Wednesday, February 27, 2008

A little of this, a little of that...

So, this was today:



I have yet to feel the urge to get out of my pajamas. And, my knitted Gap slippers are keeping my feel all nice and toasty in this bit of chilly weather that has hit us the last couple of days. I am so ready for summer! Or, at least, to go to the beach next week. I'm leaving a week from tomorrow! I got my little journal all finished up, and tucked away in my suitcase to take along with me.



I also got one of my projects from Poppy Ink nearly completed.





Or, at least the outside is finished. There are a bunch of chipboard "postcards" that go inside of it. I took some of that postcard patterned paper from the new Making Memories Love Story collection, and cut each postcard out to mount on a separate piece of chipboard. Whaddya' know...the perfect size! Well, almost...a little glitter glue around the edges, and you can't even tell. I need to print out some pictures of Bryan and I to put on the fronts of the postcards. Then, I'm going to write little notes to B on the backs. I'll post pics of the postcards once I get them done. But, here they are in all of their unfinished glory:



And, a little birthday card for a friend:



I've been saving all forms of actual, traditional scrappiness for my first Label Tulip kit. But, I've been busy editing photos, and getting them all printed out and ready to go. That way, I can just get to playing as soon as I get my kit! And, I must say, I think you're all going to LOVE March's kit. It's spring time in a box...full of lots of pretties! I can't wait to get my hands on it myself! Again, thank you for all of your sweet comments and congrats regarding my new DT spot...it means a lot to me. :0)

Sunday, February 24, 2008

Holy scrap!

I have had an utterly amazing weekend. Thanks, in large part, to the girls at Label Tulip for selecting me to be a part of their design team! I'm so over the moon, I can't even begin to tell you! My first kit will be March's, so be on the lookout for some sneaks in the coming weeks. And, thank you all for the kind e-mail congratulations that you've been sending my way. It means a lot! I have some of the best blogger buds. Big squishy hugs to you all! And, I guess that answers my kit club quandry. Apparently, my kit club found me!

I don't really have many pictures to share because, well...because I haven't really done anything photo-worthy this weekend. I'm sure you don't want to see pics of me and my kids lying around in our pajamas. I've started on a bunch of scrapping projects, but haven't finished anything yet. Including this FUN little journal kit from Rachel over at Red Velvet Art.



That little beauty will be accompanying me on my trip to the beaches of South Carolina in a couple of weeks. Have I mentioned how excited I am about going?!? LOL! I'm also thinking about picking up one of these for the journey:



So, although I didn't get anything scrappily fun done this weekend, I got a lot accomplished:

*Got caught up on ALL of my laundry
*Went through my recipes and cook books, made up menus and coordinating grocery lists for meals to cook when Bryan comes home. You have no idea how happy I will be to have a dinner that didn't come from the freezer section of my local super market.
*Watched Gone Baby, Gone. Another FAB movie. But, be forewarned...there are no happy endings there. Also watched The Parent Trap (the original)...love that movie.
*Cleaned. Not as much as I would have liked, but...

Now, if I could just get caught up on returning all of my e-mails and blog reading. Then, I would feel like the weekend had been a success! One last bit of warm fuzziness to share:



Our fur baby, Sake (the hubs named her)! Isn't she the cutest? I can't wait to get her home, and snuggle her up. I can't stop staring at her picture...she's just so stinkin' cute! Something like 5-6 more weeks, and she should be ready to go!

Be on the look out for a blog make-over this week. I've already gotten started by getting the 3 column template set-up. That took a little longer than planned...it wasn't quite as easy as it appeared to be. Oh, and this was post #99...I can't believe that. So, for my 100th post, I was thinking a little RAK might be in order, no? Hope everyone had as great of a weekend as I did! :0)

Thursday, February 21, 2008

High school's never over.

I was watching The Jane Austen Book Club a couple of days ago (good chick flick, by the way). And, one of the characters, Prudie, had to go back to her home town to handle a family situation. I won't give away a bunch of details in case you want to watch the movie. But anyway, Prudie runs into some old foe of hers. She starts to tell her husband about the awful thing that this girl did to her back when they were in high school. Her husband interrupts and says, "Prudie...high school's over." To which she poignantly responded, "High school's never over." How true. I can remember being in high school thinking, "I can't wait to get out of here, be an adult, and never have to deal with this stuff again." But, we never really get away from it, do we?

Military wives are a bored bunch of women. You can do two things...find something constructive to do with your time, or succumb to the salacious rumor mill and gossip like a bunch of high school girls. That's why I scrapbook, and why, by and large, I don't befriend other military wives. I don't really care who's cheating on who; who got so-and-so pregnant; who spent all of their husband's deployment money, then filed for divorce. But, I certainly hear about it all the time. And, the guys are just as bad with the chatter. Rumors run rampant in the military circle. I guess that's what happens when you put a bunch of mostly immature individuals together with nothing but time on their hands. So reminiscent of high school, isn't it?

Then there's the scrapbooking industry as a whole...don't get me started on how clique-ish this hobby can be. It brings back all of my old insecurities from the teenage years. They just manifest themselves in new, slightly less-upsetting ways.

And, my final high school run-in of the week...snarky, inappropriate comments about the way somebody looks. More importantly...about the way my child looks. Some friend (and I use that term LOOSELY) that I was having lunch with the other day, looks across the table at Hazel. She scrunches up her nose and says, "I can't believe you can still see those veins around her temple. It's so gross! I hope that they go away before she gets to school. Kids are going to make fun of her for that." Oh, yes...because a grown adult making fun of her is SO much less painful. I know you can see the veins, but I just don't notice it anymore, I guess. That is, until it is so rudely brought to my attention. But, I still think my daughter is beautiful. Don't we all think our own children are the most beautiful things on earth, though?

Much like I did in high school when someone made fun of ME, I just sat there crying inside, but really wanted to reach across the table and knock this girl's teeth down her throat. I didn't say anything. Mostly because I was shocked that somebody would make such a rude remark. Also, because I knew that anything that came out of my mouth at that point would be completely inappropriate to say in front of my child or anyone else's. Why am I so surprised, though? This is the same girl that thinks it appropriate to call me at 8:30 in the morning EVERY FREAKING SATURDAY. Not for any reason in particular. Just to talk. And, the same girl that invited herself over to our house for Thanksgiving one year, and spent the whole night complaining that the food was homemade and DIDN'T come out of a box. Wha? Obviously, she was never taught any manners or how to behave towards others.

Rule number one...don't make fun of my child (or my husband, for that matter). It's the quickest way to end a friendship with me. My husband and I have already cut off a friendship with another couple due to some remarks made about Hazel's temper tantrums that started right after Bryan deployed. You try being 3 years old, having a new baby brother born 4 days before your daddy leaves for over a year, having Nana come and spoil you for a couple of weeks and then leave, AND have your grandpa die. All of this happened in the span of about 2 months, mind you. Hell yeah, she had some behavioral issues for a while. You probably would too. Her world was turned upside down overnight. I doesn't make her behavior okay, and we got it under control. But, it is also NOT APPROPRIATE to call my child a brat, and make snarky remarks about how perfect your kids are in comparison. Friendship effectively terminated.

Rule number two...DO NOT, under any circumstance, call me before 10 am on a weekday, or noon on a weekend. Unless you are related to me, your name is Kasie, or somebody is dead or dying...I don't want to talk to you before that. That is my quiet time in the morning with my family. That is our time to get our day started. Who calls someone at 8 am anyway? I can remember being about 6 years old, and being REALLY excited for one of my friends to come play on a weekend. I think it was about 9 am on a Saturday, and I was begging my mom to let me call said friend to come over and play. I very distinctly remember my mom telling me that, "We don't call people before at least 10 in the morning. That isn't very nice, and some people actually like to sleep in on the weekends." Words to live by.

Okay, so it's not all anger and bummed-outed-ness around here. Some pretty flowers for some pretty ladies:





These are those chipboard flowers with a vase kits from Doodlebug Designs. I had SO MUCH fun making them...totally addictive. And, the perfect gift, don't you think? Who doesn't love getting flowers, after all? And the best part...these flowers don't die! You can enjoy them forever! Or as long as paper will last anyway. ;0) I'm thinking that these are going to become the standard birthday gift for the birthday RAK group that I participate in over at Poppy Ink. Of course, I'll change them up so that they all look different (and so I don't get bored). Tee hee!

My favorite part was making these rosettes for the front of the vases:



And, finally, some pictures of my new pergola.



Don't mind the dead grass...we're in the middle of a drought here. This was my Valentine's gift to myself, and what I spent my V-Day doing. Well, of course, I didn't build it. But, I spent V-Day watching the workers build it. I have some great outdoor furniture and decorations that I am going to set-up out there. I need to finish planting those jasmine climbers, and hang my lanterns first, though. Eventually, those jasmine plants will climb all over the top of the pergola to create sort of a leaf "cealing." I'll take some more pictures of it when it's all complete. Imagine a little outdoor living room. Oh, and that cobblestone patio it's built on...I built that ALL BY MYSELF last summer! :0) I love gardening, and working in my yard...so relaxing, and so rewarding. Now, I can't wait for Bryan to come home so that we can actually enjoy it. We're hosting a big BBQ for some of the families in his company once they get home. Should be lots of fun! Actually, here's a photo from Martha Stewart that I got the idea from. It will look somewhat like this when it's done. I even have a few cases of Ball canning jars to make the little candle lanterns from!



Let's see...what else? How about some new pics of my sweet little ones...





Finally...a little help, please? Sadly, I am in search of a new kit club to sub to (I won't go into details). Here are the ones that I am considering: Studio Calico, Label Tulip, and The Scarlet Lime. I'm looking for any tips or experiences that anyone has had with these companies...good or bad. It's such a tough decision. I can only afford one monthly sub because there are other kits that I pick up here and there each month. Decisions, decisions...

Monday, February 18, 2008

The Super-Lame

Ugh. I don't know what it is with me lately. I feel so unmotivated and generally just B.L.A.H. The mundane routine of deployed life is really starting to wear on me. These 15 month deployments are for the birds. I never realized how nice it was just to have Bryan come home at night. At least there was something to look forward to at the end of the day. As it is now, the only thing to look forward to, is waking up in the morning just to start the same thing all over again.

Everything feels like a chore...creating, talking on the phone, cleaning the house (well, that is a chore), reading blogs, taking photos...EVERYTHING. I'm bored out of my mind, and not having much adult interaction really isn't helping. I need a vacation in the worst way. I don't remember the last time I went on an actual vacation. Seriously. About the closest it got, was going to Washington when Bryan's dad was dying last year. Although it was under really sad circumstances, I always enjoyed our visits there. We have some wonderful (not to mention FUN) friends back in Spokane, and there's always someone to babysit the kids so that Bryan and I can have a night out alone. As far as vacation goes though, that would be it. That's probably why I am just DYING to go visit my great aunt and uncle in South Carolina in a couple of weeks. I must admit, my idea of a REAL vacation involves having my husband with me, and NO children. But, I'll take what I can get at this point. My body isn't quite bikini-ready yet, but that isn't going to stop me from enjoying the beach. Now, if these next couple of weeks would just zoom by...I'll fly this chicken coop for a few days.

I don't have much to share except for these little Valentine trees that I made for a couple of my scrappy friends. I won't spoil the surprise for them by naming names because they haven't gotten them yet. Sorry...I told you I was lame. Plus, with the postal holiday and all...





I modeled these after my Love, Elsie felt Christmas trees. I used the Betty line on these instead for a little love-day feel. I also tried a different variation with the aluminum pot on one, but I'm still thinking I like the painted terra cotta pots better. Oh, I want to take a minute to wish a very special HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Melanie G and Jill...two very special ladies! I have a gift for both of you. I just need to finish them, and pop them in the mail later this week. Again, sorry for the tardiness, but I'm trying.

So, I'm sorry if you are feeling neglected with the blog love lately. I'm planning on doing a little catch-up reading tonight. And, if you've called (except you, K...I was just taking a nap this afternoon) and I haven't answered or called you back...sorry for that too. It's nothing personal. Hopefully, I'll get back to feeling more like myself here pretty soon.

Any of my blogger friends with kids...got any tips for getting your kids to transition from the bottle to a sippy cup? I never had a problem with Hazel. I just gave her a sippy cup one day, and she was done with the bottle. No big deal. Luka, on the other hand, REFUSES to drink out of a sippy cup. Anyone got any helpful hints? The worthless military "doctors" didn't offer much advice...just that he needed to be off the bottle before he was 15 months old so that he didn't get cavities. Hmmmmm...

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day, and a relaxing long weekend! :0)

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Happy ♥'s Day!



1. Sweeter Love, 2. Untitled, 3. Heart, 4. i carry your heart, 5. it takes TWO hands to make a heart! it takes TWO hearts to make love! LOVE EACHOTHER!, 6. Jelly heart, 7. Heart shaped bokeh, 8. Kiwi's heart (or kiwifruit's heart :), 9. ♥Heart♥

Happy Valentine's Day all my bloggie loves! I hope you all had a fabulous one. :0) I'll be back to share some red, white and pink craftiness tomorrow!

Sunday, February 10, 2008

Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies...



OMG...I am in love! This weekend, I watched Across The Universe and it has to be my new favorite movie of all time. I never thought a movie could come along that would top Amelie, but this movie did it. If you haven't seen it, I HIGHLY recommend! I'm really not one for musicals, but this one was so different. Fair warning: if you're not into The Beatles, you probably won't enjoy this film. Myself? I love The Beatles! And, the remakes of the songs (the cast sang the entire score) were brilliant. I even bought the soundtrack...also amazing. And, I'm sorry but, move over Johnny Depp...I have a new celeb crush: Jim Sturgess. Gah! He's gorgeous, and so is his voice:



Here's a couple more amazing stills from the film. Very artistic, very colorful film. You gotta' check it out!





Moving on... I finally got some pictures of the puppies! They are only a couple of days old in this picture. Their eyes are open now, and we should have more pics soon!



This weekend, I finally tied up some loose ends on some projects that I had been working on. My Christmas banner is finally finished, and boxed up with the rest of my Christmas decorations for next year. The one I had made before was a gift for a friend, so now I have my own. :0)



And, I also managed to get that Hambly project put together. It's really hard to photograph where you can see the whole concept. The tree rubs and buttons are on one of the Clearly Heavy Overlays. Then, the overlay is mounted to the wooden plaque that's covered in the woodgrain paper. The overlay is raised off of the wood by about 1/2" so that it gives it dimension to the piece. It's really cool looking in person, but doesn't photograph so easily. I had planned on giving this as a gift, but this first one got a little fudged (it was hard to fasten the overlay where it laid flat, and didn't bow outward). Now that I know what I'm doing, if I decide to make another one, it will go together more easily.



Other than that, I did a little cleaning and a little organizing this weekend. I also made a run to the flea market that they hold every weekend at the state fairgrounds in Raleigh. I got a couple of choice finds, but I'll save those to share tomorrow. I hope everyone had a great weekend! :0)

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

And then some...

So, I went a little overboard on the retail therapy. Just a little, though. I kept it under control at Urban Outfitters. I have been wanting this rug for my entryway FOREVER, and finally scored it!



And, who doesn't love Kurt Halsey? I just adore this print! And at $12, I couldn't resist. I'm not sure where I'm going to hang it yet, but our living room is black/white and red. So, I'm thinking it will find a home somewhere in there.



I had to have one of these for what Bryan loathingly calls "the pink room." Our guest room is done completely India-style. A sari patchwork bedspread, all kinds of Indian artwork...elephants, etc. Consequently, it has lots of deep pinks and purples (along with every other color in the rainbow). It used to be our bedroom gear until Bryan finally talked me into the turquoise and chocolate brown room we have now. The new colors are so relaxing, but I still find "the pink room" to be so romantic.



My last little Urban Outfitters treat was one of these trays that I hope to use as a vanity tray for my bathroom. Unfortunately, you don't get to pick the color. So, I am really keeping my fingers crossed that they send something in a green or purple scheme.



So, today was one of those absolutely wonderful days where everything just seemed to be going right. I woke up this morning with a quick little e-mail from the folks at Poppy Ink. Apparently, the had some extra add-on kits left over from January. I had been dying to get my hands on the With Love Poppy Project, but wasn't quick enough when it first came out. I wanted to use it to make Bryan's Valentine's gift. Luckily, I was able to get one today! It's okay that it won't get here until after V-Day. Since Bryan is leaving soon, I can't send anymore packages over to Afghanistan. We'll just have to have a little belated celebration when he gets home. But, look at this yumminess I have to play with in the meantime!



I also had missed out on the February Poppy Project that I wanted so badly: My Coloring Book. I decided to take a look while I was buying the With Love kit...just to make sure there didn't happen to be an extra Coloring Book kit. And, what do you know? There it was...just one...just for me! I have grand plans for this kit! Just look at all of the yummy colors here:



I can't wait to get my hands on these goodies! So, that was where my retail therapy went a little awry. But, how could I resist with the lovely kits that Heather puts together? And, the day just continued to get better...

After my shopping spree, I took a little trip over to SIStv. Lo and behold, my little dress from the previous post was selected for The Catwalk! And, by Gigi Kennedy...one of my two FAVE Fashionistas (the other is Kerry Lynn Yeary). So, the selection was extra special. Plus, Gigi sent me the sweetest little message ever. It totally made my day!

To top it all off, it was an absolutely GORGEOUS day here in North Carolina! The sun was shining, and it is finally starting to warm up! I made a quick run to Home Depot to get the screws for that Hambly project, and came across these beautiful primroses:



They are the most perfect flowers. Seriously...flawless. That's really surprising for plants that come from Home Depot. I'm a total gardening freak, and usually only buy my plants from local nurseries. But, these were just too gorgeous to pass up (especially at $1.97 per pot). Now, I'm just waiting for some little vintage tin cans that I won off of eBay to come in the mail so I can plant these babies in them. I also got some blackberry bushes. I've been looking to buy blackberry bushes ever since we moved to NC. I heard they grow wonderfully here, but couldn't ever find any for sale. Now I have 4 plants of my very own! Hopefully, the weather will hold out tomorrow so I can get them in the ground.

Now, I'm finishing off my lovely day with a yummy midnight snack of a grilled cheese sandwich. Mmmmmm... I'll try to have that Hambly project ready to share tomorrow. But, it's been a little tricky to put together. There's a trick somewhere in the whole process that I just haven't figured out yet. Maybe I can go at it with a clean slate tomorrow, and get it done...

Monday, February 4, 2008

So much for suspense...

So, those of you that guessed that the cute little papier mache dress form was going to be used to create a mini-dress...give yourselves a nice little pat on the back! :0)







This was my submission for round 2 of the Fashionista try-outs over at SIStv. Unfortunately, I didn't make it past this round. But, I'm not surprised...there was an AMAZING amount of talent amongst all of the ladies! Big congratulations to EVERYONE who advanced to the next round! I'm not totally crushed...everything happens for a reason. But, I would be lying if I said that it didn't sting just a little bit. I still LOVE what I created! And, that's all that really matters. :0) And, at least it means that I get to share it with all of you! I was dying not being able to share. The challenge was to create a LO or project that represented why we wanted to become a Fashionista. So, each of the 6 little chipboard flower petals had one word on it that explained why I wanted to become a Fashionista.

Anyway, thank goodness for happy mail to lift my spirits, right? Thanks so much to the lovely Marie for sending me this ADORABLE little owlie book as a belated birthday gift! Amazingly enough, it was my favorite out of all of the ones that she made! Lucky me!



It's just too cute, though! I don't think I will actually be able to use it...it will just have to find a nice little home on my display shelf so that I can admire it all the time. :0) And, I was super surprised to find a package from my lovely Poppy Ink girl, Rebecca Coolidge:



What a lovely, LOVELY surprise! And, I have big plans for that time card on a future LO! I'm convinced that my mail is the sole source of amusement for my mailman's entire day. We live in the rural hick-a-boo suburbs of Fort Bragg, and I doubt that my young mailman sees very much interesting mail come his way. I can always tell that he's amused by all of the craftily decorated packages that come my way. And, then today, he got to deliver this little gem:



He looked totally confused when he brought this little tube to my door today. He probably thinks I'm totally weird. But, I bought Hazel a little ladybug habitat for Christmas, and we finally ordered the ladybug larvae a couple of weeks ago. She was SO EXCITED to deposit these little guys into their new habitat to watch them develop. I must admit, ladybug larvae are rather disgusting looking. I love ladybugs, but these things look like mini earwigs. I wish I had a great macro lens so I could photograph their development. Oh, well.

I'm off to do a little retail therapy. Shopping always makes me feel better, and I feel some Urban Outfitters goods calling my name! I'll be back tomorrow to share my purchases. Oh, and hopefully, to share that Hambly project I was talking about yesterday. I thought I had the screws I needed to finish the project off. But, silly me...I'll have to make a run to Home Depot tomorrow to get some. Happy Monday loves!

Sunday, February 3, 2008

Looking back...



Wow! I can't believe that photo was taken one year ago yesterday. Looking back on it, I remember feeling like I never knew how I would make it through a whole year without Bryan. 12 months seemed like a lifetime. Then we found out that it would actually be something more like 15 months. But, now that we're coming out the other side, I don't know where the time has gone. This last year just flew by. Thank God for small favors, right? I can't believe I only have about 2 months before he comes home. I have to admit, though...2 months seems like forever when you're anticipating something so exciting. I can't publish the exact date that Bryan is expected to come home (due to security reasons), but let's just say that he will actually be home for our anniversary. So, for anyone who actually knows when that is...there's your answer. This will be the FIRST anniversary that he's been home for since we got married. Let's just keep our fingers crossed that everything goes as scheduled.

I had so much fun creating this weekend! I actually made my first canvas, and I LOVED the whole process. It's a sign that I made for my studio with my business name: Charmed Girl Creations. I even found a Maya Road chipboard crown that is shaped EXACTLY like the crown that an artist friend drew for my company logo a few years back! And, Jill...do you recognize those nifty little vintage buttons attaching the hanger to the canvas? I have been DYING to use those ever since you sent them to me for Christmas!





I also came up with a pretty nifty idea on how to use some Hambly rubs and a piece of their Clearly Heavy Overlays. But, I'm not quite finished with the project. I'll probably have pics of that to post tomorrow. Let's see...what else? Had a little Super Bowl gathering with a couple of my neighbor gals. All of our husbands are deployed together, so it was just us ladies. We had the game on in the background, but paid little to no attention to it. We spent most of the time eating and chatting. The kids all had a blast playing together. All in all, it was a nice escape from my house for a couple of hours. I also got the nicest little surprise today! I actually got asked to do my first guest DT spot, and for one of the most FABULOUS of kits! But, I have to keep that under wraps for a while. I can't wait to spill the beans, though. I'm really so honored to have been asked. Eek!

Okay, I am off to play a little blog catch-up. I've been so absent from reading my fave blogs lately. Things have just been crazy busy. So, if I don't get around to checkin' up on you tonight, I'll definitely be back for more catch-up tomorrow. I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend!

Oh! I almost forgot...the pay-it-forward RAK! So, the lucky ladies are (drumroll, please)...Melonie, Ellen and Somebody's Nobody. Please e-mail me your addresses at charmedgirlnc@gmail.com, and I will get something in the mail to you in the mext couple of weeks! :0) And, only one person guessed correctly as to what the dress form will be used for. But, I can't tell just yet. Hopefully, in the next couple of weeks, I'll be able to share!

Friday, February 1, 2008

Thursday Randomness

First off, I have a LO to share...



And, can anyone guess where I might be going with this?



Leave a comment with your idea of what I might be using this for. I won't be able to tell you even if you guess correctly. ;0) But, a while back on Gina's blog, she had a little "pay it forward" RAK that I got selected for. So, now it's my turn to pay it forward! The first 3 commenters on this post will get a special little gift from me. I haven't quite figured out what I'll be giving away yet, but I'm thinking some handmade Valentine goodies! In turn, the 3 commenters selected will have to "pay it forward" to 3 other people. If you don't want to be included in the RAK, you can still leave a comment, just let me know that you don't want to be part of it. I thought it would just be something fun to do to brighten up the winter doldrums. :0)

So, how about 7 little random things from today...

1. My car needs cleaned out...DESPERATELY. I wish that it would warm up outside so I could get that accomplished.

2. I really started to wonder what happened to this band...



The Sundays are one of my all-time favorite bands, and they haven't had a new album in over 10 years now. So sad. If
you've never heard them before, I suggest you take a listen!

3. I got my taxes done today, and got a nice little refund...way more than I expected. I will be using some of the money to have a pergola built over the patio that I built myself last summer. I have grand plans for this area...sort of like an outdoor living room. I can't wait until it's done (sometime before the end of February)! I'll definitely share some pics. :0)

4. My mom's birthday is in a week, and I still have absolutely no idea what to get her. She's turning 60, so I feel like I should get her something extra special. But, my brain is just drawing a total blank.

5. I found out that when Bryan comes home, there is a military ball that it is mandatory we attend. I have to buy a dress...a formal one. I'm not talking little black dress formal. I'm talking so formal that it makes me uncomfortable. As much as I like bling on my art, I'm not into big sparkly gowns. At least, not for me. I am totally not looking forward to shopping for this.

6. I've been craving a breakfast burrito from Whataburger all week. I miss that restaurant...even if it is fast food. Maybe they'll have one in Alabama, but I think it's just a Texas thing. :0(

7. I just planned a quick little long weekeng trip to visit my great aunt and uncle at the beach house they rent in South Carolina. I can't wait to go! It has been years since I've seen them, and they've never met my kids. I'll be driving down there with my aunt and uncle, so that will be double fun!

Okay, I am off to watch Superbad. I hope everyone had a great week!