Some of July's Layouts & Page Maps for September

I made a slideshow since it has been a while since I blogged. I don't think I'm much of a summer blogger. There's just so much more I'd rather be doing outside. I don't like winter so I blog more in winter cuz I'm inside where it is warm! LOL!

Becky Fleck has sent me a sketch for the September issue of Page Maps. I am so excited to be asked to contribute to her new digital section. That just completely was awesome!

I went to Hard Rock Park yesterday with 5 teenagers. I think they managed to have a good time. I do believe the highlights of their day included (1) my cussing on a ride because I had lost my ever lovin' mind from fright and (2) my screaming, "Close your eyes if you can't make it through!" several times during a vertigo experience brought on by a drug induced spinning tunnel in the Moody Blues Nights in White Satin ride. Apparently I'm quite funny when I don't realize what I am doing brought on my extreme sensory experiences! LOL!

I rode some dag gum swings. Let me tell you about that. That scared the bejesus out of me. I do not like the feeling of falling. Never have. One reason I don't like airplanes cuz turbulence feels like free falling. So I hop on these swings and off it goes, scaring the wee-wee out of me because I am suspended in mid-air on a twirly-swirly ride where I am experiencing that falling sensation and the only thing I have to hang on to is the two chains currently in a death grip. If I even move one inch, the swing starts to turn, which sends another shock of fear through me, causing a more death defying grip. I realize I can't scream, "Stop this ride! Get me off of here! NOW!" I mean all the others enjoying the ride, don't want to endure my panic attack. So I have to endure, meanwhile my vertigo is aggravated and a wave of nausea is welling up. So on top of falling, I might vomit on anyone below me on this wildly spinning ride. That was it for me for the day. I then went to the Beach Blanket Bingo show. My speed! LOL!

Thoughts Du Jour

In 24 hours, my family has had 4 wisdom teeth pulled, a skin cancer surgically removed, and a colonoscopy. 3 of us down and out. The extra one is away at the beach enjoying herself. What a ride! LOL!

Update on the redo of our garden: I had 3 boys out in my yard laying putting down newspaper as a weedblock and laying pinestraw to keep the weeds out. They have done two beds out of 4 that need to be done. I'm paying them $1.00 a bale, which is great for me, and since it isn't over 100 degrees anymore, I think it is ok with them. They can jump in the pool when they get hot and there is lots of food and drink.

My ceiling has had a leak in our family room for about two months. It was finally determined to be related to the "terlet" upstairs. Which is a huge relief as we thought it was the flashing on the roofline. Finally someone is here to fix that mess...the leak and then next week, they will come and repair the ceiling in our family room...for the third time...The other three were do to storms which caused leaks.

And finally, my son's friend just turned 18. He is thinking of joining the Army. I don't know if they will take him as he was never able to make it past 9th grade in school, and this year finally gave up and dropped out. This is not a friendship that I encourage as this young man was headed nowhere, but I feel distressed about him joining the Army at this point in our country's history. I'm pro-military, but anti-Iraq, and I'm afraid they will send him to Iraq.

I plan to scrap today, as I am the one that had the skin cancer removed. I have a two inch gash on my neck. I shouldn't call it a gash. It was done by a plastic surgeon so I doubt I will have a scar that will look like anything more than a line on my neck that is supposed to be there. But I had no idea that they were going to make an incision that large, but they said it should all be gone, which is the main thing! Anyway, I don't want to get it in the sun so mainly I have to be indoors until the pool gets some shade.

That means cleaning up from the boys that have been here for the past two days. LOL!

And the highlight of my coming week is my son is scheduled for his senior pictures. Now I could shoot his myself, but it is part of the journey, isn't it? And I want to take it all in and enjoy him making it this far. If you have a child with ADHD, you know exactly what I mean. It's been alot of work and love to get him to this point, and I'm so proud, I'm going to do every corny little, traditional thing that comes along and wallow in every delightful moment! I'm just busting with pride at my evolving man!!!

Back To Blogging

OMG! Planting, digging, planting, digging, planting, digging, work, work, work, sleep! Those are two photos of my beds on the sides of my front porch. Mind you, we've had to replant the beds on the right and left sides of the house and the little bed by the front curb. I'd say we are 75% done planting.

I have been so busy planting. I'm so far behind on my CT obligations! WAH! I had to take a month off from Digitals, which I really hate, but I need to get things back on track. Which I am off four whole days this week! WAhooooo! So I made two lo's this weekend, which I really adore, using Christina Renee's products since I made her CT for the time being! OMG! And that is super big news so I am totally jazzed, and as always there are familiar faces on there from other CT's I am on. I love seeing people at different spots. Anyway, it is using DST Gold kit which features CRD this month, so I have to wait to post them until their newsletter goes out.

Anyhoo, I'm keeping this short today.

Magnolias and Cottage ARts

Digi Credits

I love magnolia trees. I always take a pic of my blossoms. I have 3 trees in my back yard. What a glorious bloom. They are so big and white and pretty! They just remind me of a gentile life and summer.

I wish I had more sage things to say today. But I just got off work, and I'm tired! We were busy. My kiddies are out and about (yes, I know exactly where they are), so the house is quiet and I'm waiting on a nice apple streudel to finish cooking for a lil' snack.

A bit of good news in that it appears the city is going to reimburse us for our plumbing disaster. Now mind you, I don't know how long it will take to actually get the money out of them. We have to fill out a form. OMG! CAn you believe it, but that's the government, even if it is local! But I'll do it to get that big chunk o' change. I'm very ahppy about it anyway!

I need the big chunk o change because I have to have 13 bushes and 3 trees taken out. Our house is about 17 years old and the original planting are overgrown to the point they were affecting the sewer lines. Now that we know where they are, we are going to either plant nothing or shallow rooted plants in those areas so that nothing interferes with them. However, to have the roots dug out, which of the bushes, go about 2 feet straight down and 3 ft each out to the sides...and the trees, forget it...the roots are way out and down! We have to pay almost as much as we will get back from the city with a bit of money left over for new plantings.

Family was all tired from the weekend and grouchy this morning resulting in lots of yelling and kids nearly being late to school. What a way to start the day! Bleh.

We had some friends over for dinner last night and I made bbq chicken, asparagus marinated in Italian dressing, zuchini and mushrooms, and pineapple skewers...all on the grill. It was sooooooooooo good!





And I leave you with those few recent pics of my kitties, Kibbles and Bits (Bits is the fat one), and a picture of my dog, Boo, who is a big baby, but so protective of me! Cuz I'm his momma! LOL!

TOOT and chat!

Postcard from garden center. Sorry it's upside down!


Okay, here is the before picture of my pots. Unplanted...finally. I guess Blogger is feeling cooperative this morning.

I had a very nice day off yesterday. I did a little bit of everything. I exercised, planted my pots, cooked, took a brief nap, cleaned. It was a productive and restful day.

My exciting news is that I am going to be up at the the high school today and next week to show my scrapbooks and talk about scrapbooking to a freshman English class. I got called yesterday by the teacher! Isn't that exciting! I think it's a TOOT and a different TOOT!

One thing I totally loved yesterday is my dd went to the grocery store for me. Yes, it's true. I HATE grocery shopping! So while she went to the store for me with her friend, I went for my 3.2 mile walk that I so enjoy!

I also finally got an EHD! I'm so exciting for that to come. A Western Digital 500GB! Wahoo! There was another one on sale, but I read the reviews, and it ran hot. It also had a rebate that several people complained never came. I'm just not in the mood for that so I went for the one I originally wanted in the first place.

I did do a lo yesterday for the August issue of Scrapstreet.com using a new kit by Katey Green that will be a freebie with the newsletter. I can't post it yet because it will be in the mag, but at least I got to scrap.

Now the big question for NSD is: paper or digital. I'm so leaning towards digital because TAngie Baxter and Cottage Arts have some great new stuff I want to play with. Plus I have some kits by Rasberry Road I haven't gotten to yet. Cast your vote. Cuz if it is paper it is doing my wedding album...which I've started...

And last, but not least, Lisa Bearnson will be on QVC on Friday. I love her. I guess cuz I met her at CKU-WDW in 2003. I'm going to DVR it and see what she is up to. I won't buy anything since I'm digi, but it will be fun anyway!

Where Have I Been...

These are the two most recent lo's I have created. Only two. Oh, that is killing me. If you are interested in more by Cottage Arts please click on my active blinkie to go right to the site. I'm too sleepy to deal with HTML code right now...hehehehehe.

OMG! 7 days straight of working retail for a supposed part time job...thanks to that girl who quit. Who at this point, I have quit feeling sorry for her and feel some animosity about her stupidity. JK! LOL!

Thanks to those of you who visited my post and left a comment over at Tangie's Creative Team Loft where I was featured.

For those of you who have been following my gardening saga, I have a pic to share of my empty pots. This is the before. I got a postcard from our local nursery and am copying their planting as best I can. So once I finish planting (TODAY), I will take a preliminary picture, and then share the postcard. Then I will take a pic once my pots fill in and look glorious, just like the postcard! Okay, blogger is being aggravating and won't let me post my before pic. But I will eventually!

I am not sure what I am doing today aside from the usual exercise, cooking, cleaning, scrapping and gardening. Maybe that is enough. I am going to watch my DVR episodes of Hell's Kitchen and AI. I LOVE NEIL DIAMOND!