Thank You card

Here is a card I recently created. I really need to make a few of these! Note the brads, they are my favorite embellishment from Stampin' UP!

Swiffer girl

Gotta love commercials..they encourage kids to help out around the house. She even imitates the beep on the answering machine recorder (as on the commercial). lol

Still recovering from Porkapalooza

I don't think I have had THAT much pork in one sitting. How was it, you ask? So darned good. My favorites were the hot appetizer -- the bacon wrapped dates with Spanish chorizo (more please!) and the sausage course, which had a bratwurst, knockwurst and kielbasa. Seven courses I was stuffed. Was it worth it? Heck yeah. And no, I didn't count the WW points. I laughed as I told the hubby that a meal like this would have cost us 3 times more than what we paid.

The kid and I have been hanging out around town. We finally made it down to the Brass Ring carousel project. I had to DRAG the kid away from the place. Here a few photos you'll love.


And of course, the kid had to go on a ride on Jasper the Frog (twice). Count how many times I ask her to hold on while she rides. This is your typical preschooler.

Porkapalooza!

Tonight we have a date night and we are going to Sybaris for a special meal called Porkapalooza! Our friends Matt and Janel own this cute downtown restaurant and we love going there for our special days for dinner. Visit the website to see what the menu will be. Who doesn't love pork? About 5 weeks ago, we had a call from Janel saying that they were going to serve a packed house and were we sure we wanted to come. Heck yes, we said and she said awesome, you have the last two seats! Luckily she called since I was thinking there was lots of time to make reservations!

Yesterday I made 10 cards - birthday, thinking of you and thank you cards. It was with a kit that Stampin' UP! sells. I'll take some photos and post them here later. They were quick and easy to make, even I was surprised at how fast I did them. The colors are a fall color pallette, but I figured I could send them later during the year. The next set of cards will be done with spring colors and I have to do some Easter cards as well. I can't believe Easter is almost here.

Friday was the first day of spring. My allergies are going to kick up into high gear. I saw that the cherry, pear and other trees are beginning to bloom. I remember when I first moved here and experienced my first spring. I LOVED it, they are so beautiful to see. Now all I can think of is how long will they bloom and how miserable will I be. That's sad. I did a allergy "scratch" test last fall and they told me that I'm allergic to everything except for one mold. Nice. Welcome to the Willamette Valley!

Will post about the Porkapalooza later!

The BIG 40

A woman never reveals her age. Unless of course, it's a huge one. Last week Sunday was my birthday. As I look back now I recall 40 being REALLY OLD. It is hilarious for me to say now that 40 is not really old at all. I don't feel any older except for certain days when I'm sitting on the floor with my 4 1/2 year old and I try to get up off the floor. Or the day I was vacuuming the entire house from top to bottom and my lower back was about to seize up and quit. But personality-wise, I consider myself to be quite young.

I have an intern at work that could be my son and a co-worker that could be my daughter. They sure do keep me young. I always wondered if I would be able to offer the "younger set" any good, solid advice and would they really listen to me? My own kid who is their age doesn't take me seriously. But remarkably, they do listen to what I have to say. With age comes experience. Go ask an 80 year old anything and you'll see what I mean. While talking with the intern the other day, we laughed when I said in 20 years, you'll be my age and then you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about and I'll be 60ish and saying "Remember when I said..." It is nice to have young kids around.

In honor of my 40th birthday, I am giving anyone that orders $40 or more (not including shipping or tax) a free gift! Order an additional $10 and you can select a free stamp set (Sale-A-Bration is going on strong until March 31st!). Order from my website and you'll receive a FREE catalog while supplies last! How cool is THAT? So run to my website and place an order!

Time for bed, this old lady is tired!

Stampin' UP! Sale-A-Bration!

The sale has been going on strong and you should get in on it! If you haven't checked out my website, then take a peek! Any order of $50 will get you a FREE limited edition stamp set! They have designed some pretty cool ones this year, so take a look! You can place an order directly from my website 24/7! We are having a limited time offer for a FREE catalog if you order from the website, so do it today!

I also saw the new mini Occasions catalog and boy, there are too many things that I adore! It is so tempting to purchase everything and sometimes I have to reel myself in! It is hard to do sometimes with that 20% discount I receive on everything in the catalog. But like everyone else, I am on a budget and to use Dave Ramsey's tagline, "You aren't a drunken congressman/woman, you have to be on a budget!" LOL.

Anyway, off to go and weigh in; hopefully I've lost SOMETHING. Even a .2 would be nice! I guess I actually need to try harder this coming week; I did just OK this week.

Happy 2009!

The new year has flown by and I've been going full throttle. It has been a challenge to keep up with work, the side business (my hubby calls it my hobby), the household work and the ankle biter. Where does all the time go? I have decided to log down my time to see if perhaps I'm not using my time wisely. So my day is goes something like this:

5am - alarm goes off, I hit the snooze button
5:15am - okay, okay I'm up; into the shower I go. sinus headache. yuck.
5:30am - out of the shower, dressed and waking up the ankle biter, getting her dressed
(note: it may seem strange that I wake her up that early since I can't drop her off until after 7:30a, but she is slower than a turtle)
5:45am - fixing a quick breakfast for her; I gulp down a cup of tea, a piece of toast, a banana. Didn't get to the yogurt so I bring it with me to work
6:30am - get make up on, checking to make sure I have everything
7:00am - start loading car up, remind the kid we are LEAVING in five minutes
7:05am - I am reminded that Curious George is not finished yet.
7:15am - load the kid, start the van and leave
7:30am - drop off kid
7:45am - arrive at work, check email, check in box
8:30am - everyone is finally arriving at work; I'm already gone through piles of work and prioritizing work for the day. start the meeting minutes. I remember the yogurt so I start eating it
9:00am - I need coffee. darn. gotta hit the head first
9:30am - get distracted by more email. dang. I need to go check the mail at the mailroom across the street at the hospital. got coat on, keys in hand, mail in the other
9:45am- got coffee.mmm..good. walk back to office with mail.
9:50am - start on cash deposit, enter info on spreadsheet, make copies
11:00am - take RSVPs from mail for big dinner fundraising event, process and assign tables. yogurt still staring me in the face, half eaten
11:30am - deposit bag in hand, mail in hand. toss yogurt in trash; way too warm to eat now. time for lunch. hubby calls. I beg for mercy and ask him to bring me my allergy meds and a ham sandwich. pretty please. he has just gotten out of dentist's chair, spent 3 hours in it
12:15pm - my sandwich arrives. still working on minutes. didn't make it across the street with deposit.
12:30pm - gulp down lunch. ugh. I probably should chew it...too late.
12:45pm - working on the minutes still, get interrupted by phone call. urgent need for item, please fax
2:00pm - still working on minutes. darn. I should have done it weeks ago, but just no time. boss checks in looking for minutes. I joke that if she didn't give me so much work I'd be done with it by now. remember that I haven't taken allergy meds, quickly gulp them down
3:00pm - finally done with the meeting minutes now proofing. more email arrives. crud!
3:30pm - revised minutes. walk up to boss' office. give boss minutes for her to proof; yes it's in the same computer folder file that I usually put it in.
4pm- talk shop with boss. find out all these interesting facts about people. check clock..ugh. deposit isn't going to happen today; cashier is leaving at 4:30pm and I'm not going to make it. I'll do it tomorrow.
4:35pm - finally downstairs, logging off and cleaning up
4:45pm - outta here, only half an hour later than usual...
5pm - heading to pick up ankle biter at preschool...see friend in school parking lot. shoot the breeze for 15 minutes while I sit in car and she freezes to death outside.
5:15pm - at preschool, pick up kid. teacher wants to talk. talk. talk. I like her, so I hang out and give advice on how to be more aggressive and proactive. I tell her she's just too passive and too nice. she laughs and says she even raised her voice and it didn't work. lol but she isn't laughing.
5:30pm - got kid, in van and then realize gas tank is half empty. hmm.should put some gas. gas will go up tomorrow, I bet.
5:40pm - at costco. oh crumbs. gas was $1.71 two days ago. It's now $1.78! kicking self now.
5:45pm - gas pump shows $25. I guess that's not too bad. thinking if I should run and get my make up from dept store...I'm almost empty. Oh I might as well do it now.
6pm - at dept store. get distracted because I see xmas stuff at 75% off. look for ornaments for sister in hawaii. nah. nothing good. move on to kids section...ooh. coats are 60% off with additional 50%. gotta get one for the kid.
6:20pm - tried on 3; grabbed 2 head for register. I wait, wait, wait. now remember why I hate coming here....customer service is so bad.
6:25pm - really. should I just leave? ugh. here she comes finally! I make her price check it. decide we're getting just one. kid pick the one she likes. customer service lady is not looking so happy. I'm thinking sheesh, she should be glad I'm buying something for goodness sake.
6:28pm - finally get to the cosmetics counter. prompt and pleasant russian saleslady. I adore her, she's always so nice and quick. OK, coats back on, let's go
6:36pm - at the mailbox, get mail, pull into driveway, get kid out, unload car, head upstairs change clothes, check out hubby. he tells me there is no rice in rice pot. nice. I'm starving now. I gotta clean up sink, cook the rice and wait.
7pm - uh. fix me a drink (no it's not alcoholic); I guess I have to feed the kid first. turn tv on; watch news. get peeved with news;change channel to food network.
7:15pm - kid is done. I might as well log onto computer. computer hates me. reboot. finally.
7:20pm - I think I'll blog. kid is begging for her lollipop. why did I turn to food network..that was stupid; I'm now hungrier.
7:30pm - realize kid is gone. hubby comes downstairs and says she's kicked him out of his mancave and is on HIS computer. lollipop is sitting on counter.
7:49pm - rice is done. I'm ready for food. gotta quit blogging.
7:50pm - go to dvr and watch dave ramsey show. OK. gotta quit and go make dinner.
I'm thinking I'm using some of the time wisely....aren't I? The saga continues later...

Christmas was a blur

December is always a very busy month for the normal household. For our household it's a total blur. The baking begins almost immediately for a cookie exchange party with friends, goodies to send to Hawaii, goodies for the co-workers and Costco employees and finally goodies for us to munch on for the holidays. This year I went through the following: 4 cartons of eggs (Costco sized), 4 5 lb bags of flour, 3 5 lb bags of sugar, 3 boxes of Baker's chocolate, one container of oatmeal and 2 4 lb bags of brown sugar (Costco sized). I'm not even mentioning the semi-sweet, white chocolate and butterscotch chips. I made everything from biscotti to brownies to sugar cookies, macadamia nut bars and chocolate crinkles. Didn't even attempt the gingerbread house again (it's been in my pantry for 3 years now...time to throw out the gingerbread and keep the candy (we don't eat it, it's just solely for decoration). After the baking frenzy was the wrapping and packing frenzy. I sent over $175 worth of stuff (mostly flat rate boxes) to Hawaii, the week before our lovely snow storm blew in. Thank God I started Thanksgiving weekend or I would've been treking to the post office in the snow.

Anyway, now comes the next big holiday for us Japanese folks. In Hawaii; New Year's is a BIG deal. If you are Japanese, you must have your mochi, noodles, sushi and sashimi. So tomorrow begins the annual trip to Uwajimaya in Beaverton. What's more exciting is that I found a new Korean supermarket called HMart that just opened in Tigard. So we'll hit that one first to see what they have on hand. Another place I found out about is called Fubonn Shopping Center off of Division in Portland. It has tons of places I want to check out besides the supermarket. They even have a Hello Kitty store! Now how can I pass that up...the kid loves Hello Kitty (just like me!).

Speaking of Hello Kitty, the girl was lucky to get a Hello Kitty cd boombox. I can't believe that a 4 1/2 year old knows how to operate it. Almost as hilarious as watching her operate the TV remote control or the Ipod. It's such a cool time to be growing up with so much technology in your midst! At Target I saw a HK mp3 player and almost bought it. We got the girl a cd boombox because she loves those CD story books. So we bought a couple for her and she LOVES them. We also can borrow those from the library. Another great buy was the Leapster 2 at Costco. She can sit (if we let her!) and play that darn thing all day. But mom gives her a break from it as it's better to have her do imaginative play than sit and squint at a tiny screen all day.

She also got a Fisher Price Little People princess/coach set I snagged from Kohl's at a ridiculously low price on Thanksgiving weekend. More Cinderella stuff of course to add to the collection. We tried not to over do it this year. I still need to go through all her old "stuff" and toss/give away stuff. Her clothes closet will follow...it's like someone pushed a button and she grew 5 inches. Everything from long sleeve shirts to jeans seem to look way too short! "Opihi pickin' jeans" is what we'd call them in Hawaii! I have to buy more of the Levi's I spotted at Costco a couple weeks ago (if they are still there!). Another hot buy after Christmas was the Leapfrog Tag book set at Costco. For $17 and some change I got the tag pen, two books and the case. Retail? About $50! What a steal. I didn't do much after Christmas shopping this year except for Christmas wrapping and ribbon. Thank goodness I stayed out of the malls and stores; just way too darn tempting to blow your moolah!

Today I worked for a half day (I was supposed to be on vacation!) as I felt guilty about staying home the week of our snow storm. I called home to say I was on my way but no one answered. Strange, I thought. I pull into our street and the hubby and girl are outside blowing bubbles of all things. He said that he had to get her out of the house or she was going to burst into a million pieces. So with the break in the weather, they pulled some weeds, rode her bike and then she wanted bubbles. Such simplicity. I can hardly stand it.

The hubby and I said we weren't going to get huge gifts this year, since we bought our Vizio 22" for the bedroom and Adobe Photoshop software. But I did get some nice Pyrex baking dishes and a nice cake pan! The hubby got a neat Fly pen (similiar to the Livescribe Pulse pen but cheaper). It was a Target steal at $30 (regular $80) during Thanksgiving weekend. The only thing it doesn't do is record audio like the Pulse does. They had the Pulse pen at Costco for $199. It is so cool. You can write notes or draw with it and then upload it to your computer. You can play games and it has other software you can buy too. We haven't opened it to try it out yet.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to 2009!

November already?!

Half the month has gone by and this is my first post. Everyone who knows me knows that this is the busiest time of the year for non profit foundations. Yes, that's when we ask you to open your pocketbooks and give us some of your hard earned cash. Well, not exactly word for word like I'm writing, but you get the idea. With so many people losing jobs or jobs not being filled due to the doom and gloom on the boob tube, our foundation has been pretty fortunate. I haven't seen much of a slowdown during this "downturn in the economy". I'm not saying that some states aren't in a "downturn", there are a few. There are just signs that I see around Oregon that doesn't show much of it. Sure, the state won't get their share of your money and they need to use what all of the other folks use -- uh, it's called a BUDGET?! Or those poor banking institutions and car makers who need a "bailout". Yeah. Talk about personal responsibility. I don't think I'll request a bailout of my own, thank you very much. I'd rather not have the government in any of my business -- you know that the government does such a wonderful job with finances (that's why kids are learning the word DEFICIT?) I don't expect anyone to take care of me and my family. That's my/my family's job. I'm not waiting for the knight in shining armor to get elected to "save me and rescue me". I don't rely on the new President to do anything for me, really. Why? Because I'm personally responsible for me. I am so sick and tired of hearing the victim mentality. What is XXX going to do for us? When are those losers going to figure out that they need to get a clue and fix their own life? The problem and solution to everything begins with you. I think the big businesses that need a bailout need to hear a word that has just two letters in it. It's something I say to my preschooler all the time. NO. I'm not a mean mommy -- I just am one that thinks kids don't "need" everything. So there. There's my ranting for the week!

I am working on Christmas gift tags for the presents that need to be wrapped and sent to Hawaii. I have most of them purchased but I can't wrap them until I get the gift tags done! That's my small task this week. Then off to make my usual handmade Christmas cards and order those photo cards from Costco. We've got the photos but I just haven't decided what design looks best.

I haven't even started on Thanksgiving cards and that's already coming up next week. I'll be lucky if I get any cards sent out to the parents. I fully intend to sit and play on Saturday and do absolutely NO housework. I need to de-stress from work as I've been putting in tons of hours and it's not making me a happy mama. The kiddo has her own set of Disney Princess rubber stamps as well as other craft "stuff". So hopefully that will keep her busy. I tried to get a few of the church ladies to come over but I think they all may be busy this weekend. No Beaver home game, so I was hoping folks could come over and hang out. We'll see.

The wedding for the older kiddo was last week. And that's all I'm saying about it.

By the way, if you are looking for a deal on scrapbooking rub ons, visit my Stampin' UP! website for the November special. Purchase anything for $20 and get as many rub ons as you want for under $9! Awesome deal.

Later!

Special Holiday kit!

Stampin' UP! has partnered with Country Living Magazine to offer a spectacular holiday stamp kit. If you want more information, let me know; I can send you a flyer. It is the coolest kit I've seen in a long time. It is awesome and I'm getting one!

The 20th Anniversary birthday stamp sale is ending at the end of this month. Check out my website for the details and for the other current promotions.

I will be holding several mini scrapbook classes for those who want to make special gifts for their loved ones. I don't have the dates posted on the website yet but will soon.

The hubby and I will be seeing Dave Ramsey live in Portland at the Rose Quarter this Saturday. Should be a blast. We are still on our journey with our Total Money Makeover. I finally rolled over my 401k with my old Hawaii employer and found out recently I had some money in PERS! That was a nice surprise. I had to roll it over to an IRA by November since I don't intend to be employed in the government anytime soon. If you need a good mutual fund broker, Heather Wright is awesome. I can give you her contact info if you'd like. No cost to use her services!
We found her through Dave Ramsey's ELP (endorsed local provider) program.

More later!

Scrapbooking Weekend Challenge

Here's a challenge for you this weekend..if you're in the mood for it!

Try to find an old photo of you as a kid. Look at the photo closely. What do you see? Write down a description, a few words, whatever comes to mind at the moment. OK. Now close your eyes and remember how it felt to be that age of the kid in the photo. I bet you'll be amazed at what you can remember. This task is best done without interruptions from daily life (i.e., kids, TV, telephone, background noise, etc.). Now using the descriptions and memories that you've dug up from the past, scrapbook that photo. Ready, set, go! It doesn't matter whether you do a LO (layout) or maybe just layer the photo on cardstock and write a journaling piece and frame it. Do something with it.

Challenge of the Week

I haven't posted one of these in a long time, so I thought I'd post one this week.

Think about a sad or difficult time in your life. What was it about? How did it make you feel? What was the outcome? Did you learn and grow from the experience. Journal your thoughts first. Then find photos that you think would work for a scrapbook page. The purpose of this lesson? Well, we always scrapbook the good and fun times of our lives. But what about the sad or difficult times? Those times are just as important. Years from now your posterity will look at your page and learn a valuable lesson or two.

Went to our favorite Chinese restaurant tonight. We hadn't eaten there in months. The food was just like we remembered -- yummy! I am back on Weight Watchers again and this time I asked the hubby if he wanted to try it with me. I was thrilled when he said yes. At least I'll have a support buddy now! The 5th is our 12th wedding anniversary. We are having dinner tomorrow as Aunty P is heading off to Hawaii for 2 1/2 weeks. We will be trying out a new Italian place downtown called Clemenza's. I looked at the menu and it looks so good! The hubby and I agreed we'd go full force after tomorrow night and try real hard to lose those extra pounds.

Also had a cut and color today and boy, I have to say it does wonders for my self esteem! LOL. It did take 4 hours (don't even ASK why) but it was well worth the wait.

The hubby went for his nerve test today. They discovered some nerve damage and it sounds like it's temporary and will heal with time. Hooray! They are hoping that hubby can get back to work in a month (November). I hope things go well.

Kilakilaokalani has arrived!

My nephew, Kilakilaokalani made his early appearance just a little while ago. Kilakila (majestic) and o kalani (several meanings - royal/ali'i/from the heavens). He weighed in at 7lbs. 7.5oz and 21" long. Trish said she was on the other side of the island watching our niece compete at a hula competition and by the time she got to Kapi'olani she said told them, "epidural, now please". They barely made it. When they send us some photos, I'll try to remember to post them!

I've been trying to decide which Christmas rubber stamps to purchase for cards this year. I've selected a few of my favorites. Snow Swirled, A Wish for Peace and Season of Simple Grace (in the holiday mini catalog).

And speaking of the holiday mini catalog, there are tons of stuff I'm dying to have! Stampin' UP! has these brand new chipboard shaped into ornaments that you can make (OnBoard Trinkets Ornaments) these cool 3-D ornaments (Star Bright Kit) and new rub-ons (Season of Cheer and Old Saint Nick), some very pretty felt snowflakes in three colors (Felt Flurries), some awesome vinyl snowflakes (Snowflake Shimmer Decor Decals). Also some new colors of ribbon (chocolate felt ribbon, striped red and vanilla colored ribbon and some rope twine and a new Christmas paper pack (Ski Slope). A new Create-A-Calendar kit and the new Big Shot (made by Sizzix) and our exclusive dies are in this mini catalog as well. You'll be able to order these items beginning October 1st. You'll be able to view the mini catalog on my website then. You can actually order the Big Shot, dies and the carrying case right now, so if you "need" one, just go to my website and order one. It is one of the best portable die cutting machines around.

I've been working on some sample cards and deciding what to offer for classes next month, so stay tuned and I'll post a photo soon.

We are in the midst of an indian summer/early fall, but I thought I'd post a few photos of the ankle biter that we took this summer.

Here she is chowing down on some freshly picked strawberries in our strawberry patch. You should have seen her in action -- you would think I starved the kid.
What the hubby and I discovered during one of those "Uh-oh, I don't hear anything going on upstairs". The dress she has on was one she wore for Christmas, she located a pair of tights somewhere in her closet and the crown was a purchase we had made the day before. Obviously, she enjoys dressing up. Her comment to us? "Look mommy, daddy, I'm a bride." I said, "No, not until you're 30."And this last one of her on the carousel at Janzten Beach. She loved it so much we thought she would never leave. It was one of her first "real" carousel rides (the small kiddie version doesn't count, right?).

Speaking of which, we decided to join a friend of ours and her little girl on Saturday at the A.C. Gilbert's Discovery Village and then for a spin on the Salem Carousel before going to lunch. It's free admission day at the House for Albany residents. We haven't been to either place with the kidlet so it should be fun.

We saw the sports med doc for hubby's back/leg and even he was confounded. He said that he tried to see if it was a nerve vs back issue and had him do several things to he could rule one or the other out. But to no avail. He's ordering a nerve test which will be done next week. The saga continues....poor guy. I think he's tired of watching TV, reading and the computer. I know he'd much rather be at work.

My sister-in-law in Hawaii and a good friend of mine who lives here are both pregnant and due the first week of October. It has been lots of fun purchasing boy clothes for my sister-in-law (which I never get to do since I had girls) and cute girly stuff for my friend. Then we heard from hubby's best friend and he and his wife are expecting a boy. So I'll have to go on another shopping trip soon since all the summer stuff is on sale (they live in Hawaii).

Stampin' UP! now offers on-line ordering! Thank God; we've come into the internet age. They have been avoiding it like the plague because they really want us to be the first line with our customers. I love the idea that folks can place an order, 24/7 and get it shipped directly to them. It gives me more time to concentrate on workshops and classes. And hey, I'm still here and customers know they can call me at any time if they have a stamping/scrapbooking question. Here's the tip, though. Visit my website and order through there; not the main website. Otherwise, the prices will be higher when you order through the main website. My Stampin' UP! website is always on this blog, under "Links" - Create with Rubberprincess! If you forget, no problem, just visit the main site and click on Find a Demonstrator. Enter my name in the Demonstrator Directory and then click on my website and you're there! To order, look at the top right hand corner for the icon SHOP NOW. If you're interested in becoming a demonstrator, then click JOIN NOW.

Off to play!

Happy Fall!

I love Fall. The color of leaves turning red and gold. The crisp cool air. In Hawaii, there is no such thing as seasons, really. You've got the hot-as-hell season and the raining cats and dogs season. Sometimes there is no distinction between the two. You can be on the mountain skiing and playing in the snow and then be at the beach in the evening for a BBQ. I miss my island home occasionally.

We are seeking out a new pumpkin patch this year. We were thinking of driving up to Roloff Farms, just to check it out. If you've watched "Little People, Big World" on TLC, then you know who I'm talking about. They will be open during the week, so we're thinking it would be fun to do and miss the weekend crowds.

I am lusting after a tool. It's called the Big Shot, and it is a die cutting machine. Stampin' UP! has released it's own version of dies as well as it's own "branded" machine. I'm thinking maybe I might "beg" for an early Christmas present. I actually have been pretty good and haven't ordered anything from our new catalog. Except for our new InColor ink pads, reinkers and papers, of course. The colors are so yummy.

I will be scheduling a few classes this fall and winter. I'll be offering both scrapbooking and stamping classes. Harry even offered to do a photography class (he used to be a professional photographer and videographer as well as a lab manager) if I wanted to offer one to my customers. I may take him up on it.

We are headed to see a sports medicine physician tomorrow. Hopefully he will be able to pinpoint the problem with the hubby's back/leg. He has been highly recommended by friends whose children went to him for sports injuries. Cross your fingers and toes for us!

Anyway, off to read bedtime stories for the toddler. She is one cranky child tonight.

My other love interest

Yes, I love my hubby and the kidlets. But shhhhh...my DVR is high on the list of things I LOVE. I have such a hard time watching regular TV. I always want to fast forward during commercials! It is so nice to be able to watch my programs when I want. So much better than the old VCR. I can't remember what life was like before my DVR. It is something I CANNOT live without now.

I am playing catch up with stuff around the house this evening. I had a meeting at work today that I had to attend so no library day today for the kid. Library day has been moved to tomorrow.

The weather has been so nice today...it barely reached 60 degrees. I wish it would stay like this all the time. Fall begins next week and soon it'll be pumpkin hunting time. I would like to find a new pumpkin patch place and mix it up a little. It's also about the time we start looking for a place to take our Christmas photo.

I have a couple of gifts to send off to Hawaii so I hope I can get that all wrapped up tonight and in the mail tomorrow. It seems to take a giant effort on my part sometimes just to get things in some organized fashion. Before you know it Christmas will be here. I almost fainted when I was in Costco the other day. The Christmas stuff is already there.

Hopefully there will be time this weekend to play with some stamps and paper. I also need to get some photos developed as it's been almost a year since I've done THAT. The drawbacks of digital photography.

Happy Labor Day

The photo above is from the Teddy Bear Picnic that we attended at the public library a few weeks back. The squirt's bear got the "Cuddliest Bear" award. Note the cereal necklace that was eaten before we even stepped into the house.

Yesterday it rained cats and dogs here and I thought wait a minute; isn't it still considered summer? Today proved me right. Lots of sunshine but I didn't get out of the house (yet).

The kid is fussy as fussy can be. I would like to take her for a haircut before her first day at preschool tomorrow, but I don't think she could handle it --- she'd probably have a meltdown at the hairdresser's. So I will try later on this week. This is what happens when toddlers are outgrowing their naps. You have to PLAN everything on their attitude at the moment.

We purchased a CuttleKids, one of those die cutting machines for little kids. The Cuttlebug is the adult version. Ever since we've played with it (only once), she is driving me crazy wanting to do more of it. Of course I think of all the other things I should be doing like finishing up laundry and getting stuff ready for tomorrow.

I have to still run out and get TP of all things. And Costco is closed so I am forced to buy at the local market down the street. If I can just MAKE myself go and do it. I keep thinking, well, can't I just wing it until tomorrow? This is nuts, I know. Once a Costco addict; always a Costco addict.

On Saturday we took a drive out to McMinnville. Mostly because I was bored to death and tired of cleaning the house. That's all it seems that I do these days. We drove around McMinnville; had lunch at the City Park and had the kid run out all the energy (and yet she still had more). We packed a picnic lunch and had a laid back afternoon. We checked out the sites where Costco is hoping to locate a new warehouse. I really like McMinnville and would jump at the chance to move there if the hubby could get promoted again. We took the long way out towards Newberg and through Tigard back to I-5. Of course since we were this far we might as well go to Beaverton to Uwajimaya. So we ended up there; bought some of our comfort foods and then headed home. Luckily for us the kid slept from Newberg to Beaverton so no meltdown at the store. She saw the Hello Kitty displays and did the "I wannas" but it didn't work on us this time around.

Anyway, I am hoping that I can get the laundry all done and get to sleep at a reasonable hour. The hubby finally goes back to work tomorrow after being off on temp disability. We are hoping he has recovered enough to be back at work full time. We shall see!

I have trimmed a few of my stamp sets but they are still virgins. No ink has touched them! I have to make a birthday card and finish up writing thank you cards for the kid's bday gifts (which was in June!!). I am so way behind it's pitiful. I hope to get to the new stamps and play with them sometime this week.

I'm updating my page as I have time so make sure you check out the links when you get a chance.

The new Stampin' UP! catty is here!

The new catalog is here and there are some really cool stuff that Stampin' UP! has released! You can check out on my website here. At the menu on the top of the page, click on Stampin' UP! products and then catalog. The best part is now the catalog comes in a PDF and you can print what you want when you want it! For those who want an old fashioned color printed catalog, they are $9.95 plus shipping (if you live anywhere besides Oregon, I ship priority mail). If you host a workshop, then you receive it FREE -- just call me to book your workshop.

I think I'm a little weird as the first thing I look for in the catalog is the accessories! After 12 years of being a demo, I have changed on the way I peruse the catty. I flip all the way to the back and ooh and ahh over the new papers, ribbons and other accessories. Okay, besides the stamp sets, here is a list of my faves...

• 19 brand spankin' new patterned papers in some of the coolest patterns and colors.
• 10 new Simply Scrappin' scrapbook kits.
• 3 new Simply Sent card elements (these have cardstock, adhesive die cuts and patterned papers all in one kit for cards). This is a new line.
• Clips, brads, eyelets and two new Hodgepodge Hardware sets in silver and vanilla.
• Some sweet lookin' ribbon and designer buttons.
• Chipboard and rub-ons (small ones for scrapbooking and our Decor Elements for walls)!
  
• Stampin' UP!'s version of the Sizzix Big Shot, the die cutting machine and exclusive dies that only we will carry.
• The new stamps that have been released in this catalog are now die cut! That means no trimming for you, but you'll still have to assemble them (which is easy as pie).
  

There is also a new In Color line. This line features the latest trend in color. The new colors are called Pacific Point (royal blue) Baja Breeze (aqua), Kiwi Kiss (lime green), Riding Hood Red (a deep red), Pink Pirouette (a light pink), and Tangerine Tango (brighter orange). Available in the line are ink pads and refills, cardstock in both 12x12 (smooth and textured), and 8 1/2 x 11 sizes and striped ribbon and designer patterned paper.

Stampin' UP! is celebrating it's 20th year, and with that comes a few exciting changes. One exciting feature that will be released in the fall is that we will offer on-line ordering! Finally, you can have access to ordering 24/7. One tip that you'll have to remember is to find me on the demonstrator locater before you place the order so you can have the catalog price. If you forget, you will be charged a slightly higher price than what is in the catalog. The reasoning behind this is that we want you to still be able to access your demo who can handle any questions you may have and teach you how to use your products in innovative ways. It's exciting, nonetheless! As we go live, I will post a note here so that I can review the ordering procedure with you. Stampin' UP! still requires its demos to still do in-home workshops, so even though you might order things on-line, we will always be willing to do workshops at your home (or mine!). So you won't be losing anything; just gaining an additional service!

Also, we are accepting debit and credit cards at either your workshop, a class, and through on-line ordering. So now you have options besides your checkbook and cold hard cash. We've been accepting credit cards for a few months now and it is so much easier for you to place orders for you, the customer and me, the demo!

Ah...the sun is finally coming out. We are heading out to pick peaches today as the rain has passed (hopefully) and things start drying out. I am hoping to make some peach and blueberry pie or cobbler. It has been a few wacky days of winter-like weather while temps hung in the low 60's! It has been the strangest August ever. The State fair also begins this weekend through Labor Day, so hopefully we'll get to go and check it out. The last time we went was 2 years ago.

I am hoping to come back later and play with the new In Color items that I ordered and put together my brand new stamps!

Life

Lately life has been getting in the way of blogging. With the hubby still at home with his poor back and my mom in the hospital for a week in Hawaii, it has been crazy at my house. Mom is now out of the hospital but still dealing with a few health issues. It is hard as heck to be so far away from home and not being able to drive over there and just do what needs to be done. The hubby has tried traditional medicine (pain pills) and PT 2x a week and massage so now we're trying alternative stuff. He has visited the chiropractor and today, the acupuncture/Chinese medicine specialist. Hey, his health insurance pays for it so we might as well utilize it. I figured at this point, anything will help instead of hurt. It is frustrating to be not be able to help him ease the pain. I hope things will get healed soon. In the meantime, I'm hauling laundry downstairs, garbage duty and mowing the lawn in addition to the other usual housework stuff. Then our lovely van decided to die on me at work on Tuesday. We figured it might be the battery, so tried to jump it and it still wouldn't start. So I had it towed to Skyline Ford in Salem and lo and behold, hmmm..it was the stinkin' battery. So after $322 which included the towing, I have the van back. Pissed? Hell yeah. But since we have our silly extended warranty that we bought (before we met Dave Ramsey) I figured I would rather have them cover the cost if it was something major. But no, I had to pay for my $99 battery, towing and labor. Thank goodness for the emergency fund 'cause Murphy is knocking! Before Dave Ramsey, we would've put it on the credit card and not even think about it. Now, I don't use credit cards period. In fact, I'm in the process of canceling each one.

Stampin' UP! is now getting on board for on-line ordering for customers. About darn time, I say! Now my customers will be able to order on-line whenever they want. They select me as the demonstrator and get the same prices as if they were submitting a paper order form to me. If they don't select me and use the general website, they'll have to pay a higher price for merchandise. After 20 years, the price of shipping went up to a minimum of $6.95 or the usual 10% of the total order. Not complaining since they still ship UPS Ground to us out here and UPS Air to Hawaii for that price. Lots of fun new things to share soon. The catalog will go live on-line on August 11. If you are looking for a paper catalog let me know, I've ordered some and can get one to you.

Hoping to go blueberry picking tomorrow. Emma and I went last Saturday to Fitchett's patch and the blueberry bushes were nice and tall so I didn't have to bend down much at all. They were nice and low enough for Emma to reach as well. I invited a friend from work and her 2 year old girl, so it should be fun. The weather is actually going to be cool enough unlike last Saturday! I'm not complaining; I like 77 degree weather!

Still on our Total Money Makeover....I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and it's stinkin' bright. Ever since we started doing our monthly spending plan, I am actually having lots of money at the end of the month. I think it's a psychological thing...I don't think I'm going to the store often to just "spend" money and I think about it a lot more before I actually leave the house. We tried to get the priest at our church to agree to do Financial Peace University (FPU) but he thinks its not the right time, probably because of the holiday season approaching. I think it's the perfect time since people tend to spend even more during the holidays and then kick themselves in January. But oh, well. I'm trying to stay motivated. Dave Ramsey will be in Portland in November and we're going to the event. It'll be fun to see him in person.

Well off to go and put the kiddo to bed!

The artist within

I've created a monster. The minute my kiddo expressed interest in crayons, I went out and purchased them. Oooh...a little artist within, I mused.

Ha! She had been wondering about the house with a black crayon and a spiral notebook. Which I allowed, I don't know why. Well, our little artist decided she'd go and mark up my carpet on the staircase. Harry discovered it while Emma and I were out of the house at the library this morning. The first thing he said was, do you have carpet cleaner? Mother's intuition -- I knew it was the black crayon. Harry and I were on our hands and knees this afternoon for about 2 hours scrubbing the crayon out of the carpet. Luckily, the carpet cleaner worked. Harry and I laughed a bit as we scrubbed...I said at least she was consistent I said --- she marked every OTHER stair and made sure she got every landing. I told him it's his fault, he's the left brained one. Sigh.

BTW, if you ever need to know about removing crayon or markers, etc., from any type of material go to the Crayola site. They have every solution possible that you can think of. So I'm NOT the only parent to have an artist within, I'm afraid.

The hubby is still suffering from kidney stones. Not fun. He's been home for over a month now and is scheduled for an MRI on Monday. I just wish that it was over for his sake. I hate seeing him in pain -- he's not one to get seriously sick. Usually its a bug and he's back to his normal self.

I bought some brand new rubber stamps from Stampin' UP! and I haven't had a chance to play with them yet. I have yet to mount them, they are still in the box. The retired stamp list is out, so if you want the PDF, let me know. I won't be going to convention this year and the new catalog won't be mailed out to me until August. Looking forward to seeing all the new stamp designs and accessories!

Yesterday I mowed the lawn and got most of the weeds pulled. Those poor gerbera daisies are still sitting on my porch. Three more to plant! Maybe tomorrow if I can stand up -- my legs are killing me with all that exercise. It just reminds me how out of shape I am! I ache in places I didn't know I had!

Well, here's my lone post for the week. Maybe I'll have more time next week!