or anything like that. It was simply heaven; truly one of the best cheesecakes we have ever eaten. So there goes any weight loss for me with this thing in the refrigerator! Just looking at the picture makes me drool.

So May is always crazy around here with Matthew's birthday, end of school activities, and scrapbook projects. I love the chaos - it reminds me that I am alive and here! Last night I had an incredible conversation with my grandmother (whom I am extremely close to) and I made sure to tell her exactly how I feel about her. I told her that if something were to happen to me tomorrow, there are things I would want her to know about how deeply I love her. I cried. I let her know how special she is to me and she was so happy that I told her.

My challenge to you is to do the same with someone you love. Tell them how much they mean to you; how special they are. You will feel wonderful inside!  :)

I will update more later!

Oscar Mayer had a WHAT?!?

Out of the mouths of babes...

Alex was singing the Oscar Mayer wiener song earlier today and he accidentally said, "Oscar Mayer had a WIENER"! Talk about hard to contain a laugh!! Noel and I tried extremely hard to hide our snickers while he quickly corrected himself and said, "Oscar Mayer had a way with B-O-G-N-A"... " and this really threw Domonique into fits of laughter since he misspelled "bologna". Which was good, as it took emphasis off of the Wiener comment. LOL! It was really hilarious!

So I did this layout for The Scrapbook Stand using the April kit. I an addicted to random, wavy stitching on my pages, as of late! If you like the products, head over there and grab you a kit before they are sold out!

I am off to bed. Still have a stupid, stinkin' runny snoot and the Benadryl is kicking in! No wave of creativity tonight!

Wednesday Blog Challenge!

Saw this on Peas so here goes:

chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate - and lots of it!
sandals or barefoot? Sandals. I hate having stuff under my feet! I wear socks around the house!
basic grey or scenic route? Basic Grey, although I wish I were good at using it!
primas or HS flowers? Primas
computer journaling or handwritten? Computer journaling! I don't like my handwriting on pages, although I will write names and dates with it.
Madonna or Gwen Stefani? Gwen Stefani all the way! She is SOOOOO my hero!  :) And gorgeous, too!
Leno or Conan? Who? I don't watch TV so can't make an educated choice, here.
Koolaid or Crystal Lite? Crystal Lite for the lack of calories, but Kool-Aid for the kid in me!
American Idol or Amazing Race? Again, HUH?? I have never seen either.
catlover or doglover? I love cats most, but I have a precious poochie that I adore!

Speaking of animals, here is a picture of one of our cats!  :) Her name is "Chance". I just adore the black line around her eyes. Reminds me of Cleopatra or something! She is such a sweet little kitty, and loveable, but sort of skittish.

Ok, you have to check out this site! It is so addicting! I spent over an hour uploading various pictures to see what celebrities my family members look like! It told me that I looked like Nicky Hilton, Ashley Olsen, and Gwen Stefani. So funny! You have to try it! Tell me what your results are! Try pictures of your kids!

Don't forget to chat with Cathy Z. Wednesday night at Scrappers Bliss! She will have a challenge for you to participate in, too! I am all for a challenge. I need something different to break out of my creative rut. HEHE

Ok, I am off to scrapbook some more projects. Hopefully I can post some more stuff very soon!

Germs are so darned icky!

OK, this is really an odd blog topic, but today I feel like blogging about something that annoys me, and this is the topic at hand...

GERMS!

Why, you ask? Well, first of all, I was at the grocery store this afternoon and the checkout lady was scanning the chicken I bought, carelessly taking it out of the plastic bags I painstakingly wrapped the packages in to keep the germs at bay. She proceeded to DRAG the chicken across the belt of the checkout counter but then turned the packages upside down, getting nasty chicken juice all over the belt (which of course, as we all know, loops infinitely and probably never gets cleaned or sanitized). To make matters worse, she then proceeds to scan the cans of fruit nectar I bought for the kids to drink, then allows them to ROLL across the belt and run into the packages of chicken, surely sucking up every nasty little germ on the way! I know, it sounds really picky of me, but when I got home, I took bleach water and disinfected the outside of the cans since my kids do touch those things!

So while I am harping about germs, what about people who wash things together like underwear and dish towels? I don't know but this just totally grosses me out! SEPARATE THEM! Come on people, we are talking about your butt and your kitchen counters, here!!

I sincerely do wish more people were aware of just how nasty germs are, and how you can really never be too careful when it comes to washing, sanitizing, etc. Alright, enough of my germ phobia. Service message delivered.  :)

I am off to scrapbook. I might be back, if the germs haven't attacked my immune system and landed me in bed...