Archive for March, 2009

Its a rainy yucky day here at the Cates household.  I hope your weather is nicer then ours has been the last few days.

on a GOOD NOTE though, I did experience some crafty thrift goodness today! Looky what my crafty little hands did catch:

Why a bunch of TOLE PAINTING and Crafting books! YIPPEE!!!

“HOW MANY?” you are wondering.   Oh, I don’t know.   About THIS MANY!

“How MUCH?” you are wondering.  Oh, about this much = 0000000000

WOOHOO!!!!  Nothing says craft happiness like FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! I know I know.  Stampin’ Up! has pretty much ruined my Thrifty Queen reputation.  But I do believe ladies that today’s post REDEEMS my status!

And because you guys are silly and email me EVERYDAY about how my tomatoes are doing, YES, I will keep posting updated pics for you on their progress.  Here they are this morning.  Enjoying a little sun on the dining room table, overlooking their soon to be new home through my patio doors.  LOL

Thats my lil’ pre-pickles on the left and the tomatoes and bells on the right.

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I guess Im  outtie.  It’s the end of the month and thus frustratingly crazy in my office right now, with payroll and paperwork scattered about everywhere!

Hopefully I will find time to craft a little tonight.  Maybe break out some of my new tole books and give it a whirl!

Have a fantastic day my friends.  Until tomorrow…

man, I am SO glad the weekend is over!  I don’t even mind that that means today is Monday!

Friday was so bizarre!  The phone rang around 3 Friday.  It was Bub calling from someone’s cell phone to tell me the bus had run over a fire hydrant and could I come pick them up.  WHAT?!  So, I jumped in my car and ran to get my stranded kids.  On the way home, my car kept trying to DIE.  HOW CAN THIS BE?!  My car is babied and hardly EVER driven!  It still has under 10,000 miles on it!  How can it be dying on me!

Hubby dismantled my baby.  With all her guts laying there in the driveway, he starts griping at me because nothing “seems” wrong and there he has wasted the day for nothing.  *GASP!*

It was really a sad day for us.  We took the kids to our favorite restaurant, and kind of explained to them that this weekend would be last time we get to eat out for a while.  They really don’t grasp the “why” aspects of it.  But my hubby’s hours have been cut in over HALF at work so we really do need to tighten the belt a little.  Having always had Friday nigh Pizza Night and McDonalds at least one day during the week they are in shock.  Poor kids.   Bug’s solution.  “Its ok Daddy.  We don’t need moneys.  You can just use you card at the bank machine and use THEIR moneys!”  *sigh* if it were only that easy! lol.

Saturday was absolutely INSANE.  I don’t know if you watch the weather channel or not but man!  We had winds, hail, and tornados. AGAIN.

(pretend you dont see the chicken bone the neighbors torture beast has drug onto my deck. lol)

So the storm passed, but it had pretty much killed  the entire day.  And we were drained.  Its hard work watching funnel clouds go over and praying they do not come down for a visit.

Sunday, we had a late brunch, finished laundry, did a little work in the unfinished stamping studio, and that was pretty much the DAY.  We cooked dinner together as a family which never happens, as I hate anyone in the kitchen while Im cooking.  BUT I suffered through it and the kids enjoyed helping I think.  After dinner we all showered and passed out.  I’m sure this is the first time in history my entire clan were zonked by 9:30.

I feel like the weekend was completely wasted.  I really have nothing to show for it other then the laundry is caught up. lol.

hmm, while I was typing I wondered.  Are you finding yourself tightening your budgets a little?  What are some of the things you are cutting out?  I have got to find some way to get our grocery bill down.  We spend $280/wk PLUS at least 2 trips back for milk etc during the week.  We are only a family of 4 + a dog.  One child of which lives on bologna and chicken nuggets so…  I see our grocery receipts and really cringe.  How in the WORLD did we used to get by when hubby was only working at Burger King?  that $140/week check had to cover everything.  How did we get by THEN? ugh…  Sometimes being a grown up really just blows.

Ok enough rambling.  I have a billion things to do today, and like 4 hours until the kids get home.  I see NOTHING getting accomplished today!

Have a great day my online friends!  I appreciate you popping by to read my ramblings!!

hehehe.

lots of “blah blah” today, you up for it?

Yesterday got away from me, again.  I had an “emergency” pc repair drop off.  Which has me thinking, WHY IS IT: when someone’s computer messes up they automatically call it emergency, and expect me (the repair gal) to put their pc first in the queue.  *sigh*

This is my dining room, atm, towers and parts sitting around waiting.

hmm.. THIS is not good.

on a good note,

I think I may just LOVE my UPS man now.   lol.  Even though he is late, doesn’t even ring my door bell, and occasionally leaves packages in my driveway because he is too lazy to hit my steps…I still could possible love him.

But, I’m starting to wonder if its time for an intervention, my loot from yesterday…

*sigh*  why is it, if YOU order something then I feel like I should order something too?  Since I’m on there putting in the order ANYWAY… might as well…  LOL.  I really don’t think being a Stampin’ Up! demo is going to be profitable for me because I keep spending ALL MY PROFITS!  ugh!!!  Please Lord, don’t let the man-thang look at my blog today…  PLEASE…  Amen.

Here’s my ‘mators this morning!  Aren’t they glorious?!  Man-thang is worried they will outgrow their containers before it is safe to put them  outside.  So, now what do I do? HELP!

the back 2 rows are lil Cherry tomatoes.  Geeze I love them!  The next row is “Big Boys”  In the front which have JUST started to sprout is bell peppers. MMMMM!

Here is 2 lil cucumber plants.  Hello yummy lil pre-pickles you!  The only thing in this tray that has sprouted.  I hope the squash peek out soon!!

My lil bells, finally showing some signs of growth! 

All the pics of my veggies made me want to have a wander around my yard, so here’s my morning stroll for you. YAY! 

My neighbors really must think I’m crazy, walking around taking pictures of nothing and cussing.  Every time I would get a good FOCUS, the wind would kick up and start wriggling around my subject and I would have to stand there like an idiot waiting for the wind to stop blowing.  lol.

Anyway, I thought my weeds were even pretty this morning.  Weeds or not, that splash of purple is Cah-Ute!

My Desktop for today:

and for your viewing pleasure…

I also realize I didn’t post my challenges last week.  No one was playing, so I skipped a week.  You know, for no one to be participating, you guys sure let me KNOW when I don’t post them! hahah!!

So for you gripers…

this weeks Shutter-Shock Challenge:

You task, should you accept it, is to find and photograph images of spring.  Now I know, some of you are on the opposite side of the planet, so YOUR task, is to find and photograph signs the seasons are changing!  We want to see whats it is like at your home right now, while ours is bursting with colors and new growth!

So take your pics, blog em, up em to our ShutterShock Flikr Group, and come on back here and drop us a link to see um!

man, what is all that hazing on there?  Oh well.

For the Color Challenge this week:

The challenge: create a card, craft, scrapbook page, digiscrap page, kit, or freebie using the colors above.  This week I chose the colors of SPRING! woohoo!

Post your submission on your blog and come right on back here and link us up! 

and now to REALLY fire some of you up…

I finally saw Twilight.  Gotta LOVE netflix!  Anyway,  it was “ok”.  I don’t get the hooplah about it though.  I’m desperately hoping the books are better then the movie (Since I bought them all).  I just dont get the “addiction”  I mean, I know people that went and saw this at the movies like 10 times.  Though I watched the film, I have to say its a “watch it at home” movie.  I would have been pi$$ed if I’d have paid $10 to see it at the theater. $3 rental maybe, but not $10.

I loved seeing Peter Fier-o-however you spell it.  I loved  him in “Fastlane” and was really sad the show got canceled. 

The main vampire guy, he was (yes I admit) kind of “hot”, but I have to tell you why.  He much reminded me of my Joaquin.  Not crazy, cracked out Joaquin of today.  But sexy quiet Joaquin of 8mm/the Village.  *sigh*  Man what a train wreck. 

Oh back on topic. 

I did watch the whole movie.  Props to me, yay. lol.  I was sad there was not more action.  The only scene I can say I thoroughly enjoyed was the car scene.  Yeah! Drive that thang brotha’!  Other then that…  NOT impressed.  Sorry ladies.  Let the flame fest begin.  lol.

*oh, note the new song today?  I DO love the soundtrack!  thats a plus right?!!!

OK, Im  outtie.  I will do something CRAFTY today if it kills me.  Right after I change out laundry loads, load the dishwasher, mop the bathrooms (grrr I hate living with guys sometimes!), and finish a pc repair job.  THEN Im going to craft.  I swear it!