...by the seat of my pants

heavy heart...

2011-09-22T08:43:00.002-04:00

so...i missed a day of blogging, and i'm not stressing at all! i keep reminding myself that this is supposed to be therapeutic...

i've had a heavy heart lately. a fall trip that i usually take with a group of friends is right around the corner...and i won't be going this year...and that makes me sad. maybe "sad" is not the right word; you see, these women are no longer a part of my life, and sometimes that makes me sad...but mostly it makes me relieved. i invest a lot into my relationships, and i don't feel i expect too much in return; to me it's pretty simple: i have your back, and i expect you to have mine. these girls just didn't understand that concept,i guess. i found it very hurtful that they could so easily throw away a 7 year friendship...

but what i realized is that i had not been speaking up to them...and it was time to "clean house". my heart hurts (and always will) at the loss of those relationships, yet at the same time, i feel as if a load has been lifted. in searching myself i found that these girls did nothing to build me up as a person...did nothing to support me...brought no real joy to my life; so ending this was the right decision. i have people in my life who WANT to be there and don't see me as a burden. people who accept my faults and weaknesses. people who - even when i'm wrong - love and support me. people who make me want to be a better person. and i know that this group of women were none of the above...

happy thursday to you...the weekend is just around the corner :)

back in the swing of things

2011-09-20T08:11:00.000-04:00

day 2 of my resolution to get back into posting every day!

maybe i shouldn't say that. let's just agree to agree that i'll post when i feel the need to say something that i deem as important...that way there's no pressure, and i don't feel like i'm letting myself down.

today is tuesday. better than monday, but not quite good enough because it's still too far away from friday; and god knows i LOVE friday! no special plans today...just the same old same old. madison and i are planning on attending a football game this evening - her friend next door is on the team for his school...good kid...we like him...so we thought we'd go and show our support for him. i have promised to chase him down the sidelines if i don't see him tackle somebody!

creatively i'm in a little bit of a slump. it comes in spurts, you know? i managed to make "start of the school year" gifts for the teachers and staff at madison's school, and then i began working on christmag gifts (yes...you read that right!)...now i'm just "stuck". it's all good though...the juices will start flowing again soon, as they always do...

ashleigh and i are planning a trip to see a photography exhibit at the jewish community center in west bloomfield. ashleigh took a photography class her last semester in high school and FOUND HER PASSION!!!! it's incredible how that happens...how you just know what you're meant to do; that's what happened with her - she picked up that camera, and her world changed. she's working with several different photographers right now and trying to build up her portfolio. her pictures are AMAZING, and i'm very proud of her. i really believe she captures the shots she does because she walks through life with her heart exposed...she always has; there's no "buffer" for her...she just FEELS...and it shows in her photographs. anyways...the exhibit is called "triumph over tragedy: faces of the holocaust"; i read an article about the photographer and thought it would be an awesome exhibit to see. i'll let you know how it was after we go see it. btw...it runs through october 6th.

okay...need to start my day now. happy tuesday to you all; it's good to be back :)

missed

2011-09-19T18:25:00.002-04:00

oh, dear blog...i've missed you so! sometimes i wonder why i even bother (especially on the days where i don't have anything to say), but other times this blog is a lifeline for me...a place to vent, complain, brag. i realized that i NEED this; so...back to daily posts :)

the kids are back in school, with the exception of ashleigh - she graduated this past year. them going back is bittersweet because i love the peace and quiet, yet i DESPISE homework and packing lunches! and the "peace and quiet" is not as it used to be, what with ashleigh home and all.

i've made some major changes in my life (of which i'll talk about some other time), and i'm trying to determine where this next chapter of my life is going to take me...and i hope that you'll stay along for the ride...

couldn't dance this morning...

2011-01-28T07:51:00.002-05:00

normally, i would have woken up this morning doing my "friday dance", but not today...you see, SOMEONE turned the heat off last night before they went to bed, and BY GOD IT WAS COLD!!!! i haven't figured out who the culprit is yet, but i'm sure i'll get to the bottom of this...

last night was spent working on cards for the next card class (february 23rd) and making treat bags for madison's birthday - her actual birthday is tomorrow, but she's celebrating it at school today. she was very excited this morning (despite the freezing cold house!) because the latch key ladies promised to make her a birthday crown to wear today :) tomorrow we're taking her to the Sterling Inn for a day of swimming - it's what she asks to do EVERY year - with just a few family members and a friend of hers from school. i dread this, because i see nothing "normal" about swimming in january in michigan - indoors or not. it also means that i have to shave my legs...which i don't believe i've done since october or november (i like to take the winter's off ;) ). i'm excited for her to see her cake; we "hired" a family friend to make a Jonas Brothers cake, and i know that madison is going to flip out!

i have to work tonight and sunday at the store, and with the birthday party on saturday, that pretty much covers my weekend plans.

hope your weekend is fun yet relaxing!

here i go again...

2011-01-27T10:51:00.002-05:00

i don't know why i find it so hard to blog every day; maybe it's because some days i don't feel as if i really have anything to say, and other days i have so MUCH to say that i don't know where to start! today is one of the days that i don't have anything to say, so i'll just post a couple of pics from the KID ROCK concert...what a FUN TIME!!!

a little "madness"...

2011-01-13T08:22:00.002-05:00

from the minute she came out of the womb we have lovingly referred to madison as "madness"; it has been a nickname that has just stuck with her, and it suits her perfectly. here's a story about her that you might enjoy...

the other night i made pork chops, cheesy potatoes and garlicky green beans for dinner. in my opinion nothing compares to a fresh green bean, so i was excited to try this new recipe; let me tell you - they were AMAZING! so last night i heated myself up a plate of leftovers for dinner. every time i took a bite of the green beans i would comment on how delicious they were. madison asked if she could try a bite, so i gave her one. as soon as she put it in her mouth she said "these are phenomenal" (which i found strange, because i know she doesn't like green beans!). well, i noticed - out of the corner of my eye - that she wasn't chewing it so i asked her if she liked it; here's how the conversation went:

me: "madison, do you like the green bean?"

madison: "yes, it's phenomenal"

me: "then why aren't you chewing it?"

madison: "i'm waiting for it to melt"

me: "waiting for it to melt? it's not going to melt."

madison: "yes, eventually it will melt"

me: "it's not EVER going to melt. why don't you just chew it?"

madison: "because i really don't like it and i was just saying that to be nice. i don't want to chew it because i don't want to taste it. so i'll just wait till it melts."

now mind you...all the while we're having this conversation she is trying to talk with a green bean resting on her tongue...

THIS is what i mean by "a little madness"...and i love every single second of it :)

happy thursday to you :)

stuck

2011-01-12T09:09:00.003-05:00

well, the snow came...and i am stuck in the house. i can take only so much being cooped up...and now i am starting to get very cranky. i need to find something to do to brighten my mood; any suggestions??

getting very excited for the weekend, because ed and i are going to see KID ROCK!!!!! we have suite tickets, and i'm looking forward to some adult time out! maybe, just maybe we'll get to meet him??????? i will share more on that later...

STILL working on finishing up my cards...two left to design. class is next wednesday at 6:00pm...call the store to register @ 323-2888.

i guess i should venture outside to start shoveling...ugh...i really dislike winter in michigan...

hunkering down!

2011-01-11T08:40:00.002-05:00

the snow is coming (or so they say), so i am hunkering down in the house today; i have everything i need to get me through the next few days, so there's no need for me to have to venture out for anything. this, my friends, makes me very happy :)

the only thing good about winter is that i am stuck in the house so i tend to get things done around here that i wouldn't normally do because i am out and about; yesterday i spent the day in the kitchen. i love to cook, but i get frustrated because my family are such picky eaters. this year, one of my CHANGEs is that i am going to try new recipes - not only because that's what i enjoy doing, but to try to "broaden" my family's palette. yesterday i made fried chicken (which, by the way, my husband said tasted just like his grandma's!) and i also made stuffed peppers. YUMMY!! i can tell you that the kids tried both, but ended up liking the chicken best. tonights menu is pork chops, cheesy potatoes and garlicky green beans, as well as eclair pudding for dessert. you'll laugh when i tell you this, but i even bought an apron to wear while i am cooking to make myself feel extra special :)

still working on my cards for next weeks class...can you say "PROCRASTINATE"????? i just have no mojo in me for anything craft related right now, and that definitely needs to CHANGE!!!

i'm off to start the day...hope that you enjoy yours :)

monday...

2011-01-10T08:33:00.002-05:00

oh, how i despise mondays.... i dread this day of the week more than any other; to me it signifies the beginning of "nothing but hectic": making lunches, homework, appointments, flying by the seat of my pants...ARG!

ok...i'm done complaining.

the weekend was not as productive as i would have liked it to be, but i did get a few more card samples made. i really need to focus on using my time more wisely - that would be a good CHANGE for me! i'm definitely going to have to work on that :)

i'm running a little behind this morning, so i need to get a move on it here. i hope you survive monday without too much disaster...

weekend :)

2011-01-07T08:08:00.002-05:00

ah....the weekend. this week seemed to go on forever, and i'm sure it was because it was the first week back after Christmas break. madison and i did some extra special "moves" in our friday dance this morning, happy to have the weekend finally here!

with all the work i've been doing in the basement, there was a HUGE trash pile outside for the garbage men this morning; seriously, the front of my house looked like an episode of Sanford And Son! a big THANK YOU to the trash guys for not getting angry at the size of the pile and for getting ALL OF IT INTO the truck! ed was worried that if they didn't do an early morning pick-up that i might go out there and move half of the stuff back into the house :)) no worries ed...it's all gone...nothing came back in ;)

no big plans for the weekend other than working on friday and sunday at the store. i also REALLY need to get my card samples done for my january card class (january 19th); if you're interested, this month's "theme" is birthday and thank you, with a "bonus" valentine card...call the store to reserve your spot 323-2888.

happy friday!

another CHANGE for the new year

2011-01-06T09:18:00.002-05:00

the pictures certainly don't do it justice, but i am in the process of redoing my "studio"...and i am LOVING it!!! i figured that since i spend the majority of my time here, i may as well make it the way i want it :)) i will post pics as i continue to make changes!! my favorite thing so far is the countertop table - i can finally stand and work without getting a backache!! i'm LOVING this CHANGE :)

thinking spring

2011-01-05T08:35:00.002-05:00

i don't know about you, but winter is always my most "trying" time of the year. on top of the fact that i DO NOT drive in the snow - which leaves me cooped up in the house - i also battle depression, and it's at it's worst during these cold winter months. i am focusing on keeping myself busy and positive to keep my spirits up...but sometimes it's hard to motivate your body when your brain is telling you to lay in bed until spring!

i wanted to share some great news with you about one of the CHANGEs that has happened in my life as of late. i have recently reconnected with my biological mother! i won't go into a long story of the past, but the gist of the history is that my parents divorced when i was just an infant, and my father retained custody of my sister and i. i can count on two hands how many times i saw or talked to my mother during the past 40 years, the last time being ten years ago when i was pregnant with madison. back in december i had a terrible dream, and i just really felt as if i needed to get in contact with her. long story short, i found her, and it has been wonderful! you know, it's funny...my whole life i missed her and was so angry at her for the choices she made, and i swore that i would never forgive her. little did i know that by NOT forgiving her, i was continuing to allow that hurt to eat away at me. and then i found this great quote: "UNTIL YOU FORGIVE, YOU DEFEND YOURSELF AGAINST THE POSSIBILITY OF UNDERSTANDING". so i decided to forgive...and rather than focus on the hurt she caused me, i tried to imagine the hurt she must have been going through to be able to walk away from her children...and i FORGAVE and LET GO...and a load was lifted! i can tell you that her and i have had conversations that i have only dreamed about, and i am learning more and more about her decisions that help to put the past in a different perspective. our relationship is in a good place right now, and she is enjoying her grandchildren immensely!! this has been a great CHANGE...one that brings me much happiness!

whew...that was a difficult one to share! i hope that you will write down that quote, and draw strength from it if you need to; i know it made a huge difference for me.

happy wednesday to you!

one day back...sick kid at home

2011-01-04T11:06:00.002-05:00

well that didn't take long...madison is home sick today! i guess it shouldn't come as a surprise seeing that ed and i have both been sick as of late with the flu. hoping she doesn't get it as bad as we did...

my "studio" is coming along nicely, although my "throw-away" pile is not as large as i hoped it would be. i am so totally a hoarder, so it's very difficult for me to throw things away. when i find that i need more room, i usually just get rid of something of ed's...but that's not working for me in this case because there's NOTHING of his in the basement!! i seriously need an intervention...

hoping for a haircut today, as i am starting to look like shrek :) other than that, it's more work in the basement.

happy tuesday to you!

back to reality

2011-01-03T07:36:00.002-05:00

it's back to the same old same old here...the kids have all left for school, and ed is gone to work; not sure what to make of the peace and quiet, but i sure am liking it!

i have big plans for the day!! i have - once again - decided to revamp my "studio". of course, i decided this at 6:00 last night, so my basement is in total disarray...needless to say, i have my work cut out for me. ed bought me some new storage cube things and told me to finally do things the right way...so that is my plan. i think the CHANGE will do me good; my space definitely neds to be more efective for me, and this is a good place to start.

madison and i spent yesterday afternoon packing away all of the christmas decorations, so i also have a mess going on upstairs. i need to get all the "usual" stuff back in it's place after i get the house cleaned. and i promised fettuchini and banana bread for dinner...looks like i have my work cut out for me today! so glad that i am finally feeling better...

am curious about your "word"...have you chosen one yet? if so, i'd love to hear it, and hear why you chose it.

happy monday to you!

new years flu?

2011-01-02T11:31:00.002-05:00

well, this family is starting the new year off on a not-so-good note; seems as if we all have a touch of the flu! hard to be optimistic when you feel so crappy :(

the kids all go back to school tomorrow and my hope is that i will feel up to packing away the rest of the christmas decorations; i'm ready for the house to be back to "normal", that's for sure!

i hope that you enjoy your last day of christams break, and find some time today to spend with your family :))

happy 2011

2011-01-01T09:29:00.002-05:00

happy 2011! i hope that the new year brings you peace of mind, soul and spirit!

so yesterday - on a whim - ed and i decided to go to the casino with some money we had been given for christmas. it was the afternoon, and we knew we would only be gone a couple of hours. we - or should i say "i" was having a great time because the machine i put my money into was being very kind to me, and i was UP by $170.00. i sat there for three hours playing, talking to the lady next to me and just enjoying being out of the house. then all of a sudden i felt ill; it was instantaneous...i started to feel woozy and was pouring sweat, and i felt like i was going to pass out. ed was nowhere around, so i cashed out my ticket and barely made it into the ladies room where i pretty much collapsed on the floor. long story short, the cleaning lady found me and called the EMT's...it was all very embarrassing. i'm not sure why i fell so ill so suddenly, but we ended up having to leave (which made me really angry because i was winning!!). i will tell you that the workers at Greektown Casino were FANTASTIC; they helped me in the bathroom, they brought me water, and they pulled our car around to the closest door for us (which was VIP). so i want to send a big THANK YOU out to all of them for their help and kindness!! i wish i had not gotten sick, because it was a fun night out.

i am excited about my word for the year, and of some of the CHANGEs that have already been made in my life (that i will tell you about in future posts). did you choose a word for yourself yet??

my hope for you is that you make the most of this year. we only get one shot in our lives; there are no "do-overs"...this could be the year you have been waiting for!

a new year...a new "word"

2010-12-31T10:39:00.003-05:00

the new year starts tomorrow, so it's time again for me to choose my "word" for the year. i've been doing this for several years now, but last year was the first time that my "word" actually came into play for me in soooooo many different ways; if you remember, i chose the word STRENGTH...and i had no idea how very powerful that word would become in my life! by allowing that word to guide me, i learned SO MUCH about myself...it was a great choice, and one i needed desperately.

after finding out so much of myself that i didn't know, i realized that this year's word needed to be just as powerful. so i'm choosing the word CHANGE. there are so many things in my life that need to change, and now that i feel stronger i'm ready to finally make some of those changes! things that i realize i have control over...things that i continue to allow that hurt me, take away from the person that i truly am, and things that bring me down. things that i don't like about myself, that don't better me as a person; be it a relationship, a habit, a mannerism; i am strong enough now to take control and hold myself accountable! i have always considered myself a very passive person (at least on the things that matter most), and i've always been a "people-pleaser". i realized last year that i was so busy making everybody else happy that i had become someone miserable...someone that i don't like at all.

so it's time for CHANGE.

this is not going to be easy, and i know that. it's hard to un-do fourty plus years of being the same way. but i am strong enough, and i know that now.

some of what i need to change is going to be hurtful, to myself and to others...and that's going to be difficult. but sometimes in life things need to fall apart so that better things can fall together.

ultimately, i want a better ME.

so i'm going to do a lot of searching in my heart and in my soul to make the changes that i need to.

i'll be posting EVERY DAY...so i hope you'll join me on this journey...

weekend!!

2010-10-22T09:32:00.002-04:00

thank goodness it's friday!!! this week has been very hectic, and i'm glad to see the weekend :)

well...the last fish in the tank has died (R.I.P. peach), and madison is BEYOND angry, to say the least. i have no clue what happened in that tank, but it obviously became toxic. it looks as if i'll be shopping for a "real" tank this weekend, and we'll be starting this all over again; hopefully we'll do better this time around ;)

i'm off work tonight, so i'll be spending the evening working on my christmas cards for next month's class (november 17th). i also need to get going on the christmas treat wraps...but that's another story.

madison's teacher has asked me to plan the class halloween party, so i need to get my butt in gear on that...so much to do and so little time!!!

i hope your weekend is fantastic!!

halloween fun...andrea style :)

2010-10-21T12:54:00.002-04:00

can you see who i dressed up as for my halloween card class??? yep...bret michaels...my rock of love <3.>

now it's on to christmas cards....ugh!!

shortening the "to-do"list

2010-10-12T08:31:00.003-04:00

well, the list is getting shorter as i get closer to my long weekend away...and that's a good thing! of course, every time i cross something off i think of something new to add, but it's all getting done, and that's the point :) i've decided to make a VERY DETAILED daily list for ed (he needs all the help he can get!)...it goes something like this:
1. wake up in time for school/work
2. feed fish
3. tell cats that mummah loves them and misses them
4. pack lunches/give lunch money to kids
5. go to work
6. pick up madison from latchkey
7. check backpack, do homework, etc.

you get the gist...
i'm hoping that nothing will be forgotten and everyone will still be in one piece when i return!!

i'm spending the next few days cooking and baking. thank goodness my friend teresa had beer bread and garlic garlic on hand - she TOTALLY saved my butt! i don't think the girls would let me in the door without it...so THANK YOU TERESA!!! :))

lots to do and so little time...

enjoy the day!

homecoming pics

2010-10-11T09:25:00.001-04:00

last minute running around...

2010-10-08T08:06:00.002-04:00

...so much to do and so little time!

TOTALLY flying by the seat of my pants today, so no time to post!!!

happy friday! :)

on to the next project...

2010-10-07T11:56:00.002-04:00

the treat wraps class last night went great! 20 people in class was a lot, but it seemed as if everyone had a great time, despite it being like 100 degrees in the store. thank you, ladies, for a great time...YOU are the main reason that i do what i do :))

so...it's on to the next project, which is finishing up my halloween cards. after that i need to start working on christmas cards (class is november 17th) and MORE treat wraps for a christmas class on those! how lucky am i that i get to spend every spare minute i have playing with patterned paper?!?! i am the luckiest girl in the word :)

jasper seems to be on the mend. i'm TRYING not to freak myself out about him being sick, but after the pain of losing wicked, it makes it kind of difficult; anyone who knows me knows how i love my cats...and the thought of something happening to him is something i try not to think about. i am rejoicing in the fact that i actually SAW him go pee in the box this morning, and am going to try to just relax about the rest of it.

homecoming is saturday, so i'll be spending the next few days finishing up things to help the kids get ready. i promise to post pictures of the both of them!

happy thursday to you!

so much for relaxing...

2010-10-06T09:18:00.003-04:00

didn't get much "relaxing" in yesterday, seeing that i ended up having to take jasper to the vet. he had been sick on sunday, and yesterday he just didn't look good...ends up he has a urinary infection; they are concerned about the possibility of crystals forming (as male cats are prone to), so they have changed his diet and put him on an antibiotic. now, i love jasper more than anything, but he TOTALLY has "intimacy issues" - he DOES NOT like to be held or picked up, and trying to give him antibiotics is near impossible. also, i need to make sure that he is peeing, and sitting next to the litter box saying "go pee-pee" to him is just not working!! he keeps looking at me as if i have lost my mind...

tonight is my treat wraps class at Scrapbook Tree and i am so excited!!! i have recruited my friend mel to come and help me out because the class is so big - and that's a GREAT thing :)

not much else going on...i guess i'm back to my spot next to the litter box....

have a great day!!

the shopping was PAINLESS!!

2010-10-05T07:35:00.002-04:00

i can't believe i'm going to say this, but all of the homecoming shopping was PAINLESS!! once the kids got home from school yesterday we ran to the tailors, and i was pleasantly surprised to find out that ashleighs $25.00 dress was only going to cost me $15.00 to get it altered. while there, Tom the tailor threw in a belt for noah...no charge. off to Kohl's we went...where noah found dress pants and a dress shirt - BOTH ON SALE! - total spent there: $51.00. next it was shoes...so we went to Payless (because i refuse to pay good money for a pair of shoes they are going to wear once) and they were having their BOGO sale...$40.00 for two pairs of shoes...CHA-CHING! i am DONE!!! can you believe it?! i didn't even have to drink vodka to get through this one!!! life is good :))

i also managed to knock out grocery shopping yesterday, which i don't normally do on my own. ususally ed takes half of the store and i take the other half - which means shopping is always a "two-carter", but i mananged to pull those two carts myself and get the job done! i really didn't have a choice, seeing that madison threatened to call social services on me if i fed her cereal for dinner one more night...you gotta love that kid ;)

prep is done for class (finally!), and my main concern today is getting Jasper into the vet, as he has not been feeling well since sunday.

going to try to relax a little today, knowing that the "to-do" list is getting shorter...

flying by the seat of my pants, and dodging as many bullets as i can!

2010-10-04T09:30:00.002-04:00

ack! why is there nevere enough time in the days?! i need to take a class on how to manage my time better...

i am FRANTICALLY trying to get caught up on work stuff while trying to hold down the fort here at home. there's no truth to the rumor that as your kids get older they need you less...mine are still the same time/energy soakers that they have always been, and with this being homecoming week, i am REALLY STRESSING!!!! as usual, we have waited till the last minute to go shopping for a homecoming dress for ashleigh, and now - because noah is a freshman - a suit for him. i will say that i TOTALLY dodged a bullet with ashleigh though, as she found her dress ALL ON HER OWN yesterday while i was at work...YEAH!!! not only did she save me money (her dress was on the clearance rack - $90.00 markes down to $25.00), but not having to shop with her also saved me from having to drink ungodly amounts of vodka :) great job, ash! BUT, the dress needs to be altered, and we will be scrambling to get that done today when she gets out of school. i'm hoping that noah will find something suitable while i am at the tailors....

i am soooooooooo excited to have 20 in my treat wraps class this wednesday! they are, quite possibly, the cutest things i have ever seen, and i can't wait to be done with the prep so that i can actually start enjoying the fact that i'm getting a "following" at Scrapbook Tree! it's great to know that you can share your ideas with other people; I LOVE MY JOB!!

i also need to fit grocery shopping into the mix today before madison reports me to social services for feeding her cereal for dinner 3 nights in a row (yes, she did threaten me with that).

so, i'm off to shower and get my butt in gear...

cheers!!

catching you up

2010-10-02T10:08:00.002-04:00

i guess it's a good thing that no one reads this, because i'm certainly not destined to be a professional blogger ;)

the last month has been very busy trying to adjust to the "back-to-school" routines, but we're managing. all the kids are doing well in school, and i'm loving the days of peace and quiet. i'm not sure what made me think that once the kids were in school i would have TONS of free time, because that certainly hasn't been the case - i find myself flying by the seat of my pants just as i always have...

work has been keeping me busy, and i love it! my classes are doing well, and the new people that i'm meeting are really great; this job absolutely has been a blessing for me, and i'm very happy to have it. i find that i am at my best when i'm in my element...and that is in a scrapbooking store :)

on a sad note....we have been going through fish here like it's Lent. seriously...we had NO problems with our fishbowl for a year, and now the fish are just dropping like flies! in the past week we've had funerals for Flo, Brucee, Squirt and Crush; i swear, my yard is going to end up being Pet Cemetary... at first Madison was devastated, and now when one dies she's just wanting her cash back. i'm thinking it may be time to invest in a REAL tank with a filter...

i've got 2 great classes this month at Scrapbook Tree: Halloween Treat Wraps (october 6) and Halloween Card Crazy (october 22). the card class is also a PARTY, so if you're interested in coming, call the store at (586)323-2888 to reserve your spot. if you plan on attending, WEAR A COSTUME AND COME HUNGRY!!!! anyone who knows me knows that this is my FAVORITE class of the year! and besides...i have a GREAT costume picked out ;)

also...i'll be doing a CHRISTMAS CARD CRAZY on WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 17th. 12 christams cards, just in time to mail out by thanksgiving!! the class will fill fast, so make sure you reserve your spot!!!

by the way...if you're interested in either cards but can't make the class, you can call the store and sign up for a KIT ONLY.

hope all is well with you, and hope to see you at a class!

getting back into the routines

2010-09-13T07:43:00.002-04:00

well...we made it through the first week of school without too much difficulty. ashleigh is a senior, noah is a freshman, and madison is in third grade. they were all exhausted by weeks end, as was i! at least i'm down to 2 schools this year rather than 3, and i only have madison to drive as the other two hitch a ride with asleigh's friend. we spent yesterday scrambling to get ready for this school week as i had been gone all weekend cropping/working. i'm hoping that this school year goes much smoother than last...

i have so much going on that i find myself flying by the seat of my pants yet again. classes at work are keeping me very busy, and i'm finding it hard to try and juggle all my responsibilities. i need to manage my time better...any suggestions??? i promised the kids more home-cooked meals and a cleaner house, so i need to get myself in order here!

today i'll be catching up on the laundry and running some errands before i have to head to work; then, the rest of the week off :)

enjoy your monday!

use those scraps!!!

2010-08-17T11:46:00.002-04:00

look what i made!!!

i spent the weekend cleaning my "studio", and came upon a stash of scraps of Halloween paper; needless to say, i had to take a break from the cleaning and make something cute :)) just goes to show you that a little imagination (and not minding your hands covered in mod podge!!) can start your creativity flowing! not sure what i'm going to do with this hat, but i love it all the same :)

happy tuesday!

a new class...coming in october!

2010-08-14T16:47:00.003-04:00

the picture doesn't do it justice...but this will be a class in october at SCRAPBOOK TREE; i'll let you know once the date is set!!!

vote for me, please!

2010-08-13T17:52:00.002-04:00

i have entered a contest at ARCHIVER'S (the one on schoenherr, across from lakeside mall), and would appreciate your vote! this is the tray that i did...and the one i would like you to vote for. the trays will be on display at the store beginning on sunday august 15th...so....if you happen to be in there, and feel so inclined, please vote for me! thanks :))

visit the tree!!

2010-08-05T10:27:00.002-04:00

took my sample board in to Scrapbook Tree last night for the "halloween treat wraps" class...OMG...sooooooooooooooooo cute!!! you're definitely gonna want to take this class!!!! i'll take my camera to work tonight to take some pics to post...but you should head to the Tree to see them in person!

working hard

2010-08-03T10:45:00.002-04:00

have been working hard on new classes to teach at Scrapbook Tree...and i'm happy with the things i'm coming up with :)) can't wait to get my sample boards done and into the store! halloween is right around the corner, and the juice is DEFINITELY back in my coconut!!!

i've promised myself that i'll stay off facebook long enough to get some major things accomplished today, so wish me luck! i just need to harvest my blackberries at 2:00, and then i'll be good to go ;)

planning on uploading some pictures later so that i'll have some things to share with you.

need to motivate...i'll be back tomorrow!!

bad blogger

2010-08-02T10:17:00.002-04:00

okay...i admit it...i'm a BAD BLOGGER. i don't intend to be; sometimes life just gets in the way, and i find myself - literally - "flying by the seat of my pants". some days it's hard enough just to drag myself into the shower...so blogging gets shoved WAY down the list of things to do. i won't promise that i'll do better, all i will do is TRY to post more often. be patient with me and don't give up on me! i have high hopes that i'll be able to get things back in order in my life, and then the andrea you know and love will be back :))

the good news is that i'm working very hard on keeping up on my classes at Scrapbook Tree! i've only scheduled card classes for the summer months, but come october, LOOK OUT!! i have some great things in the works, including a HALLOWEEN CARD CRAZY, HALLOWEEN TREAT WRAPS, and the most awesome HALLOWEEN PAINTERS TRAY you have ever seen!!! i'll keep you posted on the dates, and i PROMISE to post pictures here once i get the class samples done :)) for the record, the AUGUST CARD CRAZY is scheduled for WEDNESDAY AUGUST 25th. you can call the store at 323-2888 to sign up for class or a kit.

summer vacation is more than half over, and the kids are making me more insane than i already am. i swear, if i hear "i'm bored" one more time, i'm going to lose what little is left of my mind!!! i think they're just as tired of me as i am of them, so we try to stay out of each other's way as much as possible. i'm sure they can't wait to get back in school (NOT) just to get away from me. i'm looking forward to a QUIET house during the day so i can actually get some things accomplished!

i hope you all are well!

whatdaya think of the new look???

2010-06-22T10:10:00.002-04:00

well??

been playing around a bit with a new, fresh look for the blog. maybe i'll post in a more timely manner if i give the blog a face-lift :))) (probably not, but it's worth a try!)

summer vacation is underway, and the kids are already making me crazy(er). as usual, i am FOREVER living in the car...driving someone here or there. but, for as much as i complain, i LOVE summer vacation and the freedom it brings!!! i love having no set schedule on most days, lazing around in my pajamas until noon, munching on fresh fruit throughout the day, and staying up way late at night :))) LOVIN SUMMER!!!!

work is well. not a lot of pressure to produce classes as we try to keep them at a minimum throughout the summer months, so i pretty much just have to concentrate on my cards...and that makes for a happy andrea :))

hoping to get a haircut today, as i am starting to look like shrek :(

hope you're enjoying your days as much as i am!!!!

last full day of school

2010-06-09T08:02:00.002-04:00

today is the last full day of school for this school year....and i am HAPPY :) summer vacation is getting started, and anyone who knows me knows that i THRIVE on lack of routines, so i will be totally in my element! i'm really looking forward to the lazy days of summer...

worked last night at Scrapbook Tree, and i have to tell you that i haven't laughed that hard in a very long time. jenna (a friend and tree employee) always seems to have a great story to tell, and last night it just happened to be yet ANOTHER story about a spider. for those of you who don't know jenna, she HATES spiders more that anything, and most every story about them starts out with "i know i say this all the time, but it was the BIGGEST spider i have ever seen"; last night was no different. the spider she was referring to in this story was described as being as "big as a frog" and she also used the word "husky". husky??? i can honestly say i've never heard a spider described as "husky", and it made me laugh so hard i nearly peed my pants! thanks for the laugh, lenna :)

also, there must have been a swarm of mosquitos locked in my car, because the whole drive home i was bitten repeatedly by SOMETHING, and i am covered in itchy little bumps...yikes! made for a miserable night of sleeping, and i'm still itching this morning.

i have CARD CLASS tonight, so i need to spend the day getting my stuff packed up and ready to go.

just a note: if you've been trying to get ahold of me, i'm not ignoring you. i seem to be having some phone "issues"...calls not coming through or going straight to voicemail which says my mailbox is full. i'm hoping to get to ATT today to see if they can figure out the problem.

happy wednesday!

my parents want my kids for a week?!?!?!

2010-06-08T07:47:00.002-04:00

FINALLY...the last week of the school year! we are frantic here, trying to make sure that all library and text books are returned, all fees paid, all last-minute assignments are turned in, and the like. we are also hooping and hollering EVERY DAY as we think about summer vacation!!! i know that i say i'm excited now, but - MARK MY WORDS - i give it ONE WEEK and i'll be complaining that my kids are making me ABSOLUTELY CRAZY-er than i already am! i love them, but isn't it time for them to spread their wings and go off on their own yet???

i saw my parents this past weekend at my niece's graduation, and they mentioned that they would like to have ALL the grandkids (sans parents) for a week this summer at their house up north. REALLY???? why on earth would thay want to do that?!?! i was sipping on a beverage and nearly choked when they made the suggestion. unfortunately, madison isn't game on the idea of being away from mom and dad for that long, so she made it clear that she wouldn't be attending. ashleigh and noah thought it sounded like a great idea, so i need to get a little list together for my parents...it'll read something like this:
1. have an endless supply of money on hand. these two can go through it like wildfire, so be sure you have plenty at the ready.
2. stock that house with lots of food, because they are ALWAYS hungry. and, if there's something you would like saved for yourself, HIDE IT. i'm serious...HIDE IT WELL; these two have the noses of cadaver dogs...and they will find it!
3. be VERY PREPARED for plenty of eye-rolling, feet stomping, door slamming, huffing, and even tears if they don't get their way. they truly could win oscars for their performances!
4. have lots of activities planned, because their attention span is quite short, and they bore very easily...and you WILL suffer if they are not entertained.
5. put all types - any you can find - of parental controls on the computer, and make sure your debit card information is not saved ANTWHERE on ANY PROGRAM...or you will be in for a few surprises.

dad and mom...i hope that helps you. i will have them packed and ready as soon as you say the word. i hope that their visit with you doesn't put a damper on our relationship...i swear i've tried very hard to be a good mom :)

ack! a rut!!

2010-06-02T07:35:00.002-04:00

here we go again: i'm in a creative rut. what's going on ?!?! this isn't supposed to be happening!!! i was soooooooooo looking forward to last weekend and having an extra day to "play"...and all i did was waste paper :( well, that's not entirely true...i DID get my niece's graduation board done (6 hours it took!); but that must have sucked all the creative energy out of me because once i was done with that...NOTHING. zip. zilch. nada. the rest of the weekend was spent staring at my stuff hoping for a brainstorm. i hate times like these, because when you have a creative mind, it is CONSTANTLY in motion...you seriously cannot turn it off...and to have all that motion lead to nowhere can be exhausting! i'm hoping this "lull" ends soon.

the kids are very busy doing all their "end of the year" activities, and also getting MAJOR ants in their pants for the last day of school. madison was so happy yesterday because she received her LAST homework assignment of the year - WOOT! WOOT! that also makes mom pretty stinkin happy :)) we are all looking forward to not having to get up at 6:30am!!

i have been googleing ideas for the cake for my niece's graduation - did i tell you that she asked me to make her cake for her?? her exact words were "i want a "chef duff" cake, aunt dee dee" (you know duff...ace of cakes). now...i have NEVER made a cake covered in fondant, let alone a three tiered topsy turvy cake covered in fondant...but i wouldn't even think of saying "no" to breanna; so, i've been googleing. i found instuctions on how to carve the cake and stack it so that it's structurally stable...and i'm hoping that the rest i can just pull off on sheer luck and maybe a few choice cuss words ;) seeing how fondant is OUTRAGEOUSLY EXPENSIVE, it's not like i can do a "practice" cake...so i'm just going to have to take my time and hope for the best. someone did tell me that you can buy fondant - already colored - at Michael's, and you can use your 40% off coupon on it...anyone ever use it???? i'm curious if it's okay, or if it's not worth the extra few bucks that you'll save. let me know if you know!

well...i guess i need to motivate myself and get my day started. ashleigh has a doctor appointment and tutoring today, so we'll be living in the car most of the afternoon. have a great one :)

my face on a mural????

2010-05-28T07:33:00.002-04:00

so...i was at work last night at Scrapbook Tree...

i went outside to smoke - which i do behind the store, which is an alley - and i was looking at the backs of the buildings...all just plain and painted white...and i had a great idea. any of you watch LA INK??? the season for it is over now, but it's a reality tv show based on the goings on of the tattoo shop LA ink and it's owner kat von d - gosh...i love that show (and i'd love to be tattooed by kat!). anywho...the back of kat's shop is also an alley, much like the one at Scrapbook Tree. kat decided to have this huge mural painted on the back of her building depicting the faces of all of her employees...and it turned out really cool! so...i brought the idea up to shannon (owner of Scrapbook Tree) - i told her i thought it would be cool for all of us to have our faces painted on the back of the building, and that it would give me something nice to look at when i'm out in the alley smoking (seeing that i am the LONE SMOKER at the store).

much to my surprise, shannon wasn't as excited about the idea as i was.

guess i'll have to make sure i have a pencil in my apron pocket the next time i head out for a smoke...i draw a pretty mean stick figure :)

trying to keep up!

2010-05-27T07:27:00.002-04:00

arg! the end of the school year TOTALLY stresses me out. i can't understand why the teachers wait and try to cram all these extra activities into the last few weeks...field trips, plays, special projects, field day, etc. and, i love being able to help in madison's class...but i can't understand why/how i have to be in the classroom FOUR days a week helping when there are 27 kids in the class - that means 27 moms/dads...um...am i missing something here???? and i was just informed (by the teacher) that i signed up at the beginning of the year to help with field day and i was really needed ALL DAY (as opposed to a two hour shift) because not enough parents volunteered to help - and that also happens to be the day that i teach in the evening...which means i will be going in to work a sweaty, stinky mess...ugh. like i said - i love the time spent there, but i wish some other parents would help pick up the slack. i realize that there are parents who would love to help and can't because they work - so i'm not aiming my frustration at them; it's the ones who just plain old won't volunteer their time. i know that ashleigh and noah appreciated always having me in the classroom, and i hope that madison will remember these times as well.

the weather has been gorgeous, hasn't it?! a little too hot for my taste, but beautiful just the same. i'm hoping to fire up the bbq grill this weekend and enjoy the extra day off!!

jen and i are planning on getting together next week to discuss our mail-order card kits and some changes we want to make to that program - i will keep you posted. i know how hard it is to get out and take classes during the busy summer months, so the card kits are a great "fix" for your need to create!

i'm hoping to get a little ahead on projects for Scrapbook Tree this weekend so that i can spend some time "playing" with these new great trees i bought from Doodlebug!! if/when i get one completed, i'll definitely post a picture. i also need to start working on a graduation board for my neice, as well as planning her candy buffet and "chef duff" cake that i'm in charge of for her graduation party. lots to be working on here...

have a wonderful day...we'll chat soon!

where has the school year gone??

2010-05-24T07:49:00.002-04:00

i can't believe that the school year is just about over! it seems like just yesterday i was taking the kids to their new schools...and now summer vacation is right around the corner...and i can't wait!! the kids have had a great year and adjusted well to their new schools...and now we are ready for some SUMMER RELAXATION! we are counting down the days :)

next year will be different for us; we'll just have two schools to deal with as opposed to the three we had this year. hard to believe that i'll have a FRESHMAN and a SENIOR in the high school at the same time - i'm sure it's going to be a busy year!! guess i didn't think this one through when i was charting my fertility schedule :) i'm looking forward to all the "firsts" with noah and the "lasts" with ashleigh...it should be bittersweet.

the weekend proved to be uneventful, and that's not a bad thing. i have a busy week ahead of me, and am working wednesday through saturday. i also need to get my card samples done for june's card class at Scrapbook Tree (i swear i'm working on them, shannon!). busy, busy, busy...

congratulations to BRET MICHAELS...the new CELEBRITY APPRENTICE!!!! way to go, boyfriend...i knew all along the you would be the one :)

enjoy your monday...the weather is going to be gorgeous!!!

great day at the zoo

2010-05-21T07:19:00.003-04:00

what a BEAUTIFUL day we had yesterday!! the field trip to the Detroit Zoo was a lot of fun...especially when i got the girls to pull me in the wagon :) i ended up being one of the lucky parents who only had my child plus one other in my group...which made for a nice day. madison and teneniel dragged me through every single exhibit that we could squeeze in in the 3 1/2 hours that we were there (minus the butterfly house, of course). although i packed us enough snacks for an army, they managed to talk me into buying them cotton candy, ice cream cones, dippin dots, a stuffed animal and a sock monkey.

i have to say that i was still unimpressed with the lack of animals. i don't know if it was too hot, and that's why the animals weren't out...but even the ones that were out were just kind of lazing around. we saw no elephants, lions or monkeys. and i was so excited to see the polar bear exhibit - which was totally cool - but no polar bears; a seal did swim over top of us, but that was no big deal.

we visited the giraffes, and i apologized profusely to them, letting them know that i was really rooting for their adoption :)

i will say that the staff at the Detroit Zoo is very professional and friendly...so thumbs up to them. and the grounds - bathrooms included - are clean and well-kept.

i was very proud of the girls, as they remained respectful amongst the three million other kids that were there on a field trip also...and that's a WHOLE LOT more than i can say for the majority of the other schools i saw there. it was frustrating to see other chaperones not tending to the kids they were in charge of because they were on their cell phones; more than once i had to "step in" and remind a child to mind their manners after they would push one of my girls out of line at the drinking fountain or water mister. and, i even had to scold an adult after she cut in front of about 20 kids waiting patiently to buy a sock monkey (to which she promptly shoved her finger in my face and told me that she KNEW she was cutting, and thanked me for pointing it out to her but she was not about to wait)...that ALMOST resulted in my drop-kicking her, but i maintained my cool for the sake of the children :)

all in all it was a great day, and i'm glad i got to make those memories with madison.

class tonight!

2010-05-19T07:27:00.002-04:00

tonight i have card class at Scrapbook Tree and i can hardly wait :) i can honestly say (in my opinion) that the cards this month are the BEST i've ever made, and i'm very proud of them. i guess the "juice is back in my coconut"...and i hope it stays there!!

tomorrow is the field trip to the Detroit Zoo with madison's class. i am going along on this one, and madison is pretty excited about that. we get to visit the snake and frog that we adopted (yipee!) and i'm wondering exactly what type of "treats" i'll be able to feed to them??? (of course i'm being facicious...if we had adopted the giraffe like we were supposed to, i could have taken leaves or something). it looks as if the weather is going to cooperate...sunny and 80 degrees...so madison and i are really looking forward to it. i hope to remember to take my camera!!! if i do, i'll post some pics :)

the kids have a half day today (arg!), so i won't be able to get a whole lot done. looking forward to seeing you at class tonight!!

great weekend!

2010-05-17T07:50:00.003-04:00

what a great weekend! got a few layouts done, and that makes me happy. once i remember how to work my photo stitch program, i'll upload the layouts and show them to you ( i may need to call on my friend jen to do some "reexplaining" :) )

my FAVORITE niece had her prom this past weekend, and she looked BEAUTIFUL!!!! i surprised her by showing up at the restaurant they were dining at, and she was so happy she started to cry...made my heart just melt! this girl is AWESOME, and i am so proud of the young woman she is becoming. straight "A" student, active in her school, church and community...I LOVE YOU, BREANNA!!!!

this week is going to be a busy one...three days of work, a class, a field trip, and the "usual" goings on. i'm also trying to finish up those teacher gifts i started last week (wink). keeping my fingers crossed for a great day on thursday, as that is the day of the field trip to the zoo; yes, we are going to visit the snake and the frog that madison's class adopted...and can you see how excited i am?? NOT! i'll be spending my time trying to explain the "non-adoption" to the poor giraffe that i had my heart set on...

happy monday to you all!

heading scrapping!

2010-05-14T07:13:00.001-04:00

will be scrapbooking for the next few days at Scrapbook Tree, so i probably won't be posting. if i manage to get any good layots done, i'll post them for you to see.

have a great weekend!!!

getting ready for the weekend

2010-05-13T08:53:00.002-04:00

it's yet ANOTHER rainy day here in michigan, and although i LOVE the rain, my hair - now that it's longer - certainly DOES NOT! i have a lot of errands to run today, and i'm pretty positive that i'll be spending most of the day looking like a wet rat...

i've spent the last few days doing prep for my card class, and i think i'm finally caught up; all i'll need to do is kit...and that makes me happy.

i'll be spending my WEEKEND OFF (yay!) at Scrapbook Tree cropping...and i'm looking forward to getting some serious scrapbooking done - i even have all of my pictures printed and ready to go! i just need to pack my bags...

madison had a piece of her artwork chosen to be put on display in the Fraser High School media center...how cool is that??? she's very proud, as am i :) WAY TO GO, MADNESS!!

time to shower and start my day...i have a lot to get done!

mother's day 2010

2010-05-12T07:37:00.003-04:00

okay, okay...i know i'm back into the rut of not posting every day - but sometimes (believe it or not) i just don't have much to say...at least not anything that i think you might be interested in!

mother's day was wonderful. my parents came down for the weekend, and it was great to be able to spend some time with them. my kids adore them, and i love to watch them together. it's funny...because when i watch my mom with my kids, i always wonder why she wasn't that "easy-going" and "hip" with us when we were growing up...and then all i have to do is think about how stressed out i get being "mom" every day...and i get it! the kids bought me a bottle of my perfume and had also given me some money that i spent on some great costume jewelry...very happy!

i took a few moments and REALLY looked at my kids that day...and you know what? they are great people! do they make me want to rip my hair out on most days? yes. do i sometimes want to leave and never come back? yes. but i wouldn't change us. i don't wish that we were a perfect family like the brady bunch or the cleaver's...we're fine just the way we are. have i screwed up? YES...lots of times! but, when push comes to shove, we have each others' backs, and we love each other to death...and that's more than i could ask for!!

been keeping busy with work projects as well as teacher gifts and putzy stuff like that. i spent the weekend making a baby mini book for a lady at work who just became a grandma, and i can't wait to give it to her. i also will spend this ENTIRE weekend cropping...and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!

it's wednesday...the weekend is almost here!

mother's day

2010-05-09T10:46:00.001-04:00

to all the women out there that sacrifice and put their lives on hold to be "mom"...happy mother's day to you! you are all incredible :)

it's friday, it's friday :)

2010-05-07T07:30:00.002-04:00

WAHOO! i LOVE friday!!!!! and this week i especially love it because i don't have to work tonight (not that i don't love my job, it's just nice to have a friday off once in a while!).

tonight i will be bowling at an annual fundraising event that i attend with my friend patty; it's held by her niece jennie, who is a member of a sleddogs hockey team. these people are really amazing - they are disabled (in body only) and play hockey on sleds. it is a joy to be able to support them, and i look forward to this event each year. not to mention that pattys WHOLE family will be there...and they are just the greatest bunch of people that you would ever want to meet! if i didn't have my own family and i could choose another one to be a part of, this is definitely the one i would choose to join! they are fun, a little loud, enjoy a good laugh, and friendly to everyone. and besides all that, they think i am a hoot...and that's good enough for me :)

mother's day is sunday, and i have made it CLEAR (i hope) what I DON"T WANT in terms of a gift: a firepit, a big screen tv, tires and rims for my car, a new set of golf clubs, an itunes gift card, a Webkinz, or a new controller for the Xbox. PERIOD. i have dropped some not-so-subtle hints about what I DO WANT, and those include a Kindle and a bottle of perfume. i've also said that cash would be good :) i can't wait to see what they come up with...i'm sure it will make for an interesting post. the last year has been extremely difficult, and although i have made a gazillion mistakes as a parent, i believe i have "earned" my title as "mom". i am still struggleing (sp?) with what to get for my mom, but that's another story....

on a lighter side...madison has now decided that she would like to own a lizard. she already has a name picked out - walter. i'm not so sure about this lizard thing, as i know that it will end up being me that has to take care of it even though she says that's not the case. we went to the pet store the other day JUST TO LOOK at them, and it kind of creeped me out. i just don't see the point of having a pet that you can't emotionally bond with...and i just don't see me bonding with a lizard. although, i didn't think i'd bond with the fish, and i would totally pick those girls up and kiss them if it were humanly possible :) i did force myself to "pet" the lizard, and i survived that...but i'm not ready to think about actually having to pick it up and hold it in my hands. i haven't said "no", but i haven't said "yes" either...we'll just have to wait and see where this goes. i'll keep you posted!

i hope that you enjoy your weekend, and for those of you "moms"...have a wonderful mother's day!!

upcoming classes keeping me busy

2010-05-04T07:05:00.002-04:00

it's so great to be back to teaching :)

i have a few classes on the calender at Scrapbook Tree, and prepping has kept me very busy! here's what's going on: treat wraps 2 - may 5th, card crazy - may 19th, dates to remember book - june 16th, family garden - june 19th. i think i may be "growing" on the new crowd there, because the classes are getting bigger every month :)

i'll try to post some pictures of the projects, but this week is a very busy one, so it may have to wait till the weekend.

hope that you're taking some time to enjoy the beautiful weather we've been having!!

SALE at SCRAPBOOK TREE!

2010-05-01T10:07:00.003-04:00

in celebration of National Scrapbooking Day, Scrapbook Tree is having a HUGE sale today. receive 20% off your total purchase!!!! also...you will get a raffle ticket for every $10.00 you spend, and those enter you into drawings for prizes - $3000.00 worth of good stuff is being given away!!!! there is also a great make-n-take...so head on up there!!

happy weekend :)

a frog and a snake?? really????

2010-04-30T07:16:00.003-04:00

so...the money count from the "zoocake" sale has been done at madison's school, and enough money was raised to adopt an animal. seems as if the majority of the kids changed their minds at the last minute and decided that it would be cool to adopt TWO instead of just one...and they chose a frog and a snake. WHAT?!?! a FROG and a SNAKE???? now granted....these are not 'ordinary' frogs and snakes, but rather some exotic tree frog and crazy rare snake...but still, in my mind, they are a plain old frog and snake. something i could find if i was ever to walk along the Clinton river (which i would not). you can bet your bottom dollar that i would NEVER see a giraffe roaming the banks of that river. come on, kids...i was looking forward to taking treats with me to the zoo for "my" giraffe"; treats like a bag full of fresh tree leaves. i can guarantee you that i WILL NOT be carrying around crickets or rodents to feed to a frog and a snake. needless to say, i am a little (lot) disappointed. i guess i will be spending some time googleing how you go about adopting an animal at the Detroit Zoo...because i really had my heart set on a giraffe!

the weekend is finally here, and i am so happy that i could almost cry. i work friday and sunday at Scrapbook Tree (yipee!), and am going to spend saturday catching up on class samples and working on a new doohickey for patty to hang in her office at work. i found a really cute idea that i want to try, and if it works, i'll take a picture and post it for you to see.

i hope that your weekend is fabulous!!

adopting a giraffe???

2010-04-29T07:02:00.002-04:00

with the "zoocake" sale over, we are anxiously waiting to hear if we are "co-adoptees" of a giraffe at the Detroit Zoo; we are supposed to find out by today or tomorrow, so i'll keep you posted. those of you who know me know that i am an avid animal lover, so i can just see myself having to make many trips to the zoo to check on our adopted animal - and you realize that i am being serious here!

have spent the last few days working on samples for classes at Scrapbook Tree. i had taken in a few things that i had done, and there seems to be an interest...so i decided to put the classes on the june calender; so watch the website for the dates for the DATES TO REMEMBER book and the FAMILY GARDEN...both classes that i know you'll enjoy!

i need to set up time to get together with jen so her and i can work out a plan for the online card kits. again, this is something that we both are very passionate about, and we both feel could be very successful. i will keep you posted on this as well.

i'm going to try to spend some time today getting to know my new (used) printer and all it's features. i need to learn how to put my camera card in it and how to get photos off of it. i hate reading directions, and i confuse easily, so i may end up totally hammered by mid-afternoon...we'll just have to see how it goes :)

the weekend is so close i can almost taste it!!! although i work friday and sunday, i am looking forward to having saturday off and getting lots of craft-related stuff done!!

happy thursday to you!

"zoocake" disaster

2010-04-27T07:25:00.002-04:00

whew! i made it through yet another monday :) i don't know why i feel that way, but if i make it through that day of the week, i feel like i have accomplished something huge, and that i can tackle anything else that comes my way! so....BRING IT ON, TUESDAY!!!

i know i told some of you about the "zoocake sale" at madison's school, and for those of you who don't know about it, here's the gist: each student in the second grade class was asked to make 24 cupcakes. the cupcakes could be decorated any way you wanted, but they HAD TO have an animal cracker on top. the reason for this is that the class intends to sell the cupcakes at school in the hopes of raising enough money to adopt an animal at the Detroit Zoo. well...i AM the crazy cat lady, and an animal in need is my friend...so i was all about making the best cupcakes ever!! so...i worked very hard yesterday...making cupcakes and decorating them BEAUTIFULLY with green frosting made to look like grass and lots of sprinkles and edible glitter. after finishing them, i decided that i would go a step further and make some rice krispie treat cupcakes - i thought the kids would LOVE these! so i made a batch of those. anywho....the cupcakes were all finished and boxed up, sitting on the kitchen table. i decided to run down to my neighbors to get a haircut. well...when i came back home...i opened the front door just in time to see two of my cats casually STANDING on the box that contained my beautiful cupcakes!!!! of course i freaked out! needless to say....half of the box was completely smushed, so i'm glad i made those "extra" 12 rice krispie treat cakes, which turned out to not be extra at all. and as for the cats...i think they are still under my bed hiding, afraid of what i may do to them if they come out :)

hope your tuesday is great. as for me, i will be working this evening at Scrapbook Tree...my new favorite place to be :)

productive weekend

2010-04-26T07:21:00.002-04:00

the weekend proved to be very productive for me; i finished samples for the may card class and put together a new display board for the class also. i started working on different sizes of the family flower garden (upcoming class at the Tree), and also on the painters tray. life is good!

i have a very busy week ahead of me...lots of activities at the kids schools, doctor appointments, work, etc. looks as if i'll have to try and stay off facebook some so that i can get everything done!

it's great to be back blogging - i can feel the stress rolling off me with every letter i type!!

i'm off for now. i need to harvest my crops in farmville so i can start on the things that REALLY need to get done! have a great day!!!

back by popular demand!

2010-04-25T10:21:00.002-04:00

...kind of vain of me, isn't it? :) i'm just kidding....but it's nice to know that some of you have missed my morning ramblings! so, i will TRY to get back in the habit of posting every day...if, for nothing else, i can give you a good laugh with the stories about my family and kids. i swear...we're so hysterical that we could be a sitcom!

on a more serious note, i HAD to take some time away from the blog for very personal reasons. my family has been and continues to be in need of my full attention, so that has had to take all the energy i have. i would like to think that i'm getting better at handeling the stresses of every-day life, so i should be able to add "posting" to my to-do list. besides...this has always been theraputic for me, and god knows i need all the "therapy" i can get!!!

i have been enjoying working and teaching at Scrapbook Tree. most weekends are spent working there, and i love it; just being in the environment makes the creative juices flow!!! my classes are growing, and that makes for a happy andrea :) i also have been working on other class ideas, and am looking forward to teaching some classes like the ones i used to teach before. besides the monthly card class, keep a look out for these future classes: dates to remember mini-book, grown with love family garden, and a class using the 7 gypsies painters tray. ALL VERY CUTE!!!! the class calender can be found online at www.scrapbooktreeandstampgarden.com

also....jen and i are working on revamping the online card kits. this is something we are both passionate about, and determined to make grow. i will keep you posted on any news concerning that.

the kids are starting to get very antsy with the end of the school year so near. may is coming, and it's probably my least favorite month ofthe school year because EVERYTHING last minute gets crammed into it - field trips, plays, social events, registration for next year...UGH!!!! and then, after i get through all that stress, the teachers will be turning over the kids to ME to entertain for the summer...i can't wait...(wink!). if anyone has ANY suggestions of free/low cost things to do to keep them occupied over summer, PLEASE pass along the information!!! it would me much appreciated :)

i have the day off today, so i am going to use my time wisely and prepare for my next card class.

i look forward to posting, and to your reading the nonsense that i have to talk about :)

weekend!!!

2010-02-26T09:45:00.002-05:00

whew! made it through yet another week, and the weekend is finally here!

it's going to be a busy one for me; i work friday and sunday at scrapbook tree, and i'll also be there on saturday cropping and taking a class. don't know about you, but i can't think of a better place to spend my time: a scrapbook store!

wanted to let you know that i've put another class on the calender at scrapbook tree: i'll be teaching TREAT WRAPS for Easter on MARCH 17th. you need to call the store to sign up 323-2888.

the snow has left me stuck in the house, so i'm wasting most of my days away on facebook - it will be good to get out this weekend and do something else with my time (although i WILL be taking my laptop along so that i can tend to my farm!).

have a great weekend!!!

"hoodie hoo" my ass...

2010-02-23T09:47:00.002-05:00

this post is especially for my friend charlene. she claims that february 20th was "hoodie hoo" day...something about running around and waving your hands in the air yelling "hoodie hoo" on that day would bring spring here quicker. it seems to have backfired. "hoodie hoo" has brought us more snow. maybe i screwed it up...seeing that SINCE february 20th i have been yelling "hoodie hoo" any chance i've gotten; maybe i over-killed it. if that's the case, i apologize, and will do it better next year. for right now, everyone can just keep their "hoodie hoos" to themselves.

card kit and class registration

2010-02-18T07:45:00.002-05:00

don't forget you have until february 22nd to register for this month's card kits - www.ifthecardfits.com.

card class dates at the scrapbook tree are march 10th and march 24th, and you need to call the store to sign up for those (586)323-2888.

i'll be working at scrapbook tree this weekend, as well as babysitting my neice and nephew, so i'm not anticipating getting much of anything else done.

one more day, and friday will be here...hang on a little longer!

recovering from "fat tuesday"

2010-02-17T08:14:00.003-05:00

had you asked me yesterday, i would have told you there is no such thing as eating too meany paczki; today, i'm regretting every single one i ate.

i didn't really expect to get to eat any paczki at all. being a polack, i can remember driving to hamtramck with my dad to get paczki before 'fat tuesday'...but that tradition has been gone for a long time now, and, in my opinion, one bought anywhere other than hamtramck isn't really authentic, so i usually just don't eat them. BUT...my neighbor lori was kind enough to offer to bring ONE home for me last night on her way home from work. key word - ONE. she brought a DOZEN!!!!! i'll tell you that my mouth watered almost instantly, and i wasn't sure which flavor to start with. i ended up beginning with blueberry, and the others after that are just a blur...

looks like it's going to be a "sweatpant" kind of day...

snow day!

2010-02-10T07:34:00.002-05:00

the kids got their first "snow day" of the school year today. we knew before we went to bed last night, so there really is no reason why i should be awake at 7:35am... i told them yesterday that if they got a snow day, they had to stay in their rooms all day and pretend like they weren't here so as to not mess up the peace and quiet i am used to during the day. somehow i just don't see that happening...madison is awake now also, and already has her snow pants and boots lined up by the back door.

i know i'm stuck in the house, so i'm going to clean the kitchen and make a nice dinner tonight.

if you're out and about - driving to work or anywhere else - be safe on the roads. take your time...you'll get to your destination soon enough!

whoops...my bad...

2010-02-09T08:53:00.002-05:00

i know i said i'd post the day after class...but sometimes life just gets the best of me, and there are not enough hours in the day to tackle everything i'm supposed to get done.

with that being said, class was GREAT!!! i was so nervous - which is so unlike me - but as soon as my "peeps" started arriving, i fell right back into the swing of things. seeing students from prior years put me totally at ease, and we had a great time. the "newbies" were a ton of fun, and i'm looking forward to the next class - which, for the record, is scheduled for wednesday march 10th and wednesday march 24th. the same cards will be featured both days, but we're giving you two opyions to better fit your schedule. don't forget that you need to call scrapbook tree to sign up (323-2888)!

i have been working on cards non-stop...between the cards for the store and the cards for the website, i'm running low on juice in my coconut :) registration for the card kits for the website runs until the 22nd of this month, so be sure to reserve yours soon (www.ifthecardfits.com)!!

i'm panicking about the impending snow, but i did a TON of running yesterday so i wouldn't have to worry about leaving the house for the next few days. i'm seriously hoping the weathermen are wrong!!!!

have a great day!

first class tonight!

2010-02-03T09:32:00.001-05:00

tonight is my first class at the Scrapbook Tree, and i'm excited and nervous all at the same time! it's been a while since i've taught, and i'm hoping i can fall right back into the hang of it. i'm looking forward to seeing former students as well as making new friends!!

i'll post tomorrow and let you know how it went :)

groundhog day

2010-02-02T07:52:00.002-05:00

i swear...if the groundhog sees his shadow today, i'm going to follow him back into his hole a beat him with a baseball bat...I WANT SPRING!!!!! i know we have totally dodged a bullet as far as winter/snow is concerned, but i am REALLY ready for some warmer weather!

madison's 8th birthday has come and gone...and i still find it hard to believe that my baby is growing up. she did get the magic bullet for her birthday (thanks nancy for telling me to go to kohl's!), and has used it every day since. we still are planning on having a little party for her this coming weekend, so the celebration is not completely over yet!

i spent the weekend cropping with the girls at Scrapbook Tree and had a great time. as usual, i got next-to-nothing done, but it was fun just the same.

tomorrow night is my first card class at Scrapbbok Tree and i am very excited :) i'm looking forward to seeing some of the people i have taught in the past, as well as bringing new people into the "loop". just for the record...the next card class will be a general themed one, and is scheduled for march 10th and march 24th - we're giving you two dates (same cards both dates) to better work with your schedules! call the store to reserve your spot 323-2888.

that's all for today...i have a busy one ahead of me, so i need to get motivated!

on a "magic bullet" mission

2010-01-27T08:51:00.002-05:00

today i'm on a mission to find a "magic bullet".

i'm sure you've seen the infomercials...this thing is like a chopper/blender/food processor all in one. madison saw the infomercial a few weeks ago and decided that this is what she wants for her birthday. i swear...this kid LOVES infomercials!! she is convinced that everything she sees is going to work exactly like they do in the demonstration. her reason behind wanting the magic bullet is so that i can make her slurpees with it, and also so i can chop up cheese, melt it, and make her nachos. i explained to her that this would really be a gift more for me, but she doesn't seem to care. i also explained to her that it costs $100.00...and she reasoned with me that i would save money by not having to go to 7-11 to buy her slurpees. it's the only thing - besides overalls - that is on her birthday list. so...i guess i'm looking for a magic bullet! i wish she'd have asked for some cool attachments to my kitchen aid stand mixer...

i also need to take care of some other errands today...stop by nancy's to drop off card kits, run to get envelopes for my card class...the list goes on and on! for a week with nothing written on the calender, it sure seems as if i'm spending a lot of time in the car!

it's hump day, and the week is half over. looking forward to the weekend, because i get TWO nights out cropping with the girls!!!!

have a great day...and if you know where i can find a magic bullet at a reasonable price, please pass it along!

behind...AGAIN!

2010-01-26T12:35:00.003-05:00

i know, i know...i'm behind on blogging. actually, i'm behind of EVERYTHING that's important, and some stuff that's not-so-important. i guess i should quit trying to make excuses and just say that some days i just don't have anything of interest to say.

the kids had monday off, so our weekend had an extra day in it...and who doesn't totally love that?! i spent friday and sunday working over at Scrapbook Tree, and i loved it. if you haven't visited that store, you most definitely should. and, seeing that that is going to be the ONLY store around that is still open, you don't have much of a choice; i promise you won't be disappointed! the store is NEAT, CLEAN and CHOCK-FULL of scrapbooking goodness!!! and don't forget....i'm back to teaching card classes - the first one is a valentine one and it is scheduled for wednesday february 3rd at 6:30pm. call the store to sign up (586)323-2888. my plan is to add some other classes on the calender...they just haven't materialized yet! i will keep you posted.

also...registration is open for the february card kits!! visit www.ifthecardfits.com to sign up for yours!!! these cards are TOTALLY different from the ones at the store!!

i have to make a trip today to get one of my nails fixed...seems i'm a little "rough" on the acrylics, and i've already split one in half. that means i have to get out of my pajamas and put on something more appropriate for leaving the house...

on a more difficult note...please remember my father in your prayers. most of you know that he has been battleing cancer for some time. things have become worse, and the cancer continues to spread. he is starting chemo AGAIN today...but this is the last option available to him...please pray!!!

off to make myself presentable....

facebook addiction

2010-01-22T11:43:00.002-05:00

i swear....facebook should be deemed one of the seven deadliest sins...i CANNOT keep myself off of there!!!! i have spent the last FOUR hours upgrading and rearranging my farm on farmville! my family is ready to stage an intervention :) if anyone knows of a support group i can join, please pass along that information!!

i plan on spending some time now trying to find my phone...i seemed to have misplaced it. i know it's here in the house because i was using it earlier...but now it's no where in sight. wish me luck!!

i'm working tonight at scrapbook tree, and am excited to be doing so! it's going to be hard to work while everyone else is cropping, but i'll nose my way around and try to soak up some great ideas. other than that, the weekend is FREE...and you know i love that!

enjoy your friday :)

rough weekend

2010-01-20T07:18:00.002-05:00

sorry...i'm a little behind here. what started out as a great weekend with friends turned into a trip to the emergency room and an overnight stay at the hospital...as if i had time for that. let's just say that things are on the mend (or so they tell me, but the pain is telling me they are whack) and i'm trying to get back into the swing of things.

i've spent the last couple of days wrapping up my cards for the january card kits and hope to have them to jen within the next few days. how lucky am i that i can spend all my free time doing what i love best and getting paid to do it?!?! not many people can say that, and i know how fortunate i am.

i also made the most awesome album showcasing noah and his football season. when i decide that i'm not too lazy to get batteries i'll be able to take pictures of it and post it here on the blog.

i sent out my first "card of the week" yesterday, and am soooooo going to stick to this challenge!!!! did you send yours out yet??

it's wednesday....and i'm already pining for friday....

weekend!!!!

2010-01-15T09:21:00.002-05:00

this has been a VERY long week, and i am so happy that friday is finally here! i don't think i'll stop dancing today :)

cropping tonight at scrapbook tree, and I CAN'T WAIT!!!!! 4:00 cannot come fast enough...

have a wonderful weekend...and don't forget to check out my challenge on the card blog!!! http://ifthecardfits.com/blog

a challenge...

2010-01-14T07:36:00.001-05:00

check out the blog on the card website that jen and i run (http://ifthecardfits.com/blog) ...i've presented you with a challenge....

a little "funny" from ed

2010-01-13T09:42:00.002-05:00

ed told me a funny story that i want to share with you.

he stopped at the mc donalds drive-thru for breakfast yesterday morning...ordered his usual: sausage mc muffin, hash browns, hot chocolate. while driving and trying to eat his mc muffin, he got a phone call from work, so he took the call. once his call was finished, he grabbed his hash brown, and saw what he thought was a bite taken out of it. he told me he drove for some time just looking at the hash brown trying to decide if he had taken that bite while he was on his phone call...he decided that he definitely had not, so he called the store to complain that SOMEONE had taken a bite out of his hash brown (silly, i know). the manager at the store explained to him that they got those phone calls all the time, and that it definitely wasn't a bite...something about the shape of the tongs used, and sometimes the person loading the hash brown into the packaging didn't let go of the hash brown properly and the tongs would rip part of it off...yada, yada, yada. poor ed just didn't buy the story, and refused to eat the hash brown because he was sure that SOMEONE had taken a bite out of it. he spent an hour drive worrying about this stupid hash brown, and wishing he could eat it because he was hungry!!

moral of this story: when you're driving, you should be DRIVING; not eating, talking on your phone, etc. he probably took that bite himself and just didn't realize it. geez, ed...don't you know better?????

needing to be a good blogger

2010-01-12T07:38:00.002-05:00

i have a hard time keeping up with this blog. when i started it, it was meant to be for informational purposes, specifically relating to my classes. since that store i was working at was NOT posting my classes and photos of my projects on their website, i needed to be able to do that on my own. once i quit there, this kind of turned into an on-line journal...where i've shared MANY stories about my family and my life. i like it that way. i like to have a place to put all the stuff that's swimming around in my head down.

i'm going to keep blogging here...i love having this place to vent and share on. and this is where you'll find information on any of my classes that are going on at the Scrapbook Tree. SO DON'T STOP READING HERE, because i love you guys and your comments!!!!

BUT...jen has asked me (rightfully so!) to take over some of the blogging on the card website (www.ifthecardfits.com), and i'm excited to do so. those posts are pretty much all informative, and will be pertaining to cards and card related stuff. i wrote my first post today, so take time to check it out, and add that blog to your "favorites" list. that jen is a smart cookie...and i have learned from her to push myself to put the information that i know out there.

i enjoy sharing with you!!

one bad apple...and her name is exie

2010-01-10T16:08:00.003-05:00

i want to tell you about the experience i had today at the meijer at cass and groesbeck.

let me start by saying that i love this store. it's clean, it's open and bright, the staff is helpful and friendly. ed and i grocery shop there every week...we even have a favorite cashier (whose line we actually look for and will wait in if she is busy!). i have never, EVER had a bad experience in the store...with the exception of today.

ed and i went into the lane (with our two overflowing carts) and ed started to unload. there's a little triangular shaped black plastic flap at the end of the conveyor belt that flips up or down - it's intent is to push the items that run into it closer toward the cashier. i hate that flap. more than once it has pushed canned goods into my bread, and my bread ends up squashed. easy solution, though - before i start to unload, i just lift it up. this has never been an issue with any other cashier. ENTER EXIE...my cashier today. i lifted the flap up, and she slammed it down. i explained to her that i didn't like it down because it squished my items...she replied, "it doesn't squish your items". i was irked, but i left it down and continued to unload unto the belt. a bag of oyster crackers got squished (as i suspected they would), so i went back and lifted the flap up again. she looked me directly in the eye, and slammed the flap back down. HELLO, EXIE?! do you not see "CRAZY" in my eyes???? do you not realize that i am THE WRONG BUTTON TO PUSH?!?!?! i was LIVID!!!!! at that point i asked ed to continue unloading while i went to find someone in management.

as luck would have it, management happened to be right at the end of the checkout lanes, just a few lanes down from us. i approached them and explained what was going on at my lane...and they were not happy. i was asked to give my name and number because meijer is a union store, and in order for them to log any complaints they have to be able to get ahold of the person making the complaint. as i was speaking to them, i noticed that ed was getting irritated over in our lane. it seems that once i left to find management, EXIE decided to take it out on our groceries...slamming stuff into bags, and also SQUEEZING OUR BREAD as she looked ed in the eyes. enough was enough...one of the management members i was talking to (maryann - who was as nice as everyone else there!!) came and pulled EXIE off our lane and finished our order on her own, while the other member of management escorted EXIE to the office. it takes a lot for ed to get mad, and he's usually the 'voice of reason', and most often he's apologizing for my "flying off the handle", but he was so upset that he wanted to leave the store without our groceries. there's no mistaking that this time i was NOT IN THE WRONG, and EXIE was just a miserable frump intent on trying to make us miserable too.

there's no excuse for what she did. i was not asking her to disassemble the conveyor belt. my request had no impact on her at all. she was just being miserable.

as i suspected (because the staff at that store is always helpful), management apologized profusely. i reitterated to them the fact that i love the store and that this experience in no way would keep me from shopping there. a complaint has been logged, and i called corporate when i got home. i am willing myself to not let this experience with this one cashier leave a bad taste in my mouth. all those ugly feelings were pushed aside when, on our way walking out, our favorite cashier (who was working a lane) recognized us and thanked us for giving her a break today (she was being funny because she always gets stuck with our two-overflowing-carts-order!). EXIE could take a few pointers from her...because she knows what good customer service is :)

just an FYI...our grocery bill today was $506.44. that is very usual for us, and what we spend at that meijer three out of four weeks a month. but, whether i walk through a checkout lane and spend $5.00 or $500.00, i deserve to be treated better than i was today.

SHAME ON YOU, EXIE...

BIG LOVE

2010-01-09T20:30:00.002-05:00

woot! woot! BIG LOVE is back on HBO and starts tomorrow january 10th. i am a HUGE fan...this show rates right up there with "top chef"...and i can't wait to see the season premiere!!!

spent today doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, and i'm glad i did.

going to spend the rest of the evening working on cards for the january kits. i'm happy to be keeping busy being creative :) poor jen has been trying to keep up two blogs and has asked if i would help with the one on the card site (www.ifthecardfits.com). obviously this means that i'll have to spend more time away from my farm on facebook...which is probably not a bad idea; i seem to be getting a little addicted to that site....

hope you're enjoying your weekend...i know that i am :)

new webiste!

2010-01-08T14:23:00.002-05:00

check out the new website that jen has worked SO hard on!!!! you're going to love it :)

http://www.ifthecardfits.com

let me know what you think!

SNOW!!!

2010-01-08T08:38:00.003-05:00

all i can say is...ARG!!!!! i am one big ball of anxiety!! i'm walking around the house saying "please, please, please, spring - GET HERE!"

it's friday, and i couldn't be happier. i have a lot to get done this weekend, and am looking forward to very late nights and very little sleep!

wanted to make sure that all of you know that jen and i are still doing the monthly card kits!!! they can be ordered through the new website (http://www.ifthecardfits.com/shop) and need to be reserved by the 17th of the month. january's theme is general, with a few valentine cards included. i know that a lot of you don't like to travel in the winter, so ordering the kits is perfect for you. plus, it gives you something to work on in your "down time".

i'm going to ask ed to drive me to the tanning booth later so that i can get my daily dose of "sunshine" and warmth...that outta get my mood back where it belongs :)

have a wonderful weekend!!!!

getting the "juice back in my coconut"

2010-01-07T09:32:00.002-05:00

ha! i only used that phrase in my post title to make you laff, patty :)

actually, i AM getting the juice back in my coconut. maybe all i needed was a little break from teaching...but it's all coming back to me now, and i couldn't be more excited to start my classes at SCRAPBOOK TREE! my plan is to drop my sample board off there on friday night, so if you want a sneak peek at the cards, you'll have to stop in and look :)

i have had a really rough time this week trying to get back into our "normal" routines. my kids have been eating mac and cheese or pb & j sandwiches all week long for dinner, so i've decided to try and snap out of it and actually cook tonight : pork chops are on the menu :)

my "project life" kit came in the mail yesterday (yea!!!), and i also got the coolest book as a gift from patty, so i'm TOTALLY looking forward to the weekend and getting started on those projects! it looks like i'll have plenty of time...if the weatherman is right and we get the snow he's predicting, i'll be stuck in the house anyway.

keep those ideas coming for a name for my class!!!!

winter wimps

2010-01-06T08:51:00.002-05:00

was watching the news this morning...had on flannel pj's, slippers and a blanket...listening to how the mid-west (atlanta, georgia specifically) is in a state of emergency because of the temperatures. they said they woke up to another day of sub-freezing weather (19 degrees) and windchills at 6 degrees. HELLO!!!! seriously...A STATE OF EMERGENCY?!?! those temps are MILD compared to what we get here in michigan!!!! bunch of wimps...

i guess i can sympathize a little...i am the biggest complainer of winter weather. not only do i not like the cold, but - as many of you know - i have severe panic attacks when it comes to snow. actually it's not just snow...i have an "all-weather phobia"...which means, if it's not "normal" (and by that i mean sunny and 75), i freak out. people may find this silly, but if you deal with any types of anxiety, you know how real the fear is. i DO NOT drive in the snow. not in a blizzard, not even in a flurry. i physically get sick. which means that i spend the majority of december through march cooped up in my house. thank goodness i discovered facebook/farmville to waste my days away on :)

noah is still home sick, and i'm hoping that this will be the last day. i took him in yesterday and found out he has a severe sinus infection. antibiotics start today, and i'm hoping they kick in fast!

i'm so glad to hear that many of you have already called the SCRAPBOOK TREE to reserve your spot for the valentine card class!! i'm trying to think of a "catchy" name for my class, so i'm looking to you for great suggestions. post your thoughts here, and if i choose yours, you get a "goody basket" especially from me! can't wait to hear what you come up with, because i'm DEFINITELY not using ed's idea of "card crazy corriveau" :)

happy hump day...the week is half over!

the date is set!

2010-01-05T07:42:00.003-05:00

it's official...and the date is set for my first card class at the scrapbook tree! the class will be 12 valentine cards, just like you're used to, and the date is WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 3rd at 6:00pm. you need to CALL THE STORE (586-323-2888) to reserve your spot!!!!!! i will have a sample board done and at the store later this week. you can also visit the store's website at www.scrapbooktreeandstampgarden.com to see what else they have going on. i am very excited, and hope to see all of you there :) i've got TONS of great stories about my husband, kids and in-laws i'm just dying to share!

that's it for today...i have a lot i need to get done around here!

back to life...

2010-01-04T07:23:00.002-05:00

it's official...break is over, and i am awake at an ungodly time trying to get kids out the door for school. one is home with me today...has been sick now for 5 days.

if i can get myself in gear, my plan today is to head out to scrapbook tree to talk with shannon and finalize things for class. i also have videos to return, need to stop at hallmark for candles, and need to pick up something to make for dinner. all of this depends a lot on whether i feel like braving the cold!!!!

i took the kids out to lunch yesterday to zack's hotdogs. if you've never been there, i suggest you go. who would have thought that they could do so many things with a hotdog?!?! their slogan is "hotdogs with an attitude"...and that they are! i also suggest the frozen chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick...YUMMY!!!! i know there's one on hall road, and there's also one on groesbeck near cass by the new meijer...worth the trip :)

still waiting - not so patiently - for my "project life" kit to come in. i am anxious to start recording my life in this new year! i've even been taking my daily photos!!!

i need to go farm on facebook now...it's free fuel week :)

have a great day...stay bundled up if you head outside.

arg! break is over!!

2010-01-03T15:03:00.003-05:00

arg! i can't believe that winter break is already over, and tomorrow goes back to the same old same old...getting up early, packing lunches, homework, living in the car, etc. guess i won't be staying up until 3 am anymore...at least not until friday!

i don't think i told you that i got a laptop for christmas. well, i did, and i spent the last two days downloading all of my photos onto it and organizing them. my friends and i are doing this thing by becky higgens called "project life", and it entails journaling/scrapbooking every day for a year. there's no set "rules" to follow...it's just about capturing every detail of your life. i am determined to FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THIS PROJECT!!!!!! although i don't have the actual kit in my hands just yet (they fell behind on the shipping), i have purchased a journal specifically for this project, and so far i've kept up with it (granted, it's only been three entries so far!!). i'm excited because i'm going to work this in with my word of the year - STRENGTH - to dig deep and see what i'm really capable of.

i'm hoping to have more info to give you on my upcoming class at the scrapbook tree sometime this week. my plan is to go and talk to shannon and work out some last minute details, so i'll keep you posted as soon as i have a date set.

i hope you noticed the quote over on the right under "widom of the day". it's a good one, and one i plan to repeat to myself throughout this year. it goes along with my whole "STRENGTH" theme..."it's not who you are that holds you back. it's who you think you're not."

enjoy the rest of your day, and good luck getting back into the swing of things tomorrow...god knows i'm going to need it!

happy new year

2010-01-01T10:05:00.002-05:00

happy 2010!

we were party poopers and stayed home last night. the family watched movies and played games, and i worked on card samples for my class at scrapbook tree.

i am excited about this new year. a lot of things have been happening in my life, and i am finding out things about myself that i didnt know before. it's funny how when "the shit hits the fan", be it through sickness, death, or some trial or tribulation, you find this inner STRENGTH that you didn't know you had. for reasons known mostly to me, i have decided to choose the word STRENGTH for my word of the year. i will draw on this word each day to help me become the person i know i can be.

have you chosen your word yet? i want to know what you pick, and why it's important to you.

i really do hope that this new year brings you much love, profound happiness and good health.

happy 2010!

new things for the new year

2009-12-28T16:44:00.002-05:00

the new year is right around the corner, and i'm excited at the idea of "new beginnings". i still haven't decided on my WORD FOR THE YEAR...i'm taking my time because i want it to be a good one, full of meaning and possibilities.

i spent the day yesterday cropping with friends at scrapbook tree. as usual, we had a great time...and, as usual, i got a whole lot of nothing done. well...that's not entirely true...are you ready for this???? I HAVE DECIDED TO COME BACK TO TEACHING!!!!! i offered to help shannon out by working in the store while an employee takes some time off, and somehow that turned into a conversation about teaching a card class. the fact that lori and patti were egging things on made it really hard to say no to :) i'm going to meet with shannon later on in the week to "finalize" things, but the plan is to have the first card class at the end of january. i'll keep you posted...and i know that scrapbook tree has a website that they will post the news on too. i'm excited...i have missed teaching, and i think this class will be a great success! more later as i know more details :)

tonight i will be working on cards (go figure!), and trying to come up with some great ideas for my first class. i'm not sure how i'm going to finagle (sp?) all the new things i've got going on for myself, but i'm going to look at this as a test of strength...something i look forward to challenging.

so...off to "getting some juice back in my coconut" for me...

and it's done...

2009-12-26T14:26:00.003-05:00

...okay...so the dsi worked great at keeping madison quiet yesterday...but today...not so much. she's already begged us to take her bowling, and she managed to talk ed into taking her to target to spend a gift card she had. she's played spirograph, started stuffing a build-a-bear, played twister, and there are pixos all over my kitchen floor...and now she's BORED...

ashleigh is at the mall spending her money, and noah is at the neighbors playing dj hero. ed is busy trying to clean out his car because i'm cropping tomorrow and i need to be able to transport all my stuff (ed has a fusion, so i need the trunk space...my escape has been in the shop for over a month now!!!!) me? i'm hanging out in my basement "studio" again! i did a ton of work down here yesterday, and it's starting to look really good. nancy will be happy because i'm filling a box of goodies for her :) my plan is to stay down here all day again and tackle the other side.

tomorrow i'll be cropping with the girls at scrapbook tree, and i'm looking forward to it.

oh! i want to tell you about a cute gift that i got from ashleigh's friend sam - it was a big bag of marbles. when i asked her why she bought me marbles, she said that it's because whenever she's over here i make a mention to the fact that i'm "losing my marbles"...so she said this way i would always be able to find them :) it was the sweetest gift i got :)

hope you're all recovering nicely...rest up so you'll have the energy to put all your christmas crap away!!!!

merry CHRISTmas

2009-12-25T13:39:00.002-05:00

i hope that today finds all of you healthy, blessed and full of peace! my happiness comes from knowing that my kids are well and happy, that i am surrounded by great friends and (some) great family, and that i am loved by my cats unconditionally.

the kids had a wonderful morning, as usual. they were very excited about their "big ticket" items: ashleigh got cash to go shopping, noah got dj hero, and madison got a dsi. let me just tell you that had i known that dsi would keep madison's mouth closed for an extended length of time (i'm talking HOURS!!!!), i would have bought that thing months ago!!!!! she is currently laying on the couch wrapped in her "snuggie", a can of coke next to her, playing with the dsi....THANK YOU SANTA!!!!!! :)

i am frantically trying to finish off christmas gifts, hanging in my new basement "studio" :) i love it down here....all my stuff is within arms reach, the computer is here for me to listen to my playlist, and all the cats hang out with me...i should have done this a long time ago!!

i'm looking forward to a week of no "schedules", no packing lunches, no running kids to and from school. i have a to-do list a mlie long, and hope to actually get some stuff accomplished around the house while on break. and, i plan on spending most of it in my pajamas :)

merry CHRISTmas, happy holidays, season's greetings....i love you all!

journaling, not blogging...

2009-12-22T08:26:00.002-05:00

...that's what i've been doing. i guess it must be because i spend so much of my dang time on facebook...that's the reason i haven't been blogging. i do journal every day, though...and sometimes several times a day. and, it seems that most of what is going on in my life right now is much too personal to put out here for everyone to read. so, be patient with me....

as usual, i am severely behind in everything i should be doing. and the fact that it is "the most wonderful time of the year" (yes...that was sarcasm) just adds to my lolligagging...you all know how much i detest the christmas season!! add to that the new "job" at the high school, and....i am stressed!!! teacher gifts are less than perfect, i just STARTED shopping for my kids this past sunday, and no baking of any sort has been done in this house. i also have this month's card kits to get going on, and i've been picking up a lot of hours at work, which ties up my days. let's just say that i am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO looking forward to christmas break and not having any "routines".

i wish i had something cool to show, something super interesting to tell...but i don't.

just an fyi...you only have a few days left to think about your "word" for the year 2010. i have been throwing some ideas around in my head, but i really need to put some thought into this one, so i'm not rushing it.

i hope you are finding yourself on top of things, and you are stress-free and ready for christmas!

ahhh....winter in michigan...

2009-12-10T10:27:00.002-05:00

woke up today to see the first coating of snow for the season...which - of course - sent me into a full blown panic attack...gosh...i hate michigan...

today i need to get stuff caught up around the house because i have to work tomorrow...and that means i'll be gone all day. i really do like the job, and am glad for the hours that i get. they also called to put me on the schedule tuesday through thursday of next week...i'm sure ashleigh will be thrilled :)

i have been asked by madison's teacher to do a monthly art project with the class, which i am very excited about. i love her new school, and it's a fun environment to be in, so i'm looking forward to doing this. my first project will be on next friday, so if anyone has any good ideas, send them my way, please!!!

tonight is meatloaf night, so i need to get busy on that. stay warm today!!

still here...barely...

2009-12-09T06:52:00.002-05:00

i know, i know....i've been a bad blogger. i guess i just figured that the only people reading me were computer-generated spam thingys leaving me goofy comments...and i don't have time for that. but, i caught hell from patty last night - and she told me i had to get back to blogging, so here goes...

a lot has happened since i last posted. i started my job at the high school, and i love it. it's a bit boring, but it's a change of scenery, and it's cool to see ashleigh during the day. i need to get out of the mind set that i'm wasting my day away though; as i'm walking the halls, i think about all the things i could be accomplishing at home...and that drives me crazy. i still am only a sub, so i only work when they need me...and that's just fine for now.

i have yet to start my christmas shopping, and at this point i don't even care if it gets done. everyone knows how i feel about this holiday, and if i had my way, i would hibernate through the entire winter season!

jen and i are still doing card kits, and things are going well. jen has some other ideas floating around in her head, and i'm anxious to hear what they are because my brain has flat-lined!!!

over the next week i hope to focus on getting teacher gifts made...and i haven't a clue what i'm going to be doing.

i can't promise a post every day, but i promise to try my hardest.

hope all is well with all of you...

talents

2009-11-15T09:53:00.002-05:00

that's what i'm thankful for today...my TALENTS.

i think i have to thank my mother for this one, because she was always doing "projects" with us kids when we were growing up. my sisters didn't get into them so much, but i could not wait for the next thing we were going to create. my mom would search through magazines looking for things we could make...holiday decorations for the house, christmas ornaments, etc. my very favorite was going over my aunts house because she taught ceramics class and had a kiln...we would stay for hours painting ceramics...oh, i loved to paint!!

when i got to high school i took every art class that i could. mr. bolzman saw something in me and encouraged me to use that talent; i am proud to say that there are several paintings hanging in my parents home that were done by me, one being a portrait of my sister kimmie and i when she was two and i was six months old (and this is no small painting...the thing is probably four feet by three feet!).

when ed and i got married we were dirt poor. i would paint homemade christmas ornaments and "seal" them with clear nail polish because i couldn't afford the varnish. i would use my iron to melt embossing powder because i didn't have a heat gun. nothing was going to keep me from being creative!!

anywho...i love this creative side of me. i love making things that people enjoy, and am always touched when someone wants to make something that i've created. this is the one aspect of my life that i feel truly confident about. someone once told me that i think i am much better than i really am...but that doesn't bother me. i am an artist. i am talented. and i am THANFUL FOR THIS TALENT!!!

my four furry friends

2009-11-14T10:58:00.002-05:00

today i am thankful for my cats JASPER, BELLA, CARLISLE and ESME, and also for WICKED.

those of you who know me know that WICKED was my cat who passed away almost two years ago. god...i loved that cat, and i still miss him every day. his passing was devastating to me...i had no idea how much an animal could become a part of your life until i lost him; i swear, i literally couldn't breathe... but, having WICKED showed me how much joy a pet could bring to your life, and i knew i wanted to have that again. after wicked died, i decided to foster four kittens, intending to only keep two of them. WRONG! i quickly fell in love with all four of them, and knew there was no way i could choose who was going to be sent back...so JASPER, BELLA, CARLISLE and ESME became a part of our family! these cats are amazing, and bring me happiness even on my gloomiest days. they seem to know who needs what in the family, and they totally deliver. it's so simple, really...if you give your heart to your pet, they'll give you theirs...no questions asked. i cannot imagine going to bed at night without the four of these furballs piled on top of my legs - and that's exactly where they are every single night.

the kids made me crazy being home from school yesterday, but i still managed to get stuff done around the house. i took down all of the halloween/fall decorations, and soon i'll have to replce those with the christmas crap (bah humbug!). i hate christmas...but who doesn't know that!

no big plans for today...will probably head to nino's for groceries and spend the rest of the day putzing around the house. maybe i'll head outside to pull the weeds...

scary stuff

2009-11-13T15:18:00.003-05:00

in honor of it being friday the 13th, i am thankful for SCARY MOVIES. i love all things spooky, creepy and gruesome, so this date is right up my alley. i love having the bejesus scared out of me, so much so that i need to have someone "stand guard" outside of the bathroom door while i'm peeing. there hasn't been a good scary movie made in a very long time - at least not one up to my standards - and i wish someone would do something about that! the last "horror" movie i saw was "paranormal activity", and it just didn't do it for me. all that being said, if, by some chance, i was ever in a situation where michael meyer or jason or freddie kreuger were chasing me, i would just stop and let them catch me and kill me because i wouldn't be able to stand the terror of it all :)

all the kids have the day off school today, and ashleigh and i have spent the afternoon watching "chick flicks" and crying like babies...it's been a great day :)

here's to the long weekend...friday dancing is definitely going on here...

forgiveness

2009-11-12T10:43:00.002-05:00

...that's what i'm thankful for today...FORGIVENESS...

this is one aspect of my life that i truly need to work on, as i'm not real big on being a "forgiver". i tend to hold on to hurt, and that makes me not such a nice person. i understand (because i hear it so often) that if you forgive, you allow yourself to let go of the hurt and anger that keeps you hostage to yourself...thus allowing you to begin to heal. well...i'm not so sure about all of this, but i am striving to become a "forgiver", because at this point i have nothing to lose. i have been working on this for as long as i can remember, and so far i haven't had much luck...i'm just one of those people that can't seem to let things go. but, i am still going to thankful for the idea of FORGIVENESS, and i am still going to continue my quest to find that freedom from the hurts...

i have parent-teacher conferences for ashleigh today, and i'm trying to decide if i should hit the vodka before i go or not...is 1:00 too early to start drinking???? she doesn't seem worried about anything, so i don't know if that should ease my mind or make me wonder if she just doesn't care. i guess i'll just have to wait and see how it goes...maybe give her the benefit of the doubt??

all the kids have no school tomorrow, so we will be doing the extra-happy-friday-dance around here, thanking god for the extra day this weekend!!!

i'm off to conferences....wish me luck!

mojo in the morning

2009-11-11T12:25:00.002-05:00

today i am thankful for MOJO IN THE MORNING on channel 95.5!!!

i miss the program most of the summer, but during the school year when i'm up early with the kids, it's what i listen to on the radio...and i usually end up having a great laugh. it's a great way to start the day!!! the phone scams are the greatest, as are the street scams and war of the roses. mojo and spike crack me up, and i love their program! so, thanks guys...YOU ROCK AND I AM THANKFUL FOR YOU!!!

noah's last football game of the season was last night, and i am proud to say that his team are LEAGUE CHAMPIONS!!!! although noah got literally no play time this season (stupid coach), he showed up for every practice and worked his butt off to be part of the team...and i am super proud of him for that!

today is a "catch-up" day...lots of laundry and stuff to be done, and i want to make a special dinner for my son tonight. enjoy your day!!!

ashleigh

2009-11-10T07:39:00.002-05:00

today i am thankful for ASHLEIGH. i've said it before...this child saved me from myself...and i don't like to imagine the path i would have chosen had i not gotten pregnant with her. our bond is so strong, that sometimes i truly believe we are the same person. we feel each other's deepest emotions, and know exactly what the other one is thinking. she is sensitive, loving, smart, head-strong, deeply emotional, and beautiful. she has a mind of her own. she loves deeply and fully. my life is better because of her...and i AM THANKFUL FOR ASHLEIGH!

i got my fingerprints done yesterday, so i'm hoping to finally get some hours at the school next week...god knows i could use the income!

today i'll be running some errands, and stopping by nancy's to drop off her card kit and some other goodies i have to show her.

tonight is noah's last football game...GO KNIGHTS!!!! i'm hoping the weather holds out so that we don't freeze to death while in the stands :)

have you thought about what you are thankful for today????

a mind of my own

2009-11-09T07:36:00.002-05:00

today i am thankful that i have A MIND OF MY OWN.

this may not seem like a big deal to anybody, but i seriously have not had a mind of my own for most of my life, and, having recently discovered it, i really enjoy it. it's important to maintain your identity as you travel through the different stages in your life...staying true to yourself. i realize that at some times you need to put yourself "on the back burner", but don't let that part of you slip away!! i think that in order to be able to have a healthy relationship with anybody, you need to be able to have a mind of your own...you are entitled to your thoughts, interests, sense of style, etc. without anyone berating you for them. STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF!! SPEAK YOUR MIND!!! BE YOUR OWN PERSON!! so, today i am thankful for my newly discovered MIND OF MY OWN.

i will be going to have my fingerprints taken today, and that's the last step in the process of getting the job at the high school. a family friend that works there is waiting on me to get this completed so that she can take some time off, so i should be able to get her hours once my prints come back. i'm excited yet nervous all at the same time! it will be nice to be drawing a paycheck that has my name on it :)

other than that i'll be playing catch-up from the weekend...laundry, etc. i also need to continue working on cards for this month's kit - don't for get to order yours by the 15th !!

kimmie

2009-11-08T08:36:00.003-05:00

today i am thankful for my sister KIM.

kimmie is two years older than me, and we were very close as children. i think one of the biggest reasons we were so close is because we were abandoned by our mother...left to be raised by our father and grandparents. i was only six months old when my mother left, and i'm sure that kimmie's childhood was not what it should have been because she was kind of left to look after me. i have very vivid memories of my childhood...and in each of those memories she is there, "having my back" so to say. she was my playmate, confidante, protector and best friend.

as it usually happens, life got in the way...and as we grew older and things around us changed, we grew apart. we disagreed on a lot, and let those differences come between us. we just weren't as close as we always had been.

all i can say is that the past six months or so of my life have been, and continue to be, especially hard...and kimmie has been one of a very few that have been here for me UNCONDITIONALLY. she has stepped right back into her role, wanting to protect and take care of me. she is one of two people that i completely trust, and i know i can confide in her. bottome line is, she has my back...and more than anything that is what i need right now. i love her more than anything, and knowing that she loves me makes everything seem a little easier to handle. so...THANK YOU KIMMIE...i am GRATEFUL FOR YOU!!!

colleen is coming over today to do a photo shoot of the kids, and i can't wait to get my hands on some decent pictures!!! the weather is beautiful and i think we're doing them at metro again, or maybe dodge park. i am anxious to share...

thankful for the man of my dreams

2009-11-07T09:58:00.002-05:00

...and that would be my son NOAH.

this boy is incredible. he has held my heart since the day he was born, and i'm quite sure that's never going to change. he's handsome, smart, and incredibly hillarious at all the right times. he's polite and well mannered. he is comfortable in his own skin, never afraid to try something new or set a new "trend" (remind me to tell you about the rubber band necklaces one day!). he's kind and compassionate, and would give the shirt off his back to a complete stranger. he's sensitive to other people's feelings, and always puts others before himself. he doesn't complain much, is fiercely protective of his sisters, and takes pride in his role as "man of the house" when ed is out of town. this boy has me totally and completely wrapped around his finger...and i can't imagine how totally empty my life would be without him. i love him, and I AM THANKFUL FOR MY SON NOAH!!

today is going to be a busy day...grocery shopping, cleaning up the house, catching up on laundry. colleen is in this weekend for a wedding and she's coming over tomorrow to do a photo shoot of the kids (yeah! new pictures to scrapbook!!) before i have to drive her to the airport. i'm looking forward to seeing her, and the kids are too since they haven't spent any time with her in a while.

the weather is beautiful today...get outside and enjoy it!

FRIDAY!!!

2009-11-06T07:49:00.002-05:00

today i am thankful it's FRIDAY!!!! you all know how i feel about fridays, what with my friday morning dances and all...WOOT! WOOT! i think friday's are the greatest day of the week, and i find myself yearning for it starting on sunday. it symbolizes the end of a long, hard week and the beginning of a few days of relaxation. I LOVE FRIDAY!!!!!

on a more serious note...i was listening to mojo in the morning on channel 95.5 this morning, and i URGE you to head to their website (www.mojointhemorning.com) and check out their article about a 5 year old named noah biorkman. noah is losing his battle with cancer, and his family is celebrating christmas with him this weekend. all they ask is that you send this child a christmas card because he loves to receive mail. i know that my family will be making our cards tonight, and i hope that you will take the time to do the same. my prayers go out to noah and his family!!!

enjoy your weekend!

on the mend...i hope

2009-11-05T07:47:00.002-05:00

okay...it's day 5 of my feeling yucky, and just when i think things are improving, i start to feel bad again. i'm hoping that today will prove me wrong, and i will continue to improve as the day goes on!

now to being thankful...

today i am thankful for VIP TANNING (located on groesbeck near 15 mile road). okay...this may seem frivolous to most, but i seriously love this place, and i love to tan. jeff and nicole are two of the friendliest people i've ever met (and gorgeous...can't wait to see the beautiful babies these two will produce!!), and they run a terrific business. the salon is clean (even under their current remodeling!), has the most up-to-date product and equipment, and offers great prices. i chose this place to tan at because it's close to home, i stay because it's the best in the area. i'm thankful for tanning because it makes me feel better about myself...there's just something about a healthy glow to your skin that makes you walk with a little more confidence...and who can't use that??? so, I AM THANKFUL FOR YOU VIP TANNING!!!

i FINALLY got an appointment to get my fingerprints done (monday), and that is the last step in the process of my getting the hall monitor job...soon i will be entering the "real" working world - at least on a "on-call" position. i am excited and nervous all at the same time...but eager to ACCEPT this challenge.

ashleigh has a half day today and then a doctor appointment, so the majority of my day will be spent in the car...what else is new...

hang in there...friday is just a day away...

hump day

2009-11-04T07:55:00.002-05:00

today i am thankful for HUMP DAYS! wednesdays are a sign that i have made it through half of the week (surviving monday!) and that friday is right around the corner. hump day is something i immediately begin to think of on monday mornings, so when it gets here i feel a sense of relief. it may seem like a silly thing to be thankful for, but it works for me. i love HUMP DAY!!!!

i am still trying to recover from this flu-thing i've got going on, and each day i say that if i don't feel better tomorrow i will go to the doctor...today just might be that day. the thing is, i usually get a little burst of energy in the afternoon that makes me feel as if i'm on the mend...but then i end up right back feeling lousy again. we'll see how the day goes...

noah had a scrimmage last night and, wouldn't you know it, i wasn't there to see all the awesome plays he said he did! i opted to stay home because i was running a fever...and i missed seeing my favorite #52 out on the field :( i'm hoping that he gets field time in next tuesday's game so i can make up for what i missed.

i'm going to start working on cards for the november kit, so i've been getting my ideas together. jen and i have decided to make it a "general" kit again, including cards such as birthday, get well, hello, and the like. make sure you visit her blog to sign up for your kit (click on the link "scrapbookhut" to the right).

ed is out of town for the week and i am flying solo here...by the seat of my pants, for sure...