She's Here! She's Here!

Hey Everyone! Guess what?? We did go for the new LG washer AND dryer. Whoo hoo! I have never been so gleeful to be doing wash all day. Here are cute new pics of "her" and DH doing the install. Ah yes, Hoops and YoYo helped in the install too. But DH did most of the work. Isn't he the best!!! Yeeeeeehaaaawwwww off to do the wash. (um, yeah, I cannot believe I just said/wrote that, strange... very strange)

So, anyway we are getting the dryer too but since the old one still works somewhat we just decided to get the new one delivered. So the dryer will be here next week. I don't know why these purchases are so exciting to me, I think I need to get out more............

The Answer You've ALL Been Waiting For...

Finally, the big answer... the "final answer"

Bom bom bom baaaaaaa -

The "floaters" referred to in the previous post called "One Liner of the Day" were....

Yep - spincerely was the closest... it was um.. doo-doos in reference to not "putting them" into the camper potty. So nobody has to clean them out. Reminds me of RV and cracks me up!

So, I guess Spincerely gets to pick the new music for this here blog. This could be interesting since with all we have in common musical taste is one thing we do not. Still, she is a kind and caring soul... hopefully we won't all be rocking down to Barney. Time will tell.... stay "tuned".

Another One Bites the Dust

Oh dear, oh me oh my. My washer has finally bitten the dust. I have had this thing since I moved into my first home in 1994. And then it was old and left there by the people who owned the home before us.

This first picture is of DH's attempt to fix it. He has fixed it before. I have not been happy about the fixes. Truth be told I am sick of this machine. Too many times I have thought "YES! It's gone!" only to have Jeff revive it once more.

Well, this time it is gone. It no longer agitates. It just fills up with water and then the clothes sit in soapy water. Then it drains and spins. And here I was wondering why our clothes
have been looking dingy lately. So.... here is what is blowing my mind right now:

1. Just how long has it really been broken?

2. The mildew towel smell my friend mentioned TWO MONTHS AGO... was it happening already then.

3. Ewww ewww and double ewww!

Now, the next picture is worker man E trying to fix the washer. While his cuteness came close to doing the trick, it is still broke (phew!).

So then we really had to call in the reinforcements.


Hoops and YoYo to the rescue. They looked around, but had no success.


So, alas we spent two hours at the Depot today, but left with nothing. Turns out a new washer and dryer (did I mention my dryer has to run twice to dry anything?) is a pretty costly thing. Especially when I like this one
and I think DH would be happy as pie if we had a model more like these

So after some decisions back and forth, we decided... but then they wanted to overcharge us on delivery so we left with nothing. But now we have some ideas anyway.

So... WHO IS GOING TO LET ME COME TO THEIR HOUSE TO DO MY WASH???? SPINCERELY? IHA? CAMPING MOM? ANYONE?




Heeeelllppppppp........

I Don't Give a Hoot if it's Still Summer!

Um, yes... hello everyone! I know it has been awhile since I last posted. I have been having quite a bit of technical difficulties posting pictures. I am pretty sure the problem is not mine, but is Bloggers. They have mentioned some bugs they are working out.

So - not to bore you all with that...

Yesterday I took the plunge! Yep, I decided that my mantle and flowers looked bored without some decorations and whala! See what I did?







Now, I know that it is not officially Autumn yet, but I love the colors of it, the holidays of it, the weather of it - so I COULD NOT WAIT and decorated anyway.

Besides, in Kohls they already have Christmas decorations out! So I felt I should get hoppin.

Of course I should have realized that my darling son is now certain that Halloween is tomorrow. Or the next day. I told him it was 41 days away and he looked at me like I was a martian with foot fungus! Furthermore I do not think he believed me, at all.

So, that's what I get for rushing the decorations - but hey, that's not so bad. Happy Fall Ya'll!

Recent Layouts

Well, I am still working on a good way to display layouts. These are recent, taken from above with my digital camera, without a flash. They are both really two page layouts, but I took them one page at a time so I could get more detail. I think what is really needed is a 12x12 scanner to get the best image. Anyone have a scanner they want to tell me about? I'd love the information.

The transparencies that I mentioned in the last post were used both in the butterfly layout and in the Brodie layout above. You can't see it at all in the Brodie one, but I can see a shadow of it in the pic of the butterfly layout. Trust me, that is only a product of the lighting... on the layout you cant see it at all. And it is sooooooo easy to use it. My printer even has a transparency setting in the print preferences menu.

I have been adhering the transparencies using Magic Duck adhesive dispenser which I got around here at Walmart. I dont think you can see it at all, especially when used on patterned paper.

Do NOT go "off roading" with a Minivan!

We interrupt your regurarly scheduled blog for an important consumer safety tip. Minivans were not meant to go "off roading". They simply do not have the tire clearance. Furthermore when helpful public safely officers come down the road they are likely to mention that:

1. Vans are not for off-roading.
2. You cannot leave stuck van half in and half out of the road.
3. The stuck car must be unstuck at once.

Now, let me tell you from experience that minivans are hard to Unstick! They resist with an impressive bogging down and dirt spattering. Rolling back and forth repeatedly over mud will not improve your situation.

Having two little boys in the car shouting "go mommy, you can do it" and "cool" and "woah this is FUN can I have a turn" will either help you out or greatly annoy you based on your temperament and the way the day has gone so far.

The pictures, in order of appearance show the new driveway (picture 1) which necessitated parking on the grass which is up a slope (picture 2) note the rain had caused the slope to be more like a mud bog. The tires of the minivan (picture 3) were simply not meant to withstand and conquer the mud. Would have had a picture of the car in the road, but thought it best to get it out of the situation ASAP so the officer would be pleased.

Husband came home and rescued the situation.

So, unless you put some new tires on your van and either have or add the 4 wheelin package, I would avoid pools of mud.

This ends our public safety announcement. Stay tuned for actual directions in case of an emergency (such as running out of adhesive at 3am or something).

:)

On Posting Layouts

Well, I am having trouble knowing the best way to post layouts. Here are photos of two I have done recently. The bubble one ("Fun") is similar to something I saw in a scrapbooking mag. Still, I think there must be a better way to post. I need to go over and check two peas and see how those scrappers post. Yes, I will... in all my free time!!!


The other layout is about when M and E dressed up like Home Depot employees (complete with paper tools that M made for himself) and we went to the depot. You should have seen the fuss the employees made over the boys! They kept calling people over to come and look at them. Pretty funny. Then M would show him all the tools he made. I am sorry for the glare on these layouts, like I said I am working on it and still learning. :)

The next post I want to do is about using transparencies on your pages. I have been doing that for the past couple of layouts and I am LOVIN it! So, once I figure out how to upload pics from my new camera... and get a couple of decent shots... they will be up here. Happy weekend!

One Liner of the Day

Okay, truly this was said to me on the phone this morning by a dear friend...

"By mutual consent we have agreed not to put any "floaters" in there in respect for the person who has to clean it out."

I am not going to tell you what she was referring to nor the context.
Any guesses?
Come on, don't be shy... guess.

The winner can pick the next song playing on my blog. Speaking of which the song playing is from High School Musical which was an adorable Disney film that you should see. Very cute and positive for the kids.

And finally, to Zach I apologize for the word rhyming with duck. But why did you think "luck" was bad??? (wink, wink)(congratulations by the way on your COLLEGE class - you go boy!)

And finally, for your viewing pleasure, pictures of my favorite season (in years past) .. I love autumn!

Tech Support

Don't the boys look cute? This was taken on vacation attempt #3 ... right before we left... when of course the sun came out. Okay, I won't go there again. You all already know I am a vacation jinx.

This short post is to let you know a few things:

1. I am grouchy and I like the song playing. If you scroll down to the very bottom of the blog you will see the video. If the music is annoying you, you can turn it off by hitting the button with a square on it. But the lyrics are pretty cool hey?

2. Please feed Clippy. I adopted him you see. Also scroll to the bottom. It is fun to have him chase you around. Click on various places around him. Then feed him some paper.

3. The avatar on the right sidebar, yes... she will frequently change clothes and settings - that is part of the fun. You must watch her she is my mini-me. She is now sporting the "she who runs soccer" mood.

4. Thank you for putting up with the explanations, it's the teacher in me that wants everyone to be able to follow along!

Have a happy weekend!!!!!!!!!! (gasp! multiple unnecessary punctuation... better not tell Llamafarmgirl!)(who by the way posts great comments on her sister's blog)

Should Grouchy People Blog??

Well, I will give it a try and see how it goes. I think my grouch factor (did you know I have a grouch factor? Well I do!) is at defcon 4 right now.

So to cheer myself up I decided to watch this

Okay, that WAS pretty funny.

Anyway, once I was done reminding myself not to take myself so seriously I decided to post some back to school pictures.

Here's the Princess:



















And Prince Charming:

They both seem to be liking school and loving their teachers. That is such a great thing isn't it?

Now after posting my school pictures, and since this is a scrapbook type blog and all you may expect me to have something to say on one of those topics. Nope.

Since I am grouchy I am leaving the subjects completely to let all of cyberspace know that I cannot find a freaking new handbag/purse/luggage/diaper bag to suit me. I have looked in many stores too.

So I was perusing a blog I like and saw mention of "handbag personalities". I looked up the article she mentioned and loved it. So I am sharing. It seems people's choice in handbags says something about them. Here's what was said:

Styles:Under-the Shoulder – handbags which are smaller and fit tightly underneath the shoulder indicate class and sophistication. A women working in an upscale office or someone of high stature would choose this form of handbag.

Big and Bulky – Big, bulky and oversized bags are casual and are often associated with younger individuals. These are used for individuals who carry a number of things (binders, books etc) and require a lot of space. Down-to-earth, lower-maintenance women would carry this type of handbag.

Designer – Designer handbags often cost an arm and a leg and therefore are usually associated with high-maintenance females. Females who are confident and require top of the line accessories will settle for nothing less than a name-brand designer purse. Guys – watch out for these girls, they tend to be a handful.

Cigar Box Purses – A women who carries a cigar box purse likes to be unique and stand out from the crowd. These women have minds of their own and cannot be told what to do. They are comfortable in their own skin and tend to be very independent.

Leather with Buckles and Zippers – women who choose leather purses with lots of buckles and zippers are leashing out their wild sides. These women tend to act before they think and are always ready for a good time. The extra buckles and zippers tend to signify a "bad girl" image.

Colors:Bright Colors – Bright colored handbags like pink, purple, bright blue and green indicate that the woman is fun, friendly and approachable. women who are out-going and sociable will tend to choose these colors. This is the type of woman who will strike up a conversation with a complete stranger.

Black and Brown – women who choose black or brown handbags tend to be more reserved and are often mistaken as being snobby or restricted. These types of handbags are often associated with down-to-earth women, who are shy at first, but open up after a while. They tend to exude a shy confidence, which is sometimes mistaken as someone who thinks she's better than others.

Well, the ones I have had, and am looking for all fit into the "big and bulky" type and can be brown though occasionally I like to break free and go for a bright color. Does that fit me? Does yours fit you?

Can you suggest a good place to buy a nice, brown, big and bulky purse? Please!!

WARNING - Vacation Jinx Lives Here

Hello there everyone. Yes, I have returned and you don't need to dig up I84 looking for my corpse. Lucky thing.

So, how was the lovely vacation you may wonder??? Hmmm... all I can say is that if any of you plan on vacationing I recommend you take the following advise:

1. Do not notify me of your plans.
2. Do not invite me on your vacation.
3. Hope like heck you are not in the same state as I am.
4. Do not even watch the weather channel whilst in my presence.

What? Do you all think I am exaggerating???

Well, check out the pics from vacation one here.

Then you may go and look at the pests that plagued our second trip here and the weather here.

And finally, to round out our vacation wackiness, we had Ernesto along with us for this last trip. Yep, quite windy.

So all in all it was strange. We were still lucky to be with friends and family (very patient friends and family... have you seen little boys who are trapped inside for days??? can get tricky) and had lovely vacations. Aside from the weather. But still, just in case, I would avoid booking any trips with me in the near future!

(Oh yes, and the pics are not from my most recent adventures - I unfortunately am without a digital camera at this time. So when my pictures come back I will get them, and a layout or two, up here. But I thought the pictures would illustrate the point anyway!)

PACK - a four letter word!

The next time somebody annoys me greatly I think I am going to say go PACK yourself! Instead of the more popular word that starts with "f"and rhymes with "duck" (can you tell I am a teacher or what? like you all didn't know what the "f" word is!!). Yes, in my mind anyway "pack" is the worst curse you can utter to anyone!

Okay, it's like this ... we are packing to go away for two measly nights. That's it. Two nights. Five people. Should be do-able right?

Well.... here we are mid-morning (huh, guess we're not leaving at 8am) and I am hiding on the computer, children are getting dirty outside, and DH is getting annoyed trying to fit our three suitcases, 2 beachbags, 2 bikes, toiletry bag, toy bag, games bag, car fun bag, snacks bag and us in the car. Go figure. Wish I could do a "beam me up Scotty" at a time like this I tell ya.

So here is what they're uttering today:

*"What! How many toiletries does a ten year old need?!"

*"Still can't find my sandals"

*"I neeeeeeeedddd ALL my matchbox cars"

*beeeeep, beeeep (2 year old is in the car "helping" daddy... daddy sure loves when he blares on the horn!)

*"Thought we were leaving at 8:oo" (me being sarcastic... naughty me!)

*"WHY can't I bring 3 pairs of shoes (3 pair! 2 nights?! aaaarrrrggghhh)

*"Has Nana made my cape yet?"

*"Mommy, can I pour more lemonade in my cup, some spilled out in the car" (um, yeah, we haven't even left yet and there is a spill, yep)

*"Daddy is taking the sand toys out of the car!!!"

*"Who buys all this sh*t?!" (utters DH as he cannot possibly fit it all in the car)

Okay, and I keep thinking the lyrics to the Gilligan's Island theme song (a three hour tour, a three hour tour) (by the way... you MUST click on the blue underlined link, you will love where it takes you - for those new to links, click on the underlined Gilligans... really just do it)

So here are the questions of the day:

1. Will we ALL make it into the car?
2. Alive? (just kidding, now calm down)
3. Who is going to forget something critical that we have to go back for?
4. How many spills does it take to get to the end of DH's patience?
5. Will we make it to our destination today? or give it up and leave tomorrow?

For the answers to these and other exciting questions you will have to tune in to the blog after the long weekend. If I never post again... you best call someone to investigate where DH buried my body!

(hee hee hee hee - really DH is doing pretty well under the circumstances, and he is a very good DH)

Finally since I couldn't post E's picture last time (due to some strange blogger issue) I am posting him here in honor of sand and surf.

Be safe and enjoy your holiday weekend! :)