it's been a while...
i know.
computer's back.
pictures back.
vacations over.   BOO!

i guess maybe it's time to show you what i've been up to the last couple of months.

let's start with something totally brainless and goofy...just because.

Planking

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Look up planking in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Planking may refer to:

• Plank (exercise), an exercise involving holding a position
• Planking (fad), also known as the "Lying down game", which involves lying face down with arms to the sides in unusual public spaces

while in maine, one of tonya's texas friends told us we should "plank" on our antiquing trip.
we had never heard of it, so we looked it up.
we both thought it was pretty funny, and we weren't about to back down from a challenge.
soooo....

check out more pictures from our planking adventure over at tonya's blog.
if they're not there, they will be soon!
happy planking!

waiting...

while in maine...my laptop started acting up.
apparently it wanted a little vacay too.
so no pictures or blogging about maine for a while...
it is fried...and then died.

my cousin in trying to work his magic on it at the moment...so we shall see.
i have my fingers crossed that it will come back good as new.

until then, here's a little funny for ya.

a quick run down.

it seems i have turned into a once a week blogger...
totally not my intention.
i have kept myself plenty busy...i promise.
i have 13 shows on the dvr that haven't been watched yet.
i have come down with spring cleaning fever...
and when you got it, you gotta keep going.
no stopping.

other than cleaning and purging this house, this is what i've been up to lately.

a friends wedding.
it was simple & perfect.

the bride is a pilot, so the reception was at our airport in a hangar.
very cool idea.

she flew them away when it was all finished.
the brides grandma, turned out to be my elementary school music teacher.

she really hasn't changed.
i went over and introduced myself...she remembered me.
that. never. happens.
(i also ran into my elementary school principal this week while getting my hair cut.)

(i realized afterwords my camera was on a setting i had never used before...which i'm guessing is why all the pictures are so grainy)

this is what i made for the bride & groom.

i think it turned out pretty cool...yes, i'm bragging on my silhouette again.

the next day a group of friends and i headed to the sticks to beki's house for a free photography workshop.
by the look of the wedding photos, it wasn't a moment too soon.
i learned a lot.

i also learned i don't know how to spell aperture. (i do now though!)
me and my little fuji were outnumbered by canons and nikons.

someday soon maybe i will bite the bullet and get a REAL camera.
i asked beki to send a note home with me telling my husband that i need a canon.
he said...then go get one.
but in the next breath he said...but i think you take really good pictures with the one you have.
reverse psychology maybe???

when we were leaving it started raining frozen sleet balls.

people were sliding off the highway left and right.
today it was absolutely stunning outside...75, sunny, barely a breeze...divine!
hopefully kansas has gotten all the crankiness out of it's system for good.

i made myself a yummy chicken salad sandwich for lunch.

i never really cared for chicken salad until i tried a friends.
she makes it with a rotisserie chicken from the store.  already cooked and seasoned.
it totally makes all the difference.
(thanks joan!)

when it was still cold i made a batch of loaded potato soup in the crockpot.

recipe coming soon.

miley has been stalking this icky varmint all week.

possums totally creep me out.
especially when they are lurking in the tree above my head.

when the weather started turning nice, instead of being outside, i felt the urge to purge the inside.
i cleaned out closets and now have a bunch of stuff to take to the thrift store.

that's just the tip of the iceberg people.
i moved all the winter stuff into the closet in our bedroom...i use it for off season clothing.
why not use the master closet?
well...i am short, but both master closets are kid sized in height.

cute yes, practical no.  (ack, the graininess is back!)
how the clothes rod has not busted yet is beyond me.
it is OLD!

notice the little piece of wallpaper border?
it is there so that all the shoulders don't get a white plaster mark on them.
someday i will take the time to paint the closets, but it's not really high on my priority list right now.

once again wal-mart sucked me in and made me divert from my list for this.

who couldn't resist a green & white polka-dotted bath mat?
me, that's who.
this is the rest of my little bathroom.
in case you were curious.
if your not, then just skip the next couple of pictures :)

i made the stained glass windows years ago...
it's been a while since i have done anything that big.
someday i will refinish the tub and get new flooring...but for now it's fine with me.
i don't think i could live without my clawfoot tub, it is my favorite and most used thing in this house.

i turned those trays i was spray painting a few weeks back into little chalk boards.

they are part of something bigger...that i will tell you about another day.

so there's my quick rundown of the happenings around here.
tomorrow i start a small painting job in a little town near ours.
(every so often i take on one of these...i like painting so it's fun for me.)
it does require painting popcorn ceilings though...ugh!
i already made a chiropractic appointment for friday...
i will need it.

peace out peeps.

i feel like hal.

those weather guys say 70 today.
for their sake they better be right.
i am at my wits end with old man winter.

random week of consumption.

most of last week and some of this week i have had the flu.
it wasn't too terrible, but i can't stand how it just drains every living bit of energy from my body.
ya, the fever, chills and body aches totally suck, but the fatigue has got to be the worst.
it's amazing the things you consume while sick.
the same things, over and over and over.
for instance..

kleenex.

4 whole boxes consumed...not to mention the 3 more randomly placed around the house at this moment.
...and it MUST be the good stuff with lotion.
i am still blowing my nose every 15 minutes..SERIOUSLY!!!!   WHERE DOES IT COME FROM?????

meds.

every day, 3 times a day.  ..ugh.
i had to make a paper schedule because i am so bad about remembering if i took it or not.
and seriously, why can't those people at robitussin make their cough syrup taste like delsylm's grape flavor??
it is the best!
at least sudafed is tiny..i am NOT a pill swallower...i choke and gag most pills back up.
if it's bigger than an advil, i'm in trouble.

water.

tonya got me one of these filtered water bottles for Christmas and i use it so much i bought myself another one.               (http://www.waterbobble.com/) or JCPenney.
i fill it up at least 8 times a day... i think i am officially a H20 girl now
i did cheat with a sprite one day, because let's face it....when your throat is that sore, you just need that burning, tingleing, stinging  feeling on the back of your throat.  (you know what i'm talking about!)

my fav lip balm.

my lips crave this stuff.
there is one in practically every room in our house, not to mention my purse and the car.
LOVE IT!

cheap pizza.

for some reason, no matter how sick i am, totinos makes it better.
i could really live on this pizza, especially when they were on sale for 95 cents.
the freezer is packed full!

good reading.

at least i have time to dream about living in these places while i'm plastered to the couch.
lots of brain consumption.

evil in disguise.

there's nothing like being crashed on the couch, feeling lousy, when the doorbell rings and a cute little scout drops off colorful boxes of sugar to help you feel better.
yes i know, girl scouts aren't evil...just their cookies.

i am feeling a hundred times better now, thanks to all these miracle workers.
each one played a part in helping me feel better. 
more than some i'm sure.

i accomplished more today, then i have in the last 7 days.
it felt so good to wake up and feel human again.
thank goodness since me and miley are off to texas tomorrow to see tonya, sean and duke.
...and to shop my favorite flea market :)


i got some new shoes for the occasion, or at least that's what i'm telling myself.

have a good weekend...
i'll be back next week.

snow shovel to flip flops.

kansas weather is perplexing to me....
7 days ago the temp was -17 degrees.  MINUS!
...and we were buried in this.

today the high is nearing 80.  say what???
maybe that groundhog isn't so lame after all?

jealousy?

...it must be, cause i don't think she was just flossing!

 

****************************************************************

those lovely people at silhouette america must have dogs.

one quick phone call and the awesome girl on the other end 

said a new power cord  would be in the mail tomorrow!

at no charge even!!

this is the second time i have talked to someone at silhouette

(once was a techy question)

both times they have been super friendly and oh so helpful!

you just don't find customer service like that anymore!

THANK YOU SILHOUETTE!

(miley says thank you too!!!)

nothing really.

so far, 2011 has been pretty uneventful for me.
which is ok.
january usually is a blah month anyway...
the holidays are over.
it's cold and gloomy outside.
you realize what you really spent on Christmas.
your neighbors elliptical is begging you to come back and show it some love.

honestly i have nothing exciting to really blog about...
so i guess i'll blog about me,
it has occurred to me that i really haven't given you the 411 on our little family.
so here are 25 things about me that will probably bore you...or not.  :)

#1  

i live in the same small town i was born in...

#2

i have been married for almost 18 years to my super-cop craig who is 6 years

older than me.

#3 

i am a lover of animals... sometimes even more than some people.

#4

i have been a hairdresser for nearly 19 years and

run a small salon out of my house.

#5

i'm still waiting for that "dream job" ...whatever that is.

(but i will tell you, it has nothing to do with hair!)

#6

we currently have 2 animals...miley the dog & harri the cat.

...at one point we had 3 cats and 3 dogs all at the same time.

#7

i love DIY projects...i will tackle just about anything.

#8 

i am a control freak and a perfectionist....i blame  love my dad for that.

#9

i can cook, i just don't really like too.

i have to be in the right mood and really be hungry.

#10

i  still sew on my sewing machine, standing up.

my mom taught me when i was so little that i had to stand to reach the machine.

my home-ec teachers failed to turn me. 

even the really evil one.

#11

i am only 5 ft tall....

i'm ok with that.  sometimes it has it's advantages.

#12

i love all things "creative"  ..sometimes my mind is so clogged with ideas swirling in my head i can't concentrate.  

is that A.D.D?

#13

i heart flea markets, garage sales, thrift shops and antique stores.

i love a good bargain!

#14

i have one brother that is 6 1/2 years older than me.

#15

40, is getting ever so close.  eeeks.

#16

i love working in the flower garden and on my fish pond.

#17

i DISLIKE WINTER (period, exclamation point, period)

#18

i love my 100 year old house and all it's quirks.

#19

i am no longer frightened of painting furniture or woodwork white.  

that doesn't mean i won't wince at the first brushstroke though. :)

#20

i have owned 2 convertibles, both green.

#21

my favorite place to visit is?  ( fill in the blank )

#22

i own a disgusting amount of boots and flip flops.

#23

i currently have a nasty sinus infection that may kill me this weekend. 

(ok, so maybe that was a little dramatic)

#24

i never go anywhere without my water bottle & lip balm.

#25

i live in the best little neighborhood EVER!


any questions?

at this moment i am....

watching:  miracle on 34th st.  (the original) 

 
eating: red velvet cookies.

 

drinking : hot cocoa.

wearing : pink snowflake pajama pants,  a fuzzy shirt and slippers.

feeling : relaxed and cozy.

weather : freezing rain falling from the sky.

wanting : more evenings like this, minus the freezing rain.

needing : to be asleep.

thinking :  i have a million things to do tomorrow.

enjoying : snuggling with my miley dog.

wondering:  if my house could some how clean itself!

 

toffee crack does not like me.

ever since julie made her famous toffee crack for meg and i in california, i have been trying to make it.

it has become very clear that God does not want me to make, let alone eat, toffee crack.

6 attempts.
1 perfect batch.
1 semi-ok batch.
4 major fails.

attempt #1
i forgot to line the pan.
i had to chisel it off.
toffee crack was being flung all over my kitchen.
no bueno!

attempt #2
i lined the pan, but used reg wax paper instead of the non-stick kind.
apparently i cannot follow directions.

i tried really hard to peel it off just so i could have a tiny bite, i gave up and threw it all in the trash.

no bueno!

attempt #3
this time i had the right pan liner (parchment paper) but burnt the sugar and butter.
i filled the house with smoke and had to open the windows when it was 20 degrees outside.
it was a nasty, sticky (cold) mess.

it resembled the gulf oil spill.
no bueno!

attempt #4
finally!
perfect toffee crack!

it took four attempts to get it right.
pathetic.

i took this batch up to craig's parents house for thanksgiving.
everyone loved it.
i didn't hide the fact that it hated me.
there was a few pieces left to take home...i forgot it in the fridge.
no bueno!

attempt #5
burnt it again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

it's the stove, it's got to be the stove!

attempt #6
i didn't burn it, it did stick a little, it didn't taste like the perfect batch.
but it was edible and everyone ate it and liked it.
it doesn't take a lot to please a group of nascar fans though.

maybe it's time to walk away for a while...
goodbye toffee crack.
maybe someday we could be friends.
i would like that.

random randomness.

its always exciting to see happy mail on the front porch.

it was from another blogger that i did a halloween swap with.

it was loaded!

 her 3 yr old made homemade doggy treats for miley and sent her a festive collar.

she gave both a "paws up"

this is what i sent her.

*******************

i decided it was time to update my profile pic.

i wore my 31 bits jewelry from meg's party

.COLOR LOVE.

****************

found this at dollar tree.

it didn't lie...it is awesome.

***********************

miss marley has stayed here a couple of times over the last couple weeks.

one morning i rolled over to find her next to me in bed.

of course i didn't have the heart to kick her out.

so it will be my fault if she tries it at home.

***********************

not so happy mail.

really?  again??  ugh???

************************

my 7 yr old cat finally purred for the first time.

she sounded like she had know idea what she was doing.

****************************

the weather has been just weird enough that,  i turn the heated seat on while the sunroof is open.

**********************

proof that football and home decor can co-exist.

**********************

my husband has won TWO umbrellas in the last couple of weeks.

one from the local news, and one at a golf tourney.

if he wins another, i'm sending him out to buy a lottery ticket.

**********************

i couldn't take our disgusting shower any longer, so i spent one whole day

digging out the old dingy caulking and rehabbing  the whole thing...door and all.

it involved a paint scraper, sawhorses, and toxic cleaners.

for realz.

********************

i found some cute fall sweaters at the thrift store.

***********************

years ago i sold a cabinet a our garage sale and have regretted it ever since.

i missed it dearly.

i found it sitting in our local antique store this week and bought it back.

it missed me too.

and i may have squealed like a girl when i saw it.

*********************

the cat's new sleeping spot.

**********************

i always eat chinese food with chop sticks.

always.

********************

before long,we will be wading through leaves to get to the garage.

this is 5 minutes after i swept the driveway.

***************

we leave in a week for someplace that's fabulous...

and requires a passport.

:)

tootles.