how hard it is to have a new mac in the box at my feet and not play with it!  I bought the Mac mini 1.66 gHz today and upgraded immediately to 2 GB of RAM.  Then I saw a post on a mac forum about someone having a 20″ iMac for sale and saying it would be a great deal.  So I thought I’d see just how great before I actually hook this one up.  I know, restocking fee, yeah, yeah, but if this is really a great deal, I might just forego that.  We’ll see.  Anyway, I am turning my house upside down trying to get some closets and such organized so I really didn’t need that new toy to play with and be distracted by.  We did watch a good movie tonight, The Devil Wears Prada.  It was really a good show, DH even liked it and he had his doubts at first.

Okay, yes, this is short, but I’m pooped and need to really get some stuff done tomorrow, so I’ll say good night!

a Mac bug!  Well, for the second time since I had my PC built in October of 2005, it’s in the shop to be cleaned up.  Last time they just reloaded Windows, this time they’re going to try to just check for viruses and spyware and see if that cleans it up.  The thing is, I run the anti-virus and spyware software they tell me to and this still happens…and it’s frigging frustrating!  DH has actually told me I can buy a Mac, but I know we really can’t afford it.  So, do I buy it and feel guilty about it or not buy it and just live with what I have?  I so want one, always have, but at this point, I’m just not sure it’s a good decision.  So, I think on it and think on it and think some more.  I overthink everything and that’s such a bad habit!

I did download iTunes at the office today and I like it.  I don’t like the fact that the Musicmatch/Yahoo software keeps bugging me to upgrade or buy something.  So far, iTunes doesn’t seem to do that and it still allows me to keep all the files on my firefly, it just builds a library on the machine.  So, I just downloaded it for this machine (my school laptop) and I’m going to install it here, too.

I’m planning some major cleaning and organizing this weekend and that’s one reason I really wanted to get the new computer today.  After all, the computer is such a big part of my life, it only stands to reason that I’d need to get it organized as well as my house, right?  Well, if they’d matched the Apple site’s price on the Mac mini I was looking at with the additional RAM, I’d own it right now.  But they didn’t and then I had a chance to think on it and as we’ve already established, I do too much of that!  Oh, well, at least if I’m stuck with this little laptop, it will be easier for me to avoid it and do what I really need to do this weekend.  That isn’t to say that this machine is a slacker, it’s a nice Dell Latitude machine, but I’m sort of spoiled to my 17″ Sony xBrite monitor and next to that, this one is pretty small.

Okay, let’s see, oh, yes, I tried out my cappuccino maker tonight and am very disappointed, but I probably just need more practice.  Oh, and did you see my banner?  Is that a cool photo or what?  I like it, it was actually a color shot on sxc, but I tweaked it a bit in Photoshop and that’s what I came up with.

Well, it’s not late, but it’s late enough and I need good sleep so I’ll have lots of energy for the work I have to do tomorrow.  My goal is to get the bulk of the house done tomorrow, have time to prod DH to do the honey-dos on Sunday and then have Monday to relax and start working on my project and studying for the final that we have next Monday.  I am still rolling with a 4.0, but as each class gets harder, I struggle a little more each time to pull off that A.  So, with that, I’m out!  Sleep well, everyone!

Okay, I think I figured this out.  I burned my CDs to my Firefly (my little 20 GB portable hard drive) and then put the library in Musicmatch on one computer and Yahoo Music on the other (apparently Yahoo Music bought out Musicmatch so the old version isn’t available anymore).  Now it knows to look on my Firefly and copy CDs to my Firefly and when I update or add songs, I just add them there and can play them on any of my 3 computers…cool, huh?  Now, if this one would just pull it’s head out of it’s rear and start working right!  Grrrr!  The DVD drive won’t read the CD with the Palm software on it, I guess the DVD drive has just died.  The whole dang thing has been slow as Christmas for a couple of weeks.  I’ve thought about taking it in and having it wiped clean and having the OS reinstalled, but then with Vista around the corner, it seems like it would be smarter to wait for it.  Then I started looking at Macs because I’m so sick of my PC having to be cleaned off and redone every six months.  But, the downside there is the software.  I have Photoshop, MS Office and more that are on a Windows platform.  I’d hate to think I’d have to start all over in that department so as much as I’d love to change to a Mac, I just don’t think I can do it.  So, I guess I’ll stick with this one, maybe ’til Vista comes out, then go in and buy it at the shop I use, let them zap this thing, install Vista and go from there…if I don’t smash it first because it is sooooo slow.  Oh, well, I don’t have much time to scrap and the only thing I’m designing is an AF collection which is almost finished, so if I can just struggle through that maybe I’ll make it the last month to Vista…we’ll see.  At least I have the laptop and my computer at the office, so I’ll probably be okay.

Still looking for the photo for my banner, maybe tomorrow .

Maybe it’s the impending concert, I don’t know, but I got the new John Mayer CD, Continuum, and I love it.  Of the two that I had, I liked Room for Squares better than Heavier Things, but this one may just top them both.  Anyway, working on putting my music on my Firefly and setting up Musicmatch to play it on all three computers since I didn’t buy myself an iPod and I just thought I’d share that with ya, LOL.

Have a great day!

that I can think of some great topics to post about when I’m in the car or out in the pasture or…anywhere but here?

I have very little to say, but thought I’d post so you guys would know I didn’t fall off the earth, LOL.

How was Christmas?  I’m glad ours is over, but we enjoyed it.  Our kids got way too much stuff, so much, in fact, that they are just as unappreciative as ever.  It’s sad, but it’s true.  However, we have some plans for a family room and I’m going to go through their old stuff and narrow it down so that they have very little left other than what they got for Christmas.  Really, most of what they got was pretty good stuff, they each got Leapsters and I also got them a Leapster TV.  B wanted the Dance with Me Genevieve doll from Barbie in the 12 Dancing Princesses and she got it.  Casey doesn’t really know from one minute to the next what he wants, but he got some stuff he liked.  I bought me a Palm Z22 to see if it can help me get organized.  I keep remembering how much happier and what a better Mom I was back when they were small and other than losing my parents and my kids getting older, the thing that is different is that I’m just not as organized as I used to be.  That may sound weird, but my doc said losing my parents in such a short time probably affected me more than I realized, so I have to mention that as a possible factor.  Anyway, I just keep remembering that I was so happy back then, when we lived at the other house we lived in and they were smaller.  I know they were just as much work then, if not more, but still, I didn’t mind.  Anyway, I know that I feel better when the house is clean and things are organized, so I’m hoping this little baby will help:

We’ll see.  It’s at the office charging right now, but I plan to get it synced to both my office computer and my home one by the end of the day and really commit myself to using it.  Baby steps, I tell myself, baby steps.

Oh and I joined Spark People a while back and they sent out an awesome calendar for New Year’s Resolutions, you should check that out.  I am going to print it and put it on the board in our Mud Room when I get it back up.  Another of my efforts to organize my household!

Okay, gotta hit the shower and get to work.  Have a great day…oh, and I know the banner is boring, but I’m looking for just the right image to be my background…I’ll probably try out a few before I find the perfect one, so feel free to weigh in if you see a new one up there .

I have polish on my nails for the first time in like…ummm…years.  Seriously.  I have nails that would make people envious, I really do.  Got them from my Mom…and never do anything with them.  Well, Bailey is all girly-girl and wanted hers painted today (Casey worked with Dad so we got a girls day out today) and she wanted me to get mine done, too.  So, they’re bright red.  They look nice, but it’s just strange to look down and see them.

We found her Christmas dress also.  I hope this doesn’t offend, but I have no desire to dress my five year old in miniature versions of the stuff that they’re putting out for teenagers and that was all I could find at the Mall.  I checked TCP, Gymboree, JC Penney and everywhere else I could think of.  We had seen some “okay” ones at Kohl’s a couple of weeks ago, so we ended up going back there and after searching many racks, I found one I loved on her and she loves, too.  Finally.  We found the perfect shoes, too.  It’s her Christmas dress, but I’m letting her wear it to dinner tomorrow at her Granny’s.  I figure as beautiful as she is in it and as much as we spent on the outfit, she should wear it more than once.  We got Casey a new shirt and a pair of khakis, too.  I think he’s at least AS picky as she is, if not even moreso.  Anyway, I’ll be sure to post some pics of them in the duds.

Speaking of which, the laundry has sooo piled up this week!  I don’t know what it was, we were busy and gone alot and I guess I was PMS’ing, it just got away from me.  I am going to have to get up and get a load out of the dryer as soon as I finish this post.

Tomorrow, yes, dinner at Granny’s apartment.  I thought DH and I would leave the kiddos with Granny and go finish the shopping, but he seems to think it will be an awfully big inconvenience for him to have to go and I know that means if I press the issue, it’ll just be hell having to put up with him while we’re doing it, so I’m not pushing it.  I’ll just make him babysit one evening next week so I can go alone.  The already know EVERYTHING they’re getting so I’ve got to get a few surprises.  They’re only five, we don’t get that many Santa years, I’m not going to let him ruin one of them by being a grinch.  Sorry, a bit of a whine there, but I couldn’t help it…I’m done, though.

Ummm, oh, we got angels this year from the Angel Tree.  Do you guys do that?  This is our first year and I sure hope I did okay.  On one hand, there are lots of them still on the tree, so I guess ours are fortunate that we picked them.  BUT, there are also probably others doing much better than ours are, so I dunno.  I got them both two shirts, a pair of jeans, a couple of toys and character toothbrushes (cause those just seemed like a good idea).  That’ll have to do, I also have my own kids and other family members to buy for.  I’m sure it’ll be fine, but I just stood there in WalMart wishing I could afford the little girl a bike, which was her number 1 toy choice.  But man, the selection was pretty limited at this point and I just couldn’t do it.

Okay, laundry calls, just wanted to pop in and tell you about our day…enjoy your Sunday!

First, no complaining today ! Um, well, I am out of my favorite Pumpkin Spice flavored creamer, but I’ll survive. Especially since I know I get to go to town today and get a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte…yummy!

So, is everyone done shopping? We’re not. My kids know EVERYTHING I’ve bought for them so far. I almost never go anywhere without them, that’s the first problem. Then, I did get to go without them once, to WalMart. But, stupid me, I left the bag in the back of the car and they found it. Not really even looking, they just like to get into the very back of the Expedition when we drive down to the shop (no highway travel involved, just the driveway) and they climbed back there and there it was. Yeah, the best surprises I had up my sleeve, not surprises anymore. And I was just awful, I was so upset that I was not very nice to them, but it wasn’t even really their fault. So, anyway, bottom line, I need to pick up a few more things and then, we need something from Santa. They don’t need anything big, they both have bicycles, so I’m kind of at a loss there. But, DH and I do get to go shopping Sunday night after dinner at his Mom’s, so hopefully we’ll find a few things then. I saw some stocking stuffer type stuff in a little shop in the small town where I take Bailey to dance. I know Bailey would love this:

They had some great little puzzles and stuff, too, but of course, I had Casey with me so I couldn’t shop! Oh, well, I’ll either get there or I’ll find them something else. I thought about a v-smile, but they’re already getting Leapsters, so I’m not sure if we need the v-smile, too. I didn’t get them Leapster L-Max, though, so they can’t use them with the TV. I dunno, I’m sure we’ll find something when we go finish up.

Speaking of finishing up, I have to get this finished up and get moving! We have to go to town and I really need to get home early enough to do some house cleaning this afternoon so Bailey and I can just go play tomorrow. Casey is working with Dad, so we get to have a girl day!

Have a great day!

Isn’t that a quote from a famous person? I’m sure it is and it is so true! In this oversaturated digital market, it is almost impossible to do something that hasn’t been done before. I ~*thought*~ I was inspired to create last night…but I really wasn’t. I did a few papers, don’t really like them. I did make a nice element, which I’ll show you here:

I also saw a thread at DST about someone wanting a grosgrain ribbon yesterday and out of boredom, I decided to tweak mine again. Here’s just a little piece of it:

I guess I shouldn’t brag, but dang, that is a NICE ribbon! But, still, as much as I love to create something that looks real, it isn’t enough to drag me back in. I know some of you are hoping for that, but reading the big controversial thread at DST (it’s in the designer forum, so some of you haven’t seen it, sorry) and just spending too much time over there yesterday just reminds me of why I wanted to get away from that scene. As nice as it was to have Jo ooh’ing and aah’ing over my kits (and it was, it truly was), I can’t let that little charge convince me that I need to get back into designing. It brings me much more frustration than it does happiness (and money). Maybe sometime I’ll get really inspired, I do love that wire with beads and I have a great color palette and one great element. But the thing is, as much as I do sometimes enjoy the creative process, the disappointment from the product not selling is much worse. It’s like it’s kinda fun to drink some wine and get a buzz, but then the hangover the next morning makes you remember why you don’t drink. So, anyway, that’s my vent for the day and I’m all done. Sorry to be a downer, it must seem that the only time I have something to say is when I’m mad about something, ROFL. Sorry, folks, I’ll try to find something better to talk about tomorrow!

I’ve made some of these for layouts so I thought I’d share. I have a really hard time doing layouts without a ribbon or two and with all the rich Holiday colors in the kits right now, I thought some of you might enjoy them, too.

You can grab them here for a limited time:

Holiday Velvet Ribbons

Well, there’s been a lot going on. Where do I start?

We have decided to sell DSD. Well, I decided. Kim has never wanted to and she’s been a trooper all along, giving it all she could. But with school and my real job, I just don’t feel like I’ve been giving it all I should. I haven’t had the time or the energy and the time I spend on the computer just causes fights between me and my DH. Then, when I look at DSD and how it has slowly dwindled in participation, even after the latest changes we made, I am just saddened by it, but I don’t have time to try anymore. I don’t know if we were just missing something in our dynamic or what, but we just couldn’t make it one of the “in” places to be. So, all things considered, I just felt it was the right thing for me to do for my family. I do apologize to Kim because we had just put out a designer call. I should have made up my mind before that, but I so hate to let go of it because it’s MY baby. Still, I have two real babies that are growing up quickly and I have some serious work to do if I want to be able to homeschool them. I still have a year of school left and it’s just getting harder. So many things in my life and I just had to let go of something.  I believe it is the right thing to do and we’ll all be just fine.

Next, well, I retired, right?  Well, yes, I did.  But, while the whole Keely thing was going on, I became friends with Joedee over at Elemental Scraps and when I recently showed her some of my work, she was really shocked when I told her it hadn’t been selling.  She said she thought maybe it was because of the previews or because I hadn’t advertised enough and asked me if I’d let her rework some of the previews and put it up at ES.  Well, heck, I figured if it will get me more money for the work I’ve already done, I’d be crazy to say no.  So, there, I’m flaky again!  But who could blame me.  Joedee really felt that my designs would do well at ES and I put alot of time into those kits!  After examining my stuff, she informed me that I need to come out of retirement, LOL.  We’ll see how it goes, but for now, I’m going to concentrate on getting more organized at my job for DH, making Christmas great for my kiddos and keeping my housework caught up.  That’s enough for me right now.  If I get inspired to create something new, I will.  But until I do, I’m just going to keep on keeping on.

So, that’s the scoop…I’m back, sort of.