No Regrets

Memorial Day Weekend

2012-05-28T17:45:00.001-05:00

It was my birthday weekend and it was full!

Friday was my actual birthday. It didn't go exactly the way I wanted it to go, but it was a fairly ok day. I did go to Biloxi to the outlets. Got some new jammies from the Disney Store, Eeyore ones (my favorite character). And enjoyed a ride in my car, with the windows down and the music cranked. That's always a good time and I actually did that a few times over the weekend as I shuttled back and forth from my friend Jenny's house. I did get to speak to most of my favorite people on that day. There were a few that were late and then there are some that are now on my naughty list because I didn't hear from them.

But with my birthday not being exactly how I wanted, the rest of the weekend was pretty fun. In addition, I made some goals for myself for this summer. I want 37 to be a great year. I've already started that off by having already lost 21 pounds. I am headed toward my first goal of 35 pounds. I hope that by the end of the fall to actually reach that number. I am also going to get out more. I don't mean to like bars and such. That is just not my scene, any more. But out to the Lakes and parks, coffee houses, etc. Time to meet some new people!

Saturday was a full day! After a very restless night where the insomnia was kicking it up badly, I started the day off pretty early going to Sam's with Jenny and her mom to get stuff for our BBQ later that day. The highlight of the trip was Jenny and I looking over the steaks and asking each other which cut of meat was the best to grill but still cheap enough so Phil, her husband, wouldn't be upset that we bought too expensive of meat. Yeah, the guy next to us was laughing so hard, he could barely choke out that anyting in that section woudl be fine for grilling.

Then we went to the pool for a few hours with the kids. I love, love, love, being in the water and sun. It is the most relaxing thing ever!!! We also went to get sno balls afterwards. Now that is always fun!!!

Sunday was a little calmer. Ok, not really. We left super early for a quick trip to New Orleans for a birthday party. It was at City Park's amusement park area at the Carousel. Jenny gets dizzy really easily so I was the lucky one who rode the carousel with lil Phil. I think I went around 7 straight times. I didn't walk too straight once I got off that Carousel!!

This was me after about the 5th time around.

I love this face!

After the birthday party we went to a local mexican restaurant in Metairie. I made the big mistake of going to the restroom at one point in the meal and ended up with the sombrero and a birthday flan. So of course Jenny had to take pictures and then proceeded to post them on facebook. Oh yay me!!! I had managed to go 37 years without ever having to be embarrassed in this way. I figure the picture is already up on facebook, why not my blog too?

Monday was a day of rest for me. Well, sort of. I did manage to stay around the house. I folded 2 weeks worth of laundry. Washed the dishes in the sink. Finished my laundry. Spent time with Duke (poor man, he's been so neglected and I am traveling at the end of the week. He is not going to be a happy camper). Made a quick trip to Walmart because Duke literally killed his monkey toy. He split the butt open for a 2nd time (I'd already sewed it up once) and there was stuffing all over the living room. I had to throw it away. So off to Walmart for a new one and a spare. I also stopped at Jo-Ann's. Did any one else go and hit the sale? DMC threads were on sale 3 for 99 cents. I now own all the colors through the 300s. Yay!!! Now to just put them all away! I went out to the Lakes for a walk in the middle of the afternoon because I thought it would be a great idea to go walking in the blazing sun, 93 degrees outside. I was restless and needed to do something! A late lunch with Dad and my day is over. Ok, yes, it is only 5:30 but I plan on vegging for the rest of the evening. I have a busy week ahead of me with lots to get done.

Happy Memorial Day!!! Thank you so much to those who are serving and who have served! You are much appreciated!

And the good times keep coming…

2012-05-23T19:28:00.001-05:00

This birthday week has just been full of surprises!!

Today my co-worker and dear friend Jenny planned a little surprise cake for me. Plus decorations and a hat.

I'm not working on my birthday, Friday, and today most of the office was there. So she planned it all.

The cake was so good. A pile of whipped cream surrounded by brownie bites, drizzled with caramel sauce and then pieces of pretzels on top.

Tonight was an early birthday dinner with my Dad at my favorites seafood restaurant. I have no idea what this weekend is going to bring so tonight it was!!

One more day of work and then I'm off for 4 days!!! This week has been full of surprises! I cannot wait to see what the next 2 days will bring!!

What a start!

2012-05-22T19:31:00.002-05:00

I've been so down lately that I can't believe how quickly everything has turned around for me! It all started last Tuesday when I had a pre-birthday dinner with my parents. My mom was leaving on Wednesday to go home for my two cousins high school graduations. So we got together for take out from one of my favorite restaurants and to open presents. My parents were beyond generous! I received two Madame Alexander dolls, Snow White and Cinderella, an Eeyore plant decoration and the biggest surprise of all, I received a plane ticket to visit my grandparent and family for 4th of July week. I am so excited! It has been so long since I've been there to visit. I've already contacted my cousins.

Thursday night I went to get my eye brows waxed. Doesn't sound very exciting , does it? Well, let me tell you, it was the most relaxing experience I've ever had!!! I had a gift certificate for a spa, so I booked an appointment. They take you to a room where they have you lay down on a cushy bed with your neck supported and your legs elevated. Soft classical music is playing. Not once did I flinch or tear up. And my eye brows looked awesome afterwards. If it didn't cost so much, I would so do this every month!!!

Friday night was time for a pedicure. Woo hoo! Nothing like getting your feet and toes pampered! It takes a good hour, but so worth the time! I love to have my feet massaged. And to pick out a cute color to paint my toes!!!

Saturday was spent at the pool. It was a great day! A little sun. Some swimming. I forget how much I love to be in the water until I get back into it. I could, if I had the time, swim every single day!!! Then I watched LSU shut down South Carolina in this weekend's baseball series to take the regular season SEC champtionship!! Woo hoo! My boys are hot right now!

Beautiful day at the pool!

Later on Saturday, an old friend came by for a visit. We had a great time. Talking, catching up, a little sight seeing. He had never been to LSU. Like really? That astonishes me! So I took him down to the campus and drove through it. Went by Death Valley (football field), PMac (basketball arena), Mike the Tiger's cage, the basketball practice facility to see the Shaquille Oneal statue. All the typical touristy spots. I LOVE showing off my alma mater!

Ron and I (I was having a really bad hair day!)

He brough me presents! Who doesn't love presents! He always manages to get me things that I adore. I am a huge lover of sunflowers so the napkin holder that he got for me, is perfect! And now I just need some pictures for the photo album he gave me! And as a Mexican girl, of course I need another set of maracas! LOL

Sunflower napkin/note holder, handmade photo album, maracas

Friday is my birthday. I have the day scheduled off but I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to take the day because I have a convention coming up next week. But I think that I managed to get most of the work done on Monday so I can take off Friday! Woo hoo! A 4 day weekend. Do I have plans? :/ Nope! No plans. I may go over to Jenny's house for a BBQ on Sunday and/or Monday but other than that, I have no plans. Everyone is either working or going out of town for the weekend. It is the curse of having a Memorial Day birthday. So I'm tossing around some options. Maybe a shopping trip to Biloxi? There's a cute little cross stitch store in Ocean Springs that I like to go to. Or maybe go to the beach for the day? Or go to New Orleans? I have options and luckily, most times I enjoy my own company! :)

I've had birthday cards in the mail the past two days. Yippee! Love getting mail, that isn't bills! So now I have thank you notes to write!

I hope that the rest of the week goes as well as it has begun!!! I can only hope!

Fingers crossed!!

Long Week!!!

2012-05-13T20:32:00.000-05:00

Started the week off with a trip 2 hours down I-10. Worked a convention for 2 days at a casino. It was fun. The co-worker I was with is a very good friend and we hung out at the bar and casino afterwards and had some drinks and laughs!!!

At the Jack Daniels Bar enjoying some nachos after a long day!

First, Jenny lost her money.

Then I lost my money.

Then my 2 hour drive home turned into a 4 1/2 hour detour through little town Louisiana! An 18 wheeler overturned on the interstate, closing it in both directions! What did people do before cell phones? I got off at the first exit I could, pulled up google maps and began driving. I had a detour route to take, the problem was the traffic wasn't moving towards that detour. So I made my own detour to get to the detour. At least I kept moving! Even saw a rainbow.

Then it was 3 days in the office playing catch up. I have a convention in 3 weeks and I am so far behind!!! I spent those 3 days glued to the computer, barely coming up for air!!

Dark Shadows

Dark Shadows opened this weekend. Yes, I just had to go see it!!! Love Johnny Depp! And I think he and Tim Burton make great movies. The movie was good. Not as corny as I thought it would be. Definitely not dark enough for my taste. And to be honest, I didn't like the ending. But I didn't feel like I wasted my time or money!!!

50 Shades of Grey

I've been getting questions about the book 50 Shades of Grey. Yes, I have read it. Read the entire trilogy. I was curious about it after seeing an article in People magazine about the book and then several other news sites. I wanted to know what the big deal was. There was no big deal. At least I didn't think so. In a nutshell, it is about sex. A dominant and his subordinate. I didn't really care for it. I read it, I'll probably never read it again. But if you are interested in that kinky sex stuff, let me recommend the Sleeping Beauty series by Anne Rice. It is much better written and an actual story. Or Exit to Eden is a good choice too. Also written by Anne Rice.

Other Stuff

I am still in the hunt for the 20 pounds lost. I hope to obtain that goal by the end of the month. That one wish is within my control. I hope by working hard I can accomplish it because honestly my birthday is not turning out the way I wanted it.

I've been doing some spring cleaning, finally, around the apartment. Finally feeling like I'm in control at home!!! The mess was out of control!! Duke's toys were absolutely spread out everywhere!! But I feel that now I can finally have friends over again without being embarrassed! And now, I have more free time to have fun!

Because I was so industrious with my cleaning, I have been able to sit down and do some stitching. I've made great progress on Dragon Knot. I cannot wait to get this one done!!! It has been around for almost 5 years! Time to be completed.

I am looking forward to the coming week. Lots of work to be completed at work but also lots to be looking forward to starting next weekend! I hope everyone has a great week!

120 Days

2012-05-06T18:06:00.001-05:00

It has been 120 days today since I started exercising and dieting. To date I have lost 17.5 pounds. Yay! It seems so little overall when you think of 120 days of work but it is about 4 pounds a month. I have another 17.5 pounds to go to my first goal weight.

My clothes are fitting so much better. Items I haven't worn in years now fit! And fit better!! It is like having a whole new wardrobe with out shopping!!

This weekend I spent doing spring cleaning. I have not finished but made a good start! 6 bags of trash. The bedroom was completely dusted cleaned most of my craft boxes out from under my bed, but not all. The balcony was completely cleaned and is now ready for entertaining. I have more to do and hope to get to it next weekend.

This week is already starting to be topsy turvy! I am scheduled to go on an overnight business trip on Monday but now it seems it might be turning into a 2 or 3 night stay!! Time to scramble for dog care!!! Plus pack enough clothes, just in case!!! Not to mention having my desk at the office covered. I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed.

Now I'm off to tackle my next task. I hope to post another update of Dragon Knot soon! Til then here are some pics of the flowers in my little garden on my balcony!

Spring is here!

2012-04-29T14:41:00.004-05:00

Spring is here!!! We have had some beautiful weather these past few weeks and it has kept me busy during my free time.

Last weekend, I went to DC for the very first time. I was only there for 2 whole days and I was attending a leadership symposium for work so there was little time for sightseeing. But I am anxious to go back if I can!

I did manage to roam the grounds of the Capitol and visit the Botanical Gardens. There was an exhibit of orchids occurring. They are such beautiful, fragile looking flowers. But I have been told that they are actually quite easy to care for. Hmmm, I sitll don't think I dare to try to grow one!

LSU Colors!

Pineapple! I didn't know this was how they were grown!

Very little stitching has been done. Between work, working out, Duke, and friends/family, there's been little time to stitch. :( But I have managed to put in a stitch or two, here and there on Dragon Knot when I can.

Close up of the middle section

The entire project. Only a few more pages left to go!

I have gotten some reading done however. Well, my flight to DC was delayed two hours going there. Then the weather went from 80 degrees and sunny to 40 degrees and rainy and my plans to visit a friend fell through so there was some time in the hotel. I managed to finish The Girl Who Played with Fire. I've been trying to find time to read this book. It was good! Not my typical genre but very good! I am now trying to read the third and last book in the series!

In two weeks, Charlaine Harris, the writer of the Sookie Stackhouse series, will be in town for a book signing. I am hoping to get to it and have the last book of the series signed. :)

Ok, break time is over. My apartment looks like a tornado came through so I've been spending a good part of this weekend cleaning. I'm making progess. Slowly but surely. Hopefully by next week I will have it back in order after neglecting it for so long!

Happy Easter!

2012-04-08T18:31:00.001-05:00

I hope everyone had a lovely Easter weekend. Mine was very good!!

It started Thursday evening when my best friend surprised me on her way to Houston. Her and the kids were passing through and we had the opportunity to have dinner. It was the best present!! Put a smile on my face that lasted all weekend!

Friday I had the day off! Yippee!! It was much needed. Did a little shopping. Visited with my mom who is recovering from gall bladder surgery. Was also lucky enough to be at my mon's house when her best friend came by to drop off a most delicious chocolate cake. I must confess I had a piece for lunch!!!

Saturday I joined my friend Jenny and her kids at the Bass Pro to see the Easter Bunny. That was a trip. Those boys just go and go and go. We then had lunch at VooDoo Barbecue. Delicious!!!

Sunday was spent quietly at home. Church in the morning. Late lunch with my parents. Bath for Duke.

All this food this weekend! Thankfully I was able to work out every day. I am finally down 15 pounds and I want to continue with the weight loss.

Now it is time to get ready for the work week. I'm excited that in 2 weeks I'll be going to DC for a 2 day seminar. I've never been but it ends by 3 on Sunday so I am hoping to do a little bit of sight seeing before I fly home on Monday!

Happy Birthday Cassady Hope!

2012-03-27T18:19:00.001-05:00

My baby niece is 3 years old today! She is an absolute joy and brings sunshine, smiles and laughter to my life!!

A Stitching Update

2012-03-13T18:08:00.003-05:00

I feel like it has been quite a while since I've done any blogging about my favorite hobby, cross stitching. But I have some fun stuff to share!

The polar bear piece that I finished around the New Year is finally framed! It looks so good! I do believe that I am going to keep it for myself and hang it in my bedroom! The frame is actually navy blue. Not sure why it looks black in the picture as I took it in natural light. I love this piece and it pops even more in person. I wish you could see the "sparkle" in the fabric!

I got the above piece framed at Acadian Corner in Metairie. Love that place. When I was there to drop the piece off to be framed I picked up two Mill Head Buttons & Beads kits to work on, at some point, for Mardi Gras.

Purple Mask

Teal Mask

And finally, some progress on Dragon Knot 2!!! I have finally completed 12 pages of this project. Only 4 more to go with 2 of those pages not even covering a quarter of the page! I hope to finish it this year. At least that is the goal. Then the decision, how to finish it? Frame it? Make a pillow out of it? A wall hanging?

In addition to all the stitchy goodness, I've been reading too. I finished Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I highly recommend it. If you like crime novels. I think that is what I would classify it as. I typically don't read that type of genre but the book was a gift (Thanks Jill, it was an awesome read), my friend must know me better than I know myself!!! I also read Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Awesome book! I loved the creative thinking behind the disappearance of the Roanoke colony, the reason behind the Civil War, who John Wilkes Booth really was and well, just the life that Abraham Lincoln secretly led. Another recommendation! And last, but not least, I am reading the book behind the new tv series, GCB. It is similar but different. So far I've enjoyed reading the book and watching the show!!!

Mardi Gras

2012-03-10T15:38:00.003-06:00

Yes, I am a few weeks late on this post but better late than never!

This year I spent Mardi Gras weekend with my friend Jenny from work and her family and friends. A whole new experience for me.

The original plan was to drive down Saturday morning and we would then head out to see Endymion (huge Saturday night Super Krewe parade). Jenny's husband Phil and a few of his friends were riding this year so we were going to go watch them. Then Sunday was to spent at with Jen's family and friends watching the day parades.

Well, half of that plan happened! The forecast for Saturday called for rain, rain, and more rain. Now the weather forecasters in New Orleans were swearing up and down that the rain was going to end by 2 or 3 pm and that the parade was going to get off on time. Let's back it up to last year: last year the Saturday of Mardi Gras was another wash out. It rained so much it flooded! Sunday was an absolutely gorgeous day though. Because of the rain, the Saturday parades were rescheduled for Sunday and Monday. The plan for Endymion was that it would go after Bacchus, another super krewe. The problem with that was that the parade was still running at 2 am on Monday morning!!! So due to last year's fiasco, they were not going to do that again this year.

I drove down to New Orleans about 10 am on Saturday in the pouring rain, well at least in Baton Rouge. By the time I got to Metairie (around 11 am) it was just overcast. I made a quick stop at the LNS, Acadian Corner, then was on my way to Jenny's (I'll post pics of my purchases in another post!). The rain finally hit New Orleans about 2 pm and it poured!!! We kept close watch of the news of whether the parade would run. They pushed back the start time from 4 pm to 5 pm. I believe it finally started at about 5:30 pm. In the rain. With lightening. We weren't sure who was crazier, the ones who were riding in the parade or the person who allowed it to roll!!!??

Jenny and I suited up in our rain gear and headed out to see Phil and the guys in the parade.

We got on the road and the rain started to come down even harder. At that point, we made the decision to head to the nearest drive-thru daiquiri shop and then head home! The remainder of the evening was spent in our jammies, sipping on daiquiris while watching the parade on tv!

Sunday ended up being a beautiful, kind of chilly day. We had a great set up where we had a table in a school gynasium where we could set up food and drinks and all day access to clean bathrooms (this is very important!!!). Concessions were also sold. Anything you could want, red beans and rice, sausage poboys, hamburgers, hotdogs, etc etc. They even sold soft drinks, beer and wine.

The day started at 5:30 am as we had to leave by 7 am to get our spot in the school parking lot. Parade start time had been moved up to 9 am since some of the Saturday parades had to be incorporated into the Sunday line up. It was a good day of food, drink and laughter!

Best seats!!! At the top of a ladder!

Now I can't not make another comment on the food that we had!! On Saturday we had sandwiches made with Mardi Gras bread. Oh yes, this is a tradition that Jenny insists on continuing. The bread ("Kids bread") is made by a local store in New Orleans.

Then, I had at least 3 different kinds of king cake over the 2 day span. If not more! I actually lost count as there was plenty of king cake on Sunday. This picture is just of the ones that Jenny had at her Mom's house.

Another weekend of Mardi Gras fun, come and gone! Cannot wait for next year as it is always a good time!

Hello!!!

2012-01-30T18:51:00.002-06:00

First, I would like to thank everyone who commented on my previous post, "What Would You Do?". I feel now that I have done the right and to date, no more calls! Yay!

I have been very busy! I just completed a 4 day convention (Thursday through Sunday). While it went off perfectly in the eyes of the participants, behind the scenes was another story! I have done this convention 5 times before. I'm not new to it. The bossman thought he would be "nice" and get me some help. The "help" caused most of the chaos! I ended up having to do double the work because I was straightening out the mistakes. But i is over and now I am on to planning another convention which will be the first weekend in March. Yep, right around the corner! It never ends!

I have snuck in some fun time. One night the girls and I went to dinner and then a movie, Beauty and the Beast 3D. It was great! Loved it! Made me believe in romance and love again! Sigh!

Reading a new book again (yes, to me that it is fun!). I am currently reading "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." Not my typical genre but I am enjoying it! I had it with me at the convention and I had several registrants rave about how great the book is! I'm probably about halfway through!

I am happy to report that after 3 weeks of exercising and eating better, I have lost 4.2 pounds! Yay!!!! I can't believe it. I never thought I would be able to do this but I have managed to maintain a work out schedule and watch what I eat without very many pitfalls (I do live in South Louisiana, a plethora of good food surrounds us all the time). I am actually looking forward these days to exercising and seeing what the results are!

I've done some stitching too! Continuing to work on Dragon Knot 2. Slowly but surely I am making progress. I am going to keep plugging away at it! My plan is this weekend to sit down and spend some quality time with my stitching.

I hope that everyone has a great week! I have a short one as I have been now working 8 staight and counting. So I am taking off Friday! And I cannot wait!!! It is some much needed time off!

What Would You Do?

2012-01-19T12:55:00.000-06:00

Ok, here is a question that I hope to get some comments on.

To me, this situation is hilarious. Quite annoying but hilarious.

I've been getting prank called by a woman. I don't know this woman at all but to me, she is a little off her rocker, obsessive, and a lot possessive. She varies the calls over time. Consistently blocks her number. Never happens at a particular time of day.

Typical conversation is:
Her - "May I speak to (insert guy's name)?" [Yes, I know the guy she is asking for. He is an acquaintance. Who lives about 1500 miles away.]
Me - "There's no one at this number by that name." (hangup)

This morning there were several calls of this nature back to back. Finally, by the last call, I was over the humor of the call and decided to mess with her and make my own humor! This time when she asked for (insert guy's name), I told her that he was in the shower and I'd give him the message when he got out. Now this time she hung up on me!

Yes, I had quite a chuckle about this. I know it was wrong but I was so over it. It wasn't even 8 am yet!!!

How wrong was I?

A Brand New Week

2012-01-16T19:05:00.000-06:00

I am so thankful that last week is over! It was one that I hope to just forget!

Why you ask? Where shall I begin?

Let's see, Monday. Monday is always a good place to start. It was the day of the National Championhip Game. My boys, LSU, were in the game! What a dream come true! Well, that dream quickly came to an end!

Thank goodness I enjoyed the company I was with. We had a great time together prior to watching the game. Lots of good food. Lots of good friends. Just a good time. Here are a few pictures from BEFORE the game:

Our anti-Saban cookies. I knew we should have gotten the gingerbread men cookies that were decorated as a voodoo doll of Nick Saban!

Entertaining the kids before the game.

Wants to be just like Mike the Tiger!

Kati's homemade #1 King Cake

Kati and Kelly

Phil and Grace decked out in their purple and gold.

At halftime, to help ease our pain, we had HoneyBadgers. I'm not sure what it is. I think it was a shot of whiskey that was put in the mug of pale ale. Whatever it was, I clearly out of practice with chugging!! I had to stop and take a breath halfway through the mug. But I have to admit, it was pretty tasty and quite the headrush!

Needless to say, our fun night ended in tears, depression, misery, etc. etc. etc.

Let's see, another good reason for the week to be over. Friday the 13th! What a day that was! I was trying to get all the materials together for 2 board meetings that were being held the next day. One was a 2 day board meeting and the other was the annual budget meeting. I had so much to accomplish in an 8 hour day! I had woken up in a bad mood and it didn't lift at all till the next day. Add to that a wicked fight with an acquaintance (I'm not sure of our status as friends) and the last episode of One Life to Live and let's call it a day. Sigh.

Shall I proceed to Saturday? Saturday started off pretty good. It was a beautiful day for a drive. I had a 2 hour drive to one of the board meetings. Which happened to be held in the middle of nowhere Louisiana. Luckily it is pretty scenic. Board meeting was over fairly early, 3ish. I then proceeded to break many speed limits trying to get home in time for the second half of the Saints game. Yeah, well, as many of you know, there wasn't really any point in me doing that. I won't go into details but to say that they gave it a heck of a fight there at the end!!!

So now it is Monday, the start of a new week. Eh, it is going so so. Started the day off by getting no sleep last night. I was up every hour on the hour with my poor puppy. He had one heck of a stomach ache or something. At least he told me when he had to go outside!! But I am hopeful the rest of the week will be good!

I am looking forward to a visit with my good friend Jake sometime this week. A girls' night out on Thursday for dinner and to see Beauty and the Beast 3D (yippee!). Then a whole weekend to myself. No work. No plans. Just me and the dog!!! Can't wait!!!

Good news is that I am still working out! I am already seeing a difference in my clothes! That makes me very excited! And I am slowly building up the amount of time I am working out and the amount of calories I burn. I am loving my Wii!!! Hopefully at the end of this week I will have some real progress to report!

Now for an update on the project I am working on. I have been working on Dragon Knot and will continue to do so until I am bored with it. Let's hope I make some significant progress on it before that happens!

Here's to hoping for a better week!

As If I Didn't Know...

2012-01-08T13:32:00.001-06:00

Fitness Band Wagon
As part of my Christmas present, my parents bought me the Zumba Fitness and the Wii Fit Plus. They hope that this will help me in my goals to get back into shape. According to my nephew Parker, the Wii Fit Plus is "super fun". He was very excited when he found out I had gotten it. So this past week I tried them both out.

The Zumba was fun?? Yeah, the jury is still out on that one. I started with the 20 minute easy level. I was dying pretty much by the end! I've got the booty shaking (as I have quite a lot of booty to shake) part down quite well, but the other steps? Well, let's just say it is more of my body just flaying around than actual dancing!!!

Today I tried out the Wii Fit. So, when you first start it you do some testing. It is supposed to get your BMI, weight, center of balance, posture, etc. Ok, well it told me what I already knew. I'm fat. When you start out, you pick an avatar. Well I already had one from another game so it picked that one. When it finds out how fat you are, it makes your avatar swell up!!! I have to say that just adds insult to injury!!! But was kind of funny to watch!

Then the "game" proceeded to tell me that according to its calculations I am 43 years old. I have to admit, I didn't think that was quite that bad considering I am 36 years old and well, exercising is not my friend!!! I figured I would be in the 70s or 80s in age. Then it told me that I had a pretty good center of balance and good posture! Ha!!! Any one who knows me that I can literally fall down by just standing up I am so clumsy! Also, my Dad is constantly telling me to sit up straight and stop slouching. I'm not sure how accurate this thing is!!! It can obviously be duped pretty easily! Anyway, I did a few of the exercises and it was ok. I like that you can set up goals and it has a calendar which marks your progress. I hope to keep up with it and be able to see some progress!

Projects to be finished in 2012
Ok, so I thought I would pull out all the projects that I've started and see what I had. Not such a good idea! LOL I obviously have a severe case of ADD when it comes to stitching! But I hope to finish some if not most of these projects. They are all in various degrees of incompleteness! (Sorry for the photos, for some reason I just couldn't get very clearn pictures of some of them)

HAED Dragon Knot 2. This has been one I've been working on for ___ years. I can't quite remember. I have about 6 pages to complete, some of those are just 1/4 pages.

HAED Queen of Hearts. I started her last year I believe. This is 2 pages completed. I have a goal of completing another 2 pages this year. So this is not one that I am necessarily looking to finish.

I started this one in 2011. It is Thomas Kinkade's Tinker Bell/Peter Pan. This one is for my sister because she saw this and just had to have. What Sissy wants, Sissy usally gets. (Yes, I am quite guilty of spoiling her!)

Mirabilia's The Kiss. This has never been a "hard" stitch. In fact it is quite easy. I've been working on this one off and on for about 2 to 3 years. I usually put it aside because I run out of a thread and forget to pick it back up when I get the threads in. Hopefully this will be the year to finish!

Disney's Snow White. This one is for my little niece Cassady Hope. Also another easy one. Don't know why it isn't finished.

HAED Emerald Hearts. This was a freebie from HAED in 2011. It is all kitted up and ready to go. Just never started it.

A stocking for my sister. I haven't consistently stitched on this one because it is Aida cloth and I don't like it. But I need to finish it since I've gotten so far!

My niece Cassady Hope's baby blanket. Well she isn't a baby anymore. She'll be 3 this year. I don't have much to go. I just find stamped cross stitch tedious. You would think it is easier than counted, but not really.

Another one for my sister. I can't remember the name but it is the night fairy to match the day fairy I've already completed for her many years ago.

HAED's Mad Tea Party. This one is for my niece Marly Grace. My goal for the year is 2 pages. This is a really big one! This picture reflects about 2 1/2 pages completed.

This is 10 projects. I'm sure I hav more "hidden" under my bed in storage but I'll just go with this list for now!! 10 seems manageable, doesn't it?

This week I've been working on Dragon Knot 2. Here's a close up of the section that I've been working on . To see the last time I posted a progress pic click here. It seems that the last time I worked on Dragon Knot was back in June of 2011.

Ok, it is time to get ready for the week! Lunches to be planned. Laundry to do. And of course, the most important thing to get ready for: the National Championship game between LSU and Alabama. I've already go the corn, black bean salsa made for tomorrow night's party! Geaux Tigers!!! Beat Bama AGAIN!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-02T14:40:00.000-06:00

Hello all! I hope that everyone had a great Christmas and New Year's! I was very lucky to spend Christmas with my sister and parents. I received so many presents! More than I ever expected. I got a sewing maching (yippee! now to learn how to use it), a Wii Fit, Zumba Fitness for Wii, a Kindle, and a bunch of other little knick knacks and stuff. I keep reminding myself that I was blessed to receive so much but there were a few non-material items that I wish I had received this year. Maybe 2012 I will get these non-material items!

Isn't this cute? One of those Russian dolls that has the doll within the doll...etc. But these are measuring cups! Too adorable!

My new sewing machine! Still in the box. I will learn how to use this machine this year!

Even Duke racked up this year! He has toys everywhere!

I had a quiet New Year's Eve at home. I was tired and sick from having too much fun with my sister the two days before. One night out at a smokey bar, then a full day outside in New Orleans, yep, I now have a nasty sinus infection! Coupled with not sleeping well the last few days, I am feeling awesome!!!

But it is that time of year, the start of a brand new year. Clean slate. Time to get things in order. Let's review last year:

Life Goals:

1. Become more fiscally responsible! That means continue to pay off my debts and put money away in savings. - Umm yeah, not so good. I did bring down a few percentages on debt but nothing was eliminated.
2. Get a passport. This is a carry over from last year BUT I hope that as long as I keep it on my list I will eventually get it done! Still haven't gotten it done. No plans on leaving the country.
3. Find a new place to live. Depending upon the job situation, this may occur in April. The job situation did get better but still in my sweet little apartment.
4. Be open to new things. Be it love, a career change, a move to a new city/state. Whatever it is, I want to be more open to the change! Definitely a carry over from 2010! But one that should always be worked on. I'm hoping this year to make progress in determining "what I want to be when I grow up" and I think change is key to that! I tried the career change. Didn't go over so well. It was just the wrong path. And the rest, didn't happen.
5. Spend more time with family and friends. Which definitely means a trip to Nebraska! Didn't make it to Nebraska but I definitely did spend more time with family and friends.

Stitching goals:
1. Finish Cassady's baby quilt. Nope
2. Finish Brendan's baby quilt. Gave up. Gave it to Goodwill.
3. Finish HAED's Dragon Knot Can't even recall if I touched it.
4. Finish 2 pages of HAED's Mad Tea Party Yes!
5. Finish 2 pages of HAED's Queen of Hearts Yes!
6. Finish Lisa's Christmas stocking - Dimensions Kit Nope
7. Complete Nora Corbett's 'M' - Didn't even kit it up!

2012 Goals:

Life Goals:
1. Always good to keep the fiscal responsibility one. I want to eliminate more debt, increase my savings!!!

2. Continue to work on myself. I have some bad habits. Like being very reactionary to people. I need to learn to be calmer, less on the crazy train.

3. Be open to new things. That is always hard for me. I tend to like my routines. But it is good to shake things up every once in a while.

4. Make it to Nebraska. There are a few life events happening this year, weddings, graduations, etc. I hope to make it home for one of those events!

5. Use my Wii Fit and Zumba Fitness. See how that helps me out in the fitness department!

6. Learn to control my stress! Work is so hectic right now. I could see how I will burn out soon if I don't get control over it!

There are others but that's for me to know! :)

Stitching Goals, this is the year to complete projects!

1. Finish Dragon Knot

2. Finish 2 more pages of Mad Tea Party

3. Finish 2 more pages of Queen of Hearts

4. Finish Lisa's Christmas Stocking

5. Finish The Kiss

6. Finish Lisa's Tinker Bell

7. Finish as many as I can if they aren't listed here! (Isn't that sad? I don't know how many other unfinished projects I have going on! I get bored easily.)

First Finish of the Year

Ta da!!! I do have the first finish of the year already though! I just need to pick up a little frame for it. It ws pretty quick to stitch up and it appealed to me for some reason. It was a freebie from one of the many magazines I recently picked up!

I do hope that everyone's year is starting off on the right foot. I've unfortunately already had a few unpleasant blips but I am going to keep it positive. I've kept myself productive! Today I installed wireless internet for my apartment! Yay! That gets my Kindle up and running and once I get the right attachment I can have my Wii on it too! Finished up the laundry. Baking a blueberry cake casserole right now. Not sure how that is going to come out but hopefully it will taste better than it looks. And of course there is football on the tv! The rest of the day will be used to work on some of those unfinished projects!

How many days left til Christmas?

2011-12-12T18:26:00.000-06:00

Ok, I seriously don't want to know the answer to that. I am panicking enough as it is with the very quickly dwindling work days left in December! I have so much to do and currently no help to get any of it done! My to do list started with 27 items on it this morning. When I left at the end of the day it was up to 29 items! And I had crossed off some things! I am seriously hoping to have that down to manageable 10 items by the end of the week! We shall see though. Wednesday is evaluation day in our office. I am first thing in the morning at 8:30 am. Who will come out of it alive? :)

Another packed weekend. Hair appointments, shopping, cleaning, laundry. Yikes! How will I ever get it all done? Well, if I'm not home, I get really very little done. I know. But I hate to miss out of the fun stuff! Like Sunday afternoons at my friend Jenny's house; having chili for lunch, watching the Saints football game and playing with the 2 boys. Those boys would exhaust anyone! I came straight home and put my pjs on and remained camped on the couch for the rest of the night!! But we had fun!

Phil making gift bags for the grandmothers and aunts/uncles. These were made by sticking those foam sticker pieces onto plain ole brown paper gift bags. But I have to say, if those foam sticker pieces are non-toxic, they sure did stink! We felt like we were getting high off of them!!

Enjoying his Christmas red Oreo. Not the best idea in the middle of a project. Definitely had to wash the hands after having this one!

Santa picture frame ornaments. These were made for Phil's class. Pictures of the class will be added to each one. Cute idea.

Christmas is fast approcahing! Dinners, pot lucks, family, friends. All soon to be descending upon me! Sigh! I must find some stress management and soon! I did recently buy a bottle of the SkinnyGirl White Cranberry Cosmopolitan. May be cracking that open as my "stress management" very soon!

Plus it is starting to not feel Christmassy again because the weather has decided to heat up again. We are slowly climbing back into the 70s. I know we don't get snow, but at least with the temps in the 50s it felt a little closer to being the holidays and not summertime!

But seriously, I am very much looking forward to what the upcoming next 2 weeks are going to bring. I see a lot of love, laughter and fun!

I hope everyone is enjoying the Holiday Season!

Have Officially Lost it!!!

2011-12-08T12:30:00.001-06:00

I am here to report that I have officially lost my mind and have turned into a raving lunatic!!!

The good news is that I have recognized this affliction and am taking steps to find my mind once again. Between the holiday season, extra stress at work, and some personal issues, I am literally a raving lunatic! And I've been taking this out on an unfortunate person and I am so sorry for that!!!

I have piles of Christmas presents scattered throughout my apartment making it look messy and making it blatantly clear I have not wrapped one thing. I need to get that done tonight or at least the items that are going out of state because we are mailing the boxes tomorrow or Saturday.

My best friends are currently in the midst of the worst marital problems of their entire marriage. And I am caught in the middle. I had been talking to both of them until the husband got mad at me because I scolded him for telling his wife some things that I supposedly said about her, although I had not. So now he is sulking over that. But I am not here to be a weapon to be used by him against his wife or vice versa because I told the wife the same thing! The wife is still talking to me and it hurts me to hear the pain in her voice and there is nothing I can do to assist her. And the kids. I have no clue what they are thinking but the two oldest are definitely old enough to be aware of what is going on at the ages of 9 and 10 years of age.

A close friend lost her Dad this past spring and has been on a mission to not acknowledge this by keeping busy. Thus I am always being invited over to do crafty things or baking or hanging out. Which is fine. I love being there for my friends but I know that in the long run this isn't helping her and once again I am feeling at a loss as to help. And I am gone so much from home that my poor Duke is lonely and starting to act out. Like Tuesday evening, he purposely went into my bedroom, waited for me to come look for him and then peed right on the floor in front of me. Oy!!! What am I to do?

Then there is work. My co-worker who was scheduled to go out on maternity leave towards the end of December went out in mid-November. 5 weeks early to be exact. So all our good intentions of transferring information from her to me didn't happen. I am trying to play some major catch up. The only good thing is that I used to do the work she does so I do have that historical information to fall back upon. But I am also trying to do my work also and it is creating some stress for me!

Finally, there is an former friend who has re-entered my life. This person was a good friend at one time but it ended pretty badly between us. I've always wanted closure on the situation (and getting closure from a man is like pulling teeth!) but I am still not sure if I will ever get it or want it anymore. See, I am crazy!!! I don't know what I want.

I certainly hope I can take steps to regain myself. Because who I am currently, I do NOT like!

Good Intentions...

2011-12-07T18:34:00.001-06:00

Lately life seems to be all about good intentions. I intended to do that. I intended to do this. But the intended? It never seems to get done!!!

Today was the Ringing of the Bells. My friend Jenny and I went to one of the local department stores at the mall and "rang the bells" for 2 hours this afternoon. Of course today was the day that it was in the 40s! Probably our coldest day this winter! I am so completely bundled up with layers of clothing that I could barey move and I was still cold. Jenny had on her two pairs of socks and her Minnie Santa Hat which she said kept her quite warm!!! We immediately went to Starbucks afterwards to get coffee to warm up!

I have to say I was not going for a fashion statement. I was completely thinking of being warm only!!!

Doesn't she look like she's having a good time?

It has been so cold the last few days that I've even been putting Duke into his winter gear. It is the only time of year that I can get him to wear clothes!!!

I'm impressed with my self this evening. I came home and did the dishes, washed two loads of linens and hope to tackle wrapping some presents. This is much better than the last few nights when I have come home and done absolutely nothing because I've been so tired from work! I must confess, I am trying to keep myself distracted. No time to think and get into trouble!!! For those who know me, they know that when I begin to ponder too much, trouble seems to follow! Which is another reason why this is my 2nd post in just a week!!! Most times, busy is good!!! Especially during the holidays when so many emotions pleasant or unpleasant can be brought to the fore front!

Now if I can only get myself motivated to work on the rest of my Christmas presents for my Sister that I am making for her. So close to finishing but know that if I don't put my mind to it, they won't be finished!!!

Let the busy season begin....

2011-12-05T19:59:00.001-06:00

And begin it has!!! I am so far behind in my blogging that I hope to remember all that I had wanted to blog about!

Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving was a quiet one for me. My parents and I had plans to visit my sister in Texas for Thanksgiving but I was unable to go as I had to work starting Sunday after Thanksgiving. It would have made a round trip to Texas a very short one so I could be back in time to work. So, my Dad made a complete dinner for me, including a fried turkey, before he left so I would have a meal. It was quite yummy! All I had to do was re-warm everything.

Black Friday
This year I went Black Friday shopping with my friend Jenny. This was my first experience. Not her, she is quite an experienced shopper who goes every year. Our adventures began at 7:30 pm on Thanksgiving evening. We started out at Michaels for all of our holiday crafting needs. From there we headed over to Toys R Us to get in line because it opened at 9 p.m. We stood in line for about 20 minutes ( a line that wrapped the building once, and they were only letting 50 people in at a time) before abandoning that plan to walk over to the Walmart as they were already open. That wasn't the best plan.

Walmart was insane! Because it never closed on Thanksgiving day, people had buggies of sales items and were waiting in line to check out at 10 pm when the sales began. You could barely move in there. I stood in the women's underwear aisle with a pile of toys as Jenny went racing around trying to get what she needed from there. I didn't need anything myself from Walmart. Once that was done we were in line for at least 20 to 30 minutes to check out.

Then it was back to Toys R Us. Once again we got in line to wait to get inside. It wasn't too bad. The line was only halfway around the building and moving adequately fast. While in line some women who had been in the store came by and suggested that since there were 2 of us, that one stand in the check out line while the other shopped and just swap back and forth. At first we thought they were nuts, but upon entering we found out that the line for the check out started at the beginning of the store, wove through half of the store to the back and then back again up to the front. I saw at least 2/3 of the store that night standing in line. We were in line for at least an hour. But we did get what we needed.

Jenny when we finally reached the check out stand at Toys R Us.

After Toys R Us we tried to go to Target. There are 2 Targets in our city. The first one we drove by, we couldn't even get into the parking lot. The streets were backedup at least a 1/2 mile all around the store. The 2nd store was further out away from other shopping areas so I thought it might not be that bad. We got into the parking lot quite easily but that was the end of the easy time. There were no parking spots left, well, legal ones that is and the line to get in the store was so long, we couldn't even see the end of it! So we decided to head to my parents house for a quick break and reassessment.

After the break, we decided to go to Kohls. We implemented the same plan we had at Toys R Us. One stood in line for the check out and the other would shop. Once again we were in line for at least an hour. We did have some purchases but I blame those mostly on my exhaustion at that point in time.

Now I'm not sure if this little story was really funny or if I was just so tired at that point that anything would have made me laugh. We had just left Kohls. It was almost 3 am in the morning. We were headed back to my apartment for a nap. We were just leaving the parking lot of Kohls when we saw these 2 girls running with their carts full of stuff. Now why is this odd or something even noticable? Well, these buggies were from the Toys R Us in the next parking lot over. Toys R Us had a very interesting security feature on their buggies. As you approached the end of the parking lot, the buggies front wheels would lock so you can't leave the parking lot area. So once again, we saw these 2 girls RUNNING with their buggies full of purchases as they headed to the end of the parking lot. Before you could blink, the front wheels locked and the girls pitched forward over the buggy! Jenny and I laughed so hard we were crying. I blame it on lack of sleep!!!

We were back at my apartment for 3 am and slept for 3 hours. We started again at about 6:30 am and went to several more stores. I did get treated to breakfast at Chick-Fil-A, which if you have never tried, is quite yummy!!!

One of the items that we did find while we were out, but didn't get (but totally want!!!) was this HUGE package of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Each cup is 1/2 pound!!!! Yummy!

We finished shopping around 11 am. I was so tired but couldn't take the chance of taking a nap in fear that I wouldn't wake up in time for the LSU Arkansas football game! I actually didn't go to bed till 10 pm that night. How? I have no clue. Delirium???

New Orleans

Starting that Sunday I worked a conference with Jenny in New Orleans for 4 days. It was a huge conference, bigger than I am used to. It had almost 2000 registrants. Over 100 vendors, so probably about 300 or more representatives. It was insane but I have to say that Jenny did an excellent job planning it! While we were there we ate some very good New Orleans restaurants. For a conference, it was a fairly enjoyable time! Even though I was out of the office Monday thru Wednesday, back in the office on Thursday with a meeting that lasted 4 hours so not much was done in the time I was in the office. I took off Friday because by the end of the day on Thursday I had already worked 50 plus hours.

Christmas preparations

I finally managed to get my little tree. Augie's stocking made (my sister's new dog). And all of my Christmas shopping complete. Yep, I'm on top of it. At least that part I am. I even mailed off all my Christmas cards yesterday and tonight I signed a whole box more to be sent overseas to the military. On Wednesday, Jenny and I will be ringing the bells at our local mall. All to get into the holiday season!!!

Too funny how Duke knew exactly which stocking was his!

I made this snowman myself!!! Not sure what I'm going to do with it. I have more I want to make. The idea is to put wire on them and make a wreath. We shall see if that gets done!

LSU Football

For those who don't know, LSU is THE #1 team in the country, undisputed! We are 13-0 and are headed to the National Championship game in New Orleans. The two previous times we have played the National Championship game in New Orleans, we have come away with the win. We will be up against Alabama again. Not very happy about that, but should make for an interesting, nail-biting game!!! But having 2 SEC football teams in the National Championship means that the SEC will have won for the 6th year in a row! So now it is time to stock up on some new LSU gear and wait, as patiently as possible, for January 9th to roll around.

Ok, I think I have covered all that I wanted to. Sorry for it being so long. It has been quite a while since I blogged. Maybe in the New Year I will take more time to sit down and blog!!!

Some more Pinterest

2011-11-09T19:10:00.002-06:00

Let me preface this latest entry: I had very little sleep last night. Probably less than 3 hours. My mind was racing all night and would not quiet down enough for me to fall asleep. Follow that up with a very long day at work where I traveled to another city an hour away for some convention planning. I am one tired girl! So I apologize if anything I type doesn't make sense.

My friends and I have delved straight into the latest craze called Pinterest. This past Friday, my friend hosted a baby shower for another one of our friends. Once again it was inspired by ideas found on Pinterest. The decorations, some of the foods and favors. We love our Pinterest!

Pumpkins made from burlap!

Pumpkin seeds as favors!

The tablecloth was made out of a drop cloth!

I made the guest of honor two presents. One was a bib with her baby's initials cross stitched on it with a monkey alphabet. I unfortunately forgot to take a picture of it. The second was a hooded towel. I love the colors in it! The picture is kind of dark but I was in a hurry when I took the picture.

As I stated before I have been doing some stitching. I had been working on Mirabilia's The Kiss. I've worked on it off and on for the last few weeks. I made some good progress on it. Sorry for the hoop ring, I'm bad at remembering to remove the hoop each night after I am done stitching.

I've put the above project away to focus on another project. I'm back to stitching on my sister's Christmas stocking. Will I finish it? Who knows. There are only 3 more weekends of football left and that is when I tend to get a ton of my stitching done. It calms me down especially since my Tigers are on the path to the National Championship! However, I do have Thanksgiving to stitch all that I want. My parents are going to spend the holiday with my sister so I shall be home alone. So Duke and I will have a little celebration of our own and I will rest up for shopping on Black Friday.

I've only had one experience with Black Friday and the best part of it was the breakfast at a local restaurant called Frank's (the best biscuits in town!). This year I have been invited by my friend Jenny, who is a SERIOUS Black Friday shopper. She's already given me a list of items that I will need for a successful shopping trip. All our ads with the items we want circled, walkie talkies (couldn't we just use our cell phones?), a back pack, and dress in layers as the day will start cold and the stores will get hot. I obviously have no clue what I am getting my self into! We shall see how it goes!

It Has Been Awhile...

2011-11-06T12:51:00.001-06:00

I hadn't realized that my last post was back in September! How time flies when one is busy! I always had good intentions to sit down and blog but, something was always been going on!

Weekends in October
I was blessed a couple of weekends this past October to spend time with my two nieces and nephew. We had sleep overs, trip to the zoo, football games, costume shopping. Lots of activities packed into just a few days!

Being a big girl, coloring in her Hello Kitty coloring book, while LSU plays!

I'm a Tiger! Beware!

I'm too cool to be riding the zoo train! (He's growing up so fast!)

A Pinterest Inspired Party

During October I also spent many evenings and some weekends at my friend Jenny's house. I was helping her make decorations for her youngest son's 1st birthday. All of her ideas for the Monster themed party came from Pinterest. If you haven't discovered Pinterest yet, STAY AWAY! Just kidding. It is just completely addicting and one can spend hours on it!

Monster marshmallow pops. Super easy!

Monster cupcakes and cake.

Came out better than we expected!

Dum-dum topiary!

I'm particularly proud of this wreath as I completely made this one all by myself!

Halloween

This is the first Halloween that Duke had a costume. Only took me 12 years to get it together! He was a pumpkin! Isn't he cute?

On Friday evening, I took him to the dog park. They were having trick or treating for the dogs. It was cute and there were so many cute costumes! Lady bugs, turtles, race horses! I wish I could have gotten more pictures but it was hard as they would not sit still!

This dog was Charlotte, as in Charlotte's Web. Her friend was a pig but he wouldn't sit long enough for me to get a picture!

On Halloween night I went over to my friend Jenny's. They have a huge neighborhood party with lots of food, drinks and of course treats!

On to November

Now it is November! I have no clue where October went! The holidays are right around the corner. I have some stuff already finished for Christmas but a list a mile long of other things I need to get done! I can feel the Holiday Stress coming on.

I've done a little bit of stitching. Not much. Nothing to report. I did have one finish, a baby bib, but I forgot to take a picture before I gave it as a gift. I hope to have some other pictures of what I've been stitching on here and there soon!

Friday night was a baby shower for my co-worker. I have pictures as the hostess also used Pinterest to help inspire the decorations.

The Big Game

Last night was "The Game of the Century". For those who don't know what I am talking about, it was the match up between #1 LSU vs #2 Alabama. I am a die hard LSU fan. Bleed purple and gold, probably always will! This game was so stressful. Not only was it LSU fighting to hold onto the #1 spot but it was also the decisive game as to who would win the SEC West and be in the SEC championship game the first weekend in December. LSU won it by 3 points, in OT! Now all LSU has to do is win the next 4 games and they should be in the National Championship Game which is in New Orleans. Our last two wins as national champions came in New Orleans as well!

Hello!

2011-09-25T19:20:00.001-05:00

It has been over a month since I last posted! Where has the time gone? It seems to have flown by! September has been filled with birthdays, football games, and work.

I've been busy mostly with work this month. I have worked the last 13 days straight. I am tired! Today was my first full day off of work. It was bittersweet. It was nice to be home but I had so much to catch up on with the household chores!

How about those #1 LSU Tigers? Woo hoo! My team is #1 in the AP poll! (We won't discuss the silly coaches poll). While it is still early, I hope that my Tigers can hang onto this spot. Or maybe just hang out in the top 5? That would be good too. #1 is too much pressure!

Yesterday was Homecoming at one of the local high schools. My friend's two sons were attending and asked me to come out and take some pictures. At first it looked like I wouldn't make it as I had a board meeting in a town 2 1/2 hours away but I finished up in just enough time to "fly" back in time for the pictures. (Thank goodness there were no cops on the route!!!!) Here are a few of the pictures I took:

I've also been doing a little bit of stitching. I try to pick up a project whenever I have a few minutes available. I am currently stitching on the Mad Tea Party but I have no update picture yet.

I had to re-start Snow White. I flubbed a BUNCH of stitches so this is my re-start of it:

This is the project that my sister requested I do for her. She doesn't know that I am working on it. :) It is a secret. It is the Thomas Kinkade Peter Pan and Tinker Bell picture:

My latest obsession? Pinterest. Have ya'll found this website? http://www.pinterest.com/ It is a place where you can gather all your favorite projects, web pages, etc and it is accesible from anywhere. I find it hard to describe but if you can get an invite from a user, you should try it out. It is addictive!

On Friday I went with my sister to see The Lion King. It hadn't changed any from the first time I had seen it. Although the 3D was pretty cool. But as I was sitting there watching it, I realized how violent this movie is! Wow! Lots of death!

Hope all is well in your worlds! I hope to find more time to blog in the future!

Boo! Back to Reality!

2011-08-22T20:39:00.000-05:00

I was just lucky enough to have spent 3 days at the beach. Unfortunately I had to come back. Blegh! And reality hit like a ton of bricks on this Monday.

The trip to the beach was much needed. The weather was hot but it was great otherwise! The sun was shining. The Gulf waters were free of jelly fish and not that much seaweed. I was lucky enough to spend 1 1/2 days doing this:

I was able to get two books read during this time! Woo hoo! Nothing like a good read! I also managed a pretty decent tan, for me that is. I didn't think I had gotten much color but it was nice to hear my co-workers comment on how "tan" I am! :)

Went to Lulu's one night for dinner. This is Jimmy Buffet's sister's restaurant. I had an awesome fried green tomato and bacon sandwich. It was delicious! If you ever make it to southern Alabama, this is a definite place to visit.

Managed a morning of shopping at the outlet in Foley. Finished my Christmas shopping for my niece Cassady. Only a few dozen more gifts to get. But it is nice to have one person complete! Also picked up a stroller for Duke. Now he can join me on walks! Can't wait to use it!

On the way down to the beach, my mom and I stopped at Robert Morris' Christmas Town & Village in Mobile. This place was awesome. Talk about sensory overload. Christmas everywhere! We spent about 2 hours in that store. It just kept on going and going and going! I did manage to pick up an ornament for Parker, now I only have two more to pick up for the nieces!

I am so ready to go back to the beach! I love living in the south but I wish I could live closer to the beach.

Last Day of July

2011-07-31T18:52:00.000-05:00

Wow! Where has the time gone? Tomorrow will be the first day of August! Only 18 more days till my beach trip! Cannot wait!

This was a pretty good weekend even though it did rain all this Sunday's afternoon. The sun did make an appearance all day Saturday and I was able to get some much desired pool time! It was great to relax by the pool and read a book all afternoon!

Did some shopping Saturday morning. Picked up two new pairs of shoes and, my favorite, a new Coach purse! Love, love, love it! Now I have a black purse, brown purse, and 2 blue purses. Now I feel like I can branch out and get some other colors. Maybe my next one will be purple or grey? The possibilities are endless! :)

Last weekend I finished page 2 of HAED's Mad Tea Party. Only 36 more pages to go. This piece is for my oldest niece. Maybe by her 16th birthday it will be done? (She's currently 10 years old) LOL This piece is going slow since I am doing 2 over 1 but I am loving the tapestry look it has. In the lower right corner, you can see the Mad Hatter's hand appearing.

Earlier this week I started the Tinker Bell project for my sister. Not much has been completed and honestly I have put more stitches in since I took this picture yesterday but was too lazy to update the pic. I typically don't like working with Aida but this one isn't too bad. It isn't very stiff.

Only five more months left of the year. I have so many projects I want to get done. What will get done and what will once again linger in the unfinished pile!?

Rainy Saturday Afternoon

2011-07-16T16:57:00.000-05:00

Let's see if I can get this post written! I've been meaning to write but sometimes I find it difficult to find the words to even describe the most simplest action!

Today is a rainy Saturday. It has been raining here, what feels like, forever! Ok, so really it is only like a week but I am missing the sun! The sun has only been peeking out occasionally. I am truly missing my pool time this weekend!

It has been a busy time! I think my last post was just prior to 4th of July? I spent the 3rd with a friend from work. She had some of her friends over and I went even though I don't do well around strangers. I actually had a pleasant time. No, I'm not surprised. Many times when I force myself to do something I don't want to do I have a great time! We spent the day, eating good food, playing with the kids and watching the Casey Anthony trial. I know, we are such nerds! The 4th I had lunch with the parents. My Dad wanted to make for me these hot dogs that he had at the College World Series. This combination of food sounds a little disgusting but it was delicious! A hot dog that is topped with hot wing sauce then coleslaw that is made with a blue cheese dressing. It was sooo good. I highly suggest that you try it!

Let's see what else has been going on? Time passes by so quickly! I guess that is because I am having fun! :) There was the mini road trip to Biloxi for a concert! My friend Jill and I made the trek to Biloxi to see Motley Crue and Poison! Yippee! I've always wanted to see Motley Crue. I saw Poison once before back in high school. We started off with dinner at the Blowfly Diner. This place was featured on the show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on Food Network. It was so worth it! We ate so much! And the view is pretty awesome too!

The concert was so much fun! It was definitely an odd collection of people. All ages. All types. Great time people watching! Tommy Lee is a phenomenal musician! The piano, the drums. He did his drum solo while making loops in a "roller coaster" type contraption! It was nice to get away for an evening and take a little trip back to when we were kids!

One evening this past week I was able to visit with a dear friend from high school. No, we actually go back to middle school. She is a true friend that no matter how long it has been since we talked or seen each other, we pick right back up where we left off. We were able to enjoy a dinner together. She picked greek. I had to laugh because I had asked her if there was any place here that she doesn't get back in Tulsa and she picked greek. I figured she would have picked a seafood place! Anyway, we had a pleasant dinner and then we went back to her Mom's house to see three of her four kids and to visit with her mom. I spent many times at that house! All good ones! We spent hours just talking. Catching up on each other's lives and reminiscing about the past. I truly need to plan a trip to Tulsa to see her!

Friday afternoon was of course spent at the movie theatre watching Harry Potter. I will only say that I truly enjoyed the movie and thought it did a great job!! I don't want to spoil it for anyone who may not have seen it yet! Feel free to email me if you'd like to have a discussion about the movie!!

I have been working on HAED's Mad Tea Party. I am so very close to having the second page finished. I hope to do that very soon!

I recently purchased a kit that my sister has asked me to do. I typically don't like to do kits but I am caving because, well, I pretty much indulge my baby sister in anything she wants. It is The Disney Dreams Collection by Thomas Kinkade, Tinker Bell and Peter Pan Fly to Neverland. It is pretty large. Finished product is 16" x 12". Not sure when I will get to this. I am hoping to at least start it soon.

Today has been such a lazy rainy day. Although not very lazy. I did get the bathroom clean. Laundry started. Kitchen cleaned. A run to the produce market. Not a complete waste. Shopping this morning with my mom. I also watched some of the movie, The Searchers. The best John Wayne movie ever! And I have spent the afternoon listening to one of my Garth Brooks CD box sets. I haven't done that in forever! I'm thinking tonight will be a movie night! Tomorrow is brunch with my friend Jenny and her mother at a German restaurant about an hour from where we live. It is well worth the drive!

I hope everyone's summer is going well. Mine is beginning to slow down. At least I have no other big planned events except for a planned beach vacation in August with my mom. I see lots of sun, sand, and water mixed with shopping! Cannot wait. I know it will be here before I know it! I just need to get through this upcoming work week, I have two board meetings to prepare for and my team mate is currently on vacation. I certainly hope there are no surprises! Keeping my fingers crossed.