Happy Birthday to my Avery Bird....

I can't believe you are FIVE today... I love you Sweet Pea...

Karma...

Isn't it awesome when it's fast??? I've been helping a friend with a big project, and karma was right there waiting for me... Sometimes (rarely) everything just comes together perfectly... Avery's 5th birthday party was just that thing!


We did Build-A-Bear (although no one actually built a bear - we came home with two puppies, a horse, a reindeer and Frosty the Snowman), ate Raising Cane's (it's so funny how the little girls say the entire name) and then we decided to try a picture with Santa.


It was quarter to 9, and Santa's workshop was deserted... Santa talked to each girl, listening to all of their stories, asking if Morgan bought new teeth with her money from the tooth fairy, asking Kate about the horse she just built, he asked Ryleigh why her eye matched her dress, and he asked Avery R is he could take home her reindeer to help him on Christmas Eve...


Then he got to the Birthday Girl. He focused on Avery for over 5 minutes. Even singing her Happy Birthday! We got all five girls in the picture with Santa - all smiling and looking perfect! The girls may forget, but it will be one of my most treasured memories of all time!

I love progress...

Some of my projects are coming to life!

Here is a picture of one wall in my breakfast area. The frame is from those two pieces of wood Angel and I drug out of the project green lumberyard and shoved into my car. I bought the precious birdhouse at the Broadmoor Craft Fair. I think there is just enough red in the decor to match the adjacent red wall! I love red!!

Here's a peak at the red wall - and the vintage typewriter alphabet and stocking that Susie Harris made. I met her in person at Broadmoor and as if it was possible she's even cuter and sweeter in person!

Here's another sign Susie painted for me. Since me and Ironman just celebrated our 12th anniversary, it's a nice addition to the mantle.

The screen/corkboard is finished and hung, but it's not picture ready quite yet - as a matter of fact I don't know WHEN my scraproom will be photo ready! It starts at the top of the priority list everyday, but it seems to fall off by about 9am...

We took the girls to see Disney on Ice yesterday. Avery is so cute and comments throughout the show. When she saw Ariel, I think she yelled "Ariel" louder than anyone else. Not sure what's up with Morgan... She threw a fit at the school Thanksgiving lunch saying she had too many visitors and we embarrassed her, then at Broadmoor, she was clamped to my hand for dear life and later told me she was scared in the big crowd. And then at Disney on Ice, I don't think she cracked a smile the entire time. Don't tell me this is a "phase"! I can't handle that yet! And please don't let her need as much medication as me to function normally!

When I summarized Morgan's recent behavior to Ironman and GiGi, as well as mentioned the dark circles under her eyes, her constant tiredness and her grey coloring. They both agreed. Wait a minute... everyone noticed my daughter looks like a walking corpse, but no one thought that we should discuss this... I'll be calling the pediatrician this week to see if she possibly should be tested for an iron deficiency - or anything else for that matter. Do Moms have to do everything??? Don't answer that....

The move at Scrapbook & Co is coming along... Painting, packing, planning and maybe just a little swearing! But everything will be fantastic when the store reopens on Black Friday.

Don't forget - on Saturday from 9-12, the scrapbook garage sale at my office. See my previous post for more info.

Take care - in case I don't get to post again before Thanksgiving... Enjoy your family and be sure to laugh the calories away!

Garage Sale - SCRAPBOOK STYLE...

So, it has come to my attention that I have WAY too much stuff. And since I can't stop purchasing more things, I must sell off some of my scrapbooking stash. As you might guess, I am not the only one with this particular problem. So a few friends are getting together for a scrapbooking garage sale - with the ultimate goal of making money to spend on MORE scrapbooking supplies!

So stop by my office (10761 Perkins Road - upstairs) on Saturday, November 28 from 9 to noon.

Please bring your own bag and cash would be lovely!

As it gets closer, I will posts specifics about some of the items we will have for sale. Please pass this along to anyone looking for some good scrapbooking deals! Thanks!

Jessica Colby at Scrapbook and Co...

on Black Friday... I'm so excited! Jess basically taught me how to scrapbook. We met at Scrapbooks Etc in Metairie, then she taught and worked at Memory Mania on Prairieville, then she moved all the way to Houston and started working in By Design (the mecca of pink scrapbooking boutique!).

While she is home for Thanksgiving, she'll be at the new location of Scrapbook and Co from 10 to 2 on Black Friday.

Please read the post on www.scrapbookandcompany.blogspot.com for more info on Jess.

I can't "gush" on her enough...

Truly Amazing...

This LASIK thing is almost too good to be true. When I wake up I keep reaching for my glasses until the Ironman reminds me that I DON'T WEAR GLASSES ANYMORE - how can that be? Then at night - I actually go into the bathroom to take out my contact lenses - but I don't wear them!

Craziness!

So, here's the thing... It seems that November just happens to be surgery month for me. Last year was that little tummy tuck and this year was LASIK, so now I am searching for a very special doctor. Here are the qualifications and type of procedure:

A doctor who can implant a tiny little shock collar in my brain and whenever I think about FOOD, I get a little shock that numbs whatever lobe controls hunger.

So please be on the lookout for that doctor - I want to schedule that for November 2010. Thanks for you help!

I can see clearly now the rain is gone...

Can't you just hear me singing that? Or maybe you would prefer NOT hearing me!

But this LASIK thing is freakin amazing! I can see! It's funny though, I keep grabbing for my glasses, and earlier when I was going to take a nap I went to the bathroom to take out my contact lenses.

I went back to the doctor today for my checkup and I read the 20/20 line. Last I time I did that, well, was never! I think I started wearing glasses in kindergarten or first grade and switched mainly to contact lenses in 5th grade.

This is the best money I have spent! But, please, don't see the "guy on the billboard" - to me that's as dangerous as giving your money to Ronnie Deustche to settle your tax debt "for pennies on the dollar". If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is - and do you really want to mess with your eyes???

Dr. Afeman and his associates are ROCKSTARS!!! Just saying....

The fruits of my labor...

no, not Morgan and Avery - you know what they look like...

here are my layouts from the weekend...

oohhh, the Monster line from sassafras lass is so stinkin' cute - almost as cute as my boys...

Do school photographers use the "please wash the child out" setting? Morgan does not look like this normally... Do they also use the "deer in headlights" setting - that's two years in a row... But the jillibean soup line ROCKS!

You know how much I love my Girl's Loft Kits. I finally got to use the July kit on two layouts - girly ones... and the fabulous lace came from Bobbie - an entire bag of it, and she promises more - so I'm going to be REALLY nice...

Then the Olivia line from Glitz Girls was perfect for all the crazy bathing suit colors at Morgan's birthday party... and I'm trying something new (for me) adding different size pages in one book, so I did a 6x12 page for the party too...

then random paper and supplies for Parkerman's first birthday, but the green letters are from Pink Paislee and they ROCK...

The only credit I can take for the next three layouts is picture plopping. The flowery ones were designed and taught by Margie Romney-Aslett and the witches legs was designed by Teri Davis (and it was perfect for Pimp Daddy Ironman)

(pimp daddy is smaller than the rest, b/c quite frankly, it was rather disturbing in person)...

I'm trying really hard to use up all of the Heidi Swapp I own, but I'm pretty sure I'm giving up. There is only so much Heidi a person can take, but I still love this overlay...

lastly, Avery's class dressed up like cowboys and cowgirls for Halloween. If Miss Adriana ever leaves Color Wheel, I will have to convince her to move in with us, and if that doesn't work, I'll handcuff her to our house... Avery can't live without her...I'm pretty sure it is an unhealthy attachment which will require extensive therapy later...

So that concludes the fashion show... I'm having LASIK on Thursday - hopefully I don't go blind, or my layouts are really going to be BAD from now on... but hey, I won't even know...

I have a few more things to post before I go under the laser (hee hee), because Ironman says I can't use my computer, read a book or scrapbook through the weekend - I really should have let him go to work instead of go to pre-op with me today...

3 days... no kids... no tv... no laundry...

just fun! and quite a lot of time with your own thoughts... so here are some of the random ones from this weekend while I was scrapbooking at Scrappin with the Chicks in Baton Rouge...

How close to a dangerous event can you increase the coverage on a life insurance policy without it looking suspect? And if someone is planning on partaking in said dangerous event, does he need to update his "stupid activity" profile with the insurer for the policy to remain valid... No, I'm not trying to harm the Ironman.... He figures out ways to do that on his own... Here's the latest:

http://www.apathways.com/Subjects/CourseAndSchedule/descriptions/knife-only.htm

just in case you can't click on the link, here's the deets...

"If you have ever questioned your ability to live in the wilderness with only the clothes on your back then join us for this intensive course in self-reliance and survival training. With guidance, you will learn the essential skills needed for procuring shelter, water, and fire along with a multitude of other survival methods. This course is entirely hands-on and held in the wilderness where you will actually apply your skills with a knife as your only possession. Participants need to be in good physical condition."

additional important info - JULY in ARIZONA, so to recap... life insurance coverage needs revising... impending widowhood planning needed...

And this is also why I shouldn't be surprised when Morgan says, " I just watched "Man Versus Wild" with Daddy and the man's name is Bear and he eats bugs" just as matter of factly as if she stated we were having red beans for dinner. Some women fear that their husbands may leave them for other women. I can truly say (probably naively) that I don't worry about the Ironman leaving me for another woman, but one day, he may not be able to resist THE CALL OF THE WILD, and he just may be gone forever...

Onto happier things... In my spare time, I have set up an etsy (rhymes with Betsy) site with a few friends. If you aren't familiar with etsy, it's similar to ebay for handmade and vintage items, but there is no bidding - just set prices. We are just getting started, but there will be a variety of items in the etsy store, so check it out if you have the chance, and try not to get addicted to etsy! There is a link to the store on the side of my blog.

Going to pull the life insurance policy out of the file box... Wish me luck...

Now here's a sign that I need to slow down...

and DO LAUNDRY! So I am getting dressed this morning and I realize that the only clean bra I have is a SPORTS BRA!!! Why do I even HAVE a sports bra? Pretty sure it was for one of those insane exercise phases - thank goodness that passed quickly. So my normally size C cup "girls" (thanks only to the wonders of Victoria Secret) are now smushed and flattened into a sports bra - effectively giving me the look of a twelve year old in a uniboob training bra - this is NOT a good look for a (ahem) thirty something woman. Of course I have tried to arrange the girls so that there is some distinction between the girls, but they keep reverting to the uniboob.

My only saving grace for the day is that I am working at a client's office where everyone hates me - because I am "the accountant" and the non-profit's budget is in jeopardy and each one knows that she is one mean look away from unemployment - so NO ONE comes near me... Works out pretty well for the uniboob!

Well, Hello November... Please Come In...

The feeling of waking up to in a cozy house - with snuggly socks and warm covers - please November, don't bring the humidity back!

Sally... Sally - where are you???? I have some super cute cards for you! I can either mail them to you or give you an excuse to go to Scrapbook and Co and leave them there - just e-mail me (hhb1974@hotmail.com)

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this bracelet I made in Lafayette in Teri Davis' class. I had to force myself to take it off to take the picture. I love the jingle and all of the charms we created for it!

I have made progress on two tiny little projects (they weren't on the list either)

A button ball sounds like a good idea until you realize it takes 4 hours and weighs 25 pounds - and I have NEVER been known to exagerraate! The "always and forever" sign was from the 50% off home decor sale at Hobby Lobby and I just added brown tulle, the paper flower and covered the flowers on the left side with Vintage Photo Distress Stickles. It was cute before, but now it's me!

I did finish my BOO sign, just in time to hang it for ONE day - at least it's all ready to go for next year...

Now I will show you why my cute little "BOO" did not fit into the Ironman's Halloween decor at all...

the back wall of my kitchen...

the coffin...

the warning sign with the skull gnawing rat...

and most importantly, this year's addition... the electric chair...

then to top it off, the Ironman sports "Big Daddy" for Halloween AND picks up Tinkerbell ...



I have so much more to post, but I'm dead, and my day job is less than fun right now, so I better get some sleep. I have the screen figured out, cute Halloween pics and an update on Morgan's school play - but that will have to wait until next time... hope you find a few laughs until then...