Changing Weather....more creativity?

Not sure that the weather is actually changing around here. I do live in Tennessee and let me tell you we have the most UNPREDICTABLE weather I've ever experienced. My nephew was born May 5th, the day before I left my freshman year at college in Knoxville, TN. It snowed that day and the next - IN MAY! It is February, and I honestly had the air conditioner on in the past month - CRAZY! I am feeling more creative lately. I think now that we have the new computer, and it is not such a MAJOR deal to get online, upload photos, ebay stuff - I am feeling like I can play in my scrapbook room. It was the place where the "computer" lived and I never wanted to go in there! But now it is fun, plus with my new wireless router I can use the computer from anywhere in the house & so I feel like my scrapbook room is my SCRAPBOOK ROOM, not an "office". So to answer the twopeas daily blog challenge - I don't think the weather is making me feel more creative, but I think it is my mood. I am branching out - making things for my house, small books that aren't so overwhelming to accomplish. I just feel like I am getting a lot of creative things done. So changing weather the cause? No - but that's ok b/c I am still getting a lot done.
Just an FYI, I am blogging from Panera Bread! I LOVE THIS!
Love & Blessings...

My Everest

Ok, I bought this thing thinking it was the answer to all my wants/needs for scrapbooking. So yes it cuts things for you, and yes it will cut any true type font, and yes supposedly it will cut chipboard. But I wouldn't know....I can't get the thing to cut. Well, let me rephrase that, I did get it to cut a word, but the cardstock looks like it was cut with cat claws. Why can I run a $10,000 embroidery machine, plus two other smaller embroidery machines, run the $5,000 software, embroider luggage, leather, baby clothes. But I cannot get this machine to do anything I want it to do??? I am to the point I want to fling it out a window. I should have just kept my quickutz dies instead of selling them all to buy this paperweight. Yes I know I am being extremely glass half empty right now. But the thing has been sitting here since September and I have not made a single successful project with it yet. SOOOOOOO I am ill, yes ILL! I want to use it, I want to cut vinyl to put on my walls and for friend's walls. I want to make gifts and cards and scrapbook pages. But Lord please help me find the patience to learn how to use this thing. PLEASE LORD???

I just wonder...

that the things you do everyday, that seem so normal/easy/simple/everyday chores, are hard for others? For some of us, the simplest things are a challenge. How many of you go to Wal-Mart or Kroger and never think anything more about doing it than the fact that you make a list before you go? I can't do that. Do you just decide you are going to spend the day with the windows open? I can't do that. Do you get in the car and go where you want, when you want all alone? I can't do that. These are just a few things that my OCD hinders. I cannot just spur of the moment decide to do something. Everything is planned out strategically, and if for some unknown reason plans change, well that blows my whole day. I have had something to return to Wal-Mart for almost a month now. I just got to return it tonight, why? Because Keith was with me and I could face going into Wal-Mart. It still was NOT a pleasant experience, and there was really NO ONE in there to "bother" us. There are just times that Wal-Mart freaks me out. I haven't been in Kroger in 2 weeks. Do we have groceries??? Absolutely, because my husband ROCKS and stops on his way home from work. Simple things like opening the front door when the doorbell rings, don't happen at my house. I have NO CLUE who is on the other side of that door, and what sets in when the bell rings is enough to send me OVER the edge. Phone ringing - same thing sends me into a panic. Sometimes a full blown panic attack. I joke about them, and I make light of them, but they really do hinder my daily life. Most people jump out of bed, and go about their day. I wake up and have to think ok #1 do.....#2 do......#3 do....and so it goes on all day. I have a certain order EVERYTHING must be done in. Tonight we were making spaghetti for dinner. I asked Keith to walk me through it so I felt more comfortable, and hopefully I can make it on my own next time. I pulled a chair up to the stove and watch and took notes. Because I will do it EXACTLY as he showed me when I finally do cook spaghetti for us. I DO NOT deviate from plans. If I am taught to do something a certain way, or I discover something in a certain way, I will FOREVER do them IN THAT SPECIFIC ORDER. Because I cannot deviate from "the plan" for something terrible and awful might happen. My mom had a certain way she folded towels when I was growing up (she still does this.) I was taught to fold towels that way, and at 31 years old I still do it. GOD BLESS the person who tries to fold my towels, they will get refolded. Keith doesn't even try anymore, god bless him. And that is ok, I would rather do it myself. I can think of a million more things just like this, but I won't bore you to death. But I just wonder, how many people take folding towels, going to Wal-Mart, answering the door, answer the phone, just do whatever they please all day long without having a certain way to do EVERYTHING that you must think about until you are so tired that you just want to lie down from THINKING about what order you must do things in? I just wonder....
Love & Blessings...

celebrity soulmate (Thanks Shonna!!! :o)

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It's Monday...

Well it is Monday and it is COLD! So just wanted to share a few quick pictures from the weekend. This is a quote book that my best friend Shonna and I worked on last weekend. I finally finished mine. You can see the rest of the pages here:
http://twopeasinabucket.kaboose.com/pg.asp?cmd=display&layout_id=1302817


Of course I thought with Keith's new job that we MIGHT be able to actually do Valentine's on Valentine's. But no, so Saturday was our Valentine's Day. We had lunch at PF Chang's and just hung out together. He took me to Best Buy to get a wireless modem for my new laptop and he even took me to Michael's and JoAnn's. Gotta love him!!! Oh and the big horse is outside of PF Chang's and we just decided our little Valentine froggie needed to be in the picture. The froggie was for me, but Missie Moo has decided it is hers - so cute!!!




























And finally a picture of my Door Decor for Valentine's Day. Wood hearts from Hobby Lobby, Paint, Zebra Paper, pipe cleaner, some heart buttons and some ribbon!

























Keith has his final exam for his MIT training either today or tomorrow, so wish him luck!!! I am off to an appointment!
Love & Blessings...

You must check out this ruler!!!

Click on my title to check the link out. I bought this ruler from the seller on ebay. And although it says for quilting, it is AWESOME! It will not slip on paper either and I LOVE IT! I can see through it, it isn't huge, and it's great. I have long been on the search for a PERFECT paper trimmer and that was never found. So I have started using snap knives and a cutting mat. And my mom got me a great metal ruler with cork on the back, but it slipped on me once and you who know me, know that I DO NOT do knives or sharp things anyway - so once that ruler slipped I was terrified. So back i went to my old trimmer. But then I found this on ebay, bought it and it ROCKS!!! So if you are in need of paper trimming awesome-ness - check out this ruler!

Love & Blessings...

I am blogging from my new PINK Dell Laptop!

Well, I finally did it - I ordered a new computer. I waited and waited for Keith to participate, I mean he has to use it too - but he just kept putting me off. So last week I went online and ordered a laptop. I have always wanted one, not to mention that it takes up WAAAYYYYY less room in my scrapbook room. And then Keith can use it anywhere in the house as soon as we get our wireless router. It is PINK and oh so pretty! No come the return of posting pictures. I just uploaded the two pictures below - I am SOOO excited! I'll refer to them later in my post, as I have LOTS to catch you up on.

First of all, it is still Valentine's day here at the West household. We never get to do V-day on THE day because Keith is always working. We thought with his new job he MIGHT be off, but since he is still a "lowly" MIT (manager in training) he follows the schedule he's given. So Valentine's day is ACTUALLY going to be tomorrow for us. I am so excited. I got Keith a really cool razor & of course made him a card, and there are 2 cute little monkeys to attach to his package. I'll post the card after I give it to him. :o)

Next, last weekend my BFF, Shonna, came down for a visit. She got here Saturday morning at 7am and we scrapbooked, we talked, we shopped, we had an awesome time and we were DETERMINED to stay up until Keith got home from his close, well at 10:30pm we woke up and realized we slept through Mean Girls and we were pooped. The two margaritas we had at dinner didn't help I am sure! LOL! We even stopped by the liquor store to get some more provisions and we didn't even open them - goodness I am old!!! But we had so much fun. I love her so much and I am so glad to have her in my life. She is way more than a best friend, she is the sister I never had. We also made these awesome quote books while she was here. I will post when mine is COMPLETELY done! And the picture at the top left - is part of my Valentine from her. She knows me so well - and doesn't mind my PUNK/REBEL side at all! I love my little journal and it is sitting here right beside me now while I ponder what to do with it.

Also I finished up a Valentine postcard swap I was in and mailed those off last week. I posted a picture on twopeasinabucket.com if you go there and look up eeyorestayl you'll see them. And when I got home from mailing them I had a RAK from Silver on my stamping group. The above left picture is the ATC Silver made and sent me - SO PRETTY! I love those stamps - think they are Tim Holtz. :o)

Remember how I posted that I was addicted to my new DS Lite Keith got me for CHristmas. We I bought him one off of Ebay and it is really good for him - it allows him some down time when he needs to decompress. Well, my MIL - Pam - saw them and so I bid on one for her on ebay. It has taken me nearly TWO WEEKS, but I finally won one for her - WHEW! She is a game junkie like me so she will have so much fun with it. Now who else can I bring over to the "GAMER" side with me, anyone???

And finally I am going to ask? Do you think it is ok for people walking their dog, to let them STOP, PEE IN YOUR YARD, and then KEEP ON GOING. Now mind you these are your neighbors who are in their yard constantly. And they have a lovely yard, but they WILL NOT let their dog pee in their yard!!! So they bring him right across the street to mine! We have been pulling into the drive when he was allowing this, and he hurried off down the street and I made sure to say "That is VERY RUDE!" loud enough for him to hear. I have opened and shut the front door LOUDLY when he was RIGHT THERE at the mailbox allowing his dog to pee all over! I even opened the blinds and let Marlie bark at him, he doesn't care. Now not only do I not it and think it is rude. I have flowers down by the road at the mailbox most of the year - and he pees all over them, and kills them! I mean - come on - that is stinkin' rude! So yesterday I was all upset over my doctor up and moving to another state, then seeing this neighbor man letting his dog pee all over my yard, and Keith says "Put a note down there." So that is just what I did. I posted the following (yes in red) "PLEASE DO NOT LET YOUR DOG PEE ON OUR MAILBOX OR IN OUR YARD!!!" Yes I over-react to a lot of things, but respect my property, ya know? Oh well it is just something else to talk about in therapy on Monday! LOL!

Love & Blessings...