My Life: Up Close and Personal

HAPPY FRIDAY FOLKS!!

So where have I been? In my scrap room. I"ve decided to redo it it (aka clean it up). LOLA!! I've gotten rid of all my old light pink and white storage baskets and gotten these really cute hot pink and white zebra striped decorative storage boxes. I've also gotten them in black and white zebra striped. I got some plain hot pink and plain black scrap storage boxes. The best part is they were on clearance at Michael's. SCORE!!

I'm accenting the room with Hot Pink, Black and white.I found the cutest glamor girl accessories at Hobby Lobby. Book ends that are all glittery with a shoe on one and a purse on the other, two wall hangings that are glittery one has a shoe the other has a lipstick tube. A sign for the door that says gone shopping, two small hanging pillows, one says i want it all and I want it delivered and the other says nothing cures the blues like a new pair of shoes.

My most favorite thing in the room is the new curtains. I wanted to try my hand at sewing some. I wanted to find some zebra print fabric for curtains. Iwent to Joann's coupon in hand in search of fabric for my new fabulous room. HA, no such luck. My next stop was Target for something totally unrelated. Just happen to be in the bedroom section, and what did I find in the teen section? Zebra stripe curtains, STFU!! And Hot pink sheers with giant polka dots, SOLD!! I couldn't wait to get these up in my room.

My room was os inspiring to work in, that once I got it all cleaned, I started scrapping. so it's in shambles again. Once I clean up the mess i'll take pictures. Here are some pictures of some completed layouts. In the first picture you can see the pink sheers in the background.

 

Little Man: This is a picture of Armand when he was 6 or 7 y/o. I looovvveee this picture, there is no journaling yet. I don't know I will let him do it or if I am going to do it. If I do it I will talk about how much he has changed from then to now. I used the Noel Mignon Penny Arcade monthly kit on the layout. One piece of cardstock came from Coredinations. the title is AC Thickers. 

 

I wish: this was Sasha's Wacky Wednesday challenge. I did this layout about my good friend Val. She is a beautiful person inside and out, but she doesn't see this about herself and that's what my journaling is about. i may frame this layout and give it to her. Items used: Cardstock: Bazzill, PP: Creative Imaginations, Basic Grey, Journaling Spot: Making Memories, Swirls: Grungeboard, Cuttlebug, Flowers: prima, stickles, paint daubers, glimmer mist.

 

Simply, this was done for the BASB weekly challenge. It was to do a layout about yourself. this photo was taken by Armand at my graduation 2 years ago. All papers are from Basic Grey Wisteria. the butterfly is from Joele's, Ribbon: CTMH, Flower: Prima, Stick pen: Maya Road.

 

That's all I got for now. Have a scrappy weekend. I'm out!!

PS sorry there are no links to my references I'm on a super duper slow computer that is driving me BAT.SHIT.CRAZY. plus I don't have my links on this computer. Mine computer crashed (i'm at work) that's a whole 'nother post.

Weekend Plans

So what are your plans for the weekend/Easter?

I can't wait until 3:00 (I'm at work right now, and there is no one here today except me). That's when my weekend starts. I'm going to my usually Friday night crop. I'm still working on the same album for my BFF Belinda's granddaughter. Her birthday party is in 2 weeks and I'm not even halfway finish. It doesn't help that she just gave me more pictures Wednesday night. I'll work it out, I always do.

Tomorrow night we are doing family game night at my Aunt Betty and Uncle Johnny's house. This was suppose to be a monthly thing with the whole family. We haven't done it in almost a year. It was my sisters turn to host it and we have been waiting all this time for her to set a date. My Aunt got tired of waiting, so we will be at their house. This will give me a chance to take so picture with my new lens. Can't wait to try it out.

We don't have much planned for Easter. Don't know if we are going to go to Church. It's always soooo crowded with the CME people (that's the people who only come on Christmas, Mother's Day, and Easter). I'm not cooking dinner this year either. Armand and I talked about it last night, and he suggested we go out to dinner. He's going to pick some place for us to go for an early dinner and then we will come back home and watch the Ten Commandments. That is an Easter tradition for us.

Ok, since I hate to post without pictures. This is the one I promised in my last post. It's also a challenge for you to dig out some old school pictures of yourself. Here is my 5th grade class picture.

I am in the 3rd row from the bottom, first person on the left hand side, not looking at the camera. I swear i don't know what I was looking at. Right below me sitting in the plaid jacket is my BFF Belinda. There is also someone VERY famous in this picture. Do you see her. She is in the top row. She is the tallest girl in the picture. Her name then was Michelle Robinson. Today she is Known as:

 

That's right I went to grammar school with First Lady Michelle Obama. She also worked at University of Chicago Hospital at the same time as my BFF Belinda, so I would see her there occasionally too.

So what famous person(s) did you go to school (grow up) with?

Ok, this post has become way to long, Happy Easter and I'm out!

I am alive and well

I knew it had been a long time since I posted, but I hadn't realized it had been THIS. LONG. I do, however have an excuse. I have been working like nobody's business and then just pure laziness. Let's see if I an give you a brief recap of what's been going on in my life since my last post:

• The holidays were great. My dad came to town for Christmas and stayed with us. It was the best gift I got.
• We celebrated an early Christmas with Armand's family in Naples, Fl. We had sooo much fun. Pictures to follow later.
• With the economic state we had layoffs at work, so for months I was the only uniformed person in our office. I was doing the job of 4 people. Since we have added 3 people to our office. Let's just say it has been a rocky start.
• Because of work I have bee so stressed, Armand and I took a mini vacation and went on a 5 day cruise a couple of weeks ago. Let's just say, we forgot to check to see when college spring break starts. 3,000 people on the ship. It was still fun spending time with the hubs. Pictures to follow.
• We we got home from the cruise, I didn't get my sea legs back and ended up off from work for an extra week with a case of vertigo.
• I have been scrapping a lot, it's my only stress relief. I'm working on a gift album right now. My BFF Belinda's granddaughter turns 5 in a couple of weeks and I am making her a book from birth to 5yrs. She is going to love it. She is one of my biggest supporters of anything I do besides Armand. Love her to death we have been friends since 2nd grade. I have our 5th grade class picture to post, there is someone really famous in the picture too.

Well, that's it in a nutshell. Not much going on in the Windy City. I just want to Thank those that have emailed or posted asking if everything was ok. The Heards are just doing their thang.

Peace Out!

CHANGE

YES WE CAN! YES WE DID!!!

 

 

These 2 are for Patrice.

 

 

There is nothing left to say, except IT IS GREAT TO LIVE IN CHICAGO TODAY!!!

Today must be.....

call out day. I got called out by my "so-called" friends about my lack of posting. It's not like I haven't thought of posting. It's just that when I think about it I am at work and have no pictures to accompany my post ( you know a really good post always has pictures). Besides things have been so crazy, you probably wouldn't believe me if I didn't have pictures.

So he is a quickie, I'll try and do better.

• Armand had his 6 month check -up and he is doing fine. He got the OK to start driving, I no longer have to pick him up from work at midnight and then get up at 5 a.m to go to work myself. Can you say GOOD NIGHT SLEEP finally!!

• We celebrated 14 years of marriage on August 20th.

• I turned 43 on September 12th.

• We went on our annual New Orleans trip and went to the Saints home opener. Had a Blast!!

I do have pictures of all of the above events. I will post them later, just want to get this out to SHUT Up a few people. Coughpatricecoughmyecough!!!

On the downside this economy is hitting everyone hard. You all know I work for the city. Well the great Mayor Daley has decided that in order to balance our budget he needs to layoff 1,000 people. Our department didn't get hit too hard, we are not going to be able to fill positions that are vacant. Plus 9 people are going to be layed off. One of those people is my boss. We haven't been able to talk about it at all. The budget hearings were last week. They are suppose to notify the people being layed off by November 1st. How's that for a start to the holiday season?

Ok, I think I have rambled enough. I will post pictures from our New Orleans trip, the Saints game and some layouts that I have been working on. I am enrolled in Cathy Z's class over at Big Picture Scrapbooking. so far it's been great.

Toodles!!

I'm down for the count

been sick since Friday. It started with just a little tickle in my throat. didn't feel to bad so I went to my regular Friday night crop. By 8 o'clock, I was useless. I packed it up and came home. Saturday morning was not good, fever, sore throat cough.

What made it even worse was the fact that I had to work. Have you ever stood in the hot sun for 5 hours with a 101 fever. Let's just say it was not fun. I couldn't wait to get home. Armand and I were suppose to spend the weekend together. No that he is off medical, we could actually go out and do something. Instead, I spent the weekend in bed with him watching me.

Sunday was a bit better, I could actually sit up for more than a minute. I managed to eat a bowl of soup and then sleep for the rest of the day.

Monday and today are even better. I hope to 100% by the weekend. You ask why, because you guessed it, I have to work again this Saturday. I don't want to EVER have to stand in the HOT sun with a 101 fever EVER again.

Besides, my weekend retreat is coming up soon. I need to 100% for a fun filled weekend of scrapping, talking, eating and did I mention scrapping.

Y'all take care now!!

No more playing Nursemaid....

....today is Armand's first day back to work. His doctor's appointment went very well on Friday. He isn't on any medications, hasn't been since the end of April. He isn't going to require any further treatment at all. The only thing left to do is an EEG to make sure there in no seizure activity. If that turns out OK, he can even go back to driving himself around. Talk about being BLESSED.

I have to say, taking care of a sick loved one is the hardest job in the world. I have done it twice now, with 2 very different outcomes. I took care of my mom and now Armand. It is physically and emotionally draining, especially when you are also dealing with other family members. After going through everything that I have taking care of my mother and my husband, you know what, I would do it again in a heartbeat if they needed it. It's what I was suppose to do as a child and as a wife.

The only thing I wouldn't do again is allow my stepdaughter to stay with us. Can you believe after 3 1/2 months, she is still there. She acts like this is here home. This is NOT her home she is a guest, it is time for her to GO!!! The problem is she has no where to go. She knew the day would come when here father would be going back to work and wouldn't need anyone there while I was at work. Do you think she made plans for that day?? NO!!! Well guess what Little Missy , it's time to go!!  hey before you say I'm being to rough on the girl, she is grown, and she walks around MY house without speaking to ME!! She has expressed that SHE has NO DESIRE to have any type of relationship with ME. OK, fine then leave MY house. OK, rant over.

On to some more happy news, I am going here in just a few weeks. I can't wait. My scrapping time has been cut way down for the past few months, so I am excited to get back into the swing of things. My good friend Mye will be joining me. We will be stopping at several LSS on our drive there. I am hoping that they have some of the new Basic Grey goodness at one of the stores we stop at.

OK this post is getting really long, but I don't think it is complete without 1 or 2 pictures. So how about a few from The Taste of Chicago. I did manage to get out and have some fun. I went to the Stevie Wonder concert with a couple of my friends, we had a great time.

I'm out, chat with you later.

****ETA no pictures, I'm having some technical difficulties. I will add them later. 

I really haven't fallen off.....

the face of the Earth. I want to thank those of you that have emailed or called to check on me.Words can't describe what these past few months have been like. I know my last few post were all about my trip to Nashville for Scrap ETC.

I did make it to Nashville, but I didn't stay long. The second day into the event, I had to come home, Armand had a seizure and was in the hospital. Turns out he had a brain tumor. I won't go it to all the details, it's such a long story.  I will tell you that we are so BLESSED. He had surgery 5 days after the seizure and came home 3 days after the surgery. The pathology report came back benign (another HUGE BLESSING). Other than the scar (which is healing) you wouldn't even know that there was anything wrong with him.

I am so happy to have my husband back to his old crabby self. Unfortunately I have to deal with the the fallout that happens when a family goes through a traumatic event like this. Let's just say the relationship between my sister-in-law and I will never be the same. Plus, my stepdaughter has been here for over a month and is staying with us (talk about house guest blues). I just pray for the day when my home is healthy and back to normal.

Somethings are getting back to normal. I have been back to work for almost a month. I didn't leave Armand's side at the hospital until he came home. I have been working like crazy, I have several new projects going at once. One of the biggest things I am working on is class with our Police Department Marine Unit. I get to spend my days on the Lakefront, sometimes even on a boat. Plus I am getting paid to be there.

Is this not a motley looking crew or what? I had such a great time in class with them. We have since moved on to an even crazier group of students. I will be with them until the end of the month.

Let's see, not much else going on. Oh, I did go see Sex and the City. Loved it. I will be stalking Best Buy waiting for it to come out on video. It is a must have, I own all the other  DVD's and I have the soundtrack on my Ipod.  Yes I am a SATC addict.

OK, you have been updated on the last few months of my life. The only thing that I left out was the comfort shopping. My shoe, purse, clothes and scrap supply collections have grown greatly due to my stress levels.
I'll post pictures at a later date.

Really, I out now. Peace.

I didn't think one person could be this tired...

I mention in my last post how much I have been working. I think today was a record for me. I swipe in at 6:58 am and swiped out at 6:20 pm. I should have taken a picture of the Kronos machine as I swiped out. I am sooo tired, I can barely think to write this post.

I am hoping things will get better soon. I just need to settle into a routine. The question is, how do you settle into doing a job that really requires 3 people, that was split between 2, that is now down to 1? Any ideas? We won't be getting a replacement any time soon or at all.

I can't wait until tomorrow, I am walking out the door at 3, no matter what. I am going with a friend of mine to the spa and we are getting massages. Boy do I need it. My neck and shoulders are soooo tight.

I have no real plans for the weekend, just some cleaning in my scraproom. Anybody got any good stuff going on this weekend?

I have to plan a birthday dinner for Armand. His birthday is next week. Speaking of birthdays, I need some gift help. Armand's Aunt is celebrating her 80th birthday next week. They are throwing her a surprise luncheon, we are trying to figure out what to get her. It has to be something really special, she means alot to both Armand and I. Any suggestions?

OK, I can't keep my eyes open much longer.

There is one more thing. Since today is the first day of Spring and the weather is starting to get warmer, I want to leave you ladies with this. Enjoy.

The Open Toe Shoe Pledge

Alright Ladies, it's that time of the year again. Just a friendly reminder!! Please raise your big toes and repeat after me: (The Open Toed Shoe Pledge)...

As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules when I wear sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I promise to always wear sandals that fit. My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free. I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow. I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.

If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.

If I have been privy to the magic that is Foot Soup, I will share that knowledge and experience with the non-initiated.

I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good.

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.

I will promise to go my local beauty school at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are about $10 and worth EVERY penny).

I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear...nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals... Don't keep this to yourself - pass it on to other sisters.

What have I been up to?

Yes, I realize it has been a while since my last update. I truly haven't been lazy and neglecting my blog, I have been working my poor fingers to the bone. What might you ask have I been doing? I'll show what I have been up to.

I am sure that I mentioned that I am going to Scrap Etc. Well we are doing a charm swap. We had to make 82 charms. I have never made any type of jewelry at all. This is the front of my charm.

I used the 1" bazzill chips.I covered them with bazzill paper using the event colors. Then I inked the sides. the front was stamped with the letters "SE", and then covered with stickles. once the stickles dried, I covered it with glossy accents to seal the paper. Then I added some bling. hanging from the bottom are some glass beads in turquoise and clear.

Here is the back view. Pretty much the same as the front, minus the extra bling. Stamped on the back is "08".

I have to tell you, those jump rings and lobster claw clasps were a pain. I ruined my manicure doing those things, but I am so happy with the outcome. Can't wait to get the rest of the charms back.

We are also doing a cocktail swap. It's an 8x8 page with your favorite cocktail recipe on it. We only had to do 8 of those. Here is my page.

My cocktail recipe is Red Sangria.

OK, so I know that really isn't enough to keep me from  my blog for over a month. OK, so I admit, that isn't totally it.

I upgraded my camera. I had the original Canon Digital Rebel 300D , but I now have the Canon Xti 400D . So I have been spending alot of my free time learning my new camera. I am re-reading Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson.

I am also learning CS3. I have had it for a while and I am not very good with it. I have Scott Kelby's 7-point system for photoshop. It has lessons for using photoshop. I have been trying to do 1 lesson a week. So far it has been very helpful. Plus I have what I call the CS3 bible, The Adobe photoshop CS3 book for digital photographers.  I think between these 2 books, CS3 will no longer be a mystery to me. Oh wait, did that rhythm?

Not satisfied that I still have been to busy to update. how about we are short one person in our office and I have been assigned to pick up his workload. I have been working 8-10 hour days for the past month.  That's not really the bad news. The bad news is we won't be getting a replacement. Can you say more mental health days for me.

Tagged

I was tagged a few days ago by Lu , so here goes.

So, here are the rules...

    Link to your tagger and post these 3 rules on your blog:

        * Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
        * Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
        * Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are my 7

        1. I have an unusual obsession with the Kennedy's. I have seen every documentary that has aired on             the history channel about them. When the Jackie Kennedy Onassis collection was on display                 here at the Field Museum, I had Armand take me since no of my friends wanted to go. I am now                 working my way through the books written about them.

         2. I like weird food combinations. One of my favorites is hot dill pickles and BBQ potato chips.

         3. When I was in first grade and we did all our scholastic testing, my parents were told I was a gifted             child. They wanted to send me to a school for gifted children, my parents said no because they                  wanted me to grow up normal with my friends. I stayed at my regular school and was placed in the             accelerated classed.

         4. I am a terrible speller. I carry 2 dictionaries and a pocket thesaurus.

         5. I am very passionate about things I believe in, so please don't get me on my soapbox, if you don't             want to hear my mouth.

        6. I am deathly afraid of snakes. I am so scared of them that I can't even look at them on television or             in a picture. I am one of those people that if I ever came across a snake in real life, I would                         probably have a heart attack and die right there.

        7. I can't sleep if my feet get cold, so I sleep in fleece footies all year round.

I am not tagging anyone, because everyone I know that blogs has done this tag at least once.

That's all for tonight folks.

Peace out