Oy and Vey

It was so cool.....Thursday night, Billy and I watched "Fiddler On The Roof" together. Okay, we watched 2 hours and 15 minutes of it...Billy was just too tired. If it had come on an hour earlier...he would have lasted the whole movie. His favorite parts were the musical numbers...whenever a song would end....he would turn to me and say "The End".....too cute. I've never seen the whole thing and will have to wait to see it. We stopped when the second eldest daughter was getting ready to ship off to Siberia to be with the man she loved. Oh, how romantic..cold as hell, but romantic. (insert a big sigh here) I was almost caught up on one part of the goody bag process and it all fell apart on Thursday.....I haven't worked on it since. It's good to take a break....recharge my batteries. I got a heavy box from my parents yesterday....I cut coupons for hours. I had to see if there were any I needed for the commissary trip we had to make last night. I only got two sandwich bags worth done...I try to leave my leftover coupons at the front of the commissary for others, but two workers were up front.....I only do it if no one is watching. We haven't done our walks the last two days...Thursday it was raining (which is fine to walk in if there is no thunder or lightening...the sky was ominous that night)...Billy played in his tree for a little bit. Yesterday, I was trying to get through those coupons for the shopping trip (I lost two and half hours talking to my parents and sister...oy) and made Jr take the dog for a quick walk. Our "walk" was the grocery shopping trip itself. Today looks beautiful, so we are all getting out of the house. I'd like to think it's making a difference, but my scale is jacked-up and so I can't tell if I've lost any weight. I'm horribly cheap and don't want to have to buy a new one. My sister and I made a pact to weigh ourselves every Monday morning for a few months.....trying to lose at least 25 lbs each. Since I can't weigh myself...I've been forgetting to ask her what she weighs. I really need to get back on that....she was actually starting to lose weight at last count. Well, I need coffee and want to read the paper. I hope you have a great weekend.....I'll be picking up paer scraps this afternoon (I'm a messy coupon cutter). :)

Happy Bastille Day!!

I needed to find a reason to blog....the French are as good a reason as any. :) I really enjoyed the few small trips I took to France while living in Germany. Maybe I'll dig out some of those pictures, scan them in and post them. Last week just sucked me dry. I didn't get a whole lot accomplished on the artsy craftsy side of things....so I've been buckling down this week. I started my mini art quilts, I worked on one set of two Saint tags I'm making (I couldn't decide between St. Michael and St. Mark), I've got ideas brewing for the second saint and year of tags swap (I'm Miss December), and I've worked on goody bag materials....I've got some things done....shocked myself. :) The real problem is the three swaps I'm hosting....I had ideas, but as I hear what others are planning....I've got to rethink mine. :) I did sign up for a ninth SB swap. So here is the rundown: Mini Art Quilt, Year of Tags, Saint Tags, Sugar 'n' Spice ATC, New Year's Resolution ATC, Playing from A-Z art thing (I chose the letter "J" for Jr and James- Billy's middle name), Circus FatBook, Sweet Treat Charm Swap, and a bee project. The last three are my swaps I'm hosting. I'm bushed right now though....we just got back from our daily jaunt. Food and rest are the only things on my agenda for tonight.

A Really Nifty Giveaway

You need to head over here to see the details, but it is fun and the prize is pretty cool. www.gardengoose.blogspot.com/2009/07/500th-post-giveaway-75-worth-of-awesome.html It's a generous giveaway. Tina is too cool....I met her through my very first giveaway here. :) Good luck...even though that means my chances are slimming.

Update

Baccus is home. I got him yesterday morning....after getting lost trying to find vet services on main post. I'm trying to forget all about it. I came home, ate and crashed on the couch for a good two hours. Mentally and physically exhausted...that was me. I'm still tired. We've been going on our walks every night. I hurt my thumb (on the right hand) so I couldn't get a lot acomplished today....argh. I've lost two days of list crossing off. :) Oh well. I plan on getting nothing accomplished tonight and hope against hope that Billy will let me change the tv station....I don't want to watch GPB tonight. :) Maybe I can enjoy my new Country Living that came in the mail today....not if Billy has anything to say about it (okay...or sign).

Our housing area may be clean...

but that doesn't mean the people don't suck. We had a crappy weekend for the most part. Most of Friday was good, until 8 pm when we went out to get Baccus for our walk. Someone took off his collar and let him loose. I thought he had escaped his collar, but Jr told me after I called the MPs to see if he had been picked up that his collar was off him (unhooked). That person, also, took his name tag off the collar. We found it not far from his collar. The MPs did pick him up and took him to vet services, but we can't get him until morning. They were closed all weekend due to the holiday. We are going first thing in the morning to get him....but now I'm worried that whoever did that will do it again. Something always goes amiss when Clark goes to NTC....and it is always in the first week. Last time, when we were at Fort Hood and Jr was only three...I fell off the front stoop and sprained my ankle. We didn't do our walk Friday, but we've gone out the last two days....but not the route we take with Baccus. I miss him. I did get a bunch of stuff done....trying to keep my mind off of Baccus. Clark called last night and I had to tell him. I got all the trim ready for the goody bags and worked on two other parts of the bags. I painted a little this morning and actually re-read a Nancy Drew book last night. I think I might read another one tonight....there is a new Miss Marple on GPB tonight....A Pocketful of Rye. Billy has been on a public broadcasting kick this weekend. He'll watch anything...crazy kid. Well, speaking of kids....I need to feed them. Then I have to figure out how to get to vet services in the morning...I want my dog back.

They made it

Clark called around 0900 yesterday to let me know they made it to NTC. We've been slowly adjusting to one less person in the house. I made a command decision today and we went to the commissary two days early. Now we can stay home all weekend and relax. :) We needed milk and I wasn't sure if the commisssary would be open tomorrow (it will be..oy..oh well). I'm determined to actually make dinners for us while he's away....we usually eat like collge students. The last two nights, the three of us have gone for a walk with Baccus. It wears the two autistic ones down well (that would be Billy and the dog). We've decided it will be a standing date. :) We've been picking up all the aluminum cans we see (Jr has finally realized...they are worth something). Don't worry, Pops.....we grab any coke bottle tops we see as well. Our housing area is pretty clean though. That is a good thing. I made a master list of what I want to accomplish this month and started working on it. It's not a long list, but the amount that needs to be made is daunting. :) I figure if I break it down and do a little bit a day...I should be good. On the swap front, I signed up for yet another SB swap...glutton for punishment. That is seven at last count. Plus, the one blog one that is due at the end of the month. Unfortunately, there is another whole week of SB swaps opening next week...I hope for my sake they suck. :) They probably won't though. Well, it osunds as if Billy is about to do something very, very bad.

Busy, busy as a bee

We've been getting CLark ready for NTC all weekend. He was supposed to manifest last night amd we got there around 11:30 and found out his flight was cancelled and no one called him...argh. I was so pissed....poor Billy was so tired last night and we made him stay up. Argh...bastards. I actually got to clean up my office a little bit on Friday....I loaded up a big box of trims for my sister and her friend at work. I gave them a whole vintage suitcase worth, plus I cut some lace for my sister from the big boxes (the six boxes...three of fancy pants lingerie lace/three fancy pants non-boing boing) and from my personal stash of favorite trims. She will be set for life (or until I get another bug up my butt to destash). Don't worry about me.....I've still got plenty of trims. I've got the first set of cardstock cut (I had to buy a bigger trimmer) and if I can unearth the table I can start stamping on them....it's for the goody bags for SB. I'm hoping to knock out all the goody bag items while he's away and before school starts (early...the 7th of August). I'm planning on putting at least four different things in my goody bags and only one of the four items is ready to go. I've got parts of the second and third items done (200 is a big number and I have to do it in bits...plus, it's repetitive and boring at times). I do belive it is easier for those ladies whose shops sell the same things over and over again....they just count out said number of items and they are done. Since most of my items are vintage/thrifted...I don't always have 200 on hand and have to use what I have to make 200....does that make sense?? It will after I get back from SB..no sneak peeks. There is one thing they are getting that will be somewhat easy (just have to pick it out and decide on amount).....trims. My package to England made it okay....very happy about that and she liked what I sent...always a relief. I signed up for yet another SB Swap....oy...that is six now. :) There are still one more week of swaps next week as well.....oh, these Bellas are killing me. But it is so fun to try new things or different themes...okay, I can't bitch too much...three of those swaps are ones I'm hosting. I'm building up....practice in hosting....I really want to host one here someday. I think that is it for now...my brain is starting to slow down.....I think that calls for more caffeine. :) Have a great day!

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth

We've just been really busy the last week or so. Clark has had the craziest hours at work (worked late most of last week and had to work on Saturday and Sunday). They have a rotation in the California sun soon....preparing for that has been Hell. Everyone is back from leave, so things should be better this week. He took off half of yesterday, so that I could go to the Post Office (didn't make it on Saturday). I saw him pull up and freaked...I wasn't ready, hadn't showered and was about to cry. I thought he'd only come home for a little bit to take me. Nope...I got to eat and shower. Very cool. I had a last minute brainstorm to try to help out two friends in the blogging world and had to put that together and get it in the mail to England asap. I have great respect for all those ladies who make us jealous with their stamping skills. It is so not as easy as it looks. :) I get to try it all over again soon. I commited myself to something and have to follow through.....I'll have more time and won't have to rush. Let's see...other things....my sister added a few things to her shop (www.wendyhue.etsy.com) but I had to nag her to death. I'm such a bitch. :) I sent a few things to her yesterday for the shop as well....using up some of that crafters crack left over from SB. No pictures....I told you yesterday sucked. She'll have some up soon enough. I signed up for two Silver Bella swaps (on top of the three I'm hosting....glutton for I don't know what)..a mini art quilt swap and an ATC swap. I think I can handle it.....it just means no blog swaps for awhile. :) Nobody better host anything good soon....save it for winter. :) I'm hoping to list some things this evening on Etsy....it's those patterns....my head hurts....you have to check and make sure all the pattern pieces are in the envelope. Okay, that isn't so bad.....it's the friggin re-folding that shit that kills me. Worse than trying to re-fold a map in a car while it's moving. I get car sick really easy. I've got high hopes for next month while Clark is away...I've got a list as long as my arm that I hope to accomplish. I figure the boys can graze all day.....I don't have to stop and make real meals. Actually, Jr has been helping out with Billy lately....with very little whining. They've actually hung out in Jr's room a couple times the last few days as well...very sweet. Well, the shop isn't going to get stocked by itself. :) I wish it would.

Happy Anniversary, Clark!

Yep...14 years of marriage...oy. :) Neither one of us is the mushy kind. I don't think we are doing anything today....work gets in the way of that. I did receive a belated birthday present from Bryanna of Polka Dot Parliament....as soon as I get pictures I'll post it. That was so sweet of her and the fact that it arrived today was kind of funny. :) Well, tomorrow is the anniversary of how long we've been together (and his time in service).....16 and 18 years. We wanted to get married on the 18th of June, but our Post Chaplain at the time wouldn't let us get married on a Sunday (he also told me to get married in the hallway of city hall, because I didn't want an elaborate ceremony..asshole). So today it is. :)

Tiny Etsy Update

Lili...I would post pictures, but I forget that I have that nifty little etsy thing at the bottom of my blog....why waste precious space reshowing pictures already showing. :) I listed some new books today for you altered book/mixed media gals. I've got some more books, vintage patterns and misc. vintage tiems to list in the next few days. I'm trying to be a better shop keeper...really I am. :)

Happy 234th Birthday!!

Today is the U.S. Army's 234th birthday!! On a side note...it's also Flag Day! Got that out of the way. :) I've been busy the last few days....getting charms done...crap, I forgot to take a picture before I mailed them out. I was just so happy to be done with them and get them out of the house. They fought me every step of the way...argh. Silly goose, that I am...I offered to host a charm swap for Silver Bella...oy. Hopefully, that will go much smoother. :) Let's see other things that kept me from blogging...Billy....crazy kid...so cute though. We have spent some time out of the front stoop most days..I'll bring something out to read or work on and he'll climb his tree, swing on his hammock or muck about. He actually enjoyed playing with the watercolors I was using the other day.....he likes to make little cups of colored water. They had to be lined up in order everytime. :) Clark has been working late (which throws off dinner schedules and such). I had gathered up some items to take pictures for the shop...then I couldn't find the camera. Hopefully, I can talk Clark into helping me today. We hit the post office and one thrift store yesterday. The crazy mean dog lady was working (Dad....you might remember her)...she was her cheerful self again. I read a book "The Body In The Gallery" by Katherine Hall Page.....I love her books. Food and a mystery...can't get much better than that. I read her fourth book when I was at Pitt (before I transferred to Utah St...early 90s) and had to search for her first three and have been hooked. I think the one I just read was number 17. That book, "The Body In the Vestibule" was set in France....go figure why I picked it up. I got my 8x8 inch squares for Katherine (Pino's Pie Day) in the mail yesterday as well....I just added some trim to them...naked squares just seemed wrong. :) I still have a few projects left to work on (one PIF for Caitlin, one swap-not due til the end of July, things to order for babies...we've had two babies and one on the way in Clark's office..I'm usually the one responsible for taking care of such things and I've fallen behind...sucky army spouse award goes to me this year). I volunteered to hostess three SB swaps and make some things for the goody bags at SB. So after the few things on my list (which I've probably forgotten a few things) I need to really concentrate on SB. Plus, there are those two tables to fill for SB. I'm excited about our theme for the tables...Wendy and I will even be making some of the table decorations for it. I've seen the list of vendors this year and really need to step it up a notch. I need to make a list and hit Michaels before the end of the month....they are getting ready to go to NTC and I won't drive off post. I'm hoping to get loads of stuff knocked out while he's gone. I figure if I have it all here and ready..there really won't be any excuses not to get it done. Well, I need to go cut coupons and make a grocery list....like clockwork...it's Sunday and a grocery run is needed. I love food shopping. Enjoy what's left of your weekend!

Etsy Update

I finally added things to the shop. The color inspiration packs have been in there since the end of May (finally got around the posting about them here...one orange one sold..happy, happy). The other two pictures are of the Alice Inspiration Packs. I did one in red, black and white (Queen of Hearts) and the other in brighter colors (Mad Hatter's Tea Party). I listed some different paper packs as well.....vintage cook book pages, vintage recipe cards, and vintage childrens book pages. So if any of you are taking Rebecca's Hodge Podge Journal class at SB...you might be interested in those. There are a few more vintage jewelry items as well. Okay, enough etsy talk...I'm not used to promoting my shop on my blog. Oy.

Well, my birthday sucked...

the day that is....things just went all kinds of wrong. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts....things are better now. :) Billy has been clingy, so I only get to work on things in bits and pieces....argh. Hey, he's autistic, what am I going to do?? Last night, we all jumped in the car and headed out for a little shopping. I need to back up....I talked to my Dad and my sister yesterday. Late is better than never (well, Winnie did facebook me for my birthday...don't worry I gave her hell). I even got a card from my Aunt & Uncle in PA. Sidetracked....derailed is more like it. When I was talking to Wendy....we solidified plans for my vendor tables at Silver Bella. We agreed on a theme and most of what we want it to look like. So armed with those thoughts.....we jumped in the car later that evening and went to Michaels to peruse and see what they had....some of it was in the seasonal section, so I went ahead and picked them up...on clearance (you all know where I'm coming from there....if it's on clearance one day....it will be gone the next time you are there). So, Alisa....for once I am ahead of the curve on this one and I'm dragging my help down with me. :) We went to Target (ended up with a raincheck for Weeds-Season 4...that is a funny as shit show...but I am way too cheap to get premium cable..it was a stretch for me to get cable). Then off to the world's shittiest B&N...they rarely have what I need...but they do have a great selection of Doctor Who DVDs for the boys...15% off coupons came this week). That brings me to today....earlier this week, Clark said he'd do whatever I wanted today (because my birthday was during the work week and we couldn't do anything). We went looking for treasures. :) Church sales, estate sales, a retired teacher sale, and a sale to make money to buy groceries for the elderly(best one and last one...who knows what I missed out on). :) I found a few things (understatement). One sale did chap my hide.....it was a church sale and it was you brought your pile up and pay what you think is fair. I was "guilted by God" to pay more than what I wanted....the lady had the gall to ask me "Is that all for everything you got?"...I counted when I got home....I ended up paying a little over $1 for every item....whether it was worth a dollar or not....that really irked me....the guy in front of me had a box of stuff and only paid $20 and she didn't say anything to him. Pissed me off. I know it's for charity and all, but you shouldn't be so lazy as to not price your goods and then guilt people into figuring out how much you want them to pay. F-up. Oh well.....it happened, it's done, I ranted, I'm good. :) I'm such a bitch.

Happy Birthday...to me

Might as well start this post off with something I loved as a child.....Nancy Drew. This is what I sent my partner, Tara. I made the journal...it says "Detective Journal" on it. The book I was given to read actually has two different versions of the story.....they actually changed it. So I had to give her both copies of the book. :) The other book in the picture is a newer Nancy Drew book....i don't really like the newer ones and stopped reading them a few years back. I decided to keep only the original 56 stories in my collection. Okay...I do have a few after the original 56...sentimental reasons. The box in the back is my stand-in for a "brass bound trunk". it has a few surprises in it. Some related to the book...others were things that came with the copy of the book I ordered off of Etsy (IrishPotatoQueen). I may have to act like a child all over again this summer and re-read the Nancy books I have. I couldn't wait until summertime as a kid...I would check out a stack of books (mostly Nancy) and read for as long as my parents would let me. :)

Well, today is my 37th birthday. Very low key. My brother shocked me and was the first (and only one so far) to call. I did get to well wishes on my Facebook wall. Man, that means I'll actually have to log into that time sucker at some point. Oy. I started making a cake, but had to stop....I need Crisco....mine had gone bad. Lack of baking does that....I have been baking quite a bit this week. Coffee cake on Monday, Coconut Cupcakes w/ cream cheese frosting last night, and today will be Key Lime Pie Cream Cake. I have to wait until Clark gets home from work...he is going to get my Crisco for me. :) It doesn't go in the cake....I need to grease the pans/waxed paper. I'm a stickler.....I don't make substitutions. :) I worked on a few things for the shop...paper packets....vintage cookbook pages. I'm anal and wanted to make sure every packet got the same amount of stuff. :) Yes, I'm still working on Alice, but the pressure of perfection is stifling me. Dang you, Kara. :) It's been raining on and off all day. A young lady rang my doorbell and asked permission to pet Baccus...I was shocked....even more so when Baccus was all kinds of nice to her. Some people are just good with animals....hopefully when she grows up she'll work with animals. Billy and I have been sucked into the "Burn Notice" marathon on USA. In fact, I need to go...I'm missing some now. Hey, it's my birthday....I can waste it in whatever manner I want. :)

Happy News

Teresa listed the vendors for Silver Bella today on the Silver Bella Blog. There are a lot of good people on that list....oy...start putting away your pennies now, girls. :) I actually found out a few days ago that I made it again (Thanks, Teresa), but I didn't want to disrupt the giveaway. I'm so excited to be able to vendor again. I enjoyed it so much last year. Now I can really shop for vendor night. :) Which is what I did on Saturday...I had a list of seven yard sales to hit. We hit two of the seven....as we were leaving the second one.....we saw people milling about at a house down the street. It was an Estate Sale (I guess the lady sends out emails for invites) that wasn't in the paper. She hadn't given out numbers yet...so we waited about 20 minutes got our numbers and went to the Waffle House for lunch. Billy was so good...he sat and ate like a good boy. He was just smiling the whole time. We were numbers 14 & 15...you should have seen the panic on peoples' faces when they couldn't figure out #15 was and why they weren't in line. I grabbed a number for Clark just in case....he stayed outside with Billy. Oh, man.....the things I missed...I thought I did good, but people were going by me with the niftiest things. She was reasonably priced for those things that all Bellas love...so I was good. Actually, her prices on most things were good....better than I'd seen for awhile. It was a good day and I'm not sorry I missed the other five sales. :)

The picture at the top of the post is of all the goodies I received in the Nancy Drew Swap....thank you, Tara. I love the apron. I do have a picture of what I sent...it is still on Clark's camera. :) I mailed it off before we headed out on Saturday. I got one PIF out and now have one to go. I worked on my charms for the "Things w/ Wings" swap for a little bit...until the copper wire I am using pissed me off....argh. :) Slowly getting caught up on those things. But I've got other things in the works that need working on....mostly for Silver Bella. Don't worry, Alisa, I'm waffling a little on my vendor night table theme.....but I will make a concrete decision before the month is out. :) I actually have to put a lot of thought into it.....I reserved two tables this year. It's going to be fun finding things to fill it.....I can bring things I can't really sell on Etsy. I love it....so excited....it's hard to sleep at times....all the ideas in my head. Oy...I know...I'm nutty. But you love me anyhow. :)