Thursday, April 30, 2009

I think I need to punch something....

Last week I went to pick up "the dress" at David's Bridal. Next door to the store is a very large Jo Ann's Fabrics and Crafts store so I stopped in just to see what they had that I can't live without. I bought this:

It is called a Squeeze Punch, and it was 40% off. It works great! If you like punches but the thought of pressing-slamming-hammering- put it in a vice- a standard punch makes you cringe, then these are the punches for you. It took very little effort to use. All you do is squeeze the handles together, much like pruning shears or scissors. The edges cut crisp and clean and there is no wierd little cage/window thing to hold the punched out piece inside the punch.

I highly recommend this to any card maker, paper crafter or scrapbooker. Give it a try. Let me know what you think.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

These photos make me happy and I don't know why



Sometimes the simplest things bring me great joy. Like these photos. They have no rhyme or reason behind them at all. They just make me smile every time I look at them.

Photo # 1
The photo up above was taken last August at a Columbus Clippers baseball game. (Hence, all the peanut carnage) Sweetie's daughter and I painted our toe nails matching blue. We also have on matching ankle bracelets. They were cool. Black metal coiled springs. It was a great day. The kidlets had never been to a baseball game before. Afterwards, the fans were allowed to run the bases. Girl Kidlet and I had to take off our shoes to run because they kept falling off. We held hands and ran those bases for all we were worth. The dirt was very cold, which I thought was strange. Boy kidlet was "too cool" to hold hands with us, so he went ahead of us. He said we were slow.

Photo # 2
This photo on the right was taken the day of my nephew's wedding, July 12, 2008. What makes that day stand out is that it was my wedding anniversary, and my husband was supposed to be the best man. When he died, nephew and his then fiancee asked if they should change their date. I said absolutely NOT. Let it be a day filled with happiness and joy. It was.
A lot of eyes were on me that day, to see if I was going to break down. I had my moment while we were getting ready and decorating everything. You see, Sweetie and I had been dating for not quite 2 weeks. He knew my story and told me that I did not need to be alone that day and came to the wedding with me. While we were decorating, church bells started ringing. For what ever reason, I was very affected by the sound. It was the saddest thing I had ever heard. I stood there and bawled my eyes out for a good 20 minutes and Sweetie, bless his heart, just stood there and held me and stroked my hair and said these words :"Cry all you need to. Let it out. I'm right here with you." It hurt him that I was hurting and he wanted to make it better, but he knew that it was something I had to feel...something I had to go through. I think it was one of the sweetest things anyone had ever done for me.
Enough of being melancholy...back to the fun stuff!
A lot goes on at weddings and it is easy to forget the details. This is what I clearly remember about that day:
It was HOT. Too hot for a fat girl in a bullet proof bra and chiffon.
It rained, which made it humid.
My shoes were dyed purple to match my dress, which was beautiful, BTW, and when we had to walk through puddles (the wedding was in a park) my toes turned purple from the dye.
The cupcakes were AWESOME!
The bride was beautiful.
And I clearly remember thinking, as they said their vows to each other : "Please don't ever let them take one minute with each other for granted"

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Totally Random Tuesday Thoughts

It's Tuesday, folks. This week feels like it has lasted forever and it is only Tuesday. I'm run down, worn out and stretched thin. I'm in need of coffee, sleep and a vacation. At least that's my opinion on the subject.

It is raining in Ohio. It has been raining for 2 days and its supposed to rain tomorrow. I'm tired of the rain. It needs to be sunny. NOW. Thank you very much. I appreciate your cooperation.

Tax day is tomorrow. Have you filed yet? Don't be late. There's a penalty if you are. And the IRS isn't someone you want to mess with.

My niece's prom (hi jess!) is this weekend. She's a senior. It's her last one. The dress is beautiful. Maybe I shoudl start working on the alterations soon. Maybe.

Sweetie's mama made the yummiest ham for Easter dinner. I can't stop thinking (drooling) about it. I heart Sweetie's mama. She's cool.

Today is my friend's birthday. Happy Birthday to you!

My other friend is building a giant swing set/play ground in her backyard. It is neat. I want to play on it but I think I'm too big/old. Maybe not! :o)

I need to put gasoline in my car. Gas is $1.97 a gallon here. How about where you live?

Got any totally random thoughts of your own today? Share them!

Friday, April 10, 2009

Good Friday


Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Easter.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Last Night I had the Strangest Dream

I sailed away to China, in a little Row Boat to China. You said you had to get your laundry clean.
No, not really, but I had a very strange dream last night. One of those "wake up and shake your head" kinds of dreams.
I dreamed that I had a massive amount of plastic surgery done on my face. I was all wrapped in bandages. When the bandages were removed, my face was so tight that I couldn't close my eyes. They were all stretched back and pulled tight, like when your Mama pulls your pony tails too tight and you can't blink.
People kept saying, "But Amy, you can't close your eyes!" To which I replied"I know, but don't I look good?"
Strange dream. Strange indeed.
But when I woke up, I was thinking, "Wow, what does that dream say about me?" Does it say that I'm so stuck on looking good that it doesn't matter that I can't even blink? Or does it say that my eyes need to be opened so that I can better observe my world around me? Or does it just say that I shouldn't have eaten a chicken taco an hour before I went to bed?

What is the strangest dream you have had lately?

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Happiness

Have you ever had a life changing moment? Something that continued to affect you years after it had happened? Something that made you re evaluate who you are, or what you do, or what you want out of life? I've had several, but I'm focusing on just one for today.
I remember a few, (ok, several- like nine) years ago just after I was divorced and was living with my cousin/BFF and her children that someone asked me "what makes you happy?" and I couldn't answer that question. It made me sad to realize that I was such a hot mess that I couldn't even define my own version of "happiness" I went home and cried about it and decided that I would indeed, one day be able to answer that question clearly, with out hesitation.

So, here I am, a few (ok, nine) years later and I'm still trying to figure it out. Some days I can tell you immediately what makes me happy. Some days it changes hourly. Some days, nothing on this good green earth makes me happy. I'm a work in progress. I can tell you this, I know that there are certain things that will make me happy no matter what kind of day I'm having or what my current mental state is. A hug from any one of my children, nieces or nephews is a sure fire happiness maker. I know that it's not usually big, giant things that make me happy, but rather, small, everyday kinds of things, like a text message from my son just saying hi, putting on my pajamas at the end of a long day, or someone telling me that I look nice or when my sweetie kisses my forehead. What makes me the happiest isn't something for "ME" at all, but seeing my friends and family members happy. THAT is the good stuff.

More importantly, I have learned what DOES NOT make me happy, and how to stay away from it. Things like that suck the life out of you and make you a bitter person.

What has someone asked you that made you re-evaluate yourself and has your answer stayed the same over the years?

Friday, April 3, 2009

10 things about me

1. Favorite Alcoholic Drink Vodka
2. Favorite Non-Alcoholic Drink: Iced Tea
3. Favorite Place to Visit: any family member’s home
4. Favorite Breakfast Food: Eggs Benedict
5. Favorite Vehicle: Cadillac Escalade, pearl white
6. Favorite Fast Food Spot: Chipotle
7. Favorite Shoes: Anything with high heels
8. Favorite Sport: baseball or MMA, depends on my mood
9. Favorite Thing to do in my Free Time: Read
10. Favorite Snack/Junk Food: cookies in any shape or form


Now, tell me 10 things about YOU!