busybee

a variety of randomness.

 

Received some AWESOME mail today, which can only be understood if you have ever dragged one of these amazing pens across a piece of paper, or canvas, or just about anything.  THEY ARE THE CRACK OF THE PEN WORLD.  Some people have drug dealers, I have a pen dealer...  And she took care of me BIG time.  JENN, MY HEART IS FOREVER YOURS. 

(These pens are so amazing that opening each package is painful.)

So listen.  Anyone who has spent any amount of time with me in person has surely seen me slather my pizza in this dressing.  To the point where pizza is just completely unenjoyable to me now without this dressing.  Hidden Valley Ranch Cracked Peppercorn Dressing, to be exact.  Well it would appear that EVERY GROCERY STORE WITHIN MY GENERAL VACINITY is no longer carrying this product.

(gasp.)

This is me, crying out to the world for help.  You find me some dressing.  You mail me some dressing.  I pay you.  You get my undying devotion for eternity.  We all get to enjoy pizza again.

It's a win-win really. 

 

This photo is just the perfect balance between mildly amusing and mildly disturbing.

It needed to be shared.

That's all for today.

messes.

So I made it pretty close to completing all 10 of the challenges during Mojo Rehab, but didn't QUITE get there...  A for effort, but I still want to finish the last 2 photography challenges...  Stay tuned for that...

In the mean time... check out the mess my kids created while I was in the shower today.

 

Single parenting is a pain in the arse when you need to shower or pee.  Seriously...  it is amazing what two little people can get into while there is no one watching them for 5-whole-minutes.  Do you notice that Keegan has an emery board!!  (WHAT THE HECK!!  WHERE DID HE FIND THAT?!)  Every weekend that they are with me, I need to plan at least a half hour of clean up time for post-shower...  Argh. 

Anyway.  We need to get back to some regular posting around here...  While I did find my mojo (you may commence rejoicing) I do still have some drama in my life that is causing my focus to be less-than-productive.  Life is hard.  Love is harder.  I will figure it out, but right now................. Boooo!

Today's highlight was Alyza asking if we could go to Chuck-E-Cheez-Its sometime soon.  Good GOD, I love that kid.

Roll. 

Sunny Side Up

The challenge was...

Think back...  Way back to when you were younger.  Remember something that you loved way back then even if just for a fleeting moment, and find a way to let it inspire you today.  Reconnect with the old you, and I think your mojo will find it's way back.

So, I went back in the archives, and remembered that I used to LOVE sunflowers...  One of the many flowers I've fixated on over the course of my life...

So when I spotted these little sunflowers at the farmers market, I knew I could use them for this challenge...  And how perfect that just as I was setting up the shot, it started to POUR. 

don't fade

The challenge was...

Paint an emotion. Or paint how your mojo feels the day you sit down to paint. The challenge is to not use any distinct shapes, just keep it abstract.

THIS. WAS. A. CHALLENGE.  Infact, I sat down with this canvas EARLY this morning, and had to set it aside several times, until finally I decided that perhaps the only thing abstract about me is the inside of my brain...  and that without words, I am at a total loss.  I need words to create... Without words, I got nothing.

So I broke the rules completely...  but I know Mark (the challenge originator) will forgive me for it.  I am not a girl who thinks inside the box...  And yet I failed the only abstract challenge given to me.....  How is that possible?

Either way...  Here's my painted emotion.  Was feeling much like my soul was fading.  So I painted some words to make it stop. 

Don't Fade.

 

And there is perhaps one other person on the planet who will pick up on the song reference.  Words are half the inspiration, and typically the other half is music.

right now...

The challenge was:

How about doing a "Right Now" page, documenting what your life is like right now? Ali Edwards is doing it.

Aside from the fact that the entire time I was creating this page, I was humming the Van Halen song, Right Now...  This was really fun.  Cathartic, I guess you could say...

Thoughts on my mind, right now.  Things that are happening in my life right now.  Vows I am making to myself, right now...

 

Not exactly how the amazing Ali interpreted this idea (and believe me, Ali Edwards has been one of my idols for as long as I've been scrappin)...  but this is SJ style, and I think that is what matters most...

Loved this one...  

Lucky...

The Challenge was...

Create an "I'm so lucky" scrap page....go around your house and take pics of anything that makes you feel lucky to have "it" in your life. Things one might be envious of, things that just warm your heart and make you smile... things that make you think..."I'm just so lucky."

I may still turn this into a scrapbook page...  But for now it's just photos...

 
I'm lucky to have this laptop, and this iPod.  They are my lifelines sometimes...

 
This bottle of Marc Jacobs, which I covet like nothing you've ever seen...  If even one little droplet goes wasted into the air, I feel myself die a little inside... This will always be my scent.

 
I know it seems silly...  But when I come home at night, this shelf in my diningroom is one of the first things I see.  The contents of this shelf, and the things below it are mostly things that I pilfered from friends who were moving (and therefore purging), or my parents basement... 

Maybe it's dumb, but when I sit to eat, it's really nice to be reminded of people I love...

 

BASKETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
 
 
I use them for everything in my house.  I just think baskets make everything prettier.  I've grown quite a collection over the years...  I am lucky to have them!!

And last but not least...  I am lucky to have this awesome green mower courtesy of my parents...

 

I have LOTS to feel lucky about...  but today, these are a few things that crossed my mind...

Take a look at what a MESS the loft is...

 

(Messes in the loft are a GOOD thing!!)

 

Mmmmmmmmm...

This was almost finished last night, but then I got sidetracked with some strawberry shortcake which is a direct result of those GLORIOUS strawberries I picked up at the farmers market yesterday... Yummm.

So this challenge was:  take a cereal box, pasta box, brownie mix box... a box of some food item out of your cupboard and use it to inspire a creative thing :)

I opened the cabinet and my eyes went straight for the thing I reach for the most...

 
(Sorry for the blurry picture.)

And here is what it inspired...

 

And because the package was sitting with me in my studio, I ended up eating about 5 cookies while creating this painting...  This was of course before the strawberry shortcake.

(Mojo Rehab is good for the mojo, but not so good for the butt.)

Wow, I am Rusty.

The challenge was...

Pick a quote from your favorite TV show or movie and use it on a scrapbook page or painting....

I picked a quote from (of course) Grey's Anatomy... The quote, to me, is very personal at the moment...

 
It reads:  Did you say it?  I love you.  I don't ever want to live without you.  You changed my life.  Did you say it?  Make a plan.  Set a goal.  Work toward it.  But every now and then, look around.  Drink it in.  Because this is it.  And it could all end tomorrow.

And, just for good measure, I scrapped my little ballerina too...

 

I haven't scrapped in so long...  I AM RUSTY.

Oh so true...

The challenge was...

pick a song from the playlist you posted and let it inspire you!

I picked "You're the Storm" by the Cardigans...  If you do not have that song in your own playlist, you should definitely download...

Time for a snack, then back at it!!

We're off to a Good Start...

The Challenge was...

Instead of locking yourself away, you should go out and do something all by yourself...like go to the beach and just enjoy some you time...go on a hike (well, something simple and not too dangerous to do by yourself)...go on a drive and photograph nature or whatever inspires you, then maybe go back home and scrap out your adventure.

So, my little green bag and I ventured downtown bright and early, to hit the Local Farmers  Market...

 
 
I walked up to a stand, and said to a friendly old man...

"How much for a sunflower??"

"For a sunny smile like yours??  I'd give you one for free...  but my wife says $4.95."  He replied. 

 
 
 
 
 

And to the woman with the strawberry stand....

YOU WON MY HEART THE MOMENT YOU PLACED THOSE AMAZING BERRIES IN A TEAL CONTAINER....  THIS IS THE MOST GORGEOUS THING I'VE EVER PURCHASED FOR $3.

 

And on we go...

The Clinic is OPEN.

 
I woke up bright and early... 

I am off for a quick rinse, and then off to fulfill the first challenge, maybe after a quick pit-stop for a GIANT ICED COFFEE...  Back in a little while with more.....

You Complete Me.

I am overwhelmed with AMAZING ideas!  I am feeling the love.  (I am so excited that I went and purchased new paintbrushes.)  I received lots of ideas here in the comments, I received several emails, and I got a couple verbal ideas too...

You guys are simply amazing...  I wish there were enough hours in the weekend to bring ALL of these challenge ideas to fruition...  But I'm nervous enough to take on this list!!  Check in periodially throughout the weekend...  My plan is to post the results of each challenge as I complete it.  If your idea did not make the list, keep your chin up...  I've got ALL the ideas printed out and hanging on the wall in my loft for future reference...

Without further adieu...  Here are the 10 challenges that made my eyes sparkle, and my hands twitch!  I have GRAND ideas...  Let's see if I can make it happen...

1. Instead of locking yourself away, you should go out and do something all by yourself...like go to the beach and just enjoy some you time...go on a hike (well, something simple and not too dangerous to do by yourself)...go on a drive and photograph nature or whatever inspires you, then maybe go back home and scrap out your adventure.

2. Take 5 pictures of things that can not move, and explain how each thing moves you.

3. How about some "hidden pictures"? A treasure hidden in a reflection like when that guy took a picture of something he was selling for Ebay but forgot he was naked and you could see his reflection in the mirror..haha!

4. take a cereal box, pasta box, brownie mix box... a box of some food item out of your cupboard and use it to inspire a creative thing :)

5. Paint an emotion. Or paint how your mojo feels the day you sit down to paint. The challenge is to not use any distinct shapes, just keep it abstract.

6. How about doing a "Right Now" page, documenting what your life is like right now? Ali Edwards is doing it.

7. pick a song from the playlist you posted and let it inspire you!

8. Pick a quote from your favorite TV show or movie and use it on a scrapbook page or painting....

9. Create an "I'm so lucky" scrap page....go around your house and take pics of anything that makes you feel lucky to have "it" in your life. Things one might be envious of, things that just warm your heart and make you smile... things that make you think..."I'm just so lucky."

10. Think back...  Way back to when you were younger.  Remember something that you loved way back then even if just for a fleeting moment, and find a way to let it inspire you today.  Reconnect with the old you, and I think your mojo will find it's way back.

NOW...  LETS GO CREATE SOMETHING!!!!!!!

Operation: Mojo Rehab.

It has literally been raining for three straight weeks.  I am not joking.  The small piece of mojo that I have left is only still here because the humidity is making my skin too sticky for it to fall off.  No lie. 
 
I need to uncomplicate my mind.
 
I am locking my doors this coming weekend and sending myself to a Mojo Rehabilitation Clinic in my loft...
 
I need your help.
 
I am going to compile a list of challenges for this upcoming weekend.  Creative challenges.  Things like:  "take 10 pictures of things that are blue without leaving your house."  or  "make a sculpture out of post-it notes."  or  "make a scrapbook page without a picture."  
 
Leave your challenge idea here in the comments (you can even post anonymously if you want to be...  well...  anonymous), and then I will pick 10 challenges that I think will rehabilitate my mojo.  As I cross them off my list, I will come back and post them here for your viewing enjoyment.  My goal is to accomplish all 10 things by the end of the day on Sunday.
 
I am game for (just about) anything.  Let's hear what you've got!

And, thank you (in advance) for your ideas!!

I now leave you with the best sandwich ever, and my current obsession...

Not exactly...

Well, it's not exactly the all-american portrait of a little boy and his dog...

 

But it's the best we can do around these parts...  And I'm really not sure it gets much cuter than this!

LOST: One mojo. Slightly rusty. In need of TLC. Reward offered.

Sigh.

I can not seem to get out of this funk.  I can not seem to find my motivation, or my happiness, or my desire to do much of anything lately.  I'm not even sure where it went, or where to begin to find it again...  

I have some ideas on how to kick start life again.

Just a few small things I know I can do to get out of my own head for a while...

Stay tuned...

summer playlist

Jumping back in... For real this time.

It was requested that I put together a summer playlist of the songs I am listening to right now.  So without further adieu, here are 30 songs I can not get enough of lately...

 
(Click to see full-size...  Obvs.)

I think maybe I will make this a seasonal thing.  Thanks for kicking my ass, Jenn.  I needed something to distract myself with, and this was just the thing.  Music fills me with everything I need.  It really does.

Note worthy topics...

I downloaded Elizabeth & the Catapult on a TOTAL whim, just because I liked the cover art.  What can I say...  I am easily distracted by pretty colors........  IT. IS. A. FANTASTIC. CD.  I included two songs, but if you like those, get the whole CD.  Freaken awesome.

Dave Matthews Band new CD, obviously awesome.  DMB is and will always be the bandaid I can put on my soul whenever I need it.

Going through a bit of a Beck kick.  Ditto for Kings of Leon.

Just noticed that I put the Spoon song, and the Beck song in there twice...  My bad.  At least they're great songs!!  I also noticed that Love seems to be a recurring theme...  The day I stop trying to figure that out, is the day I stop breathing...  Of that I am sure...

Enjoy!

something cool, to ease us back in

Sooo...  Went MIA there for a bit... 'Tis the season, I suppose.  Between baseball, dance recitals, working tons of extra in job #2, and being just generally boring lately, I guess I've just been lacking in blog-worthy material...  But that'll happen sometimes.

Just wanted to pop in today and share something cool that I am trying with Keegan.

www.proloquo2go.com

I discovered this iPod app a couple weeks ago, but in typical Steph-fashion I needed to spend a while thinking about it before making the jump...  I read the user manual.  I read all the rave reviews.  I watched youtube videos. I flip-flopped over and over...

Finalyl I handed Keegan my iPod to see if his clunky little hands could even manipulate the buttons and the touch screen.  He slid the arrow and unlocked it on the FIRST TRY.

I bought the app that day, and began playing with it.

This was a hard decision to make for a variety of reasons, primarily using an augmentative communication device is something Keegan's teachers and therapists have discouraged and dismissed every single time I have brought it up.

Every.

Single.

Time.

They spend a lot of time with Keegan, so obviously I respect their opinions.  But...  They don't sit at the dinner table with him and watch him slink away from the conversation, because he can not contribute in a manner that his sister and I can understand.  And they are not the broken hearted Momma Bear that would do anything just to be able to hear what is on her son's mind...

Yesterday I showed it to him for the very first time after programming a few buttons on the main screen...  And today we made this video.

I was left to wonder how something so WRONG (or so I've been told time and time again) could feel so right. 

(I am so proud of him.)

help!

I got nothing.

What do you guys want to see?  My shoe collection?  My sad (but true) PILE of laundry?  Got any questions you want to ask?  Video banter topics for Jeff and I (since he is obviously the favorite around here...)

Give me something, people!

In the mean time, I leave you with adorableness...

NYC, scrapped.

It's been a while since I got all crafty with myself...  But I ended up with some extra time on my hands today.  This is still a work-in-progress, but I thought I'd share a peek...

 
 
 
 

It's just a simple 4"x10" book, bound with snap-rings...  Mini-books are definitely my favorite way to scrap trips...  Such a fun way to stash things like tickets, reciepts, trinkets....  In between pages of pictures & journaling... 

Good Stuff...

ain't that the truth.

 
So much truth to that.  So much truth.

I'm pretty sure that sometimes no matter how hard you try, the person you are is just never going to change.

And for me, that news really sucks.

snips of life.

Spring has sprung here in New Hampshire...  Only in this lovely place I call home could I be FREEZING in a winter coat at T-ball practice one day, and sweating in a tee-shirt and flip-flops the next. 

Speaking of T-ball...

 
The Diva has arrived at the ball field, and she is sporting last years pink glove, and a stylish pair of blingy sunglasses that are 10 sizes too big for her face, which makes them 100% perfect as far as I am concerned.  Her first game was a blast! 

 
'Tis the season for pedicures and open-toes.  I loves the concept, but I do NOT loves the blisters as my feet readjust to straps and things between my toes...

 
I shelf that I swiped from my parents basement (where I like shop from time-to-time) which, I believe,  is meant to hold decorative plates in your kitchen.  But, I found an alternative use for it in another room of the house, which was quite satisfying to the room inhabitants.  I base the success of most of my projects on how many giggles I evoke.  Based on that methodology, this project was a grand-slam.

 
Another project my kids are enjoying these days is growing flowers from seeds, which they planted with our friend, Sarah!  I've never seen Alyza so INTO something before.  She checks on the plants several times a day, and never lets me forget to water them.  This is a good thing, because my track record with all-things-green is quite less than favorable.

 
Last, but not least...  BE STILL MY BEATING HEART.  My closet is finally arranged in rainbow magnificence and I could not be more thrilled.  HELLO!!!  WHY DID I NOT DO THIS AGES AGO??  You have NO idea how much easier this makes my life.  No more digging through the ENTIRE closet to find the blue striped sweater or my favorite orange tee!  If it is not in it's section, it must be in the laundry!  The only thing really bothering me about this is that I became suddenly aware that my wardrobe is quite lacking in the yellow section.  Going to have to remedy that, immediately.  Not only do I feel a large sense of accomplishment over this task, but I also feel as though I can now die happy.  And that, my friends, is a cold hard fact.

Happy Tuesday!

just because he is far away, and I am eating his chips & salsa.

Several weeks ago, I attempted to get Jeff to do a video-blog with me about our upcoming trip to NYC.  He was not in the mood, he was being inappropriate, and I ended up getting frustrated with him as he pulled a pair of ski-goggles over his face (true story).  It was then that I shut the computer down and said "nevermind" in a tone that could shoot daggers across continents.

Today, while cleaning through the laptop, I happened upon the two "takes" that came from my failed attempt, and thought them amusing enough to share with the internet.  I hope you enjoy them! 

Take one...

 

Take two...

Stuck

Time to do some mental house-keeping.
 
I'm restless lately, and so very un-peaceful.  I still feel like something is lurking around the next corner like a hungry lion, or a steam-roller who's operator did not look before rolling. Absolutely nothing feels right.  Even my own skin, these days.  I can't sleep.  I toss and turn and just can't get comfortable.  I feel inspired and motivated on the inside, yet I can't seem to make anything happen on the outside.   I'm mismatched, and wrinkled, and bent in the wrong direction.  I'm not sad, but I'm not happy.  I'm 250% impossibly impossible.
 
The only thing I can come up with is that I'm stuck.  Very stuck.  I'm stuck in a spot, and I have no direction.  I have not even the fraction of a small piece of hope that a direction is going to make itself clear to me.  I think maybe my soul is too fidgety for such a predicament as this. 

Sigh.

How is it possible that I did not already think of this on my own??

Just now, I was surfing the internet in search of my usual (the meaning of life and such.)  When I stumbled across this photo of Elise Blaha's closet.

 

It suddenly became very clear to me that I needed (!) to re-arrange the contents of my closet into a rainbow of color coordination.  Because, as the meaning of life continues to evade me, I will (at the very least) be amused on a daily basis by the sheer act of opening my closet door.

Oh yes!

Airplane Art

Since I finished my last twilight book on the way down, and I'm not sure which book I want to download next to try out the iPod Kindle app...   I decided for the plane ride home it was just me, a journal, and a black signo uniball elite...  (my most FAVORITE pens ever, fyi.)

 
 
  
 
 

As you can see, I was listening to Radiohead, which always makes me kinda dark and twisty.  Karma Police is definitely one of the best songs ever made.  I put the pen to the test, and by the time I got to the last doodle, as my plane was making its descent, I was running out of ink...  Perfect timing!

And now, there is apple bread baking in my oven, a sick baby girl on my sofa, and a little boy asking for juice by my side...  Feels good to be home.

How to cure a fear of flying in .00027 seconds (or less.)

Last night, Steve sent me the following picture via cell...

 

And, just like that, he single-handedly cured my fear of flying.  The thought of my baby-girl laying in an Emergency Room without me was the most sickening feeling on the planet.  The kind of feeling that produces irrational thoughts like "I AM NEVER LEAVING HOME AGAIN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!!!!"  The kind of feeling that makes you curse your own existence for not being there to hold her, rub her back, stroke her hair, tell her that it will be ok...

She will be fine. And I am in the airport at the moment waiting to board the plane that will take me home to her...  I won't be home early enough to see her tonight...  But tomorrow she will get all the hugs (and popsicles) that she wants...  Sponge Bob ALL DAY?  You bet, kiddo!  Cookies for dinner?  ABSOLUTELY!! 

(PS - Kudos to Steve, who certainly had his hands full this week...)

Random Bits of Florida.

The wing of my plane when I arrived...

Sangrias with my BFF...

Dixie-cup wine (super classy) out by the hotel pool...

An evil vampire duck (I won him when I answered a question in class)
  

But....  I miss home.  And I'm tired of being go-go-go...  2 more days...

Peace Out.

So this is what it feels like to jet-set?

Waiting in the terminal to board my plane...  Another week of training in sunny (hopefully) Florida.  I've got my gadgets charged up, and my XXX Vitamin Water by my side...  At any given moment, the contents of my stomach could make their grand entrance into the world...  But let's be hopeful that doesn't happen.

 

Stay tuned for palm trees and sunshine and adventures with SQL/database report training!

 

Peace out.

Motivation: found.

I've been wanting to run lately.  In fact, I am thinking about trying to get my butt in good enough shape to run a few 5k's this summer with some friends.  I decided to get back into running for a variety of reasons, but mostly because legs are a lot harder to steal than a new bike would be.  And because if someone tried to cut off my legs in the middle of the night, I could kick them in the face.  Ninja style.
 
So yes...  I've been wanting to run, and get back into the shape I was in a couple years ago, and lets just say that losing 10lbs wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen to me...  But, not gonna lie...  Finding the motivation to run has been hard.  My schedule with both jobs, and the kids does not allow me much free-time during hours of daylight, and running through the park and back streets of the city at night does not really appeal to my paranoia.  I have every desire and intention go to running in the mornings (before work)...  But my hand finds the snooze button WAY faster than my brain could ever move me into a vertical position at that time of day.
 
I'm finding my way to that motivated state-of-mind.  Slowly, but surely.  The warmer it gets outside, the more my parts thaw out and want to be used.  Sometimes all it really takes is a couple of sweet, adoring, PAINFULLY HONEST, children to give me the wake up call I so desperately need, and this morning, that is exactly what I got.
 
I am the first to admit that I take ridiculously long showers.  In fact, I usually base being "done" on whether or not I am out of hot water.  Being in the shower is my quiet time.  My thinking time.  My leave-a-message-after-the-beep time.  My "Calgon, take me away" time.  You get the point.
 
This morning, I was joined in the bathroom by two noisy children who were bored with Handy Manny, and instead decided to come upstairs and terrorize their Mother.  Though I could not see them from behind the shower curtain, I could hear them pushing and kicking each other.  Keegan shouting "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO" at Alyza, and Alyza screeching "KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEGANNNNNNNNNN" in a voice that is several octaves higher than your average soprano.
 
(Dear Calgon.  Please consider packaging your body wash with ear-plugs.  Love, Steph)
 
I turned my face into the water as I rinsed my hair, and noticed that it got particularly quiet in the bathroom.  A few moments later, a very serious little girl began her confession...
 
"Mommy?"
 
"What, Love?"
 
"Keegan and I peeked behind the curtain............  But it's ok Mommy, we still love you."

Before I could respond, I heard the door to the bathroom close with the tiniest of "clicks" and two sets of very quiet feet descending back down to the living-room, as if any further disruption or sudden movements could have caused the shower-beast to react violently.  And I wondered silently to myself how many more years of therapy I just tacked on to their futures...

 

something big.

It feels like I am on the doorstep of something big.
I can't explain it really, except to say that I feel it coming.
Something.
Something is coming. 
I have these feelings from time to time. 
(Knowing something without knowing it.)
Premonitions?  Gut instincts? 
What ARE these feelings?
Something big is coming.
I feel it.
I am preparing.
Will it be good or bad?
I can feel my mind preparing for it.
My heart, preparing for it.

I've never been wrong when I have these feelings.

Not once.
Not ever.

Yup.
Something is coming.
And it's big.
And I can't stop it...

And it's coming.

Not Sure Which is Better...

Friday night wine, or Saturday morning coffee cake??

   

You decide!

(Life is good...  I've been creating stuff this weekend and will be back later to share...)

Officially convinced that the month of April is on a recon mission.

For a few moments at work today, I sat down to take a peek at my April Calendar.  I figured since it was the first of the month, it was a good time to make sure I had everything in order so that disorientation, caused by chaos and pandemonium, could not occur without me knowing about it at least one week in advance.

Do not try to adjust your monitor screen.  What you are about to see is not a mythological object, nor is it anything that will cause you harm.  Because I am not privileged enough to own a device such as a Blackberry or an iPhone, I am forced to use an actual PAPER CALENDAR to organize my life.  I know.  I KNOW.  Don't judge me.

 

This is my schedule so far for the month of April.  What this calendar does not include is the kids' little league schedules (practices AND games), the schedule for Alyza's impending dance recital events (photos, rehearsals, etc...), and date nights.  So as of right now, it's not even complete.  Plus I am gone for an entire week, completely missing my boyfriend's AND my Dad's birthdays.

Are you freaken KIDDING me, April?

I wish I had something more clever to say than:  OH.  MY.  GOD.   Yes, I took the Lords name in vain.  This is vain-worthy as far as I am concerned.  If my date book and I make it out of this month alive, it will be a good thing...

Wish us luck!

Big ole green cones!

I don't talk about them often, but at our house we have two pet kitties, who (though I love them very much) are sometimes the primary reason for my mental instability.  That is to say that while 90% of the time they provide me with entertainment and companionship, the other 10% they make me want to shoot death-rays from my eyeballs.  

Since moving to our new house in the fall, they've begun an attack on my livingroom furniture so violent that it has forced me to take action.  Mostly because I am quite tired of seeing the innards of my sofa strewn about the floor each morning, and at this point, I'm not even sure I can repair the damage that has been done.  Yes, I have a scratching post.  Yes, I have tried the sprays and the plastic protectors.  Nothing works.  They are simply too smart.

Because I do not believe in declawing, I decided to give it another go with the softclaws.  Surprisingly enough, the cats tolerate the application of the rubber claws pretty well.  Only one of the cats growled through the whole process and tried, only once, to slice out my intestines.  I consider that a success.

Simon is my problem child.  He is the most lovable cat you will ever meet, but he is about as smart as a pile of bricks in a junkyard.  As soon as I get the claws on him, he rips them right off before the glue has a chance to set.  And so, in my efforts to put a stop to the Great Sofa Massacre, I have recently purchased a pet cone.

Oh yes.  A big ole CONE to put around my cats head while the glue on his rubber claws dries.  And they even come in pretty colors.  We got a green one.

I have to admit.  I was so angry at this cat that watching him walk around backwards for an hour with the green cone around his neck felt somewhat like a small victory in my twisted little mind.  He was all over the place, walking into walls and doorways, and finally just laid down on the rug in the dining room and gave up on his quest to back his way out of this situation he was suddenly in.  I also have to admit that after watching him clunk-clunk-clunk himself over to his water dish, I finally gave in and took the cone off.

But, I will win this battle.  Of that you can be sure.

Problematic.

You might look at this picture and see a little boy who fell asleep with a lolly-pop.

But what I see is the blatant mistreatment of a sugary delectable.  It's pretty clear to me that Keegan needs to be punished for this behavior.

I mean, what kid falls asleep MID-LOLLY-POP?

(Certainly no child of mine!)

How do you not love a $5 pashmina?

I'm having a hard time coming up with words to describe how much fun NYC was... 

 
 

Getting to visit Jeff's college campus, and getting to hear some of the stories of the time he spent there was so great.  It was one of those experiences I knew I was going to love, but it was actually WAY MORE COOL than I imagined. 

 

The night-time views of the city from the top of the Empire State Building were simply breathtaking.  A memory I wont soon forget...

On Friday night we ate at a local brewery.  The food was deeelish!!  Jeff was very excited about dessert! 

Saturday night, we wandered over to Restaurant Rowe and ate at a really cute little fancy italian place that had yummy wine and candle-lit tables... It was absolutely perfect.

We also ate many a street-vendor hot dog, and soft pretzel.  We drank lattes to keep us fueled!  We discovered that the Starbucks are plentiful, UNTIL YOU ARE SPECIFICALLY LOOKING FOR ONE!!

Walking around the Village and SoHo was the BEST.  THE BEST.  The best!  It was my own personal heaven!  Art everywhere, awesome little shops, people all around.  Loved it.

Obviously, I had to purchase a $5 pashmina from a sheisty looking man off a street corner - because literally, EVERYONE was wearing one, and I like to blend in.  Even the men were wearing them.  No joke.  I got an orange one and a teal one, because who can really choose between those two colors? 

  

Things I did not do:  I was not a contestant on the Cash Cab.  I did not run off and marry the Naked Cowboy (though I did catch a glimpse of his tighty-whities from the car as we passed by.)  I did not see a celebrity, and I did not buy a knock-off purse from the trunk of someone's car...

BUT - I had the best time, with the guy I adore...  Which makes this trip a total success...

Check out the rest of the pics in the gallery if you're interested!!

crash & burn.

We are home...  We had the most amazing time, but we are TIRED.

 
  

LOTS of photos and stories...  coming soon...  zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!!

from what feels like the top of the world...

 

NYC is amazing!!  I am totally overstimulated!!  Of course, it does help that I have the cutest tour guide ever, AND I am easily excitable!

Up bright and early to hit some art museums, do some shopping, and see more sights!

And that's why we're friends!

There's really not much hope for someone like me who is not only mostly brain-dead, but also forgetful!  It's a bad combination, and sometimes it lands me in precarious positions.  For example, often times because I have already forgotten something several times, I am forced to write reminder notes on the only thing I can not forget to take with me...  myself.

 

Today it was a pair of snow-pants that I promised a friend/co-worker she could borrow for her hot date on the ski-slopes, and then forgot to deliver.  Stupid, stupid, stupid!!! 

Later in the day, I thought it might be funny to send the above picture (via cell phone) to my very tattooed friend, Bird.  You remember him, right?  So I sent it along without a single word of explanation.

Did he write back asking why I had tattooed the word SNOWPANTS on my hand, you ask??  Did he need clarification??  Did he need me to explain??  No, sir.  Instead, a few moments later, my phone buzzed and I was graced with the following:

 

And as far as I was concerned...  That was all that really needed to be said, and I probably laughed way more than was actually necessary!

Stay tuned for Steph & Jeff's NYC Adventure!!

Oh, and PS - I did finally remember the snow-pants.

hush.

I like this word.  It's my new favorite.
 
I like it so much better than "be quiet" or "shhhh" or "shut up already, you spazz!!"
 
It's soft and gentle.  It's calming.  
 
It's almost sweet.

Just my random observation for today.

Because, when you injure your face, you get a fish. Those are the rules.

Keegan's face got a little worse before it got better.  The bruising is mostly faded to a lovely shade of pale-yellow now (how very spring of him), but the scrapes are still looking pretty ominous. 

We got lots of stares and sideways-glances at our local Walmart yesterday while we ran our errands.  I suppose that'll happen, when it looks like your kid was attacked by Skeletor.

So, last weekend while we cleaned the basement, we found a small goldfish bowl tucked away in a dark shadowey corner.  It wasn't long before Alyza's sweet little corneas discovered it sitting on my kitchen counter, and the incessant begging began.  In the span of 6 days, I was asked to go to the pet store approximately 7.5 million times.  If you are laughing because you think I am exaggerating, you should probably stop.

I was on the cusp of caving-in to the begging.  Mostly because I am a softie, who loves spoiling her kids, but also because Alyza cleaned the living-room for this fish.  Yes, I often use housekeeping as a mechanism by which to determine the true level of her want for something.  If she will clean for it, she really wants it.  Trust me on that.

But it was Keegan who broke me down, when he pointed to the empty fish bowl and said:  "ish, eeeeese, muh?"  Spend some time deciphering that, and I guarantee you will be at the pet store buying ALL the fish you can fit in your mini-van before you can bat an eyelash.

So without further adieu...  I introduce you to Swimmy...

 

And just like that, my cats lives have meaning again....