Sssshh.

Twice a year my work works out in a way that I get three pay checks in a month.
Seriously. An extra pay check just for doing the same ol' regular thing I do every day.
Twice every year.
Free money.

Need I say more?

I've always wanted one of these.I couldn't resist.
My aunt is a bad influence, very bad influence. But, I've heard it's going to snow soon and a girl needs to keep her feet simultaneously warm and cute.
And, in case I haven't mentioned it, I'm going on vacation in January! I'm so stinkin' excited to hang out with these fun, crafty gals.

Switching It Up

Have done many things outside of my routine lately.

• I've eaten out tons!
• Last night we went to the movies. Saw American Gangster. Even went to the late show.
• Grocery shopped on Saturday night after the movie at about midnight. The store was empty. It was great!
• Did have our usual Sunday breakfast, but we shared it with Nicky & Co..
• We're having meatloaf for dinner - not something that's in our usual dinner repertoire, but I'm really looking forward to it in a 1950s kind of way.

Did not complete my normal Sunday studying. Did some scrapping instead. Used up pieces of the totally fun October kit from Cocoa Daisy and a Scrapbooks, Etc. call as inspiration.

November Goodness

Scrap-tastic has a particularly fabulous November kit.

Think fall colors
and felt
and foam
and glitter.

Some left over pictures from the unwanted Memory Makers Masters entry. Don't you love the Glimmer Mist?


So, when did it happen that Noah and Chase were old enough to head off to school? The hanging journaling tag was inspired by the cover LO in the November Creating Keepsakes.


Some pictures from the infamous, soon-to-be-repeated 20-Something Family-less Thanksgiving.



Lately, no scrapping project would be complete without a mini. Would you believe I've finished five - yes, that's right five - minis this month?

(Special thanks to A. Amy whose pictures I shamelessly stole.)

Cupcakes and Costumes and Pajamas

Okay. I'm not a big fan of Halloween.

I used to have giant parties when I was in middle school, but that was mostly because my mom wanted to have giant parties when I was in middle school. I always wore complicated, elaborate costumes, but that was mostly because my mom wanted me to wear complicated, elaborate costumes.

I actually had a really fun Halloween this year.

I dressed as a couch potato - wore my pajamas, bathrobe, and slippers and carried a TV Guide and a remote control. What more can you ask for?

We had a Hallo-weenie luncheon at school today; we all ate hot dogs.

Natalie and Katelyn came over for home-made pizza, trick-or-treat, and cupcakes.


In case you were dying to know. . . the cupcakes are Sprinkles' pumpkin cupcake mix from Williams-Sonoma.

Awfully Dumb for a Smart Girl

Warning: Big saga coming

So. . . for about three weeks the battery light in my Escape has come on every time I turn the car on. To clarify, it's not every single time I turn the car on--just the times when the car is cold (like when it sits in a parking lot all day or in the garage over-night).

About a week ago, I took the car to Auto Zone to have the battery checked. (My dad and grandpa both assured me that if I didn't have it checked out I would probably end up stranded on the side of the road.) The nice man at Auto Zone also checked my alternator (or alt'nator as he liked to say) and informed me that it was "shot."

I promptly made an appointment with a mechanic to have it fixed.

Apparently, my alternator is not located in a place that is easily accessible. It was a rather costly repair.

I picked the car up on Friday and was quite stressed (as Stephanie will tell you!) when I realized the battery light was still going on! Poor Brad. I left a swearing message on his voice mail. Poor Dad. I yelled at him, too (but he yelled right back).

I took the car back to Auto Zone and had the battery and alternator tested again (the mechanic was already closed). This time, the Auto Zone clerk--a woman--had me rev the engine to test the alternator.

NOTE: This--the revving of the engine--was a crucial step skipped by the man who tested the alternator the week before.

There was nothing wrong with the battery or the alternator (or alt'nator or however I'm supposed to say it).

Turns out there was a good chance there was never anything wrong with my alternator!

Fast forward to today when poor Brad had to take the Escape back to the mechanic on my very-stressed-out behalf.

Apparently, the light that was on--the one I assumed was a light indicating a problem with my battery--actually indicated a problem with my coolant. I was not out of line in assuming it indicated a problem with the battery, as the incredibly small and illuminated picture on my dashboard look JUST LIKE a battery.

That's right, dear readers.

I paid an insane amount of money to have an alternator fixed when all I needed to do was add a little coolant. There is even an online video I could have watched about how to check and add coolant.

The guy at Auto Zone screwed up in testing the alternator.
The mechanic (Dave) didn't test the alternator before he repaired it.
I didn't read my owner's manual to figure out what the light actually meant.

A comedy of errors, actually.
A very expensive comedy of errors.

But, I'm also hoping it becomes a public service announcement for each and every one of you.
Check your coolant.
And read your owner's manual.

Don't be a dumb smart girl.

You Might Be a Redneck if. . .

. . . you make a late-night pajama-clad run to KFC

. . . in your husband's pick-up truck

. . . with a dog kennel, tree-stand, fishing poles, and a bag of duck decoys in the back

. . . listening to "I Wanna Check You For Ticks"

As much as I'd just like to think it was the stress of the law test that has me out of sorts, I think the truth may be that the small amount of redneck-ness in Brad may be rubbing off on me

In my defense, "I Wanna Check You For Ticks" just happened to be on the radio. That part was unintentional.

Help!

Adventures in Babysitting

I read a ton of Babysitters Club books when I was a kid (Claudia was my favorite babysitter).

It totally paid off because my first over-night babysitting gig with Natalie was a complete and total success.

There were cookies
and a huge mess
and not one single sprinkle that was not used to decorate a cookie.
There was dinner at McDonald's.
She puts french friends on her hamburger-er.
It's something she learned from her mom.

There was a little bit of creating.
A fun time was had by all.
Except for Brad and Memphis who were too busy looking for pheasants in IA to hang out with us.

Okay.
Now.
I.
Have.
to.
study.
Big exam Monday night.

Randomness

I was tagged by Lyn, an amazing scrapper and a regular on the boards and in the gallery at Scrap-tastic.

Here are the rules which must be posted on your blog if you are tagged:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself: some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).
4. Let them know they've been tagged by leaving a comment at their blogs.
   

Here I go...

1. I never finished reading Marley and Me. I loved everything about the story but had a feeling it wasn't going to end well for Marley. So, I didn't finish the story. I only thought of this because Marley and Me is what I read Natalie as a bedtime story tonight. It put her right to sleep!
2. I competed in high school forensics. I was in declamation, four-minute speaking, duo interp, and oratory. I traveled all over the state and also to Topeka, Baltimore, and Detroit. I know, hardly glamorous destinations. But, I loved every second of it.
3. When I go to the movies I will only get a soda if they have Coke. And, I need to buy something chocolaty (like Raisinets or M&Ms) to eat along with my popcorn. I love the mix of sweet and salty.
4. There isn't a day that I don't think about my grandma. It's been three years since she died, and I still think about calling her or telling her about things that are going on. The strangest part is that I can't remember whether or not I thought about her this much while she was actually here.
5. I didn't realize Santa Claus wasn't real until I was in second grade. I got an electronic keyboard from "Santa" and heard my parents sneaking down the stairs to leave the keyboard under the tree. Busted.
6. I DVR re-runs of Beverly Hills 90210. There are always at least three episodes on my DVR for nights like tonight when there just really isn't anything better that I want to do.
7. My favorite meal at McDonalds is the two cheeseburger meal with the cheeseburgers plain, no salt on the fries, and a big ol 'Coke.

Now, for my seven people:
Angie
Brandy
Chiara
Emily
Josie
Rebecca
Robyn

Okay. Now back to previously scheduled programming (waiting for the midnight reveal of the November Studio Calico kit).

Tomorrow, watch for an update about my latest scrappy escapades and my adventures in the land of babysitting a two-year-old.

I {heart} Teachers' Convention

School was canceled yesterday and today to allow teachers to attend a convention sponsored by the state teachers' union. I never go to the convention because I prefer to get my professional development elsewhere and enjoy these two days as vacation, but this year I agreed to present with my friends from the state reading association committee I'm on.

I've never had so much fun at a conference!

We had coffee.
We went to Broadway Paper.
We had lunch.
We presented.
We went to the mall.
We had more coffee.

Never mind that I was only at the conference for less than two hours and spent the rest of the day shopping and eating. A great time was had by all!

A few pictures to convince you just what a successful shopper I was.

My loot from Broadway Paper. Do you remember these little books from when you were little? I'm not particularly scatterbrained, but it was one of the only ones they had left.


A little treat for Brad.
Thought I might need a little treat while I hand out candy to trick-or-treaters on Wednesday.
A little something for our upcoming Thanksgiving feast.

And. . . night class was canceled last night, so I got to watch Grey's live in living color!

Q&A: Habits

This week's topic @ Fancy Simple is routines and habits. Today's project is a questionnaire.

What's your morning routine?
On a work day, my alarm goes off at 5:45. I hit snooze once before getting up to let the dog out and take a shower. I put water on to boil for tea, get dressed, pack my lunch, do my hair, and eat breakfast while I post on Fancy Simple or check my email.

What's your bedtime routine?
Pajamas usually go on LONG before bedtime (tonight before 5:30 p.m.). I wash my face, tuck myself in, snuggle with a book, and fall asleep with the television on.

What's missing from your daily routine?
I have a gym membership (with a horrendous picture on my member card) that I haven't used since August. I need to work out again.

What is a habit you're working hard to develop?
The mind-mouth filter. I need to learn to think more before I speak.

What is a habit you're working hard to break?
I'm a nail-biter. Always have been.

At your favorite restaurant, do you always order the same thing or do you try the special?
Especially at my favorite restaurant, I will order the same thing. It kills me to try something new and have it be not nearly as good as what I normally get. If I'm at a new place, though, I'm a lot more likely to try their specialty than to have the same thing I might have at another restaurant.

What things do you buy at the grocery store every single time you go?
Milk for sure. I buy broccoli almost every time, too.

What would someone close to you say is your most annoying habit?
I'm a fidgeter and a sigher.

Which outside forces have the biggest impact on your routines?
Scheduled commitments like work and appointments.

Describe the person you know who is most driven by habit.
Completely my grandpa. He takes a nap at the same time every day. He has a martini at 4:30 and actually has a traveling martini kit to be sure he can have the drink no matter where he might be.

Let me tell you. . .

. . . about my Sunday.

I never thought I'd be happy about Global Warming, but the weather on Sunday was completely and totally beautiful. I attribute the unseasonably warm temperatures to the melting of polar ice caps and other such unfortunate events which may signal the imminent demise of the planet. But, I did thoroughly enjoy the weather. . .

I loaded up in the mini van with the B.'s to go to the pumpkin patch and apple orchard. A great time was had by all.

Poor Katelyn is still getting used to my incessant snapping of pictures. Come to think of it, so is Natalie. I really need to work with her on how to pose. :)Natalie was mashing berries in my hair while she was on my shoulders. Yum. Fun.
Nicky was looking for a Christmas card picture. I think this one is perfect. What about you?


A quick shot of Natalie being independent. It -- along with being bossy -- are like her two favorite things to do right now. Nicky seems to think it's because she spends so much time with me. :)


Finished off the day with a story just before naptime. A kid needs a little "Monkey George" to relax. (I'm so glad that Nicky has become hooked on taking pictures with my camera.)


And one last picture of the beautiful and personable Miss Katelyn just for the fun of it. I sort of wish pictures could make sounds because if this one could make noise it would be growling. Katelyn makes a totally hilarious growling noise. . . part lion and part gremlin. She mostly does it when she really wants things or is feeling a little angry. It cracks me up every time!


Okay. Those are enough stalker-esque pictures of other people's children. If I'm not careful the moms (and maybe the aunts) will accuse me of having baby-fever. I know they lurk out there sometimes.

Barbara

So. . . Anilu named one of her necklaces Barbara.

You know what that means?



(Sorry for the blurry picture.)

I've actually developed a bit of an Etsy addiction. I need to take some pictures of the goodies and share sometime soon.

Tricky, Tricky.

So, Memphis has been a smelly beast lately (lots of hunting), and we've been trying to keep him off the couch. (We really don't want a smelly couch).

The system we've devised involves wedging a kitchen chair on the couch and filling in the empty spaces.

Here's what I found today:

He sure looked comfortable.

Girl Power Questionnaire

So. . . there's a contest at Fancy Simple for the next four weeks. Today's challenge is to answer the following questions:

1. Name:
Barb

2. Pink - Love it or Hate it?:
Love it!

3. Signature shade of lipstick, lipgloss, etc.:
Glossy, clear

4. Do you have a best girl friend?:
Yup. Ang takes the prize.

5. Do you have a woman mentor?:
Two. Becky and Pat.

6. Are you a woman mentor to someone else?:
No one has ever told me I am, but I sure hope I am.

7. Tomboy or Princess?:
Princess

8. Favorite Girl Band:
Dixie Chicks

9. Are you a mom? Do you want to be one?:
Not a mom. No desire to be one right now.

10. Do you and your mom have any rituals?:
Disagreeing. LOL.

11. Fashion magazines - yea or nay.:
Nay. A little too outrageous for me.

12. Do you have a feel good outfit?:
Pajamas. :)

13. Have you called your grandma or special aunt, or special older lady lately?:
Yup. Talked to my special aunt today.

14. Signature Scent?:
Ginger lotion and perfume

15. Favorite female tv character:
Miranda Bailey

16. Favorite place to hang out with gal pals?:
Anywhere where there is great food.

17. Did you ever ditch your girl friends to be with a guy? Do you still?:
I'm sure I did it in high school. I don't do it now.

18. Friend you call when you need a laugh?:
Ang.

19. Friend you call when you need a shoulder to cry on?
Ang. (I rely on her a lot.)

20. Have you reminded your friends of how much they mean to you lately?:
I need to do this more!

Visit Fancy Simple for the questionnaire and a chance to win some great prizes.

Scrapper Meets Toolman

So. . . I'm working on a fall-themed mini album with my Scrap-tastic November kit.

The mini uses this totally cute album from Maya Road.
The problem? The little rings that hold the chipboard pages together.

I used a pliers to pry them apart. I covered each page, punched holes, and got ready to re-attach the rings.

Yeah. Right.
There was in way in a million years those stinking rings were going back on there.

I ended up in my pajamas with a baseball cap on at the hardware store where I spent 45 minutes talking to every old man in the joint. Each one seemed to have a different solution to my dilemma. Each one of them talked loud and each one called me dear or honey or sweetie or little miss.

One even suggested I purchase a tool and rings meant specifically for piercing the nose of pigs. Yes. That's right. Pigs.

It ended up being Bruce who saved the day (Len, another older man who was helping me, told me that Bruce used to be a millwright and assured me that if anyone could solve my problem it would be Bruce. It never became clear to me whether or not Bruce worked at the hardware store or was just a customer. It seemed like he might just have been hanging out at the hardware store.).

Bruce showed me how to use two different pliers to re-bend, attach, and re-shape the rings.

He even sold me a plyers that was regularly priced $9.99 for $3.74. Amazing. I'd be hard-pressed to find such a great deal at Archiver's.

So, Bruce? If you're out there. . . thank you! Thank you for your expertise. Thank you for helping me solve my tool-related dilemma. If you ever have a scrap- or other-craft-related dilemma I'm totally your gal.

And, last but not least, did you really think I'd leave you without a little peek of the album?


And. . . the troublesome rings!


P.S. I had plenty more adventures with toolmen tonight; my car needs some repairs. But, that's a completely different story.

Mini Madness

Signed up for a September class from Shimelle Laine. Used the goodies from my September Studio Calico kit to create this giant mini-album.

Oooohhh! One more thing. . . Angie and I are hosting a little contest at Fancy Simple for the next four weeks. Sign on to take a closer look at your life and have a chance to win some really fantastic prizes in the process.

So excited!

Remember this?

Well, there was a contest here.

And they picked me!

And I won a mini album made by her!

Seriously. I screamed loud enough to wake up Brad this morning and could not manage to explain to his groggy morning-self exactly what had happened.

Perfect 10

Zero.
The number of times I've eaten dinner at home in the past week.

One.
The number of totally and completely fun orange bags I bought this weekend.

Two.
Number of mini books I completed at the crop this weekend. Too bad ZERO is the number of photographs I took of those mini books to share with y'all.

Three.
The number of hours I will spend at work tomorrow night for parent-teacher conferences.

Four.
The number of trips it took from the garage to the end of the driveway for me to take out the garbage this morning. Brad has forgotten for two consecutive weeks. We had lots of trash. Sadly, I will say that a large portion of it was Priority Mail boxes from mail-order scrappy supplies.

Five.
The number of unreturned messages I've left on my mother's cell phone. Seriously. It is not child's responsibility to worry about why she has not talked to her mother for nearly a month. Mom? Are you out there?

Six.
The number of people who complimented my very cute and very fall outfit today. Think orange puffy vest with a cute scarf and khakis and red shoes.

Seven.
The approximate number of pairs of clean underwear I have left. It is time to do laundry. (And why do we say "pair" of underwear? There's only one.)

Eight.
The number of irate customers Brad talked to today at work. He was quite specific that this eight included one woman who was very angry that she had not yet received her Soap Opera Digest. (You can imagine the expletives he accented that statement with.)

Nine.
The number of times I considered calling in sick this morning. I recently stole a t-shirt from Brad's collection, and it makes for very comfortable pajamas--so comfortable that it seems a waste to actually get dressed.

Ten.
The number of days that have passed in October and the number of months that have passed on 2007. 10-10-10 will be an exciting day!

Hello. My name is ________________

CRABBY.

I'm hoping that by complaining just a little, I'll be able to let go of each of the things that are bothering me.

1. Grey's Anatomy
It's 10:54 P.M. CST, and I still haven't seen tonight's episode. (This also means I cannot send an end-of -episode review to Katrina, my favorite person to talk Grey's with and that I probably shouldn't visit her blog until I've seen the episode.) This goes down as the first time in Grey's history that I haven't watched a new episode on the same night it was on television. Night class. Then, home to a living room full of poker-playing dudes. Definitely not a good environment for watching Grey's. And, there's no way they are going to be done any time soon. This brings me to my next point.

2. Jerky Moral-less Man
There is a guy in Brad's poker group that seems to have ZERO morals. He's a defense attorney. I'd be fine with that if he didn't spend the entire poker game loudly bragging about his clients and then using legal jargon and reasoning to respond to anyone else in the group who questions him. Tonight I got to hear all about someone who hit their step daughter on the legs with a belt for mouthing off and got a $50 fine thanks to this man's handy legal work. Then, he moved on to talking about a man he's defending against rape and eventually moved on to talking about how most of the people in the sex offender data base really have no good reason to be there. I had to actually leave the house during that conversation. WHAT A JERK! Plus, he talks incredibly loud. Impossible to just tune him out.

3. Work
As much as I love my job, I have to work tomorrow. Really I want to be at home getting ready for my big scrappy weekend. I'm going cropping! And I'm having a slumber party! And I'm hanging out with some of my favorite people! Aunt Amy. Emily. Josie. Seriously excited and not expecting to be able to accomplish much tomorrow. If I'm ever president, I will be sure to make it a national law that every day before a big vacation is automatically a vacation day. I might even extend it to every day after a big vacation is an additional vacation day. Really? We need more vacation. More vacation and less work. Think we can get Hillary on board?

To Whom It May Concern:

I think you did not get the memo.
It is fall.
The autumn solstice has passed.
The autumnal equinox is finished.

Fall is a time for cool weather
and sleeping under the covers
and making soup
and wearing sweaters.

There is supposed to be some sun shining through the trees, but it is supposed to be combined with a cool breeze that makes the falling leaves rustle just a little bit.

It is not--and I most emphatically repeat NOT--supposed to be 70 or 80 degrees. And, my hair and I beg you to make the humidity stop. We cannot take it anymore!

You and your warm weather and sunny skies and crazy humidity did not win, though, because I still made this (inspired by her) in the spirit of fall.


Sincerely Yours,
Wishing It Was Actually Fall

P.S. Feel free to remind me in February--when it is 20 below and windy as all get out--that I was begging for summer to end and another season to start.

October Fun

Here is my October design team work for Scrap-Tastic.

The first three lay-outs are from the October kit.
The fourth lay-out is just a few goodies from the store.





And, in case you were wondering, I can sum up my day in one word:
AVOIDANCE

I had tons of studying and housework that I should have done today.
Instead I had lunch at Nicky's and played on the computer and even took a nap.
Now, I'll spend the rest of the week paying the price.

Middle Name

So. . . I just realized that forever ago, Kelly tagged me.

The rules...You must list one fact that is somehow relevant to your life for each letter of your middle name.

Figures that I have an insanely long middle name. But, here are my facts.

E: Egg salad
Because I don't eat lunch meat, egg salad is one of the few sandwiches I enjoy.

L: Lake.
I was thinking today that it might be fun to live on a lake someday.

I: Ice cream.
I could eat it every day. I do eat it most days.

Z: Zoom.
Not. I'm not a speedy driver. Usually five over for me.

A: Apples.
Don't really like to eat them unless they're covered with caramel or in a pie.

B: Baby.
I was born via c-section and my head was sliced open. I have tiny stitches in my baby pictures.

E: Easter basket.
I once refused to look for my basket because my parents just hid it way too well. It turned out to be in the dryer.

T: Tea drinker. I love my coffee, but most days it's tea for me.
H: Home-body. I'd rather be enjoying a quiet day at home than almost anywhere else.

You might also be interested to know that if I was ever on a soap opera my character's name would be. . .
Elizabeth Adams
(middle name combined with the street I live on)

What would your soap opera name be?

Hottie

So, have I ever mentioned that there is a Desperate Housewife on Brad's mail route?

Her name is Sheila. She has short blonde hair and can usually be spotted wearing shorts and a t-shirt. She's in the process of divorcing her husband (who is currently in prison) and is raising her two children alone.

Sheila totally has a crush on my hubby.

When he was carrying his route, she'd come outside to talk to him.
She'd call the neighbor ladies over and one time loudly announced, "He's mine, ladies!"
She even invited him to her birthday party.

Well, Brad's been working as a supervisor for about a month, and someone else, a woman, is carrying his route.

Sheila chased her down the street yesterday to ask where Brad was. The new carrier had to inform Sheila that Brad wouldn't be around anymore. Sheila's prompt reply?

"Too bad. He's a real hottie."

Lucky for me, Sheila hasn't seen Brad is his new work clothes.
Those mailman shorts were cute, but the shirts and ties every day don't look so bad either.

Oozing Confidence

So. . . tonight I'm on the phone with Ang (I have quite a habit of driving and dialing on my way home from work). We're babbling about ways to make Fancy Simple even bigger and better.

I switch to talking about my law class and declare that I might just be a secret legal scholar.

Angie asks why.
(It figures that the actual legal scholar would ask for proof.)

I stop and think about it.

I'm not a legal scholar. There are just some real dumb asses in my class.

I don't have any actual proof of that either.

Off to eat some chicken marsala, write an educational philosophy paper, and read some articles.

SSS

Super
Sonic
Smell

I've got a sniffer that a bloodhound would be jealous of.
And tonight it's making me miserable.

Someone in my educational law class (the three hours of torture I endure each Monday for 11 more weeks) had the smelliest feet I've ever smelled in my entire life.

(I've smelt some smelly feet, too. When we were kids, my brother used to have to leave his socks and shoes outside of the house at night because the stench was so horrid.)

I kept wiggling my feet around in my sandals and then sniffing really deeply to see if, in fact, the smell was originating from my feet. It was not my feet.

Now, the smell is stuffed in my nose.
Every time I take a breath, all I can smell is rancid feet.

YUCK!

(Sorry about the prolonged absence from blogging, too. Turns out the grad classes combined with normal work, house work, and a few occasional social commitments just doesn't leave a lot of time for blogging. I do, however, still build in 30 minutes on Mondays to watch The Hills. Rumor has it that Jason is engaged. . . .)