Unlucky Strike

It's Sunday & my four day weekend has just about come to an end! It's back to work tomorrow & I'm dreading it!!! I only just got over a really bad chest cold & now I've been hit with a miserable head cold! Not again!!! I'm feeling pretty awful and as I type this up I'm waiting for the Benadryl to kick in. I feel even worse because I left my new purse (with wallet, cell phone & work key inside) at the movies last night & no one turned it in! I'm really mad at myself for being so stupid but even more mad at the person who took it & didn't turn it in. After Stephen was done making me feel really bad for leaving it behind he took pity on me & bought me a new purse & wallet. He's so loveable! ;-) Thank you my love! I think (I hope) I've learned my lesson! Now comes the fun part! I have to go through the hassle of getting a new cell phone, atm, licence, etc.!!! Ugh!!!

Woke up early in the hopes of taking a hike with Stephen, Jenn & Greg at Chantry Flats. Unfortunately, once we got there we found that although the trails at the top were reopened, the road to the top was closed. We were all pretty bummed especially after waking up so early on a Sunday. We ened up at the bowling alley. Not your usual Sunday morning but fun nonetheless!I'm really a terrible bowler but I enjoyed it. I took the stress of losing my purse out of the ball. I didn't get a strike but I managed to come close. Greg was the winner with Stephen a close second. I screwed up my new manicure but it was bound to happen sooner or later. Being girlie is hard work! We grabbed some pizza for lunch and did our usual weekend Target run. We went along with Greg & Jenn to pick out a friend for Buttercup the Hamster. The little hamsters didn't take to eachother right away but hopefully they'll be friends by morning...otherwise we might have to adopt her. ;-)

Greg got his gym pass last week & Jenn is going to get hers tomorrow. Now we have workout buddies! I hope this keeps us all a little more motivated. We're going to introduce Greg to his first SPIN class tomorrow. Hopefully he can hang with us pros! haha! =) Hopefully I can hang & make it through the class with this darn cold! Anyway, I think the Benadryl has kicked in. I'm a little sleepy & I'm ready for hit the sack! Goodnight!

Extreme Makeover

I took the day off to relax and rejuvenate. It was so great to sleep in & snuggle with Sammy this morning. After a small breakfast I treated myself to a mini makeover. First I went to the nail place down the street for a spa pedicure/manicure and eyebrow wax. I haven't had my nails done since I moved because I've been reluctant to try a new place. It wasn't quite as nice as my old place but it was clean & they ened up doing a half way decent job. I got the works (a paraffin wax treatment & extra massage) and by the time I was out of there it was close to 100 bucks! After the nail salon I headed to the hair salon....well more like the barber shop! I only got a trim & some layers. I didn't want to do anything too drastic. I miss my cute Turkish hair guy! He got really expensive! It was over 260 bucks last time I went! I almost passed out when they rang me up! It did look HOT - the best my hair has EVER looked...well atleast until I washed it! It's just not worth it for me to spend that much because I'm really bad at upkeep! I only just bought my first hair dryer last week & I still haven't taken it out of the box! I'm just not good with hair. There are straight guys that are more into styling thier hair then me! I want to be more of a girly girl when it comes to hair but I don't know where to begin! I need hair help!!!

Fishy Kisses

Today I had the joy of being treated to "breakfast in a bag" by my apartment complex. There were balloons all over the complex and as I was pulling out of the driveway one of our maintenance guys handed me a bag full of breakfast items & a letter stating that they are "committed to excellence." It was a nice surprise even though our apartment complex sucks! The only thing I like is the kitchen window & our little plant ledge which I've taken for granted all these months! Our lease is up in a little over a month & we'll probably be moving. I'm dreading moving but we're paying an enormous rent for a small space. Moving is a pain in the ass! I really want to move to Whittier (I love Whittier and not to mention that's where all the comadres are=)!) but the commute would make me CrAZy! It's bad enough already!

I woke up at 4:30 AM this morning and couldn't go back to sleep. I finally started to doze off right before the alarm went off! Insomnia sucks! I'm so exhausted but alot less sore then I thought I'd be after my first day back to the gym. I was hoping to actually get back on my bike & ride in the dirt tomorrow but rain is in the forecast AGAIN! I'm so sick of the rain! I crave the sun!

Above are pictures of a Grumpy Chiclid & a Sweet Pink Kissing Gourami. Who is cuter???

Back on the saddle

After 3 weeks of being sick and 1 week of procrastinating I finally went SPINNING! It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be after being gone a almost a month! Stephen put cleats on my biking shoes so I clipped in for the first time ever! I have a new love for my beat up biking shoes...now they're functional! =)

I had a very busy day at work today. I had to recreate a contract for my boss for a lunch meeting and it was crunch time trying to get it completed in time. Luckily it was a snap and I had it to her with time to spare. We have another new admin who I am training this week. This is the third one I've trained in a month! She's cool and I'm hoping she works out. I also did some Spring Cleaning. My cube was looking a little cluttered so I did some organizing. I practically live there so I might as well make it look half way decent.

For lunch I went to Target (again!) to buy Miracle Grow. I told you I'm going to be a better plant mom! Anyway, the Easter stuff was 90% off! I had to buy a few cute Easter items. I also bought a really pretty purse. Stephen broke the zipper on one of my faves so this purse is on him! =) Lucky for him he only owes me $11.99...See, I can bargain shop!!!

I came home today and Stephen had a brand new aqarium sitting on the dining table! It's really nice but it's too big for the cute Craftsman aqaurium stand! Bummer! I spied some Chiclid food in a bag so I guess he's made up his mind to fill it with those darn grumpy fish...Hopefully we can still get a Kissing Fish or two! I'll have to do more research to make sure they can coexist.

My Arts & Scraps swap has 27 members and it's still growing! I also signed up for a Mini Altar / Shadowbox swap. I bought some supplies at Micheal's and I'm excited to start the project. I am the shadowbox altar queen!

Had a good chat with Kristie today. I feel like we havn't talked forever! She's been busy with school and little Izzy. I miss them & I hope we can get together soon.

My honey pie and Greggy went to the Angel's game...I hope he gets back soon! I miss him...Look at this sweet picture I took. My two sweeties!

Hamsters & Chilis

The poster I want!
My new flowers...A calalily, snapdragons & marigolds.

The Hot Chilis that Jenn ate for $30 bucks
Buttercup

I can't believe the weekend is already over! Atleast I have a short week ahead since I'm taking Thursday and Friday off to veg out.

On Friday, Stephen and I had dinner and saw a show at the Improv. It was really funny. We had a good time despite the drunk asshole sitting at the next table. We want to go back and use the gift certificates that Jenn and Greg got us for Christmas.

Saturday my parents came by and we had lunch at Knolwood. I was thinking it was a sit-down cafe but it ened up being a hamburger joint. It was pretty good anyway. After lunch, Stephen, Greg, and I went to the Pet Expo at the fairgrounds. Stephen is in the market for an aquarium but the pickins' were slim. We thought they would have more of a selection. It really wasn't that great except for the Dippin' Dots stand! There we some pets for adoption, reptile, bird & fish exhibits, pet supplies and the best part...the cat show! It was fun looking at all the cats, especially the Tonks. They didn't have any natural minks which kind of sucked because they are my favorite! I felt sorry for all those poor cat show kitties! Cats shouldn't be put through all that stress! Some of those cat people are wierdos! I love cats but those cat fanciers take cat shows a little too seriously...Anyway, Stephen is still looking for an aqarium. I'm trying to convince him to get Kissing Gouramis but he thinks they're lame. He likes those frowning, grumpy, mean, killer Chiclids! I already spotted the cool craftsman style aquarium stand to match with our furniture! I'm excited!...Jenn and Greg became pet parents today. They bought a sweet little hamster they named Buttercup A.K.A Butters. They got a really cool cage and I helped Jenn assemble it. I forgot how cute Hamsters are! I had a one growing up but it dissapeared under mysterious circumstances! I think my dog Scrappy ate it!

The four of us went to El Torito for lunch and Stephen told Jenn he'd pay her 30 bucks if she ate a stack of HOT green chilis. He loves those kind of dares! She did it and he had to pay up! haha! We stopped by Target after lunch so Greg could buy some boxes. I ended up spending money on things I don't need! Target is evil! I bought a hose, flowers, begonia bulbs, slipper socks, some items & envelopes for my swaps and a garden gnome rain gauge from the dollar section. I don't really need a rain gauge... I just like garden gnomes. I stuck it in one of my pots as decoration and it looks adorable! Stephen cleaned up our patio and I planted bulbs in pots and tried to revive some poor plants I've neglected since October! I've been such a bad plant mom! I promise I'll be better...especially now that the weather is supposed to get nice.

We didn't bike or hike so I didn't get a chance to drop off the travel bugs. Hopefully next weekend. I also want to go back to the swap meet at the fairgrounds to buy the cool poster of a vintage french bike ad. I love it because it's a bike with wings and this naked celestial women hanging on the bike. I love it and I can't wait to go back & get it!

TGIF!

Today is Friday and I'm really excited for the weekend! Sleeping in is the best! Tonight Stephen and I are going to dinner & a comedy show. Hopefully the weather is nice so we can do some hiking/geocaching tomorrow and I can finally let my travel bugs loose. I'm hoping to get back on my bike Sunday. Stephen did a 20-mile bike ride yesterday! I have to get going before I'm not able to keep up with him. There are so many things I want to fit into the weekend! Working sucks! haha...Atleast I have two days off next weekend to do whatever I want! I really didn't have anything planned but I just needed a few days off to regroup and destress...maybe a bike ride and some crafting.

I am hosting two swaps of my own. I already have 12 participants for my Arts & Scraps swap! I have to go through my craft drawers and look for cool & unusual stuff to send my swap partner. I'm excited to see what cool art supplies I get in return.

Well it's off to Costco & an early lunch.

lots of love

Travel Bugs

Look at my cute little travel bugs! I will be sending Miss Travel Bunny and Mr. Blues Traveler on thier journeys this weekend. I'm hoping that they have their pictures taken with people & landmarks along the way. I will be sure to post pictures of them here so you can see where they've been. Check out thier links for more info.

Surprises in the mail

I finally checked my mailbox and there were three surprises waiting for me! An Easter card from Shea, a postcard that Billy sent while he was in Ireland and my first swap package! My package came from Canada and the swap was full of collage goodies. I especially love the embossed paper, sequins and vintage buttons. I'm excited to create something using all of the cool pieces of inspiration.

Tonight Stephen and I are supposed to start SPINNING again. I'm dreading going back to the gym after being gone for a few weeks. It's going to be hell...but worth it...I'll be able to fit into the tiny shirt I bought from NORDSTROM on my lunch hour. I bought a teeny, tiny, micro size for motivation! We're doing this prgram called Active for Life at work. We're on teams and we're supposed to log our excercise points in a log on a weekly basis. I've been so bad about it and I'm probably pissing off my team. I vow to start getting back into my routine! No excuses! I really want to get back in shape so I Stephen & I can do some killer rides like we used to. I want to go back & conquer Turnbull Canyon. I made a fool out of myself the first and only time I rode there. I got better and was able to make it to Top of the World in Laguna, but I havn't had enough nerve to go back & ride to the top of Turnbull...Hiking up the evil hill is hard enough! I am determined to go back & ride there soon. Check out the picture above of the view from Turnbull on one of our hikes. You can see the temple in the distance and rain clouds rolling in. This was in March the day I hid my first Geocache.

Stuck in my cube

Stephen, Greg & Jenn played hookie! I called Stephen and they were having lunch at Lee's Sandwich's while I'm here stuck in my cubicle! I'm so jelous! It's such a nice day! Oh well, I can't be too upset because when they're at work next Friday I'll be taking the day off to pamper myself. =) I actually got out & took my lunch to the ghetto park down the street. I parked under a tree and listened to the radio. I considered sitting on the grass but I thought I should stay out of the sun because my face is already beet red, raw & swollen! The sunburn I got yesterday was worse then I thought! I tried my best to camouflage it with make-up but I still got a couple stares & comments from co-workers.

I joined two swaps on swapbot. I'm going to be swapping collage items & notecards. This is my first try at swapping so we'll see how it goes. I'm really excited because I love getting stuff in the mail! I'm thinking of creating my own crafty swap. I love little trinkets that I can add to my folk art shadowboxes so maybe I can think of some sort of trinket/charm swap. I'm going to try to make time to create a piece of art monthly. I would love to have my own show someday soon. I just need a larger collection of work. Check out my latest work. The picture is a small portion of the actual painting. I did this painting several years ago but I recently added some texture using my favorite medium...PUFFY PAINT! I love puffy paint! I love puffy, chunky, glittery texture! It's like cake icing!

Keep checking in! I will be posting more art, photographs & the results from my swaps very soon.

Easter

Weekends go by way too fast! I can't believe it's already Sunday! I have the Sunday blues. Another week of the daily grind ahead of me! Arghhhhh!!!

The weekend was waaaay too short but I had lots of fun. I had a nice breakfast with Stephen & my parents yesterday. Last night Steph, Greg, Jenn & I BBQed & colored Easter eggs. It was so much fun! I hadn't dyed eggs since I was a kid! Jenn and I colored most of the eggs but Stephen & Greg did contribute some egg art. Greg spent an hour on his "Cartman" egg. It came out pretty cool. He made a "Kenny" egg but right after he finished putting some finishing touches on it got dropped on the table and it cracked. Jenn said, "You killed Kenny!"...It was pretty funny, but I guess you had to be there & you'd have to watch South Park to get the joke! LOL!

Today Steph & I spent a day at the lake with his family. It was freezing cold, windy & partly cloudy but I still managed to get a killer sunburn! Steph & I took a short bike ride around the lake. I was so happy to be back on my bike! It felt so good! Steph hid a Geocache. His first hide! We ate, had an Easter egg hunt, played volleyball, horeshoes, scrabble, sang commercial jingles, ate more & had a great time! It was a long day & I'm ready for bed!

P.S. I made a bunny travel bug and I'm looking forward to sending it on it's way. It's posing with Sammy in the picture above.

Happy Easter! xoxo

Welcome to my Blog!

Welcome to my new blog! This is officially my first posting since I moved my blog from myspace to here. myspace is great for networking but this site is much more blog friendly. It's more accessible for family and friends because you don't have to be a member to view my posts. This is a great way to update friends & family about whats going on in my life. I will be posting as often as I can, so keep checking in. I encourage you all to start one too! It's very therapeutic!