So Easy, My Two Year Old Can Do It!

Ok, I'm seriously cracking up here. Linky poo. Read the directions. Oh, wait, they're short enough that I can post them here...

THEN follow our simple steps:

PLACE wiener in bread. Add 1 Tbsp. sauce and toppings.

Ah, the joys of simplicity. Or maybe that's joys of stupidity... (Thanks to Mimi Smartypants for pointing me in this direction. Hey, look at that! This blog addiction thing is good for something!)

I got a new Dover book in the mail this week. Not bad, except that I don't want to do anything but create papers with it and that's just not good.

I don't watch a lot of TV (ok, so I do- but I record it all and watch it on my own time, says she of the almost but not quite full DVR). I love good drama. Combine the two, and I'm in heaven (it's why I like Big Brother and Survivor- TV + Drama = Happiness). So when Veggieville starts buzzing with the Star Jones dramarama this week, I'm floored. There's drama? On daytime TV? That doesn't require watching soaps and Springer? I'm soooo there! So, like any good drama chaser, I break out my trusty Google, and find a video. I'm all excited, break out the pop corn and diet dr pepper, put my feet up, start the video....

And am instantly bored to tears, which happens right before I yak from the syrupy fake wishy washy 'It's been wonderful, the show's going in a new direction, I love you guys' crap. I was hoping for some patented Barbara Can of Whoop Ass action going on (you know that she has some serious Drama Queen potential, right there).

So- here I sit, my TV drama cravings going unsatisfied for at least another week (Big Brother starts next week- can't wait to see who made it in).

Where Has He Been?

The other day Mike comes up to me and says 'You have a blog?' I turn and look at him as if he has three heads and say 'Where the hell have you been for the last year?'

I know that I've mentioned it to him. I'm pretty sure that I told him that I had one, or mentioned it in passing, or something. He told me that he found out from his mom. I laughed at that one- Mike is the king of selective hearing, and he most likely selectively didn't hear 'I changed my blog template today' or 'I put an ad up on my blog for the CT call' or 'Let me finish this blog entry before....'

So- yeah. I'm thinking that he just doesn't pay attention to me or something...

So- I got paid and I bought those neato swirly brushes from 2peas on Tuesday. Oh my gosh, I love them! They're great! I'm horrible at making really cool chunky swirlies, so I have to rely on other people's really cool chunky swirlies.

Then- I hit Scrap Artist's sale. Picked up Carriage House and Redemption and Element Essentials by Iron Orchid Designs and Fresh Start Tool Kit by Dianne Rigdon (for the to die for gotta get my grubby little paws on it brush that she uses in her previews). Then I hit Jen Wilson and bought some element packs (don't ask me to remember their names- I didn't look, lol!). I spent the afternoon creating two new layouts with my schtuff. *So happy*

Look- I already use that to die for brush by Dianne.

I didn't know IOD before I lost my internet. What a nice little surprise to come back to. Really awesome papers, and I'm loving the Element Essentials pack thingy that I got today. But... for some odd reason, I keep getting their name wrong in my head. I don't say Iron Orchid, I say Iron Orchard. I'm kinda glad that I don't normally type out Iron Orchid Designs, because let's face it, it would be rather embarassing to type what my mind insists on saying. Orchid, Orchid, Orchid.

Oh- something else that I love about this layout. The title. I had bought this font awhile back and hadn't really played with it. The font is LHF Boston Truckstyle. And I just went to their site and saw a font that I really really really really really want to own and alas- it won't be available until July. *pout* So- while I'm waiting for English Rose, I'm going to oogle the fonts there. Like this one: Sarah Script. Would look good in chipboard... Or Sophia Script (a nice alternate for Susie's Hand on layouts). I love Letterhead fonts- so worth the money. But then again, I am a font addict. *big cheesy grin*

In my best Conan OBrien voice (I'm probably spelling his name wrong, but oh well): I'm agonna go to hell when I die. (unfortunately I can't do the amazing bouncing hair thing the same way that he does...)

Since I know that my mother in law reads this (Hi Vicky), I know that the next time that I see her, I'll be a dead woman. But- I don't care. I got a kick out of this layout. And, to be fair, she knew that I took her picture and knew that there was a possibility of this happening, so I'm not totally to blame here.

And with that- I say good night. It's so freaking hot in the bedroom and Mike is like a furnace that I had to get out of that room and sit in air conditioning for awhile. Hopefully I'm tired enough now that I'll get to sleep. So- I'm going to go point the fan directly at my side of the bed and try to fall asleep.

Tooting My Own Horn

I don't feel like working on any kits, but I can't keep Photoshop closed. So- I've been catching up on my scrapbooking. It's such a relief to be able to do something that I don't have to be perfect at. And, ok, I'll admit it- I'm still doing what I can to save my pen.

I love this picture of Cody and his brothers.












Yet another one, this one is about Cody's soccer coach.
















Another neat picture that I like a lot- Dylan eating his ice cream. I really like how this layout turned out, with the cicle and the strips of paper.

















Not my favorite, but I really like how the star turned out. When I saw the pictures a couple months ago, I couldn't help but laugh out loud at them. The best pictures of Cody really aren't the best pictures- but they are hilarious!














And- one about me. I laugh at the books in this picture- Elie Wiesel, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Janet Finch, and others share my nightstand. Yep- my taste in books is broad.

And look at those papers- love them! I went on a shopping spree last weekend. It's funny, really. I went in looking for one paper pack. Saw that she was having a sale and stocked up.

I'm loving the way that freestyle looks, but find that it's hard for me to use doodles all that often. That's what I'm working out right now. I have this cute idea for a layout that involves tons of flowers, but I can't seem to get it right. ARGH! Driving me nuts!

Veggieville has added a ton of new garden girls and I'm so excited to see what this means for the digital board there! I wonder if this means that we'll get more kits (or a wider variety of them). Oh- and speaking of Veggieville, can I just say that it sucks being broke? Check these out:












and...
Both of these have ended up in my Wish List. I'm thinking that with some cute swirly doodles like these I might actually be able to doodle more on my pages. Only a few more days until I get paid and you bet that I'm buying these cute brushes. Oh- and some others, because I love Rhonna's brushes. They're doodle-y without being 'doodle-y' (does that make any sense at all?).

I've probably bored you all to death by now. Mike has said that we might not be keeping another kitty besides Pumpkin, but we'll see about that. He asked me today which cat I'm taking out to my parents' tomorrow. I didn't know that I was taking a cat to my parents' tomorrow. It looks like Moo is moving tomorrow (that is- if I feel like taking a cat with me).

Pumpkin is definitely my kitty. I can't sit on the couch without him cuddling up to me. He comes to bed with me and cuddles next to me before I fall asleep and he begins his nightly prowls.

The Indianapolis 500 Was Held In My House Last Night

But before I get to that, I am going to address the chameleon. Yes- we have a chameleon. His (her? not about to figure out how to check that one out) name is Frankie and he's now back in his cage. Not happily, but he's there. I really have no problem holding or touching him, but he wasn't too happy with me when I found him the day after he escaped. Most likely because I was putting him back in his cage.

Now- on to the races. Mike has almost decided that we'll be keeping another kitten, as well as Pumpkin. This one is an almost all black cat (he has a teeny tiny white bib and his belly is white), and his name is Monkey. Mike won't let me name him Pie so that I can have a Pumpkin and a Pie, but oh well. Monkey is a good kitty name, too.

Anyway- there's also Moo (black and white) and Creamsicle (orange and white tabby). All boys. They sleep all day long, and then come evening, they start wrestling practice. It's funny to watch. I've seen Monkey stand up on his hind legs and actually leap into the air to land on top of one of the other two cats. I've seen Pumpkin, Creamsicle and Monkey wrestle each other... at the same time.

From wrestling practice, we move on to hide and seek. All but one will hide and as the one not hiding walks by these hiding places, he gets attacked by the ones hiding- or, if he's lucky, he'll see them before they see him and he'll attack.

From hide and seek, it's on to the Indianapolis 500, held in my very own house. They start in my bedroom, on my bed, jump off the bed, run out the door, go down the hallway, into the living room, jump on the couch, jump off the couch, go down the hallway, back to my room and up on my bed. And repeat. And repeat. And repeat. If I didn't shut my door at night, they'd do this all night long.

I am becoming a crazy cat lady. I talk to the cats, get a huge kick out of them following me all around the house, and in the evenings, when I'm sitting on the couch watching tv, I usually have two on my lap, one at my shoulder, and one next to me on the couch.

My computer hasn't been fixed yet, I'm hoping for sometime in the next week or so. I miss my keyboard- the keys don't stick.

Just Because Jess Said So...

Apparently, I'm not updating enough for my sister, Jess. So- here's her update (even though she knows everything that has been happening around here).

Pumpkin is going to be one spoiled kitty. I went to Wal-Mart today and bought him a couple of catnip fish toys. He's also an attention hog- and definitely a mommy's kitty. I walk by- he will wake from a deep sleep and meow until I stop and scratch him behind his ears (he loves that).

My computer died. Nothing big- just needs a new motherboard and I didn't lose anything. Of course this happens right before I discover a new toy that I absolutely positively MUST HAVE. A wireless Wacom.

I need to replace my pen nib, and was looking at Wacom's website when I saw the Graphire 4 Bluetooth. Larger than what I already have (Graphire 2 4x5, the Bluetooth is 6x8), plus I'll be able to put my foot up and use it like a sketchbook- on my lap.

I just looked in our chameleon's cage and... he's missing! Ack! The last time that he got out, I saw him wandering on the desk and was able to grab him and put him away pretty quickly. Today- I didn't see him, and I just looked all over the dining room, and he's no where to be seen. Wonderful. Now I'm going to have to keep a look out for him. He'll probably freak me out in the bathroom or run over my foot or something.

But- back to my pen. It's funny. I was just noticing that I'm almost worn the nib down to the point of uselessness. I showed Mike and he said 'Well, I guess you do use your tablet.' Well, duh. So now I'm thinking that I can just simply make do with my pen, only use it when I need it, and once I have the money for the new tablet saved up, I'll buy a new one.

Mike wants me to get a better motherboard- to basically use this as an excuse to completely upgrade my computer. I'm not interested in that right now- I'd like to save my money until I can afford to buy a new laptop instead of worrying about upgrading everything.