AND WE'RE OFF.....

well, me and the hubby are off for minneapolis and i'm so stankin' excited about it. i'm getting a lil nervous about the plane ride b/c we are leaving outta gulfport and they have smaller planes. but after about and hour or so, we'll arrive in memphis so that won't be so bad.

i'll be back monday afternoon with plenty of pictures and stories to tell i am sure.

oh, and so you didn't think i forgot about random fact friday.....

{1} i used to enter cakes in a cake decorating contest when i was about mikey's age. my mom is really into decorating cakes and would enter all the time. she would even do things with chocolate (like make a chess set (board and pieces) completely outta chocolate).

OH HOW FRUSTRATED DO I FEEL....

this is an email that i just sent to greta.
i thought i would share it.
not for sympathy.
but to hear that you fabulous crafters that i am referring to have felt the same way.
at least that is what i am hoping for.
i did this to myself last year for the craft fair so i don't know why i didn't expect it again.
i don't know.

I am so aggravated I can't even stand myself. Why is it that there are so many fabulous crafters out there that come out with these wonderful ideas that I can't think of? I mean that craft fair is in a month and I hardly have anything for it. Not only that, but my stuff is so simple. I mean anyone can do what I do, so why pay for it? I already know what you are going to tell me, but it gets so frustrating when you blog and see all this wonderful stuff out there. I'm mostly looking around for inspiration but I don't feel inspired. I actually feel the opposite. I feel frustrated.

I guess I just put so much pressure on myself to get this stuff done and have it be fabulous. It so hard to tell what will sell and what won't. Things feel so behind down here.

it also doesn't help that my stuff is everywhere at mom's. I really wanna do some stuff with fabric, but I think all my fabric is in the storage unit....grrr!!!


I don't know.

I think I'm going to post this email right now. There have got to be other crafters out there that have felt the same way.

NOTHING TOO EXCITING!!!

as usual, nothing too, too exciting happened this weekend.

me and mikey caught up on some hunter friday night. that was nice. haven't watched that with him in forever.

saturday, me and mom got up early, left around 8 a.m. and hit some church sales, yard sales, garage sales, and some good ol shopping. we got a few things at some yard sales, but i have to say, that yard sales down here are the pits. its a wonder that people always think that me and mom owned a store when we have one. they hardly put anything out. we stopped at cracker barrell and ate lunch....yumm-o.

we didn't get home until after 6pm and made homemade pizza. me and mom then watched lifetime movies (big surprise there) until i fell asleep.

today was really windy/rainy day, so again, the day was filled with lifetime. i really don't know what i would do if i didn't have lifetime. i'm actually having withdrawals from lifetime movie network....lol.

i made some cookies today that everyone went nutso over when i made em last week. unfortunately i put in baking soda instead of baking powder. taste wise there is no difference but they didn't puff up as nice.

the reason me and mom mostly went shopping was for me to look for something to wear to a wedding this coming up saturday....in minneapolis!!!! i am so stinkin' excited to get away with just mike for a long weekend. we so need it. and i can't wait to see some of mike's family that we haven't seen in about three years. not to mention i am hitting the mall of america....whooo haaaa!!!!

so anyway, that's about it. so i leave you with some silly pictures i took of the kids last weekend.

RANDOM FACTS FRIDAY!!!

i had something planned but i'll save that for next week. while checking out maryann's blog-a-roni, i noticed that she had this lil meme up.

thought i'd steal it :)

Have You Ever:

Taken a picture completely naked?
i've taken a topless picture before

Told a lie?
yes....as much of a bitch that i am, i don't like to hurt people's feelings.

Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back?
yes.

Been arrested?
noooooo.

Seen someone die?
no.

Kissed a picture?
hell, i've frenched a picture...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Slept in until 5pm?
most def. i'd sleep 24 hours if i could.

Had sex at work?
hmmm....i better not answer this.

Fallen asleep at work?
probably...i used to work 0700-1500, 1500-2300, and 2300-0700 shifts all in one week. so i'm sure i have.

Held a snake?
yes and it was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

Ran a red light?
every damn day.

Been suspended from school?
nooo....too much of a good girl.

Pole danced?
does holding on to a pole and just plain ol dancing around it when i was 8 in one of our old houses count??? if not, then no, but i'd like to.

Been fired from a job?
yep....and they called me back a couple of hours later and told me to come back.

Sang Karaoke?
no way!

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
i am notorious for this. i pretty much always do the things i say i'm not going to do and don't do the things i say i'm going to do.

Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose?
yep.

Laughed until you peed?
hmmm....if i did, i would have had to have been drunk.

Caught a snowflake on your tongue?
yep.

Kissed in the rain?
{sigh} yes

Had sex in the rain?
not yet ;)

Sang in the shower?
oh yeah. i'm convinced that maybe if i sing in the shower, that i will be as good as fred and barney were when they were in the tub (anyone remember that episode of the flinstones).

Gave your private parts a nickname?
yep.....northern states are called hoots and the southern state is called the hoo-hoo

Ever gone to work without underwear?
all the time {giggle}

Sat on a rooftop?
yep.

Played chicken?
no way.

Been pushed/thrown into a pool with all your clothes on?
don't think so.

Broken a bone?
nope.

Flashed someone?
the hubby would prolly say every day. but i disagree. just b/c i have major cleavage showing at work and i'm sitting and the people who walk in my office are standing, doesn't mean i'm flashing right??? if ya got em, flaunt em.

Mooned Someone?
no.

Skinny Dipped?
i don't think so. not that i wouldn't.

Shaved your head?
i have the back of my neck shaved a lil when she cuts me hair. i've shaved other parts...does that count.

Slept Naked?
whenever i can.

Blacked out from drinking?
yes.

Played a prank on someone?
nothing too serious.

Had a gym membership?
yep...that was one expensive day at the gym.

Felt like killing someone?
i say i do, but i don't think i really do.

Cried over someone you were in love with?
yep.

Had Mexican jumping beans as pets?
i've seen em...don't know if i've had them as pets.

Been in a band?
nope.

Shot a gun?
nope.

Shot a bow and arrow?
nope.

Played strip poker?
no, but if i had a rockin' bod i would all the time. hmm...maybe i should just get better at poker ;)

Donated blood?
yeah and i'll never do it again. it was the worst experience. i was nervous about it to begin with. once they started, i began to feel dizzy and was sweating furiously. i asked the old lady who was volunteering if i was supposed to be that way. before i knew it, i was laid back, my feet were in the air and she is hollering for a coke. now i felt foolish b/c all the people from work were there. once i was done and i got up, i felt sooooo friggin' drunk. i could barely walk and one of our captains had to help me to the bathroom b/c i thought i was going to throw up.

Ever jump out of an airplane?
abso-fuckin'-lutely not.

Been to more than 10 countries?
no....wish i have been.

your turn!

THERE IS HOPE!!!

when i first received my canon rebel last november, i was tickled friggin' pink!!! look at me everyone with my professional looking camera.

of course its only a professional camera if you know how to use it.

for almost a year now i have struggled with learning when to use which setting, arguing with mike b/c he tries to show me how to use it only to get tired of me yelling at him and screaming "you're wrong". i've taken out the manual only to find that i must not understand english as much as i thought b/c i don't know what the hell its talking about. i keep saying that i have got to find a course in the area and that can show me how to use this damn thing to its fullest potential.

but when you're sitting outside and you shoot some pictures that look like this, it gives me hope that maybe i'm not so lousy with this thing and that maybe i can learn how to use it to its fullest potential.





**btw...if anyone has any pointers, i would greatly appreciate em :)

EVERY LIL THING SHE DOES IS MAGIC!!!

this is my theme for this week's installment of "random facts friday". i toyed around with two, but i will save the other one for next friday.

here we go....

{1} i'm a pisces. i know i've mentioned it before, but i don't know with those posts if you can see how much i love being a pisces. everything about it. i don't care if i walk around with rose colored glasses all the time and can't see the truth for what it is. i don't care that i am one moody bitch. i don't care that i have an addictive personality. i don't care that i love "love" so much that it fucks me up. i don't care that i daydream most of the day away. i just love being a pisces.

{2} and if you couldn't tell from {1} i'm hooked on astrology. i believe it. all of it. i really started getting in to it when i was in highschool. that is when the madness began. i started buying book after book on it. most of the books had to deal with love or sex, but i couldn't get enough. i think there is a lot of truth behind it. a lot of people will say that they are so generic that they fit everyone....oh but i disagree. mike (and greta) are geminis. they both fit it to a "T". my boss is a leo...boy is he a leo. one day i hope to know about all the signs. that way when i find out what someone's bday is, i'll know a lil bit more about them. i keep saying that i am going to find out what the majority is in the officers that i work with. could it be that most police officers are born under the same sign? hmmm.....will have to work on that.

{3} along with astrology, i belive in fate and karma. i believe that everything happens for a reason. i believe that people walk into your life for a reason. i mean have you ever became close with someone that three, five, or hell, even ten years ago you never in your wildest dreams would have thought that you would have had some type of relationship with. that you would depend on this person. that this person would become important to you. take greta. when she first started at the pd, i had no idea that one day she would be my everything. the fate gods definately knew what they were doing.

{4} onto the magic. yes, i believe in magic. i don't wanna know the magicians secrets. and if you tell me that david blane is a hoax, i'll kick your ass. ya know the movie "carrie"? okay, now don't laugh, but i can't tell you how many times i have sat and stared at something in hopes that i could move it. 'member that movie with sandra bullock and nicole kidman where they are sisters who also happen to be witches? do yo know how hooked i am on that movie and how i wish i had those powers. hell, i even love "hocus pocus". i wanted to read up on wicca at one time, but that wouldn't go over too well with my straight-laced hubby so i put that thought away.

{5} if you didn't dismiss me as a wack-a-doo after number {2} and are still reading, then you have probably figured out that i believe in psychic powers. now do ya think i'm a wack-a-doo???? lol...i've had my cards read before and loved it. hell, i even own a set of tarot cards. haven't played with them too much though. but i do believe that there are people out there that have a sixth sense. that can see things and even predict things. i tend to think i have a sixth sense. i usually know what people are going to say before they say it, i can be listening to the radio, think of a song i wanna hear, and then it comes on (and i don't listen to new stuff that they play every five minutes...i'm a classic rocker so you never know what is going to come on), i can usually sense if i am doing something that i know i'm going to regret (well not all the time right greta ;) maybe its just good intuition, but i like to think i'm a lil magical ;)

{6} i also believe in: horse shoes and four leaf clovers as good luck charms, magic 8 balls, wishing on stars, blowing out candles, wishbones, and coins thrown into fountains, picking pennies up off the ground.

so what do you believe in???

RANDOM FACTS FRIDAY!!!

thank goodness that andrea reminded me about this or i would have forgotten.

however, i would have blamed that on that fact that i am home sick today. i should be in mobile, alabama with mikey watching disney on ice right now.

but i'm not. {sniff sniff}

okay, on to the facts....this friday's session is going to have to do with candy. i'm a big candy whore and love, love, love candy.

{1}. i don't like grape candy (i.e. jolly ranchers, blow pops, suckers, hard candy, etc). However, my favorite tootsie pop is the one with the blue wrapper. has been that way since i was little. i just recently found out that it was grape. i always have referred to them as the "blue" one's.

{2}. i think a box of russell stover truffles (the white box) is better then sex. seriously!!!!!

{3}. as a kid, i always spent extra money on candy. me and my bro's would raid the piggy banks when mom was at work and then walk to the local convenient store and by whatever candy we could. trips to the mall as a tween (and hell, even teenager) would include a trip to the candy store where i could buy a bag filled with gummy goodness.

{4}. i prefer more fruity candy over chocolate. now yes, i love, love, love my truffles, but you'll usually see me eating a box of dots, sour gummy worms, skittles, startbursts, twizzlers, etc.

{5}. i love walking down the candy aisle at stores. the dollar store is my favorite b/c they have all sorts of strange/new candies and i have to resist the temptation to keep from buying bags and bags. its hard.

{6}. i'd love to learn how to make candy. i need to have my mom show me how to make her chocolate covered cherries. yum!!!!

{7}. this is partially why halloween is my favorite holiday. all the candy.

if you too are a candy junkie, be sure to check out this blog. plenty of candy goodness there.

too bad i'm sick today, b/c i could really go for some twizzlers right now :)

WTF!!!

what is this you may ask?
my next beading project?
a craft project for the kiddos?
a necklace of mine that broke?

nope.
nope.
nope.

its what we found in bella's ear this evening.

nuff said.

for those that can't tell what this is, its a bead. a mf-in' bead. and not just a lil bitty one. one of those friggin' oval shaped plastic ones.

FEELIN' BLUE!!

not in the bad sense of course.

my lss (local scrapbook store for all you non-scrappers) is having a contest this month. you submit a lo (layout) on how a color (or colors) effect your every day life. the winner wins a $25 gc for her store. she told me and greta that last month three people entered. i'm hoping for those same odds this month ;)

i chose blue since recently i've noticed myself being drawn to it.

i'm really happy with how this lo turned out.
even if it took me a total of 3+ hours to complete.


the lo


definition for "blue"


journaling pocket


journaling tag

RANDOM FACTS FRIDAY!!!

okay, so on my 30 minute drive to drop the kiddos off at school at 6:30 this a.m., i was thinking about how i needed to post to the blog.

i was also thinking about how its been a long time since i threw some facts about me out there.

i mean after all, this blog is about me right???

so i decided that i was going to try (and i stress the word try) to remember every friday to post some thing (or things) about myself.

it may be one thing.
it may be ten things.

if anyone is interested in doing this themselves, please let me know, b/c i'd love to hope on over to your blog and check it out.

'cause i'm nosey like that.

here we go {drum roll please}

{1} when i was about five years old, i was hit by a car. i remember it like it was yesterday...(okay, that seemed a lil much don't ya think?)...anyway...the icecream truck was in our neighborhood, however, i needed to cross the street to get to it. to my left there was a man working on his car and it was extremely loud. i proceeded to cross the street and due to the loud car, i couldn't hear the people yelling at me not to move. bam! the lady with the all the cats came barrelin' up the street and hit me. now it wasn't hard enough for me to be seriously injured or anything, but i was scared shitless.

now granted i remember i good bit of it, i'm still a lil confused as to how i got the icecream, but i did. it was one of those yummy icecream feet with the gumball for the toenail. i ran home and pottied my pants on my way there.

i still was able to eat the melted foot...yum!!!


{2} i remember my dreams. now i'm not talking remembering them just the next morning. i remember them years later. i can be sitting at my desk doing some work and a dream i had a year ago will pop into my head. its the craziest thing ever. i keep saying that i am going to start writing them down that way when i remember them i can go back and see when i had the dream.

{3} speaking of memory, mine is pretty damn good. i remember conversations, i remember what people wore the last time i saw them, i remember what i wore every day of the previous week therefore i try not to duplicate and outfit (this of course drives mike ka-razy when i'm asking him "do you think anyone will remember that i wore this shirt last tuesday?), i remember details to things, i remember events that took place when i was probably too little to remember.

okay, folks, that's it for this week.
anyone wanna send me an email next thursday to remind me to do this again next friday??

BWAHAHAHAHAHAAA!

THE QUEEN OF HEARTS!!!

so this year, my mom {and me} decided to throw a halloween party at her house. of course costumes are a must.

so at first, i decided that me and mike were going to be fred and wilma flinstone. that is until i took mom to the local costume shop.

this costume shop is friggin' awesome. super huge.

well, while we were getting ready to leave, i spotted this costume.

i had to have it.
the queen of hearts.
how could i resist.
and it helps that my hoots look awesome in it :)

SO YA KNOW.....

since i have been on hiatus for over a week, i decided to play a lil catch up.

okay, a lot of catchin' up.

so i think i posted seven (yes, i said seven) posts tonight. i do hope that everyone checks out each one b/c all of them are filled with my recent going ons.

okay, well some of them.

the rest are for another day :)

hope everyone has had a happy weekend and that their upcoming week is even better.

*smooches*

GEOCACHING!!!

mikey has been geocaching for quite some time now. it all started when b.c. (the step-father) would come and visit mom before he moved down here, he would take the two of them geocaching.

now for those of you who don't know what its about, the above link will tell you all about it. but pretty much its a site where people list coordinates of "treasures" they have hidden. you see if there are any in your area, and get to searching. there are clues to where its hidden and once you find it, you usually find a baggie full of treasures and get to pick whatever you want outta it. then you replace the items that you took with items you have in your stash, fill out a log provided in the can (or whatever its stored in) and put it back for another treasure hunter to find.

its a wonderful concept and quite frankly right up my alley. but i had never been before.

until today.

b.c. took mikey out and me and mom had an errand to run, so on our way back to the house, we saw the two of them searching at a local library. so we drove to the house, picked up the camera, and headed back towards their direction (its actually kinda right across the street).

after much searching, we finally found it.

its funny to see mikey doing it. he's quite the pro. he even has a user name on the site where mom logs all his finds on.

this does remind me that i def. need to check out book crossing. hmmm...i must make that on the to-do list for this week.

anyway, back to some pictures.


the search is on!

finally! we found the next clue.

off to go find the treasure!

we found it.

can't wait to see the goodies inside.

letting you know you found it and what to do.

look at all that loot to choose from.

mikey's selection.

now mikey gets to take this and place it in the next geocaching that they hide. this will usually travel all over the place. i think it originally started in michigan.

mission accomplished.

PAINTED TOES!!!

while hanging out outside today, i asked bella-boo if she needed a pedi? of course she did, so off to painting i went.

now bella and mommy have matchin' piggies.



after that we had a lil photoshoot where i captured this picture.
which i love more then anything right now and i can't wait to scrap it.

ITS A BIRTHDAY CARD SWAP!!!

okay, so ya'll 'member the fuckin' fabulous simone? well if your memory is a lil bad, she is that fab-boo chick that let me and greta (aka serial killers ;) stay at her house for cha.

memory back yet?

well anyway, she is hosting a birthday card swap and of course i jumped on the bandwagon. now once we knew we would be living with mom, i decided to put the swaps on a hiatus, but since my girl is hosting it, i knew i couldn't let it pass.

now i was a lil intimidated to sit down and do the card since simone is a fabulous stampin up distributor and she is so friggin' talented. me and greta fondled some of her fabulous works of art while in chi-town!

so i spent two hours coming up with and creating this card. i am soooo happy with the way it turned out. i shoulda pumped out a couple more for my own stash.

the paper is to die for and is part of the scrappin' loot i got last weekend when me and greta went to the lss. the "make a wish" is inserted in one of those clear file folder labels. ya know, the ones you have been using at work forever and some scrappin' company decided while they were organizing their work files that this would make a great scrap product. oh, and they could sell it for a lot more then what you can get at walmart in the office supply section ;)

so whatch ya'll think?

SO IF ONE GOODIE A WEEK WASN'T ENOUGH....

....the two most definately is.

i was tickled pink when i received a surprise package in the mail from mary.

again, if you've never checked out her blog, click that way folks. this girl is amazing. first, i admire her ability to be herself completely. she is so friggin' awesome and i am so jealous of the things that she comes up with, i can hardly stand myself.

and not only is *she* amazing, but so are her goodies packages. this girl had me pegged from the word go!

go on, get green with envy.



thanks again mary and i'm so sorry it took so long to give you a post.

*smooches*

MIKEY'S HOMEWORK!!!!

now that bug is in first grade, the homework has doubled. he comes home with at least 30 minutes of homework a night.

now if you think he doesn't feel like doing it, imagine how i feel...BWAHAHAHAHAHAAA!!!

so back to being a good mommy....i love to watch and listen to mikey read. as he reads the words i sit and stare in amazement that MY child can read. my baby can read. when did this happen?

so of course i had to capture the moment with one of his books that he is required to read EVERY night for homework (thank God its short...lol)


the genius in action.


the book.

LOOKIE, LOOKIE!!!!

okay, so i was ooglin' over at jennifer's (aka jen ;) blog about a week or so ago. she had made us all envious over this amazing fabric she has bought at joann's.

but i hardly noticed the other fabrics b/c my eyes were instantly drawn to the playing card fabric. i had to have it i told her.

so this amazing gal, bought the rest of the fabric for me and if that wasn't enough, sent a ton more goodies.

she even sent goodies for the kiddos.

now if you have never visited jen's blog, seriously, run...err...i mean click over that way now. i have been visiting her blog for quite some time and was sad when she went on hiatus a few months back. but this ever talented (and i do mean talented) blogger is back and in full force.

thanks again jen...and like i told ya in my email, you totally made my week!

*smooches*


i originally was going to tear into this pkg. the minute i walked back to my car (i keep a pair of scissors in my car for instances like this...oh and for cutting coupons in traffic...lol) but the minute the mail lady put this pkg. on the counter, i knew i couldn't do it before i took a pic of it. so off to mom's i drove and snapped a shot before i tore into it. isn't it the most loverly pkg. you have ever seen???

my goodies....see the red/whi fabric over there towards the left? that is one of the most amazing lil handmade pouces i have ever seen. and she even made a tag for it. the drool worthy fabric to the right is what i was ooglin' over. isnt' it to.die.for??

this is one of the most amazing things i have ever had made for me. its a tin designed for moi' and has round playing cards.....genius!!!

bella's lil goodies pkg. the fabric for the pouch is olivia like the cards. bella has been carrying this stuff around since she got it. of course the candy is gone.

mikey's pouch is the best. can you ever have enough pirate goodies? how lucky for jen to live so close to a store that sells all this wonderful stuff. pirate bandaids?? mikey has been wearing them on non-existing injuries.

MIKEY'S BDAY PARTY!!!!!

i'm finally able to post about mikey's bday party (for the second time since friggin' aol booted me off...now lets see if i can remember everything that i typed).

mikey and all the wee lil pirates had a blast. and as anyone who has ever thrown a birthday party before, we all know that a happy bday bug and parents mean it was quite the success.

the guest list included:

the birthday boy
bella
mason
melana
aubrey
noah
ian
cody
orion
angela
and of course all the lil pirates' parents (mine included!)

we were also super excited to the fact that mikey's uncle buddy was in town and was able to celebrate with us.

there were plenty of splashes in the pool, tattoos given, treasures hunted, pirate cake-n-icecream, and tons and tons of presents.

take a look for yourself.


the cake. when i purchased this cake, it was actually for a duck hunter. i took off the phoney looking duck and "ducks unlimited" sign and threw on jack sprat. now bad eh?

the party locale. mom's backyard couldn't have been a more perfect place for this party.

now ya'll know darn good and well that i had to take the infamous "me and mike self portrait".

the wee pirates splashin' around.

more splashin....looks like someone may be getting ready to walk the plank.

the bday boy.

the birthday pirate has to walk the plank.

me, my bro buddy, and mom

lets eat!

look at all that loot!

mikey and uncle buddy.

who wants cake? hmmm...is anyone even noticing the cake in this picture? ;)

make a wish!

three amigos enjoying cake and icecream.

it feels soooo good to know that i don't have to plan another bday party for another 8 months....that is unless i decide to throw myself a "holy shit, i only have one more year in my 20's" party...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!

WELL.....

...after the potential buyers extended the closing date again by another week on tuesday, they cancelled on us yesterday.

a month and a half has been wasted with these people and now i have about two to three months to sell it before my new house is finished or....well, i don't even wanna think about or.

we moved out of the current house and in to mom's over the weekend (thinking that these fuckers were going to do the final walk thru on tuesday) so now i will be paying for an empty house.

so needless to say, the past 18 hours have been spent crying, smoking, drinking some beer, and being plain ol depressed.

i wish i could just go to sleep and not wake up till this was all taken care of.