Friday, November 28, 2008

I don't wanna get booted!!

I received a message from blogger saying my website was tagged as a potential spam blog and that it would be deleted in 20 days unless I took action. I still have not heard back from them...and I'm getting worried that a computer may boot me!! Yikes! I would hate to lose everything! I guess I should start backing up my posts just in case!

Here is a card that I made for one of my friend's parents. Her father is battling cancer, and I wanted to send them a card with some photos of their grandbaby!

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The paper is stuff I got from work. 120# Classic Laid Double Thick Duplex, 80# Cougar Cover, and the yellow is something else...can't remember the brand. The stamp set is Embrace Life. I really liked the card. I wish the photo would have come out better though, as usual! I tried using my mini studio kit that I got for by birthday from my best friends, but still not the best. I've tried with some other cards and I think I may be getting the hang of this. Well, I must go, as I'm getting sleepy!! I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Toodles ~ Kim

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

I really am alive!

WOW! I can't believe it's been a month since I've posted! I've been so busy with schoolwork and work I've not gotten a chance. Plus, I'm trying to not spend all waking hours at home on the computer so I can get other stuff done, like actually MAKING something! I've just finished another baby blanket, but have yet to decide who it's going to. I have several baby boys that I can send it to. I decided I'm sick of making blue blankets, but everyone I know has had boys. So finally, I've found out my husband's aunt has a new granddaughter, so I'm making a blanket to send out to her. Of course, I'm only working on it at breaks at work, so 20 minutes a day isn't making much progress! I have two more boy blankets to make. Hopefully I'll find make the time to work on it.

My husband and I have been house hunting for the past few months and yesterday we made an offer on a home. I like it, but I'm trying to stay calm about it, and not get disappointed if the offer is rejected. If it's accepted, we will be getting a great home at a great price. I'll talk more later about it once it becomes a reality. (But I am already starting to plan my craft room!! I'm sure a trip to Ikea will be in my not so distant future!)

Well, I guess I'll wrap this up. I'll try to take some pictures of some cards I've been working on tonight or tomorrow. I've got a test tonight and need to study my behind off so I can get a good grade. It's funny, when I was younger, I didn't care what kind of grades I made, but now I am striving for A's. Guess it's a maturity level thing! Toodles! ~Kim

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Wonderful Event!

Cammie is hosting a wonderful blog candy/raising awareness event. She is also donating all of proceeds to the Alzheimer's Association from her stamp set, Whimsical Autumn at Gina K Designs. Here is the card I created at a stamp camp, and I'm sending it to the Artman House, where Cammie's grandmother was taken care of during the last years of her life. I applaud any family/friend and/or caregiver who has been affected by Alzheimer's for their kindness. Please visit the sponsors of this wonderful giveaway, and thank them for donating to the cause. Also, send a card to someone you know who is a caregiver, or to the Artman House, and thank them for their kindness! Thanks!

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Busy, Busy Life!

Man, when did my life get so busy?? It's my own fault really. Not only do I work full time, but I've gone back to school at Murray State. I'm taking six hours this semester, English 102 (trying to get a D off my transcript from a decade ago, when I didn't take school seriously) and a fine arts elective (Introduction to Theatre). I'm enjoying the Theatre class, other then the fact that I'm WAY older than everyone in the class, including the teacher! I still feel pretty young, well, I did, until I started this class! This is the first on-campus class I've taken in a decade. I've taken online classes, but that's it. (Wait, actually in Cincinnati in 2001 I was in broadcasting school, but there was several classmates who were my age and older, so I didn't feel as out of place as I do now!) Anyway, back to this class. Last Tuesday, we had to perform in front of our classmates in pairs. We were all given the same "open" script, but had to make it our own, including props, costumes, scenery, etc. So my partner, Jacquiline and I, came up with a plan. We were at the airport. I was a rocker chick, she was a pretentious chick. Well, I decided I was gonna go all out. So I talked to my hairdresser and made an appointment to get my hair and makeup done. Lisa went ALL out! She even brought clothes for me from her 16 year old daughter's closet! When she was done, I looked AMAZING! (If I do say so myself!)

As I showed up at class on Tuesday night, I was hoping not to draw attention to myself. (My friends would say "Pshaw" at that, as I'm usually very happy being the center of attention with people I'm around all the time. But with these "kids", not so much.) Anyway, I figured they never paid much attention to me anyway, and they wouldn't notice. Well, as I was walking up to the Fine Arts Building, people outside practicing, kept saying, "Wow! You really went all out!" One was walking in the door in front of me, and got in the lobby of the theatre and yelled, "Jacquiline, here's your partner! Look at her!" Everyone was in the lobby as the teacher had not opened the classroom yet, so all eyes turned to me. I was mortified. But what could I do? I had to go to class and I had to stay where I was. So, I just smiled shyly and found J. It ended up going off without a hitch. I did drop a line, but it was OK. The teacher called me out before class started saying "You get an automatic A for your costume! You look fantastic!" After class, she said I did really well and said I could be an actor. I'm sure she was just saying it, not really meaning it, but still! So, here's a picture. Don't laugh too hard. I ended up really digging the hair, not the makeup so much! And the outfit...I LOVE! I really started feeling young!

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Well, I guess I should go as I'm putting off writing a 1,000 word paper for english right now. It's due on Tuesday. Plus I have a test on Tuesday for my theatre class that I need to study for. Yuck. Why am I going back to school again?

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Stamp Club & Craft Club

Well, I really lucked into a cool thing a couple of weeks ago. Some friends and I have been talking (for years now, even when we lived in Cincinnati) about starting a craft club. Basically, a group of people to get together and do crafts. In the beginning, we were going to have different people host each get together and teach some kind of craft. Well, the craft club kind of became a reality last week. I sent out emails to everyone I knew who I thought might be wanting to get together to do some crafting. It didn't matter what type of craft either. Scrapbooking, stamping, whatever you wanted to do. Just a time to get away from home and kids and focus on crafting. I sent an email to my friend Candee, thinking, "Well, I don't know if she's crafty, but I'll send it anyway. She'd like to get together and socialize anyway." Well, she emailed me back and told me about a Stampin' Up! stamp club she was in. She also asked me if I wanted to come to one of her classes! It was so much fun! I made the most beautiful card I have ever made! I never would have learned how to make that beautiful card if I had not emailed Candee. Here is this card:
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and the inside:
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Here is the other card we made. It is beautiful too.
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I think I could have come up with that idea on my own, but the flower card? No way. I didn't know of this technique (huffing) until I met up with these ladies. Tonya is the demo, and she has a ton of great ideas and products!

Well, back to Craft Club. Everyone emailed and told me they would be interested and what days were good for them. So last Friday night was the first ever Kim's Craft Club. OK, so it won't really be named Kim's Craft Club. I just couldn't think of a name for it, and since I initiated the email to get this thing going, well, right now that's what it is. Once we get a little more formal and designate certain dates that we're going to do this, and get more people to come, then I'll come up with another name. We met at Aurora Baptist Church, Kara's home church. We've crafted there before and it's a great place to meet. It has a kitchen, bathrooms and lots of tables for crafting! It was a great night for all who attended. I ended up getting four or five pages done in my Lucy scrapbook, but that was it. I was too busy socializing and seeing what everyone else was doing! We are going to have to do it again sometime soon. In the meantime, I'm waiting for the next Stamp Club class, which is on Sept. 11. I'm too excited. Tonya came to the Craft Club the other night and I told her how I didn't use heat emboss powder too much, basically because I was no good at it. So she said the stamp club will then have lots of projects that involve embossing so I can practice! I think that will be cool. Plus, more ideas!

Just a quick note on the above photos: I was in a hurry when I took them, so they are not really that great. Kara and Jenni got me this really cool photo box type thing to set up an item and take really good pictures, but I was in a hurry and trying to get back to lunch on time. So for now, that will have to do. In the future, I'll use my little "photo studio" for all of my crafts and maybe they'll look better.

Well, we are leaving to go to Cincinnati this weekend to see the inlaws. I'm excited and ready to get out of town. J had to work late, so we're getting a later start than we wanted to. Oh well, they were gonna go to bed anyway and just leave the light on for us. So I guess it doesn't matter what time we get there. We just need to be quiet when we come in! Well, everyone have a safe and happy Labor Day! Kim

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Heartbroken!

Yep, I'm heartbroken as I write this. I'm sure it will mend, but it will take time. Last night was just terrible for me. I got home from work, and our neighbor has a wonderful little tom cat named Tom. He is the sweetest thing and every time I see him I stop to pet him.

Well, after petting him, I go inside and feed Lucydog and then go to wash my hands. (It seems I've grown a bit allergic to kitties as my eyes and nose itch if I touch my face after touching them. Who'd thought? I grew up with three indoor cats!) Anyway, as I was washing my hands at the kitchen sink, I see a little kitty outside coming up on our back porch. She looked a lot like Tom, except her colors are exactly opposite. He's mostly white with large black spots all over. She is mostly black with white boots, white chest and neck and a small white mustache. Cute as can be...but she's limping. And from the window, 10 feet away, I could see what I thought was a wound with bone showing. So, I watched her from the window for a little bit, and finally had to go outside to see how bad off she was.

Here's where I got sucked in. She was the sweetest little kitty. She purred the entire time I was petting her. Her wound looked pretty bad, and her paw was swollen about 2 1/2 times larger than normal. As I'm rubbing her, I feel of one of her front legs, and it's obvious she was either born with some kind of disability and her leg grew wrong, or she'd been hurt before, because her "elbow" was sticking out sharply, but was covered in fur and obviously an old injury. So, I'm bawling my eyes out as I feel like she's hurt really bad and I don't know what to do. I call the animal hospital (who knows us...well, LUCY, very well because of all the stuff she eats...see this post for a quick story on that!) They tell me I could bring her in and incur the costs myself, or call Animal Control and see what they could/would do. So I call Animal Control. Of course, it's after hours, so I have to leave a voice mail.

The longer I sat out there with her, the more I cried and decided I had to do something. I called the animal hospital back to see exactly how much an exam would cost and if they could see her. They said just an exam was $37.50 but yes, they could see her now. As I'm crying to Jason, asking what I should do, Kitty sits down right beside me, placing her two front paws on my leg and looks up at me like I'm the only person in the world who could help her and it broke my heart! Jason said at that moment, "Oh Kim, you know you gotta take her!"

So, I packed her up and took her in. At the time, I didn't know if she was a she or he as I didn't want to handle her too much with her yucky wound. Well, after arriving at the animal hospital, I found out she was a little girl, at least a year old. Once the doctor came in to look at her, he found a lot of things wrong with her. The first thing was ear mites. No problem, those can be treated. Then the original back paw wound. No problem, 21 days of antibiotics, daily hydrotherapy (which means holding the paw under a steady pressure of water for several minutes...and you know how cats love water!), drying the wound, applying scarlet oil once a day, applying ointment twice a day! Whoa! I think I got it all. Then they broke the worst news to me. She's pregnant with two little kitties. She's around two weeks and the gestation time for cats is 9 weeks. He said he could still spay her but he needed to do it before she reached 6 weeks. How would I ever make that decision to kill her babies? (Side note: I am very pro-life as my biological father (or sperm donor as I call him) wanted my mother to have me aborted when he found out she was pregnant. If my mom hadn't of stood her ground, I wouldn't be around. Luckily she packed up and ran back home and into the arms of Dad, the wonderful man who raised me as his own, along with my older sister when he was just a kid himself! Love you Dad...even though I know you don't read!!)

OK, back to kitty. I bring her home and give her food and water, along with the antibiotics and patched up her little paw (luckily they did the hydrotherapy at the vet so I didn't have to do it last night) and then decided I was gonna see if she had a home. She was just too friendly not to have one. I started with the family that lives in the other half of our duplex. She has a son who's always playing around the neighborhood and keeps track of everyone. He and his mom thought they knew who it belonged to and offered to go over there with me to see if it was theirs. So, we walk over there, and there is a couple sitting on the steps with a toddler playing in the parking lot. The woman looks up and says, "What has my cat gotten into now?" So, I told her I just got back from the vet and she starts acting a little more concerned. By the time this was going on, the cat was peeved cause I had been holding it too long and it just wanted down. So, she saw it as she was running under the car. I told her what all happened and that I had medicine I'd bring over for her if they'd take care of it and she said they would. Then, I told them she was pregnant (and the girl was pregnant herself, smoking...but, who am I to judge?) and she said, "She's pregnant again? I've only had her a year and this is the second time she's gotten pregnant. I just got rid of the litter she had before." So, at this point, I start getting peeved. She said she was planning on getting her fixed but they didn't have the money and now that she was pregnant she would have to wait until the kitties were born. Then I told her that the vet said he could spay her before she got to six weeks and she said that was just "disgusting." And then she brought up the money again. I told her that I knew someone at the humane society that could give her a 1/2 off the price of a spay or neuter as long as it was done at a vets office here in Calloway County. I told her that meant it would only cost $35. And then I offered to help her pay it if they didn't have the money. She then said, "Oh, no, I thought it would be more than that, I could pay that." I think she felt a little insulted, and I wasn't trying to insult her. I just wanted the kitty fixed so we wouldn't have more cats in this world. So, then, my Schwann's man pulled up and I told her I had to go, but that I would get the medicine and food and instructions and bring them back shortly.

As we were walking back, my neighbor and I looked at each other and had the same thought. We hope she'll take care of them. We were trying not to judge them on our first impressions, but it's kinda hard sometimes. She looked pretty rough, like don't want to meet her in a dark alley kind of way. Well, I spent a little too long talking to the Schwann's man so it was probably 30 minutes before I got back over there. It was dark and they were already back inside. So I rang the doorbell and waited. Nothing. Evidently their door bell does not work. So I knocked a little bit. Didn't want to wake up any kiddos or anything. (I also didn't want the girl coming and kickin' my butt!) Well, the guy answered the door. He was very thankful for everything that I did and told me he would pay me back as soon as he could but that he just got laid off from his job, and just got another job, down on his luck...yadda yadda yadda. But, as I was asking questions (are you from here, where'd you live before you moved here, etc.) he told me he was in the military (Air Force) and was a trained surgical technician. He got burned out on it, so took some time off and got into contracting (I think that's what he said) but now he's a chef at a local restaurant! He said he was trying to get back into surgical because the money was good, and I don't think the girl worked. Anyway, as he was telling me this, I started feeling a little better about them taking care of the cat as he has medical training and maybe he would know how to do all of the stuff that needed to be done.

So, that's it. I spent too much money on a stray cat, who ended up not being a stray but owned by someone in my backyard. The thought that is comforting to me is that if I had of found the owners before I took her to the vet is that they might not have taken her, and she wouldn't get the medicine and care she needed. So, if they take care of her, then I've done a good deed. I didn't want recognition or even reimbursement for the care. I just wanted that sweet little kitty taken care of. And I hope they do. I'm in the process of getting the spay voucher to them, and then hopefully I can check up on her from time to time. I'm such a sap when it comes to animals. It breaks my heart when they are sick or injured, because they can't tell you what is wrong or how I can help them. I just love on them and try to comfort them as much as possible. I'm in such a funk today. I know my broken heart will mend. I've been praying a lot since last night. I'm not much for saying prayers a lot, but I needed God's help and wisdom and I felt like He helped comfort me last night. I will continue to pray about this and other things in my life that I have not been able to get control of myself and maybe things will get better. Maybe this was God's way of telling me to pay more attention to Him and every thing around me. WOW, sorry if I got a little deep there. Keep me and Layla (the preggo cat) in your prayers...we're gonna need it! ~Toodles! Kim

Monday, August 4, 2008

I passed!!

Well, I finally finished my Chemistry class. I'm SO glad it's over! I made an A, so I'm excited. Hopefully that'll help get my GPA higher. I'm taking English 102 and The Theatrical Experience this fall. I'm ready to take more classes. But this time, I'm not gonna wait until the last minute to do my assignments!

I'm ready to get back to crafting! This evening, I'm going to Cardio Blast at the gym, then coming home and cleaning my neglected messy home! Then, I'm crafting! I'll post some of my new creations soon! ~Toodles! Kim

Thursday, July 24, 2008

I've been crafty!

It's been a while since I've posted. I've wanted to post, but I've had nothing to share. But now I do. I've discovered altering composition books. I've really become obsessed with it. I've got a ton of them, ready to decorate. I'm even teaching a class at the local scrapbook store. Here's my favorite so far:

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And now my second favorite:

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I made this one for my Shawna for her birthday. Sorry it was a little late Shawna!

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And here's the card I made with the left over scrap pieces! Yay for me!

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It really isn't one of my favorite cards. I used a rub on tape for the faux stitching. I didn't like it much. Looks too fake.

Hope you enjoy looking at what I've made. Maybe I'll keep making stuff and posting. I've been busy trying to finish up my chemistry class before next Friday. I have a bit left to go, but I'm sure I'll get it done. I'm going to Nashville tomorrow to visit a friend who's just had WLS. I've talked to her sister and she's doing great! While I'm in Nashville, I'm getting to see my old massage therapist and I'm getting an hour and a half massage!! I'm so excited! It's been a while since I've had a good massage!! Toodles! ~Kim

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Happy 4th of July

Freedom Fest Fireworks

Hello anyone who's reading! We had a wonderful weekend! On Friday, my hubby and I went to some friends house for a pool party. They have it every year and it was last year when I saw them last. It was great catching up with everyone! I have some pictures of the kids showing off.
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Then, on Saturday, we had a definite experience. I ended up bringing Samantha home with me and boy did we have fun. Our friends, Dinker & Dozer, asked us to help them with a job. They own a catering business called on the mark catering and event planner and they were hired by the radio station to cater for the Freedom Fest concert. We were catering in the artist hospitality room. That meant we would be serving Jason Meadows, Tracy Lawrence, and the Charlie Daniels Band. So, Sami & I got there right before lunch. So we helped serve band members (we're assuming as nobody really introduced themselves our anything and I didn't ask.) At about 1:30, everything slowed down. My friends left to go get the food for supper. So it was just me, Sami & Mikey. Then Mikey left so it was just me and Sam. Then this gorgeous lady and pretty cute guy walked in. The guy said he needed to get "this lady something to eat." So, by that point, lunch was pretty scares. So, she ends up getting a little salad, as the guy is sitting there humming, walking around. So, I compliment her hair, as it is absolutely stunning. Then I ask if she's with one of the bands and she said "Yeah, I'm with Jason." and points to the guy who was with her but walking out the door. I asked her if that was Jason Meadows and she said yep. Dang it! A famous person and I didn't know it. She just laughed! Then his bus driver came in and we talked a little bit, but Sami really took a liking to him. She was sitting with him talking the whole time he was eating. Then, he came back for supper, and she kept going and getting his dirty dishes for him and talking and being cute. He left, and then came back with a ball of something. He told me to "give this to that youngin". It ended up being a Jason Meadow T-shirt. I thought it was so nice. I told him that she said she wanted to ask him if she could see the inside of the bus, but chickened out. He told me to tell her to come find him and he'd let her see it. Well, then I said that I was her guardian and I'd have to come too and he said that was fine!! He said look him up once Jason was on stage.

So, after that, a lot of people started coming in to eat. We were feeding people and then all of the sudden there was this cute little puppy running around. So Sami and I started playing with it.

Samantha & Tank

Isn't he a doll?? We were playing with him and I asked who owned him and this guy sitting at the table closest to us said it was his. He told us his name was Tank and he was an english bulldog and he was 9 weeks old. So we just kept talking to his owner, and then my friend's son came and whispered in my ear, "You're talking to Tracy Lawrence." I told him he was a liar. I mean, the last time I saw Tracy Lawrence, he had long blond hair and this guy wasn't him. He was wearing a ball cap, and some glasses and just didn't look like him. Until I kept talking to him and then all of the sudden it hit me and I could see it. I'd been talking to him like crazy and didn't even know who he was! So, here's a photo of Tank, the dog of Tracy Lawrence.

Tank - Tracy Lawrence's Dog

After that, we went out and hung out at the concert until it started. Then, we saw Jason's bus driver sitting over by the tour buses, so we went over to see him. He had us pull up some folding chairs and have a seat. We talked with him while the Froggyland Idol was singing. Then we saw Jason's band come out of the bus and start walking to the stage. Then, out pops Jason. It was pretty cool. So we sat there for a little bit and then walked back over to the front, and then walked back over to where he was sitting. He had gone up to the stage to do some stuff, but then came back. He told us his name, and where he was from. He's married and even has a grandbaby! He's driven tour buses for quite some time now. He's driven for Neal McCoy and even Gwen Steffani. I thought that was pretty cool. Anyway, he never mentioned anything about getting to tour the bus, so I didn't mention it again. He was nice enough to let me take a picture of him and Sami. Here it is:

Dooley & Samantha

He was super nice and kept us entertained. After we told him bye, we went back over to the concert. Jason was still on stage. I got a couple of photos of him that were pretty good. Here's one of them:

Jason Meadows

We didn't stay for the rest of the concert. Unfortunately, I started getting a migrane and was tired from working all day. Plus, Sami didn't really care about staying. She doesn't listen to country music and didn't know who anyone was anyway!

So, we went home and waited for the fireworks. I got a lot of cool pictures. The first one is posted at the beginning of this post. Here are some others:

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How cool is that photo? Love how you can see the little squiggles. Here's another one:
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It reminds me of a sun in the middle with starburst rays all around!

Well, thanks for reading if you've stayed with me this long! Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weeknd! Toodles! ~Kim

Friday, June 6, 2008

Happy Doggie & A Card

I've created quite a few cards lately. Here is what most of them look like. I have finally gotten on the boat and started working with "Inchies". It really was fun. And kind of addicting! I just had a ton of them to put on cards. And it left the cards to where I could put whatever sayings I wanted on there as needed. Here's the photo:

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I don't remember what all supplies I used. The photo isn't really good...still haven't mastered the taking photos of my projects thing. But, if you can tell, I did get a little stand to put the card on so my fingertips aren't in every photo! I did add little rhinestones to all of the inchies...almost used all of my rhinestones as I had a ton of inchies!! But, they're all on cards now, so I have 20 or more cards that I have for whatever occasion.

Here's a picture of our happy dog!

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She's just panting from her long walk, but it looks like she's smiling! I have this on my desktop at work. She's so adorable.

Well, nothing new is going on with me. Oh, except I'm working out with a trainer now at the gym. She's really tough, but I feel better after working out. I still hate exercising, but I know I need to get in shape. I've put a few pounds back on, so I could definitely stand to lose a few. Of course, if I'd start watching my diet better, control the carbs, maybe I'd lose some pounds! Uggh!

My chemistry class is going OK. I've got a lot of assignments to do, so I'll probably be working on school work all weekend. All I really wanna do is sit in the recliner and veg out. I'm sure I'll be doing a whole lot of that! And playing Guitar Hero III on the Wii. We haven't played in a while, so I'm about to get on it. Maybe sometime this weekend I'll do some crafting. If I do, I'll post something. Thanks for reading my ramblings! ~Kim

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Random Ramblings

Well, the holes from which my wisdom teeth were pulled have finally healed most of the way up. I'm still having some pain, and I'm out of meds, but I guess I'll survive. I've been so busy I haven't had time to think about the pain.

Lots of things happening right now. Unfortunately, I haven't been too crafty. I've got some projects in progress, but nothing finished to show yet. Well, actually, I do have a photo of a card I gave to one of my friend's kids. She was nice enough to drive me to and from the dentist's office (and Dairy Queen afterwards) when I had my last wisdom tooth pulled. Then, I made another card on Monday while I was sitting around catching up on my TV watching.

I'm getting so stressed out and am procrastinating like crazy over my Chemistry 101 class. I have a paper due on June 4th. I know I've got plenty of time, but I haven't written a paper in years. Especially when I have to defend my position on something. Luckily my husband will be nice enough to proof everything for me to make sure it makes sense. And one of my friends is taking classes towards her Masters right now, and she'll be at my house alot this summer, and she was an english major, so I'll get her to proof my papers too. Yeah, she'll be even better than Jason.

I feel like I've got a list of things to do and have no motivation to do anything. Tomorrow I am starting an exercise program. Since I'm now a student at MSU, I can take classes at the Wellness Center at the college. Tomorrow I'll take a cycling class after work, and then after that I'm working with a personal trainer for a health assessment and then she'll work out a plan for me. I'm excited. I haven't had a personal trainer before. I guess since I am saving so much money by not paying for the gym, maybe I can afford to use the trainer once a week or something. Problem is, I'm now needing to start watching what I eat again, and I'm horrible at planning meals. I went grocery shopping tonight and ended up with $90 of junk. Actually, not a lot of junk, but nothing that went together. So, I'm gonna have to set down and plan a menu and follow it. If I'm gonna exercise and spend time and money for a trainer, I need to stop putting junk in my body.

I've got a ton of stuff I'm gonna do. In the next 9 months, we've gotta change a lot of things in our lives in preparation for the possible steps in the future. We're almost 100% sure we want to start a family. So, we're needing to get our lives organized, house organized, health in good/great shape and start preparing. You hear that if you wait for the perfect time to start a family you never will. Well, we now have a goal of when we want to start trying and a list of things we want to complete before that happens. I need to make it into a checklist type form. Just for me. Heck, nobody ever reads my ramblings, so it is just for me! haha! I'll post a craft item here in the next day or so. Thanks for reading! ~Kim

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Starting School and Teeth Removals!

Yep. I'm finally going back to school. In my lifetime, I'm gone to school to do many things. The first after high school experience was going to a tech school to be a medical secretary. I dropped out quickly as I decided I didn't want to set at a desk all day. 2nd try: went to school to become an EMT. 3rd try: two semesters at MSU, majored in partying in the dorm with my new friends and not going to class. (Actually, my major was OSHA, but as a freshmen, the only class I took toward my major was Freshmen orientation.) 4th try: Respiratory therapy. Worked really hard at it to get C's, but stuck with it until I started clinicals. Once I had to go into the hospital and do that job, I quickly quit as I discovered that was NOT a job I wanted. 5th try: Nail technician. I finished school, and I enjoyed doing it alright, but it was hard to build up a clientele and still work to pay bills. 6th try: back to MSU, without a major. Only went to school for one semester, worked 60+ hours a week just to pay rent, so my grades suffered. MSU decided I wouldn't be coming back for the spring semester. 7th: moved back home with parents, and started tech school for graphic communications. FINALLY, found something I liked and was good at. I didn't get a degree, but got enough training to where I was able to get a job. Most of my training and knowledge is from on the job. 8th: I went to broadcasting school. Not sure why, guess I thought I could make some money doing what i do best...TALK. Well, unless you are in sales, there is no money in Radio. So, that was just a waste of $10,000.

So now, I'm just going to school to get my degree. Not sure what in, but I do want a degree. I still work in printing, but now I'm in customer service and LOVE it. I'm not going back to school to get a degree so I can find a new job. I'm taking advantage of the benefits offered to my husband as being an employee of the college. He's too busy with work, so I'm taking advantage of it. I'm taking a chemistry class online this summer, and then next fall, I'm taking an english class online and then a theatre class on campus. I'm excited to go back to school!

Now, onto the teeth removal!! YUCK! A few weeks ago, I had one of my wisdom teeth pulled. I have been having problems with food getting stuck back there around the tooth and the dentist said they should be gone. So, initially, I was gonna go to an oral surgeon so I could be knocked out. Well, he wanted to charge a ton of money. My dentist would only charge $100 per tooth. For $200 vs. $1,000, I decided to suck it up and get it done at the dentist. He gave me some Xanax beforehand, numbed me up real good, and then went to work. Actually, on the first one, he filled a cavity and pulled the wisdom tooth at the same time since they were on the same side. It wasn't bad, just like normal dental stuff, never fun, but tolerable. Well, afterwards, I was having some MAJOR pain. I ended up with a dry socket. Not fun. I had to go in every day for him to pack it with this nasty clove-tasting guaze. It helped it heal, so whatever. Well, I decided after all of that, the other tooth was staying. I didn't want to go through that again. Fast forward a couple of weeks. I start having some tooth pain on my left side. I thought it was from one of my old silver crowns from when i was younger. Nope. I had a huge cavity in my wisdom tooth and that's where all the pain was coming from. So...out it comes! Thursday afternoon I had it pulled. I'm not feeling too great, but whaddya gonna do? I'm just hoping I don't get another dry socket.

Well, I think I'm done rambling. I've got some projects I'll post soon (hopefully). We'll see. Thanks for reading! Toodles! ~Kim

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Mother's Day Card

Here's a craft post!! I made this card for my mother for mother's day. It was almost everything I imagined. I saw on someone's blog something similar that I wanted to try and recreate. I don't remember who's it was now, but I was determined to NOT refer to it as I was making the card because I wanted to make a card that was an original. I'm not great at taking photos of my cards yet, but here it is.

Mother's Day Card

The green cardstock is 120# Classic Laid Duplex Cover Brittany Green & Avon Brilliant White. It was something we got by mistake at work and cut it before we realized it was wrong (both sides were supposed to be white, and he started cutting on the white side!) Good for me cause I have a small stash of this paper now! The paper on top is something from the Dollar Tree, Mrs. Grossman's I think. It is pierced and then faux stitched with a Creative Memories fine tipped pen. I scalloped the edges with my cheapo corner rounder from Wal-mart. Finally broke down and bought one even though I have 4 Creative Memories corner rounders from when I was a consultant, but you can't remove the backs to do this, so, whaddya gonna do? I then used my brand new crop-o-dile and put two eyelets in each spot (tried to make it look like a rivet by punching one eyelet, then putting another eyelet in the back side...did NOT like the results...will not try again until someone has a surefire way of doing it!) and then tied the ribbon (came from Wal-mart in a clearance bag with other ribbon scraps. It took me a while to tie the bow, so when I gave it to Mom, I told her to not open it, just squeeze it and read it from the side. She must not have heard me, because five minutes later, she said, "You're gonna have to tie this back for me, cause I'm not gonna be able to do it." WHAT!!!! She said, "If I didn't open it, how could I read it?" I told her I just put happy mother's day in it!! Nothing big!! Anyway, the Morning Glory flower and Mother Teresa stamp was a last minute addition. I took a picture of it before I put the Stampin' Up! clear gloss stuff on it to make it shiny. Is there a secret to using that stuff? I could see the brush marks and was not happy with the look of it at all. I've used it again for another card with the same results, but I'm not too worried about redoing it at this point.

So, there is my latest crafty thing. I'll post something that I'm making for my massage therapist once I have it finished. She's moving to Nashville and leaving me and I'm very, VERY sad. She's great at what she does, and we've became friends over the past two years. So, I'm really gonna miss her. Toodles! ~Kim

Monday, May 19, 2008

GREAT WEEKEND!!

I have had a fabulous, wonderful weekend. I've had weekends like this before that ended up dreadful... I had my 14 year old nephew and 11 year old niece from Friday evening until Sunday night. They usually provide enough birth control for me for MONTHS! This time...well, this time we had so much fun. Don't get me wrong, the boy still had his teenager apathetic attitude, but he's so cute and witty, I overlooked the "I don't care what we do" things. And the girl, she was still super hyper (and I'm sure all of the Snickers and Fruit Roll-ups I didn't monitor her eating didn't help!) but it didn't bother me up until the very end. I just can't believe how much of a joy it was to spend the weekend with them and have so much fun. We went bike riding (Samantha & I) and Jacob skate-boarded with us and we just had the best time, and the whole time I was thinking (and even getting a little weepy) that this is what my life is missing. I hate it that I've started thinking like that. I don't want to give in to the whole having kids thing because it's expected of me. I loved the fact that I thought my life was complete with just Jason, Lucy (the dog) and me. But now I'm starting to feel like something is missing. Maybe it'll pass. Maybe I'm just pre-menstral. Who knows! I know I'm confused as all get out! I guess it doesn't help that I have little Peyton (see post below) that I get to hold and snuggle and kiss all the time and that I don't want him to have to go home. (That really is a big change!) Whenever I am around him, whether it be at our house or theirs, I want to take complete care of him. Feed him, change him (yes, I've even done a poopy diaper...not the last one though because I smelt it as he dealt it and I said NO WAY!), rock him to sleep. EVERYTHING! Maybe that means I'm ready for motherhood...who knows. Jason is still on the fence, but he said yesterday that he knows he'd be a good dad. I think he'd be a great dad. I do question my ability to be a mother. I know I can take care of his/her physical needs (feeding, clothing, bathing, that type of thing) but I'm not sure if I can handle his/her emotional needs. I wonder if I'd be a complete f-up when it comes to parenting. I guess I'll never know until I do it! Can't do it until after February of 2009. We're going to the Keys in Florida with Jason's parents and I don't want to do that in my last trimester, or even being pregnant at all. That's a long trip in a car ride for me, not being preggo. Can't imagine with a bun in the oven!! I'll keep everyone (my two subscribers...one of which is me!) updated! ~Kim

ETA: I had to change some punctuation, but then I also realized that I referred to our possible future child as a HIM. We want to have a boy so much, so we're probably gonna have a girl!! Last night I went to Lowes looking for a bookshelf. I started looking at wallpaper borders and started envisioning decorating a child's room! Then, when I couldn't find a bookshelf, it started the weepiness again. Man, I suck!

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Card for the Troops

Below is a card that I made to send with care packages for the local National Guard who has been deployed. They were in need of supplies so my Woodmen of the World Lodge decided to help out. I purchased this stamp set with care packages in mind.

Troops Card

Here are the details...I normally don't put details about my cards because I usually don't know them, but I kept track of these. The paper is from The Paper Studio and is called "Patriotic Words," the stamp set is Stampin' Up!'s The Free and the Brave, I used black Stazon Ink and Kimberly Watercolor Pencils to color the image. The eyelets are from my Crop-a-dile set that I bought to put my Crop in. The white paper is 80# Cougar Cover. On the envelope, I stamped the stars up both sides in Night of Navy ink. (I didn't get a pic of it cause it was pretty plain!)

Today has been interesting. I've been babysitting for a friend. He's a two month old precious little boy! It's been almost 12 hours now and I haven't lost my mind! He's been fussy at times, but it's been OK. I've been able to handle it and haven't lost my mind! AND, I've been feeling bad because I had a wisdom tooth pulled on Thursday evening! His daddy called me early this morning and asked if he could bring him over earlier than planned because mommy was sick as was going to the ER. So he was dropped off around 8:30 this morning. Turns out, mommy has gallstones and was admitted tonight. So, once her parents come in from Missouri, they will come pick him up! I've even washed all of his bottle stuff and gotten everything ready for the grandparents. Once he wakes up, I'm changing his onesie and then he'll be good to go. Here's a photo of Peyton and I cuddling!

Photobucket

Well, I'm stopping my rambling. I've got more stuff to say, but I'm not in the mood to type. I'm pretty tired after watching the boy. I think I'm gonna be going to bed pretty early!! Thanks for reading! ~Kim

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

I'm so boring!

If you are a reader of my blog, I have to apologize to you. Why? Because I'm such a boring person and never have much to say. At least nothing that anyone wants to read about. I've stopped doing the fact a day, basically because I've been too lazy to do it. And I just read the originator of the challenge isn't doing it anymore. Since I've made very little effort to do it, why continue? I may make that scrapbook page with 100 facts about me at some point, but I need to start crafting, doing ANYTHING but sitting in the recliner after work and on weekends. Last night I was a little motivated, since it was still daylight because of Daylight Savings Time, but all I did was laundry. That is a good thing, since I do not do laundry much, and I need clean clothes. But it wasn't at all productive in getting stuff done that I think about all the time.

So, here's my pledge to you, my reader(s)...sad to think that I've only got one reader...my own husband hasn't ever been to my blog...back to the pledge. I pledge to make a craft post by the end of this week. That means I need to make something this week. Knitting does not count. (I challenged myself to make something every day this year, and as I was knitting a couple projects, I reasoned that I was making something...No More!! I have to make individual projects too!)

Sorry you had to read all of my rambling. ~Kim

ETA: I actually wrote this post on March 11th, but nothing much has changed since then. My computer was out of commission for nearly a month, but I have it back now, and the desktop is fixed too. I just need to get them set up so I can get everything going again. On a more craftier note: I MADE A CARD! Yesterday, I was shopping for care packages for our troops. We have a local National Guard Company that is overseas and is in need of items. So my Woodmen of the World Lodge decided to purchase $200 worth of items to send. And I got to go buy them! It's such an honor to do it for such a worthy cause. Plus it feels so good to give back. I made a card to be put in with the items, and I hope it gets to them. After I get my computer situation up and going, I'll upload a photo. Again, thanks for reading! ~ Kim

Friday, February 22, 2008

Fact Number 29

I Love TARGET!! OK, I guess most people love target. But it's certain things that I love from Target. 1. Dollar Spot! I have been finding so much stuff for scrapbooking and/or card making! I'm loving that. Then there is their Archer Farms items. I've been getting some tropical mix of dried fruit. It has dried mangos, pineapple, coconut, papaya and kiwi and it is the bomb! Too bad there are not any Targets around here. A couple of weekends ago we went to visit from friends in Georgetown and decided we had to get to Lexington early so we could go to Target. Then, the other night, the friend that was with me when we went to Target, said we were gonna have to go to Clarksville (our nearest Target) to get some Archer Farms almonds! So now I'm not the only one!!

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Fact Number 28

I am addicted to ...The Dollar Tree! I love all of the stuff I can get there. Other than the entire candy isle, I can find so much stuff that I love, for crafting mostly. I get some weird excitement when I have a good find and I usually end up with both arms full of good finds, but then once I check out, and I've spent maybe $15?? Who can beat that? Hopefully this will blow over soon! Or maybe not...

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Fact Number 27

I got a Cricut for Christmas, and I absolutely love it. So far, I've used it mostly for card making, but I can't wait until I start scrapbooking on a regular basic, cause I know I'll do tons of stuff on it!! I love it!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Fact Number 26

I love to make beaded items. I use seed beads to make lace-like covers for glass ornaments. I really like doing it, but it is time consuming and very tedious. I haven't made one in a few years as I've got too many crafts to do as it is, but I do keep them around for when I get back to it.

Update on Organizing...I did NOTHING today. In fact, I did something that is counteracting all of the organizing and cleaning I did yesterday. I went to Walmart and bought too much stuff!! I bought some super cute pink camo flannel and some UK Wildcats flannel. I want to make some sleep/lounge pants for me and Jason. I have a TON of flannel in my sewing fabric box, but I just had to have it! I also got some stickers and more mats for my Cricut...I've barely used it a month and it's lost all of its stickiness! I know they are not supposed to last forever, but they should last longer than it did. Maybe I'll get creative tonight and post something...don't hold your breath! ~Kim

PS...HAPPY BIRTHDAY PATSY! HOPE YOU HAD A GOOD ONE!

Monday, February 18, 2008

Fact Number 25

I LOVE to paint ceramics. When I lived in Cincinnati, I worked with a lady who painted bisque, and she took me to a class and I fell in love. It became a true obsession. I went to class every Tuesday for a couple of months. I found out that I liked painting at home, by myself much better. After I moved back to Western KY, I would still go back to that ceramics store in Bethel, Ohio to buy my bisque. One time last year, I was going to visit the inlaws in Northern KY and I wanted to go out to Bethel to buy some ceramics. They had closed down. I even googled someone with the owner's last name and called, hoping that they'd be a relative. When I started asking, she said that Mindi had closed the business and sold all of her molds. I was so disappointed. I feel like I helped keep them in business when I was painting a lot cause I would buy $100 a week in supplied and bisque. I can get stuff online now, but I just hate it that her little shop couldn't survive. I like keeping my money in the community, and even though it wasn't my community anymore, I still wanted to see it thrive.

UPDATE ON ORGANIZING: I've finally started it...I actually got more done that I expected. I cleaned up the office and got a path cleared up enough to get my wonderful dining room table directly in the spare room. Just where it will get the most use. We don't use it for dining, so it might as well be put to use! And boy do I love it! Hopefully, tomorrow night I'll get as much done as I have tonight. I should be creating sometime on Wednesday!! Keep reading! ~Kim

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Fact Number 24

I purchased a sewing machine a couple of years ago. I had been using my mother's old one, and it started smoking one day. So I called a local repair shop and it was going to cost $40 just to look at it. Mom said she only paid $35 for it and it wasn't worth it. So, I saved some of my Christmas bonus and bought a new to me machine. I really love it. I even took a sewing class last year and learned how to make capri pants. The class was OK, and it taught me a lot about cutting a pattern and stuff like that, but it also taught me that I don't like making clothes that much! It's a lot easier to buy them. The teacher talked about how the quality of hand sewn clothes was much better than when you buy them in the store, but I think you spend way more time and money on hand made clothes. I'm all for being creative, but I'm never gonna make a wardrobe that I would like more than what I see at clothing stores. I guess it must just be the decades that I grew up in. Mom never made us clothes, everything was store bought.

Anywho...I made a card for my sister for her birthday. It is on Tuesday, but we celebrated it today with the family. I ended up leaving the handmade card at home. So, as we're pulling into town, I tell Jason he needs to stop at Walgreens, I need a card for Patsy. I found a great one, but when she opened it, she said, "You didn't make my card?" Man, I felt like so bad! It was sorta cute, but I felt like it was thrown together. I'll make a better one sometime this week and send it to her. Better late than never!

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Fact Number 23

Since losing weight, I have become a thrift store junkie. Losing weight as rapidly as I did, it didn't make sense to buy new clothes as they usually only lasted a month or so. So, once I got down small enough, I was able to shop at thrift stores. Now, I have issues paying regular price for something, when I know I could find something just as good for a really good price at the thrift store. I especially like when they run specials. One day I walked out with 12 pairs of pants, 4 button down shirts and 3 sweaters for less than 16 bucks! Another time I walked out with a wool pea coat and a couple pair of pants and shirt for under 5 bucks! I'm quite addicted! And I've got a stuffed closet to prove it! Thanks for reading. Maybe tomorrow I'll post a card. I'm needing to make one for my sister's birthday for tomorrow, so I'll get it up here soon! ~Kim

Friday, February 15, 2008

100 Facts about Me!

Angelosity has this challenge on her blog. I first saw it when California Stampin had facts about her in each of her posts. So I read back to fact number one and saw this challenge. I think it's really cool so I've decided to join...22 days late! So, this first post will include 22 facts about me, and then I will start doing this daily. Maybe this will inspire me to do more blogging (and more crafting) in the process! Anyway, here's my first 22 facts:

1. I am married to a wonderful man named Jason. He is my best friend and my soulmate. He loves me the way I am (which is enough to drive anyone bonkers!) and I couldn't ask for more. Love you babe!

2. Jason and I do not have kids. We are almost 100% sure that we do not want children. Not completely...time will tell. I know if it is meant to be, God will let it happen.

3. I have one older sister. We fought like cats and dogs growing up. We're not real close, but I love her and wouldn't trade her for anything.

4. I have three very cute nephews and one beautiful niece. My sister's two children are Jacob, who is 13 years old and Samantha who just turned 10 years old. Jason's sisters two children are Quinn, who is 4 and Cade who is two...wait, maybe he's three...I'm a horrible aunt! I can't remember the year he was born!!

5. I am a mac nerd! I love my iBook and wish I still worked on a mac at work. I go back and forth between mac and PC pretty effortlessly, but would still rather use a mac.

6. I love to scrapbook. I used to be a Creative Memories Consultant, but I didn't sell much and since I have a closet full of stuff, I couldn't justify buying more stuff to keep me active. Hopefully some day I'll get motivated and get back to scrapbooking. I have a ton of stuff to scrap, and all of the supplies, I just need motivation.

7. I have lost 224 pounds in the last two years. I had gastric bypass surgery and it has completely changed my life. I was a healthy obese person, but I knew it was only a matter of time before I developed diabetes and heart problems. When I had my gall bladder out in 2005, the surgeon told my mom if I didn't have WLS I wouldn't make it to see 50 years. Scary thought!

8. I have worked in many different fields in my life. I started out in restaurants as a teenager. Then I worked for a temp agency doing secretarial work. I've worked in convenient stores. I've also worked in the admitting department at a hospital and the emergency room of the same hospital. Now I work in the printing industry. My favorite job of all times was working at a youth camp. I loved working with the kids and working outdoors. I'm not sure if I have the patience to do it now, but I did when I was younger.

9. My favorite color has changed over the years. At one time it was black, purple, pink, etc. Now it depends on what it is. Overall, my favorite color is blue. But for cars, I like brown/gold cars.

10. I've lived in Kentucky and Ohio. Different cities in each state, but in the same areas. Not too exciting!

11. I've got two tattoos. One is on my ankle. It's a rose that a friend in college drew. The other is Ariel from The Little Mermaid.

12. I have a new addiction. It's called knitting. My mom taught me how last year and I can't quit it. She taught me how to crochet as a kid, but I never had the patience to sit still long enough to learn to knit. I have that now and I'm hooked! Now, I just have to get her to show me what to do to get the project off the needles!! She said it is easy, but not easy enough to talk me through it over the phone! Maybe I'll see her this weekend and she can show me!

13. I LOVE sugary candy! Nerds, suckers, gummies, anything with sugar, I love. I'm not that big of a chocolate addict, but I love me some sugar!

14. How did me and my husband meet? We both worked at the same summer camp in 1996. He's from Northern KY, and I'm from Western KY, and we never would have met if he hadn't of went to a summer job fair at EKU. We had a summer romance that I was sure was gonna end once he left. But, he kept calling and visiting. And 10 months later he asked me to marry him! We've been together ever since!

15. I have a very close group of friends that I hang out with and I met them all at the summer camp I worked and grew up at. I have Kara, who I've known the longest, who also works with me at the printing company. Her sister is Jenni, we roomed together in college. Then there is Jason, of course. I live with him, so we see each other alot. Then there is Kris and Shawn. They also met at camp, neither are from the town I live in, but both went to school here and have made it their home. To round out the group, we have Dinker and Dozer. They ran the camp that we worked at and have proven to be great friends. I don't know what I'd do without my close friends. I feel like a very lucky person to have them in my life.

16. I love all kinds of music. The only thing I'm not real keen on is Opera or Death Metal (if you want to call it that) or hard core gansta rap. It does surprise people to know that I LOVE Eminem, but I also love the Dixie Chicks! Mostly what I listen to is 80's music on my satellite radio. Love the Big 80s!

17. I love to read. I haven't read any good books lately. I mostly read at night while trying to go to sleep. I've been looking at Women's Health lately. Good stuff.

18. I am a reality show junkie! I love almost all reality shows. My favorites are American Idol and Big Brother. I don't watch Amazing Race or Survivor, but love the rest. I've sent in an audition tape for Big Brother, but didn't get picked. I also auditioned Nashville Star but I didn't make it either. That is why I am a Reality Show Reject!

19. I HATE to clean. I love having a clean house, but I hate doing the deed. I guess if I'd keep things straightened on a daily basis, then it wouldn't be so hard. I could just dust and vacuum weekly and be good. Well, maybe if I was a happy homemaker I'd get more into it. Who knows!

20. I don't know how to cook. I know how to fix some dishes, and I have lots of recipes for appettizers, but for me to go into the kitchen, pull ingredients and spices and start cooking? Nope, can't do it. I asked my mom recently why she didn't make me learn to cook as a teenager. She looked at me and gave me the evil eye and said, "I couldn't MAKE you do ANYTHING!" OK then. I must have been a hand full. That may be one reason that we don't have kids. We're afraid we'd have another one like me!!

21. Speaking of my mom, I love my parents! My mom is my best friend and I can talk to her about anything. She is kind hearted and loves her kids and grandkids more than anything in the world. She works hard, and complains about her job alot, but she doesn't have much of a life outside of work and home. She's a homebody hermit (that's who I get it from!) My dad is a jack of all trades, master of ALL! He worked at a sporting goods store in the gun department. I grew up around guns as he used to take me to the range to shoot. He's very good at his job because he's a people person. He's never met a stranger. I remember going with him to a flea market one time and he stopped to talk to a guy. They carried on like they were old friends. As we walked away, I asked who that was and he said, "I don't know, some guy I know." He knows faces but usually not names. I guess I get my good nature in dealing with the public from him. He's good in customer service as I am too. I may complain about my customers in private, but I never let them know it. I make sure they know that they are number 1. Without them, I'd be without a job.

22. I wear contacts and glasses. I wish I could have lasix surgery so I could fall asleep while watching TV without worrying about breaking my glasses or taking my contacts out. Maybe someday.

WHEEWW! That was a long list! I'm glad to have caught up, and will start making this a daily thing. What a great challenge!

Imma Big Fat Liar!!

OK, so I haven't organized a thing. NOTHING! My stamp/craft/catch all table is still a mile high with clutter. I haven't made any cards for my giveaway winner, and over all I just suck. I don't see how all of these bloggers in the blogging world make daily posts along with daily cards?!? Maybe they do not work full time jobs and that allows them to be creative during the day? Or maybe they are just more motivated than me? (That is probably not too far from the truth!) And I've stopped spending all of my free time searching other people's blogs for ideas that never come to me. I haven't stopped knitting though. That does take a lot of my time, but I'm wanting to get all of my projects done before my friends have their babies! I just can't knit fast enough!

So, my plan for this weekend...1.) Get my office straightened up so I can set up my craft room. 2.) Clean off my craft table and move it into office and get everything organized. 3.) Try to talk my husband into building my ribbon/stamp rack that I've envisioned for quite a while. 4.) Make cards for giveaway winner and some to have on hand for me. 5.) Make birthday cards for my sister and one of my friends. 6.) Finish my project for my friend in Utah. 7.) Rest. Hopefully I'll not decide to jump straight to 7 and be done with it. I'll probably be going to see my parents on Sunday, so the hour drive each way will be good for knitting. And I'm sure I'll knit while I'm there, cause that's what I do!

I'm feeling very motivated right now...too bad I'm at work today and can't get my house work done...blah...

OK, my break is over...must get back to work. I'll make a post later and show you my lovely anniversary/valentine's present from my hubby. There's a story to go with it, so it deserves a post all to itself! Thanks for reading! ~Kim

Thursday, February 7, 2008

Organizing...really, I am!

That's what I'm doing, from now until...well, until I get done. And who knows when that'll be. I'm ashamed to say that I just took down my Christmas tree and decorations earlier this week. Yes, I know it is February. But, in my defense, DH didn't put the tree up until December 12th, and I usually want it up Thanksgiving weekend, so leaving it up a little longer than normal isn't too bad...is it? (OK, I've already admitted in a post last year that I am a procrastinator. I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I'm not afraid to mention it now...I'm lazy too! I hate anything that has to do with work, especially cleaning.)

So, back to organizing. As I was cleaning, my craft table just got piled really high with junk. By junk I mean craft stuff that had gotten spread out all over the living room. So, after getting the rest of the living room clean and organized, I decided that I'm going to get my office clean (which is a feat in itself, lemme tell ya!), move the dining room table in my office (we never use it to dine at anyway...it's a small butcher block table that is PERFECT for stamping...I was gonna buy one at a thrift store, but DH said to just use what we got...ok!) and get my stamping/scraping/crafting area ORGANIZED!!! I've got some plywood that I got from a friend. I'm gonna have DH build me a rack to hang on the wall with dowel rods in it for my ribbon. I'm gonna have him put a couple of shelves on it for some stamp pads. Then I'm gonna find a permanent place to hook up my Cricut. I read on someone's blog that they used priority mail boxes for 12 x 12 paper storage. I measured one I had. Sure enough, it will hold it! I'll decorate it with pretty paper and no one will be the wiser! All this talk about organizing is making me want to start right this minute. But, well, one, I'm lazy (we established that earlier) and tired from work today, and two, I have to start getting ready for a meeting that I'm going to in an hour. And I would hate to start getting into what I'm doing and have to stop. So, I'll sit here on the computer some more! I'll post pictures once I have my area situated. I do have a couple of photos to share. The first one is of the Thank You card I sent to the animal hospital that took care of Lucy Dog. I didn't like it when I first made it, but when I picked it up a couple days later, I decided it was OK.

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The next photo is of the Lucy Dog. I might have sent her mixed signals at the time this photo was taken. Lucy has reign over most of the furniture in the living room. She has ruined our couch and loveseat with her claws. It's her daddy's fault. When they were living in Cincinnati and I was down here, he started letting her sit with him on the couch. She rarely did it when I was living there, but well, when mommy's away, the kiddies will play. So, anyway, she has the loveseat and couch. She also "claims" any blankets that are around. There are two blankets on the couch and one blanket on the loveseat that have her patterned markings, kind of a circle like indention. Anyway, when we bought matching leather recliners, that was one thing that we said she would not get in. Well, she likes them just as much as we do. However, we put our foot down when it comes to these things. I usually keep my sketch clipboard in my seat when I'm gone, and I've got a notebook that I sit in Jason's chair. He doesn't remember to put it there whenever he leaves that often. And Lucy gets tempted very easily.

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As I walked in the door at lunch, I completely caught her off guard, as she usually hears me and meets me at the door (and if she's been in the chair it is rocking and it's a dead giveaway). I yell at her, but I think she's so comfortable, she doesn't care. So, I scramble to find my camera to catch her in the act. Then I drag her butt out of the chair and scold her. Mixed messages?? Oh well. I just sent Jason an email with that picture and the subject was "Look Where I Found Your Dog!!" Thanks for reading!~Kim

Sunday, February 3, 2008

We have a winner!

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

24

Timestamp: 2008-02-04 04:26:55 UTC


The winner is JavaMama! I'll be emailing you shortly to see your preferences for notecards! Thanks for playing everyone and keep on reading! ~Kim

Monday, January 28, 2008

Bloggy Giveaway Carnival!

It's that time again! I had so much fun with my Fall Y'all Giveaway that I've decided to do it again! Leave a comment on this post and you'll be in the drawing to win 8 Handmade Greeting Cards. The contest will end on February 2nd. I'll pick a winner on February 3rd. Everyone is eligible to win, no location restrictions. However, you must either leave an email address in your comment or have a way that I can contact you to let you know if you're the winner. If I can't contact you, I can't get your address, and you won't be able to win. Good luck and happy blogging! ~Kim

P.S. For more giveaways, visit Rocks In My Dryer!

Friday, January 25, 2008

What a DOGGIE Experience we just had!!!

We just experienced the weirdest thing ever with the dog. I've never really said much about our dog on here. She's a cute little beagle. Well, sometimes she's cute. Other times she just grates our nerves. She's been a little sick the past couple of weeks. Two weeks ago last Thursday, I came home and she was laying on the floor. That is odd for her, as she's usually on the couch or loveseat, or on her pillow or in her crate. She was laying in the middle of the floor with her head stretched out on top of her front legs. I said hi to her as I was walking in the door. She didn't move. In fact, she was laying there shaking and whining, but wouldn't get up. So, I start freaking out. I immediately think she's had a stroke or something and is now paralyzed. (Yeah, I know, I'm a little dramatic at times!) I try calling my husband at work and then on his cell phone. No answer. Then I call the vet. As I'm talking to the receptionist I tell her how Lucy is acting. She tells me to see if she'll eat and/or drink. While I'm talking to the vet's office, Lucy decides to get up and start walking around. I get off the phone with her and Lucy is laying on her pillow, still shaking and whining a little bit. She seemed scared. So, I bring her food to her, and put it under her nose. Nothing. In the meantime, husband calls back and asks what's wrong. I tell him and he says, "Yeah, this morning I had to stand her up to get her to go out. She also ate one of my shoestrings up to the eyelet on my boot." Huh?? That might have been good to know to tell the vets office. So I tell him to hurry home. I call the vets office. They say to bring her to the office and drop her off. The vet on call is in surgery and will look at her once he gets out. I then tell her about the shoestring. Evidently, this is the only words they heard. This is not the first time she's eaten his shoestrings. When we lived in Cincinnati, she completely de-laced two boots and ate both shoestrings WHOLE! (And they came out whole too, so my husband says!) So, I get a call a little after 7:00 that night, and the doctor says they've taken X-rays, and the shoestring isn't causing a problem. He was giving her an anti-inflammatory and watching her overnight. Told us to call around noon to see how she was doing. Jason called and they said she was doing better and wanted to keep her until he got of work. She was put on restricted activity. No jumping, no long walks, no walks without a leash (not that we do that anyway...she is a beagle...her nose rules where she goes!) So he goes to pick her up and they've given her a prescription for steroids. So, we give them to her and she is starting to feel better. (At this point, we're starting to question the $200 we spent on her overnight stay at the vet's office.)

So a few days later, actually like a week and a couple of days later, she finally throws up and there is the shoe lace. It doesn't digest or pass. Too weird. Once the steroids were gone, she started feeling a little mopey. So I called the vet and he put her on three more days of steroids. She seemed to feel better instantly.

Well, the last few nights, she's been acting really, REALLY needy. I mean up in everyone's face at every possible moment. She also acts like she's never been fed. So, today I come in and feed her just like normal. Jason comes home and then takes her for a walk. He comes in and plays with her a bit, cause it's been a while, and she finally lays down on her pillow and decides playtime is over. So we decide we're going out to eat dinner.

We're gone, maybe an hour, hour and a half. We come home. Jason opens the door while I check the mail. All I hear is J yelling, "BAD DOG!" I come in and Lucy has drug his 30# plus tackle bag 20 feet across the room, tore into a couple of the pouches and ate like 5 packs of artificial bait!!! I couldn't believe she ate so much. So, Jason decides we needed to call the vets office. Of course, it's after hours. We hope it doesn't cost us an arm and a leg. After spending $200 at the last visit, I couldn't imagine how much it would be. When the doctor finally got to the phone, he said that we needed to give her 5cc of hydrogen peroxide every 2-3 minutes until we induced vomiting. After about three or four times of that, she finally upchucked. It was gross, but yet very fascinating. Don't know why, I'm just really weird that way. I took photos, cause I scrapbook everything. I was gonna post pictures of her, and the stuff she threw up, but decided against it. I have some family that look at my blog, and I don't want them thinking I'm even weirder than they already thought! So no pictures. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. ~Kim

P.S. While I was looking online to see if bait was poisonous to dogs, I found this online forum that had some funny stories. I googled Dog Ate Bait and came up with it. After we got Lucy to vomit and cleaned up, we sat down and had a good laugh. Here's the site.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Baby Shower

A few friends and I threw a baby shower for a couple of friends of ours. I made some really cute invitations and actually designed it myself!!! Surprise surprise! That rarely ever happens! I took ideas that I've seen on other people's blogs and came up with it all on my own! Here it is:

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The Football baby stamp is from The Angel Company. The "It's a boy!" stamp is from Stampin' Up. The baby pin is also from Stampin' Up.


Then, for the shower, I made some nugget boxes! They were too cute! I even had someone ask where they could get the instructions to make it. I told them to go to www.splitcoaststampers.com and look under "Anything but a Card" and look for nugget boxes. She said she wasn't sure if she'd remember that. She was wanting to do something for her daughter's wedding. I told her that if she wanted something like that to let me know and I'd work up a price for doing them for her. She liked that idea!! That's too cool! I would love to make stuff to sell. I've purchased a web domain, but haven't done anything with it. Maybe this will give me the motivation! OK, anyway, here is a photo of the boxes:

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Here's how I displayed them:

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I also put them on the tables that everyone sat at to eat cake. Speaking of cakes, my friend Jenni made some wonderful cakes. Here they are:

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Photobucket The cakes were yummy! The football was chocolate (I didn't try it). The pennant was orange and the onesie was french vanilla and they were super good! I had to restrain myself!!

The cute little pacifiers on the cake boards were made by Kara with Lifesavers and Jellybeans! Too cute. She also made several table arrangements and a couple of great flower arrangements. Here's a photo of one:

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The punch was made by Colleen (with the help of her hubby) in a cute little bathtub. Here's a photo of that:

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I also made a name plate for the baby. His name will be Peyton. His dad is a hardcore University of Tennessee fan. I had a really hard time finding TN stuff, but finally found some stuff to work with. Here is the finished product:

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I don't know if they liked it, but they said they did. They were having a hard time finding TN bedding, so they weren't sure if they were gonna decorate the nursery in orange. Time will tell. Maybe they will still be able to use the name frame and the TN poster I had framed for them. Here's a picture of the poster:

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Toodles! ~Kim

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Thank You Cards

Here are some cards that I've made this month. I got a Cricut machine from my mom and dad, and started playing with it after I got over my Christmas Cold! I decided to make Thank You Cards for all of my family for the Christmas gifts I received. I loved it and had fun making them!

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Hopefully I'm starting a good trend of posting frequently! Toodles! ~Kim

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Name plates

Here are some other gifts I made for the children in my family. I found the idea on www.splitcoaststampers.com and went with it. Cheap to make and neat to have. I made two others, but forgot to take pictures of them before I gave them away! Here are the ones that I did take pictures of:

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I had a hard time with finding frames that I liked that were inexpensive. These were purchased at the Dollar Tree for $1 each. I really wanted something larger and nicer, but I couldn't find anything larger, period. I didn't do any researching online, but locally, nada. If anyone has any advice, let me know! Toodles! ~Kim

Saturday, January 19, 2008

My laptop is fixed and I'm back in action!!

I am one happy camper today. I've been without my laptop since Christmas night and I've been jonesin' for it! I bought a new power plug on ebay hoping that would solve the problem. After waiting two weeks for it to arrive from China, I plug it up and it doesn't do one bit of good. So, it sat in my living room for a week before I finally found someone to take a look at it. 24 hours and $100 later and it's back in my arms again. Yep, I have a problem!

Here are photos of the cards that I made for Christmas gifts this year. I worked up till the last minute and the pressure was on! I made a resolution to get all of my gifts done before December 1st this year. Usually, my number one resolution every year is to lose weight. Well, not this year! So, since I have an empty spot, my Christmas gift resolution will be number one!

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There is a weird pattern over the photos. It's from the sun shining through the screen in the window! Who know that would show up?? I really wanted to make 12 cards for each pack, but I made these for eight different people, and I had a bunch more stuff to make, so 8 it was! Everyone seemed to like them. DH's employees said that I should sell cards. I told him to tell them next time they needed a card for someone, give me a week's notice, and I'll make it for them and they can give their money to me instead of Wal-Mart! I really enjoy making cards. It keeps me busy! Hope everyone likes them! ~Kim