Wasn't It Merry?

Hope everybody had a great Christmas! We did! The girls made out like bandits -- Santa brought so much stuff! Thanks Santa!

I stayed busy right up until Christmas Eve. I have never waited this late to get thing finished for Christmas. I am usually done a couple weeks before. Not this year! It just crept up on me! I was still getting things ready to go when it was time to head out to visit with the family and exchange gifts. It was nice to finally slow down to enjoy the night!

We started off at Mike's parents' house. It was fun watching the kids rip open their packages. My youngest nephew got a drum set. I sure am glad it didn't come home with me. :D Although, Whit did bring home a working microphone that plays songs she can sing and a noise making guitar. Not the real kind but one that she loves anyway. She still feels like a rockstar when she plays with it! Ally got Hannah Montana stuff. She is crazy about HM. I have never seen anything like it.... Sometimes it drives me crazy but I can be happy that she is crazy about a pretty good role model. I hope HM doesn't turn out to be like the Spears girls. That is another entry though.

Once we finished at Mike's parents' house we headed to his aunt and uncle's house. We started off by playing Dirty Santa with $5 gifts from the liquor store. Do you know what you can get at the liquor store for $5? Nothing really great, I can tell you that! By the end of the game you had to take at least one drink of what you ended up with.

I ended up with Hot Damn! as my "prize". At least it didn't taste horrible! Some of the things they brought were NASTY! The two worst ones were these: Arrogant Bastard Ale, and Rattlesnake shots. All I can say is: Dis-gust-ing! The Rattlesnake shots were awful. I couldn't even tell you what was in it. It was two different liquors that tasted like rubbing alcohol. Definately pukester drinks.

The next picture is Mike and his Uncle Don discussing how to steal from somebody else. I think they were strategizing. They both were eyeballing something they wanted.........

Can you guess by the last picture that Mike got what he wanted! :D He likes to try different dark beers and this was no exception. Only this one was so dark it looked like black coffee when we finally poured it down the sink. It was super strong and quite bitter! We kept the bottle though. It was pretty cool. There is a neat story/warning on the back of it that tells you that it is pretty stout and disgusting. It also tells how/why they started making the crap. I think they should quit making it and just make the cool bottles. Although, it does make a pretty good gag gift......

We had a good time on Christmas Day too. We ate BBQ with Mike's parents and relaxed at home in front of the good ol' tv while the girls and played. It was nice to put our responsibilities aside for the day and just enjoy our family! I hope you all enjoyed your holiday as well! I hope you have a great New Year!

Today was pretty cool...

I made this frame last night for the Creative Christmas Countdown we have going on at AC Bailey Designs. I am really pleased with how it turned out too. I took it to school today just to show a couple of people. Harmless enough, right? Well, I got to talking to a teacher friend of mine and told her about the etsy stores for crafters. (Etsy is like an online store/site for crafters to sell their goodies.) Anyway, we were talking about what something like this should cost and we finally decided on something we both thought was reasonable. She had some of the same thoughts and ideas as me and I think I really needed to have somebody else tell me. Know what I mean? Anyway, I thought I'd "test" it out by showing this frame to some people at school and tell them a price. I NEVER dreamed anybody would actually WANT one. But, within about 10 minutes I had 7 orders for picture frames! How cool is that! I couldn't believe it! I am so excited though. I only showed a few people -- maybe 10 -- and got a really great response! I think I may need to push this a little more. It could be quite equitable for me... :D (Love it!)

I have been pretty busy lately. School has been hectic and stressful. We have so much to do to get the kids ready for the TAKS math and reading tests. The reading test is in March. They have to pass this test to go on to 4th grade in TX. That is a lot of stress not only on the kids, but also on the teacher! Eek! (See the sweat bullets beginning to form?) And this week and next are going to be rough since the kiddos are ready for Christmas break. If the truth be known, their teacher is probably more ready than they are. I need a break!

My sister and mom can relate to the stress. They both teach 4th grade. Mom in Oklahoma, Mandy in Florida. I am glad that I can call and vent to them and they totally get it. It is nice to have somebody understan exactly where I am coming from. Mike can sympathize but he can't empathize. Ya know? I usually call my mom. She has taught longer than ever. I am not even sure just how many years she has taught. Mom, you need to leave me a comment and let me know. :D I can call my mom for anything. It is nice to be able to call her and know that I can count on her and Dad for anything. I hope they know just how much I appreciate all they do for us. I have great parents. I am a lucky girl. Thanks for being there for me Mom and Dad..... Love you lots! XOXOXOXO

I need to get the girls situated in bed. We are a little late getting there tonight. I guess they will be fine though. After all, Christmas break is only 7 days away! Talk to you soon gang!

Just Call Me Grace...

That should be my middle name. I seem to do the most graceful things at the worst possible moments. Or at least in front of too many people.

Today's situation:

I really needed to hang some things from the ceiling in the hall at school today. Okay, didn't NEED to but WANTED to. The kids made some cute ornaments and I thought I'd hang up for everyone to see. So, I do the most logical thing a gal of 5'2" can do. I get one of the kids' chairs and decide to use it. I pull it out into the hall and climb on up. Not for long though. The chair starts to feel like it is sliding on the tile and lo and behold it is! Two legs of the chair are totally coming out from under the chair! Well, being the graceful swan that I am I totally bust my a$$ right in front of the kids that were in my class because of course I start right smack dab in front of my door. I hit the floor with a nice smack! (I later found out that the gal that teaches next door to me heard it. She just didn 't know what the sound was! Lucky me!) Anyway, this was the conversation that followed my graceful decent:

Colby (my 9 year old student): Are you okay?
Me: Yes, I'm okay.
Colby: You don't look okay.
(I think, 'Thanks kid!')
Me: I promise I am okay. I think I just bruised my pride more than anything else.
Colby: Okay. If you say so.

I love that I can be so graceful under fire. Lucky for me there weren't any classes in my hallway at that time. Usually our hallway is pretty busy. I lucked out. I hope I get lucky the next time I fall. Oh, yeah, this wasn't my first time. I took down a table earlier in the year. I just leaned up against it....with my hand! Like I said, just call me Grace!

Whoever is sending the message...... I GOT IT! I need to lose a little of my fluff! I promise to start working harder on it! :) (Just gotta get through the holidays! Can you say YUMMO?)hehe

Got any stories like this one? I'd love to hear them so I know that I'm not the only one in this boat! Later!

Kids, Candy, and Trees

This had been a long week for me. So much to do, so little time. Story of my life! Not to mention that I have had to deal with kids misbehaving all week long. I'm not sure what has been in the water this week but it seems to be one thing after another! WOW! I have talked to more parents this week than I can count on my hands! I hope the next two weeks of school are better!



I have been busy working on some projects for my design team at AC Bailey Designs. I had so much fun with these papers! I have a hard time scrapping certain holidays -- ie. Halloween! But the Scenic Route Salem line was so much fun it was easy to scrap these pics! I also used the My Minds Eye Confetti paper collection on the pictures of Whitney. They just seemed to match! I also liked how they worked with Whit's "Rockstar" poses!I also doodled on this one. I summoned my inner Aubrey and just went for it! (For those of you who don't know Aubrey -- She's my mega talented best friend and the most artsy farts gal I know!) Then there are the cards. I have been on a card kick. I am really enjoying making cards at the moment. They can be a challenge sometimes but I have fun with them. :D I have a few more projects that I am working on this month. They are just taking a little longer because they are altered projects. As soon as I get them finished I will post them here.

We still don't know anything about the situation on our house. The owners still want to move back and I don't blame them. They are in the same situation we are in. We are thinking that we really would like to move back to Bryan. I already know I really like the district and Mike has a couple of job leads. Plus, there are plenty more places for him to look. The girls really miss it there too. They miss all their friends. We have really give this a lot of thought and don't know for sure what we will be doing but we have been leaning towards moving back. I think it would be beneficial to our family. We all want to be there and I think that being some place that you are happy to be takes a lot of the stress out of our lives. Know what I mean? I am sure that we will get it all figured out soon. Just say a little prayer for us!
We got the tree up this week. The girls helped get it decorated. We cut it down at the tree farm. The girls had a blast trying to pick one out! They were running all over looking at trees! Well, we got us a crooked tree but the girls think it is the most beautiful one ever! I'm glad they like it! I'll post pics of all that in the next day or two.

Not much going on this weekend. Probably cleaning the house and hopefully scrapping a little. I hope you all have a great weekend! Later!

Love this picture of Allison and my mutt, Dixie. This was the same day that Dixie got groomed. She looked so cute all shaved and fixed up! Allison enjoyed snuggling with Dixie after she got home. It was pretty cute how she was being a mother hen!

Well, things are a little rocky again on the homefront. The people that own the house we are renting have decided once again that they want to move back into it before the end of the school year. That puts us out Jan. 15th. The realtor that manages the house is trying to get the lease extended until May 31st. I don't look for them to sign the extension. So, we will probably be moving in the next couple of months. It sucks too. We are just really unsure what to do. We have thought about moving down towards Austin or Houston. There are jobs out the wazoo for Mikedown there. He figures he'd make a little more than he makes here but without the company truck and the benefits of having that truck. So, I guess either way you look at it he's making out about the same. We won't have the truck payment or gas bill if he stays at this job. I think he figured that saved about $8,500 per year. That's quite a lot! But, at another job he'd get better benefits. It's really a toss up. We just don't know what to do and we are really putting a lot of pressure on ourselves. We also figure that if we stay here we wouldn't need our personal truck. If we sold that we'd be able to pay some things off. So, the question is.....What do we do? Well, we're not sure. Maybe this house thing is a blessing in disguise and God's way of telling us what we need to do and where we need to be. I hope that we make a decision soon. I have felt like I have been in limbo for quite some time. So has Mike. I hope we can make a decision soon!

In the teaching world, I have decided that sometimes when you reinvent the wheel it can be a good thing or a bad thing. If I am the one reinventing the wheel that I can't complain about it later. I can deal with that because I did it to myself. But, on the other hand, it really irks me when somebody reinvents the wheel for me. Long story short.....

We have a lady at work that is the TAKS coach. She gets stuff together for us to teach during our Power Hour time. (This is about a 35 minute time period when we work with our ability grouped kids on specific skills and concepts.) Almost all of the time she gets us our materials at the last minute or even late. It sucks to have to plan this stuff at the last minute. That's beside the point though. Well, today, she basically told us to chunk our plans for the rest of the week. We would be doing a TAKS reading passage. And then got upset when we questioned if we could wait until next week to start. Now, for those of you who don't know, it takes about 30 -45 minutes to do a passage if the kids use all the strategies they are taught to answer the questions to the passage. Well, I gave the test and of course my kiddos didn't finish. I didn't expect them to. They'll finish tomorrow. I guess my frustration lies in the fact that we don't have a plan. Or at least one that makes sense to me. (I am not the only one who feels that way either!) I feel like we are spinning our wheels and not getting a lot accomplished. We will meet as a grade level on Monday. I hope we get some of this resolved. I am sure so. I just hope it goes well! ;)

I'll keep you updated as I get things figured out. Cross your fingers for me and say a little prayer! Later guys!

Sunday Nights...

Get here too quickly in my opinion. I know I have been off for a week. Actually, 9 days if want to know the truth. But, Sunday comes and GOES way too quickly for me. I enjoy my time off but when it gets later on Sunday I start to dread Monday. I know that means that I have lots of responsibilities to face 1st thing in the morning. Lots of little kids that depend on me. I don't mind having the responsibility at all. I love my job. It's just that I love the mindlessness that weekends and time off tend to bring with them. It is pretty sweet sometimes to be able to do whatever the heck I feel like doing. For example, I stayed in my jammies ALL day yesterday except when we went to McDonald's for lunch. After we got home from McD's I was back in my jammies lounging on the couch watching movies all day long. That was pretty nice. I just gave my body and my mind a break. It is important to let it all go and just sink into yourself sometimes.......I think we need to do that more often. Too bad Sundays roll around like clockwork each week! :D Hope you have a good Monday!

Goals for the week

So, I am trying out a new background on my blog. I was really tired of the whole polka dot thing. I would really like to learn how to customize my backgrounds and colors. Maybe I'll be able to figure it out over the Thanksgiving break. I know that it is probably fairly simple but I just need to figure out where to start.

I also want to scrap my butt off this week. I have so many projects that I want to work on and complete. I need to get some things finished for AC Bailey Designs. I have some great papers and supplies to work with this month. I also have a few personal things I want to get done. Maybe even a few Christmas gifts..... :D

I want to take the girls out and do a photo shoot with them for my Christmas cards that I send out every year. I bought the papers for them yesterday. I really like what I bought. Much different from the past couple of years. I also need to do a photo shoot with Allison still. She has asked when it would be her turn. I think this week will be the perfect time to do that.

I plan on getting this house straightened back up. It isn't just a wreck yet so I think I can get it back in shape pretty quickly. Then I want to enjoy it!

My scrap stuff needs to be cleaned up and organized. Definately need to get that done so I can be more productive. It certainly helps!

I will have some scrappy goodness to post in the next couple of days. I have been in card making mode and want to get them up and posted.

More later! I'll post pics next time! Promise! Later gators!

Is this week over yet?

This feels like it has been the longest week EVER! I am so ready for the weekend. I plan on doing some ME stuff and just being a little lazy. I really need that.

My schedule at school has had to change due to some of my kiddos getting pulled out of class for extra help. It's a good thing, I know. Just a little hard to adjust to only have a handful of kids in my class for nearly an hour. Then when the pull outs get back I have to quickly reteach them and get them caught up. I hope that by changing my schedule I'll be a little less stressed about this in the next few weeks. I am sure it will all work out. It just needs to happen soon!

Mom and Dad traveled back to Kansas today. They were there about a week ago and this time they plan on staying through next week. I am glad that Mom is able to go be with her brother. I think Uncle Mike is really glad she is there as well. I am going to leave him a message on his Care Page. This is a webpage set up by my cousin Jessica, his daughter. The address is www.carepages.com. His page is called larrymscott. He has recieved lots and lots of messages. I think it makes him feel good to get to read all of them. Jess has also posted some pictures on the site as well. It is nice to be able to see these.

Well, I am pooped. I think I will go lay down for a while and watch tv. I will probably fall asleep pretty quickly and not actually see any shows! Talk to you later!

Hidden Messages...

Today I helped a man with no arms. He was in a wheelchair and his arms were prosthetic extensions with hooks on the end. (I know that is not the politically correct way to describe them but I am at a loss as to what they should be called. I apologize.) I noticed him as soon as I turned down the aisle he was on at Wal-Mart today. My first thought was, "Dear Lord, please don't let my girls stare at this man." But that would not be the case. You see, this man asked for help. And, I am so glad that he did. He had a gentle kind voice and a nice smile. It made me feel good to be doing something for somebody else. Well, God didn't answer my prayer....He had a different plan. He wanted my girls to see him. Or, maybe he wanted ME to see him. When I say that God wanted me to see him, I mean that God wanted me to face the reality of a situation that I didn't really and truly know how to deal with. It was like a metaphor for several things that I haven't truly dealt with in my life.

I have a terrible time dealing with death. Or the prospect of death. You see, Mike and I lost our very best friends, a great couple, in a horrible accident 4 years ago. Mike grieved right away. I thought that I was being strong for him but I later realized that I was just avoiding dealing with a difficult circumstance. I finally began to deal with it nearly 2 years later when I started dreaming about them. More recently was the death of my grandmother. She has been gone for a little over a month and I don't know that I have yet completely dealt with that. It really bothers me though. I can picture her at the funeral. I can feel her. Yet, in my mind I still see her smile, smell her sweater, hear her voice, and feel her soft kiss on my cheek. I miss her.

Now, I am trying to wrap my brain around the fact that my Uncle Mike was recently diagnosed with ALS, Lou Gherig's disease. He is a big strong man. He is funny. And yet, here he is with this terrible disease. It is in its advanced state and there is absolutely no chance of getting better. In my mind, I know all this, but I can't picture him any other way than what I saw as a child. I know that has a lot to do with the fact that we live in TX and he lives in Kansas. But even when I saw him just over a month ago I still saw him like I did as a kid despite the oxygen tank that he was hooked up too. I know that my aunts and uncles and his wife and kids are having a difficult time dealing with this. You know, it is a helpless feeling when you can't be there to help or to comfort. Am I dealing with this yet? I don't know. I do know that I think of him multiple times each day. I think of all these people. Life is definately tough sometimes, but one way or another we all manage to make it through one day at a time.

That's my little RoCk STaR!!!

These pics are from our day off from school. Both girls had a destist appointment so we just made a day out of it! I took Whit downtown and we just looked around the old buildings and in the alleyways to find some cool backgrounds. We had a lot of fun and Whit got really good at striking her "Rock Star" pose! I am stoked about how these pics turned out!

That's my Goalie Girl!

Whitney played in a three game soccer tourney yesterday. She has just started learning how to play goalie. Even though they didn't win their games in the tournament, she stopped lots of goals. She is just learning how to "fall on the ball" and did a great job stopping balls that she was close enough to grab. Although she is tall, she is a bit disadvantaged in the height department! At six years old, you just can't get up to the top part of the big goal when the other teams kicks one up in the air over your head. I know that it frustrated her to be scored on but really and truly she did a great job and had a good attitude about it. I really thought she might get mad but she just took it in stride. She even did a little dance every now and then. For those of you who know her I am sure you can just picture that in your head! My goofy girl!
The first pic is Whit watching the ball when it was at the center line of the field. She really did a good job paying
attention to where the ball was at.

The second pic is her throwing the ball back just after she saved a goal. :D Sister girl can throw the ball back too! She gets it out there for the girls!

The third pic is Whit just before she saved a goal. If you can, get a good look at her face! I love it! You can see her excitement and adrenaline pumping!

The last pic is Whit missing a shot. She would be mad at me if she knew I put this on here. The ball was a hard one to catch. The girl in yellow crossed it and buried it in the corner of the goal. Those are had to stop sometimes!

Although soccer takes up the majority of our Saturdays, I really do love watching my girls play. Especially when it makes them happy and feel good about themselves. :D

Good Sunday Morning! How is everybody doing today? Good, I hope!

I posted these pics of the girls this morning because it has been a while since I posted and I meant to post these a while back. These are their 1st day of school pics. I take them every year. I really love how these turned out. I took these in our front yard. Both the girls were so excited about school this year. So far, they are both having a great year. No checks in their behavior calendars and their grades look pretty good too! I am proud of them!

On the homefront, we are looking for a new place to live. We are leasing this house until Jan. 15th. The people that own it live in Florida. From what I understand the house sat empty for about 3 years before we moved into it. The couple that own it would just come stay in it from time to time when they had bad weather where they lived or just to get away for a while. Well, last Wednesday I got a call from the real estate company that is managing the house. They told me that the couple want to move back and would we move out early. I was in complete shock! In this town there are nearly ZERO rentals and the ones that are open don't accept pets. So, I think we are looking into buying a house. We are supposed to go look at one today. Mike sent off for a certificate of eligibility for a VA loan. I hope it gets here soon so we can get the process of getting a house going. Cross your fingers for us! Gotta run! More later!

Wow! It has been quite a while since my last post. I didn't realize just how long it had been! Let me catch you up. :)

School started on Aug. 27th. I love my class! I have some really sweet kiddos. It took me a while to settle into my schedule but I am into my routine now. It really feels great to be in the classroom again!

Our computer was sick for about a week and a half. We had to send it to the hospital to get fixed. It was pure torture not having it at the house. I was in total withdrawal! So glad this baby is back!

We started our new softball season last week. We were moved up to the next division since we had done so well the past two seasons. That made me a little nervous but we actually did well. We won 7-2. I have really enjoyed playing ball. It feels really good. And, I am happy to say that I am actually starting to run FASTER! I know. My family's jaws have dropped on that one. Just remember that I said faster. I did not mean with deer like swiftness here. :) But, you can call me Lightning if you want. :)

Soccer season started at the beginning of Sept. They have had 2 games each so far. Both of them still enjoy playing. Allison is on the Flash. It is written on the back of her uniform. That's kinda funny to me. You see, she takes after her momma in the running dept. She's just not super fast so flash on the back of her uniform just makes me giggle. Whit is on the Pink Panic. She loves her bubble gum pink uniform. I do too. Pretty darn cute. ;)

The girls have had a great start to the school year. I am really proud of them. They are not only doing well on their work, but they are also getting no marks for behavior. Anyone who knows my girls will know that is GREAT! They are such little chatters!

Since the computer crashed I haven't uploaded any pics. I have a couple pics of the girls that I just love! I always take 1st day of school pics and these are just precious. I can't believe how grown up my girls look in the pictures I took. As soon as I get them uploaded I'll post them.

I'll try to do a better job of updating. Now that I have settled into my school schedule I hope to be online a little more. I love to read comments so please be sure to leave one when you stop by!

Amy Winehouse=Rehab

I love this song! It's my new fave! I love it's retro sound! Pretty groovy, huh? :D Enjoy!

Pics, Finally!

Welcome to my classroom! I finally got some pics of my room up for all of you that have been asking for them! I am sorry it took so long but it has been hectic the last three weeks. Up until a few days ago I wasn't sure how I was ever going to get everything done. But, magically, it all came together and this is the end result. :) I still have a couple of things I'd like to do but they can wait for now. I just wanted to get my room teachable and I am pretty happy with it now!

This is the outside of my door. Our school theme this year is "We're wild about learning!" and we kinda have a jungle theme going on throughout the school. This is my contribution. I decided it would be fun to have a "jungle-y" palm tree on the outside of my door. I am going to try to decorate it for different holidays throughout the year. I hope I can figure out how to do that! It was a ton of fun to make. I ripped paper for the trunk and chalked the leaves. Then I hot glued it all to my door!























Inside of my door. It's pretty simple. I chalked the words on there and after I get pics of the kids on the 1st day I'll put them on there. I like how the chalk looks. And, it was fun to do too!


















This is near my Reading table. The door is to the right. See my cute cow? When you open his head he moos!


















This is from my desk to my door. I added the garland above the door and the white board and the zebra print fabric to the overhead table to get some of the "jungle" theme in my room.


















This is my reading nook. Doesn't it look cozy!


















This is the view of my desk from my door. I have more behind my desk that I thought! I didn't realize that I didn't get pics of the backpack racks I made and had Mike hang up. I'll take pics on Monday and get them uploaded!

***NEWS FLASH***

I have some exciting news to share! AC Bailey designs (http://www.thescrapbooksupplystore.com/) will be having their one year anniversary celebration during the month of September! I can't wait to get it started! We will have mini crops every Friday, lots of games, and plenty of challenges to keep those creative juices flowing! It should be a ton of fun! Make sure to stop by and have a great time!
Later peeps! Have a great Saturday!

I can't wait...

I get to have my hair done on Thursday. ***FINALLY*** I was so disappointed when I moved back here to East Texas and found out the lady who had always done my hair here had retired. I just didn't know where I should go. I tried one girl and I liked her okay, but it just wasn't the same. Know what I mean? Well, I ran into Sherron, my old hair lady, at Wal-Mart one day and told her I was so disappointed she retired. I talked to her for a bit and then she gave me her number and told me to call her if I wanted to get my hair done. WOO! HOO! I got in touch with her today and we got it all set up. I so can not wait to have her do my hair. She is just awesome! I can't remember one time she has done something to my hair that I did not like. She's a dream hair girl! Seriously. I can literally go in and tell her that I don't care what she does to my hair. Just fix it up for me. And, she always has something in mind that I like. Scratch that. Something that I love! I can't wait! I'll post pics after I get my hair done. (That is if I can get the girls to take a pic of me without cutting off my head!)

Worked in my classroom today. I don't feel like I accomplished much today. I got some laminating cut out. (That seems to take forever!) Got some more stuff laminated. Put up some posters on the wall. Put some bulletin boards up. Made a list of things to do manana. I hope to get a lot done tomorrow -- including putting my desks where I want them. Cross your fingers for me that I don't end up cleaning up a lot of my girls' messes and can actually accomplish everything on my list. They have been doing a lot of art in my room and they are definately their mother's children. They create like I do -- they make a beautiful mess! Now, if I could just get them to clean it up!

Well, I really need to get off the computer and get to bed. I'd like to get up a little bit early tomorrow so I can get a jump start on some things. Pics to come in the next few days!

Joke of the day...

QUESTION: What's black and white and red all over?

ANSWER: My classroom!



HA! HA! This might not be as funny to you as it is to me. After all, it is late and I am exhausted tonight. I thought it up all on my own as I was just sitting here on the computer telling myself that I really needed to go to bed. I have worked so hard in my classroom this week. And still have quite a bit to do. It's getting there though. I'll take pics of my progress on Monday and post them for you later so that you can laugh at my joke too.

Well, peeps, I'm off to bed. My brain is tired. Good night!

14 Years and Counting...

Just a quick update here. Yesterday was our 14th anniversary. Allison took this pic of us before we wentout to eat at Texas Roadhouse. We had a pretty nice night. I actually had free meal tokens for the girls and our rockin' waitress let us use them and then gave them back to us. How incredibly cool was that?!?! Needless to say, she got a nice tip! Anyway, after dinner we came home and watched America's Got Talent and then LA Ink. Maybe in the next week or two we will go on a real date without the girls. That would be fun. We haven't done that in a while....

On the scrappy front, I am considering entering the American Crafts DT call. I know there will be A LOT of people entering but I figure that if I don't enter I won't have a shot. So, what the heck. And, I have a couple of things I know I want to turn in. I think it would be pretty awesome to be on a manufacturer DT -- I know I would learn a lot too. Plus, it is pretty inspiring to work with other talented women.

Speaking of scrap goodnes, I thought I'd upload a couple of pics of some stuff I have done recently. I have had a lot of creative juice running through my veins and I actually have lots of ideas that I want to work on. But until then, I'll leave you with what I have done recently.

I found the inpiration for this on the Maya Road blog. Lisa Pace created something very similar to this using all six pages of the accordian album. It was stinkin' adorable and I knew right away that I would have to give it a shot. This is my version of her idea. I am in love with how it turned out. I think I had the most fun coming up with all the hairdos! I am going to put it in my classroom for now.

I'm really happy with the way this turned out. I gave drawing and handcutting out the title a shot and I really like how it looks. Whit really likes this one too. She just loved playing for Coach Steve!

I hope to work on some more stuff in the next couple of days. When I get more done I'll upload some pics. I'm off to work in my classroom now! Pics of that coming soon too!

What a night!

Last night was just horrible! Let me give you some back story so that last night makes sense. We practice softball every Sunday. And, we practice hard. Not because we have to. Because we want to. It just feels good. Sometimes, though, I think we practice too hard. This past Sunday definately no exception.

Mike came home from work yesterday and said he was hurting. I thought he just had a crick in his neck/shoulder. You know, kinda like when you sleep on it the wrong way. But, as the night went on it just got worse. And worse. And worse. Turns out he had a HUGE knot next to his shoulder blade that was hurting all the way up his neck, across his shoulder, and down his right arm. He was nearly writhing in pain. And, there was absolutely nothing I could do about it. When he would lay down he could do nothing but toss and turn. When he was up all he could do was pace the house.

He felt horrible and I couldn't fix it. (That is an awful feeling.)

I even asked several times if he wanted me to take him to the emergency room. He wouldn't go. I think he probably would have gone if I had insisted. But, that didn't happen. I couldn't go to sleep with him feeling bad last night either. I was worried about him. I had NEVER seen him in so much pain like this. When he moved, I moved. We spent most of the night in the living room on the couches. Finally between 4:00 & 5:00 am I think we both dozed off for a while. I heard the alarm going off at 6:15, got up turned it off and came back into the living room. He said he was still hurting.

By 8:00 he was calling into work. He NEVER misses work. That says a lot there. I called the dr.'s office and they got him in right away. He had been in pain for so long that his blood pressure had risen pretty high. So, his doctor gave him a prescription for blood pressure pills (which he needed), anti-inflammatory pills, pain pills, and muscle relaxant pills. And, come to find out, the doc said he probably pulled the muscle in his back when he was throwing a softball at practice.

I guess between my hurt knee and his hurt back we need to remember that even though we are not "old", we are not as "spritely" as we once were. But, it sure feels good rockin' the hell outta some softball! Most of the time....

Funny Pic of the day...

Okay gang... This pic totally cracks me up! I totally ganked it from an e-mail my dad sent to me. Can you just imagine seeing this go down the road? You definately wouldn't forget this company if you ever needed a plumber!

It has been hot as heck here. Actually, it has been humid. Now that I have somewhat recovered from my marathon running on Thursday night I have to get out to the ball park and sore myself back up since we have softball practice tonight @ 6:00. I hope the wind is blowing even if it is just a little. I don't mind being hot and sweaty as long as I can find a way to cool off a bit.

Guess I better get off here so I can rest up for about 30 minutes or so before practice! Later peeps!

P.S. Got my Harry Potter book and started reading today. Not too far into it yet but it already looks like a good one!

A Bite in the Buttocks

I had a softball game on Thursday and it was quite a game. We played a team that we had beat before but they made it quite clear that they had it out for us. We were trailing by 8 in the last inning, but as luck would have it we were home team and got to bat last. And, they switched pitchers on us. Too bad for them he wasn't a great pitcher. :D He walked several of us and a few of us hit so we did get some runs. Just enough to tie them. When we finally made our 3rd out we had to start another inning since we were tied. We were so pumped! 3 up 3 down! Back up to bat! I was up to bat first and walked. Yay me! Then, my brother-in-law came up behind me. I was a little scared about that! He can hit and RUN! I had to run all the way from 1st to 3rd and as some of you may know I am not, I repeat NOT, a runner. Poor Mason was running behind me yelling, "Run, Brandy, run!". All I could do was holler back, "I'm trying! I'm trying!" So I round 2nd and the ball is coming in just as I am a few feet from 3rd and then (to quote Forest Gump) "something jumped up and bit me in the buttocks." Actually, I got pegged right square in the left side of my arse! I have one heck of a bruise too! To end this neverending story, the next ball that was hit was overthrown at 1st so I snuck home to win the game! Yay me! :D I love games like this! But, I think I may be crippled for a few days from running so dang much!

Design Team Call!!!

We are having a design team call at AC Bailey Designs. If you have ever wanted to join a fun team with an awesome owner (Erica), then this is the team for you! Here are the details, and we would love to see you apply! And please note that this Design Team position is for the online community and store. You are not required to become a consultant with our Direct Sales company to apply or participate. Good luck everyone!

AC Bailey Designs (http://www.acbaileydesigns.com/) is adding to its Design Team again! We want 1, maybe 2, talented, motivated, enthusiastic designers. We are looking for scrapbookers who are not afraid to use the latest products and techniques and are willing to share their expertise and knowledge in the craft.

What are we looking for?

Talented, motivated, enthusiastic scrapbookers, stampers and paper craft designers. Those individuals who are willing to share new ideas and techniques with our customers and subscribers. Positive and outgoing personalities. Those who are willing to help promote and grow our online community and store and direct sales business.

What will you do?
You will be asked for a 6 month commitment and agree to submit projects by the 1st of every month following the shipment date.

You will be required to create two layouts no smaller than 8"x8" and one other small project of your choice per month using supplies we provide and upload it to our online gallery (additional projects encouraged!)

For each project you create you will be required to submit basic instructions and a complete supply list that can be used in the project section of our monthly newsletter and on the project page of our site at our discretion. (You will always be credited for all projects and designs)
You will be required to promote AC Bailey Designs and include our DT membership and link information in your signature line of all the online communities and galleries you are active in where allowed.

You will be required to be visible and active on our message board and be willing to post a daily assignment on the board in rotation with the other DT members.
If selected you will be required to provide a picture and short bio for our DT member page on our website.

You agree that AC Bailey Designs will have exclusive rights to all projects for one month.
All projects submitted for contests and publication will credit AC Bailey Designs as the supply sponsor.

What you get! (The good stuff!)
You will be provided with a $30 gift certificate to the store to purchase whatever supplies you want to create the required layout and projects each month during your DT term. Anything you don't use is yours to keep!

You will get a 25% store discount that can be used anytime and as often as you like!
You will get credit for all your designs, projects and work submitted to us!
Your work will be publicized in our newsletter, on our site, and in advertising for our company and community.

Your photo and bio will be featured on our DT page of our site and you will have your own gallery in our online community.

How to Apply

Please upload 4-5 projects into our online Gallery at http://www.scrapbookforum.net./ These must include 1 layout about yourself showcasing your personality and scrap style, 2 other layouts and at least 1 other project of your choice.You must also be a registered member of our forum with an average of 25 posts a week started with the date you apply.

Also submit the following to erica@acbaileyltd.com:

*name and full contact information

*list of current DT memberships

*links to any online galleries that you submit to

* message boards or communities that you are active in (please include your board name)

*if you have an online gallery, please provide the link.

List of any or all publications (when and where) and answers to the following questions:

How long have you been scrapping?

What product can you not live without?

How would you describe your scrap style?

Are you afraid to step out of your box?

What would you like to get out of this experience?

How is your scrap space? Messy or organized?

What can you bring to our store, community and customers?

Call will run from July 16th thru August 10th. Decisions will be made by August 13th, with your first shipment of supplies being sent Aug. 25th. You first assignments will then be due Oct. 1st. (All dates are tentative based on response.) Thank you! Good Luck! And we look forward to hearing from you!

TGIF!

School's out and it is summer for me and I shouldn't say TGIF! but I can't help it. I love Fridays. Even summertime Fridays. That means that Mike is off for the weekend and we get to do whatever we feel like doing. Kinda nice. :D The girls are going to spend the night at their Nana's house tonight so we are going to have to figure out what to do. Maybe a date night? Maybe not. We had a LATE softball game last night, didn't get to bed until about 1:00 am and Mike is currently knocked out on the couch. Has been since he got home from work at 5:30. I don't blame him though. I was really tired today as well.

Well, the girls and I spent a little over a week at my parents' house. My sister and her kids got there about halfway through our visit. The girls got along marvelously this time too! Whit and Megan, my 4 year old niece, paired up and played while Ally and Devin, my 11 year old niece, acted cool together. It worked out really well..... While we were there we got some school shopping done. Bought a few clothes and school supplies including back packs. Ally is really excited about some of her stuff. She got some High School Musical school supplies. Her back pack says, "I love Troy!". She thinks that is funny because "Daddy is the only boy I like!" She even teased him about it. Pretty funny. I hope it stays that way for quite a while! But, she's a 3rd grader now so you never know.....

While at my parents my precious 6 year old decided to do something that I never expected her to do. Let alone know about at 6 years old. One night after everyone had gone to bed she decided to get up and roll (toilet paper) part of the dining room and part of the living room. Next morning we woke up to quite a surprise.....and mess. I have to admit, though, it was pretty funny! That kid is something else. I think she is the female Dennis the Menace. Always on the go, funny as can be, and you just never know what she will say or do next! A couple of years ago I took her to an open casting call for kids. It was a thing for models, acting, etc. I think mostly for print and televised commercials. She got a call back and I went to the meeting for it. It was actually an invitation to a huge open audition in Los Angeles. At the time she was just 4 years old and I didn't think I wanted to go that far with her. (I didn't realize it was a national casting call. I thought it was more of a local thing.) So, we didn't go. Looking back now I really wish we had gone. I think it would have been a great experience for her. She is such a little performer and always seems to be putting on a show for somebody. Maybe when she is a little older I'll see if she wants to do that. It has to be her decision though.

I have done a lot of scrapping lately. I will try to get some of it posted here in the next few days. Be sure to check back and see my new creations!

Totally Tagged!

Well, my friend Kim tagged everyone who read her last blog post so now I have to come up with 7 random facts about *ME*! Well, here goes...

#1 -- I have one tattoo, but I wish I had more. I am lovin' the ink and I am in love with tattoo art. I wish I had a Kat von D tattoo. Maybe someday.....

#2 -- I love the singer Pink. If I could be anybody else I think I'd be her. I love her bad%ssness (I know that is so NOT a word!). She totally rocks!

#3 -- I love to read blogs! (Keep updatin' them peeps! :D)

#4 -- I played varsity softball and swam on the swim team in high school. I loved it too. I just recently started playing coed softball with my husband and our family/friends. It is tough to just jump back into something like that after NOT doing it for 15 years! But, a TON of fun!

#5 -- I went to a Kid Rock concert about 6 years ago. It was a blast even though some guy peed right behind me and it splashed up on my leg! Totally disgusting!

#6 -- I have always wanted a Jeep Wrangler.

#7 -- I like old vintage stuff for my house. Junking is a hobby of mine. The older the better. That kind of stuff has great character!

Okay, it's your turn now peeps! If you read it, consider yourself tagged! Post a comment so I know to go read your blog!

Happy Birthday Mandy!

Happy 30th b-day sis! How does it feel to be 30? I know that when I turned 30 Mike said I was 1/3 dead so I want to know how you feel about that! Ally and Whit can now officially say that you are older than dirt! Either way, 1/3 dead or older than dirt, I hope you can have a great day! Love you!

Stars and Stripes Forever!

Okay. As some of you know I love to have my toes done. Can't stand to have me some funky feet! Anyway, I have always loved having them painted and in the last year I really liked a flower or two and maybe a crystal on my big toe. Well, recently I discovered nail art. And not just the simple flowers I had grown to love. Now, I want works of art on my feet! A little shop in our town does the toe art and I am completely hooked! I started off with a Burberry plaid painted on my toenails a few weeks ago. After a while my nails grew out and it just didn't look as fresh so off came the paint. (I hated that too! It was so stinkin' cute!) My toenails had been naked for about 2 weeks when I decided that I needed to get something on them today. So, off to Sally Beauty Supply this morning and here we go! I hadn't painted my own toenails in years so I had to really take my time. It is a lot harder to bend over your own feet as opposed to somebody else's feet! Anyway, it took a while but I got them done. And in the spirit of the 4th! I really do like how they turned out and I do think I will be doing it again!

The Lazy Days of Summer...

So what did you do on this wonderful Sunday? I can honestly say that I did not really do a thing. And, it felt pretty good. I even took a nap for a bit. (You can do that when you are visiting your parents and your mom has your kids occupied. :D)

Mike went back home today since he has to work this week so it is just me and the girls at Mom & Dad's house. I will definately enjoy the down time here. Don't get me wrong though. I will help Mom around the house and keep it picked up. It is just different when it is NOT your house. The girls have thoroughly enjoyed themselves and so far have made mud pies and helped Grandma in the yard. Especially Ally. She raked and picked up leaves and branches that my mom trimmed off the bushes and loaded them up in the wagon to be thrown away. Whit on the other hand had to have several breaks. Apparently it was just making her "so tired". Yea, right!

I have my scrap stuff out and ready to work on. If I don't get to it tonight I will definately work on it manana. I have several ideas that I want to bring to fruition. But for tonight I am feeling like being lazy. And that just feels good!

Inconsiderate or Just Plain Stupid?

Have you ever been really excited about something just to have somebody completely blow the steam out of it? Well, I have. Today. And it sucks -- completely hurt my feelings. I wish people would think about things before they speak. Sometimes I think we get so involved in what WE feel about something that we forget to think about the other person's feelings. Or sometimes we are just being stupid. I don't know which. But, I digress.... Either way, it sucks.

My Best Friend is talented...

But some of you already know that. She is an amazing scrapper. I love to watch her create and I love to see the end results after working her mojo in a scrapping marathon. I'm sure you'd love it too. But, that's not what I am talking about. She is talented in other ways too. And, I have evidence. Oh yes, Aubrey. That's right. I am posting the pics. :D My best friend can stand on her head. And not fall down. For a while. All 6 feet of her! (That's right. I said 6 feet. You should see the two of us together! We look like Mutt and Jeff!) Here's the proof!

I laughed my butt off when she was doing this!!! Whitney had been standing on her head balancing against the couch and Aubrey decided to show her how to do it without the couch! I cracked up! I had NO IDEA she had this hidden talent! Who woulda thunk it?!?! What talent....hhmmm....do I see a trip to America's Got Talent in the future? :D

Backyard visitor...

This little guy visited us yesterday afternoon and had Deuce all worked up. He was barking he head off! He just couldn't stand it! Allison went outside to see what got Deuce's feathers ruffled and came running back in to tell me Deuce had found a turtle! She was so excited and her blue eyes were just as big as could be! I was so tickled at her!

No gym time today. :( My knee hurt me most of last night and finally this morning it feels better. A couple of Aleve works wonders! ;) I think I need to not go today so that it doesn't hurt tonight when we play softball. Kinda bummed about it....

Aubrey and Taylor are coming today. I am excited. I really miss having Aubrey around to chat and hang out with. Before they get here I need to get the laundry folded and the house straightened up. It's not too bad but it definately needs to be picked up. The girls helped out a bit yesterday.

I have to brag on Ally a bit. She is really trying to earn the extra $50 she needs to get an iPod. So, she came in and took everything out of her bathroom and then mopped and cleaned it! Without being asked. I am so proud of her. She is trying to be responsible. My little girl is growing up much faster than I'd like!

At it again!

Went to the gym again today. I took the girls to the "Time Out" room to watch tv while I walked on the treadmill and the track. It wasn't as tough today. But, I soon realized my legs were a bit sore from yesterday. Not too bad once I got them going and warmed up though. I got tired/bored on the treadmill and decided to hit the track. I walked most of the way around it each time. A few times I did a little jog thing on the far side when nobody was looking. :D My right knee has been sore off and on for the past couple of weeks. (I think I hurt it or pulled it playing coed softball.) It was pretty sore today. I hope that it feels better soon. I don't like the way it feels. And, I have a softball game tomorrow night. I don't really need it to be hurting me when I am kneeling behind home plate. Cross your fingers it feels better by then!

On the weight loss front I am looking at doing something I haven't done before. I have seen this on TV a few times and have been pretty impressed with it. So I am looking at really doing it. It is Bob Greene's The Best Life Diet. http://thebestlife.com It is really more of a lifestyle change. It also helps you to change the way you are thinking about things so that you can be more successful. I am pretty interested in this. Plus, they give you meal plans that don't seem to have any crazy ingredients and a weekly shopping list! I think that is the coolest! I have trouble with this part of dieting because I just don't always know how to change my mindset and know what is really and truly a healthier alternative. I have found that a lot of the things that we think of as healthier alternatives aren't really all that great a choice. Know what I mean? So, I am going to look into Bob Greene's plan a bit more and I'll let you know if I choose to do it!

Against my will...

Well, not really. I went to the gym today. I finally made it at 4:15. It was hard to work myself up to go. I got up from a nap and was groggy and not in the mood. I wanted to go tan. But, my kidlets really wanted to go to the gym and convinced me I needed to go. So, needless to say we went. I rode the bike for a while and then walked the track. I even ran (actually jogged) when I got to places where nobody could see me. hehe! It felt good to go to the gym. I am ready for tomorrow. I plan on going sometime before lunch so that I can get a good workout and then take the girls down to the pool area to swim for a bit. They are VERY excited about that and absolutely can't wait. It will be fun to get in the pool with them. And, as hot as I was today when I got finished I am sure it will feel amazing!

Later peeps! Have a good night!

I see SUNSHINE!

It is just beautiful out today! I can't believe the sun is shining after so many days of rain. We had so much rain this past weekend it knocked the electricity out for a couple hours. Allison wanted to get on the computer and couldn't figure out why it wasn't working until I reminded her the electricity was out. She had this look like "DUH!" when I told her. It was cute. She was aggravated. She wanted to look at Hannah Montana stuff.

I am trying to get motivated to go to the gym. But, I am having a really hard time. I have so many other things I'd rather be doing. Plus, I slept later than I had planned today. I wanted to get up around 8:00 and I didn't wake up until 9:00. That kinda set my day off. I thought I'd get up and go to the gym early. Didn't happen. I think I will go this afternoon though. I have to get back into it. I feel so much better when I am working out. Plus, the clothes fit better. That's always a GOOD thing! I'll keep you posted on how the workout stuff is going. Hopefully, I will be able to post lots of "I've been to the gym!" type of posts! Cross your fingers for me! :D

Rain rain go away!

Today was a beautiful day -- sunshine and blue skies. The girls went swimming at Uncle Don and Aunt Claudia's house while I helped Aunt Claudia on a scrapbook. They swam, played well, and had fun. Until the skies began to rumble. We weren't sure it was thunder at first, but the clouds soon moved in and ended the swim party for Ally and Whit. I got them out of the pool about 20 minutes before the bottom fell out of the skies. You wouldn't believe the amount of rain that fell! The street in front of the house was flooded up to and over the curbs. I haven't seen it rain/flood like that here is a very long time! I really wish I had been able to take some pics of it. I was just too afraid to get my baby (aka my camera) wet. The girls thought it was pretty cool though.

***Good Puppy!***
Dixie has been a sweet sweet girl as of the last few days. We have given her free reign of the front part of the house by blocking off the door to the hallway and bedrooms. She loves it. She and Deuce have been buddies playing and wrestling quite a bit. It is wearing her out too. She is super tired at night. That means Momma gets some sleep!

***BrOkeN RecOrD!!!***
I broke a record of sorts today. I usually take anywhere from 2-5 hours to finish a scrappy layout. Today I scrapped for about 4-4.5 hours. And guess what????? I basically finished 5 layouts! Woo! Hoo! I have a few things to add to each page but nothing major. Simple things like a ribbon here or a brad there. You know, the finishing touch kind of things. I have a couple of things I want to work on tonight too. Maybe I'll be able to get them done lightning fast as well!

***Blog Times***
On the blog front, I am trying to learn as much as I can about blogging and getting my site personalized. Today, I figured out how to get my slide show added on the side instead of as a post and I put a clock on my site. I'm starting to like the look of my blog a little better. :)

Jail Time...

Well, my poor Dixie has made her way to doggie jail. That's right! I kenneled her little butt up! She was being an absolute terror!!! I took her outside to go to the bathroom. It was thundering pretty good -- no rain -- and she decided she really didn't want to go. She'd rather make me chase her all over the backyard making sure she hit every wet and muddy spot possible. And did she ever go. Well, NO! As soon as I get her back in the house she decides that my rug in the living room looks pretty inviting and decides to dump down right there. Yep...On my rug. Before God and everybody! Mike was kind enough to let me know my puppy was pooping on my rug. Thanks Baby! So, she is in time out for now!

Well, it has been a while since I last blogged. I don't really have a good excuse. I have just been lazy. Well, once the school year ended. The first week of summer break I had to go to 3 different workshops, but really and truly I don't have an excuse for this week. I have done as little as possible. My excuse was that it was hot in the house and I didn't want to get any hotter by doing anything. But, then the A/C guy came on Wed. Now, I don't have any other excuse.

Lots of things have happened since I last blogged. Let's see if I can remember all of them!!! (In no particular order!)

Whitney graduated from Kindergarten on May 22. She even wore the cap and gown. She looked really cute and I had a hard time believing my baby was old enough to go to 1st grade. She will be at my school next year! :D They also did class awards that day. My dear sweet girl recieved the Funniest Frog Award. Basically, she is a class clown. My heart is just bursting with pride! LOL (Can you just see my red face as she got the award?)

I found out where my classroom will be next year. It is right next door to Ginger Riley, Ally's 2nd grade teacher this year. She is pretty nice & seems easy to get along with. I still haven't taken my stuff up to school but I think I will start working on that next week.

Got some really cute scrappy stuff made. I gave the girls teachers frames as end of the year presents. I really like how they turned out & they were lots of fun to make! I hope they enjoy them!

I also went to an amazing auction with Mike's cousin, Valerie. I had so much fun just looking at all the things that this woman had up for sale, including the house. She was an antiques dealer and had a hord of stuff in her HUGE house. Her house was 20,000 square feet under roof, 14,000 of it being living space. It was something else. And, there were only 2 people that lived in that house -- the lady who owned it and her 17 year old son. The house was 3 full stories and her son had the 3rd floor all to himself. We were able to walk through the house and look around at all the things that were going to be auctioned off. The lady and her son were there. It had to be really weird watching strangers walk through your house. The mom was acting like she was hosting a party or something. Very strange. Anyway, I had never been to a auction before and I must say that I am HOOKED!!! Oh my! And you should have seen the amount of $ people were paying for things! HOLY COW!!! I know that some people were dealers but some of them weren't. I bet that some of the personal buyers spent a few thousand dollars on the stuff they bought. I had fun just watching them! But, I did get in on the action when they had some small baker's racks up for auction. They had Texas stars on them and I just really liked them. So, I jumped in on the bidding. (That's what's addicting!) Got the highest bid too! This is what it looks like. I have it all decorated now. I have my cook books on it, some vintage quilt pieces, and some miscellaneous stuff. I love it. Mike likes it too. :D

Last weekend Aubrey and Taylor came to stay with me. Taylor had a fastpitch tourney in Longview. I love watching that girl play. She is so dedicated to what she does. And, she is really good too. All of that and just 14 years old. Aubrey and I didn't get to scrap any. Not enough time. I hope we have time when they come back to stay on the weekend of June 22nd. Got my fingers crossed!

I thought I'd share this picture of Allison and Dixie. I think it is pretty cute. Allison has been doing a pretty good job of acting like a big girl lately. She hasn't been arguing with her sister as much and has been trying to be more helpful. She has learned to bathe Dixie and that is a HUGE help to me! Not to mention that she does a good job of it! She and I have had to go clothes shopping in the last couple of weeks since she has completely outgrown some of her clothes! (Can you believe she is almost as tall as me???) Anyway, she is a bargain shopper! She knows how to check the sales racks! LOL And, when I tell her no to something she really likes she has done a pretty good job accepting that answer. I'm pretty proud of her lately. She is such a good girl!

Well, gang, I'm outta here. I'll try to do a better job of posting! Later!