A Moral Dilema

Hi Everyone.... that thinks they are coming to a stamping blog and have yet to see anything stamp worthy! I have not posted any stamping since my surgery in July and I really don't blame you if you are tired of reading about my personal life. I promise stampin will make a come back appearance....soon.

I did create something but I am not ready to post it here. I did a write up for Nicole about the Big Shot and Sizzix and I made ONE card.....a really cute card too I might say. My intentions are to make a few more cards to go along with my article. Poor Nicole has been patiently waiting for my article but my life is so busy right now I hardly have time to think much less stamp.

So here is the update on my quest for a job. I was waiting for a response from the bank and couldn't put off Archiver's anymore....they called me twice. So I went in on Monday to finalize my paperwork and I accepted the position at Archivers.

As life would have it....the bank called me on Tuesday and wanted me to come in for an interview on Friday....which is my first day at Archiver's. I feel terrible and I am so torn because the bank pays way more (double) and has set day hours. But I love the work I would be doing at Archiver's...being an instructor and working with fun stuff....but not fun cleaning up and working late hours on nights and weekends. Um...I think I just answered my own dilema and brought myself down to reality...take the bank job stupid!

Well I don't have it for sure so let's not count our chickens before they hatch. Just keep saying those prayers for the bank job! Sorry Archiver's.

So here is moral dilema question of the day.....I work at Archiver's tomorrow at 9:30 and my bank interview is at 2:00. Do I tell Archiver's that I am going on the interview and it is a possibility that I won't be returning or do I just wait and see what the bank says? I feel really really bad for doing this to the Manager at Archiver's. She is so nice and in a huge bind right now because she is very low on staff at the moment. She has been so nice to me and really flexible with my schedule and even gave me day hours to accomodate my busy school schedule right now.

Thanks for listening to me ramble and for feeding me your wisdom. You were great with my question about cleaning the tile so lets see where we go with this one!

See ya on the blog!

Sunday PMS Check

Sorry I haven't been blogging lately but I have been attempting to be more productive in my life rather than procrastinate....whooooa...did I just say that?! Plus things always get busy for me when the kids go back to school until I find the groove of my busy life.

**Sunday PMS Check**

• Physical Well Being-I am almost pain free and pretty much standing completely upright now. I still have trouble rolling over in bed but it is getting easier. I am ready to start walking again and will incorporate the gym in about 4 more weeks. I am so ready to lose my last 30 pounds and be done with this whole weightloss chapter of my life. Yes, one day I will dig up some before and after pics for you but there aren't very many before pics...that's for sure.
• Mental Well Being- This week has been a true test of my mental well being but I survived. I just decided that I am not going to focus my energy on other people's mental well being. I am going to do my thing and be responsible for myself and my own actions. I can't think for everyone....just myself.
• Spiritual Well Being- Felt good to be back in morning prayer. I enjoy starting my day with the kids at prayer. Tomorrow I will be adding the Rosary into my drive home. I forgot my iPod last week but it's in my purse now.

**Random Blogging** Bailey lost a tooth today. She was supposed to be in bed sleeping but decided to pull her tooth out instead. Now that's how you delay going to bed. She's a smart cookie. The poor girl has had the worst first week of school ever and I feel so bad for her. The first day she got bleeding blisters from her new shoes and broke out head to toe in a BAD case of exzema. If anyone has eczema then you know once you start itching and throw in some heat and stress you have the outcome of a bad rash.

I have spent the entire weekend keeping her in the A/C, alternating a steamy warm shower or bath and majorly slicking her down like a greased pig. I put on a layer of hydrcortisone cream, then a layer of Crisco {yes the kind you bake with} and then a heavy layer of Eucerine Cream plus keeping up on the Zyrtec. We did this every couple of hours all weekend long...except the Zyrtec. It helped but will take several more days of diligence to get it under control.

**Stampin Stuff**I actually attempted to stamp today. Attempted being the key word here...it was so hard to get in the groove. I did too much thinking of what I wanted to do rather than executing it. But I broke out my Big Shot and started playing with a little of everything...Cuttlebug folders, Sizzix dies, Ellison BigZ and Quickutz....I did it all. Of course, stuff is all over the office that Bill just cleaned for me {he cleans by putting it out of sight in a drawer or bag}. I am working on a project for my blogging friend Nicole at the Inkblog.

I am coming home tomorrow after prayer and NOT staying at school all day. If I don't get out of the building right away I will get stuck there. So I am counting on Beth to make me leave by 9:00!

See ya on the blog.

Rain, Rain Go Away

It has been raining here lots and lots. If you happen to see anything on the Weather Channel about the Des Plaines river flooding in Gurnee, Il that would be about a mile from my house. Fortunately I am on the high end of town and the water doesn't come this far.

The news has reached all the way to Guam because Amy left me a message the other day saying she saw it on the news and wanted to check on me. Can you believe that?! Too funny that she doesn't get American Idol on time but gets weather news half way around the world.

Anyway, the flood affects other areas of my life such as Cody's high school which is only yards from the river. Right now the river is at flood level which is 7 feet above normal.....at 8 feet they close the school. Today when Cody left school the Navy was there sand bagging the school and they announced that school is currently expected to have early dismissal tomorrow but we are due for a super heavy rain tonight which will probably cause a closing all together and will last into next week as well because we are expected to crest at 10 feet tomorrow night. As if that isn't bad enough we have rain forecasted for the entire weekend. The last flood was in 2004 and the river crested over 12 feet!

No news from the bank yet. I am going to make a follow up tomorrow because I prefer the bank job but Archivers has called my references already. So I need to find out if I am even considered for the job at the bank. Keep saying those prayers for me please.

I have been super busy at school the last few days but I have to stamp tomorrow! Yeah!!! You will finally get to see me be productive and stamping again. Hopefully, I still have my mojo. Yikes.....I didn't think of that when I agreed to do this project. Well I will take this as the kick in the pants that I needed to get remotivated to stamp!

Oh and thanks for all the awesome tips on cleaning my floor. Most of them I had already tried without much success. I haven't tried Simple Green yet so that is what I will try first with a scrub brush. Then once I get it cleaned up it should be better with daily upkeep. Which sucks because I really do sweep and spot mop daily...pain in the butt...and it still looks dirty. Whoever decided to put white textured tile down in the most high traffic area of this house was a total moron.

Don't forget to check my previous post about the big sale on Saturday. GREAT deals on lots of goodies. See ya on the blog!

Saturday Sale

Just a reminder that this Saturday is the big used paper crafting sale I am participating in with my friends. Lots of Stampin Up goodies for sale at GREAT reduced prices for you! There will also be CTMH and Creative Memories reps there with their goodies for sale.

Date: Saturday, Aug 25th from 9:00 am til 6:00 pm {come early!}

Place: 1081 W. Army Trail Rd, Bartlett, Il 60103 {Next to Frozen Memories}

More Info: ivy2332@msn.com

Question

**Question** I figured someone here could help me with my question. I have white ceramic tile in my kitchen and it it textured as well which means dirt and stuff gets built up and the tile always looks dirty. I have Googled how to clean tiles and everything say use soap and water which isn't cutting it. I have used everything on this tile and it still looks dirty. Any suggestions?

**Random Blogging** School starts tomorrow and I am ready...maybe! Ready for my kids to get out of the house, ready for alone time, ready to get a job....NOT ready for stress which went into full swing today. So let's focus on the positive here. Picked up the last minute school supplies today, exchanged shoes, and stocked up at the grocery store!

Also, I applied for two jobs this week and had an interview on Saturday at Archivers. I was so excited because I will get to work in an environment that I am familiar with and enjoy....but will be so hard to not spend all my money there! The purpose of working is to help with the debt diet not spend more. The other trouble is that the pay sucks...$7.50 an hour as well as the hours....nights and weekends. UGH.

Yesterday I emailed a resume to a bank right by the school and they emailed me today to confirm that I know it is part time 9-3 Mon through Fri and pays $15 an hour. Um HELLO....perfect job for me! So say lots of prayers and pray for the bank job. I am excited to work in the real world and contribute to our debt diet.

That's about it around here. Sorry for no pics and such a lame post but that's what is happening in my oh so exciting life. I hope to get back to stamping once the kids get back to school.

Sunday PMS Check

I haven't done a PMS check in a long time. For those of you that are unfamiliar with this it's my way of checking in on my New Year's Resolution to becoming a better person Physically, Mentally and Spiritually {PMS}. So you won't hurt my feelings if you skip over this post...it's just my way of journaling my progress.

BTW, thanks for all the nice comments about my haircut. In case you missed it check the previous post.

**PMS Check**

• Physical Well Being - Obviously, I am unable to exercise right now but look forward to getting back to my walking soon. After I get the ok I would like to get back to the gym and lift weights but I need to wait at least another four weeks. I am slowly but surely getting back to my old self with less and less pain each day. I still wear my binder band around my waist but I am weaning myself off of it little by little. I feel good and I am looking better each day as my swelling and bruising subside and things shift into their right position.
• Mental Well Being- I think the end of summer and the rush of school starting on Wednesday is making me mental. I feel like I have wasted my summer and accomplished nothing. I dread the next 4 months as it is super busy at school and this is the time I feel totally overloaded. Here's a thought....maybe instead of dreading it so much I should put forth more effort preparing for it now. Duh....that makes too much sense.
• Spiritual Well Being - Haven't been to church in a month and totally slacked off on saying the Rosary. That is one bright spot in going back to school....morning prayer with the students and saying the Rosary on my car ride home. I enjoy my alone time in the mornings.

**Random Blogging** When my house is messy and chaotic I feel like my life is out of order too and it is overwhelming. Yesterday Bill helped me get things in order around here...mainly cleaning Maddie and Bailey's bedroom. How can two little girls make such a mess? So that felt good to get done and today I need to work on my office. I know I keep saying that and I keep blowing it off. Today I am really going to do it.....I think it will help get me school mode too....which will help me mentally as well. It's a good thing.

**Blog Candy** Gena at My Stampin Garden is giving away some cool Blog Candy so go and visit her. All you have to do is tell her your favorite SU set. Mine is Happy Harmony....love it.

Just Me and My Hair

Here is the pic of my haircut and I am adjusting well. Today was a good hair day for me. Really, this is my usual haircut as you can see by my profile pic on the left....but this is just a tad bit shorter in the back and just so shocking because my hair was past my shoulders before the cut.

Did you read the comment from Amy's husband? "The difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is two weeks. Be thankful you have hair!" Thanks for putting it into perspective D....I am thankful and I am over it.

Since I haven't been doing any stamping lately here is another little blog filler of random facts about me and my oh soooo exciting life. Feel free to skip over it.

High school was : fun and traumatizing at the same time
When I'm nervous : I talk a lot more than normal , my knees shake and my lips quiver
My hair : dark blonde or as I have been told dirty dishwater blonde...nice. But now that I dyed it apparently my hair thinks dark blonde is dark brown with a red tinge.

When I was 5 : I lived with my Grandparents and slept in a double bed with my mom and my aunt...talk about tight...oh and occassionally I peed the bed...tee hee!

When I turn my head left : I see a messy desk

By this time next year : I will once again be dreading the end of summer

My Favorite Aunt : In my book Janalee and Laurie are my only two aunts and of course both are my favs.
I have a hard time understanding : teenage boys {mostly mine}
You know I like you if : I send you a hand colored card because I hate to color but love the finished product....I don't do them often.

My ideal breakfast is : coffee {really a biscuit with bacon which Bill makes me every weekend...yes I am spoiled...I know it.}

If you visit my home town : You will see lots of planes flying overhead because Des Plaines is right next to O'Hare airport. Planes fly so low you can see people in the windows.

My Favorite blonde : My best friend Jenny.

My favorite brunette : I don't know...right now...myself

Last night I: I fell asleep while playing cards on my new laptop. I woke up with my finger still on the mouse pad...nice. LOL

I've been told I look like: Someone familiar. People always tell me I look like someone they know but can't figure out who.

Let's Get Ready To Rumble

**Stampin Stuff** Another card I made last fall. Love this stamp from Whipper Snapper....totally makes me think of fall with the whole carmel apple goodness. You can't see it but I covered the apple with Crystal Effects to make it have a glossy shine to it. Almost looks good enough to eat!

**Random Blogging** I am totally getting back to my old self as my family will tell you because I am on a huge cleaning binge. Partly because when I have a chaotic house I feel totally overwhelmed and like my whole life is falling apart and then when every little thing happens {such as fridge leaking and new digital camera not working} it seems like it's worse than it really is. I hate feeling out of balance and overwhelmed....it just makes everyone else miserable....if Mama ain't happy ain't nobody happy.

Yesterday, I kept saying to myself "oh great...what else is gonna happen today?" Big mistake!! That's like taunting God and saying bring it on....when really you don't want anymore on your plate. That was yesterday and nothing seemed to be going right and every corner I turned was just one more thing! But today is a new day.

I got up early and showered before the kids woke up....it's always a good day when I have alone time in the morning. I am finally adjusting to my haircut and actually liked it this morning....you know that is a good thing! I have put on my boxing gloves and I am so stinkin ready to kick some butt because I am not about to have another crappy day!

So with that being said....something is up with my digital camera and I am guessing that Cody touched it while I was recovering. Cody has this midas touch...everything he touches some how gets broken. I tought I saw him taking a pic one day but I am not sure...could have been a drug enduced hallucination. No camera means no pic of my haircut. Darn....maybe tomorrow or later today.

Gotta run and do my first load of laundry in three weeks! Can you believe that I have been missing my washer and dryer? I have missed it even though Bill has been totally caught up on the laundry during my recovery....but I feel off balance not taking care of my responsibilites. Oh wait...it's that pesky OCD issue again. LOL

I will end this with the words of my dear friend Amy......get over it...you have a flat tummy...what are you complaining about! LOL...thanks for the reality check...flat tummy does make things better but I still have to do the laundry.

Bad Hair Day

Have you ever had a bad haircut that made you cry? I have had a few in my 37 years and my impulse haircut the other night is high on my list of bad hair days! I spent the entire summer wearing my hair up in a clip and letting it grow out to shoulder length and it is now up to my chin! I look like a guy and my husband so kindly told me...It's ok...I still love you...Dennis! LOL...leave it to Bill to make me feel worse. LOL

I have had short hair {I am talking above the chin length} before and loved it but this is not what I was expecting or wanting and considering I haven't done my hair in three months maybe I just need time to re-learn how to blow dry it and use the round brush all over again.

Sarah just dyed my hair for me and I am about to jump in the shower and then attempt to do my hair. Let's hope the new color doesn't send me over the edge. LOL. Really I feel like my hair is now at that annoying inbetween annoying stage and I might have to go shorter to deal with it! UGH...shorter wasn't my intentions because I am a dork and short hair with highlights is for the summer and long dark hair is for the winter. Just my OCD coming out again.

And I am clarifying for Beth and anyone else that misunderstood my last post....the doc gave me the sheet of before pics and jokingly said to hang it on the fridge. NOOOOOOOO I am not hanging them on the fridge....NASTY! {But very eye opening on how far I have come in three weeks.}

I'll attempt to post a hair pic later...maybe. See ya on the blog!

Some Fun

No pics today because I am typing on the new laptop and Bill hasn't transfered my card pics over yet. He is working on my favorites list right now. So cool. This is definately going to take time to get used to...they keyboard is very flat and set back from what I am used to but I am sure I will adjust over time. I also keep grabbing for a mouse and it's not there...have to use the finger thingy mouse and it is wierd...again I will adjust.

Today is Cody's 16th birthday....sweet sixteen. I have been saying that to him all day and he just cracks up. I can't believe he starts Driver's Ed tomorrow...it's his first day back to high school too. Wow...summer is coming to an end.

Went to the doctor today and got the ok to drive! Yipeeee. He also took out my belly button stitches and gave me a full page of before pics to hang on my fridge. Wow....I can't believe I looked like that almost three weeks ago! No I won't be showing those nasty pics here either...trust me you don't want to see them. He assured me that my itching fits are a good sign of healing, my hips are a little lopsided but as he showed me in the before pics I was lopsided before I came in, and he can fix the lopsidedness and hip puckers in a month with local anestesia in the office. Nice.

So since I have no pics how about some super highly interesting random game? Ok...feel free to skip out now. LOL I saw this on Laura's blog and thought it made a great filler since I have no cards to talk about tonight. BTW, every answer needs to start with the first letter of my first name and all the answers are the first thing that popped into my head.

Your Name: Denise
Famous Artist/Band/Musician: Duran Duran
4 Letter Word: Dirt
Vehicle: Dodge
TV Show: Devine Design
City/Town: Des Plaines
Boy Name: Dennis
Girl Name: Debbie
Occupation: Designer
Something You Were: Dress
Celebrity: Donny Osmond
Food: Doughnuts
Something Found In A Kitchen: Dishwasher
Reason For Being Late: Death
Cartoon Character: Daffy Duck
Something You Shout: Damn!

Be Merry

Good morning friends. Here is anothder old card that I made last year to go with a Christmas gift {I gave it to the kindergarten teacher..LOL}. I really really love this card and this stamp too! The colors are awesome and I actually impressed myself with my coloring on this one. However, coloring Christmas cards is not my idea of quick and easy so only a few of these babies will be made this year. I don't have the patience to do lots of coloring.

So much to my surprise {and happiness} I had comments from Jolene George in my mailbox this morning. In case you forgot, I listed her as one of my top five bloggers that make me think. I said that I wasn't going to tag my top five because they didn't know that I existed and that I didn't want to reveal that I stalk their blogs on a regular basis.

Well the gig is up because Jolene caught wind that she was on my top five. So fun to get comments from her and she already added me to her blogroll. Wow...thanks for making my day Jolene and for not thinking that I am a stalker freak!

I still haven't played with my new laptop because Bill was busy last night doing school registration {with Mary as his guide} and then he came home to serve us dinner and listen to me complain about my crappy day. On top of that I feel totally guilty and have buyers remorse {even though I did buy it} about the laptop. We are supposed to be on the debt diet and I feel guilty for such a frivilous purchase. However, as Gail pointed out....I deserve it for putting up with Granny. Yeah, there is justification if you look at it like that! LOL

Anyway, the laptop is an HP Turion 64 with wireless internet which is what I wanted. I also think this will be convenient to use at all my many meetings. But most importantly, I don't have to share it with my kids who constantly download crap and crash my computer or reset the settings. So that is my justification for being a spoiled brat and getting the laptop.

I am off to shower and try on some clothes. I am sick of wearing elastic waisted pants and I think I am upright enough to wear real clothes...we'll see about that.

High Hopes

So my high hopes of stamping crashed half way through the plan. I started punching out ice cream cones with my Big Shot....I made 24 ice cream cones. Then I never assembled them or mounted them to a card and now I am not even wanting to look at another ice cream cone. LOL

Here is an older card I made....well what's so hard about gluing a big Prima to a card? The only thing stamped is the center of the flower but the accents are copper and they look soooo good with the brown and blush blossom papers.

I did my first outing yesterday and I wore real clothes! I stopped by Beth's house, went to Walmart, went to the Thrift Store {for literally 1 minute}, stopped by Kmart {yes we still have a Kmart here} and then Bill took me for a quick dinner. Needless to say I was too pooped to continue looking for a bike for Cody's birthday so Bill dropped me off at home.

He came back an hour later with a ........LAPTOP!!!!!! {Yes, I know that I am a 100% spoiled brat....really I am and I know it. I tell Bill all the time... I am what he makes me.....spoiled.} I haven't had a chance to play with it yet cause he is setting it up for me.

Today Sarah is going to help me clean my office.....thank God! It is a mess thanks to the kids coming in here so much while I was recliner bound.

See ya on the blog!

Gonna Go Stampin

Today I am feeling pretty darn good. I can tell because I actually have the desire to clean my office...really my whole house! {Bill and the kids have been responsible for cleaning the last two weeks...it's good but the OCD control freak in me is itching to get out!}

So I am going to finish up my coffee and scoot around my office and attempt to organize the clutter around the computer as Maddie and Bailey have been on here daily and left a trail of mess. Then I am going to attempt to stamp something or create something.

Reading all my favorite blogs had got me motivated.....esp for Halloween! Have you seen all the cool Halloween cards being posted? Ah....wouldn't it be totally cool to get Halloween done before Oct 30th? Might be a first for me but I am gonna try.


So here is a pic of a Halloween card I did last year. It's 4x4 card....love the colors.

BIG SALE in ILLINOIS!

For those of you that live in the Chicago area take note of this HUGE used paper crafting sale that I am participating in with a great group of friends. We all have tons of used supplies {some new too} that we would like to pass along to you with BIG savings.

Of course, I am mainly selling my SU stamps {such shock...I know} but there will be products from SU, Close To My Heart, and Creative Memories just to name a few. If you want to see what I have for sale click here. The rest of the important details are listed below.

Date: Saturday, Aug 25th from 9:00 am til 6:00 pm {come early!} Place: 1081 W. Army Trail Rd, Bartlett, Il 60103 {Next to Frozen Memories}
More Info: ivy2332@msn.com

Oh and as a bonus the Scrapbook Expo is in St Charles that very same day....you can make it a day of paper crafting bliss!! I am hoping to be recovered by then so I can stay all day but if not my wonderful best friend Jen will be there with LOTS and LOTS of goodies! Hope to see you.

Things that make you go ....hmmmmm

I finally made my way through the hundereds of blog posts in my Google Reader {do I sound like a broken record on this whole Google Reader thingy?} and now I am kicking myself in the pants because I forgot to bookmark all the inspiring favs I saw. Just to set the record straight...I did not read every single post...mostly skimmed for pics or titles that caught my eye and then read what caught my attention.

Anyway, a few days ago Allison tagged me and asked that I post five blogs that make me think. No problemo....wrong! There are lots out there that I read for the pure sake of being a nosey rosey. But I think I have narrowed it down to a handful and I won't be tagging these people either because I HIGHLY doubt they even know I exist and don't want to remove my cloak of annonimity and reveal my voyuerism behaviors.....OK...I don't want to scare them with the fact that they are stalked by me. LOL

1. Ali Edwards is a rockstar in the scrapbooking world and this girl has made me cross many lines outside of scrapbooking and makes me think on a daily basis. I love to visit her blog and hear about the progress her son Simon makes with regards to his Autism. Ali is definately an inspiration to many people.
2. Cathy Zielske is another rockstar in the scrapbooking world and she is my kind of "tell it like it is" girl. Although she has written two books regarding simple scrapbooking she doesn't blog much about the subject. I can appreciate her obsession with a music icon as I have my own obsession to deal with. Cathy has the best sense of humor and I love her style of writing.
3. Jolene George is a mom living in Arizona raising 5 boys and she happens to have a hobby of scrapbooking too but that's not why I read her blog. I honestly don't know how the heck I found her blog but I read it all the time. I can't tell you how many times I have cried reading her blog.....Chad's graduation, Chad shipping off to Afghanistan, selling her house, the engagement of Chad and Sandy, her grandson, her loving husband, her faith, her hobbies, another grandbaby on the way, Chad's surprise visit....it's like a soap opera....a real life soap opera that I have gotten caught up in and look forward to her updates of real life. For sure Jolene would think I am a stalker as she has no clue who the heck I am...but she makes me think and I like her.
4. Kimberly Geswein has been known on SCS and throughout the Digi Scrappin community. I have no idea how I found her blog but I did and I like it. She has recently moved to China with her husband and two daughters and I am so happy to peek in on the adventure. I have been reading her blog for the last year and enjoy it very much. I feel like it is yet another soap opera of real life that I am caught up in and look forward to each new post.
5. Dawn Griffith is a stamper that I met through this crazy blog world. We basically comment on each other's blogs and have RAK'd each other. What I LOVE about Dawn is this woman is the perfect example of happiness. Just reading Dawn's blog makes me happy because she is a happy person ....you can just feel it. In my head I have a mental image of a a bubbly happy person that spreads that contaigous giddy-ness....if that makes any sense. But not just goofey, silly, fun giddy-ness.....happiness for life in general. She freely shares herself with others in her "real life"....she spreads happiness in many ways.....and it shows through her words and actions that she is a happy person.

So there ya have it. These people make me think almost daily and it's nice thoughts too...usually. So now here is something to make you think.....wouldn't it be sooooo nice if we received $1 for every piece of spam that went into the spam folder? OMG.....I would be $1051 dollars richer this week which equals a whole lotta stamps....or a new laptop for sure! Which by the way, I keep hinting to Bill would make a GREAT get well present. Think happy thoughts. See ya on the blog!

P.S. This little mailbox is filled with baby goodies and matches the card I posted in my last post that I am sending to a teacher.

Full of Google

My Google Reader has overfloweth....love that Google Reader. I wish every blog had the "add me to your Google Reader" button such as I have right there on the left column....makes life so much easier...no cutting and pasting of feeds...just click and bam you are in my Google Reader. How do you get that little button you ask? Sign up for Google Reader and it's on their home page with directions to add the little widget to your blog. Easy peasy.

So Jen and I were sharing our latest scoop {aka family gossip} yesterday and of course talking blog smack about how our favorite stampers have fallen from grace....such shock....yes we talk smack about y'all like you are family members that we know on a personal level.

So sad that we both had a super star fav that you all know and love as well {I won't mention names and spare some really hurt feelings} but she is no longer one of my inpsiration "go to" girls as her style is moving in a total opposite direction of mine. Which is good for her...not for me. She is still good but been replaced with a new "go to" girl. If you look through my Google Reader favs it won't be hard to figure out who I am now stalking. {Don't be scared...I am friendly...really I am.}

Since I am on a crabby roll let me just say that I do really like the My Favorite Things stamps but the whole headless thing is getting to me now. I understand that is sort of their trademark but I just can't get into the headless body at the beach or the headless teacher....kinda creepy. But I do love my headless shoppers....probably cause I don't want to think about the damage I am doing while shopping..LOL. I am not slamming MFT....just babbling....probably the lack of pain killers effecting me. {Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain....or the woman at the keyboard}.

Today I attempted to try on some clothes which was not a good idea because I can't stand up straight which makes my hips pucker out and it's next to impossible to slide on a pair of jeans and I certainly can't button them if I am hunched over....duh....won't be doing that again any time soon.

Mary brought me my first Starbucks in weeks.....it was wonderful! Been far too long since my last mocha. She also brought us dinner and I ate homemade mac and cheese for the first time! I don't like box mac and cheese so I have always steered clear altogether....what was I thinking! Yummmy!

Ok off to the recliner for some coffee and HGTV....or Hannah Montana....I am so much on HGTV I have resorted to Disney Channel which my kids are happy about but Bill isn't so responsive.

See ya on the blog!

P.S. Since I am not stamping I am just going to randomly post some of my old cards. This baby card is one of my favs that I made for a teacher at school. She had her baby on Bailey's birthday, July 19th.

A Year In Review

It's been one year since I started blogging and honestly I figured it would be a passing phase and I would quit it after three months....which is also my usual diet timeline. LOL.

So what has happened in the last year with my stampin? I have used my stamps a heck of a lot more that's for sure and which is also the reason I started blogging....to justify my purchases and not just stick them in a drawer. I felt like my blog sort of made me accountable to someone other than myself and maybe just maybe someone out there would be inspired by what I had to share. To my amazement....I accomplished both those goals.

As the blogging world grows by leaps and bounds it has sort of tuned into a comeptition of popularity {ok who am I kidding....it is a full on competition for many} and design team quests for many others. I never did this for any sort of notoriaty in the stampin world but who doesn't like comments and new friends? {imaginary friends as you have all be dubbed by my husband and Mary}

I definately think my stampin style has improved and evolved over the last year. I have dipped more into the altered art world {thanks to Donna Downey} and I have definately simplified my scrapbooking style {thanks to Stacey Julian and Cathy Zielske}.

And finally....without trying....I was asked to be part of a Design Team for my friend Anna's store. I brainstormed ideas with her and volunteered to help with samples and she ran with it and created a design team.....smart business move on her part. Now she has 7 girls to help make samples for the store and create a large variety of samples all with different styles....and cut down on her work too!

So amongst all that stampin stuff I have shared lots of personal stuff on here with the whole world...or anyone that stumbles upon my blog and cares to keep reading. I appreciate Allison's nomination as a blog that makes her think because really this blog makes me think....typing the keys is like me thinking outloud here and the topic ranges from my kids, my happiness, diet and exericse, friendships, school and whatever else pops into my brain that runs non-stop so much so that I have insomnia!

Thanks for following me to blogger or just finding me on blogger. For those of you new to my blogging world feel free to catch up on the last year by visiting my old blog on Yahoo....I have to say I have gone back and re-read some of the old posts and cracked myself up a few times. Yeah....I am definately a Dorkabella....but a happy one with a capital D!

Happy Anniversary to me....see ya on the blog!

P.S. I posted this pic of an old card I made because Mary is bringing me dinner tonight and a Starbucks! I have not had any Starbucks in over two weeks....I will probably go into a caffeine overload tonight! Can't wait!

Takin It Easy

Sorry for no pics....blog posts without pics seem so boring....but I am sure you understand why I haven't been snapping any pics lately.

Just another slow day here. I am starting to go stir crazy in the house now and I am definately not ready to be taking public trips yet. I think I would look like a big dork walking around hunched over holding my tummy with this big huge binder/girdle thingy wrapped around me.

I wonder when the day will come that I can actually stand upright again. Just the thought of it makes me ache as my tummy is so tight and still sore. I know I am making progress as I can can now shower without any aid (I couldn't reach up for the soap on the shelf and now I can) and last night I finally slept in my own bed (I couldn't do that before because I was too sore and was afraid I would accidentally put my legs straight and pull my stitches). So progress is being made here....just in super slow mo.

Thank you to Trish at Tah-Dah for the nicest card full of stamped images. She wrote me the sweetest note and gave me a ton of images to color and yes Trish...you are right most of the images are not my usual style but I relish the challenge to step out of my box. Thank you for your kindness.

I also received all my Bella ATC swaps from Laura and I really like what I received. Can't wait to get back into stampin mode and make them into full cards. But right now I really have no desire to stamp because I can't just sit in one spot...I am always jumping up and reaching for things and pieces to add to my card....I am a busy body stamper.

Ok...Allison at Stampin When I Can tagged me to list 5 bloggers that make me think. Hmmmmm...funny that she listed me as blogger that makes her think. LOL...at least I know someone likes my ramblings from Granny tales to stitches in the tummy. I will have to scroll through my Google Reader and pull out my top 5 blogs that I regularly stalk as a voyeur .....I doubt they even know I exist but I enjoy reading about their lives.

See ya on the blog. Oh and thanks for all the uplifting comments. Hopefully, I will be back to my normal stampin self soon. Thanks!

Me again

Hi again...

Today is my first day alone without adult companionship since my surgery as Bill went back to work. So sad...so lonely...I miss him already. He called to check on me this morning and I was still snoozing in the chair. But I have managed to get up for a cup of coffee, a granola bar and a Percocet....feelin pretty good now. Mornings are always yucky cause I am stiff and achey.

I have pulled myself away from the recliner and HGTV to venture onto the computer and attempt to read some of the Google Reader...OMG I have over 1,000 posts in my Google Reader! I am sure I will be doing lots of skimming and picture looking as it is too much to read.

Got some cool happy mail from my friend Anna at the blog Stampanna. Remember I told you that she owns a store in New Jersey called Stampingly Yours? Well we have been chit chatting and brain storming back and forth for months and I said that I would help her with samples for her store and then she ran with it and created a store Design Team. There are 7 girls and we are each assigned a shelf area to decorate with whatever we want. She sends us a box of goodies that she would like to promote within the store with a theme for the month! We have a montly deadline with a theme and product of her choice and we can supplement from her inventory as well.

The cool thing is that she carries My Favorite Things, Stamping Bellas, and Amuse just to name a few stamp companies. She also carries Basic Grey and Bo Bunny too! How fun is it going to be to receive a box of goodies and total creative freedom to come up with whatever I want for my area? We are not limited to just cards....we can do scrapbook pages and altered art too! So excited and thankful to Anna for this opportunity to be part of her team. I only wish I lived closer so I could come to the store and help with classes and of course to shop!

Oh and to answer some questions about my surgery. I have lots of stitches...three layers of stitches (inside and out) and I was cut hip to hip. Yes, my tummy is definately super flat but looks very odd right now as I am swollen and do have pucker marks on my hips. I am not able to stand up right but over time in the next few weeks I will gradually be able to stand up more and more each day. It will take a few months for the swelling to go away and my puckering on the hips will also decrease but probably won't totally disappear. No biggie....wasn't planning on showing off my hips to anyone. Anyway, my body will be healing and changing for months to come before I really see what I am left with.

Over all I am very happy with my plastic surgery and I am THRILLED beyond belief that my hernia is gone. The hernia was my main concern and tummy tuck was extra just cause they were working on me and willing to accomodate my wishes for a flatter tummy. I am even more happy that this was no where near as painful as I had anticipated. Painful, uncomfortable and achey...for sure....but definately bearable and worth it in the end. I would do it again and don't regret it at all.

Ok...back to the recliner and cutting up magazines. See ya on the blog!

I am alive and a BIG thank you!!!

Hi Everyone... I have ventured out of the recliner while Bill is working out in the yard and I am on HGTV overload. NEVER in my life would I have dreamed that I am tired of watching home decorating shows but I am...mainly because I want to re-do my whole house which isn't possible from the recliner in the living room.

Thank you sooooo much for the comments, emails and most importantly the prayers! I have had a wonderful recovery as you can tell by Beth's daily reporting...she is so funny and totally sweet for doing that...not sure how many people are interested in my recovery but for those that are interested Beth has got it all down.

I am still sleeping in the recliner but desperately wanting to sleep horizontal. Yes, the couch is big and big enough for two but not comfy enough for me to adjust my body and prop it against Bill as I was afraid I would roll onto my tummy. Anyway, I won't be laying down any time soon.

As for my doctor visit the other day Beth was too embarassed to quote me on the removal of miles and miles of itchty tape that was binding me together and basically making me incredibly miserable. Taking the tape off was so WONDERFUL even though it was painful at times it felt SOOOOOOOO good and I said almost orgasmic....and it was funny because I was oooohing and ahhhhing along with my doctor and as I was explaining that although it hurt it was a good hurt and he said a pleasurable pain...yes, exactly and I am soooooo incredibly thankful to have that damn tape off my body.

I can now see my new belly button and I don't believe I have ever in my life had a flat tummy as I do now. They took off 6 pounds of my pooch and additional 1 pound on my sides through liposuction. I did comment in recovery that I did feel smaller but I swear that pooch thing weighed a heck of a lot more than 6 pounds...I need a recall on the docs measurements please!

Other than that my pain management has been soooooo great. I did not throw up once which is a pure miracle in itself. I am up and slowly moving on my own now...I am a big girl and able to potty by myself but still need help with the shower. I am unable to stand upright which is odd as I feel like a hunch back. Not pretty to look at in the mirror either as I have basically been cut in half with my scar going hip to hip and lots of stitches....inside and out. As time goes on I will be able to stand upright more and more each day but it feels super tight and totally numb. Very strange sensation as I am numb but feel pressure.

So there you have all the scarey details. But I just wanted to drop in and say thank you very much for your thoughts and prayers. They have defiately lifted me up and made my recovery go so well.

I am enjoying my down time an relaxing while my sweet husband takes care of me. Yes, he has slept next to me on the couch every night and never left the hospital once. I am sooooo blessed to have a wonderful husband....and he has turned into an awesome cook too!

See ya on the blog.