people..

from 2 peas:
People I enjoy being around are honest and direct, no playing games for me.
I like the subtle and the very direct!! The person I consider a good friend is one who will look me in the eye and tell me I'm full of sh_t. I tend to surround myself with those kind of women. I guess I admire these people, I would love to be more candid and direct. I want to grow up to be one of those cantankerous old women waving their fingers in your face...do you remember the old tv show Phyllis, it was a spin off from the Mary Tyler Moore show, I thought the old lady was a hoot!! Ok, not that bad,but more like that than I am now.\

Yesterday I said 'rock massage' it is 'stone', I guess I wanted them to play rock music!! I didnt end up having a stone massage, the person who set up my appt got me a Swedish Massage, and I'm not complaining, it was GREAT!!

I got my hair ironed with a Chi, made me look younger! I gotta learn how to use one of those!!

Wonderful day, I got to meet a couple of my sister's closest friends.

It was cool, at the reception, seeing her with 4 other women she has known since the early 80's. We were talking about the value of long lasting friendships, and how cool it is to have people who still want to know you for the long term. Michele would be my friend like that, she figured it out, the scamp, we've known each other for more than half our lives. We don't get to see each other as often as we'd like, but when we do, its like we've never parted.

Today is lunch with my other sister and nephew, then off to the hotel near the airport...and we are still hoping for a stop at the Clear Lake store...

its an addiction, I tell ya!!

and would you believe I miss my treadmill? I hope the hotel has one. Also when I stepped on my sister's scale, it said I've lost 2 more pounds, I like her scale, I may have to take it home with me.'\

oh, and yes, I do miss my dh...but a little worried, as I need to pick up another suticase for all my scrap shopping. Good thing Southwest allows you 2 checked bags!!

(insert a happy but "uh-oh" smile face)

a couple of Lss's...

Yesterday was fun, my sister's dd's dr appt went longer than expected so we did not go to the By Design Scrapbooking Boutique in Clear Lake, too far south the other way.

But we went to Scrapbook Village in Missouri City then A Scrap Affair in Sugarland.
Both very good, Village had more stuff, and though they had a lot of Bazzill, they did not have the colors I wanted. oh well, also did not have Sugar Coated chipboard letters (I've been looking for). But very cool sample books all over the store.

Affair, looks like a very new store, so her stock was not as much. But again some really cute samples and classes coming up. Both had Little Yellow Bicycle and some Love Elsie. I spent money at both!!

SEI's new lines for kids is CUTE!

Dinner was Cracker Barrel..such a dangerous place.,Orange Cream Soda, Chicken and Dumplings and chocolate pudding pie...yummmmmers!!

then Archivers..goodness gracious..I spent the most there. Their $1.99 bin and clearance sections!!!..and my sister can 'dig'..tell her what you want more of and she will find it and I found the Sugar Coated!!

Today, is spa day! followed by a wedding reception. the real reason I'm visiting.
though visiting scrap stores is the best!! I do miss having an LSS near me at home,
but online shopping works just as well.

Ya'll have a good weekend! I'll try, I mean, a rock massage, manicure, pedicure, and a luncheon at The Houstonian will make it tough!

HL and other planned visits...

Sis took the day off today, after taking her dd to the dr's we are going scrap store hopping. Our two stops, Scrapbook Village and By Design Scrapbook Boutique...
I'll give ya'll 'reviews' tomorrow.

Yesterday was Hobby Lobby, we don't have one near me in CA,...Its like a Michaels..but what great sales, half off paper packs, stamps, stickers...
I went a li'l nuts. They have Basic Gray and Cosmo Cricket...but did not find the new releases of Love Elsie. A li'l disappointed. But still spent a small bundle.
Got wedding stuff also.

And dinner was at Pappacitos...very yummy...can't tell you how much I miss Chile con Queso (how many calories in that?)...but very loud atmosphere, don't plan intimate conversations there and a bit pricey.

well, off to do my workout video...gotta work off dinner!!

Anyone else disappointed by Celebrity Apprentice, oh well, its all good, though I don't like Piers...I like his charity!! Don't get me wrong, I dislike Omorosa more than Piers. Between the two, I'd choose to have Piers for a house guest.!!

from 2 peas: Do you push yourself to go out of the norm and apply for design teams?

Nope, my scrappin is just too basic for DT's.. I'm just not that 'good'..but I'm not complainin' I still enjoy it.

I'm in Houston, it a little odd, my sis and her dd's getting ready for work and school, and here I sit on her computer. almost felt a little guilty...NOT!!

Its a great feeling! No work, no schedule, and I can scrap. My sis is a fairly new scrapper, with lots of stuff. All I brought was my pack of BG 2 scoops and album, I can use her tools and maybe snag some of her embellies...pretty cool set up.

(try not to be too jealous) (teehee)

Last night when I arrived, my mom made me Ca rolls and seawood soup, my favorite,of course, with this diet, I could only eat a little (but enjoyed every bite)

ya'll have a good day,
I will!!

online shopper?

Are you the type of person who needs a new item in your hot little hands from a store or will you order online and wait for the item? Oh, I am an online shopper, now that my lss has closed, it is all I have left. Though, I understand there is a really good store @30 minutes from my work, only problem it is 30 minutes the other way from home. so I have not made my way there, yet.

Now with a trip to Houston next week, I do plan to shop. shop and shop!!
did I mention shop!!! Hobby Lobby, here I come!

I did mail the invitations to dd today...yay! One thing accomplished before my trip!

Isn't planning a wedding, fun!!
Like building a house, lots of hidden little costs, huh?
Just got a phone call from dd's maid of honor, will I help with the cost of a limo for the bachlorette party?...Of course, I want those girls safe.

Well, I've lost a little weight...about 6 lbs.

you can't imagine the joy!! It is slow go, though I am working out with the trainer and treadmill @5 times a week, I still don't really diet. I just HATE that hungry feeling...but am eating better, have cut the pepsi from 3 times a day to once every 5 or 6 days..and try to make any 'bad' choices early in the day for lunch instead of dinner. (can you say, a stuffed baked potato on Sunday?)

Love my 4pm V-8 and those little 100 calorie packs.(Lorna Doone, rice cakes) I do feel better, even though there aren't any drastic results, yet. It will happen, it will happen...it will.

A friend recommended the work out video, Fit to Strip, I bought it online, and got it today, so I'll take it to Houston with me...since I won't have access to Kristen or my treadmill. Should be fun!!

a couple more days till I leave for Houston, can't wait!
but so much to be done and that needs to be done, so a little panicked.

Ran out of adhesive today, while making wedding invitations...was hoping to get them sent to dd tomorrow...hmmmm...down to my last 10...sooooo, maybe I can still get it done. This has been a tough task, cuz my home printer is NOT WORKING!!

Work is beyond crazy...simply not going to be able to get what I need done, done.
oh well. will do as much as possible in the next two days.

Can you believe I'm watching Princess Diaries...is that a li'l nuts, but need to relax a little. then move to other tasks.

My mom is coming home with me on Monday, the 1st. So I've been cleaning the room and moving furniture, trying to get ready for her. She says she is coming to stay, but she is already complaining to my sister about me...so we'll just have to see.

Enough putting it off, time to get some addresses together for dd.
we are thinking of using a series of childhood pics to decorate at the reception, so need to get them together.

Oh, I'm trying to think of a good line of papers for dd's wedding album...can ya'll think of something that has pale blue and white or cream?

Have a Happy Easter!

Oh, I linked a website to my blog, this is the young man who will be photgraphing dd's wedding. He is just starting out and is a friend of C's from college.

alphabet tag

A: Attached or single? Attached
B: Best friend? Michele, since high school...and other close friends in life,
but I'd have to include my daughter.
C: Cake or pie? Pie!
D: Day? Saturday
E: Essential Item? bottled water
F: Favorite Color? green
G: Gum or Mints? Gum
H: Home Town? Houston, Texas
I: Indulgences? Ebay!!
J: January or July? July, hate winter
K: Kids? Two
L: Life is incomplete without? my faith and kitty cats
M: Mexican or Italian food? Mexican
N: Number of siblings? 2 who are twins
O: One word that describes you? busy!!
P: Phobia? Shots
Q: Quote? "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that
which he cannot lose." Jim Elliot
R: Reason to smile? my kids and their sweeties
S: Season? Spring
T: Tag? Anyone that wants to play.
U: Unknown fact about you? gee, I'm pretty much an open book...hmmm.
My first t.v. 'crush' was Captain Kirk...now come on,
he was a cutie pie and soooo heroic!!
V: Vegetable you love? tomato
W: Worst Habit? shop a holic
X: X-ray or Ultrasound? neither
Y: Your favorite food? Enchilada...perfection
Z: Zodiac Sign? reborn under the sign of the cross!

family get together...

from 2 peas: How often do you and your families try to get everyone together?

Well, with my family in Houston, and my sisters not having anything to do with each other, THAT's not going to happen. But I try to find any excuse to head down there, and meet them seperately. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty much estranged from the one sister, but we haven't cut each other off...yet.. came close. Next week, I'm heading down there! with a stop at Hobby Lobby, of course!! I would love to be able to do it at least once a year.

DH's family, we all usually get together for the holidays. But this year, his parents have already let us all know that they will not be here, they'll be in AZ.

Soooooo, perhaps DD's wedding will be the opportunity for that this year...except the estranged sister. But with dd and her sweetie stationed in Pensacola..and ds starting out in the force...guess dh and I are going to have to split Thanksgiving and Christmas between FL and CA.

waaahhhh...crying smilie...
I guess that is all part of the growing up part, ain't it.
but the next phase, will make it all worth it, GRANDBABIES!!!

"there is never enough time.."

Remember that corny pick up line from Time Cop?
(Okay, so I like Jean-Claude and watched Time Cop more than a couple of times)
That is how I feel these days,
it doesn't help that I've filled my hours...

Personal Trainer comes to the house Mon and Thurs morn
I now go to an excercise group Tues and Thurs evening, treadmill the other nights.

Sunday morning we have Bible Study at our home, followed by church, followed by a Marriage class from 2 pm to 4:30..

Marriage class requires homework...should do a little everyday...uh huh, right...

Work Monday thru Fri...but I go in late Mon, Thurs mornings...and work is sooooo
crazy...we need another person..and I have SOOOO much to do. Not only invoicing, and deposits, for 2 companies and their computer inputs..but now, stuffing envelopes and filing. (Know anyone looking for a begginning admin job in Livermore, CA?)
and forget the general ledger work!! I'm a month behind!!

Oh, and have I even looked at our personal income tax!! dh and I set aside this Saturday to do that.

Add to that I'm going to Houston next week...have some details to cover at home, cuz my mom is coming home with me for a long visit...and I've been using her room as the cat's sick room (update, he seems to be doing fine, and has been out of the room the past 2 nights, without any accidents...)

And helping dd (wherever I can with wedding details)
(still need to put together the invitations, now that we have a place, and are finalizing wording for the invites.)

I need the googly-eyed crazy smilie!!

good news, its Weds., nothing going on this evening, except treadmill and ANTM
(I'll concentrate on invites, as much as I can, cuz our printer at home is BROKEN!!)

and Friday is payday!!
Oh, I need a dress for my sister's reception in Houston...

make that 2 googly-eyed crazy similes!!

St. Patty's Day

From 2 peas: What are you doing today to celebrate St. Partick's Day?
Well, today is our anniversary...24 years...so not only will I find something green to year..we'll probably do something for our anniversary.

Next year, for our 25th, we are planning to get re-new our vows... we got married 24 years ago at the 'Silver Bells' wedding chapel in Reno, and I want to go back.
Maybe find one of those chapels with 'Elvis'. Would love to have my original matron of honor, Michelle, and best man, Clint with us...but it will be cool, cuz Jason and Cierra can be there, also... well, Jason was there, but not visible. (note the maternity wedding dress)

The crop on Saturday was fun!
worked out very well... got a lot done!

from 2 peas: What are your creative plans today?

Going to a crop!!
I'm hosting at our church this month, we usually go to each other's homes, but I don't have the room.

There should be about a dozen of us...
(oh, Chick Wickes is a cutey-pa-tooty!!)
(sorry have CMT on and just glanced at the screen)

will be working on the wedding invitations,
but I'm taking layout stuff too...
been working on a paperbag book about dh's tandem jump..
looking forward to it!

Ya'll have a good Saturday!!

my sick little guy...

The kitty pictured in my banner has been sick, he is my son's childhood cat.
He's about 12 years old and for the last week, he wouldn't eat!
He'd act hungry but refuse his food...but BEG for ours...and just eat little bits of that whenever we gave in (my dd while she was visiting)

Dh kept saying, "He's on wind-down mode"...I told dh, I don't have to accept that!!
so, yesterday, I took Marshall (that's my kitty) to the vet.

He has lost 2.5 lbs in 15 months, he was dehydrated and constipated....so,
we got full blood work on him (still haven't gotten those results), he got one of those fluid pacs (the one under his skin) and an enema....yes, an enema.

But the prognosis is good! the Vet said at this age, go ahead and give him the food he wants (even people food) like boiled shredded chicken, boiled ground beef (no fat) and tuna...if that is what he wants to eat.

So I went to the "nice" grocery store (Nob Hill) and bought him Iams digestive and a pack of Fancy Feast...hoping he'd like those instead of me having to boil chicken for him. $24.00 in cat food!!! aye, yi, yi!!

Brought him home, and when I went to check on him in the evening, it was like a kitty explosion, (luckily I had him in a room with easy to clean floors)...every kitty biological fluid you can imagine was scattered throughout the room.
I told Marshall, " I just might strangle you myself" It was disgusting!!!

But, by this morning, no more messes and he had eaten the Iams...
so, I'm hopeful....

He is a 'stinker', but he is a good cat.

I've been tagged!

Here are the rules:


Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Tagged by JP from 'of cats and cardstocks'


Here are my 7 random/weird facts:

1) I will not refill and drink a used bottle of water, even if I am the only person to drink from it. I simply find that disgusting.

2) Gone with the Wind was the first novel I had ever read. When I was 14 years old, my dad told me I watched too much tv and gave that novel to me. Scarlett O'Hara is still my favorite..I am so glad dd has dark hair and green eyes!!

3) Anne Boleyn was executed on my birthday, May 19th...a few years before, but the same day...and again, Anne of a Thousand Days is another favorite book.

4) I have been to 2 Queen concerts, as a teenager I went to several concerts, even Elvis Costello when he first came out and was 'punk'...oh and the first AC/DC tour, when they still had Bonn Scott, when they opened for Aerosmith (Aerosmith by the way, SUCKED!! it was soooo obvious they were high.. AC/DC completely stole that show)

5) When studying accounting in high school, I HATED it!! My bf Michelle, can tell you stories of me throwing the book down the stairs. How funny that 1) I 'aced' it in college and 2) I am doing it for a living.

6) As a young woman, I studied Chinese Kenpo. even got up to 'purple' belt before becoming pregnant with ds and eventually gave it up. I had a roundhouse kick that was pretty darn good.

7) I've always been interested in photography, even when it was the type with old fashioned film and trays of chemicals...still wish I had learned it that way, though I LOVE my little digital camera.

So, I can't link, and I'll find 7 to tag. Well, I can't link, but I went on the following blogs..Stephanie, debwisker, MissM, Katherine, Dianne, Gabrielle, and Jill

Hope they haven't been 'hit' yet!

well, I am so upset right now.

I went to eat my leftover enchilada for break and it was gone!

Yesterday, I could not finish my lunch, so I put the leftover in the company fridge...went to heat it up for snack...and...gone. The styrofoam carton was put back in the fridge, but no enchilada.

There are signs posted not to eat other people's food, but that does little good, does it? We need hidden cameras in the break room.

I'm thinking I'm going to spread the rumour that I have some horrible contagious disease...

I'm just plain pissed.

thanks for letting me vent.

Here's a pic I took a couple of days ago, it is so pretty here, the trees are blooming and the sky is blue...the weather is cool and crisp in the morning, its a beautiful time of the year.

I am hosting a crop this weekend at our church. So fun, we are going to have a potato bar and gals are signing up to bring the fixings. I'll probably be working on wedding invitations.

DD has done a lot of researching and phone calling today.
She discovered that one of the beaches they are interested in does not require a permit on Sundays...but you cannot reserve it also.

She is hoping to have location tied down in a couple of days. Then we will rent our condo and get set that way.

I feel better, Kristen told me today they planned her wedding in 6 weeks, so this does seem less 'impossible'. Nah, I think it will be a major miracle!

and over the weekend, I found out that Chris (my future sil) did get his 'orders'...they will be sent to Pensacola in August, for 9 months.
A whole country away!! I told them, I guess this means Florida for Christmas!
but it is going to be sooooooo hard to be sooooooo far.

Saturday photo session, Sunday weather

Saturday was a fun day for me...
dd and sweetie were up for an unexpected visit, we weren't pleased with the pictures I had available for the invitations, so we took more.

We must have taken over 180 pics...and out of the 180...maybe had 5 or 6 we liked...
guess, I'm just not much of a photographer!! oh well!!!

This one is MY favorite, but the kids chose another.

from 2 peas: The weather is my area is...very pleasant today, there were blustery winds yesterday, but today it is cool but there is sunshine.

my favorite time of day...

from 2 peas:what is your favorite time of day?

Any time I'm not at work!!


DD and her sweetie came for a visit, this morning when she was looking for something to eat, she asked me, "Did Kristen (the trainer) go through the kitchen? cuz, where is the good food?"

Kristin did stop by this morning, we, okay, I did resistance excercies with the rubber bandy thing..I probably will not be able to move my arms tomorrow.
gotta keep telling myself, 'this is worth it, this is worth it' She got 40 push ups from me this morning, and cheerfully told me that next week 'you'll do 50!"..wow, how fun.

DD's sweetie set up her old laptop for me, so we now have 2 computers to access the internet at our house...yay!!


well, off to look for a series of 4 pics for the scraplift evolution challenge...though I have an idea...

have a great Friday!!

look what I found!

maybe I should use this pic for her invitations!!

from 2 Peas, 5 things that make me happy:

1) my family...cliche, but true, I love and am very proud of them, spending time with them makes me happy. Esp with C and Chris living down in So Cal and J in the academy, anytime they come for a visit is special for me.

2) my Percy (my spoiled cat)...when he decides to give me a cuddle in the morning it makes my day.

3) teasing co-workers, esp the blondies, hey, it breaks up a dull work day, doesn't it! And we do seem to have a lot of 'blondes' in our office, no matter what color their hair is.

4) having time to myself, I just crave those snippets of time when I can just chill.

5) random phone calls, just to chat, with Brenda and Michele and C and J...
(though lately Brenda has been giving me a hard time about a family situation)

ohhh, so sore today!!

from 2 peas: my childhood yard...I grew up in Texas during the mid 60's thru late
70's, one thing I do remember is we did not have fences...all the back yards were open to each other. Then the first pool went in (the backyard across from us) and the first 6' wooden fence, but even now, the majority of the yards just have short metal fences. Whereas in the CA subdivision I've lived in , all have those 6' wooden fences. We played a LOT in our backyards, we played deserted island (the patio was the island, the yard the sea) and cruise ship and just a lot of imaginative play.

Yesterday morning was my first work out with Kristen, the personal trainer...oh my goodness.

Her idea of strength training is squats, lunges and push ups...did I forget to mention that I wanted the workout without squats, lunges and push ups?


When I told her that I don't like to sweat, she just kinda chuckled and said "Well, you'll get used to it"...UGHHH

I was sore yesterday, I am now officially stiff and sore, today.

Last night was spent working on dd's 'real invitation'...
its a beach wedding, her colors are light blue and white. I wasn't crazy about this last night...but I like it better this morning. There is a 'cleanness, freshness' about it.

What do you think? What can I add? What can I change?
She went to HL and bought cardstock in her correct shade of blue, these are just to play...
let me know what you think

thanks,
Karen

Well, its official, DD and her sweetie are getting married, they are planning/hoping to have it after her graduation...the day after her graduation.

She asked me to make her invitations (don't worry, it will be a small amount, as this is a small ceremony with just friends and family)

So in honor of his Oklahoma roots and her being a half Texan, this is my first draft.

What do you think?

okay, just kidding...but having a lot of fun!!

I also worked on my 'you are beautiful page' and a real invitation for the kids.

happy Monday, ya'll!

from 2 peas:
Do you prefer to attend online crops or in real life crops?

Definately real life, I am part of a local scrap group and we try to get together at least once a month. I get a lot done, and get to visit with the girls. I'm hosting the next crop, we usually meet in homes, but since I don't have the space, I made arrangement with my church.
I am having fun, going on ebay and buying mixed packs to make door prizes; we have a layout challenge, inspired by something I saw on 2 peas, about our hometown; thinking of buying a fondue pot...but with my new resolutions, probably not a good idea.

DD is in Okalahoma this weekend, she is meeting her sweetie's family and friends. When she arrived yesterday afternoon, I told her my credit card is ready if she needs to escape the Okies...tee hee(couldn't help it, I am from Texas after all). When I spoke to her last night, I actually texted them to remind them to take pics, she said she LOVES his family. One of his grandpa's is just like hers, with that 'wry, I dare you' type of humor...and her mom, DD tells me she pointed to an empty wall in her home, complete with nails already in and told the kids "That wall is reserved for wedding and babies" I like her already, obviously we think alike!! except I don't have a wall, just albums and scrap paper and baby clothes already collected.


DS had a great accomplishment this week. At the academy he did a run, sorry don't remember the distance, under a minute, so his name is going on a plaque at the academy. YAY!!
One of the things he and dil has done, once he started the academy, is make the rule
No More Junk Food.
(This is the kid who could eat a whole pan of cinnamon rolls throughout the day.)
And its paying off, they are both healthier and dil is looking good in her blue jeans.

insert siiiiiiiigh....
well, hoping its my turn...

ya'll have a great weekend,
my inlaws will be here around noon, so wish me luck!! (jk)