Changing Layne

Here we go

2009-07-01T17:25:00.003-05:00

This is what I came home to today. There is no turning back now!

Cool treat

2009-06-20T15:01:00.008-05:00

I saw this cool summer snack at Gourmet Mom on the Go and I knew I'd found my new favorite dish to bring to BBQs this summer.

I followed Mandy's instructions but made a few changes. We used Watermelon Jell-O because, well, it just made more sense. Instead of mini chocolate chips, we used some chocolate sprinkles we had in our baking stash.

We also decided to do some cantaloupes and filled them with the new melon flavored Jell-O. The cantaloupes looked gross but tasted yummy. The watermelon slices looked and tasted perfect!

Next time I will use a sharper knife to cut these babies. Hopefully then they won't have the jagged edge look.

Looking over the photos I have taken so far this summer, I realized that I really do need a nicer camera. I think I have said it before but now it's time to seriously start saving...

YAY!!!

2009-06-05T23:12:00.002-05:00

I just had to take a moment to say that I have the coolest fiance' ever! He surprised me with Sims3 for our year and a half anniversary! It came with a 2gig USB drive in the shape of a Plumbob!
I don't dare open it because we have a busy weekend planned and I know if I get started, I won't want to stop.

P.S. Sorry for the poor quality photo. My digi camera hates me

Taking a break

2009-05-31T13:07:00.002-05:00

I think I am going to take a break from blogging for a bit. I know as soon as I publish this post I will probably want to blog again...
It's not that nothing exciting has happened, A has been smoke free for 6 months and Sis had her 30th birthday, but I am still missing my sweet kitty and I am putting in OT at work (which is mentally exhausting). I just don't feel like coming home to blog.

We are all doing well here so don't worry about us.

Much love,
Layne

My heart is broken

2009-05-22T23:11:00.004-05:00

Rest in peace my Princess. My Besst. My sweet Bess-a-bun. You gave me thirteen wonderful years. Thank you for being my constant. My furry little rock during the darkest times. Thank you for continually amazing me and making me smile. I hope you know how much I love you. I will miss you forever but know you are in my heart always.

I'm Back!

2009-05-20T21:47:00.002-05:00

Sooner than I expected thanks to Dan Fischbach! I have never met him or even emailed him (yet) but his tutorial on how to "Fix Windows XP Log ON/Log Off Loop" saved my computer and my sanity. It took forever and took a few tries but it seems to have worked. I had a ton of Trojans and a few other bad guys lurking on my computer.

It looks like Dan isn't blogging any more but I am going to try to contact him to tell him "Thank you!" I'd also like to donate some $$ since he saved me from having to call the professionals. I just need to decide on what I can afford to send... Hmm...

Not happy

2009-05-18T22:45:00.002-05:00

My nice new computer died this evening. Not sure what happened so I guess I will be taking it to a computer doctor after all. I am super unhappy about it... I am on A's laptop right now. I will probably be MIA for a bit until I can get things resolved or until I can get my wireless working on my dinosaur of a laptop.

I am sorry for the super grumpy post.

Let sleeping dogs lie

2009-05-18T17:38:00.006-05:00

Ever since Bess decided she wants to hang out in the living room 24/7, Piper has been able to hang out in the bedroom during the evenings. She wants to be near us so badly that she sleeps on the cold hardwood floor. This makes me sad so I decided to make her a little dog bed.

I bought some Gray fleece (to match the bedroom colors) and 6 bags of stuffing. I took some white felt and drew a dog bone. Then I used the left over iron-on letters from D's tooth fairy pillow to spell "PIPER" and stitched the bone on with pink thread.

It looks like a giant pillow but I think it turned out well. I am still learning how to sew a straight line but practice makes perfect.

Fun with Fondant

2009-05-16T20:47:00.023-05:00

My computer seems to have come down with a virus. I am doing all I can to keep me from having to lug this monster to the computer repair gal (Which happens to be A's cousin).

Enough whining and onto my excitement of Saturday. I have been watching Ace of Cakes lately and I got it in my head that I can make cool cakes too! Sure I can! All I needed was a recipe for fondant. I went on a Google search and decided on this one. it had a short ingredients list and it seemed fairly easy. I headed out to Wal-Mart to get some supplies...

The instructions say to use mini marshmallows but we had regular ones left over from the BBQ and they worked just fine. The fondant spreader and cake leveler shown in the photo turned out to be a waste of money. Neither of them worked but it could have been user error.

I used a Betty Crocker white cake mix and prepared it to the instructions on the box. While it was cooling I started the fondant.

I heated the (nearly, since a few were eaten with S'mores) 16oz of marshmallows and added the powdered sugar. Like the instructions say, I didn't need all 2lbs of the sugar. There was about a cup left over.

Since this was my first time, and we don't have a "heavy duty stand mixer with a dough hook" (hint-wedding gift-hint), I had to kneed the marshmallows and sugar by hand. I made a HUGE, sticky, powdery mess over the entire counter. I also got a great upper body workout.

I added a little gel food coloring to a part of the fondant so I could make a design later. I was originally going to make a flower but I dropped the yellow fondant on the floor. I couldn't, in good conscience, just use it anyway. In the trash it went.

The fondant had to chill in the fridge for a bit so I went to shower the sticky white mess out of my hair... (no comments from the peanut gallery)

I rolled out the fondant to fit my cake. Next time will use the dining room table because the counter just isn't big enough.

I added a thin layer of frosting to keep the fondant in place. I started cutting out polka-dots with a cookie cutter. I wanted a simple look for my first cake...

And there you have it! My first cake with homemade fondant. I didn't have a proper knife to cut the fondant with so it is choppy around the bottom. I was going to make pink icing to cover the edges but I didn't have any plastic baggies to put the icing in.

A and I both had a piece and I couldn't really taste the fondant but A (who isn't a fan of any sort of frosting/sauce/topping) pulled his off.

I definitely want to try this again with a more elaborate design. I know what I have to do differently and maybe by next year, I will be so good I can make my own wedding cake :)

If you don't like clicking links, here are the instructions:

You can make a simple, inexpensive fondant at home using only three ingredients:

16 oz. mini marshmallows
2 TBSP water
2 lbs powdered sugar

First, sprinkle the water over the marshmallows and microwave them to melt, as if you were making crispy cereal bars. Now you must knead the sugar into the melted marshmallows. Its easiest if you have a heavy duty stand mixer with a dough hook, but it can be done by hand as well. Do not use all the sugar unless you have to. The proper consistency will be about like PlayDoh. If you want to color the entire batch with one color, you can add some paste/gel food color in as you knead. You can also add vanilla or almond extracts or any other flavor you choose during the kneading process. After you have it well kneaded, you will want to wrap it tightly and let it rest for 15-30 minutes.

While working with the marshmallow fondant, have a bit of Crisco or some spray oil handy to keep the work surface, rolling pin, and your hands lightly greased. This will help keep the fondant from sticking and also helps the surface of the fondant maintain a glossy shine. If you find your fondant is still too sticky, knead in a bit more sugar.

To cover a cake, simply roll out a circle of fondant about ¼” thick and wide enough to cover the top and sides of your cake. Make sure the cake itself has a thin, smooth layer of glaze or icing, and then gently lay the fondant over the cake. Carefully smooth the fondant down the sides, pulling the bottom edge out as you go to avoid wrinkles in the fondant. Then, simply trim away the bottom with a knife.

Add decorations.

So much has gone on

2009-05-11T22:07:00.004-05:00

And I have nothing to show for it!

I was going to do a post about how A surprised me by mowing both yards but I accidentally deleted the photos... The yard needs to me mowed again already!

I knocked two things off my list of 101 things but I forgot to take photos...

My mom and I did the Relay for Life walk and A and I had a BBQ at the house. I am hoping to have more BBQs this summer so I won't check this one off yet. As far as the Relay for Life walk goes, we took a group photo and once I get a copy I will blog about the experience.

What else...

Mother's day was very nice. A bought me a Beanie Bear and we both teared up when he told me how much he loves me. I really and truly have an amazing fiancé. I love him more every day.
My Sis came down to surprise Mom. Sis, A, D, My Mom, A's Mom and I all had a nice dinner at our new Chinese restaurant. it was very yummy.

Other than that, I have been doing some over time at work. It sucks to be at work for suck long hours but the pay check sure is nice.

Now I am very tired and I think I will go to bed...

Still here

2009-05-10T19:50:00.000-05:00

It's been an exhausting few days. I will update soon. Don't give up on me :)

Welcome to the jungle

2009-05-03T10:28:00.004-05:00

It's been raining a lot here so we haven't been able to mow the yard. It's gotten out of hand and Piper is too afraid to go out there and pee! It looks like a mini jungle and I am sure it won't be any kind of fun to get it back to normal...

At least we cleaned up the big branches from the ice storm and you can't see all the tittle ones :)

Noblegarden

2009-04-30T21:19:00.004-05:00

Noblegarden is WoW's version of our secular Easter Holiday (At least I don't remember seeing anything about the resurrection of Christ while I was playing...). I didn't even realize they had such a Holiday until I logged on last night. I ran around hunting eggs till 2am. I won a few nice prizes like the dress and ears I am wearing in the above photo. My favorite prize is my new little bunny friend.

Children's week starts tomorrow and that is J's favorite WoW Holiday. I look forward to running quests with her.

And so it begins

2009-04-28T20:29:00.010-05:00

A had the day off today. I didn't think he was going to do much of anything since he had to have a tooth pulled and I figured he'd be feeling pretty miserable. Needless to say I was surprised to come home to find this:

YAY!! The remodeling of the bathroom has finally begun! I can't wait to try the pry bar!

~*~

On a sad note, I don't think Bess is doing that great. She has the runs for the 3rd time in two months. In case I haven't mentioned it, she 13 years old and has been fighting cancer for about a year now. She is painfully skinny even though she eats like a pig. I keep asking the doc if he thinks she has quality of life and he says that as long as she is eating, she is okay. I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place. I don't want to keep her alive because of my own selfishness but I don't want to put her to rest just because I am sick of dealing with the side effects of her cancer... okay I need to quit typing about this because I am getting super emotional...

Instead here is a photo of Bess in the sink and a very short video of what she was doing. If you can't tell, I was letting the water run for her to drink. I left and came back to check on her and she was lying in the sink with the water dripping on her but still drinking from the faucet. Silly kitty.

Oh and one more photo! Bess found a bag of Goldfish crackers and decided to help herself. I never had to worry about what I left out when Bess was secluded to the back of the house. I need to be more careful now.

97. Pay for the person behind me at the drive thru

2009-04-25T22:22:00.003-05:00

Well, I couldn't really get a photo of this one without coming off as a total freak...
Why is this on my list?: It's something nice that (should) make me and the recipient feel good.
How did I do it?: I knew I would do it at Sonic because it is the easiest place I could think of to pay for someone behind me without causing a drama. I just had a feeling that it was time.
How did it feel?: I felt a little silly at first when I asked the drive through girl if I could pay for the lady behind me. I told her to tell the lady to have a great day. I didn't ask the total so I was kind of relieved when she only ordered a drink! I may just do it again.

How to teach Filthy Rich Girls, a book review, Kinda

2009-04-24T19:55:00.007-05:00

Now I know I have said that I am not good at reviews. I have no idea why I am going to review this book but I am. I guess I just like tormenting myself...

I absolutely love the CW show Privileged. I think it is witty and cute and when I heard that the show was based on the book How to teach Filthy Rich Girls, I knew I had to read it. In my past experience the books are better than the show or movie. Not in this case.

Yes, I enjoyed the book. It was an easy read, but it was not what I was expecting. The CW show is loosely based on the book and when I say loosely, I mean the only things they share are the names of the characters and the Palm Beach, Florida.

In the book Megan becomes the tutor to rich, bratty, identical, red-headed twins; Sage and Rose Baker. If Megan can tutor the twins and get them accepted into Duke, the twins grandmother will pay off all Megan's student loans and the twins get their trusts. If they fail, the twins go penniless. The twins hate Megan at first but through laughter and tears, they all come to love each other in the end.

I have such a knack for painting a picture don't I?

Here are my final thoughts;

I like the show much better. The characters are more interesting as well as their back ground stories. My only beef with the show is that Ashley Newbrough and Lucy Kate Hale look nothing alike. I didn't even realize that they were supposed to be identical twins until the middle of the season. Although I adore Ashley (she has been in several of my Canadian shows) I think Nora Zehetner would be a much more believable "Sage" to Lucy Kate's "Rose".

I can't wait for next season!

When life hands you lemons…

2009-04-22T18:11:00.004-05:00

Photo by cfwhitney

D’s spring musical was last night and it was wonderful. It was called “Lemonade” and it was about Fairytale Land and all the fairy tale characters were having a bad day. Mother Goose comes around and tells them to look at the brighter side of things and, as the old adage goes, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade!” Everyone took her advice and lived happily ever after.

D didn’t have a speaking part but she gave “good face” while singing in the choral. She was back row center because she is probably the tallest kid in the first grade. She sang and pantomimed her little heart out. A and I both sheds some tears of pride. My Mom, A’s Mom, My Uncle L and Aunt C came to the show (D’s BM and BM’s Mom came as well). We gave D some flowers and she was excited because she was the only on in the class to receive some.

After the show I got to meet D’s teacher. I was very nervous to meet her because of my feeling like a “poseur mom” that I spoke of in my last post. D’s teacher is also a friend of BM’s family and has known BM since she was small. Again, my feelings were unwarranted. Her teacher was so sweet and so glad to meet me. She told me I should start getting involved in school activities and parent teacher conferences! This is so huge for me and got me a little teary eyed.

After the show A and I chatted with his Mom a bit and then headed over to my Mom’s to hang with Uncle L and Aunt C. We all shared stories about my Dad so that A could get an idea of what he was like. Of course Mom and I cried and I wish my sister was there.

Even though I blubbered a lot, it was a really great evening. I am blessed.

Kind of like a mom

2009-04-21T18:14:00.000-05:00

Mother’s day is coming up.
This is a weird time for me; Biologically, I am no one’s mother and legally, I’m not even a step-mother. But there is a tall, thin, six-going-on-seven year old that I have loved like a daughter for almost 2 years now.

I am sure I will help her make Mother’s Day gifts for her BM like I did last year and that is fine. I don’t mind but I am not going to lie, it’s been hard. Very hard.

Being stuck in the “I’m-just-her-Dad’s-fiancé” title is bittersweet. I love that I am A’s fiancé (I have never been one before!) but sometimes being in this spot makes me feel a bit like a poseur. I am not sure where I fit in, what I am and am not allowed to do or where I am welcome. Some days I can handle it and some days I get angry or cry.

D invited me to have lunch with her at school yesterday. I felt so good that she wanted me there but I was very nervous. Would the school let me have lunch with her?
Would the “real” mommies treat me differently? Would D’s BM show up too?

It turns out I was worried over nothing. The front office didn’t care who I was or who I was there to see (a bit unsettling I might add) and we got to sit at table with D’s bestie and her dad. I introduced myself to him as:
”I’m-her-Dad’s- fiancé-soon-to-be-step-mom” and D piped up with, “I get to have two Mommies!!” It made me feel good.

Later that evening we were in a convenience store where they had a bunch of Mother’s Day stuff out. D made the comment that I am, “Kind of like a mom”. Yep, I kind of am.

I don’t expect anything for Mother’s Day so I won’t be hurt if I don’t receive anything.
I just hope that I can figure out my place in this blended family and will be a good step-mom to D. I would also love to be a “real” mom someday too…

Progress

2009-04-20T21:40:00.002-05:00

please don't mind the mess

Gonna get my read on

2009-04-15T22:25:00.006-05:00

I received a package from Amazon this afternoon. Inside I found;

"Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer" by Jen Lancaster. It got great reviews and is supposed to be hilarious.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" by Ronald Dahl. D and I both love the old and new versions of the movie. I thought it would be fun to read her the book.

"How to Teach Filthy Rich Girls" by Zoey Dean. I love the CW show Privileged so I thought I'd give the book a try.

And last but not least, "Getting Over it" by Anna Maxted. R recommended her and I so I added reading one of her books to my 101 Things list.

Now the question of the evening... which to read first?!

Frenemies

2009-04-14T21:57:00.004-05:00

My house is sort of divided in half. The front half (kitchen, living room & garage) is where Piper lives and the back half (2 bedrooms, bathroom and "hall") is where Bess lives. I have a four foot tall baby gate separating the two. Bess and Piper have lived in the same house for over two years but have never really "met" until tonight.

They have seen each other so they know the other one exists. I wanted to keep them separate because Bess is a little old lady with cancer and I didn't want my huge Piper stressing her out.

Bess is a stubborn girl and she normally gets what she wants. The past few weeks she has wanted in the living room. Because she is sick, she is skinny enough to fit through the slits in the baby gate and a few weeks ago she came into the kitchen while I was preparing her breakfast. Piper was too sleepy to notice the small kitty sauntering right by her.

A and I decided to let Bess come into the living room for short periods of time. Bess would come in, look around, see Piper and run back into her part of the house.

Tonight was different.
I was home alone and Bess was crying to come into the living room. I was eating so Piper was much more interested in my food to notice. Bess got on the back of the couch and napped for a few minutes. Then she went to Pipers water dish and drank from it for about 10 more minutes. Piper was still interested in my dinner.

After a few more minutes of Bess roaming the kitchen, Piper gave up on my food and turned her attention to the cat. I decided it was time for Bess to go back to her room. Bess pitched a fit and cried and cried. I let her out again and she sat on the credenza by the front door. Piper was very interested this time. Piper was shaking but she didn't bark. She was such a good girl for having a huge temptation right in front of her but she didn't take her eyes off Bess.

Bess hissed a little bit but soon got bored and decided to take a nap. Not before she stuck her tongue out at Piper!

I sat there with the two of them for about 10 to 15 minutes but I didn't want to spend my whole evening refereeing so I put Bess back in the bedroom for the night.

Sorry for the grainy photos. the cell phone was the only thing I could grab.

I F-ing HATE

2009-04-09T22:35:00.002-05:00

Arkansas weather!!!!! That's all I have to say right now. I am going to try and sleep through the tornado season... cya in a few months.

Second Life

2009-04-07T23:37:00.002-05:00

I finished my project for J but I got sucked back into SL in the process.
If you want to know what Second Life is like, I have a little travel blog that you can check out. There isn't too much in it yet...

In real life news, work is very busy (yay for job security) and this weekend is going to be busy as well. Sis and her Man are coming down and so is Cousin B. It is also a D weekend.

I am sad that I don't have anything interesting to post but I will take boring over drama any day!

Be well.

101 things, I haven't forgotton you...

2009-04-03T17:59:00.005-05:00

There isn’t much going on around here lately.
I am very thankful for it!

We haven’t begun the demolition of the bathroom yet.
A couple of A’s employees called in sick so he had to cover for them on both of his days off.

As far as my 101 Things list, I have a few of them in progress but nothing done except for;

#6 Paint the bathroom

Why is this on my list?:
The original paint made the bathroom look dirty.

How did I do it?:
A had some left over wall paint and I had left over ceiling paint. It was pretty quick since the room is 5X8 and covered mostly by tile.

How did it feel?:
Pointless. Shortly after I finished painting we discovered a huge leak and now have to fully remodel the bathroom.

Here are some updated "before" photos. The walls & sink cabinet are painted and the new shelves are up. I didn't bother cleaning since it will all be ripped out soon. Between the tub and the sink you can see some of the nastiness we have to look forward to when we pull up the floor. I even made a little layout of the room for you.

Two lives one night

2009-03-31T20:33:00.003-05:00

Last night I woke up gasping for breath. This has happened to me several times before but last night was the worst. I honestly felt like I was going to die. I was having so much trouble catching my breath and it was hard to swallow. When I finally felt like I was breathing well, I was shaking so hard and I was so cold. I decided to lay slightly sitting up but I had a hard time falling back to sleep because I was so scared I went into a panic attack. I still felt a bit shaky this morning and I am exhausted.

Usually when I wake up feeling like I am choking, I am dreaming that I swallowed marbles or a pen or something. It feels like I have something in my throat.

Do I have sleep apnea? I have wondered this for a while but I think it is time to find out. My Mom has Gurd and I had a lot of problems with esophagus spasms a few years back so it could be that as well. My coworker swears it's sinus drainage.

My doctor said I could have a sleep study but I can’t afford one right now. In the mean time A bought me a foam inclined plane (haha I learned that on Sid the Science Kid) to lie on. (He also brought me flowers. He is such a sweetie!)

In my Second Life; I made this cute little Easter Basket. It's free at my booth on Babydoll's Island (I also made the dress but I am not finished with it...). I am doing a 250+ Easter Egg hunt. There are some fantastic freebies (like the ears I am wearing that I modified) and I am a big fan of hunts, so I am having a blast.

The only reason I started playing around in SL again is because my bestie J asked me to make some outfits for her Sorority's pledge week. I hope I make her proud.

Washed up

2009-03-29T23:05:00.003-05:00

Remember how I told you that we were going to do some minor improvements to the bathroom? Well, I painted and A hung some new towel bars and shelves. No, I don't have any photos right now. Why? Well, we have had a minor leak in the tub. We would find a pool of water under the sink after showers. It has rotted away our under the sink cabinet. I noticed it when I was painting and the wood would come off as I painted. No big deal right? Well, now the floor is squishy and I poked a few holes in it when I was wearing my stilettos.

Yesterday we had a monsoon. Okay, just a torrential downpour. Well, the walls started leaking... What the?? Now it smells moldy in there. For fear of getting black lung from toxic mold, A and I decided that the bathroom is now #1 on the priority list along with the roof. Thanks Arkansas weather!! We had to do some creative financing but I think we have enough to fix both.

So what was supposed to be an "after" post is now a "before revisited" post. Needless to say I am stressed out. We are going to do the work ourselves because we can't afford to hire someone and A really thinks we can do it. I am sure we can do it. I just hope we can get it done quickly and ulcer free.

I will keep you updated!

Coraline

2009-03-25T23:03:00.002-05:00

I've been buttoned

A and I went to see Coraline in 3D. It was pure creepy goodness. We both almost wet ourselves because we had to go pee so bad but the movie was so interesting, we didn't want to miss a second. I am not good at writing reviews so I suggest you take a look at the website. Although A and I thought it was amazing, I definitely don't recommend it for the little ones.

Sick Day

2009-03-22T20:24:00.003-05:00

A 6 year old with an upper respiratory infection + orders from BM to stay in her room all day = A room that looks like a craft store threw up in it. We sure had fun though.

Almost there!

2009-03-21T10:36:00.002-05:00

I just hit level 60 in World of Warcraft. Only 10 more levels to go to reach my goal. I may take it all the way to 80. Thanks to J for showing me around the Outlands!

Now I am off to search for fun things to do for a 6 year old with an upper respiratory infection that she can do from her bed...

Any suggestions?

Thankful

2009-03-19T18:53:00.007-05:00

Well, they aren't "New" but they are new to me. They look like they were hardly ever worn and they were free!! (Yes, the shoes in the first photo are furry LOL) I love free stuff especially if it comes in the form of sexy shoes.

I received an apology today. It totally caught me off guard and wasn't expected. It was from a boy who I loved before I met A. I won't go into it but he did me wrong and broke my heart and at the time he thought he wasn't at fault. I harbored a lot of hate toward him for a long time. I prayed and prayed for release but it never came. He said God showed him that he did treat me like a jerk and put it on his heart to apologize. I am very thankful for this apology and I am looking forward to closure and getting rid of any ugliness left in my heart from him.

I am so thankful for forgiveness. Thankful to give it and receive it.

I miss you Dad

2009-03-17T11:21:00.004-05:00

Dad was a handsome young man

It’s been 5 years since my Daddy passed away on St. Patrick’s Day. I will never forget the phone call I received from my Mom asking me to come home right away, that there wasn’t much time. I didn’t make it. I couldn’t drive fast enough. The look of his skinny body consumed by cancer, lying on the hospital bed in our living room will be etched in my mind forever.

This isn’t how I want to remember him. I don’t like knowing that he gave up. There was so much to live for. We could have tried harder, taken him to specialists… none of this happened and I don’t know why.

For the longest time I hated living in Arkansas. I associated this place with my Dad’s death. It’s almost like Arkansas took him from me.

My folks moved out here to retire. It made sense; they wanted to get away from the city. My dad couldn’t wait to start fishing.

The move was good in other ways as well. Dad finally started to get into church (Mom has always been really involved). He took a big part in the remodel of their church (he was an amazing contractor) and he took a few misguided teens under his wing.

Then the lung cancer came. He had been smoke free for over 11 years!
I was still in California at the time. I dropped everything (nice rental, good paying job & boyfriend) and moved to Podunk Arkansas. I helped my mom take care of him. I was there though the hallucinations caused by the morphine. I helped change him when he couldn’t turn over on his own. There is nothing more heart wrenching then watching a once big and strong man, a man I loved with all of my heart, wither away.

I was so bitter for so long. A part of me still is. He doesn’t get to walk me down the isle and I can’t ask his advice for the remodeling A and I want to do. And no matter how much I loved him, My Uncle L lost his brother and best friend and I don’t want to imagine how much my Mom hurts having lost the love of her life.

I know this is post is a downer but I had to get this all out of me.

I do know he is in Heaven and this all happened for a reason. Had I not come to Arkansas, I would have never met the love of my life and the bond between my Mom and I is stronger than ever.

I will always miss his big bear hugs, sarcasm, wonderful signing voice, supper yummy chili and his grouchiness the most.

I also know that I will get to see him again one day.

I love you Daddy! You will always be my Huckleberry!

Dad and Mom in Branson, MO.

Silly dancing

Gone Fishin'

I just realized my Mom has all the great family photos. I am going to have to raid her albums...

I've got you pegged

2009-03-12T23:36:00.005-05:00

I can finally say we've got a DIY project finished. We've had the materials to make D a peg board for a while now and we finished it tonight. A put the support wood on the back because he wanted to practice cutting wood at an angle. I painted the peg board white which turned out to be a huge pain in the rump. When the paint dried I had to poke holes through the paint... Then I glued ribbon and lace around the border and stuck on some princess embellishments.

The touch ups aren't totally dry.

This freed up a lot of room on her desk. I plan on buying a few different styles of hooks so we can add more to the board.

We also cleaned the entire house. I can't believe it. For the first time in a very long while, all rooms of the house are clean at once. No laundry, no crazy boxes full of crap (aside from what's in the garage but that doesn't count) and only the dinner dishes are in the sink. Hallelujah!

Hot N Cold

2009-03-11T20:43:00.005-05:00

Have you heard the song, "Hot N Cold" by Katy Perry? If not, here is a little taste;

'Cause you're hot then you're cold
You're yes then you're no
You're in and you're out
You're up and you're down
You're wrong when it's right
It's black and it's white
We fight, we break up
We kiss, we make up

You, you don't really wanna stay, no
You, but you don't really wanna go, oh

This is how I feel about the Arkansas weather lately. One day it is gorgeous, the next it's cold. Yesterday was beautiful and felt like early summer, tomorrow it is supposed to snow up to 8 inches. What is left of the trees are budding and it looks so pretty. If it snows tomorrow, it will all be ruined. C'mon weather! Make up your mind!!

Sheesh

On a 101 things in 1001 note;

79. See a play with Mom once a year #2

Why is this on my list?: My Mom loves live theatre. We had such a good time at "Butterflies Are Free" we couldn't wait to see the first play of the year.

How did I do it?: In our local news paper I read that "But Why Bump Off Barnaby" would be the first play of the year. The ad said it would be a "Mystery Farce" kind of like "Clue" which my Mom and I love. I also invited Sis because she was a bit hurt that she couldn't come last time.

How did it feel?: Um... It was nowhere near as good as the last play. The setting was in a mansion somewhere in England but no one had a British accent. At one point the maid was calling the women "Mum" but when you say it with a southern accent, it just makes no sense. My Sis leaned over and asked me, "Why did she just call her Mom?" There was a lot of over acting but the set was well made. A guy friend of mine was in it so I was interested in seeing his acting abilities and he was actually the best. I didn't feel like he was just spiting lines but really trying to act in the moment. I was impressed. A's coworker Ryan (from the last show) was sitting in front of us and I asked him why he wasn't in this play. He said he needed some time off. Too bad. They could have used him in this show. Mom had fun and that's really all that matters.

Yep, another grainy camera phone photo

I'm not a looser...

2009-03-10T21:23:00.004-05:00

We weighed in for the second time in our Biggest Looser Challenge. I. gained. a. pound. My coworker decided it is because Aunt Flo is on her way. Of course I agreed!

I took a quiz on the Calorie Count site. This is what it said about my eating habits;

Excessive Eater

You tend to overeat, which is very common in our society. As published in the Journal of Nutrition, Education, and Behavior, the amount of food we consume is proportional to the amount of food we get served. Unfortunately, the portions in restaurants and the size of products in supermarkets have both grown tremendously over the years. Super size, anyone?

Your Eating Habits
Despite the amount of food that you consume, your diet is most likely not nutritionally balanced and does not meet your daily values of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals. There is commonly a link between satiety and health - foods rich in fiber and that tend to fill you up quickly are usually better than foods that you can eat a lot of.

The Solution
Calorie counting and food journals are an effective method against overeating. They help you understand where your calories come from, and which foods you should be careful with. To find out how many calories you should be eating, try our Expenditure Calculator. Also, it's a good idea to add some exercise to your daily routine. This will not only increase your calorie allowance, but it will improve your health and make you feel great!

So true. I have been overeating my low calorie snacks. If I eat 3, 100 calorie packs of cookies... What's the point? I am a mess.

I'm also getting a head cold and I'm trying to keep from staying home from work.
What a blah day.

Prayers please

2009-03-09T18:23:00.002-05:00

My Bestie in the Westie is in the hospital again. They don't know what is wrong (Possibly some kind of pneumonia) and they don't know when she will be able to go home. Our weekend plans are canceled and I am very bummed about it but I am more concerned for her and her health.

So please pray, send vibes, thoughts (or whatever you'd like) her way.

Thank you.

Sewing Patterns for Dummies

2009-03-08T19:55:00.005-05:00

Yup, that's me! Not in the picture but the Dummy that patterns like this one were made for :)
I am sure I could have come up with my own pattern and save myself almost $9 but I need to learn how to follow a pattern. D told me that she wouldn't wear a skirt but she said she would wear an apron. We love to bake together and she is forever wiping her hands on her clothes. I figured we needed some matching aprons! If I can successfully make these aprons, I will post photos.

A and I finally started cleaning up the back yard ice storm damage. I can't remember if I mentioned it but it turns out that we had over $5,000 worth of damage to the roof, fence and ceiling. I received the insurance check (less my deductible & depreciation) so now we have to figure out what we can do ourselves and what we need to pay professionals to do. I really thought there wasn't much damage but the insurance company strongly suggested we have an appraiser come out anyway. I am glad we did. It's just a huge pain in the rump to have to deal with it all. Needless to say, our interior DIY projects are on hold again...

I am excited because my guilty reality TV pleasure's season premiere is tonight. I hate to love Keeping up with the Kardashians! (O.M.G. That's why their store is called 'DASH', KarDASHians!! I am such a dolt!) I really love the relationship the sisters have. You can really tell they love each other. Not to mention that they are all a hot mess!

Man, it's already 8pm?! Stinking day light savings...

Dongstool, Dongstool, He's our man!

2009-03-07T20:21:00.004-06:00

For those of you that don't know, I am in love with the Sims. Starting with the original Sims,then the now defunct Sims Online (Where I met my BFF on the east coast) and now Sims2. I go on binges where I have to play during any spare time I get then I take long breaks. I received the Sims Apartment Life and the Mansion expansion packs for Christmas and I finally installed them the other day.

I am not going to babble on about how much fun this game is for me. I have a little Goth Sim waiting on me as I type (And a kitty trying to sit on my keyboard...). I just wanted to share with you a handsome man my Sim ran into down town; his name is Dongstool Nanale. Really? Dongstool? I kid you not. The screen cap has not been altered. I nearly peed my frilly white panties.

I think I found my Sim her new love interest!

Piece of cake

2009-03-04T12:14:00.004-06:00

Our Biggest Looser challenge started yesterday. I weighed in at a whopping 183 which was less than I thought. I was sure I was about to hit 190 (193 is my heaviest weight ever). We are in groups of three so the grand prize, aside from looking fabulous, is $70 each.

It is only day two and everyone is grouchy from hunger. We are trying to cut out all the bad snacking we do during the day. There is a drawer in our department filled with goodies. We just need to toss the junk and replace it with fruits and whatever else healthy people snack on. I already have a caffeine headache but I know in a few days it will be gone. A is trying to do the challenge with me which will be a great help. Having someone at home to keep me accountable is definitely what I need.

The hardest part for me will be exercising. Because I am so unhealthy, I have no energy… It is a miracle if I can wake up early enough to get to work on time. I am also lacking in the willpower area (geez I sound super lazy!). I think I’ll start out on the Wii fit. I just hope it remembers who I am! I’d like to keep taking Piper for walks but it has been so cold, even with her jacket on, she just shivers and shivers.

One of my team mates found this fantastic site where you can count calories, find recipes and join groups. I joined a Wii Fit group and a group about getting fit for your wedding.

I guess I won’t be eating any more of the rainbow cake D and I made this weekend… I got the idea here but instead of using her recipe, I just used the box recipe. Next time I am going to make it egg white only so the colors are brighter. I also forgot to make the red batter larger than the purple so you can barely see the red (not that you can tell anyway with my poopy camera). The frosting colors are all D’s idea. It may look funny but it tastes yummy!

P.S. Speaking of Piper, Her staph is gone and her wounds are almost healed. She still has a few weeks of antibiotics to go. Since she is on her steroids again she is gaining weight. My poor pooch just can’t win.

So sorry

2009-03-03T20:41:00.002-06:00

For the lack in blogging. I definitely have stuff to say but I installed The Sims Apartment expansion and I got sucked in...

Sew what

2009-02-28T23:23:00.005-06:00

My new sewing machine hasn't seen much love. I was hoping to make this skirt for D but I forgot that she hates skirts and dresses. Does anyone out there have a little girl in need of a skirt? I will gladly make her one!

P.S. I really need a nicer camera...

I got nothin' but love

2009-02-25T19:52:00.009-06:00

"Can you squeeze me into an empty page of your diary

and psychologically save me? I've got faith in you." ~Morrissey

R is coming for a visit in a few weeks. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see her again. I haven’t seen her since her 30th birthday and before that I hadn’t seen her since our falling out over 5 years ago.

It is absolutely gorgeous here today and it has me waxing nostalgic of the time when we were in our early 20s. We were young and naive to the ways of the world. We didn’t make the smartest choices (I used my credit card for everything and R was non-compliant with her CF) but man, did we have a blast. Back then we didn’t have a care in the world.

All of our “friends” would talk about how great Sacramento is and if they could leave our Podunk town, that’s where they’d go. One summer R got offered a house sitting job for her aunt in Folsom and invited me along.

While in Folsom we had so much fun that we decided, if we could find an apartment and jobs within a week, it was our destiny to live in the Sacramento area. Within a few days we signed a lease for our first apartment (how we got approved with no jobs is beyond me), R got a job at a drugstore and I got a hostess job at a diner down the street. We had 7 young men living in the apartment across the hall from us and a gay couple (Dave Gahan’s cousin and Daniel Tupac Shakur LOL!) below us. Things couldn’t be better!

We fell in love with the Goth scene (though I think we were never truly “Goth”), we kissed lots of boys, we laughed and cried, stayed out all night and went to work without sleep, we had our hearts broken and broke a few hearts ourselves. It was the best of times and the worst of times.

I feel like that was a million lifetimes ago.
We have both grown and changed since then.

I regret the 5 years we spent apart but I am so thankful that we are united again and that I get to see her soon and meet her fiancé! I am so grateful to have her in my life.

Even though we are both engaged and will soon be married, I will always be her Clairee and she will always be my Ouiser even if we will sitting in rockers on our porches half way across the continent from each other when we are 80.

I love you R!

The weekend

2009-02-24T23:44:00.004-06:00

I played in Photoshop a bit tonight and the above picture is what I came up with. For the background I used this texture from ishkamina.

I also cooked my first steak and baked potato dinner ever. A and his buddy said the food was wonderful. I am turning into a domestic goddess!! lol!

This weekend I did a lot of cleaning and A did a few DIY projects but nothing picture worthy as yet.

Sorry for the blah post. Sleep well.

I want to be a looser!

2009-02-21T10:13:00.000-06:00

This is an email I received on Friday;

DIAMOND DAVE ENTERPRISES in association with HAUGHT IDEAS INC. Presents

THE BIGGEST LOSER (MY EMPLOYER’S NAME) EDITION

We will be having a Biggest Loser competition here at (my job). It is a $10 entry fee per person. The competition will be over a six week period. The weight loss will be calculated as a percentage of total body weight. We will weigh in bi-weekly. After receiving entries we will separate everyone into teams. THIS IS A TEAM EVENT!!! After six weeks the team with the largest percentage of weight loss will win all the entry fees. We will arrange weigh-ins and post the rules after we receive everyone’s entries. We will figure out some type of weigh in arrangement at Branches located outside of (my town). C will be in charge of tracking the percentage of weight loss. NO ONES WEIGHT WILL BE POSTED! The only thing that will be posted after the weigh in will be the change in percentage. I will begin accepting entries today with the cutoff being next Friday. Just contact me and send me your $10. This is a chance to have fun, get healthy, and win some Money!!!!! Email me with any questions.

Diamond Dave

I am STOKED!!! I have been moping around lately because I just feel fat. Yet, I don’t have the motivation to wake up early to exercise. This way if I don’t exercise I won’t just be letting myself down; I will be letting my team down. Maybe this is the push I need to finally start getting healthy and start feeling better. Oh how I long for some energy! I can't wait to get this started.

Pillow Talk

2009-02-19T21:42:00.003-06:00

Late Saturday night I finished making D her tooth fairy pillow (using my new sewing machine!!). Her only requests for the pillow were “pink” and “monkeys”. I found the perfect fabric, matching thread and some pink iron on letters. I haven’t used a sewing machine since freshman year in high school and that was a LONG time ago. The pillow isn’t perfect but both D & A love it. What more could I ask for?

D was so excited about the pillow that she wouldn’t go to sleep until it was done.
She said she was going to sleep on her stomach with her head on the pillow just in case her tooth fell out while she was sleeping.

She didn’t loose her tooth that night though. She ended up loosing it on Monday night at her mom’s house. A was really bummed that it didn’t happen when she was with us but thankfully she has at least 19 more to go! Now we just need to find out how much the Tooth Fairy gave her for the first one…

For my next sewing project I may make some curtains or maybe this little skirt I originally found on One Pretty Thing.

Staph Sucks

2009-02-18T18:20:00.005-06:00

My poor, poor baby Piper... My heart aches for her. She doesn't want to sit on the couch with me because she is afraid that I am going to clean her wounds or put some sort of ointment on her. I hope she knows it is all to make her feel better. I am washing her blankets and my hands to the point that they are feeling dry. I sure as heck do not want to catch this infection. Piper's food looks like a rainbow with all the pills I have to give her. Thankfully she eats it all with no hassles.

I hope this goes away quickly.

R is coming to visit next month and she told me that Staph is very dangerous to Cystics. I really want all of this gone long before she comes. I would hate for this to get in the way of our visit. I haven't seen her since her 30th B-day bash...

Prayers said and fingers crossed.

V-day

2009-02-17T20:31:00.005-06:00

Our V-day was pretty tame. We had D all weekend so the romantic stuff went out the window. I did get some pretty flowers from my Big and Little Sweeties! I love the bright colors of Gerbera Daisies.

D and I made some cookies and I impressed her with my mad skills of mixing food coloring with white frosting to make any color frosting she could think of. I didn't take any photos though... I sent all the cookies home with her because I am just not into 1/4 inch of cookie with 2 inches of frosting.

This is what I made for A. I got the idea from One Pretty Thing (although I can't find the actual post to the "how to" part). On each card I put one reason why I love my man. 52 reasons in all. Some reasons were mushy, some funny and some were inside jokes between he and I. He absolutely LOVED this. He has been showing it to everyone. Yay me! It was cheap and easy but very time consuming. I was afraid I wouldn't get it done in time because i am such a procrastinator.

I also participated in the WoW V-day events and won myself this cute little cupid pet. Doesn't he just make you fall in love? It must be his ripped abs.

On a not-so-fun note, Piper's allergies are so bad she gave herself a staph infection on her ear. It looks revolting, it hurts her and is possibly contagious to humans. Do you know how hard it is to remember not to pet the cute doggie on the head? My poor baby. The infection is supposed to clear up quickly. I really hope so. For every one's sake.

I got nothin'

2009-02-13T21:59:00.002-06:00

I am sorry I haven't posted in a few days. Nothing fun or remotely interesting has happened. I'll take a boring time over a drama filled time any day.

Well, there was some drama but I am not going to talk about it here...yet...
God help me though. I am about at my wit's end with this certain situation that won't go away...at least not for 12 more years...

So much to do...

2009-02-08T18:18:00.003-06:00

We did some more cleaning up in the yard today.
The front yard is as finished as it is going to get.
There was damage done to the privacy fence in the back yard (nothing bad enough that Piper could get, the gutter and possibly the roof. A was able to get the tree off the roof with out knocking down the power lines (he was afraid that might happen). There is probably enough damage to cost us a pretty penny out of pocket but not enough to cover the $1,000 insurance deductible. I guess we will find out when the adjuster assesses the damage. I called the insurance company because this was considered "catastrophic damage" so we wont get penalized for making a claim and the premium won't go up.

I am exhausted, dirty and if you were to look at my arms you'd think I was a cutter.
But I feel that we made some progress.

Now I am off to clean the living room and dining room and knock out some laundry...

I ♥ Faces

2009-02-04T17:58:00.003-06:00

I read on someone's blog that the I ♥ Faces blog is having a pets contest.
This is a photo I took of Piper with my Blackberry Pearl. I think she looks so dramatic.

Here is a link to the site to check out other peep's submissions :)

Slap Chop Obsessed

2009-02-02T19:03:00.012-06:00

I was minding my own business hanging laundry when this happened:

Layne, there is this cool slap thing. It's for stuff that's small like an onion. Well, you put the onion in it, slap it and it cuts the onion into small pieces and it even peels the skin off like, wah-la!

Cool

And it grates cheese into little pieces too! I am going to write the phone number down for you the next time I see it!

Sweet. Thank you.

I am cooking more often lately but I have no need for a "Slap Chop" nor do I have a desire to own one. So I continue to hang clothes. A few minutes later she comes into the room with the above drawing.

I got the number for you. This is how much it costs and what it looks like.

Thank you so much. I like your picture.

Want your phone so you can order it?

No thank you.

Will you order it tomorrow?

Probably not.

Okay well here is the number just in case.

She set the paper on my desk and went on her merry way. I have no idea where this obsession came from or why she wants me to order it so badly. The only thing I can think of is that in the commercial it says something about being so easy even a kid can use it.

Moving forward

2009-02-01T08:52:00.004-06:00

Views from the front door

It seems that most of the town has their power back.
I had a full day's work Friday which I needed.
Mom's power came back on around 7 last night.

It was a gorgeous day yesterday. The sun was melting all the ice and people were able to start cleaning up the carnage the storm left behind.
There was a whole lot of chainsawing, pulling and stacking going on.
A and I got the front yard almost cleaned up and we were going to start on the back yard today.

A few minutes ago Piper started parking her head off. It was a different bark than her usual so I knew something was going on. In a bath robe with nappy hair I went to tell her to hush it. There were at least three men in the back yard! Thankfully they were the electric guys coming to cut the tree off our roof and the power lines. They were worried that the tree did damage to the roof so A is up there taking photos for the insurance company. The electric guys wanted to make sure this got done so they wouldn't be blamed for any damage.

A is going to show me how to use a chainsaw. Hopefully I can handle it without loosing any body parts...

Edit: I misunderstood. The electric guys did cut the trees away from the wires but they didn't take the tree off my roof :(

The day after

2009-01-28T11:52:00.011-06:00

Photobucket Album

Here are some photos and video from our house this morning.
Thankfully our house appears just fine. We are one of the few homes in town that still has power, cable and internet. Thank you GOD! Phones are working off and on which caused some drama with BM. So D ended up going home with her. So, if you try to call and I don't answer, it's not because I am avoiding you, it's because I never heard the phone ring. If you leave a message and I don't call back, it's because I can't listen to voice mail or my calls won't connect.

The main roads aren't too bad so we went to check on a few "little old ladies" for my mom. Neither wanted to come with us. We will be checking on them again later.

Mom says she is still doing fine without power. She may try to venture out later to go get one of the "little old ladies" because I have a feeling one of them really wanted to come with us but she felt like she was being a burden...

Sis is fine but they called her into work so she is very unhappy. She doesn't live close to her job and although things aren't as bad up there, the roads are still slick enough to worry her.

One of A's coworker's and his family are coming to stay with us. I am not sure for how long so that will be an adventure.

I think those are the main points for now.

Another transformer catching fire

Check out some video of our ice jungle AKA back yard

Ice Storm continues

2009-01-27T21:55:00.007-06:00

Here are some photos from 7:40pm. I didn't want to venture out further into the yard because the bigger branches are now falling.

Here is the video I took of the transformer blowing.

We are going to go to bed and hopefully have a drama free sleep.
I will take more photos of the damage then.

Ice, Ice baby. Too cold. Too cold!

2009-01-27T18:25:00.010-06:00

Today we have what they call "inclement weather". These first photos are very pretty with the icecycles everywhere...

Well, the ice became so heavy that the tree branches couldn't support it anymore. The branches started to fall like rain. If you stand outside, even now, all you hear is the ice rain and the snapping of limbs. We lost power twice but it is on now. I made dinner as fast as I could, just in case. Praise GOD that we only have a few small branches on the roof. Our neighbors aren't so lucky. I don't see any serious damage from the windows but I am sure not going outside right now to investigate further. I am not sure we have a single tree left. We have some stumps and a huge mess of limbs in the front and back yards. We are truly blessed though because our fence is standing, the house is standing and we are cozy inside by the fire with full bellies.

Mom doesn't have power but she says she is fine. If she needs anything, we will go get her but she says it isn't necessary right now. She says she feels like a pioneer. Leave it to my mom to always look on the bright side of things!

Sis is fine. She made it home from work safely and she has power.

After this is over I think the neighborhood should have a chainsaw party. We will all have enough kindling for the rest of the winter...

Our poor neighbor's yard early this afternoon

Front of our house earlier this afternoon

Engagement photos

2009-01-25T13:02:00.006-06:00

This weekend we went to see my sister. She is trying to start up a photography business so she offered to take our engagement photos for free. I won't bore you with all 331 photos but here are a few of my faves.

In DIY world, we still haven't finished the bathroom. I am hoping we will get to it tonight. I am up to the yin yang in laundry and I just finished painting the blades for D's new fan. Aunt Flo came for a visit so I think I am off to take a nap. That woman just wears me out!

Updates

2009-01-22T21:34:00.003-06:00

I thought I would take a minute to update you on the progress of my 101 thing in 1001 days.

6. Paint the bathroom
I have the walls and ceiling painted. Hopefully tonight I will get the cabinet painted and the hardware hung.

7. Tear out the wall paper in the kitchen
This is turning out to be a bigger project than I thought. We kind of put it on the back burner for a bit.

8. Get a toon to level 70 in WoW
Currently level 53

16. Go one month without eating any fast food
Well, I failed this month. On my last day at the night job I just had to eat one last pizza.
I am not big on going to places I used to work so I wasn’t sure when I’d be back to eat.

17. Quit biting my nails …AGAIN
I haven’t bitten my nails for almost a month. I am not going to consider this accomplished until after a year at least.

27. Brush up on my French so that I can carry on a conversation
I was given some French CDs for Christmas. I haven’t listened to them yet.

35. Read a Bible verse each morning
I have been slacking on this lately. I will have read 1001 verses by the 1001st day J

57. Stand next to R as she gets married
Well, she is engaged and has set a date! They haven’t sent the vacation schedule around at work but I hope to be in Cali for their 9/19/09 wedding.

66. Organize the garage
We moved a bunch of stuff around but I wouldn’t call it “organized” just yet.

77. Organize my digi photos
I started these months ago and it is very time consuming…

82. Get rid of my socks with holes/with out a partner
I am one laundry load away from this goal!

I have a lot of things I am working on but nothing completely ready to check off the list.

We are going to see my sister this weekend. She is trying to get her photography business up and running. That means free engagement photos for us, YAY!! It is also Cousin B's birthday so we may be partying it up a bit.

Also, in case you were wondering, A is still smoke free!!!

Have a great weekend!

Disney Fairies ~ Pixie Hollow

2009-01-18T22:49:00.008-06:00

My Fairy Lala Littlebug

Every other weekend, most times more often than that, the TV is set to the Disney Channel. The over acting in shows like Hannah Montana and Suite Life of Zack and Cody is addicting! While watching this weekend I saw a little commercial about the new online game Pixie Hollow. I love most any type of online game so I had to check it out.

This game is so addicting! You get to make a little Fairy, dress her and name her. Once you are in Pixie Hollow there are things to collect, games to play, quests to accomplish and a bunch of other little Fairies to chat with.

Fairy friends

I know this is supposed to be a kid's game so I am not planning on doing any chatting but the little games have me hooked.

My favorite game

Since this is Disney; you can buy stationary, business cards and clothing with your Fairy on them.

All in all I give this little game two thumbs up for your you and your daughters.

~*~

On a D.I.Y. note, we didn't get the chance to do anything productive this weekend. Bathroom photos will be delayed.

"Come Look!"

2009-01-17T12:30:00.003-06:00

"I have diarrhea! Come look!"
Really? Is this part of my job description as a S.M.T.B.? Is there something I should be looking for exactly? A color, smell or texture that should alert me to something more then just some loose stool? She is acting normal so I'm just keeping her hydrated. I am sure it has nothing to do with the fact that someone gave her Burger King AND Arby's while I was at work last night...

What's your score?

2009-01-14T22:24:00.006-06:00

Since mortgage rates are dropping (here in the Ozarks we have some rates as low as 4.875%) we have been getting a lot of folks wanting to refinance their homes. I thought I would blog about one of the main reasons people get declined for a loan: Their credit.

Now, I am not a financial advisor but I have worked in the mortgage business for almost 10 years and these are the problems I see over and over on credit reports. I sent my list to my friend M who works for a credit gathering agency. He gave me some additional info that I will share as well.

1. Inquiries
Every time someone pulls your credit it lowers your score. Whether it’s your auto insurance being renewed, if you are “shopping” for rates for a home/vehicle or you are applying for a new credit card. If someone besides yourself looks at your credit, your score gets dinged.
2. Lots of revolving cards
It is best to have one major credit card such as Master Card or Visa. It is never a good idea to have a bunch of store cards like Sears, Macy’s, Target etc. They usually have higher rates as well.
3. High Balances and/or going over the limit on revolving credit cards
If you do have a bunch of store cards and refuse to close them, make sure they have low balances, preferably less than half of your spending limit.
4. Late and/or past due payments
This one is from M. He says any late payments with in the past 12 months kill scores.
5. Collections
First of all, pay your bills so you don’t acquire any collections. If you do have collections then pay them. Even if you have to make payments, just pay something on a regular basis.

Here are some items M says have little or no affect on scores
1. Child/family support – none
2. Accounts in active dispute (but they affect the score once the dispute is resolved) – none
3. Paying off installment loans (you should put your money on the revolving accounts) - almost never
4. Personal inquiries (you can pull your own credit from the bureaus as often as you like with no affect) - none

Now, regulations may vary with different states and/or investors but it seems the theme is that it is very hard to get financing if your credit score lower than 620. I suggest that you get familiar with your credit report. Check it out and see what's on it. That way there are no embarrassing surprises when you apply for any type of loan. You can usually get a free report from someone you have a credit card with. I've gotten mine from here before.

Here is another helpful article that was sent to me today.

Hopefully I didn't bore you all.

DIY progress

2009-01-11T21:26:00.011-06:00

In case I haven't mentioned this before, A and I are trying to update my... our house on our own. We are both so scatter brained about it, it will be a miracle if we get one room completely done! We have been watching the DIY channel like crazy lately and we've been getting some great ideas. Now if we only had a budget of 30K per room like most of these folks have, we'd be in business!

I know I posted about my ugly kitchen, emphasis on the "ug", but peeling off the many layers of wall paper was getting me bummed. I decided to start on a smaller room instead. The "hall" is the smallest room in the house but it also has wall paper so I skipped it and went on to the bathroom.

The bathroom is tiny and has this mauvey-rose colored tile, sink and tub. The walls are nasty and sort of an off white and the laminate is okay but needs to be pulled up due to water damage. Once A and I can get some money together, this is the room we will blow it all in. Until then, I decided a fresh coat of paint and some new hardware would hold us over just fine.

When I got done painting I realized that the white paint just magnified how ugly the tile is. I won't show you an "after" photo just yet because I haven't painted the cabinet under the sink nor have I installed any hardware.

Don't mind the mess!

The purple stuff is spackle.

I also painted D's ceiling because A bought her a new fan. I am going to paint the fan blades as well.

What else? Oh, we cleaned the garage and rearranged the furniture in the living room and it looks a ton better. We are trying the "less is more" approach. A also started switching out all the outlets from off white to white and the light switches to these flat kind.

Very slowly we are seeing progress and that makes me want to keep going. I hope we can make the house look nice without having to spend too much. I just wish I had a knack for the design details to pull all the rooms together.

Dog tired after a long weekend!

“Good night Stepmom!”

2009-01-11T11:35:00.008-06:00

That’s what I heard Monday night as I was tucking D into bed.
It was so weird to hear her call me that (neither A or I told her she had to or even suggested it) but it was a good weird.
I told her that she could also call me “Bonus Mom” but that launched her into a spiel about The Jonas Brother’s having a Bonus Brother and then she started calling me “Jonas Bonus Mother the second” LOL

~*~

Our Christmas was wonderful but I felt like the true meaning of the season was sort of lost. When I asked D what Christmas really is about, she said it was Baby Jesus’ Birthday. So she has the jest of it but our holiday was definitely about Santa and the gifts. A and I talked it over and we decided that next year we will “adopt” a child around D’s age and have her help us pick out gifts so she can learn a bit about helping out others.

When Sis and I were young, Mom and Dad read us the birth of Christ from the Bible every Christmas Eve. I think it is a great idea but I also remember not being able to concentrate on the story because I was thinking about all the gifts under the tree…

We do need to figure out a way to have fun with all the "Santa" stuff without forgetting Jesus. Suggestions?

There was more I wanted to say about Christmas but it seems so long ago that I don't feel like talking about it any more. I will say that A's Dad bought me the sewing machine I really wanted and he put "To: Layne From: FFIL" and it made me cry because I feel so blessed to be marrying into a great family. I also got a few gifts from my "Future Husband" and my "Fiance'" which thrilled me as well.

~*~

Okay so the above blog stuff should have been posted quite a few days ago but things have been super busy here. We have some drama going on that I can't tell you about just yet and we started redecorating. I will post some of our "before" photos later tonight.

Due to the drama and the redecorating we decided that I should QUIT MY NIGHT JOB!!!
I think we can financially handle it since I will be going back to 40 hours at the bank (Yay for mortgage rates dropping!) time to cross another one off the list!

#3. Stop working so much

Why is this on my list?: I have two jobs due to my credit card obsession. I don't have any time for family, friends or even myself.

How did I do it?: I spoke with my boss and she said as soon as she heard I was engaged, she knew it was only a matter of time before I would be giving my notice. She was so super nice about it and I know I can go back if ever I need to.

How did it feel?: Feels great! Once my two weeks are up it will feel even better!! A is excited to have more time with me as well.

16. Go one month without eating any fast food

2009-01-06T19:15:00.003-06:00

I had a totally different blog written up but I left it at work. Boo!

So instead I thought I'd take a minute to let you know that January will be my month of no fast food. If I have absolutely no other option than to eat at a fast food restaurant, I will only eat a salad (sans the chicken strip I usually get on top). I will also only eat salads from the night job since I get a free dinner each time I work and I have a hard time passing up free food.

Not eating fast food means more cooking which leads to the need for a proper shopping trip. Not looking forward to that.

When I was single, I never cooked for myself so the things I know how to make are very few. I can make a killer BLT, mean hamburger helper and the yummiest butter noodles ever. Impressive huh? Watch out Rachel Ray!

Recently I made chocolate chip pancakes and my very first omelet which made A's mouth water. Seems like I have breakfast and kid food covered. Now it's time to learn some real recipes!

Do either of my two readers have any suggestions?

It was a very Merry Christmas

2008-12-30T21:55:00.004-06:00

Christmas was awesome, fantastic or awesometastic as my cousin Mo would say.
It was busy, busy but so much fun. I felt so much love from my growing family.

The best part for me was Christmas Eve. I got to see Christmas through the eyes of a child and it made me feel so young. I’ve never experienced a Christmas with a little one around. I have been a swingin’ single (ok, I have been a self proclaimed hermit) for a long, long time. My nieces and nephew never lived close enough to me and this is the first time I have been in a serious relationship with a man who has a child. I wanted to make sure things were done right!

D still believes in Santa. My sis and I were told at a young age that Santa wasn’t real. I don’t remember ever putting out cookies but Santa did fill our stockings and gave us gifts but we always new that Santa = Daddy. They had the same handwriting for crying-out-loud! It didn’t make our Christmas any less fun. More on that in a bit…

I asked my Uncle to call and pretend he was Santa. I stuck a photo of Santa in my phone and set a special ring tone so that when he called it would say “Santa” was calling. It worked except she was too shy to talk to him! She asked me to tell him what she wanted. Oh well, thanks for being a good sport Uncle!

I showed D the Santa Tracker when we got home from Christmas Eve Dinner. She thought it was great. We left it on the computer so we could monitor his whereabouts. D wanted to rewrite her letter to Santa to add, “I will love what ever you bring me and even if I already have it, I will love it.” I think she was trying to score some last minute good girl points. We frosted some cookies, (more like cookied some frosting) set out the note and threw carrots on the roof for Rudolph.

We were sitting on the bed watching “Home Alone” when she noticed Santa was in South America. She pointed him out and told me she was ready for bed. I asked her if she had brushed her teeth and she said, “No”. Just then Santa had moved to Florida and she let out a little scream and jumped out of bed, ran to the bathroom and brushed fast and furiously. She ran out and said, “I brushed fast but I did a good job. Good night!” and ran back to bed. It was so darn cute!

A and I had plenty of time to stuff stockings but we kept our eye on Santa. Since Santa’s cookies had so much frosting, we decided to toss them in the outside trash. I did take a bite out of one to leave on the plate. A said, “Thanks for taking one for the team!”
I wrote D a note “from Santa” thanking her for the cookies and if she keeps remembering her ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ he’d be back next year. Santa “arrived” around 11:30pm.

Christmas morning she found the letter and was so excited. “Santa wrote me a letter!” She read it to us and then we opened gifts. Santa did get her something from her list and A and I got her some good stuff as well. We all had a blast.

Even though it wasn’t technically our first Christmas together, it was our first Christmas as a family and I enjoyed every minute of it.

There is more I want to say, mostly for nostalgia sake, but I will post that in the next few days.

Santa Claus is coming to town

2008-12-24T13:12:00.004-06:00

Photo taken from here

And if you’d like to check his progress and see photos and video of where he’s been, click here!

Two down, lots to go!

2008-12-22T23:10:00.005-06:00

#69. Give Christmas Cards to the neighbors & Mail person

Why is this on my list?: I had lived in my home over a year and aside from the across-the-street neighbor mowing my lawn once, I hadn’t met any of my neighbors. Since Adrian I started dating, he has introduced himself to almost everyone. They have lent us tools and helped us hunt down Piper when she ran away. I thought it would be nice to remember them during Christmas.

How did I do it?: At first I was just going to give out Christmas cards but I decided to make some treats (Chocolate-Strawberry Creams shown in photo above) as well. The cards were from Wal-Mart and I got the recipe (which I modified a bit) from Ms. Betty Crocker. I put them in little tins I got at the Dollar store. Here’s hoping I don’t send anyone into diabetic shock!

How did it feel?: I delivered the goodies on Friday during my lunch break. Some folks weren’t home, a couple were surprised and one person didn’t remember who I was. I left the USPS carrier goodies in the mail box (I forgot to put the flag up but he still got them). I’m glad I did it. I might just do it again next year.

~*~*~

#70. Bake Christmas cookies for coworkers

Why is this on my list?: I love getting Christmas goodies so I thought I’d make some for my coworkers at our mother branch.

How did I do it?: Last night I baked these cookies and these and tried to make these but they turned out nasty and went straight into the trash. I put the cookies in little tins and plastic buckets from the Dollar store too.

How did it feel?: Tiring. I baked from 7 to 11 something and burned a bunch of the cookies. A said they all tasted good but I was frustrated because I am a perfectionist. They didn’t turn out how I envisioned them but I sent them off anyway.

#95 Cook at least one homemade dinner for my Mom each year (1/3)

2008-12-21T12:32:00.005-06:00

I can't believe I totally forgot about this one!

My mom's birthday was on the 7th. She was moving my Opa to town and would be back the 6th. I knew she would be exhausted so I decided to cook her dinner for her birthday.

It just so happened that Schwan's was having a benefit for my friend Mellissa. 10% of everything they sold on the 6th would go to her. I bought salmon (mom's fave) & garlic cheese rolls for the dinner. I was supposed to get blackberry cobbler and free ice cream but they said they sold out and didn't have any more at the warehouse.

We ended up having the salmon, rolls, steamed veggies, rice pilaf and blackberry cobbler (from a local grocer). Sis and A helped me cook and we had a great time and a yummy dinner. We even did the dishes after dessert!

I don't know why we didn't take photos. I am sorry.

~*~*~

My Opa moved into his assisted living apartment on Friday. He already made two new friends. Mom says one of the men is a real take-charge kind of guy so she is hoping he will take my Opa under his wing.

His apartment is so nice! It hasn't been occupied so the carpets are clean. The bathroom is huge, the living room is huge and his bedroom isn't bad either. I don't know why I had it in my head that it would be disgusting and smell like urine. It was the polar opposite of what I assumed. They have a fun room with a pool table, another with a flat screen TV, two formal dining areas and it's own beauty salon. We met a couple of the nurses and they were super sweet. I feel very safe and relieved to know he is in great hands.

~*~*~

Christmas Events for my newly blended family;

Christmas Eve Afternoon - My Mom's to open gifts with D
Christmas Eve Night - A's Dad's family to open gifts with D
Christmas Early Morning - Our house to open gifts and stockings with D
Christmas Morning - D goes to see her Mom
Christmas Afternoon - Go back to A's Dad's family and open the grownup's gifts
Christmas Evening - Go back to my Mom's where Sis and Opa will join us to open grownup's gifts

Somewhere in the middle of all that we need to spend time with A's Mom & family.

It seems stressful but I feel so blessed to have a ton of people to be with during the Holiday's.

62. Put up a Christmas tree each year (1/3)

2008-12-19T21:06:00.006-06:00

I have been feeling very sad over the past few days because I thought I put the word “real” in #62 but I didn’t YAY! I dodged that list bullet.

I wanted a real Christmas tree this year but it just didn’t work out. Piper has been a bad girl the past few months (stealing; presents, tape, wrapping paper, ornaments in boxes etc.) so we just don’t trust her around a real tree. Then there was the issue of going to get the tree and getting it home and the mess of the needles. You know how it goes.

I don’t mind my pre-lit faux tree. We didn’t have less fun decorating it because it wasn’t real and the end result is just as lovely. I just miss the smell of a real one. One whiff of a Fir tree sends me back to Christmases when I was young, both naughty and nice, and instantly puts me in a happy mood.

I went on a search to find a candle that smells like a Christmas tree. I tried our local Hallmark and all they had were mixes of tree smell with a sweet smell. I was not into it. I tried my luck at good ol’ Wal-Mart and found what I was looking for. Let’s see if I can get the tree and the candle to fool anyone… or at least fool me.

~*~*~

Normally during the week before Christmas we have a little group of middle schoolers who come and sing and dance for us (at the day job). Last year their music instructor retired so we probably won’t be getting any entertainment. This makes me sad because they are so stinking cute. They make me cry like a proud Momma every time.

~*~*~

The Salvation Army just came and took the Teddy Bear Tree today. I am going to miss it but I know the bears are going to make some little kids very happy

~*~*~

My Christmas shopping is done but I still have a few things to wrap and a ton of baking.
Add cleaning the entire house to the mix and I am going to have a very busy weekend.

Here is the yummy gingerbread house D and I made.

I know it's yummy because I took a bite out of it last night!

Dripping

2008-12-18T21:37:00.005-06:00

We have been sick the past couple of days so nothing too blog worthy has happened. Unless you'd like to hear about how messy the house is because no one feels up to cleaning it!

Instead I give you a photo of A and Bess fixing the tub's faucet. Bess wanted her new daddy to hurry up because drinking from the faucet is her favorite thing ever. Since she is a spoiled princess, I let her drink from it often :)

What do you think about this?

2008-12-13T21:18:00.004-06:00

Tuesday was our one year anniversary.

A took me to dinner at Chili’s were we had good food and great conversation. After dinner we came back home to relax and just be together. When I walked into the house there was incense burning and a bouquet of flowers on the coffee table along with a movie and an assortment of my favorite candies and snacks. I was totally surprised! His dad had snuck over while we were at dinner and set it all up and thankfully Piper didn’t get into any of it.

While I was “oohing” and “ahhhing” over the flowers, he came up behind me and said, “What do you think about this?” and he held out a ring box.
“What is it?”
“What do you think about it?”
“Is this what I think it is?”
By now we are both crying.
It took him a few minutes to actually get the “Will you marry me?” out.
I asked him a few times if he was sure he wanted to marry me. When he assured me that he did, I said, “of course” I’d marry him!!!
We just hugged and cried and whispered sweet nothings to one another.

Wednesday night, while I was at work, A had a talk with D and she told him that she is happy. Her only concern was if we had a baby, where would it sleep?
During her bath she drew on the shower wall with the soap crayons “Dad’s getting Married” with a stick man on one knee in front of a stick girl.

Later that night when I tucked her into bed I asked her to tell me how she is feeling. She said she was happy and that if I have a baby girl, could we name it Deborah (pronounced de-bore-ahh)? I told her that it would be a while before I have a baby and we have plenty of time to pick names. Deborah??? LOL!!

The past few days have been a blur of phone calls, emails, texts and people coming to see my ring (It was his Great Grandmother’s).

I love this man so much. I almost feel like I don’t deserve him. He is the most caring, tender, sweet, funny, handsome man I have ever met. I am overjoyed and so blessed and I can’t wait to be a wife and a stepmom.

The death of a Bimbo

2008-12-10T22:00:00.000-06:00

Many months ago, while reading the Daily Mail UK, I came across an article about a new game called Miss Bimbo. Since I am a gamer and I love train wrecks I had to check this game out. I stuck the link in my favorites and totally forgot about it.

When I was organizing my favorites I came across the link. A few days ago I actually signed up to see what it was all about.

The photo above is how my Bimbo started out. She's not too smart but she is happy. My first goals were to get a new hairdo, find an apartment and register for a training course to get a job. Then I had to find a boyfriend (sorry no photos of him) and buy a new outfit. You are supposed to feed your Bimbo every day but if you feed her too much and she gains weight, she looses happiness. There are cute little games you can play to gain IQ points. One of the games, Wordo, is a "guess the word" game which is very hard because the word you are trying figure out is rarely spelled correctly. I just used process of letter elimination... You can also challenge other Bimbos to see who is the better Bimbo.

The game is a bit boring and it takes a long time for the pages to load. I forgot about the game for a few days and when I tried to log in last night I saw this...

I guess if I want to see if getting a boob job is really an option I'll have to reset or pay $20. Me thinks not. R.I.P my sweet Bimbo. I leave you with a photo of what she looked like before her passing.

He asked...

2008-12-09T20:54:00.003-06:00

and I said, "Yes!" That's all I can say for now. I'll tell you more later, I still have phone calls to make!!

Watching #29 float away

2008-12-08T20:41:00.005-06:00

Last month we received an email at work asking for volunteers to help make the company float for our town's Christmas parade. I immediately replied that I would love to take part. I thought it would be the perfect thing to do for #29 (Participate in at least one community event each year) on my list. I was asked what days and times I would be available and that I would be contacted once a date was set. I was excited.

A few weeks ago we received another email asking the days and times we were available. I responded again.

Last Friday I was getting ready to leave work and I over heard someone say, "We better leave soon or we will never get out of here with the parade starting soon." WTF? The parade? I turned to my Boss (who also volunteered for the float building) and asked her if she helped build our float and she said she'd never heard back about it.

I didn't make it to the parade because I ended up having to work my night job and I still don't know if we even had a float...

So... I think I will try to do two community events next year since I will have more options.

In my head

2008-12-04T20:51:00.005-06:00

I am a thinker, a planner and a worrier.
I am always thinking, planning or worrying about something.
It causes me to have anxiety, nightmares and stomach pains.
I don’t get a good nights rest and I have bloody nubs for fingers.
All of this is very mentally and physically exhausting to me.

I will think, plan and/or worry about things that haven’t even happened and may not happen. “What if it does happen?” I think to myself, “I need to be prepared!” and I go over any possible outcome.

I do this with the simplest things. At breakfast I think about what we have for lunch and at lunch I worry about what to make for dinner. It is very hard for me to relax and just be in the moment and truly enjoy anything.

And Heaven forbid my plans get changed or things don’t turn out as planned. I nearly have a nervous breakdown even if things can easily be fixed. I feel like I am a huge wound up jack-in-the-box ready to pop at any time and that my life is slipping by because I can’t just stop and breathe.

If I step back and evaluate things, I really have nothing to stress over.
I am healthy (aside from being overweight), have a caring family, have an amazing boyfriend, I own my own home and have two jobs. I am very much on the fortunate side. So, why can’t I just let myself be happy?

How do I make it stop?

~*~

On a much happier note;
I can’t believe I forgot to tell you, R was proposed to during her birthday weekend!! I am thrilled for her. I guess we won’t be the crotchety old spinsters living together with 100 cats we always thought we would be! R, no matter what, you will always be the Quiser to my Clairee.

I'm the most famous reindeer, darnit!

2008-12-02T23:48:00.008-06:00

Photo from Rankin/Bass

D was singing the other day. This is how it went;
"You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen, Comet, and Cupid, and Darnit and Blitzen..." LOL!

#98. Do something extra special for A each month (2/33)

2008-12-01T23:05:00.005-06:00

I meant to post this yesterday but A and I had the evening alone and that is WAY more important.

It was the 30th and I realized that I hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary for A this month.

He has been on the search for the perfect salsa for a few months now. Every time he finds a hopeful candidate, it falls short.

I decided to try and make some homemade salsa from a co-workers recipe. I had to change a few things (where do they keep vinegar in the supermarket anyway?) but I think it turned out okay. He likes his salsa hot but I think I made this batch too hot. He said he liked it but I don’t think it will take first place in any contest.

I used canned products per the recipe but I think I am going to try it with fresh veggies next time. ~*~

I think I need to go through my 101 things and be more specific. For example; I can’t wake up early and take Piper for walks the mornings I have D. I am not comfortable leaving her alone in the house. I’d like to remove the one I failed and add something else. I would also like to change “Read a Psalm or Proverb each day” to “Read a scripture each day”. The Psalms aren’t inspiring me at all.

Do you think these changes are fair or cheating?

Black celebration

2008-11-28T20:57:00.010-06:00

“Let’s have a black celebration tonight
To celebrate the fact
That we’ve seen the back
Of another black day” ~Depeche Mode

So I woke up at 4:45 this morning, got dressed and went to Wal-Mart. Being a Black Friday virgin, I thought it would be busy but Oh. My. Goodness! It was insane! The parking lot was full and I had to park in the parking lot used for the strip mall beside Wal-Mart. I was told to go stake out what I wanted the night before and I should have listened to that advice. I was having trouble finding what I wanted at first. I started out without a cart because I wasn’t too hopeful that I would find anything on my list. I was able to zig and zag fairly easily. I grabbed some small things and then I saw the big things I wanted (I won’t mention what they are incase the recipients of said gifts happen to read the blog) so I grabbed an empty cart. I was ready to check out so I stood in what appeared to be the line. After about 15 minutes of not moving the woman in front of me decided to try and get in a line in the middle of the store (we were in the 20 items or less line) so I followed her. It was a great choice. The only real excitement was that the woman in front of me and one to the side of me were having panic attacks. I got home and was back in bed by 6:10. It wasn’t a horrible experience but I don’t know that I will do it again next year…

All the Christmas decorations went up at work today. We have a 15 foot tree that is just FAB and a Teddy Bear Tree from The Salvation Army. Locals dress up bears and donate them to The Salvation Army who then gives the bears to kids in need. It makes me cry every time they put the tree up. If I get a sewing machine for Christmas, I want to dress a bear for next year.

Sorry for the poopy camera phone photo!

100 Things I am Thankful for
In no specific order:

1. No matter what crappy thing I do, God still loves me
2. I will get to see my Dad in Heaven some day
3. My family
4. My Sweetie
5. My Sweetie’s family
6. Growing up in California
7. MySpace (because that’s where I met A)
8. My two jobs (I hate working so much but I am still thankful to have my jobs) and
9. I am physically able to work two jobs AND
10. I am darn good at them
11. My house
12. That my car is paid for
13. My Blue eyes
14. My natural boobs
15. That I have my dad's nose
16. and my mom's eyes
17. That no matter how much my sister and I fight, we still love each other at the end of the day 18. My kitty and
19. My pooch
20. That I have sight
21. hearing
22. smell
23. touch and
24. taste
25. The calendar on my BB Pearl
26. Chocolate milk
27. The leaves in fall in the Ozarks
28. Springtime
29. Redbox
30. Even though Bess Kitty has cancer, she doesn’t act sick
31. Lukeran (Bess’ meds)
32. I have a se*y phone voice
33. I have rhythm
34. I never started smoking
35. or doing drugs
36. My Mom’s neighbors because they help her when I can’t
37. The internet
38. Bloggers!
39. Freedom of Religion
40. Freedom of speech
41. 80’s & 90’s gothic
42. new wave and
43. industrial music
44. Reality TV
45. Canadian TV
46. DVR
47. My sense of humor
48. A's laugh
49. That I am literate
50. Though I may be in “want” I am not in “need”
51. My Opa is moving to Arkansas
52. Having a day off all to myself
53. That R and I reconnected
54. My true friends
55. Brownies with vanilla ice cream
56. My roof repair only cost $45 (thought I was going to need a new roof!)
57. The ocean
58. The Sims
59. The Sims Online (Now defunct but that’s where I met J)
60. That “Pepe” was a made up person and didn’t really have the struggles she claimed to have with Cystic Fibrosis. Although I pray she gets help for her Munchausen’s or whatever her real deal is.
61. That my asthma has improved significantly since moving out here
62. Timbaland
63. Unlimited mobile to mobile texting
64. That no matter how far I bite these fingernails down, they always grow back
65. Wikipedia
66. Pumpkin pie
67. That I am almost done with Christmas shopping and it’s not even December yet
68. A good nights sleep
69. My health
70. Shawn received new lungs
71. Baby Abby is doing amazing since having her brain surgery
72. Baby Jackie is also doing amazing after her heart surgery
73. I am finally in real love
74. That I learn something new each day
75. A hot shower and
76. clean sheets
77. I am a quick learner
78. A good massage
79. That I can give a good massage
80. Old photos
81. Family recipes
82. Hugs
83. This Italian Chicken Club I am eating right now
84. The fact that no matter how long it's been since we talked, DC and I can always pick up where we left off
85. Wednesday nights with cousin C
86. The color blue
87. Rainy nights snuggled up next to my sweetie
88. Playing in the snow with my pooch
89. Craft time with D
90. When I come home from work and my sweetie has washed the dishes
91. or did the laundry for me
92. Having someone to cook breakfast for
93. Mom's printer that prints photo quality copies
94. That I live within 5 minutes of one job
95. and 10 minutes from the other
96. Spell check
97. Sis took some awesome photos of A, D & me
98. I am a woman
99. My life
100. That I have 100 things (any many more) to be thankful for!

Thankful

2008-11-27T20:23:00.009-06:00

Mom found the photo of my favorite Christmas gift I received as a child. Oh man, I was so excited to get that doll.

I have a ton to be thankful for this year. I started a list that I was going to post today but I left it at work. BOO! We had Thanksgiving with A's dad's side of the family. The food was fantastic! Here is my contribution to the meal;

This is the only other photo I took of the day! LOL!

I didn't get to eat with Mom and Sis because A's family's Turkey Day plans got changed at 9:30 the night before. Mom and Sis went out to eat because nobody felt like cooking.

Uncle B is coming over later tonight but I am going to bed early. I got the crazy idea to wake up super early and go to the Black Friday sale at Wal-Mart. Let's see if my lazy butt actually wakes up in time...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!

I'm the best...um...?

2008-11-26T23:15:00.004-06:00

Tonight I was ironing clothes while D was on the bed watching a movie. Out of nowhere she says,
"Layne, I missed you all week." (I just dropped her off at school on Monday)
Me: I missed you too Sweetie.
D: I just want to hug you.
(We hug for a few minutes and I put her back on the bed)
D: Layne, you're the best... um... what are you?
Me: Well, right now I am your Daddy's girlfriend.
D: Well, you are the best... What do I call you then?
Me: What would you like to call me?
D: I don't know.
L: Well, you can think about it for a while and let me know, okay?
D: Okay.

I can see where the lines get muddied and not just for her. I'm not technically her Stepmom (yet) but I am a whole heck of a lot more then "The Baby Sitter" (What she called me when A and I first got together). Who am I right now? I love this child. I feed and clothe her. I want the absolute best for her. I can't wait for the day when she can say that I'm the best Stepmom.

Terrible 6’s and crafts gone bad

2008-11-25T07:52:00.009-06:00

It seems as though someone has a case of the Terrible 6’s. “Please” and “Thank you” are often forgotten and things are demanded instead of asked for.

I have no idea where this behavior came from! Where did our sweet child go? What were we doing wrong? Needless to say it has been stressing me out. I am so emotionally driven (yeah, I am a woman but I think I have the emotions of a hundred women!) and my feelings were being hurt.

I came up with a set of 4 house rules with “Please and Thank you” being number one. I went over the rules with A and he agreed. He told BM about the rules and she asked for a copy for her home and suggested a 5th rule. I added the 5th rule to both our lists so that we have consistency between the two homes. I made a cute little collage in Photoshop, added the rules and D and I painted and glittered some frames! Problem solved right? WRONG!

The manners flowed last weekend but this weekend we were back to square one. Mid panic attack I emailed The Wicked Stepmom for some advice. Hoping to not come off as a total loony I told her what has been going on. She told me that it may just be a normal 6 year old thing. I won’t quote her response since I did not ask permission but she made me feel so much better.

I also talked to my Mom and she said Sis had a phase just like it when she turned 6. She also told me that I just can’t let it hurt my feelings because it’s not about ME.

Thank God for Mom’s and strangers I meet on the Internet LOL! I will just grow a thicker skin while waiting for this phase to pass. Hey, didn’t I request a copy of “What to expect when you are expecting a 6 year old”?? Oh, that book doesn’t exist you say? Pfft!

On to a different topic; Crafts.

I love doing crafts with D. She always asks to make something with me so I try to have at least one craft planned for our weekends together.I remember making “Stained Glass” when I was little so I thought I’d try it with D this weekend.

WARNING: Do not attempt while surfing the crimson wave! TMI, I know but holy cannoli, the prep work about killed me.

I was too afraid to let D help me grate the crayons so I did it on my own. Every five minutes I heard “Are we ready yet?” It took me forever. Not kidding. I was grouchy. We finally started our project and it made a huge mess. The green shavings exploded on us (due to static electricity I guess?) and the wax bled on the towel and our table cloth. D had a good time and really, that is all that matters to me. We just won’t be doing this project again.

Sorry for the sucktastic photo. It's been cold and gloomy here so I used inside light.

This weekend was defiantly a learning experience for me!

P.S. I also started kitting that scarf for #47 on my list.

You love my man hands right?

Keeping my finger's crossed

2008-11-21T22:32:00.006-06:00

My Sweetie just informed me that as of 5:00pm tonight, he smoked his last cigarette. So please say your prayers & send good vibes his way. I would love for this to be the last time he quits! Come on Sweetie, you can do it!!

The Kitchen

2008-11-20T23:53:00.009-06:00

As promised, here are some photos of the fugly kitchen. I had a full view shot but the kitchen was still messy and I am far too embarrassed to post it. I'll have to take another one.

Looks think we have the table situation solved. A has a bumper pool/poker table like this (fun!) but with a glass top. I haven't seen it in person but I think it will work just fine for a dining table. If so, I may keep the chairs I have now and reupholster them myself. I'd like some new chairs so I may look around and see what's out there...

I haven't made much progress in tearing down the wallpaper. We have D three weekends in a row and I like to use that time doing fun family stuff. I have a feeling a 6 year old isn't going to want to help me peel wallpaper.

On a side note, A brought home some paint for the bathroom. I may try and do that next weekend. The bathroom is the size of a walk in closet so painting it should be quick and painless.

Holy canoli it is way past my bed time!

Good night.

This is what fall is all about

2008-11-16T17:30:00.006-06:00

It's snowing!!

2008-11-15T16:07:00.000-06:00

It's not sticking but it is snowing and it is stinking cold outside!

Let's get it started!

2008-11-14T21:26:00.004-06:00

I love finding a blog that I like enough to read it from the beginning. I’ve done that with Stepmother’s Milk, Blonde Lawyer, Wicked Stepmom and now apartment tbd, etc. The only down side is when I am done, I have to wait for an update like everyone else!! I have learned so much from each woman respectively. They are classy, funny and talented each in their own ways.

Thanks to Kay at apartment tbd, etc. I am totally inspired to start some DIY projects. Two years ago, when I purchased my home, I wanted to do the master bedroom in black and white with blue accents (Kay, I know you don’t care much for blue but I LOVE blue). I painted the walls Jamaica Bay and I wanted a bold black on white print for the curtains and a throw pillow or two. I couldn’t find anything I wanted so I kind-of gave up. It didn’t even occur to me that I could MAKE the curtains & pillows! I took sewing in high school and my mom sews all the time. DUH!

Just walking around the fabric department in Wal-Mart I spotted a few things I could have used. I think I will try and achieve that look I originally wanted. So, (or sew) I am asking for a sewing machine for Christmas. I hope I can hold out because I really, really want to go buy one tonight but my budget won’t allow it.

I think I am going to attempt taking down the wall paper in the kitchen (again) this weekend. I picked up some products tonight that should help me. There are like 4 layers of hideous paper I have to get through. The kitchen is by far the ugliest room in the house. The floors are dark, old and just plain nasty. The wall paper is the same. I want something bright. Maybe yellow? The living room is painted Ryegrass so I may do the adjoining wall in Ryegrass and then the rest of the walls white and use color in the utensils like Kay showed us many times in her blog.

I want to get rid of the table and chairs ASAP but I need to decide what I want to replace them with. I do want something small since the space is small. Maybe a circle table with removable leaves?

I was going to post some photos but it will have to wait until later. I haven't washed the dishes yet...

64. Organize my "favorites" list on the computer

2008-11-14T20:53:00.003-06:00

Why is this on my list?: I have old links, broken links and some duplicates saved under different names. It’s a hot mess.

How did I do it?: I sat there and tested & renamed them, then organized them into folders (while watching Real Housewives of Atlanta).

How did it feel?:Well, getting organized always feels good to me!

Fallen Soldier

2008-11-13T17:15:00.006-06:00

Photo by ladybugbkt on Flickr

I just received this email at work;

"I was just notified that Mellissa’s husband Jimmy was killed while on duty in Iraq. That’s all I know at this time. PLEASE keep her and the family in your prayers."

Melissa is a coworker of mine. She is a very sweet, young lady. I know I should say something super patriotic right now but all I can do is cry and tell my family how much I love them.

Christmas Survey from Amy

2008-11-13T11:42:00.005-06:00

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Wrapping paper!
2. Real tree or Artificial? Real if possible. I do have a fake one for back up
3. When do you put up the tree? ASAP but probably after or ON Thanksgiving
4. Do you like eggnog? Can’t say that I have ever tried it
5. Favorite gift received as a child? When I was small, all I really wanted was a Cabbage Patch Kid. At the time my folks couldn’t afford the real deal so they got me a knock off. I didn’t care; I was so excited I cried my eyes out.
6. Hardest person to buy for? It used to be my Dad. I don’t have to worry about that any more… 7. Easiest person to buy for? My mom, she makes a list of exactly what she wants and reminds my Sis and I of the list frequently.
8. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, a couple actually
9. Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail. I’d like to make home made cards this year.
10. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Earrings that look like Pez candy. I got them from my boyfriend at the time. Not sure what he was thinking…
11. Favorite Christmas Movie? A Christmas Story
12. When do you start shopping? I am bad. If it is too early and I buy something for Christmas, I can’t wait. I end up giving the gift early and then have to go buy something else right before Christmas…
13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Yes, some bath soap ensemble in a scent that just wasn’t me. I wouldn’t be surprised if the person I gave it to re-gifted as well...
14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Turkey and pumpkin pie. Just like at Thanksgiving
15. Lights on the tree? Lights everywhere!!!
16. Favorite Christmas song? O’ Holy Night and Drummer Boy bring me to tears every time.
17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? I usually stay in town but I am not apposed to travel
18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer's? If I sing the song…
19. Angel on the tree top or a star? I did a bow last year. The angel I have is WAY too big to be a tree topper on a tree in my little house.
20. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? When I was a kid we read the bible Christmas Story and opened one gift on Christmas Eve then all the rest on Christmas day. Now that I am older, it all depends on where I’ll be and who I’m with.
21. Most annoying thing about this time of the year? Not having enough money to do all the things I want to do.
22. Favorite ornament theme or color? Eclectic. New and old, store bought and hand made, just a Hodge Podge of stuff.
23. What do you want for Christmas this year? Liposuction! Seriously, I don’t want to say what I am hoping for because I don’t want to jinx it.

43. Stop working so much

2008-11-11T10:52:00.010-06:00

Due to stupid decisions I have made and continue to make regarding credit card use, I have backed myself into a corner with my finances. Therefore I need to work two jobs. Last year I was working 6 days a week around 11 hours a day (only 3 to 4 on Saturday). I am down to working a second job 3 nights a week. Working my tail off was just fine as a swinging single but bring A & D into the equation and working two jobs just plain sucks… I miss out on time with people I adore because I am either at work or so tired from working that I am in a grumpy mood.

Today I am wracking my brain as to what I can do so I only have to work one job.

The hours at my primary job were (voluntarily) cut to 37.5 hours per week. The mortgage business is crappy right now so work is slow. Plus, I really enjoy the extra time to sleep in. Things are about to start picking up for me because I am helping out our mother branch. I am going to try and get in 40 hours a week and see what that does to my paycheck.

I also go credit card crazy. I have Obsessive Shopping Disorder. Some call it a disease, some call it lack of self control, either way, it’s what I’ve got. I make lists upon lists and then go shopping. Clothes, cleaning supplies, food, crafts… anything. It is a short term fix for whatever I am stressed or anxious about at that moment. It’s like crack. Once I realize what I have done, and especially when I get the bill, I feel ill but I can’t seem to stop. The thought of cutting up my credit card scares the s*it out of me.

I am going to try…try and only use my card if I absolutely need it (unexpected costs). I also need to quit eating out. I only do it because it is easier than cooking. Eating out all the time is preventing me from #36. Lose at LEAST 20 lbs.

It looks like I have a huge domino effect going on; Quit the compulsive spending – bills are lower – no second job and possibly loose some weight and stress in the process.

Please say a prayer for me. I am not good in the self control area. This is going to take a lot of work but I think it will be worth it. I say I will start today but Christmas is coming up and I don’t want to set myself up for failure so soon!

~*~*~*~*~*~

On an up side, A and I went to The Marines 233rd birthday party (all the men in his family are Marines) and we had a great time. Don't we look cute?

79. See a play with Mom once a year

2008-11-09T11:52:00.008-06:00

Why is this on my list?: I know my mom loves to see plays and since both of our schedules are busy, I thought seeing at least one play a year would be possible. My treat.

How did I do it?: Our little (I mean tiny) local theatre has a website. I looked it up and saw that "Butterflies Are Free" was the last play of the year! It just so happens that the lead role is played by Ryan who was one of A's coworkers. This weekend is their opening weekend so I picked Mom up last night and drove on over.

How did it feel?: The play was great. Ryan was AWESOME!!!! I laughed, I cried (yes I really did and so did Mom) and I cheered the loudest out of the 15 or so people who were there. It was a good time and a great way to bond with my Mommy.

No cameras were allowed so I snapped these photos with my cell..

FINALLY!!!!

2008-11-09T11:18:00.004-06:00

I finally figured out what I was doing wrong with my blog layout. Hallelujah! Now I just need to re-do my blog header and background the way I want them. I am going to take my time to make sure it is how I want it though...

Under construction

2008-11-07T22:34:00.001-06:00

Messing with the layout again. Trying to get comments to work so I won't need that stupid shout box...

Grandpa is commin’ to town!

2008-11-06T22:49:00.005-06:00

My Opa, my only living Grandparent, is moving to my town.
I am very excited about this because I was never able to spend a lot of time with him growing up. He and my Oma lived in Santa Barbara and we lived in the Monterey area. In my adult years I was in Sacramento. I was selfish and didn’t really care to make an effort to go visit. When my Oma passed away, Opa went to live near my Uncle in the San Diego area and we were in Arkansas by that time. Well, my Uncle got an amazing job offer in Washington and everyone decided that my Opa should come to Arkansas and live.
My mom is ecstatic because he will only be 10 minutes away from her and I and only two hours away from Sis.
I think he will be moving some time in December.

On a totally unrelated note...
Have you heard Jason Mraz’ new song “I’m Yours”? Well I’m in love with it. It makes me glad I am in love but I wish I was on the beach with my love drinking Mai Tai…

Book Review: The Single Girl’s Guide to Marrying A Man, His Kids, and His Ex-Wife

2008-11-03T20:40:00.013-06:00

Photo from Amazon.com

I was looking for a book to help me with what challenges I might be facing as a Step-mom-to-be. I did a search on Amazon.com and even though I didn’t find “What to expect when you are expecting a six year old stepchild”, I did find “The Single Girl’s Guide to Marrying A Man, His Kids, and His Ex-Wife” by Sally Bjornsen.

The cover was cute, the summery was interesting and the reviews were good. I purchased it without hesitation.

I loved this book. Within the first 20 pages I was in tears because I realized that all the feelings I’d been having, good and bad, are normal. I am not evil and I am not alone. Bjornsen has a wonderful way of making a point with humor and class. She touches base on issues such as “The Ex”, finances and whether or not to go “Bio”.

I learned that my situation is actually a pretty good one. Although it isn’t “perfect” it could be a hellofalot worse! I have a feeling that I will keep rereading the book to remind myself that things are going to be okay and that “it isn’t always about me”. I recommend this book to any new stepmother or step-mother-to-be.

Killed two birds with one fun filled night

2008-11-01T13:19:00.011-05:00

My boss at my night job gave me the evening off to take D trick-or-treating and I was so stoked! I was able to accomplish two things on my list last night.

37. Dress up for Halloween

Why is this on my list?: I haven’t dressed up for Halloween (in real life) in YEARS!

How did I do it?: I was searching for a Hannah Montana wig online and came across this super cute "Love Spell Witch" costume.

How did it feel?: Well, bad because I used my credit card to buy it but good to get all dolled up! I receive a lot of compliments. (Everyone LOVED A's costume and the whole thing cost less than $10 to put together!)

38. Go trick or treating if we have D and if not, hand out candy

Why is this on my list?: The last time I went trick or treating was with my niece and nephew ages ago. Last year I stuck a bowl of candy on my door step and hid inside. This year I have a 6 year old Hannah Montana and a sexy spider bitten man to take door-to-door with me.

How did I do it?: Got in the car and drove to the hot spots. We also went Trick-or-trunking at a local church. The members of the church park their cars in the lot of the church, have games and hand out candy from thier trunks. "Trick or trunk, smell my funk..."

How did it feel?: It was great exercise and a good bonding experience. My favorite part was when D asked me to carry her because her legs were tired. At that moment she saw another house with the porch light on and took off running up a hill. Wait... didn't you say your legs were tired?? LOL!

45. VOTE

2008-10-30T22:11:00.004-05:00

I voted!!!
I didn’t get a photo because
a) I forgot my camera
b) I was going to take a photo wearing my super cool “I voted!” sticker but, THEY DIDN’T GIVE ME ONE!
I didn’t even see any around.

Why is this on my list?: I feel like it is my privilege and duty as an American

How did I do it?: My town offers early voting and I work about two blocks from the courthouse.So, I took a little walk down there on my lunch break.It all took about 30 minutes and I was the youngest person there.

How did it feel?: Like I am a part of something. And If the other guy gets elected and F's up, I can freely complain LOL!!

Witchy Woman

2008-10-28T21:31:00.005-05:00

Well here I am in all my glory. Trying to get up the nerve to actually wear this getup in public...
Don't mind the red nose. I came down with a head cold today along with the female flu. WOO HOO!!!

HalloWooHoo!!

2008-10-27T22:21:00.005-05:00

My Halloween costume came in and... it fits!! I was worried that I was too fat for it but it just fits! A promised me that I don't look like a stuffed sausage so I will be going out in public in my "Love Spell Witch" costume. I do need some spankies or something for when I bend over the tables at work (I'm a busser for you filthy minded people!!). I'll take photos later.

Sugar High

2008-10-26T19:32:00.006-05:00

Uncle B came in to town for the weekend so D and I made some Halloween cookies. Yum-O! D was a big fan of the black icing as you can tell by the photo of her teeth.

A bought the new Guitar Hero game so he and Uncle B are bonding over a wireless guitar and plastic drums.

Sis, Mom and I had a good time too. I miss having my sis in the same town but I am in no position to move any time soon and neither is she. :sigh:

Boring post, cute photos and a nice weekend over all.

Note to D...

2008-10-25T11:51:00.001-05:00

Please flush after you go poop.

KTHNXBAI

It's a biggun'

2008-10-22T23:37:00.006-05:00

It was a busy weekend and it’s been a busy week so far.

Let’s see, what should I blog about first…?

What about this;

#98. Do something extra special for A each month.

When I was in Lowe’s on Saturday I picked up a “How to” book on plumbing. A really wants to re-do the bathroom on his own. I thought a DIY book would be perfect. I was right. He has been pouring over it ever since I gave it to him.

A and I got a lot of the Halloween decorations up this weekend. He was going for a “Cocoon” type look for the front porch area. I think he achieved his goal. He fell in love with the spider he bought and decided to incorporate it into his costume this year. I think the yard looks great so far!

I found out that I have to work my night job on Halloween so I won’t be able to do #38. Go trick or treating if we have D and if not, hand out candy. Hopefully I can do this next year. I will be able to #37. Dress up for Halloween at the night job only. I want to be something simple because I will only have 15 minutes to change and get to the night job. I want to buy some cat ears and tail but anything remotely cute that I found on the Internet is sold out. I may have to figure something else out.

Piper has been having very bad allergies lately. She has rubbed her muzzle and ears to the point of bleeding. I took her off prednisone because it was making her fat. The Vet told me to try Benadryl instead. She has been on Benadryl for almost a week but her allergies are just getting worse. I took her into the vet yesterday and, $130 later, she had to have a prednisone shot, a treatment for mites (just incase, because it is cheaper to treat for it then test for it) and a butt load of special diet dog food. I was also told that she should be getting 100mgs of Benadryl twice a day. Not the 25mgs I was giving her. She is to have her special food and ONLY her food (no treats, table scraps, raw hide, etc.) for 2 months to see if her allergy is due to food. OH! AND! She gained a pound!! I have been walking her every day and took her of prednisone and she gains a pound??? :sigh:

On an up side, A and BioMom went to a parent-teacher conference and D is doing extremely well! Out of the 150 words she must know how to spell by site by the end of the year, she knows 140. It's only the first quarter! She is reading and comprehending at level 12 out of 18 (18 being the goal by the end of the year). I am so stinkin' proud of the little smartie pants! I wish I could give myself some credit (HA-HA) but grilling her on the spelling words is as far as it goes.

All in all things are going well. It’s a “D” weekend and Sis may come for a visit so that should be fun.