{Life as we live it}

LAS VEGAS...

HERE I COME -)

Martini's, Wine & Beer...

makes for a super fun girls night out!
Me, Deborah, Kristan & Penny had a dinner date at Bone Fish Grill last night, filled w/ loads & loads of laughter. i tell ya, i honestly haven't laughed so hard in such a long, long time. it was the best! we met up as a little going away dinner for me w/ plenty of cocktails :-). it was the best. the food here is so yummy. i was on the only 'pig' that cleaned my plate...lol! so not good...lol! they had their take home boxes. but Penny ended up leaving her's at the table when we left for the bar. poor thing. she had quite a bit left, too. BFG isn't all that cheap either, so i know she was bummed. Penny was super sweet & gave me a copy of the Designing with Greetings book, by Autumn Leaves, as a gift & i LOVE LOVE it! she had it wrapped up w/ some super pretty mulberry paper & docorated the cover w/ a big ole flower, an idea she got from the book, too. THANKS GIRL!! awesome creations for me to indulge in & new reading materail for my trip to Vegas tomorrow ;-). after dinner, we ventured to the bar area for more cocktails & fun. as we were about to cash out, Deborah's glass of wine was like $9. we thought that was pretty high, concidering the rest of our tab was less than $6...lol. she realized that she best guzzle it up after having to pay that price when she could've waltzed over to Food Lion & grabbed a bottle for $9..lol! dont' we all look all glassy eyed? hahaha! Deborah's daughter stopped by for a quick moment, it was her 22nd birthday. this is a great picture of them two together, too. we had so much fun together, that we are going to get together again very soon before i leave for NOVA. i'm going to have a little party at the new house w/ them all there w/ plenty of Martini's, Wine & beer :-)! THANKS so so so much girls for a super fun time. we were out for quite a while & it was totally worth it & fun. i needed a night out w/ my friends, too. love hanging w/ my friends. luckly i'll only be just over an hour away from them all. so there are no excuses for use to get together again!! can't wait to meet up again! SMOOCHES!!

2 More Days...

til i'm on a plane to Las Vegas. super excited. sure can't wait to meet up w/ friends & check out all the new stuff coming out. i have a lot of purging to do when i get back. must make room for new goodies & give away old goodies. i just need to finish up packing & other stuff to get ready. pay bills, laundry, clean the house, all the good stuff so dh won't have to worry about when i'm gone. Ty will be hangin at Nana's & Papa's sometime next week while i'm gone. maybe Tim & i can have another one of our date nights before i pick Ty up. we'll see.

Keisha tagged me for this fun one :-)

The rules for this particular tagging are as follows: Remove the blog name in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. Then add yourself to the bottom slot.

Jill
Courtney
Teresa
Keisha
Cindy

Then you get to select five people to pass the love on to.

Meghan

Lu

Rachel

Jen

Gen

What were you doing 10 years ago?
probably in bootcamp in SC.

What were you doing 1 year ago?
nothing too exciting really. i know i made a list of goals to accomplish, that i did achieve.

Five snacks you enjoy (in no particular order, as all snacks are created equal):
Breyers butter almond ice cream

chocolate chip cookies
white cheddar cheez-its

seedless grapes & kiwi

pepperoni rolled w/ sharp cheddar cheese or cream cheese
(it's obvious i love cheese)

Five songs to which you KNOW all the lyrics:
ALL songs i love & listen too...too early to think of 5...

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:
invest & save
stash some away for Ty's college fund
build a darkroom behind our new house (huge huge back yard)
invest in Tarjay stocks (love that store to death)
seriously go on a Spa retreat

Five bad habits:
picking my chapped lips
cursing too much (really trying to cutback)
teeth grinding
forgetful of birthdays (i'm always reminded, phone calls are acceptable, have to send card..OY)
i can be quite demanding at times

Five things you like doing:
scrapping
watch movies
cuddle w/ my boys
talk on the phone (i've been told i need a phone permanently attached to my ear)
read a book in bed

Five things you would never wear, buy, or get again:
leg warmers
stirrup pants (had to use that one Keisha...hehehe)
a pink shirt

fishnet stockings
headband

Five favorite toys:
digicam
laptop
PSE4
LP's
protractor

First time you got kissed: How was it?
i was 11 years old, his name was KC Smith & the kiss was alright, it did put a smile on my face..hehehe.

First time you drove a car: What kind of car?
17 & her name was Bessy Maye, my dads 1970 something Olds Mobile :-) Bessy Maye traveled us from VA to WA for years during my dad's military years.

First time you scrapbooked: When you look at your page do you love it?
umm, NO, but i do love the pictures...hehehe

First time you went on a date: Where did you go and with who?
my 1st date was Jr. Prom...i didn't like dating actually. i wasn't in the mood to deal w/ bs my friends went thru w/ their boyfriends/dates.

First time you fell in love: How did you know?
1st time inlove was w/ this dude, my mom caught us in my room making out. my dad was pissed & he couldn't stand the guy...lol! we used to sneak dates together b/c he wasn't allowed back at the house...LOL!

First time you cooked for someone: Was it yummy? What did you make?

for my parents & bro in Washington. every weekend i would whip up a meal from my class in Jr. high, they loved every bit of it, too.

First time you got on a plane: Where did you go Were you scared?

actually, i was 2 years old headed to Germany my first plane ride. what i do remember, at 3 or 4 years old, is being on the plane w/ my mom & my brother, who was around 1 years old & i wasn't scared, i just thought the city lights from the sky were the coolest thing ever.

First time you shaved your legs: Did you cut yourself?
hell yeah i cut myself, i was pissed too!

First time you put on make up: Looking back how did you do? Did you look good or like a clown?
i wasn't allowed to wear makeup until i was in high school. i think i looked pretty good during Jr high though, sneaking on the eyeliner & mascara & some pink lipstick...lol (pink lipstick doesnt mess w/ my skin tone)

First time you moved out of your home: Was it an apartment, house, etc?
i was LATE moving out, 29...hehehe. moved into a large 1 bedroom apt.

OH MY GOSH, did this take me forever...lol! HAPPY FRIDAY!!

Thanks :-)

for all the congrats everyone. couldn't be anymore happier. now i have plans for my scraproom that's for sure...lol. i wanna get some cute wooden chairs & pretty plants for the front stoop. gotta dress it up a bit, give it some flair...hehehe

pic above is Tyler playing outside by the slope in our backyard. his pants are 4T, he wears a 3T. i know i know, why so big, well i'd like for his clothes to last him a long while. he doesn't like when i fold the waist over so it doesn't slide. all day yesterday he kept pulling them up or running around holding them, too...LOL!!  thought i'd play around w/ some digi stuff. the overlay above is by Veronica from DW Digital book (not sure of her last name or the overlay name & i'm too lazy to run back upstairs to find out). it came from the disc provided in the book. if you don't have it, it's a must have. fun stuff to play w/.

here's a pick of a RARE moment of Ty & Sky from a few weeks ago. Ty loves to chase him & he wanted to hug Sky...Sky was so freaked out, b/c he knows how bad Ty can be...lol! perfect shot of them both. no cropping w/ any software, all w/ the digicam & i love how the the sunshine lightens up them both. sure can't wait to scrap this. but i'm sure i'll take forever, b/c i'm afraid i'll goof it up...lol! needs to be simple! more pics to share later. it's not normal for me to blog everyday, ehem Michelle, but i'm in a good mood & both the little boys are passed out napping :-)

MOMMY'S NEW HOUSE!!!

as Ty would say...WE HAVE A HOUSE!!! CONTRACT HAS BEEN RATIFIED TONIGHT :-) SUPER SUPER GLAD!! here is our new home we should be moving into on February 24th :-) isn't she pretty? :-)

Not much...

...going on here! but we did have a great weekend. we lounged, watched movies, house hunted up in NOVA & i got Tim's valentine gift finished early, too. i've been busy trying to get some DT stuff done before heading to CHA. so i can relax play w/ PSE4. had some problems in the beginning, but since Tim worked his geek magic, all is well. i need to buy a better book than the book that comes w/ the software. i'm not one who likes to sit at a computer & read the help section of a program. today was rainy & cold. Ty & i stayed in our jammies all day, got laundry done, cooked a nice dinner, had crafts and learned our numbers & tried the potty training thing. so we kept ourselves busy. Ty's sentences are so much clearer, it's so great. i love that i can understand him more & more. makes life easier in that area if his life. however, the sassy talking back, demanding little bugger that he can be is quite annoying. he's been in more timeouts & a few spankings here & there (not in one day). he has an issue of pointing his finger at you & saying, "SHHHH!" total smartass! he got that from Tim. Ty has just taken it out of context. like, if you tell him to, "shhhh" w/ your finger on your lips if you're on the phone, he just points at you & shhh'ing you. i see why they say the terrible 3's are easier...you can understand their needs better, but their attitudes seems much worse, at least in Ty's case. but man, he can be the sweetest little bugger you've ever met. oh & i gave him a haircut today....LOL! poor thing cried, whined, cried some more. luckily Tim came home when i was almost finished, to help him calm down. that way i could edge it up nicely w/out having spots...LOL! he looks so dang cute, too. so glad the curly bush has been tamed! since i've been busy w/ house stuff & DT work, i got the chance to do a layout today in 15 mins. i don't always do a layout in 15 mins though. but i needed to do something for myself, no deadlines, no specific requirements. i kept it simple. i like it a lot though. it's not my norm, but i'm happy with it tons. i don't use CBX pp on layouts often, mostly for altering mini books or something screaming to be altered. so, my crazy girlfriend, Michelle St.Clair & i challenged ourselves to use CBX on a layout. it was fun & i am glad i got to do a page just for me, even it is ain't submittable material...LOL! have a lovely evening~SMOOCHES!!

PSE4*2 Toots*A Gift Album*an Offer

Tim was super sweet to buy me the new PSE 4 a few days ago. i've had PSE 2 for such a long time, it was time for a change. i'm excited to sit & play with it today, since it's rainy, blah outside. so far, i love the new format & can't wait to play w/ my brushes & photos.

last night was my last night teaching at lss. book club was the last class & it was all fun. the ladies were super sweet & surprised me with a gift album filled w/ pages by them all sharing their thoughts, recipes, you name it. we took group photos, i'll share that later on & the album. i'm going to miss those ladies. they always brightened my day when we meet up once a month. it was the 1 class i looked forward to every single month. THANKS GIRLS!! i sure will miss them all so so much!! it's already after 8 am, i need to get 2 layouts out in the mail or fedex today to Legacy & Scrapbook Answers. i was excited to receive an email request for some pages by them both. total treat! news on the house thing...we got an offer on our house last Saturday. the appraiser has already came yesterday & the home inspector will be here Thursday. the scheduled close day is February 23rd, just over 30 days & we couldn't be any happier. 16 days on the market isn't bad i must say. but it sure felt like an eternity...lol.

have a happy HUMP day! SMOOCHES!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR & THANK YOU!!

x2 TAGGED...

by Rahchel & Alissa ....

Four jobs you have had in your life:
1. Cashier @ CHKD Thrift Store
2. Teacher/Designer @ LSS
3. a GLORIFIED Secretary (administrative assistant)
4. Army~75 Bravo: pretty much a "pencil pusher"

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Party Girl
2. Legally Blonde 1 & 2 (go figure)
3. How Stella Got Her Groove Back
4. The Best Man

Four places you have lived:
1. Ft. Lewis, Washington
2. Chapel Hill, NC
3. Ft. Riley, Kansas
4. Ft. Knox, Kentucky

Four TV shows you love to watch:
1. Lost
2. Medium
3. America's Top Model
4. Grey's Anatomy

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. 7-Day cruise to, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, Bahamas
2. Disney World
3. Vancouver, Canada
4. Myrtle Beach

Four websites I visit daily:
1. 2peas
2. A Million Little Thinks
3. Busy Bee
4. CNN.com

Four of my favorite foods:
1. anything Seafood: Salmon, Mussels, Clams, Shrimp, Oysters, Whiting, etc.
2. PB&J sandwich
3. Chicken Caeser salad
4. Butter Almond ice cream (Breyer's only)

Four places I would rather be right now:
1. an all day Spa
2. by the Beach
3. in bed
4. scrapping new pictures in my scrapbook room

Four bloggin buddies i'm tagging:
1. Ashley
2. Nas
3. Keisha
4. Cami

so there you have it a little bit more about me. enjoy the rest of your weekend!
ehem Michelle, hope you're happy that i've FINALLY blogged...LOL!

Long day...

...but i am ssssssssssssoooooooooooooooo glad it's Friday, but it's almost over. Ty & i spent our day up in NOVA house hunting. we viewed 5 homes & really liked 3 of them. but after discussing w/ Tim when we came home, 1 stood out & he is hoping to go up & see for himself & MAYBE put an offer on it. other than that, our day was basically spent in the car driving around. poor Ty was a little long winded today. he was happy to see our realtor, he calls her Lisa, but her name is Jamie. but he was so cute. while we were having Chinese for dinner, i asked him a few questions....

(me): Ty, did you enjoy your day w/ Miss Jamie?
(ty): "huh, yeah"
(me): is Miss Jamie pretty?
(ty): "yeah"
(me): is Miss Jamie your girlfriend?
(ty): "aaaa, yeah" w/ a big smile

he was so cute. not sure if he understand the concept of "girlfriend" yet. but he was being so bashful w/ Jamie today it was so funny. he was too shy to even say goodbye. but while i we were following her around today, he always made sure that she was right in front of us & that i didn't lose her. too cute for his own good.

i've been wanting to do an art journal for a while & i finally signed up for Shimmel's 20 week class. i'm really excited & i hope to get started this weekend. i know it's not a big rush to be caught up w/ it, but i want to try & stay on track & do some totally different things w/ a wide variety of art forms. so it should be fun. my friend, Dagmar and i are doing it together. that makes me happy. she is a really sweet lady, too! can't wait to share our pages together thru this venture

here are a few pages to share that i created on New Years day. 2 of which are photo swaps w/ my friends Sara & Michelle. it was nice for a change & i had fun doing a girlie page. i still have one i need to finish that is too flat for me. it needs some depth, some kinda lumpiness to it, but not too much. i was just glad to actually have worked on 5 pages, considering i didn't scrap for 2 weeks...i needed some time in my scraproom before i lost all sense of creativity. have a super fun weekend! Smooches!!