Beatrice

You have to see this dog. You know how I have the 365 Dogs calendar at work, right? Well the dog for July 28th is fascinating.

This is Beatrice Chi. Look at that face! She is a full-blooded blue Chow that lives in Canada. She looks like a grizzly bear. I've always loved the lion's mane look of the Chow Chow. To me, the fuzzier the dog the better! The Chow is actually one of the oldest recognized dog breeds.

Well...mojo or no mojo, I made a few cards tonight. I'm behind on my RAKs for the SCS Welcoming Committee, so I really had no choice. I would post them, but I disovered that this computer came with absolutely no photo editing software...besides Paint, of course, and unless you're working with a bitmap, you might as well forget that. I've been wanting Adobe Photoshop Elements for quite a while because it's a good program to have in regard to digital scrapbooking...so now I have an excuse to get it!

Word Association

The chef is having technical difficulties over at Friday's Feast, so there wasn't one last Friday. I thought I would throw some Randomness in here instead.

What's the first thing you think of...(my answers are in red).

1. flower... rose
2. paper... scrapbook
3. coffee... Starbucks
4. tire... car
5. sand... beach
6. work... boring
7. reality tv... Survivor
8. itch... mosquito (Are they BAD this year or what?)
9. tooth... dentist
10. sour... candy

Speaking of dentists...wait until you hear this. I'm way overdue for a visit, but I might as well not bother because even though I have insurance and pay my premiums out of my paycheck, the Governor of Illinois has decided not to pay dental claims for state employees and to use the money for something else. "They" say the claims will most likely be paid when the state budget is agreed upon. Isn't that a fine how-do-you-do? Now I have heard through the grapevine that he is doing the same thing for one of the medical plans. How messed up is that? Fortunately it's not the plan that I have, but one of my coworkers does.

I'm Here!

So sorry for my lack of posting! As I said in my last post...whenever that was...we were only able to get online with the laptop, and that just wasn't doing it for me. I can't stand typing on that tiny keyboard. We have a wireless keyboard that can be used with the laptop, but I'm too lazy to hook that up. Anyway, to solve my dilemma and so that I can get back to normal, we bought a new computer. Yea! For you computer gurus out there, it's an HP Pavilion Slimline PC S3500f. We got it at Sams. It was between that and a Dell, and since our last PC was an HP, we decided to stick with that. Of course, all computers now come with Windows Vista instead of XP, so that is taking just a little getting used to. Since the lightening also zapped our wireless router, we also had to invest in a new one of those too. Hopefully we are nearing the end of our lightening drama. Although we did just discover tonight that the ice maker hasn't been making any new ice. I'm the only one that uses it, so it has taken us this long to realize it. What a pain in the butt this has been!

I was hoping to make some cards tonight to post, but then I got sucked into playing a game on the computer and totally lost track of time! Unfortunately my stamping mojo is nowhere to be found. If you see it...will you point it in my direction? I even went to a stamp sale this weekend and bought a couple of new-to-me Stampin' Up sets, but I haven't had the motivation to sit down and use them. Maybe tomorrow.

Well...it's past my bedtime, so that's where I'm headed. Hopefully I'll talk to you again soon!

Friday's Feast...Finally

With as long as I have been away, I have only missed one Friday's Feast. There wasn't one for July 4th. That makes it easy to catch up!

Appetizer
When was the last time you had your hair cut/trimmed?

Professionally? Probably a little over a year ago. I cut it myself about a month ago by turning my head upside down and cutting off about an inch. That's one nice thing about having curly hair...you can't really tell if it's uneven!

Soup
Name one thing you miss about being a child.

No worries. It's tough to be a grown-up.

Salad
Pick one: butter, margarine, olive oil.

Since I'm related by blood to Mr. Butterton, I guess I better say butter so as not to shame the family. It's true, though. Margarine is somewhat of a scary substance and there is a time and a place for olive oil; however, nothing beats real butter.

Main Course
If you could learn another language, which one would you pick, and why?

Spanish. I'm going to forgo answering "why" in order to remain politically correct.

Dessert
Finish this sentence: In 5 years I expect to be…

Paul and I were just talking about that tonight. It's hard to answer that because one never knows what is going to happen from day to day; however, we are hopeful that in five years all our debt will be paid off, including the car we just bought, and we will be ready to sell the house and look for something new. That's the five-year plan...God willing. It's scary, but five years will be up before we know it.

Forces of Nature

Whew! It's been a crazy couple of weeks. As a lot of you know, a little over a week ago lightening struck somewhere near our house. This has really bummed both of us out. We're still finding things wrong. Here is the list so far:

Motherboard of furnace/AC fried
Garage door opener fried
Cable modem fried
Desktop computer network adapter fried
Wireless internet router fried
VCR fried
All fire alarms fried

We also had problems with one of our fans and our security system, but we managed to get those working again. We have had a repair man out to fix the furnace/AC and bought a new cable modem and six new fire alarms. Everything else we're still trying to figure out what we're going to do. We're contemplating a new desktop computer because right now we can only get online using the laptop, and we're used to being able to be online at the same time and now we're having to share one computer. We were at Sam's Club tonight and found one we like, so we just need to work it out.

I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about this in that things could have been a lot worse. Right after the lightening hit, the fire alarms going off woke us up and we both smelled something burning. That was scary. We could have easily lost the entire house rather than just those few things above. We can consider ourselves lucky in that regard. Poor Abby...she was petrified for a few days after that. She just didn't know what to think.

In other more positive news, we bought a new car today...new to us anyway. We were down to only one car, which is doable with the hours we both work, but it's miserable because our remaining car, my car, has no air conditioning. It would cost more to get it fixed than the old thing is worth. Plus we were tired of having to rent a car every time we wanted to take a trip somewhere. We went looking Saturday and test drove a couple. We did some research online so we kind of knew where we wanted to start. We sat in or test drove a few things including a Ford Taurus, Buick Lacrosse, and Ford Explorer. We wound up getting the Ford Taurus. Both of us really liked the Explorer, but we figured with gas prices what they are today we should stick with a car first. We will probably end up getting some sort of SUV a little later.

Anyway, as I said, it's a 2007 Ford Taurus in Silver Frost. We signed the papers tonight, so it's a done deal. Believe it or not, this is the first car we have bought as a couple. I bought my Neon before Paul came into the picture. I was with him when he bought his Grand Am, but it was before we were married. Crazy, isn't it?! We've been married for over 12 years and we're just now buying a car together! LOL.

For those curious minds out there, here are a couple of pictures. The angle is kind of weird here. They're not my pictures but the ones from the dealer's website. We got home too late tonight for me to get any good pictures. They let us keep the car for the weekend, but I didn't want to jinx it by taking pictures of it before it was really ours. I'll take some of my own next time I get the chance.







Well...I have to go. It's bedtime...and Paul's turn to go online!

Simple Saturday

You can't tell in the above picture, but it's sparkles.

________________________
Details:
Stamp: Michael's $1
Ink: Black
Paper: Cardstock-Lovely Lilac (SU), Patterned/Textured-Unknown.
Accessories: Glitter pen, heart punch (CM)

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
What is the weather like today where you live?

Mostly cloudy. Right now it's 74, but the high was 86. There was a little bit of rain today, but the sun did peak through once in a while. It looks like there is supposed to be some storms tonight.

Soup
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how career-minded are you?

Maybe 3, but that's pushing it. While I have a strong work ethic, it's more important to me to be happy in a job than push my way to the top.

Salad
What type of window coverings do you have in your home? Blinds, curtains, shutters, etc.?

Curtains in the living room, vertical blinds over the back sliding glass door (which we are in desperate need of new ones) and horizontal blinds everywhere else.

Main Course
Name something that instantly cheers you up.

Singing along to a good song.

Dessert
How many times do you hit the snooze button on a typical morning?

Two or three. Just don't ask me how long I just let it play (clock radio) and completely ignore it.

I'm Beginning To Think It's Fake

A few months ago mom bought three orchids. She kept one for herself, gave one to Jackie, and gave the other to me. As mom gave it to me, Paul walked over, gently stroked the stalk of the orchid, and apologized to it for having to come home with me, as it would most likely suffer the same fate as many other houseplants that I have tried to grow over the years. I have a very bad habit of forgetting to water my indoor plants. Well...just so you know...mom's blooms fell off her orchid months ago, and mine still looks exactly the same as it did the day I brought it home...which leads me to believe that my orchid is fake. Mom, did you give me the fake orchid? The only thing that makes me think otherwise is that I think the leaves have grown larger.



Here's Abby looking not so interested in the fact that I'm taking pictures of the flowers rather than cooking dinner.

Love Ya Bunches!

I felt like participating in a sketch challenge this weekend, so I chose Lauren's sketch from her blog My Time, My Creations, My Stampendence. I have a massive amount of dew drops, so I figured I could use some of them up on that row of circles along the bottom of her sketch. The image is colored with Stampin' Up markers.


___________________
Details:
Stamps: Turtle w/ Frog (Inky Antics), Love Ya Bunches (SU!)
Ink: Black (TAC); Mellow Moss, Regal Rose, Pretty In Pink, Certainly Celery (SU! markers)
Paper: TAC cardstock, stipes by Making Memories, circles unknown
Accessories: Dew drops, pop dots (behind sentiment), ribbon, glue dots

Scrappin' Sunday

As promised, here is my digital makeover of last week's Scrappin' Sunday paper layout.


__________________
Details:
Papers/Elements: "Mommy Dearest" kit at Booland Designs (except photo mats)
Word Art: Original design. Fonts used - Bickley Script and Kunstler Script.

Simple Saturday

A while back I saw a tip about running transparency film through the Cuttlebug, and I've been meaning to try it. I have a whole package of transparencies that I picked up at a garage sale last year ($2 for an unopened box...what a deal!). The fact that it's clear makes it difficult to photograph, so I tilted it to catch the light to give you a better idea of how it came out.

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
If you could live on another continent for 1 year, which one would you choose?

Europe. That would be an interesting year. There are so many countries to visit.

Soup
Which browser do you use to surf the Internet?

Mozilla Firefox both here and at work. I like it so much better than Internet Explorer.

Salad
On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 being highest), how much do you know about the history of your country?

History is not one of my best subjects. I'm starting to pay more attention to it now than I did in school, though. I guess I would place myself at a 4-5. I'm definitely not smarter than a fifth grader. I would love to visit Colonial Williamsburg. Maybe someday.

Main Course
Finish this sentence: Love is…

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.
--I Corinthians :13:4-8 (NIV)

It also makes me think of the comic strip that was big in the 70's. I seem to remember Deb having some "Love Is" artwork. I remember always being bothered by the fact that the poor boy and girl were naked. Apparently it's still around today.

Dessert
Have you ever been in or near a tornado?

No...thank God! Knock on wood and all that stuff! I've been on the Twister Ride at Universal Studios Florida. That's about as close as I want to get (and that ride is totally lame, by the way). When the tornado hit the apple orchard earlier this year, that just freaked me out...too close for comfort.

Under the Weather?

I almost feel as though I'm going to jinx things by posting this card. Over the last couple of days, we have had some of the most beautiful weather we have had in a long time. The temps have been between 70 and 80, very low humidity, beautiful blue skies. Why does it have to be this way during the week when we're stuck inside? My boss and I have been walking the neighborhood on our lunch break just so we can get out and enjoy it. I just took a look at the forecast. It looks like Saturday it's supposed to rain, Sunday nice, and then the rain is coming back for next week.

__________________________
Card Details:
Stamps: Rain Or Shine (MFT)
Ink: Basic Black, Bashful Blue, Pretty In Pink, Sage Shadow (SU!)
Paper: Cardstock - Pretty In Pink, Sage Shadow (SU!) Patterned - Smile (Melissa Frances)
Accessories: Ribbon, Cuttlebug embossing folder, pop dots

Simple Saturday/Scrappin' Sunday

I had every intention of making and posting this card yesterday, but we went out of town and got back too late. We went out to Naperville, IL, to visit Penzey's Spices. We received a catalog last week with a coupon for a free bottle of their new BBQ 3000 seasoning, and yesterday was such a beautiful day, so we decided to go for a drive. We had no idea until we got there that Naper Days/Taste of Naperville was going on. We only had to park three blocks away from Penzey's and it's a miracle we even found a spot. We walked around town for a bit and decided that we're definitely going to go back when its not so busy...lots of neat shops. Before we left we decided to have dinner at either Smokey Bones or Joe's Crab Shack in Aurora. We drove around for an hour looking for either restaurant, although we really wanted to try Smokey Bones. Finally we stopped at a gas station and Paul asked for directions. The girl told him it's just down the road...right past Hooters. So we headed out looking for it again. Hmmm...could she possibly have meant the building that says "For Rent" on the sign outside. We found another building that said "For Rent" in the area that Joe's was supposed to be. So much for that. We had finally decided on Red Lobster when we came across a place that we thought looked neat on the way in...Key Wester Fish and Pasta House...so we decided to give it a try. We're glad we did, as we had a really good meal. Very interesting decor, and the food was good (although a bit pricey). I had the coconut shrimp with coconut rice. Paul had the banana crust tilapia with coconut rice. (You would be correct in assuming that the theme of the restaurant is tropical. ) We both really enjoyed it.

So, anyway, that's my reason for not getting this card posted yesterday.

Simple Saturday


Scrappin' Sunday

In honor of Father's Day, for Scrappin' Sunday I chose to post a layout that I did back around the time I first started scrapbooking. It's a "Butterfly Kisses" themed layout of dad and I when I was approximately 2. I did everything 8-1/2" x 11" back then because that's mostly what you could find. I also used a lot of stickers.


As a challenge to myself, my plan is to redo this layout digitally using these same pictures for next week's Scrappin' Sunday...so stay tuned for that!

Friday's Feast

Appetizer
Do you consider yourself to be an optimist or a pessimist?

I'm really more of a realist. I guess my glass is half full, but in this day and age I figure the water in it is probably contaminated.

Soup
What is your favorite color of ink to write with?

Blue

Salad
How often do you get a manicure or pedicure? Do you do them yourself or go to a salon and pay for them?

I barely remember the last time I had a manicure. I keep toying with the idea of getting a pedicure, but I'm afraid to for a variety of reasons. 1) My feet are ticklish. 2) I'm too cheap. 3) Have you read the articles out there about the dangers of pedicures? I mean, exactly how sanitary is it? (See, I told you I'm a realist.) I do keep my toenails painted in the summertime because I'm always either barefoot or in sandals.

Main Course
Have you ever won anything online? If so, what was it?

Not online. Not that I can remember anyway...so if I did, it wasn't anything exciting.

Dessert
In which room in your house do you keep your home computer?

The desktop is in one of the spare bedrooms, which is our office/computer room/stamp area/scrapbook room. Paul uses the laptop in the living room.

Randomness

1. What is your favorite day of the week?

I always say my favorite day of the week is Friday at 5:00. It's the end of the week and we're both home from work...usually.

2. How do you usually wear your hair?

Right now I'm all about the ponytail. My hair is pretty long right now and with the humidity we have been having, it's a crazy mess. The only way to keep it under control is to put it up. I'm still contemplating cutting it short again.

3. What is your favorite item of clothing?

My red UIC sweatshirt. It's a little too hot to wear that now, though.

4. Where would your dream vacation be?

Probably Hawaii. Although a friend of mine just got back from a Mediterranean cruise and that sounds pretty darn nice.

5. Who is your favorite author? book?

I really don't have one favorite author, as I read all different kinds of books. Medical thrillers are my favorite but I also like mysteries, ghost stories, autobiographies, and true crime. I'm not so much into romance novels. Some of my favorite authors include Robin Cook, Tess Gerritsen, Sue Grafton, and Patricia Cornwell. I like some Steven King and Dean Koontz, but they are pretty out there for me most of the time. I just recently read one of Dean Koontz's latest books, The Darkest Evening of the Year...mainly because one of the main characters is a golden retriever. Dean is a huge golden lover like myself and recently lost his beloved Trixie to cancer. I love reading his website and hearing his stories about Trixie.

6. How often do you log on?

It varies. Sometimes the computer doesn't get turned on all day...sometimes I'm checking things a few times a day.

7. What is one of your favorite internet sites to visit?

Splitcoast Stampers

8. Coke or Pepsi?

Diet 7-Up or Sierra Mist Free. I like the clear ones better. If I have to pick Coke or Pepsi, I choose Pepsi...only diet. Regular coke still tastes like cough medicine to me, and regular Pepsi is just way too sweet. However, once in a great while I do get craving for a Cherry Coke.

9. Do you prefer healthy snacks or junk food?

Hahaha. Obviously I feel better eating healthy snacks. I enjoy munching on cut-up veggies. Paul can't comprehend why I would reach for a veggie tray over a tray of cookies. Unfortunately, junk food is just so much easier.

10. Are you a morning person or a night owl?

Well...the older I get, the harder it is to stay up late. I used to get more accomplished at night. Now I find myself waking up early even if I don't have to. Mid-afternoon is actually the worst time for me. I would take a nap between 1 and 3 every single day if I could get away with it.

till next time....

Something Besides a Card

I found some wooden frames at Michael's a while back that were only $1. I picked up a couple of them to play around with. For this one I used Modge Podge to adhere patterned scrapbook paper and sanded the edges. I then spread a layer of Modge Podge over the whole thing, let it dry, and then attached some silk flowers and rhinestones.

______________________________________________

I would like to take a moment in memory of mom's friend Woody who passed away suddenly this morning. My heart goes out to his family and friends. He was a nice man who will be missed by many.

As Long As You Remember Me

Today, my friends, I leave you all behind

Yet fear not, for I am still with you.

If you stop for just a moment you will hear me!

I’ll be the sound of the wind as it blows through the sky,

I’ll be the memory in your mind, so you need not ask why.

I’ll be the sound of the waves as they crash along the shore.

I’ll be the birds in the trees whenever you step out the door.

I’ll be the blossoms you see as they sprout up in the spring,

I’ll be the sound of the church bells, just stop and hear me sing.

I’ll be the light from a candle, as it flickers in the night,

I’ll be both sunrises and sunsets, for they’re both beautiful sights.

I’ll be the laughter you feel, and the tears when you cry,

But do me one favor and don’t ever ask why?

For why is a word that we can not explain.

And all the whys in the world, won’t get rid of our pain.

So do me another favor, for it seems favors are all I ask.

Yet this one can be accomplished for it is not a hard task.

Remember me in Happiness, Remember me not in Sorrow.

Then look ahead past the pain and know there is always tomorrow.

For as I enter into Heaven, upon leaving this Earth,

I leave to all of you my memories and all that they are worth.

~Author Unknown

Note To Self

If you're going to throw your jacket in the washing machine, remove the dog bones from the pockets first.

Another Bright One

This card started out to be my "Simple Saturday" card. What was I thinking!? I thought I would try my hand at tea bag folding, which is a form of paper folding similar to origami. I was curious as to why it's called tea bag folding because there are no tea bags used here. Apparently this form of paper crafting originated in Holland. One day a lady named Tiny van der Plaas (Tiny???) forgot to buy her sister a birthday card (been there, done that). She was sitting around her kitchen table and started fiddling with the little envelopes that her fruit tea bags came in and before she knew it, she had herself a card.

This particular fold is called the Dahlia and is made with circles of double-sided paper, a pattern on one side and a solid color on the other. Here are the instructions. It's not that it's difficult...I just advise you to use thinner paper. My hands quickly became tired and this flower...or medallion or whatever you want to call it...only took 8 circles. My creation here is a little bright, but this double-sided paper was already sitting out on my desk. Once I had the medallion done, I had no idea what to do with it, so I turned it into a flower. There are a ton of tea-bag folding instructions on the internet for those of you who are way more adventurous than I am.

Weekend Catch-Up

Appetizer
When you drink soda/pop/coke, do you prefer to drink it from the bottle, a can, or after pouring it into a cup?

After pouring it into a cup. I try to get as much of the fizz out of it as possible. Drinking it out of a can is the worst, and I prefer to let it sit for a little bit before I drink it. When drinking it out of a bottle, I tend to shake it up a little (then open it s-l-o-w-l-y). By the way, I call it "pop." Paul calls it "soda."

Soup
What television show are you willing to stay up late to watch?

We tend to stay up later to watch most shows these days because we tape most of them on the DVR and watch when we can...or after the show is over so we can fast-forward the commercials.

Salad
Name one person, place, or thing you think of as brilliant.

God's Paintbrush

Main Course
Would you be willing to work 4 10-hour days instead of 5 8-hour days in order to save gas?

Sure...but only if the fifth day was a Friday or a Monday so I could have a three-day weekend.

Dessert
If you were a superhero, what would you call yourself?

Mighty Monica...Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound and eat chocolate cake and Cheetoes without gaining a single pound. By day she's a mild mannered dog groomer, by night she avenges animal cruelty with the help of her sidekick Super Abby!

SIMPLE SATURDAY

Layout from Clean & Simple Stamping

SCRAPPIN' SUNDAY

Quick Page by Bubbles Babbles.