Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Relax!

Relax / Don't do it / When you want to, go to it... Sorry, I can't say that word without thinking of that song by Frankie Goes to Hollywood. :-)
Now that the insanity of preparing for the family Easter dinner is over, RELAX is the theme of the rest of our spring break! Here's Dixie taking the idea to heart:

When we bought this chair for last year's Easter dinner, we did worry about the cat laying on it. However, I really didn't think that the *dog* would lie on it. Not our 70+ pound dog. Ha! She just curls herself up (sometimes I think Dixie thinks that *she* is a cat!) and lays her head on the arm. Apparently the same logic that said the dog could never fit was as sound as the logic that told us that a cream colored chair in a house with pets was OK in the first place. (Photographs do lie - the chair doesn't look quite as clean in person.) Oh well, she does look awfully cute in that chair. :-)

Considering how early Easter was this year, we didn't do too bad weather wise. We only had a few snow flurries and I swear it felt warmer than last year (which was ridiculously cold for April). Ali was very happy to find the dark chocolate Easter bunny that Peter left her. Ali will eat any chocolate - blame it on all the ice cream cones I ate at Denville Dairy during my pregnancy - but she really loves dark chocolate best.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

Does Easter have a Scrooge?

Well, it should. And it's ME! Ugh, I can't believe it's almost Easter. I hate when Easter is this early. Well, normally I wouldn't mind, but this year our school spring break falls the week after Easter. We host the annual family Easter dinner and it would be so nice to have that week off to get ready. This week, every time I thought I have a free evening or day to do stuff, something came up. I'm getting stressed and grumpy!! (Hmm, guess I need to make a Grumpabella card for myself? lol!)

I haven't had much time to stamp lately, but I did make this card last weekend to submit to Rubber Hedgehog's annual Greeting Card Contest. It would be great to win this contest. I love their animals stamps and often use them for the cards that I donate to my animal shelter.


Have a nice week! I can't wait for spring to arrive on Thursday. Let's hope Mother Nature takes note of the calendar!

Sunday, March 9, 2008

Grumpabella

This is a picture of my dog, Dixie.

This is another picture of my dog, Dixie. Do you see a pattern here? Yes, Dixie loves her sleep. And she is NOT a "morning person". Woe to the foster puppy who dares to wake her up to play in the morning; they are quickly greeted with a firm growl. Normally she's a real sweetie, but don't mess with the dog's sleep. So, the other day I made this card in her honor. It's Grumpabella by Stamping Bella. If Dixie was a person, she'd be Grumpabella! :-)

Friday, March 7, 2008

101 Things....

Have you heard of the Day Zero (Home of the 101 Things in 10001 Days project) site? I actually finished my list last Friday, but haven't had time to post it. The good thing is that I've actually finished a few of the items in the past week.
1. Write my list.
2. Go to bed no later than 11:00 on a work night for a month
3. Finish reading book club selections before monthly meetings for next 1001 days
4. Clean/organize craft room
5. Organize stamps, purging/selling unwanted, discontinued items
6. Create & implement customer appreciation program for stamping business
7. Post at least one stamped creation per week to my Split Coast gallery for the next month
8. Create samples and send to TAC downline
9. Enter 2 TAC contests
10. Clean out StampAngels yahoo folders
11. Create a gallery on Paper Wings with at least 12 items
12. Stamp 10 Christmas cards every month
13. Donate 10 cards to soldier program
14. Donate 25 cards to CMHS (4 cards donated)
15. Volunteer at one CMHS event
16. Take the kids to the library at least once during spring break
17. Send thank you’s to long distance/former stamp customers
18. Walk Dixie at least 3X a week for 2 months
19. Clean out magazine rack
20. Post to my blog at least once a week for 2 months
21. Read 3 books that are not “book club books”
22. Foster 6 animals (2 fostered so far)
23. Mark & return withdrawn books
24. Submit sketches for stamps to 3 different companies
25. Stamp 6 birthday cards to have on hand
26. Buy a new pair of white sneakers
27. Get CraftRobo to work with new PC
28. Buy a photo printer that works with new PC
29. Collect paper to donate to Diane’s school
30. Sort & organize recipes
31. Add one new name to family tree
32. Add one new date to family tree
33. email Uncle Ron & Dave re: mystery woman
34. scan Street Hassle photos
35. scan Pa’s Bell Labs photos
36. photocopy Pa’s Bell Labs papers/newsletters onto archival paper
37. clean off computer desk
38. hem Jessica’s pants
39. make decision about Jessica’s sewing machine
40. make Bookabella bookmarks for Library week for Tranna & staff
41. scan in Jessica’s article and return book to Mrs. Smith
42. remember to give kids’ St. Patty’s day stuff
43. watch 9 Months
44. Make Aretha Franklin CD (need duet w/George Michael)
45. send a Clickabella card to Sue
46. make a birthday card for Pam & remember to send it!
47. plan Easter dinner
48. buy food coloring to dye Easter eggs
49. take Ali shopping for Easter
50. get rid of coloring books (donate, etc.)
51. use Tastefully Simple gift certificate
52. use CM gift certificate
53. make Jessica’s birthday card
54. make Mothers’ Day cards
55. clean off dresser
56. go through papers in bedroom
57. give Brandon & Yvonne their baby card
58. give a baby card to the Hastings
59. look at census spreadsheets to check for “missing” people/years
60. look through familytree doc to see where future research can be made
61. create some kind of report for Dave & Uncle Ron
62. email Uncle Ron about German research
63. scrapbook with Ali
64. go through sample cards & donate to card ministry
65. replace broken bedroom blind
66. send thank you to Secret Santa
67. watch Tim Holtz video
68. put all previously scrapped pages into albums
69. research hotel rates for St. Louis over spring break
70. go to St. Louis over spring break
71. make travel/hotel arrangements for Sept98Moms gathering
72. use the crock pot
73. eat a piece of fruit (or drink OJ) at least 5X a week
74. use a Tastefully Simple product in my pantry
75. make a cheesecake
76. look up SU sets on Ebay
77. read Jo’s Thanksigiving article
78. take a walk on the MKT trail with Dixie
79. taking a multivitamin daily for a month
80. make a book with my Bind It All
81. make cards for Karyn’s Christmas present
82. join Classmates to see who has “visited” me
83. email Tim
84. email AT&T friends
85. send a RAK to 3 people on my Bella list
86. send a RAK to 3 Angels
87. make s’mores when it’s warm enough to grill
88. go through Easter decs and donate unwanted ones to WJHS garage sale
89. unsubscribe from Rhapsody
90. make (homemade) fried shrimp
91. make pumpkin bars for work
92. donate blood
93. take the kids to Ted Drewes (http://www.teddrewes.com/)
94. plan Ali’s room redec
95. help Ali finish decluttering room
96. watch a sunset from our deck
97. finish Tasha’s album
98. buy frames for girls’ sports pictures
99. get a matt & frame for Tiggy’s picture
100. put pictures in open spots of CD cabinet
101. Be on time (within 5 minutes) for work every day for 1 month