That's It

20 hours, that's all I could hold out. It was as if The Universe was trying to tell me something today. I had multiple cranky people to deal with at work (which is VERY unusual in my line of work) we were REALLY busy and I was already on edge from not eating- so after work I got some food. I needed it. It made me a happier person.

So, I came home and did a little scrapping. I can't post the page yet because the items haven't been released quite yet. But I do have a page from a day or 2 ago that I did. Full credits can be seen HERE.


Off to bed, have a good night (or day, whatever the case may be)

Preparing

...for the new year

I thought long and hard if I really wanted to post about this, but I decided that I would- mostly because I'm not going to be online to catch any slack for the next 3 days LOL

As part of my New Year I plan to get more organized, get in better shape and just feel better over all. So I've decided that I'm going to enter the new year squeaky clean. Starting tomorrow I'm going to fast for 3 days. It's not religious, I'm not a religious person- it's symbolic of sorts. I want to give my body a fresh start (by purging any toxins gained by food) and my mind a clean slate (by purging any toxins gained from intellectual garbage). I'm going to spend my time cleaning and organizing my home, working on art projects and focusing on what's important to me. I'll probably spend some time writing in my journal or getting my new journal ready for the New Year. I don't know... what all I'll do, but I'm actually looking forward to it, I'm feeling liberated already.

I've never done a true fast before. I've done a liquid diet for about a week, but this is different. This is going to be zero calorie intake. I've been reading a lot of tips- like get extra sleep, drink at least a gallon of water, be prepared for cramps due to loss of electrolytes (I bought some zero calorie powdered electrolytes at the health food store yesterday) and tonight I'm going to eat a salad and head to bed early in preparation for day 1.

So that's where I'm at right now. I'll be back on January first to catch up on what everyone is up to. I hope you all have a happy and safe New Years Eve and I'll look forward to catching up then.

Getting Out

Sunday was spent inside ALL DAY. It was a rough day, lots of snow, leaving wasn't an option. I get cabin fever so easily. After just one day of being "stuck" inside I was ready to go. Took a quick trip to the grocery store for a few things. I use the term quick loosely because it normally takes me 4 minutes to get to the store with the snow and ice it took 20. The roads still are horrible. It reminds me of driving on a dirt road in Florida- we used to say it was like driving on a washboard. I've also learned that driving on ice is a lot like hydroplaning in Florida. The most important thing is to remember to take your foot off the gas LOL.

On the way back from the store I had to get out and help push some one. That was fun. I thought I was going to have a heart attack after that. Took me a good 10 minutes to catch my breath.

Lastnight when I got home from work some one had push a big pile of snow up in front of my (covered) parking spot so I had to park the car out in the snow. This morning I woke up to a snow cave car. I know where I parked my car and I see a huge hill of snow there but I don't see any car there. I can honestly say I've never seen so much snow. Please bare in mind, I'm not complaining by any stretch, I think it's beautiful and it's not like we get it everyday : )

I must leave you with today's photos to get ready for another day at work. Today I need to head out a little earlier so I can clear out my car- stay tuned for pictures of that too LOL

The red car is our other car

This is the parking lot where we live

I felt brave and grabbed this shot while I was driving (10mph, don't panic)
This is what the roads look like

Nothing New

I know everyone is sick of hearing about the snow but it's SO pretty and I can't stop taking pictures of it : ))

(as always all images are clickable for a larger view)

The dogs are SO funny. This morning when I took Morpheus out the snow was so deep he would pick up one foot to take a step and it was like he was going to step on top of the snow then of course his foot would sink down into it over and over. It was hilarious.

I kept the blinds open so we could watch the snow fall all day. Once in a while the dogs would forget and get a glimpse of motion out the door and start barking. At one point I looked up and saw Kaycee checking things out. They really crack me up LOL

What Porch?

Granted our porch is only about 4 inches high, but I've never seen the snow cover it!! WOW! I seriously can't believe how much snow we're getting this year. And it's going to keep going until Wednesday (at least). So take a look, can you tell where the porch ends?


While I may not be from the Pacific Northwest, my dogs are. Kaycee doesn't care too much for the snow, but Morpheus LOVES it. Our neighbors' dog got away from them and was running around in the snow and they couldn't get him to come back so we went out to help them. They said that he likes other dogs so I got Morpheus ready and brought him out and he just ran and ran in the snow. It was butt deep on him in most places LOL. They were finally able to get their dog back home and we all went back inside. Snow was strewn all across the living room floor and Morpheus had a snow beard and snow boots.


After things settled down I went looking for Mr. Morpheus and guess where I found him... ON MY BED!!! LOL : )) While I was a little annoyed, I stopped to remember, it's just water LOL.

And here's my little girl staying close to her daddy (with no interest what so ever in being out in the snow)


Okay, (way past) bed time for me. I'm sure there will be more photo opps tomorrow : ) Night night.

Brrr!!!

Baby, it's COLD outside!!

The snow is back in full swing. We got lots of it up here on the hill today and let me just say the temperatures are dropping.

I went in to work today, the roads were crazy, lots of ice and as most of you know, I'm a FLORIDA girl (relocated to the Pacific Northwest) driving in snow and ice is not a skill I possess (nor do I want to). But I made it in okay. The snow came down good all day. I only ended up staying 2 hours then headed home. We were over staffed because people who were scheduled to go elsewhere were canceled and had no place to go.

Got another Digital ATC done and uploaded : )) These items brought to you by Studio Tangie!! Full credits can be seen HERE.


Also got the packaging done for my store. This will be the background for the previews the girls will be making for their designs. I'm very excited about the store. I'm trying to figure out if I can set up a forum in advance so we can get in there and chat it up : )) It will be after the first of the year if it DOES happen : ))


Okay, off to play some WOW and probably bed time after that. Hope everyone else is having a great day : )

The Grind

Our apartment complex was taken over a few months ago by a new company and they're constantly make (better) changes to the place. The most recent addition is a new fitness center. We went down to try it out today, they have 3 treadmills, 2 Elipticals, a stair climber that wasn't functioning yet, 2 stationary bikes, a set of free weights and 3 machines that could be manipulated to work out every major muscle group. There are also 3 flat screen TVs, those giant balls that you sit on for stretching and some mats. It's all very nice really. I'm looking forward to getting into a routine there. 2 weeks exactly and I'll be back at the grind.

Tonight I have a horrible head ache. I don't know why, it just came up out of no where : ( Just took some meds, hope that will help. I was diagnosed with migraines about 6 months or so ago. I don't get them often but when I do they're miserable.

I got a couple new digital ATCs uploaded. As always they're courtesy of Tangie Baxter. You can click HERE for full credits.


The snow is almost gone. It was supposed to snow again today but so far... NOTHING. That's okay though. I ended up staying home today and being lazy. I don't have those kind of days very often. I hate the feeling of not being busy. It makes me feel like time's wasting and there's stuff that needs to be done that isn't getting done. Sometimes I just have to not think and be lazy though.

So that's it for today. I still have lots to share, but it's almost bed time and I have to work tomorrow, so I'm calling it a day.

Some Old Routine

Life has been a little on the hectic side lately. I'm not even sure why, there doesn't seem to be THAT much going on. But I do know that I need to figure out a routine. I truly enjoy writing in my blog and haven't done much of that at all lately. I enjoy doing my exercises and haven't done that at all. I know for sure that once the holidays are over I'm going to settle in and get back to what I should be doing.

So- there's still snow on the ground, it's still cold and we're supposed to get more snow tomorrow. The temperatures haven't gotten above freezing since Sunday. Everyone is blown away by the weather- it isn't usually like this. A few pictures that should chill you to the bone (taken yesterday):

This is the new fountain they just put up in front of the office

Olympic Mountains with a fresh coat of snow (Hood Canal in foreground)

That's Mount Baker way off in the distance (Canada)

Well, that's it for now. I'll try to be back again tomorrow to blog again.

Snow Update

We made out and back just fine lastnight. Leonard and I live up on a kind of high hill and mom lives down at sea level so we get snow when no one else does. Although she did say that she got some snow later lastnight.

When I got home the snow had stopped and there was no sign of it at all. But later on (around midnight-ish) I took a peek outside and this is what I saw:


It must have gone on most of the night but with the temps really dropping. When I took the dogs out this morning it was REALLY cold and the snow was frozen, but it's still there this afternoon.


The weather says we're going to get some more snow today then again on Wednesday. Good news... I'm OFF on Wednesday : ))

Let it SNOW!!

Looks like the Forks snow storm has made it's way into Silverdale. It's just beginning to snow. It's small flakes (the kind that pile up to make feet of snow) and it's even kind of sticking. It's pretty cold outside. This will be the first snow of the season!! I'm excited : )

I'm off to do a few things with mom and I'll post an update when I get back.

Twilighters and More

Whew!! Made it through yesterday. For a bit there, I wasn't sure I would. But more on that later.

Yesterday my work took me to Forks. For those of you who are Twilight fans- a little treat for you : )

The famous sign from the movie

The front of the real Forks high school
(the one in the movie was another school somewhere else)


Inside the real Forks High School
(I'm sad to say this wing was actually quaranteened due to mold and asbestos- some say that's just a cover up...)

A sign hanging on the school (too funny)

Just because it was cliche

Now I have to tell you the embarrassing story that goes with those pictures. So- it's been raining all day (it rains like 360 days a year in Forks anyway, so nothing new) it finally stops dumping so I grab the camera and run outside. I had an opportunity to talk to LOTS of people through out the day and asked what I should take pictures of. The common answer was the sign out in front of the high school. So there I am, in the middle of the road, wind blowing so hard I could barely stand straight and snapping pictures. A truck is slowly approaching so I dart out of the road and as it nears I realize it's two older gentlemen in the truck, they give me this really friendly wave and go on. THEN it occurs to me, they think I'm one of them- a TWILIGHTER!! Now, just to clear a few things up before I get any hate mail- I'm not a fan and that has no baring on the books or the author's talent or anything like that, it's just that I'm not a huge reader. I'm a very slow reader, I take the time to read and digest every word which results in an average size book taking months to read. So the reason I'm not a fan has nothing to do with any knowledge I have (or don't have of the book). On the other hand, I probably will rent the movie when it comes to DVD (it's already in my Netflix que). And one final thing I would like to add, on this subject- the general concensus of the people of Forks. They think it's great that the town has gained so much publicity (the post office is advertising to send your Christmas cards from Forks so they have the Forks postmark on them, there's a shop that sells the books complete with a stamp that says "Purchased in Forks, WA" and even a shop called "Dazzled by Twilight- no idea what's in here, just saw it in passing). The people also say that they're happy to talk with tourists and point them in the right direction for seeing "the sights" and they also say- They're Not fans, only one person I spoke to had read all the books and seen the movie and is really into it. Another person told me that they call them "Twilighters". In general, I think the people of Forks are okay with their new found fame.

Now I'm SURE you're wondering why I feared for my life lastnight. As we left Forks the snow started. The more we drove, the worse it got until we finally got to the point of not being able to stay on the road. After a bit of sideways driving we decided it was best to put the chains on. Oh the joy of trusting that some one has provided you with the equipment you need to perform given tasks. 20 minutes, 3 staff members soaked to the core in snow and a near collision with another car (driving sideways and almost sliding into us) the chains are on. We put it in drive and the snow plow zooms by us. Yes, I'm serious. Turns out the chains don't fit our tires, too big. Off with the chains and away we go. I have to tell you, that was a VERY scary time for me. Naturally, it's like the ONE place in the ENTIRE state that I couldn't get cell service. I think the scariest part was that I knew I couldn't call for help even if I needed to. I couldn't talk to my loved ones, there was no one to tell me it would be okay (and I would believe them). So needless to say I was really tired and a little stressed upon arriving home lastnight. It called for dinner on the new couch and Step-Brothers. I laughed the stress away then off to bed I went to sleep like a baby. ^sigh^

Update!!

I know this doesn't seem like a HUGE deal, but I had to come and say that a splash page is up for the store. This was done so that I can get access to a forum that will help me with store planning. There is SO much I don't know and so many people out there who have done this before me, it only makes sense to draw off of their experience. So... take a peek and tell me what you think. We're aiming for a late February opening.

Update number 2... IT arrived!!! It came last Friday while I was at work. We've already enjoyed several movies on it and a little TV time here and there. Oh and I'm pretty sure the dogs have spent more time on the new couch than I have LOL. I think they like it LOL.

So that's my news for today. I'll be off to work in a couple hours. I hope I'll be able to accomplish something before then. I've felt SO un-creative lately : ( Until next time- hugs to all.

FOREVER!!

Yes, I know, it's been a LOOOONG time since I've been here to write : ( I've been busy with this and that AND especially the new store. Wooops, did I say STORE? Okay, cat's outta the bag, it's true, I've finally decided it's time to open my own store. Errr... ummm, OUR store- my Aunt Linda has agreed to join me in this venture and we've BOTH been hard at work on it. I must say, I didn't realize how much stuff goes on behind the scenes LOL. So, it's going to be a Digi Scrap store and we already have our first designer lined up. Since you all are my faithful readers, I think I'll use this as a place to post up dates on the store and you will know about it first!

I've also been keeping busy with some swaps. I've promised myself I'm only going to finish out the ones I'm already in and not obligate myself to any new tasks until the store is up. I DO have one HUGE project that's going to take a massive amount of time (but will be well worth it). I belong to a group online that is doing a "Fat Book" project- 120 people are signed up for it. Each of the 120 people will make an element out of recycled materials. The element will be glued to a 4x4 paper and the instructions for making the element are typed on the back of the 4x4. This collection is then sent to the swap host who will sort out the 120 packages and put one page from each package into a new package and send them back out to those 120 people in the swap. So what we get back is a technique book full of different fun things to make. Yep, I'm excited : ))

In a bit here I'm leaving to go hang out with mom. We're going to do a little shopping and then get her Christmas decorations up. Best part about decorating? I'll have something to take pictures of WoooWhoo!! Speaking of pictures- thought you all would get a kick out of this.


Who knew Santa was a blood donor?

Elffed

Okay... I did it. I saw it and said that it was silly and a time sink and I had better things to do, but then I saw Fran's and it's silly yes, but SO cute, I couldn't stop myself. SO... here it is- we're elves LOL.

Hit the big arrow button to make it start LOL.

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Fly By Posting

Just a quickie today, little to do and lots of time to do it in... WAIT!! Strike that, reverse it : ) (I just love that quote from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) But then again, I think I love just about ANYTHING with Johnny Depp in it : ))

Anyway, the purpose of my post today is to tell you about a fun new (to me) site that I just found out about. My friend Linda, from work, posted a link on her blog to this site. If you're into vintage images- this is the place. It's a daily free download and all the site owner asks is that you link back to her site if you download her images. HOW cool is that? So... HERE is the link. Go get 'em!!