A hoot and a hollar!

Do you hear the cries of joy coming from my neck of the woods? That's right... it's "Back to School" day here in my town! :) I took only about 60 pictures this morning and then came in and whipped up these 4 layouts (full credits can be found in the gallery)! :)






I also want to give a shout out to my brother Jamie who is turning 31 today! Happy birthday! Love you, Jamie!

Signing off here for now... I am going to try to get some cleaning done while there is no one home to dirty it behind me! :)

Have a super Wednesday! :)

A Guest CT Toot, Sketch Challenge Week #2 and more!

I am super excited and honored to share that I will be a Guest Creative Team member for Julie Howard for the month of September! :) Julie, Thanks for this wonderful opportunity! :)

Week #2 of the Sketch Challenge at The Digi Chick is now underway! I snuck the sketch in a little bit early... it was midnight, somewhere, right? LOL Here is the sketch:

and my layout based on the sketch:

You may recognize the Portobello Road kit from Jan Crowley. I have used it 4 or 5 times now, LOL It's awesome, isn't it?

Don't forget about the CT Call at The Digi Chick! Just 2 more days to get your entries! Details can be found here! I see so many people riding the fence about it... I say JUST DO IT! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! :) Put yourself out there and take a chance!

On the family front, Victoria started 8th grade yesterday and the rest of the kiddos start back tomorrow! I think they are definitely ready to go back... to see their friends... to get settled in... to start a new school year! I took the day off so I could see them off to school and be here when they get home.

Better get this day started.... chat later...

OH.MY.GOSH, I have been spoiled rotten!

Check this out...

I got home from work just a few minutes ago (I needed to stop and get flour and cheese for Scott to make homemade pizza for dinner tonight). I saw a package waiting and couldn't imagine who it could be from or what it could be. When I saw it was from Laurie I started ripping into the package! I almost cried when I pulled it out and read the cover" The Digi Chick Sketch". Inside there are blank pages for sketching and calendar pages at each month to add important dates! Isn't she the most thoughtful girl ever?
I should also have given a shout out to her a few months ago (but didn't because I am a loser). She was at Ikea one day and saw this mouspad and thought of me..... get it..... InLoveWithDOTS? Seriously, I just LOVE this girl! She is always making me smile! :)

Aren't I lucky to have such an awesome friend who just happens to spoil me rotten? ;)

Gotta scoot for now... Dane is begging me to play basketball with him. I'll blog again tomorrow for sure since it's time for Sketch #2 at The DigiChick!

Better late than never, right?

Getcha, getcha... getcha head in the game........ yep, that song from High School Musical (which I have seen WAY too much of this week) is what is running through my head right now! I am still tackling the always growing to-do list but I made some headway today!

First of all, Pam brough Chris (who is on vacation from CA) over today! I was super excited to meet her after knowing her through 123-Scrap and hearing SO much about her from Pam! She was a super sweetheart! :)

Once they left to grab lunch, the kids and I headed out to do some errands. First stop... post office to mail my nephew's birthday gift which is WAY late. Next stop, bank to make a deposit which should have been made last weekend. Then, we were off to go school clothes shopping. I just couldn't handle the mall, so we hit Marshalls, TJ Max and Sears Essentials. It's crazy trying to please all of the kids... Dylan in his mock skater phase, Dane in his jeans and striped shirts phase and Megan in her.... well, I don't know what phase she is in other than the "I can't wear that! It's hidious!" phase! During our travels, we also stopped into the store that Nicole works at. CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY to see her hanging with her buddies and working. Wasn't she just a little kid yesterday? Gosh, I love that girl!

So, anyway, the real reason for my post title today... I just signed the kids up for Fall soccer online. Yep, less than 12 hours before the first practice! How's THAT for way behind? LOL Honestly, I just didn't have the extra money (see post from last Friday titled "Woes of an oil delivery", lol)) and really I still don't, but I charged it anyway. I feel it's important for the kids to be physically active so I made the judgement call that they would be going! So, 6 hours per week (2 hours a day, 3 days a week) for the next 8 weeks I will be spending at the field cheering on my kiddos as they chase around that black and white ball.

Scott just got home from work, so I am logging off for tonight! Have a great one! XO

I've been tagged...

Iv'e been tagged by Pam! Thanks, girl! ;)

1. If you could build a house anywhere, where would it be? Definitely coastal Maine
2. What's your favorite article of clothing? Comfy sweatshirt & jeans
3. Favorite physical feature of the opposite sex? eyes (followed closely by the butt,lol)
4. What's the last CD that you bought? Wow, I can't remember. I haven't been buying CD's since I got an iPod for Christmas...
5. Where's your favorite place to be? on vacation in Maine
6. Where's your least favorite place to be? In trouble ;)
7. What's your favorite place to be massaged? Hee hee... shoulders....
8. Strong in mind or strong in body? Why not both?
9. What time do you wake up in the morning? 5-8am... depends on the day...
10. What is your favorite kitchen appliance? Dishwasher
11. What makes you really angry? Being disrespected or lied to
12. If you could play any instrument what would it be? Well, I *do* play the trumpet so I will have to say piano
13. Favorite color? Green
14. Sports car or SUV? SUV
15. Do you believe in an afterlife? Yes
16. Favorite children's book? The Velveteen Rabbit
17. What's your favorite season? Fall (coming soon... yeah!)
18. What is your least favorite household chore? All of them... probably cleaning tubs and toilets!
19. If you could have one super-power, what would it be? I want wonder twin power... you know "Wonder twin power ACTIVATE... form of a volcano!" lol
20. If you have a tattoo what is it? I have several... Tweetie Bird, Sign for Libra, Chinese symbol for Love, some crazy ass sun moon thing and a Patriotic heart!
21. Can you juggle? No...
22. The one person from your past that you wish you could go back and talk to? My Dad... he died in Jan 1989
23. What's your favorite day? as of late, I am enjoying Tuesday... I don't work and I have dubbed it Guilt Free Digital Tuesday where I can digi scrap the day away and dont have to feel bad about it! Plus, thats the day of the week that the new sketch challenge will be updated at TDC! :)
24. What's in the trunk of your car? I don't have a trunk but the back has some junk... not sure what and I can't check right now since it's STILL at the shop... grrr......
25. Which do you prefer-sushi or hamburger? Yuck... neither!

I'm tagging Jen, Lesley & Melissa! :)

Not much new around here. I borrowed my Dad's car so I could go to work yesterday. I always buy a water bottle on the way to work and then refill from the water cooler all day at work. Yesterday there was a sign taped to the water cooler saying that the machine was going to be replaced on Friday and that we should "resist" using it. I was like "What the heck?" It didn't say not to use it, so I decided that I simply couldn't resist and I refilled at the cooler several times. I ended up with a severe migraine last night that sent me to bed at about 5pm and I am wondering if the 2 are connected. Guess I should have resisted. Things that make you go HMMMMMMM!

Steve and Scott are taking separate cars to work today so I am trapped here without a car. It is REALLY frustrating to have to rely on others to cart me around or loan me their cars. *sigh*

Well, gotta get to work on some digi projects so I am going to close this for the day! Have a fabulous Thursday! XO

The Good Wife

Got this in my email from a friend and just had to share!

Let me cover this point by point:
1. Dinner ready? Yeah right... do you want me to kill the guy with my terrible cooking?
2. I should definitely do this more often. I know this article is supposedly antiquated but is there any reason why we shouldn't look our best for our spouses?
3. LOL... I think I have "interesting" overed! ;)
4. Oh geesh, nothing like hittin' me where it hurts. I am a terrible housekeeper. I want to be clean and clutter free but it just doesnt happen.
5. Ummmm, hello? I think this is the same as #4. Silly, author!
6. Yeah, I can buy this. It feels good to make other people feel good. We don't have a fireplace, of course, but this is definitely a good idea.
7. Hahahahahaha. Seriously? This is a joke!
8. Yeah. This one is quite fair. Fake it till you make it, baby!
9. Another good one. Most imes when he comes ion I am on the computer with my back to him. Not very welcoming.
10. I'd be good with this (except for the last sentence) if he didn't tell such LONG boring stories. Not my fault, you see.
11. Bleh. If I was a non-jealous and suspicious wife this might work, but I'm not. He married me this way and he is stuck with me.
12. Wouldn't it be great if my home were all these things for every member of our family?
13. Yeah, this can be a little off putting. It's just common sense to suck up a little first.
14. Minor? If Scott stays out all night, he is outta here. Refer to #11.
15. He would laugh his butt off if I had him lay back. Seriously, he would think I was plotting to poison him.
16. His shoes? Yuck, I can't even stand when they are in the same room as me.
17. Yes, Master. ROTFL Enough said.
18. Trust me, I know my place.

So despite the fact that this little article is filled with crap, there are some very valid points. I always joke that I am the opposite of women's lib anyway because I so much support gender roles. Scott should kill bugs. I should do the laundry. Scott should take out the trash. I should clean the house (but don't, lol). Scott should mow the lawn. I should cook the food (again, doesn't happen, though).

So, I got in touch with the mechanic at the shop where my car is. It was a bizarre conversation where he repeated what the other guy told me Friday (about what's wrong, the cost, etc) but this time he said it won't be ready till NEXT Wednesday! Grrrrrrrrrr... not a happy Rachael here! :(

The Sketch Challenge at The Digi Chick is going amazingly well! I can't believe how many fast scrappers there are out there in the world! Check out all the awesome layouts so far for week #1!

And now for the final saga in the disgusting ear story. The thing darned thing killed me ALL day yesterday. I was planning to leave it alone and pray the infection didn't become worse, but when Scott came home from work, he asked me to see it. When I showed him, he was like "I could get that thing with a box cutter now!" I just started laughing. After a few minutes I agreed. Seriously, the thing was hurting so much! I gathered the necessary supplies (Hydrogen Peroxide, Triple Antibiotic ointment, white towel and box cutter) and headed to my bedroom. It's didn't even take the same kind of slice as the day before and this "thing" started draining like crazy. Scott had to walk away at one point because it was so gross which sent me into fits of laughter. At that point I was like "Call the boys in here!"... Dylan said it was like a volcanoe erupting and Dane asked how I got earthworm throw up in my ear! Bahahahaha... those boys make me laugh so hard! The ear is definitely still tender, but I am feeling SO much better today! :)

Well, it's a work day for me so I need to finishing checking the boards and hop in the shower! Have an awesome Wednesday! :)

How I almost became Van Gough and other Tuesday updates!

For those of you who have known me for a while... remember that thing that grew on Scott's ear? The thing he had to have surgery to have removed? Well apparently, since I am such a good wife, I have decided to grow one too, maybe in support of him or something. Who knows? Thankfully mine is on the back of my ear so it's not as noticable as Scott's extra head was, but the thing is driving me CRAZY! It hurts because it has the skin stretched so much. I decided after work last night that I had enough. I started icing it to prepare for a little home surgery. At first, Dane stabbed at it with a Making Memories safety pin. I would like to think it wouldn't hurt since my ear was numb but it fact it never stopped hurting because it's so darned swollen. Despite actually penetrating the skin, he just couldn't pop the thing. I begged Scott to help me so he came down to the basement and got a box cutter. In true doctor like style, he was sure to break off the old razor so I could have a fresh one for my ear. Pulling my ear back, he made an incision. "Is it oozing?" I pleaded, hoping to finally feel the release of the pressure. Nope, it sure wasn't. I begged him to make a deeper cut, but he insisted that if he did, I would be going to the ER to have my ear stithed back on. Without health insurance due to that 90 day waiting period, that is just not an option. So, in summary, I now have a ridiculously large painful growth that also has a large insision. *sigh* Overpriced health insurance stinks, but being with it hurts- LITERALLY! Anyone got any home remedies or old wives tales for how to get this thing to go away or at least diminish in size??

So, today is the official kick off of the Sketch Challenge at The Digi Chick. Here is the very first sketch along with my layout based on the sketch! Be sure to check out what everyone else is doing on the Week #1 thread in the forums.



A CT call you must know about...

Being on the CT for TDC has been AWESOME! If you are on the fence about applying, JUST DO IT! You never know until you try! :)

Guess that's it for now... the boys are wanting to make some sort of breakfast shake. I fear what they may put in after the fruit salad fiasco, so I am off to check things out! Have a wonderful day! :)

A day of laughs!

Wow, considering I got next to nothing for sleep last night, I had a great day of laughter. Yes, I worked today... I always like to joke that I am "just there for the laughs". That's not really the only reason, of course, but it's wonderful to have co-workers that I enjoy so much!

First of all, Barbara D brought in a cubicle peroscope last week. She borrowed it from her husband. This thing is HYSTERICAL! We use it to peek over the top of our cubicle and look out into the warehouse, especially when we hear people coming! It makes me laugh EVERY TIME! So, today after several state troopers went howling by with their sirens on, we hear another co-worker calling home to see if anyone knew what was going on. We always joke about starting rumors so I told Steph that I heard an escaped convict was in the next town over. It turns out it was actually a guy threatening to blow up some explosives if he didn't get an apology. The rumor mill is probably a bit more fun than reality, eh? The drama less than 3 miles from where I work went on all day despite becoming just a 30 second segment on the news tonight. It wasn't until close to 4pm that we actually knew the stand off had ended and everything turned out okay.

Tomorrow is the big Kick Off to the Sketch Challenge at The Digi Chick! I am starting to get a little bit nervous. What if everyone is like "All that talk for this lil ole sketch? Puh-lease!"???? (You KNOW how people on the internet are always saying PUH-LEASE, right? <---Kidding!)I think I would just crawl in a hole, LOL Anyway, hoping it will be a fun journey and a great way to get a few extra pages done by taking the pressure off of coming up with the design! I am planning to do both 8.5x11 and 12x12 as well as single photo layouts and multi-photo layouts. It will be fun to see the way the sketches are changed up and become unique to each scrapper! Oh, and both paper scrappers and digi scrappers are welcome to play along! :)

Guess that's it for tonight! Have an awesome Monday!

Sunday Night Check In

Bad blogger. Bad bad bad! I don't know what my issue is, but I just haven't been blogging daily. I am hopeful that it's just that my life is boring lately and not that I have actually run out of things to say! HORRORS! :::laughing:::

Got the word that my transmission needs to be rebuilt. I won't have it back until Weds or Thurs at the soonest. Lucky me, I will get to pay a bill $1200- $1500 when I pick it up, too! Yeah! (Not.)

Ater church, I took Dane to a birthday party and then came back to work on some "secret" projects for Anita Stergiou and Heather Roselli. I am not sure when I will be able to share but let me asure you, my blog will be the first to know! :)

I also prepped a couple layouts for the Sketch Challenge at The Digi Chick! The very first sketch will be posted Tuesday morning! I can't wait to get this challenge rolling! :) The Digi Chick is definitely my digi home on the net and I am so excited to play a bigger role there by leading this challenge! :)

Coming soon to NDISB.com: Rhapsody in Rachael! (I thought I posted here about this, but now I can't find it. Forgive me if I am repeating myself in my excitement.) Theresa Hernandez created a kit using a few of my favorite colors that is SO much fun! She even named the kit after lil ole ME! Here are a couple layouts I have done already using the kit:


I'll be sure to let you know when the kit is in the store and you can count on seeing more layouts using my namesake kit! :)

Well, it's a work night so I am going to sign off and go snuggle under the covers! :) Have an awesome night!

Woes of an oil delivery and other random Friday things!

Thankfully we invested in a pellet stove last winter, but we still use oil for our hot water. I just had 193 gallons delivered at a cash price of $2.39. Do the math... OUCH! Seriously, ouch ouch ouch! The more I think of it, the more frustrated I get that my budget for this 2-week period just took such a hit! *sigh*

Still no word on my car yet. That'll be another huge finanical hit, I am sure.

So, Megan is one of the newest chicks at The Digi Chick! In 24 hours, she posted more than 100 comments in the gallery (can you say OCD?) and 5 layouts of her own! She only created her FIRST layout yesterday. She really has a knack for it... she remembers things well which is really helping her move around Photoshop with ease. It's so nice to have something "in common" with her. Maybe this will even bring us closer together!

The fruit salad saga continues. I purchased REAL fruit on Wednesday on the way home from work so that we could get the fruit salad fetish out of our systems, but once we ate all the real fruit, the kids still wanted more. Last night I was served a fruit salad that included celery and carrots! *sigh* Will the madness ever end??

The to do list is still miles long so I must close to get some things done on this gorgeous Friday! Have an awesome day! :)

TDC Sketch Challenge!

Are you guys ready to join me on my new adventure as Sketch Challenge hostess at The Digi Chick? Just 5 days until the first sketch will be posted! :)

Good Wednesday morning!

Darn kids messed with my alarm clock and the volume was super low so I almost didn't wake up today! That really would have stunk to have called in late for oversleeping!

So, yesterday was a productive day in digi world for me! I submitted several things for publication and I completed 7 layouts with an 8th started. Most of them are now up in my gallery! Aren't the new Thumbuddies the CUTEST THINGS EVER? You can purchase them at Christine Smith's blog!


The news on my car wasn't good. The noise is coming from inside my transmission so my local shop shipped it over to Manchester for them to deal with. :( It's sounding more expensive each minute, isn't it? I am borrowing my dad's car today to get to work. Lesley may come up tomorrow to take me on some errands. I feel like an old helpless lady. Should probably sign up for Meals on Wheels soon, too. *sigh*

Finally got around to adding some new songs to my iPod. Thanks to Melissa for suggesting The Fray. I had only one song from them and they are definitely worth a listen! Melissa's love of Nickelback also encouraged me to download "Far Away" which I am also loving! With that grungy-pull-on-your-heart-melancholy voice, it may have to go in "Drinking Songs" as well as "Current Favorites", LOL :)

K, peeps, it's 6am and the shower beckons! Be good today! XO

Fruit salad- yummy, yummy!

I love when the kiddos do random acts of kindness. I love wild flowers picked from the yard. I love coffee, spilling and dripping, in my bed. This morning, however, I found a treat I am not quite as fond of. Dylan decided he wanted to make a fruit salad for himself for breakfast... and share with me. Included are: one sliced apple, one diced tomato, a can of pears in heavy syrup and some fresh lemon squeezed on top. Seriously, this is one of the hardest things I have ever tried to get down. I am trying to smile as I eat it, but it's torture!

In work related news, I am *so* glad yesterday is over! I think it was probably the hardest day I have ever worked there. We are gearing up for a big presentation and there were SO many things to be mocked up, packaged and sorted! My co-worker, Colleen, also gave her notice yesterday. She plans to leave in October. I am happy for her because I know it was a hard decision for her but that it will be for the best. I feel sad, though, because I will miss her. She isn't really the type to stay in touch, so I guess she will be one of the people that crosses through my leave and simply leaves an impression on me. I know it sunds a little "high school" but we really had some great laughs. She made work a place I could actually drag myself to. LOL

I brought my car to the shop this morning so I am stuck here all day. The noise it was making kept getting worse and honestly, was quite embarassing. Hopefully it will be an easy fix... well, easy and CHEAP is what I really mean!

Megan's last summer league basketball game was last night! Thank goodness for that! They won... for only the second time this season! Her "hilarious" coach decided we should go for ice cream so we all piled in our cars and went up to Manchester. Just what I needed- more calories to go straight to my butt! *sigh*

Steve started with Scott up at The Cliff House today. It's totally crazy- this is like the 4th job in a year they have worked together at. They do work well together, though, and this is quite a pay increase for Steve so it's all good, I guess.

I've added a few new layouts to my gallery this morning and plan to get a few more added today, so check them out if you'd like! :)

Have an awesome Tuesday! :)

I'm back!

I'm back and I'm tired as heck!

I came back from the lake a day ahead of everyone else because I have to be at work this morning at 8am. I checked email and was in bed at 10pm watching Steel Magnolias. I dozed but was up at midnight. I started having a strange dream, the kind that seems never to end. I was in some sort of contest which was 3 reality tv shows rolled into one. It's funny I dreamed it was in NYC although I have never been there. I remember so many crazy details. I know that I was "booted" from the contest because I left to bring a woman in labor down the elevator to the lobby and by the time I got back up, I had only 30 seconds to access the medical condition of a fake person. I have no idea why that was even part of the competition but the guy from Hell's Kitchen was the one to "fire" me. Donald Trump was there, too. See? Crazy! So, I woke up about 1:30am and was awake till 3:30am. Back up to the alarm at 5am dreaming about Girl Scout patches. It's definitely going to be a long day with such restless sleep.

So, this weekend was mostly uneventful. The kids did the "kid thing" riding their bikes all around & playing with friends. Dane's birthday was yesterday so Barbara had a cake and gifts for him. He seemed pretty happy to get clothes, especially a new Red Sox sweatshirt and some baseball cards! He and Scott are off to the Red Sox game in 2 days! You can just see the excitement in his eyes when he talks about it!

My "To Do" list is still a mile long, but at least it's actually written out. Hopefully I will get lots of things done this week. Always so much to do and so little time to do it. We are staying around this weekend because Megan has to altar serve this weekend, so it should be low key week.

Time for that second cup of coffee and a shower... have a fantastic Monday! :)

To do...

Started a nice little to do list for myself yesterday and now I have filled the front of a yellow legal size pad. I feel so behind the 8 ball. I can't imagine how I will ever get caught up. One thing at a time, right? ;)

I am off till Monday and am quite pleased about that. The kids and I are heading up north to Scott's parents for the weekend! I haven't been since Fourth of July! Crazy how fast this summer is flying by! Looking forward to working on my tan a little bit because the weather should be GORGEOUS- only in the 70's! I couldn't ask for better!

Haven't scrapped anything new in days and it's killing me! Hopefully I will get to crank out a couple digital pages tonight once I have a better handle on this long list looming in front of me! Check back in my gallery tonight and if you don't see anything new, email me and put the fire under my butt, LOL :)

Well, better get back to the list! Have an awesome Thursday!

Wednesday morning comes too early!

Seems like a few minutes ago I was punching out on Monday evening and yet here it is Wednesday morning again already! *sigh*

So... this weekend... other than having "a little" too much to drink on Saturday... was a blast! The Allards have an awesome camp on the lake with every imaginable water toy. The kids tubed, knee-boarded, Jet skiied, canoed and swam to their heart's content! I even went tubing and jet skiing for myself! I had never been before and this was on my list of 100 things to do before I die, so I was pretty psyched to get that experience, even if it meant sitting behind Sami while going 52 MPH with Roger driving like a mad man!



I went shopping with the girls last night. They both needed bras and I wanted to get a jump on back to school shopping! Who knew that bra shopping would be such a fiasco? Why is it that all bras with an A cup need to be super padded or push up? Is it true that all A cup women (or in this case, girls) wish they were bigger!? Let me tell you, the grass isn't always greener. I was reminded somewhat of my Mom taking me bra shopping for the first time. I was mortified that she wanted to see how they fit and that she told the clerk my size. I didn't talk to any clerks last night, but I did make the girls let me go in the dressing room to make sure we got a good fit. Megan also got a few things for school but Victoria is where I really got things done. She is into the big "camo" trend. I finally had to say "No more Army clothes, girl!" lol She got 3 pairs of jeans, a pair of pants, 2 shirts, a sweatshirt, PJ's and some bracelets. That should start the year off for her. Even though she is really fussy about what she will wear and how she will wear it, at least she speaks up now. She used to let me buy anything but then she wouldn't wear it because it was uncomfortable. I hate wasting money on things she won't wear.

Sunday marked the 8th Anniversary of the day I called my dad out in Vegas to tell him he was a father... of ME! In some many ways it feels like I have known him much longer than 8 years, but then again, it seems like just yesterday. Isn't that weird how that happens?

Melissa and I signed up for a Photography Club this fall at our local scrapbook store, Scrapbook Island in Derry. It's twice a month for 3 months. We are both looking forward to it and hoping to learn a few tips and tricks about getting better use out of our Canon Rebel XT's. I think the next classes we will look into are some Photoshop classes, maybe through a community college or adult ed program. I know I am not getting enough use of all the amazing features offered in Photoshop simply because I am not aware of all it offers.

Well, it's 6am now so I'd better hit the shower and get ready for work! Hope your Wednesday is SUPER!

Hey peeps!

Just checkin' in to let you know I am alive. It's been one heck of a weekend... some details I will share soon and some will probably never be shared, lol. I have over 200 pictures to wade through and I will post some highlights soon.

Got the September CK today so I am heading up to bed to enjoy some fresh layouts in the coolness of my bedroom! Have a great night! :)

Hugs!

TGIF

Just checking in on this rainy Friday morning! I am thrilled to say that the humidity broke so we can once again breath in New Hampshire! :)

Charlie took us to dinner last night at the old "Squire Roper's" in Hampstead... the food was delicious and we had a great time laughing and chatting. He left early this morning to start his journey back to Florida! What a whirlwind trip- I am sad it's over so quickly, but I am glad to have had the chance to see him again.

If you haven't stopped by The Digi Chick yet, definitely do so! There are SO many fun things going on to celebrate Friendship Day including a card swap, scraplift challenges, a GIANT sale and ATC swap! Here are a couple items I have contributed for the swaps!


Things to do today: Shower, Go to Petco, Go to Liquor Store, Do Some Laundry... pretty easy day and I am lovin' it! :) Have an awesome day! XO

A week full of surprises!

Phew! What a week this has been so far and it's only Thursday! Tuesday morning I got a text message at work from Steve saying "Charlie's here". I was like "What the heck?" Charlie is my my step-father. He and my Mom married the same year as Scott and I married. I haven't seen him since Dec 2000 when we went down for my Mom's funeral. We have chatted through the years but hadn't talked since the fall. Apparently mid-July he began a road trip north along the coast! Without warning he arrived here on Tuesday morning. I wanted SO much to leave work and come home but things were quite hectic at work so I stayed. I got home around 6pm and it was so wonderful to see Charlie face to face! He hasn't changed a bit! After dinner, he brought out a giant box he brought with him- filled with photos, diplomas, awards, letters and cards. It was basically my Mom's entire life in one box. It was so wonderful to go through each item. I will be sorting through it again soon to send some things to my brothers, Jamie & Shon.

I worked again yesterday and Charlie headed up the coast to visit Pemaquid Maine (one of my Mother's favorite places). All day work was buzzing about a meeting that was to be held at the end of the day. Rumors were flying left and right. Bottom line? 17 people were fired. Their departments were "outsourced". I am still processing this information in my mind. Although this doesn't directly effect me, I haven't been able to get past the fact that so many lives are being turned upside down. Loyal employees who gave their all will now be without jobs and health insurance. It's really heart breaking and I am currently having a hard time coming on board with the "best for the company" mentality.

So, in digi chatter, whatcha doing this weekend?? Check out this super fun event planned at The Digi Chick!


So, speaking of friendships, I received a letter in the mail yesterday from a person I hadn't talked to in about 2 years. I don't want to go into too many details just yet, but let's just say this was another big surprise and I am always happy to see the hatchet buried especially when it comes to family.

A bg huge shout out to Jennifer who is having a birthday today! Happy birthday, girl! Hope you have a wonderful day!

Guess I have rambled enough for today. Got a busy few days coming up but I will try to check in! Have an awesome day! Hopefully this humidity will break soon. ;)