Bits & Pieces

This is my furbaby Cookie, looking adorable as usual... She probably just did something bad... just playing with the camera yesterday. I love the way her fur matches my wood floor ...LOL!


Sorry the sketch is tilted, but you get the idea. This is my sketch for my nephew's (& new niece in law) wedding picture with my brother and his wife not quite finished with it yet. I ran out of photo paper except for my 4x6 sheets and the picture just isn't big enough for this page. Plus you have to be able to see Keely's lovely dress and flowers! The WHOLE point of the wedding beside the marriage part ...LOL!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! to my older sister, WILLA! Dang you are OLD! I'm MUCH younger...ROFLMAO!

Sketch for 8 to 9 photos - Pred up date

It just wouldn't be me if it wasn't Halloween! I needed a sketch to show off all my wonderful ghoulish displays. This is what I came up with to do it.



Predators beat the Red Wings in the JOE! Woo hoo! Not the 8 zip killing, now known as "the Music City Massacre". Not my name, it came from On the Fly from the hockey channel... I just LOVE IT! But it came at a cost Martin Erat got hit with a Shea Webber slap shot and it broke his leg...OUCH! Why couldn't it have hit a Red Wing??? if it had to hit anyone...Bummer! out 4 to 6 weeks...WAY into playoffs...

PREDS BEAT SHARKS! & some other stuff...

Kori & Courtney before the game.
So who cares if it is rainy and yucky out this morning?! Preds beat the Sharks without Arnott & Legwand!!! Pekka Rinne was BRILLIANT in goal. They really needed those 2 points. They are playing for play off life!

I've started sketching. I've sketched out my layouts before BUT never so I'd want to share the design with any one. so far I did one and a layout to go with it. The results were good not earth shattering, but it made the process a snap once I'd decided on the design. I'm going to play with it a while...

SHOWER & MAKEUP MIRACLE!

SEE FIRST POST TO BE AMAZED






OK NOW CAN IT DO ANYTHING ABOUT MY DOUBLE CHIN???

Blah!

ZOMBIE?My imitation of DAWN OF THE DEAD

OMG! I'm so tired today! No real reason for it, except, my aunt flo is visiting. It is dark and rainy again does that = dog tired? Coffee did zero to help with my fog. I think I might try some B complex vitamins maybe some iron... worse thing is I have no jump don't want to scrap, clean, cook, read, watch TV, etc. I just want to sleep. I got my 8 hours. I'm really not a sleep the day away kind of person any more. Plus back in those days I was up all night so needed to sleep during the day...

Going to hit the shower and some diet coke and see if that helps! OH AND DIVE INTO A VAT OF MAKE UP! I look like a raccoon!

Paying for Prom & memories...

Well, it looks like Courtney doesn't have to go to the prom nude after all. Good thing! She has lovely long hair, BUT not as long as Lady Godiva I suspect... Any way she will be working at Jim's office this week. At $9 a hour with three days work she'll have her half, BUT I don't know if they will need her all 3 days... oh well two days will make quite a dent in the debt! There's always babysitting! She has till April 17th... what we'll do for hair and nails... Thank goodness she is wearing the same shoes!

She had her fitting today. The dress basically just needs hemmed and darts taken in at the bust. We go for final fitting April 3rd if all alterations are OK we get to take it home after paying for it of course...

We got her a new strapless bra and some jewelry. She tried both with the dress. The jewelry we both decided wasn't going to work so it is going back to Kohl's. It's very pretty but just not right. I've been cruising the web and ebay since looking for the right set.

I realize that she is only a sophomore, but getting invited to the prom is a big deal to her. There is no guaranty that she'll be ask to another. I'm pretty sure she will be. But there are lots of girls that never go, or go with someone that they aren't thrilled with, just to go. Plus this is an adventure going to Brentwood's prom...

I went to St Joe's prom my junior year with my SIL brother, Brian, as my adventure can't say I remember much about it except my WAY OLDER sister (jab, jab she reads this) yelling at me for getting back to her house at 6am. OMG! It was PROM! Plus I didn't do anything wrong! If it had been up to me I would have gotten back sooner. I really didn't know Brian all that well, once I did... that's another story... My prom memories... Oh, and my mom made me wear the same dress to my senior prom too because no one in Conneaut had seen it, so I got one pretty dress. Mom made it. It is lovely I got to pick the pattern and fabric. But none of the fun dress shopping, except to help my girlfriends pick out their dresses. I was a bit envious. Stupid of me, Wanda's mother was dead no one to make her a dress, or shop with her except me. I'm sure she would have gladly traded that beautiful store bought dress for her alive mom making one. Cindy's was off rack in a mall store a bunch of other girls wore the same exact dress, not one made especially to fit her, but back then I didn't think of things like that, what teenager does? So maybe I'm living through Courtney a little with the shopping... I think I got my fix and then some...

Any way Courtney is off to work today to pay for her part of the dress!

First day of spring break!

pic of mom & dad on lake Erie on the Snowbird
We kicked around going on a Mexican vacation. Cancun would have been fun. I looked into it would have been around $3500 for OK accommodations. Call me spoilt but if I'm going on a vacation to remember I want first class rooms. We kicked around going to the indoor water park in Gatlinburg. They wanted over $300 a night for the resort. No way! by the time all is said and done it would be thousand bucks for the weekend. I think once again we're staying home. We will plan out a fun vacation for 2009 just not in hurry. We aren't buying the second set of Predator's tickets so there is vacation money right there....

Prom shopping part III....

We went to 4 more stores... this is the only store she tried things on in Smryna... gorgeous purple but needed altered... that would put the price at around $400... Sound familiar? So we went back to the Special Touch... now we found a gown on line that is very similar to the ONE but it comes from China and it may need altering once it gets here to alter it may cost $35 to $100. Plus it just might not make it! After all Jim's dealing with China I'm leery to say the least. So the solution Courtney I came up with is, she has to earn as much money as she can toward the dress, hopefully half. Now she has to see if Jackie needs her at Jim's office and/ or drum up some babysitting jobs. hopefully she gets both! Cross your fingers for her! She is going to wear the same shoes she's worn for her last two formals. You can't see them under the dress any way. I'll probably have to cough up the hair money & nails. Not sure what we'll do about the jewelry. last time she wore my 10th anniversary diamond earings with my diamond jackets on her ears and Grammy Margie's pearl with the crystals around her neck. But if she doesn't come up with the money i don't know what we'll do... Lady Godiva?

Prom dress shopping

We've gone shopping twice so far. We been to 5 different stores







Courtney likes the hot pink one the best and it also has a HUGE price tag...sigh... I like the brown one because it is the least expensive and I doubt that she see another girl in it...

Happy Spring!

The trees are looking gorgeous now! I love all the white and pink blooms all over this time of year. when you are walking a breeze comes by and carries little white petals that shower you like wedding guest after the ceremony. It is just so pretty. It can't help but raise your spirits!

The wine tasting last night was wonderful, both the wines and the food were delicious. I want to use this caterer! Once Upon a time. they own a spa/resort near us. ( I think Jim & I need to GO). We met a very interesting gentleman, Randall Putala. We had the best time chatting about cooking. He has written a book called Better Groceries for Less he has a web site www.GroceryDiscounts.us. We sat and shared recipe tips. It was so fun and unexpected. I love when that happens!

Preds lost in OT shoot out, but at least they got a point 6 points on a western road trip is darn good! They at least picked up a point a game.

My Jumble

A layout I did to commemorate Courtney's swim team experience
I was very proud of myself to get this shot. I posted it here before, BUT it came through so bad on the picture of the layout I had to show what a good pic it really was cuz I'm vain...LOL! Also I'm really proud of Courtney. She wasn't the fastest swimmer but she kept plugging at it every time getting her times down lower and lower. She almost got it low enough to compete in regionals just 2 seconds off. Which in swimming is ages BUT from where she started AWESOME! Maybe this year!

I had to say something about my 10,000 visitor to my blog! WOW! hit a mile stone. I hope everyone has been entertained and /or informed. I know I really enjoy reading other people's blogs. Sharing ideas, getting recipes, getting sympathy and supporting others. It very comforting share our human experience. Thank you for sharing a bit of my ups and downs.... Hope you continue!

Tonight Jim and I are going to a wine tasting with our investment group. I guess after a few glasses of wine the stocks reports won't seem so bad??? YIKES! Here's to another rally on Wall Street!

Back to pleasant things SCRAPPING!

I picked up this Jolee shopping cart in a bargin bin because I thought it was so cute in realistic way. I had no idea how or when I'd ever be able to use it. My daughter and her friend very sweetly supplied the perfect picture! Only a year maybe two later...LOL! I finally used my BG cupcake paper! How's that for using my stash?

Tonight my Predator's play the Ducks. GO PREDS!!!!

Ugliness rears it nasty head again

This past Saturday night I was happily watching the the Predators play the Coyotes in Phoenix on TV. It was a late game. The phone rang at 10:17pm with PRIVATE CALLER on the caller id. I usually never pick these calls up, but my daughter was at a birthday party for her boyfriend in Nashville supposed to be playing laser tag. I thought it could be one of her friends or a parent calling. You never know when your kids is out, so the long and short of it is I answered. This woman, who called herself Vickie Bresland, on the other end of the line started to try to tell me my husband was cheating on me. Just like the letter back in January I wrote about here. I called her a few very nasty names and hung up on her. Of course the bitch called as JP Scored a goal and I missed it. The only real goal of the game Leggy got an empty netter but those just aren't the same... Thank goodness for replay! Anyway I thought that was the end of it, but the next morning I get a call from yet another woman. I answered this time because I had a plan to trip her up and it pretty much worked. This time I believe it was a black lady. She kept calling me annoying things like sugar and honey-pie. She didn't identify herself. She claimed she was a private investigator firm, but never would say the name. She said the husband of the woman my husband is supposedly having an affair with hired them. Of course she couldn't tell me the woman's last name or give me a description that really fit my husband. She gave me facts about my husband pulled straight from the web ( I know I found them). Basically what I got from it is she wants to extort money from me for supposed pictures of my husband with this "other woman". All the fake names and not telling me the the supposed firms name tells me it is a scam. The police think so too. I'm really not very worried my husband is stepping out on me. We do everything together. Plus there is a paper trail easily looked at for my husbands business trips. I know he loves me, and I'm pretty sure he knows I love him. The scary thing is these creepy people seem to know when he is going to be out of town. THAT FREAKS ME OUT! From now On I'll never ever say when Jim is going to be gone or is gone on the net. I called AT&T if I ever get another one of these calls they have means of tracing it that goes directly to law enforcement. I made a police report and they took all the information I'd gathered and the letter that was sent to me as evidence. We are getting a security system put in place and new locks. I'm having the computer checked for spyware and viruses. I hope the police can find these nasty people. I'll happily testify. They picked the wrong family to mess with the idiots.

Just when you thought Halloween was over...

It's never over in my little world....evil laughter....Two of Courtney's close friends Will & Alicia at the teen party.

Mask detail up close

I broke out the embossing power and heat gun! I need to break out more old fun tools and use them. I'm very please with how it turned out!

Preds beat the Coyotes last night. WOO HOO!

Queen of Hearts

Courtney and Jesse at the Teen Halloween party
Just when you thought she couldn't have another Halloween layout....ROFL!I had a total blast making this layout. Used my cricut, my punches, sizzlets, the copier, and lot of glitter glue (stickles)! Love making my own embellishments to match my layouts! I need to do more of it!

More layouts

I just got the Urban line from K & Company papers and chipboard. The first time I looked at it I wasn't too excited, but it grew on me now I love it. Here are two layouts using it.


I think I'm going to try to get myself to doodle a bit more the black pen work just makes things POP.

I can't take credit for any of the photos courtney or a friend has snapped all the pictures! I do however fess-up to stealing her stick and printing them...ROFL!

Recent Layouts

All about the DH (Dear Husband) this year is our 19th anniversary May 19th! Coming up FAST!

Courtney's decorations and CAKE.
I just loved this cake. It was so pretty. Perfectly contemporary for a teen. Vanill White did such an awesome job.

Preds play the Caps tonight... GO PREDS!!!

PREDS WIN! Now in 8th

Pekka Rinne names rookie of the month! got the save of the week

GO PREDS!

BEAT THE OILERS! GET THE PLAY-OFF SPOT!

Balloon games!

the object of teh game is to pass the balloon on to the next person, BUT you can not use your arms or hands. any other body part or parts is OK


Don't let the balloon touch the ground!

This was a total hoot to watch! Then they played pop the balloon between two people. On to a relay where you had to blow up the balloon tie it run to chair and pop it. That did Dyson in, poor dog! couldn't take all the popping, and disgraced himself...

Oh Mother Nature! Don't mess with my Tootoo!

Isn't he adorable? LOL!

That white wet stuff made an appearance again... Thursday it was 70 Saturday it was snowing... Mother Nature make up your mind already! She really is a B*TCH. But everyone knows that or chocolate cake would be as good for you as carrots...LOL!

Because of this unwelcome white stuff school was delayed 2 hours which only means I get to transport to and from school today. I was think I should get my fat butt back to Zumba class... Oh well, I have to drop my old phone at Fed Ex any way... love to hit Hobby Lobby and Michael's too with my coupons in hand... I can go to the late zumba class...I'd better...

The bad thing about birthdays is left over cake. I have zero will-power right now. If you are what you eat I'm going to turn into marble cake... At least I'll be delicious! Isn't that better than pretty? LOL!

I'm still basking in the glow of the total destruction of the Red Wings Saturday night... 8 to 0!!! OMG! pinch me! It really was surreal to be there. To win that BIG against any team would be remarkable, But the Wings... WOW! Reading the Red Wing's boards was hysterical, I'm sorry. Reading "Pekka is in goal we'll score for sure" made me laugh.... BUT before I get too high one game a season does not make Preds are still 1 point back from 8th. Tomorrows game against the Oilers is a big one win and they are in 8th maybe 7th depending on other games. Good reason to be hopeful. Oilers captain got a horrible eye injury Saturday and won't be playing. Hopefully he'll be OK. One of grossest injuries I've ever seen on the ice it was scary. Even in the win the Oilers didn't look all that good... Guess we will see Tuesday!

PREDATORS 8 the RED WINGS ZIP!

This deserved it's own entry in my blog! Jason Arnott (19) got a hat trick! Pekka Rinne stopped all 30 Red Wing shots....Can you say AWESOME!!!!! WOW!

The Birthday bashes!!!!!

Courtney's Sweet 16 party. I wanted it to be memorable.

THE CAKEVanil White makes AWESOME cakes! Her yellow marble cake was so good!



aRE YOU SURE WE CAN'T USE OUR HANDS???
HURRY UP OR WAX WILL GET ALL OVER THE CAKE!
YUP, SHE'S FULL OF HOT AIR EVEN AFTER SCREAMING HER LUNGS OUT AT THE GAME THE NIGHT BEFORE
they ate well I ordered pizza, and Chinese food. We had chocolate fudge fondue and fruit and sponge cake to dip in it. The kids had a great time with balloon games. the one where you pop the balloon with a partner scared the piss out of poor Dyson! Yup, he peed the poor dogs was so scared... He spent the rest of the night either in my arms or laying beside me... they watched a movie... we even had some left overs...AMAZING with all those teenage boys! Courtney opened her gifts. She now has a TV/DVD combo for her room. NO MORE COMPLAINING! LOL!

All in all I think she had an awesome Sweet 16 between the Predators' game and her party.

Katie chose to spend her 13th B-day at the Opry Mills Mall with her 2 BFFs Shelby and Emily. They about bought out the mall ...talk about your economic stimulous packages... then home for some CHOCOLATE-CHERRY LOVE CAKE! DQ makes AWESOME blizzard cakes. I high recommend them! They rate up there with orgasms...LOL! the girls had a sleep over...shhhh! still sleeping now...gotta type softly....

KATIE WITH HER FASHION STATEMENT GLASSES TURNS 13!
WHAT GOOD SET OF LUNGS!