Scrappy goodness

Yesterday was a crappy day at work. I was just not feeling it. I'm not really feeling it today either, but I'm one day closer to seeing my fabulous friends from opt school (ann, annie and ree are coming to h-town for a weekend visit! can't wait!). So I was most happy to receive some Love, Elsie fun stuff in the mail! Now I just need time to scrap!
I love those stamps! I think I should venture into the cardmaking area and make some fun thank you cards with those. I am way overdue for bday thanks.
I am also very tired this morning. I think it may have something to do with getting up before the sun has risen (4:45 AM) and running 6 miles. You think?

Back to the grind.
For some reason blogger is not allowing me to insert titles, so I will have to make due. I am just trying to get back into the swing of things. I think the past 6 days off is the longest vacation I have had since we went to Costa Rica for Christmas. And I have enjoyed every second of it (well, except the wasted time travelling on Sunday and Monday).
We got our goal for July and it seems very doable, which is nice. Hopefully things will be a bit quieter over the rest of the summer before it picks up again.
Joe and I ran "hills" this morning - and by hills I mean up the parking garage at the gym. I can't believe how hot and humid it was at 5 am this morning. Certainly not the nice cool weather we enjoyed in Maine.
I guess I should post some pictures soon - I just haven't been motivated...

"Your flight is delayed." Those are the 4 dreaded words any traveller loathes to hear. Especially when they are on the way home. Our 2 pm flight out of Portland, ME didn't leave until 5 pm for Newark. So we obviously missed our 4:30 pm flight back home. We tried to go standby on the 8pm-delayed-until-9:20om flight but it was overfull. So we stayed at the Ramada Inn by the airport, where I am convinced that I got bitten by bedbugs, and took the 8:35am-delayed-until-9:30am flight out of Newark to Houston. The trip home from hell.



I am glad to be back and have actually gotten a few things done - Target and groceries. But I am one tired chica. I love travelling - visiting family, seeing new things, eating good food - everything about it except for the actual travel part. I wish I could be a genie and blink my way to our destination. But, alas, we live in the real world and genies do not exist. I guess we just need to remember to take the earliest morning flight out we can and to avoid Newark airport at all costs. Just little tips to make the travelling less stresful.

A rare day off

I always feel like I don't have many weekends off. This is probably because in May we were gone the first weekend and then I worked the last three. And June we worked 2 in a row. But, including last weekend, I will have 3 weekends off in a row! Unfortunately this is the only one here at home and techinically I still am working for a bit tomorrow morning.

I love travelling and the such, but being at home is a good thing too. The only thing I wish is that my sister were closer so I could see her more often. I think she is still having a hard time with losing the baby. Mom called her today and apparently upset her; I think she probably just wishes Mom were with her instead of across the world in Taiwan. At least that's how I would feel. I will call her tomorrow and hope she is feeling better.

Indecision

I am having scrapper's block. Too many products to use up, too little time!

Note to self- remember to call Ting tonight...

Yikes

I can't believe this is the last week in June. This is probably repetitive, but where does the time go?!?! I remember summer days that were so long I ran out of things to do and the common theme was, "Mom, I'm bored!" Those days are long gone and I wish to have so much time as to be bored! These days are filled to the rim - with what (besides work), I am not sure, but every day seems to go by faster and faster. Why can't it slow down?

I'm off to the doc this morning before going into work. I have some kind of benign cyst in my left breast that I need to have removed but haven't gotten to it yet. So I think they are going to scold me and make me go to a surgeon. Ugh. Who has time for surgery? I guess I keep putting it off because it doesn't seem like anything serious but I need to get this taken care of. Wish me luck!

Sad day

John called me this afternoon at lunch...Clementine is sick and won't survive. Ting is very distraught and I am upset as well. I've never heard John cry so naturally I started crying when he did. I am still not exactly sure what is wrong - just a test came back that she has some kind of rare disorder or that she is not developing normally. I was so looking forward to becoming an auntie. I guess we just won't have a golden piglet this year :(

In other, more-random-and-not-as-life-affecting news, I am experiencing allergies like never before tonight. Itchy eyes, nose and throat, congested nose and sneezing. Ugh - it sucks! Hopefully things will be drier in Lubbock tomorrow. Otherwise I really need to get some allergy medication.

Off to Lubbock in the AM. Yee haw.

Summer is here!

Today is the official start of summer (I think). Not that it hasn't already felt like it. I went running this morning and was sweating by the time I left the house! We had such a mild spring that I forgot how miserable and muggy the weather can be here. I keep telling myself it's good for my skin.

Joe has a half-Ironman this weekend up by Lubbock. We were going to road trip up there, but he luckily found some frequent flier tickets - so for 40,000 miles and $40 we are flying. Thank goodness. Road trips always seem cool in theory to me, but the reality of them usually sucks. Especially the drive home.

That's all for now. I guess I should get out of my stinky running clothes and jump in the shower!

Long week

Working 6 days plus one hour on the 7th makes for one tired girl.

It's been a long week

Today is only Thursday and I still have 4 more days to work. Sunday isn't a full day, but I still have to go in to see the one day post-ops. At least I have been in my scrapping groove and even busted out a page today in less than one hour! Having a kit with ideas definitely helps. I broke down and am subscribing to Poppy Ink and One Page at a Time. I love all the new stuff that is coming out and am also getting inspiration to use my stash. Love love love.

Yum

I just ate the best chocolate chip cookie ever. It was from Barnaby's, a hole-in-the-wall-ish place that is 2 blocks from our house. It was huge and the entire middle was basically all chocolate. Definitely worth the calories. When Joe gets back, we are starting a major life style change (I don't want to call it a diet, because I hate diets) of eating more healthy. Joe already does, and I usually do, but I almost always break down at work and have a few cookies because I have the munchies. No more of that, starting June 15th! Maybe I will be able to see my abs by the end of the summer...

It was only the battery

I called BMW roadside assistance to bring the car to the dealer. The driver thought it was just the battery so when he checked it, he discovered that the connections were loose. So he tightened them up and she's running again. Woo hoo. That was much easier than I expected. Now I won't be late for work (not that I minded) and I can at least go to yoga tonight :).

Scrap record

I have completed 12 layouts this weekend! Definitely a record for me. And I didn't really plan anything either - just kind of scrapped by the seat of my pants, which is what I usually do (in scrapping and in life in general!). Just think how productive I could be if I planned out my layouts in advanced. I have before, but thinking about it takes too much effort sometimes. One of my major faults in laziness (and not far behind is procrastination).

Other than scrapping I have not done much this weekend. It's over and I still don't really have much food in the fridge. All the errands I was planning on running today were put on the back burner since my car isn't working. Tomorrow I am going to call the tow truck first thing in the morning to take my car to the dealer. This is a real pain in the ass, but I guess I shouldn't worry about what I can't control.

I did get out of the house for a couple hours today to go to Costco with Darryl and Danny. I got lots of chicken so now I just need to pick up some veggies before Joe returns home on Tuesday. Hopefully the car will be fixed by then.

Off to bed. Good night!

Nothing to do but scrap.

I was all ready to go to yoga this morning when...the beemer wouldn't start. Ugh! I called my friend Joe W. to help me. He thought it was either the battery or the alternator. When he came over, we tried to jump start it, but the engine wouldn't turn over. So we think it's the alternator. Which means I have to call the wrecker (luckily is free with my extended warranty) and take it in to the shop tomorrow morning.

I don't mind not being able to go anywhere. Now I have an excuse not to go the the grocery store! Of course, living on cereal and cherries is probably not the most nutritious thing...

So I have been on a scrapping roll. I have completed 5 1 page layouts and a 2 page spread. I have really been jonesin to scrap so call me a Scrappy Camper!

Another fun quiz:
A SNAPSHOT OF ME AT THIS MOMENT
Yourself: stranded :)
Your Partner: travelling
Your Hair: short but growing out
Your Mother: inspiration
Your Father: hard-working
Your Favorite Item: camera
Your Dream Last Night: about my friend Matt B - miss him!
Your Favorite Drink: Ice cold water
Your Dream Car: M5
Dream Home: clean
The Room You Are In: office/guest room/storage area
Your Fear: being to old to have babies
Where You Want to be in Ten Years: a mommy
Who You Hung Out With Last Night: me, myself and I
You're Not: insecure
One of Your Wish List Items: travel to Australia
The Last Thing You Did: scrapped
You Are Wearing: one of my pink yoga outfits
Your Favorite Weather: 80 degrees, sunny and low humidily
Your Favorite Book: too many - The Lord of the Rings
Last Thing You Ate: big bowl of cherries
Your Life: busy
Your Mood: calm
Your Best Friend: Ting/Shaila/Joe/Bill
What Are You Thinking About Right Now: scrapping some more
Your Car: steel blue BMW 330i that won't start
What Are You Doing At The Moment: surfing
Relationship Status: happily married

I should make a layout with these quizzes I do!

A month to remember

May was a whirlwind. Not as enjoyable as usual, mostly because I spent the majority either at work or some work related function (i.e. 3 out of 4 weekends were working weekends). Not fun. I didn't even get to my AYTR layout! So this month I want to TAKE TIME for some creativity, everyday that I can. I need to spend less time surfing the web and more time DOING. Like Nike says, JUST DO IT!

Call me Auntie!

My Tinger is preggers!!! She is due around Thanksgiving. I can't believe it! More to come later.

What happened to May????

It's already over. I can't believe it! I think I spent so much time at work or recovering from work that I didn't have time to enjoy it. Spending 3 of 4 weekend of the month on work doesn't leave you with much time for anything else!

At least I have a long weekend starting now! I am flying to Montreal with Mom and we are meeting Ting there. A fun girl's trip - I can't wait. I guess I should finish packing now...

Memorial Day

was a blast as usual. The weather was overcast for most of the day but we did get a wee bit of sun in the afternoon. Unfortunately it poured down rain yesterday so Joe's triathlon was cancelled. And I am still trying to recover today. Now I am just gearing up for work.

Happiness is

...being back at home after a long, working weekend over your birthday. To make matters worse, when I was feeling sorry for myself I reminisced to this time LAST year - we were in LA grooving to a live Madonna concert! How things change in a year!

Joe was very sweet and cooked a yummy and healthy salmon dinner for us last night. I am lucky to have a such a wonderful husband.

I am so looking forward to Lake Travis next weekend. Just gotta get through this week!

Happy Birthday to me!

Although I don't like the idea of getting older, I do like the idea of birthdays and birthday parties. We celebrated mine a little early this year since I will be with work peeps on my actual birthday.

Joe organized a dinner for me and my boys (and LT) at Mo Mong. We had a couple drinks at Guava Lamp afterwards. Low key but good times catching up with my favorite boys!

Getting older sucks

I have a bday in 4 days, but we're celebrating a bit earlier because I will be in Dallas for a work conference (ugh!). I am looking forward to seeing all my friends, but today I literally woke up on the wrong side of my head. I cannot turn my head to the left at all, so I feel like an old man, turning my whole body when I need to look that way. Dr. M prescribed something for muscle spasms, so hopefully that will help and I also saw the chiropractor today but I think this will take a little time to recover. I did this a few years ago as well...just slept on it funny and paid for it later. Ugh!

Three posts in one day

I just spent three hours at the jury room only to be told to go home. While I am glad I didn't get picked to serve on a trial that could go on for an infinite amount of time, I was a little disappointed as well. But I'm glad I had the day off - I really needed some down time to just hang out at home and scrap and not be hung over!
There is so much inspiration out there these days. I love it!
But all good things must come to an end and I must clean up my mess before my baby returns home.

self portrait challenge

Fun challenge from EF's blog. This photo is obviously edited to death, but I love it!

Doing my civic duty

I have a jury summons for this afternoon. While it is a little of a pain, I do get to miss work for a day (and hopefully only a day) and participate in our legal system. While I think being on a jury would be interesting, we have too much going on at work for me to miss more than a day. So we'll see!

In other news, I am finally recovered from my drunkeness this weekend. Marc, Darah, Richard and I met up with Amy and Co at a newish bar called Etro, located right behind Sliders. They played cool 80's music all night (Hold Back the Rain (Duran2), Have in Mind (Cetu Javu) were two of my favorites) and we had many drinks and a couple of redheaded slut shots (Jaeger and red bull). Those shots are what did me in. And not drinking very much over the past few months. I yakked outside of Marc's car (while sitting in the front seat - at least I didn't yak in the car!) and I also yakked when I got home, but that definitely helped my feel better-ish the next day.

I also got some happy mail yesterday! My Poppy Ink Kit and add-on, Cafe Prima flowers and the June CK. Fun fun fun!

When the cat the away

the mouse gets very lonely! Joe with his mom in Phoenix visiting his Gram, Grandpa and Aunt Nancy. They left Wednesday night and he will be back Sunday afternoon. So I have been working, some scrapping, watching TV, and generally making a mess of the house. Luckily we are only working half a day today so I have time to clean up before he gets home.

I found another cute Q+A during my blog surfing. One day I may put some of these onto a scrapbook page!

Two Names I Go by: e and yarbs (nickname from my sister, don't ask)
Two Things I am Wearing Right Now: nightgown and Crocs
Two Things I Want (or have) in a Relationship: laughter and honesty
Two of My Favorite Things to do: scrap and visit with friends and family
Things I Want Very Badly At The Moment: shhhh....don't tell Joe, but I have major baby fever
Two pets I have: none...maybe we should get a furbaby first?
Two things I did last night: ate dinner at Collina's with Marc and Darah; laughed until I almost cried
Two things I ate today: since it's very early, I have had 2 pieces of toast with butter and jam
Two people I just talked to last: Joe and Marc
Two Things I'm doing tomorrow: working and kissing Joe when he arrives home
Two longest car rides: from Arlington to Angel Fire, New Mexico and From Arlington, TX to Colorado; both for ski trips with my parents when I was a mere teenager
aTwo Favorite Holidays: New Year's Eve and Memorial Day (spend fun times with friends)
Two favorite beverages: Propel and Absolut Tonic

This is fun stuff!

Back to the real world

Our vacation in Cancun was fabulous! We played in the ocean, napped on the beach, hung out by the pools, got massages and facials, ran, ate yummy food, watched the sun rise and set, shopped, worked out, parasailed and snorkeled. A whole lot of nothing, really, which is the best kind of vacation.

The best part: hard to say, but I was most surprised when we got on the plane and our seats were 3A + B - in first class. I wish I could fly first class all the time!

And we're off!

Of course Joe got up at the crack (before 5am!!!!) to ride his bike. And I just lazed around and surfed the internet. But we're on vacation - woo hoo! I have just an hour to get ready so toodles until Monday or Tuesday!

5 Years ago my Joey and I gave ourselves to each other! Yay us!

One more day

I know I'm supposed to appreciate the little things in life and take joy in the mundane. And overall I think I do (except those times when work stresses me out - but that happens to everyone). But I am so excited to take this little getaway with Joe - I hope this helps us reconnect some more. Between work, school and training we don't just hang out and BE and this is what I want to do over the weekend. No plans, no agenda, just the two of us on the beach! And just one more day before we get there - woot woot!

Tired today

My allergies are making me feel very run down today. I skipped yoga because I just wasn't feeling it. All I really want to do is go to sleep. But I haven't finished packing for our trip yet so maybe I'll just take a little nap before Joe gets home.

One word at a time

Found this on some random blogs as I was surfing. Fun stuff.

1. Yourself? Sleepy
2. Your boyfriend/girlfriend? Husband
3. Your hair? Short
4. Your mother? the best
5. Your father? quiet
6. Your favorite thing? chocolate
7. Your dream last night? deep sleep
8. Your favorite drink? Propel
9. Your dream car? BMW 5 series
10. Room you're in? stuffed
11. Fear? illness
12. What you want to be in 10 years? momma
13. Muffins? blueberry
14. Who you hung out with last night? Joe
15. What you're not? Organized
16. Time? 8:43 PM
17. What you're wearing? shorts
18. Favorite weather? spring
19. Favorite book? Lord of the Rings
20. Last Thing You Ate? Cliff bar
21. Worst vice? procrastination
22. Best friend(s)? Joe and Ting
23. Thinking about right now? need to stop surfin'
24. Car you drive? BMW
25. Your life? Can't complain

A month to remember

Yay - it's May. My favorite month of the year, mostly because it's my birth month and it's my wedding month. Woot woot! We are off to Cancun on Friday so I am going to be positive the rest of the week and not stress about work too much.

We partially made our goal this month - the first time this year! So at least momma will be getting a mini bonus to help pay for the Tory Burch Patent Leather totes she just purchased! I bought one in black and one in white - one for Tinger and one for myself. I missed the UPS guy yesterday but called them and they will be delivering to work on Wednesday.

I got some happy mail last week and yesterday as well. My second Heidi Swapp package with lots of yummy goodness.

I also got the Ali Edwards KOTM fro CK, last week. I've read some negative stuff about the cute stamps so I think I will try them out for myself.

Too bad we will be gone for National Scrapbooking Day this Saturday, but I think I'll take Cancun. :)

The end of the month blues

The last week of the month is always crazy busy at work and when I really dislike my job the most. I need to keep reminding myself that it works in phases and is not always so bad. But of course today is going to be a hectic day and 1 - I didn't sleep very well and 2 - my throat is killing me. I'm hoping it's just allergies and I can pick up some claritin at Walgreen's to make me feel better. But I want to be good by the end of the week, when we fly to Cancun - woo hoo! (I need to keep reminding myself that good things are around the corner and make this a year to remember!)

Madonnarama

Billy Boo was in town this past weekend! We went to the Madonnarma at South Beach Saturday night.


We danced the night away. I MAY have had a little too much to drink (those redheaded sluts will do it to you every time!).

Here are me and some of my favorite boys. Aren't we cute!

Addicted to LOST

I still love this show although nothing seems to get resolved and things get more twisted. I love it love it. I think I enjoy the process of learning about the characters more than anything.

The end of an era

Sanjaya is gone! Thank goodness - he was a sweet kid but man he needs some more practice! I was worried vote for the best would win and that would be the end of Idol!

Stuff of Life

I'm taking yet another online class. This just direct thru scrapper Nichol Magouirk. She designs for KI Memories, Creative Imaginations and others. I was immediately attracted to to colors of the mini book she had on her blog and since she was offering at a class, signed up immediately! This class is different from BPS in that she sent us a class kit to make exactly what she made, which I love. So I am going to be having fun creating this book this month!

On a random, sad note, my heart goes to the families to lost loved ones at Virginia Tech today. What a waste of life. I can't believe something like this still happens - what would possess a person to shoot more that 30 people before taking his own life. I just don't understand it. Cherish the life you have and live every day to its fullest. Things can always be so much worse.

Yesterday

was a beautiful day. After going into work briefly, Joe and I made our yummy breakfast

of eggs with veggies and steel cut oats with blueberries. Then I went to the museum with Marc and Richard.

We spent about 2 hours there, just tooling around. Marc bought me a McFlurry for a snack - can't go wrong with chocolate and soft serve!

We dropped Richie off at home and met Marc W and Joe for lunch at Mission Burrito. D met us there for a little bit. After lunch we met up with Ken, Peg, Chad, Amanda and Johnny at Onion Creek in the Heights. So we saw a little bit of everyone yesterday.

The humidity is very low these days, which is why the air feels so good. I guess we should enjoy it before summer hits us full force! I'm hoping this weather will keep up through next weekend when Bill is in town and we go to the Madonnarama at South Beach!

My new thing

I traditionally wear brown eyeliner, blush and maybe some lip color over my chapstick when I go to work in the morning. But this new mascara I bought a few months ago is fabulous. I have short stubby eyelashes, but this actually makes my eyes pop a little. And it doesn't smudge, even after a hot, sweaty yoga session, yet it comes off easily with make up remover. So here is my plug for the day - Cover Girl Volume Exact Mascara ROCKS.

Joe is crazed.

This photo is not from today, but it might as well be. He woke up is morning this early to run for 1 hour. This is so that he can get to UofH to swim by 5:45. Then he will be at work in the morning and golfing with Mike, his former boss, in the afternoon. I should have taken a picture of everything he brought with him to work. Like 4 bags (swim bag, accessories bag, work bag and golf bag) and 2 lunches. Good grief. This working out and eating right requires a lot of energy and bags (apparently)! It's enough to make me want to eat some chocolate and go back to bed.

Sanjaya!

Still lives! He may actually make it to the top 5 - I cannot believe this! Is America great :)!!!

Scrappy mood

I have so much scrap stuff - I have probably been hoarding for at least 3 years. So I am finally learning to use all those embellishments I got in my kits (KNK, Scrapbook Obsessions and AMM). I have enough paper to make a thousand or more layouts, probably, and yet I still buy more! What is wrong with me?!?!

Monday is movie day

over at Kurt and Mike's. Apparently the boys had a crunked up night at TMC. I wished I had been there just for the photo ops!

We watched Children of Men (very good, although a little heavy and depressing) and Eragon (entertaining, but predictable) but had to leave abruptly because the alarm was going off upstairs. But it was a false alarm.

I got some happy mail from my Stuff of Life class today. Looks like fun! I may post pictures tomorrow.

Good night for now :)

Catch up Sunday

How did we spend our Easter? Relaxing at home and catching up on our, well, my favorite tv shows. Sundays seem to go much slower when we are not at Berry Hill!

Brrrrrrrrrr

The temperature is around 41 degrees today. What happened to spring?!?! Joe and I got manis and pedis, bought a noise machine from Sharper Image, bought house stuff at Target, bought flip flops from J Crew (me), Chuck Taylors from the Gap (J), shorts from Nordstroms (J), face stuff from Lancome (me) and Clinique (J), ate lunch at Brown Bag Deli and grocery shopped. And we were home by 1:30 pm. That's a productive morning!
I skipped yoga this morning because I am having issues with my right hamstring - it doesn't want to stretch. Ugh.
Now we still have to whole afternoon to goof off. Joe is taking a well-deserved nap right now. I am debating on joining him or scrapping...I think I may get some paper and glue out right now!

I love spring

and getting to leave work early!

Today was a pretty slow day so I got to play hookey - woo hoo! I feel like it's a well-deserved break.

We're having sushi for dinner tonight - yums!

Now, off to play :)

This photo of our house was taken this time last year, but the sentiment is the same. Leaves are growing, days are longer...life is good.

I love my mom...

But she sometimes stresses me out! We made plans for a girls trip to Montreal the weekend of June 8th. Apparently that weekend happens to be the same weekend of some Formula One race, so EVERY SINGLE HOTEL in town is booked up. The natural course of events is to change weekends, which is what Ting suggested we do. Mom freaked out, saying it was impossible and that we wouldn't be able to. So I called AA and got the same flights, just the weekend before. Since the tickets were less expensive, we ended up breaking even. At least that little drama was taken care of! I am looking forward to the summer. We have lots of little weekends planned.

Now it's time for bed!

Digital is great...

...but nothing beats having photos in your hand. Maybe it's the tactile sensation, but for me looking at photos on the computer still doesn't compare. When we bought our first digital camera, this huge Kodak, I remember thinking, now I don't have to have any prints and we can just look at the pictures on the computer! Unfortunately one of our hard drives crashed and I have lost many photos some certain events (a birthday at La Strada, a visit to Phoenix). That, and re-discovering my love of scrapbooking, has brought me full circle.

Yes, take as many pictures as you need to with the digital camera (I have since upgraded to a Nikon D50 - love it! as well as a Canon point and shoot) but get those photos printed. Not every single one, but lots of them. You don't need to scrap all of them, but I always like browsing through photo albums.

















I love this photo of my parents from their wedding. They look so young. Well, I guess they were so young! Digital has made it possible for me to save this picture well into the future, but I still had it printed out. This is definitely one for the favorite photo scrapbook.

Fun mail

I am addicted to scrapping supplies. I have done good and not joined any monthly clubs for almost a year (I broke down and finally got on the list for Poppy Ink - they have the cutest kits and I couldn't resist). I also loved this flower kit from Cafe Pima, so I joined for 6 months. Fun stuff.

I have been inspired by this two pea, Subbacultcha, and she uses lots of flowers and embellies, which is what prompted the buy. That, and I love to shop. The internet makes it too easy! But hey, what's a little flowers to make someone happy?

Iron Joe!

We have had a long but exciting day today. As you can see, we were up at the crack of dawn to drive to Galveston for his half-Ironman. Although the conditions in the water and on the bike were windy and rainy, Joe raced a record day! He was 7th out of the water at 30:56, with a 2:19 transition onto the bike. He finished the 56-mile bike route in 2:33:55 with a 1:05 transition to the run. He completed the half-marathon in 1:40:04, a record time for him!

His finish time was 4:48:22, placing him 6th in his age group out of 66 total competitors and 19th place overall out of 417 total competitors! I am so proud of him. I guess his hours of training, strict diet and no alcohol has really paid off!

TGIF

...even though I must work tomorrow - blah!! My back/butt started hurting again yesterday - must pay attention to posture and stretches!! I am enjoying yoga again so I don't want to stop but I just need to be more careful.

Joe and I have been getting up at the crack to run in the mornings. He is a crazed, obsessed boy. I am anxious for him to do well on his half-Ironman in Galveston on Sunday. THAT would be very good positive reinforcement that NO DRINKING is a good thing! I am so proud of him this month - I need to go pick him up a little surprise for his race and for his dedication.

That's all for now. I am just gearing myself up for a crazy busy day.

Yoga does a body good

Today was the 4th day in a row that I practiced yoga. A record for me! And I feel pretty good. My back definitely isn't hurting as much, if at all, and I was finally able to get into some twisty poses myself today. I am back!

Paper junkie

I think I have more patterned paper than I could ever use in my lifetime. In multiple lifetimes. And I want more! My problem stems from the fact that I love pretty colors and patterns but I want to use them for the "perfect layout." Unfortunately none of my layouts are perfect so I just end up hoarding the paper. I need to use what I have.

I promised myself I wouldn't buy any more paper or embellishments until I made 50 layouts. That promise has be (somewhat) kept. Now, really NO MORE PAPER until at least 100 layouts/projects made. Now that I have this in print somewhere, I need to be honest. (And the no more paper doesn't count the new Love, Elsie papers I just preordered ;) !!)

Fun stuff

Photo a day

My goal this month has been to take a picture of me and my sweetie every day. We've done great so far - it helps that we've been working out together some mornings so we have been having breakfast together and leaving for work together. Although you don't change very much in one month, I like to see how we just slightly different everyday.

good times with good friends

My good friend Cindy is in town this weekend. She flew in 'cause she got some free tickets to the Scissor Sisters show on Friday night. Unfortunately I couldn't spend any time with her yesterday because I worked all day (blah) but we did have dinner with 15 of our closest friends at Dolce Vita. After much food and drinks (they have the BEST chocolate espresso martinis there - I actually had 2!), we went to The Flat for a drink. The bar was a little slow but we got to catch up some. Darryl and Cindy went home and Marc, Matt and I headed to Guava Lamp for more drinks and merriment. The boys dropped me off at home around 1:45 this morning; Joe actually woke up at 4:45 to get ready for his half marathon (ugh - better him than me!).

Unfortunately I am definitely feeling the effects of the glass of wine, 2 martinis and 2 vodka tonics I had last night. I am drinking water and trying to get my a$$ up and going - need to hit the grocery store and yoga before Joe gets home. I hope I can make it through yoga - I think an aspirin and some coffee should be the answer!

Losing my mojo

Don't know why

Haven't been feeling like bloggin' lately

Still reading all my scrappy blogs

Those girls are so clever and witty

Me, not so much.

But it's all good.

I'm having a year to remember.

U and ur hand!

My new favorite song by pink!

Not everyone understands house music

It's a spiritual thing

It's a body thing

It's a soul thing.

This is me, shakin' it at our first visit to the Roxy in New York. Got to love those zebra pants and the platforms!

I love AI

Although the boys were kind of sucky last night, the girls rocked it tonight. Last year I loved the boys much better. This year the girls rule!

Bad blogger

I am so lazy - I get out of the habit of doing something and it's hard to get back in. I think it's the guilt thing. So I need to let go of the guilt and just DO IT!

I am (finally) working on the journaling class that I took last year at BPS. I really would like to add more words to my scrapbook pages. Although I love just creating a fun layout, I want to leave a little something behind. If anything were to ever happen to me (knock on wood), I want to people I hold nearest and dearest to my heart how much they mean to me.

My first is to scrapbook this photo. I love this photo. It reminds me of more carefree days, with some of my best friends in the whole world. I don't get to see Shaila or Varsh enough (luckily I see Bill at least once or twice a year) but I love them forever. We look so happy and carefree, but why are we wearing those ties??

Procrastination

should be my middle name. I am THE worst at getting stuff done. Whether it be house chores or stuff I like - I have good intentions in my mind but sometimes they just never get done!

In my choose joy class, we are making a layout about 100 things we are grateful for. I am currently working on that list. But she also wants us to keep a gratitude journal and write a sentence or 2 about what we were grateful for that day. So my gratitude for last night (for some reason I was totally grumpy yesterday and couldn't fall asleep) is the ice pack that makes my back feel better. I slack on the stretches but I like the feel of cold on my back.

Today I am going to CHOOSE JOY and be a more pleasant person at work. (I think it's hard because sometimes, like today, I just dread work!! Ugh!) Wish me luck!

Scrapaholic

I am obsessed. Really I just want to make layout after layout. I put myself on a spending freeze, but that really didn't work out. I have been buying a lot of stamps - I am addicted to clear acrylic stamps. I trekked out to Archiver's in Katy yesterday. Bought 2 sets of fun stamps. I haven't been buying any patterned paper because I REALLY need to use up what I have. And when Elsie's stuff comes out I want it all!! It's too cute - especially her skull stamp. Can't wait for it to be released!
I think scrapping is like therapy for me. Even better because it is (relatively) cheaper and I have a finished product at the end!
Now I'm going to my other obsession - American Idol!

Day off

Today is gong to be a shopping and scrapping day. I already finished one layout about my trip to NYC with Tinger. Fun fun fun!

It's a vicious cycle

I have fallen out of blogging lately. I find that the less I write the less I feel like writing. And the less I feel like I have to write. This blog is really just for me to ramble and to look back on my own ramblings. I guess life is just getting in the way.
I watched Lost today. Love love love that show. I can see how people may get annoyed at how there is so much stuff going on and we don't have any real answers to what's going on with the island, but I am so enjoying the process of getting to know the characters. IMHO, that's the strength of the show - how the writers develop each character. I love that! Of course I would like to know exactly why the others are the way they are, etc, etc, but I like meandering along the way. Usually the meandering is more fun than what happens in the end - I find that endings can sometimes be disappointing. Case in point - I loved Desperate Housewives when we were trying to figure out why the one killed herself. But once that was solved, it just became a melodrama to me. So I stopped watching. But Lost I could watch for a long time.

Too many things in my head

So I just feel totally disorganized. Tomorrow I will get organized...yeah, famous last words!

Time goes by so slowly...

for those who wait...no time to hesitate...those who run seem to have all the fun...(madonna is a wise woman).

Where have I been the past 2 weeks? Swamped with work, American Idol, A Year to Remember and Fashion Week at Bryant Park, NYC!

I got back last night from New York. Ting and I spent 5 fabulous days shopping, drinking lots of coffee, bonding with Bill and Juan, freezing our a$$e$ off in the below 20-degree weather, seeing lots of new fashion, coveting bags and enjoying each other's company. I love my sister!

Our new OD, Dr. Thai, is leaving us so I will be working all by myself the last 2 weeks of the month...NOT fun, but what can you do? He is so sweet and will be missed!

I am falling behind on my scrap projects...got to get it together.

Overall life is good. Joe is really starting his ironman training and so he is always either hungry or tired and I kind of miss him, but hopefully we'll get back into our routine.

That's enough randomness for one night. Ciao for now!

Beautiful day

Not a cloud in the sky today, if you can believe it. Living in Houston gives one a weird sense of the seasons. It stays unseasonalby (sp?) warm until Oct-Nov. It cools down a bit for a week or two but then warms up again in December. And the rain start in January. And it does stay cooler. Under 60 or 50. But it doesn't really stay cold for a long period of time. Just long enough for me to want to buy a new winter coat that I only wear once or twice. Good thing I haven't in the past year (maybe two, but I think Joe got me a cute pink corduroy jacket from the Gap last year). I have also tried to refrain from buying more sweaters, because again they are only worn a few times, at most, throughout the winter.
I got my Heidi Swapp calendar today! Fun fun fun! I am just waiting to get my photos from Snapfish so I can finish my January layout. I am definitely on scrapping mode lately!
Friday tomorrow - thank goodness. Unfortunately Saturday is a work day too, but the week always seems to go by faster when I am off on Monday. Laters.

bad blogger!

The weather has been damp, cold, and dreary. My mood has not, but I have definitely been in chill out mode, especially after this past Sunday. We were ridiculous and spent it out at Berry Hill, JR's, The Mine and Kirt and Mike's. Any of our usual Sunday spots. We had much fun, though!

I have been inspired to scrap lately. I am just eagerly stalking Fed Ex for my Heidi Swapp kit!!

Nothing exciting to report. Over and out.

Whew!

Last week one of my favorite boys ever turned 40!! 40!! We don't seem like we should be that age. I guess perception and reality are 2 different things.

Anyways, we're having a belated party for him at Heather and Karolos' tonight. Happy birthday D! Love you!

We're going to party like it's a snow day

{accompanied by requisite cheesy dance}

So the weather has been pretty cold and rainy here. Almost freezing. I guess freezing enough for work to be cancelled! Woo hoo! I love a free day off! I am inspired to scrap so am going to work on darryl's album and maybe a few pages of my own!

P.S. Idol just started last night. I was crabby until I realized what night it was. The first city was Minneapolis. Prince's home did NOT have a lot of talent!

I {heart} Heidi!

One of my scrapping goals this year is to do 50 layouts before buying anymore scrappin' stuff (i.e. paper, embellishments, etc. Tools such as stamps or punches don't count - a girl's got to live a little, after all!). So our assignment this week for YTR was to scrap our goal for the year. Mine is to decorate the house, but I have not taken any pictures yet. But I was inspired to use her techniques to make a scrapbook page about our friends. And I love it! Ahh, I wish I could be a SAHS (stay-at-home-scrapper)!

I got sucked in

By the TV tonight. I am a sucker for Law & Order: SVU and then I stumbled on my old favorite, SITC. So I spent the evening watching while playing sudoki. Oh well, there are worse things I could do. It's nice to veg and not think about anything.

Eugene, on old family friend and orthopedic surgeon, prescribed a Medrol dose pack. I'm hoping this will help with the pain.

Off to bed. I really need to start writing more - I think I missed my year anniversary of bloggin'!!

It's cold today! I ran for about 30 minutes in running pants, a long sleeved dri-fit AND a windbreaker. And my hands were STILL cold! I love the way crisp cold air feels, though. Somehow cleaner than the muggy air that's the norm here in H-town.

I am inspired to decorate today. I love being able to go online and scope out what I like so that I can find the things in store. I think it's going to be a crate and barrel day after my doctors appointment.

Well, I'm off the enjoy the day. Gotta take advantage of my days off because work is going to be CRAZEEE the rest of the month. (We're already behind!!)

A week already over

Here's to a great week. We had a productive and fun filled first week of January. We are in the process of trying to rennovate and rent out our upstairs unit as well as the garage apartment. The new coat of paint did wonders as will some new carpet. I have a feeling the garage apartment will rent first.

Alan and Patrick are visiting this week as well. We are going to dinner on Tuesday.

Here is a just a fun pic of me and my boy on NYE. I gotta start taking more daily pics.

5 reasons that I want to finish decorating the house:

1 - we've lived here over 1 year and it's still not done

2 - i am tired of looking at blank walls

3 - i want to tidy up the clutter

4 - i want to be able to lounge on the floor more comfortably

5 - i want an excuse to buy some new stuff!

i am going to take some before pictures of each room this week. and will slowly make each room into the after that i'm dreaming of! woo hoo!

Words to live by

Found this on the BPS website. I love that they have a new quote every day. I really need to take this to heart.

Guard well your spare moments. They are like uncut diamonds. Discard them and their value will never be known. Improve them and they will become the brightest gems in a useful life.
― Ralph Waldo Emerson

My happy colors

Found this from a link thru Stacy J's blog. I love bright, happy colors. So I guess I'm not the most sophisticated person in the world. I'm ok with that. I'd rather be happy :)

I am so looking forward to my haircut today, although I'm not sure what I want to do with it. And this afternoon Joe and I are doing a spring cleaning. We definitely need it!

Motivation

Lorna, our renter upstairs, moved out over Christmas so now we are renovating before the next potential tenants move in. We got it ready to be painted tomorrow and cleaned as well. A very exciting Friday night indeed!

I have lost my scrappin' mojo and I am looking for inspiration. I guess one thing at a time: my goal for Heidi's class. At first I just wanted to finish decorating the living room, but I think I can work on the whole house with a target date of the weekend after Thanksgiving. I would like to have another early holiday cocktail party so having a finished house by then would be fabulous. So now it's time to save $$, since we got to spend some on the apartments as well as some for new furniture.

Tomorrow is hair cut day! I am in dire need!

A year to remember

My Heidi Swapp class started today. Our assignment this week is to set an attainable goal and when we want to reach it. Off the top of my head I can think of the usual - lose 10 lbs, eat healthier, etc. etc. But I think my goal is going to be to finish decorating our living room! We need a rug, coffee table and decorations - namely photos - for the wall. This should be done within 6 months. There, it's in writing and I can't take it back!

Happy 2007!

The past 2 days have been a whirlwind. We started at little Berry Hill for afternoon drinks; I came home early and watch a marathon of Law and Order until the party at Kirt and Mike's. We stayed there until well past midnight and then danced the night away at Habitat.

Today we spend by the pool and Kirt and Mike's. A very relaxing day, but I am exhausted and will be going to bed shortly. Here's to a great new year!

Here's to another great year

Wow - I can't believe the last day of 2006 is here. Like I always write, where does the time go?

Costa Rica was a wonderful getaway. We really didn't do much. Lay out by the beach. Read a few books. Eat Mom's great cooking (and some not so great food at nearby restaurants). Open Christmas presents. Take lots of pictures. Canopy in the rain forest. Drive for hours and hours. I just really enjoyed spending time with my family! And I can't wait to do it again! Pictures will be posted in the new year (most likely).

Joe and I have been laying low since we got home on Friday afternoon. We saw Dreamgirls with Marc and Darryl on Friday. Afterwards we ate a late lunch/early dinner at Barnaby's, went to the grocery store and rented a documentary about Tupac and Big E.

Yesterday I had to work, but fortunately we weren't crazy busy and we already hit our target so the mood in the office was relaxed and happy! I do have to see one day post-ops today but it should only take about an hour or so.

I am also happy that although my butt and back have really made me hesitant about working out so I haven't been, I haven't gained any weight, either. In fact, the 132.4 lbs I weighed this morning is the lightest I have been in a long time! This supports my theory that your body like a certain weight and will keep it around there, as long as you are in some kind of shape and not eating everything in sight. I would like the eat more healthfully in 2007 and lose a few pounds - or really lose a few inches - which is one of my goals for the new year.

That's all for now. I am going to try to post some more before the day's over.

Our casa next week

We are staying at this place in Flamingo Beach, Costa Rica. It looks awesome!

Early morning run

I still love working out in the mornings...when I actually get up. Matt, our noisy neighbor, was having a party last night so we didn't get to sleep as early as we usually do. Then he had people over starting at 4 AM (or at least that's when they woke us up!), so my sleep last night was spotty, to say the least. Joe got up around 5:30 and I was going to try to sleep until 6:30 but my guilt and the noise was too much. So I ran from the house for about 30 minutes. The sun is not quite up yet so I am probably not being as safe as I should, but I run in well-lit, well-trafficked areas so I was ok.

I also hate when I can't think of good come backs until 5 minutes later. A couple of partiers were on Matt's balcony smoking and the guy was like "you're making me feel uphealthy," when he saw me coming in from the run. I should have been like "I'm sure smoking cigarettes at 6 in the morning adds at least 10 years to your life" instead of just nodding and saying "true." Stupid!

We really should start calling the po-po more often, especially on school night!

Tonight I have a happy hour with my Met friends at Cafe le Jadeite. And tomorrow is Kurt and Mike's party. And we leave for Costa Rica Friday! I am looking forward to getting away!

Only 3.5 days left

until we leave for Costa Rica! Woo hoo - I am looking forward to getting out of dodge! I am pretty much done with our Christmas shopping - I may look for a few small things, but I really have what I need.

I can't believe the end of the year is almost here. Seems like we were just celebrating the new year a short while ago. I guess time flies when you're living your life!

Out of shape

Goodness - I ran for an hour and a half today and I am tired! What a difference a year makes. Last year this time I would have been able to run this without a problem. This year, with my foot surgery and back problems, I am lucky to make it to the gym a few times a week! One of my goals for next year is to definitely get back into shape. I hate being out of breath when I have barely even run for 20 minutes!

We had James, Val and Lori over for dinner last night. After the initial awkwardness, we ended up having a good time. We took a picture for the family, which I am getting printed today. Gotta love the digital age!

Bulging discs

Ugh - the discs in vertebrae L5 and S1 are bulging and the spine is pressing on them, which is causing my pain. I thought it was just an inflamed piriformis muscle, but it's so much more. My doc has me on the 3x/week program and I had my first visit yesterday. Right after I felt better, and they gave me a stretch to do, but I definitely will need more help before I am 100%. This totally stinks because I feel limited as far as exercise. I really haven't been able to do yoga very well because all those forward bends are really painful and I think kind of bad for it. But at least I have been running again. I am in such bad shape right now - I am just hoping I can make it for the half marathon in January. My plan is to run 1.5 hours on Sunday to at least build up some endurance before we leave for Costa Rica.

I had dinner at little Berry Hill with Matt and Rob last night while Joe was at the Galleria Christmas shopping and getting his hair done. That boy is almost more maintenance than me!

I am off to enjoy my morning until work starts at 10.

Monday off

I feel like it's been a long time since I've been off on a Monday. Which is a good thing because it means I've had regular weekends off as well. Today is a rainy and dreary day, which is good because it reflects my mood. I amy trying to finish my BPS Year in Pictures project, but am having trouble with the journalling. At least I have all day to work on it!

We are going to see the doctor tomorrow about my behind. I am hoping the MRIs turned out and he will be able to help. I have been in pain for over 2 months now - not fun!

What a day

Today was supposed to be a productive Saturday off work. I was going to run, clean the house, have lunch with Marc and get my haircut. I guess 2 out of 4 is not bad. I got sidetracked when I lost my keys along the Bayou during my run. What I planned to be an hour long run turned into a 2 and a half mission to find those stupid keys. I never did. Luckily Kirt and Mike were home and helped me find a locksmith. Marc kept me company while the locksmith eventually picked our lock. I started my run at about 8:45 am. We didn't make it to lunch until almost 1:40pm. Needless to say, the rest of my day was just about as productive.

Oh well, such is life! We are having dinner at the Rues tonight. And luckily I have Monday off to be productive :)

Bad blogger

I feel like this week has been going on forever and it's only Tuesday. Ugh!

Our party was a success! We had too much dessert and not enough vodka (well, we had enough vodka, but we probably could have used more) but overall everyone enjoyed themselves. We literally had to move the party to Club Rue at 1 AM so that we wouldn't disturb the neighbors.

So the beginning of this week has been spent recovering from the weekend. I went to Joe's DC about the pain in my butt and am having an MRI done. He thinks the issue is with my lower lumbar nerve. I am just hoping he can help me. I have been in pain for over 2 months now. NOT a good situation.

I will be posting party pictures soon.

Disaster averted

We are having the first party in our house tonight. Actually this is the first real party Joe and I have hosted alone since we've been together! So yesterday the heater broke (again). The original contractors who fixed it a few weeks ago had to order a part which wouldn't be here until Wednesday. So Joe was freaking out all afternoon yesterday, trying to figure out what to do. He was able to get a hold of Blaine, a friend of an ex-co-worker of Joe's, who happened to be in the neighborhood. Apparently he cleaned the motor, tapped it a little to keep the bearings from rattling, and it has been working ever since (knock on wood). Otherwise, it would have been a cold party!

This week we have been running around like crazy getting things ready. I forgot what goes into planning even a simple cocktail party. My decorating skills are sorely lacking, but we did buy a tree and I got a huge pink (of course) bow tree topper. Love it!

After seeing patients this morning it's off to finish up with last minute stuff. I am looking forward to seeing all of our friends tonight!