After A Long Hiatus

It's been so long since I've posted over here I had half a mind to remove it...but then thought NAH!! I've too much invested to just get rid of it.

So let's see if I can remember everything that has happened over the past year...

• Liz and Shea got their car back from us, only to have it immediately towed away for non-payment to a loan/title company.
• Matt bought an '88 Ford Mustang.
• The holidays were lonely without my younger son, Robert.
• Kat & I left FCCC church to go to our former church.
• Matt bought a second car...a '93 Nissan Altima.
• I was made youth director/drama leader at our former church.
• We now have 15 youth members!!
  
• Kat turned 18.
• After a year away from anything scrap related, I started designing again.
• Other than a few probs with my arthritis, my health is good.
  
• Hubby went to Wisconsin to visit his sister for 3 weeks.
• While he was away I spent entire time spring cleaning and rearranging furniture.
• I've lost more weight. Since last year, I've went from a size 20 to a size 14.
• I knew I was allergic to my cats, but now have developed an allergy to my dogs.
• I can't bear to part with my animals so have learned to deal.
• My washing machine broke down for the 4th time in 4 years. Either I'm too hard on my machine or it is just poorly made.
• We're STILL working on my bathroom remodel...lol

Here's one of the pages that I've created so far...

JOURNALING READS:
There is nothing
more beautiful
than the bond
between a
mother and
daughter

Kit: For The Girls
Designer: Angel Delites
Program: PSP-9
Font: Tall Paul

Monday Mayhem...

For those that missed it, I spent half an hour throwing away close to $400 in frozen groceries yesterday at lunchtime...not because of faulty freezer, but the fact that someone unplugged it. (From the temperature of melted water, thawed food & SMELL...I'm guessing at least 1-2 weeks) Due to yesterday's humidity and my lack of iron stomach, I put draining & sanitizing off until nightfall. However, plans tend to change so quickly in this house and it was put off again. (Lid is closed TIGHT and awaiting me to clean...though I might be investing in a gas mask now)

I was already taking the day off from the kitchen due to stiff muscles. By the time I was finished throwing all of the gross food out, I was really hurting. Spent most of the day lounging, rubbing lotion on my legs and trying to massage the cramps away, and applying medicated heat patches to my back.

Kat made it home around 9:30pm. I feel my baby girl slipping away from me. She no longer talks to me about everything going on with her. We never spend any time together since she started working full time and traveling every weekend with the drama team. Though I'm proud of what she's doing and the hard work she's putting in to it...I'm feeling somewhat neglected and ignored. Used to, if you were looking for me, it was automatically assumed that Kat would be near. I know I've whined before asking if this is what it's suppose to feel like when you are no longer needed, but this feeling is heart-wrenching.

I rode with hubby this morning to help with directions to the place for his drug test. Turns out he didn't need me. He had to go to Wal*Mart first to pick up the paperwork to take to the hospital, but while there he had another "small interview". (Dang...how many times must someone be interviewed to work in a garage?) Nearly an hour later, hubby comes back to truck sans medical paperwork. I asked him what was up and he said they decided to put him in another position making less money that what he was making at the Truck Stop so he said he was sorry he wasted their time for the past 6 weeks and that he would have to decline. It didn't sit well with the guy in charge, but he did leave it open for hubby to return at a later time.

Hubby was disgusted. He was told the reason they were giving him less money is because of his work experience and history. Hubby asked what he meant since he had managerial experience at AutoZone, Napa, and the Truck Stop. He then was told they wanted more years than what he listed. *sigh* For what they wanted to pay him, he would have been making LESS than what OS is making now at Costco changing tires. So we stopped by a couple of places on way home for him to get aps.

Hubby has been on the phone ever since we arrived home nearly an hour ago. Unsure what will happen now...especially since we thought he HAD this job and was quoted a certain amount 2 weeks ago and it didn't happen that way today. Something more for me to worry about and try not to let it get to me.

A few minutes ago, I received a message through my MySpace from YS saying that he was coming down with his Dad and Grandma to get pickup his other sister Somer. Would only be here for the weekend and would be able to spend Saturday with me. Now I'm really freaking since my entire house is turned upside down and my kitchen in shambles. How am I suppose to be relaxed and play gracious host to Grandma Joyce when there isn't a clean spot to sit? ROFL!! Guess I better get off my hiney and bust tail to get the kitchen halfway completed.

Getting Back To CT Work and UPDATES

After a long hiatus, due to server problems, Veronica Spriggs is up and running once more!! *Doing happy dance* This means you'll be seeing a lot more of me!! *giggles*

UPDATES: Robert's graduation ceremony left me in tears. Will scrap all of the photos as time permits.

I've completely finished the "purging of my home" project. Every nook, cranny, box, closet, crevice & cabinet couldn't hide from me. I removed so many knic knacks, clothing, furniture & linens from my home that I'm now able to see walls and floors that I forgot we had!! *oops* Though I feel amazing that I completed this major task, it's far from over. Now the remodeling, rearranging & decorating begins.

ON THE TO-DO LIST:
PORCH

1. Purchase lumber, trim and doors
2. Carefully unroll, measure & cut "no-see-em" screen (that came in mail while I was away)
3. Screen in back porch

FLOORS

1. Rip up carpet in den, kitchen & living room
2. Install hard wood floors
3. Either sand and stain floors or paint floors
4. Find several braided rugs varying in size
   

KITCHEN

1. Remove everything in kitchen
2. Take down single upper cabinet on right side of sink (Keep for new project)
3. Paint cabinet, walls & ceiling white (keep wrought iron hardware black)
4. Install 4 white shelves (supported by wrought iron shelf brackets) of different lengths to replace single cabinet
5. Use shelves to display/store glasses, coffee cups, plates, bowls, china, mixing & storage bowls
6. Convert double cabinets (that originally held all of above mentioned) on left side of sink into "pantry"
7. Convert Lower single cabinet on right side of sink as storage of oversized pots, pans, and small appliances (that originally was "pantry"
8. SELL kitchen table and chairs
9. Replace table for center island with storage on one side/bar with stools on other.
10. Remove make-shift counter hubby installed beside refrigerator
11. Move fridge to spot make-shift counter was located.
12. Place pie cabinet in original fridge spot.

BATHROOM

1. Remove sink, bubble tub & toilet
2. Remove unfinished side original flooring
3. Replace plywood floor & joists as needed
4. Reinstall sink & toilet (may need to replace bubble tub depending if hubby can repair motor for jet sprayers)
5. Install "Grab Rails" near toilet and tub
6. Install new wall insulation
7. Install new drywall
8. Purchase stack kit adapter, longer dryer vent hose and place dryer on top of washer
9. Finish trim & electrical
   
10. Paint walls & ceiling white
11. Use boards from old pallets for flooring and walls with whitewash treatment
12. Paint floors with SEVERAL coats of polyurethane
    
13. Decorate with beach/light houses

Of course, I'll also be taking plenty of before, during & after photos of these projects. HA! (Which reminds me, I need to upload my Florida Vacation scrap pages I finally scrapped...lol)

Until then...that leaves me with showing you my latest CT scrap page.

Kit: Pretty As A Princess
Designer: Veronica Spriggs
Link:http://www.digiscrapboutique.com/
boutique/pretty-as-a-princess-scrap-kit
-pr-3949.html

Layout: Jay Elliott (ASTC)
Program: PSP-9
Font: Jenkins v2.0
Plug-Ins: EyeCandy 4000/Shadowlab

Losing Time...

Eeegads!! It's been 3 1/2 weeks since my last post here and I find myself feeling deeply ashamed. Not only because I haven't scrapped much, but because I haven't posted about what is going on in my life!! *sigh* So, let me see if I can give updates without putting you to sleep with boring details...lol

Hubby & I went on an all expense paid vacation to Marco Island, Florida with hubby's best friend and his girlfriend. Won't go into details, but hubby and I came home after a week instead of almost 2 due to unforeseen complications between me and the best friend's girlfriend. *eyebrow raised* Did take lots of pics though, during the more pleasanter times and even managed to scrap most of them. (Will share in a future post...here is a photo of me and hubby on our first night there.)

Not sure if the Spring Cleaning Bug hit me or I found myself so bored that I began looking for things to keep me occupied...but I actually CLEANED my house. NO...I'm not talking just the regular, run of the mill cleaning. I'm talking MAJOR PURGING here. Hubby's sister and her fiance' came for a surprise visit a couple of weeks ago. Stayed for nearly a week. While here, they helped hubby get motivated enough to clean off our back porch, do some major yard work...and that led me to do the major cleaning indoors. It's been 3 weeks and since then I've purged/cleaned & redecorated my den, my kitchen & turned my unused dining room into a livingroom/office for me!!

Didn't realize how much of a pack rat hubby & I were until I started donated all of this stuff to the local thrift store. So far, I've removed 8 pair of curtains, 1 box of kitchen utensils, 8 boxes of country decor, 4 boxes of kitchen chef decor, 15 pictures, 60+ salt & pepper shakers (collection started with my mother) 2 chairs, 1 coffee table, 2 end tables, 1 lamp, 3 decorative glass bowls, 4 candles, 5 complete sets of plates, bowls, coffee cups, 2 sets of cannisters and the list goes on and on!!

While hubby's sister and her fiance' were here, OS, hubby & I got tattoos. (I'll take a brief pause while you pick your mouths off the floor)......................................

SIL's fiance' owns his own tattoo shop and brought a lot of his equipment with him since he was already planning on giving hubby a tat. The last 3 nights they were here, we ended up having a tattoo party. OS invited all of his friends and everyone sat around and watched as OS got his first tat. (Something OS designed himself) Bless his heart, took 3 hours because he passed out a couple of times due to lack of food for much of the day, and the fact he kept holding his breath from the pain he said he was feeling.

I received my tat the following day around lunchtime...I chose one of his original black & gray scale faeries, but tweaked it and had him add color. For the most part, it felt like someone had taken a ball point pen and was drawing really hard on my back. It was only when he was doing the tip of the wing and the water it felt like someone sticking me with a needle.


Hubby got his later that night...because he took ALL DAY combining the Elliott Clan Crest & the tartan colors. Afterwards, he gave Kudos to OS for being able to stand the pain on his chest, because where he received his on his forearm, he said it felt like someone was taking razor blades across his arm. EEEK!!



OS just celebrated his 21st b'day!! Hubby and I hosted the party. At final count there were 15 guests not including our family...and yes...each of them were getting plenty intoxicated. The rules were if they planned on drinking they had to give me their keys upon arrival, stay the night and then get keys back the next morning. For the most part, everyone stayed on the back porch and kept the mess to a minimum. Only once did I have to put my foot down and make a group leave due to it being 3am, beer long gone, OS off to bed and this group wanted to continue the party until dawn. Sorry, but my tired butt was heading to bed and I wasn't leaving anyone unattended. They left, those that had made plans to stay went to bed, and I locked up. (Will share photos once I get them uploaded.)

I'm sure I've forgotten something among all of this...but that's how it goes when you go so long without blogging. OOOPS!!