ScrapCouture

Kumusta!

Hello everyone,

I'm here after a long ridiculously long flight. I was very surprised that the kids did as well as they did.  I was worried Sean would get sick, but he was really into the flight.  I must say that PSPs, Nintendos, and Ipods do help.  I barely got any sleep and was so uncomfortable.  I don't remember the flights being that uncomfortable and cold as hell.  I don' t think there is heat on planes.  Everything went well and we made it to Manila @ oh dark 30. 

I could feel the humidity as soon as I hit the ramp and I seriously thought I was gonna die with all the humidity.   Went from 4 % humidity to 90 %.  I actually don't feel as hot as I do in Vegas.  My face looks all broke out acne ridden, but other than that I don't feel like it's that bad.

I've eaten a ton of fish already and it was so cool to go to an open air market.  I really wish Chris was with me to experience it all.   I bought 4 pounds of giant prawns for less than $10 this morning! Can't wait to eat them.  Did some shopping today at a mall.  For the brand name stuff, Guess, The Body Shop, Sketchers, the prices are equivolent in pesos as the dollars.  Found some sketchers I fell in love with, but they were about about $60 bucks.  Forget that shit.  Bought a cute little Amy Butler tote for $6! woo hoo.

Going to Cebu tomorrow.  Worried about this flight.  It's a small plane and I don't do small planes.  Seriously would rather take a ferry.   Anyways...  Miss you guys.  won't have internet til I get back next week, so I'll talk at you later!

love,

michelle

2 More Days

I am totally scatterbrained and need to get everything finalize before my trip to the P.I.  I just keep thinking, "if you forget something, you might be fucked." 

It seems like its chaos around my house.  Chris and I celebrated our 9 year anniversary on the 20th and decided to buy ourselves some new furniture.   We got a fabulous chocolate brown leather couch and it was delivered this morning.  Will have to get a new rug cause when my ass jumped into it,  my couch slid across the tile.  Yes, I am blaming the tile.

Got my shot and still need to pick up Kyle's meds.  He still needs to test for his next taekwondo belt (today) wish him luck.  Have to finish packing and rechecking everything I packed.  Want to finish my little travel journal so I can do a little scrapping in the hut baby.  I wonder if I can crochet while I'm the plane.  I think I could whip out a few blankies in the 16 hours we will be flying.

Working on  a huge project that I won't be able to work on while away, but I can't wait to share w/ everyone once it's off the ground.  I am so excited and proud of it - and it's not scrapbooking related, go figure.

I didn't want to take my laptop w/ me cause it's heavy and they use 220 in the P.I. so I bought an ipod.  Aimee, I've joined the rest of humanity and have been a downloading fool for the last few days.  I even have some movies for the boys on it.  Just working on converting some movies that I already own. 

Anyways, hope everyone is having a great summer, will see ya in 2 weeks!

LESLIE - DON'T FORGET YOUR PASSPORTS!

Bleck

I just ate like 20-25 red vines.

one

right

after

the

other.

gonna go hurl now.

Dirt

Went out to the Logandale trails on Saturday.  We got a little lost for a little while, but we made it!  Got a later start than I wanted, but it was fun and worth the drive.

Some of the trails are hard dirt, gravel, but mostly sand.  I was worried that Kyle's quad wouldn't have the power to handle the trails, but it did fine.  It didn't do to well on the dunes, but hell, neither did the Rhino. 

The trails led to a ton of dunes and Chris got to play around for awhile on them.  So did Sean.  He wasn't digging the helmet after awhile and just thought he was in a giant sandbox.

I will definitely go back, but not til the summer is over because by 1 p.m.  we were dying.  I didn't even want to stop anymore and drink water and chill.  I just wanted to get the hell out of the sun that was attacking us fiercely.  I did get a nice glove tan, though.  I know, don't hate.

Well, gotta go... Sean needs bathroom assistance. I love parenting.

Blankets

here are some of the blankets I made during May that kept me out of the scraproom.

This one was for Kyle.  His whole room is camoflauge.

This is Sean's.  I didn't like how the colors worked out together, but his room his Cars so I used the colors of Lightning McQueen.

This one I made for my friend, Joan, for her birthday.

This is my fave.  Love how the colors worked out together.

This was one I loved in one of my crocheting books.  I initially didn't like how it came out with all the colors, but it's growing on me.

I get really bored while crocheting row after row so unlesas I use lots of colors I start to lose interest. Which gave me a wild hair up my ass to teach myself to knit.  Well, one hour later I finally casted on.  It was so hard.  I still haven't made it past that, but I am gonna keep trying!  Leslie!  You have a mission.

Got Madonna's and Duffy's new CD's.  Thanks Sandy!  I haven't listened to a Madonna CD since Like a Prayer (I think) and I really like it.  But my new favorite CD is One Republic.

Other news.  As some of you know adopting children out of foster care has been something I have been trying to make a reality.  I contacted Olive Crest foster care agency about a month ago and we have an appointment on the 19th with a case worker!  We've been finishing up our application and still have to figure out where to store our butcher knives.. hmmm.  So wish us luck!  I am very excited for this new chapter of our lives.

Other than that.. just been figuring out what the hell to pack for our trip to the Philippines in 17 days.  Lots of Off , that's for sure.  I'm excited to see relatives I haven't seen for 18 years.  But really all I want is for my Lola not to tell me I'm fat again, so I got to spin my ass off the next few weeks..lol. 

Until next time peeps! 

Bad Blogger!

holy crap I dropped the ball with the whole blogging thing!  I really have just been lazy as hell.  Sooo, where do I begin?

Just been chilling and working and crocheting my ass off.  I  kinda put the scrapping aside for a little bit to crochet away.  I think in the month of May I made 5 blankets..Yup 5.  I will take photos of them and put them up in the next few days.   Still haven't busted out my knitting stuff that I will learn  one of these days.

Got a few new toys last week and have been trying to get out and use them.

 

 

I really, really, really love my Rhino.  Or as Sean likes to call it, "me and mommy's quad."  Riding is way more fun than I ever thought it would be.  I should've gotten the bigger one, but it does everything I need it to do.  I even caught a little air at the dunes last week.  Kyle got a 50 since he'd never ridden before and just in one day, we can see that there isn't a lot of power.  He couldn't get up really steep hills and got stuck in the sand a few times, but until he masters it, he's stuck with it.  Chris loves his quad and says it's way faster than he thought it would be.  He's already making plans to go out with a few of his friends and I am trying to find every atv trail in the SW US.

Loving this site.  It's totally inspiring me to cook, well, bake.  Everything looks so good.

Sad that most of my shows are almost over.  Still have Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef.  So sad that Antonia got sent home.  Chris was pissed.  I think he has a secret crush on her..lol.  That's inspiring me to cook too.

Did a few pages.  First one was my entry for Laurie's circle journal of inspirational women.

This one is for a canvas swap we did at work.  We had to use our person's favorite and least favorite colors.  Jen's was dark green and orange.  I used  a technique with foil.  You crinkle it up and flatten it back out and paint it and it gives a nice technique.

I will do better with the updates! have a good one peeps!

My new idea

There are many drunk drivers out there.  In this town it's really bad.  You can drink all day long.  All day, every day.  There is no last call.  It's part of why insurance is so high out here, too.  Summer is here and everyone wants to drink and then get into the car and drive home.  Or, attempt to drive home.  And if they don't make it home it's usually because we are fortunate enough to pull them over before they wreck into someone.  When they do crash into people, someone usually dies and 99 percent of the time it ISN'T the drunk driver. 

Since the drunk driver walks away 99% of the time, my idea is this:  Everyone get drunk and drive cause if you do crash into someone you won't get hurt and they won't be hurt either.  Remember, drunk drivers never get hurt.

Case in point.  Friday we had a Saturn ram head on to a semi.  Head on people!  And he had minor injuries.  Yes, he was drunk.  See, if you had don't that sober, you'd be dead.

Later on Friday,  drunk kid runs a red light and hits a poor, innocent, SOBER driver.  Sober driver dies.  Kid is fine.  His life is ruined pretty much, but justly so. 

On a serious note.  It just pisses me off that you can't even just drive home nowadays with some idiot thinking he's okay to drive and ruins your life.  There are so many options out there for those of us who do like a tasty adult beverage every now and then.   There are no excuses.  None.  So, for all you responsible, sober drivers - thank you and be careful!

To all you fabulous, wonderful teachers ...

if you decide to take your class on a field and be the designated camera person...

and decide to make photo cds of the trip and sell them to your class for $5 a piece ...

PLEASE

PLEASE

PLEASE

make damn sure your naked photos don't end up on them as well.

*this public service announcement has been brought to you by your friendly police dispatcher*

Mother's Day and Birthday Recap

Happy Mother's Day to all you wonderful moms out there!  Celebrate in style!  Here's some flowers for you

Thank you for all the birthday wishes!  I had a great time, even though I had anxiety about the whole thing.  Chris tells me he wants to take me somewhere nice and we have to dress up.  Dress up?  I don't dress up - except for weddings.  I am so stressed out because Vegas isn't really a "dressy" kind of place.  People wear jeans and shorts everywhere.  Plus I don't like to wear dresses - except to weddings.  So, luckily I still had Darcie's black and white dress.  (I don't think she'll ever get it back). It's been to Mexico and Chicago, very well travelled.   Anyways, we got dressed up despite my pleas.

So we dropped the boys off with my sister to spend the night and hang with their cousins and we heaed to The Venetian for dinner.  Chris kept telling me that we were gonna eat then have to go get my present.  He opted for Enoteca San Marcos.  It's one of three Mario Batali restaurants in the casino. Of course, there are people in jeans, but there were people in suits and stuff.  I am no fancy person.  The food was good.  I guess he is known for his cured meats and we got these proscuitto balls that were salty as hell.  By the time I had a second ball, I couldn't eat anymore.  It wasn't bad, just too salty for me.  I then had a caprese salad.  The tomatoes were stewed and I thought that was weird, but mmmm, mmmm,mmm it was so good.  The mozzarella had pesto and pine nuts on it and it was yummmmy!  Chris had artichoke with flattened ricotta slices and that was even better.  Chris ordered linguine and I had flattenend pork chops with braised escarole and it was the freaking bomb.  It was so good.  I think escarole is my new fave veggie.  Reminds me of bok choy.  I made Chris order dessert cause it was my birthday so he went all out and got cheesecake gelati.  Yeah.  all out.  He didn't even eat it all.  Whatever.  I ate mine.  I had Caramel Banana sundae.  It had bananas, ice cream, caramel and banana nut bread balls.  If I could've gotten away with licking the glass.  I would have.

Well, Chris gave me my present.  We were going to see Phantom of the Opera.  I was so happy.  It's one of the few I haven't seen yet.  The theater was so cool and the chandelier effects were awesome.  We had 3rd row seats right in the middle, they were lucky I didn't get up there and start singing and dancing.  We actually had to look behind us to see the phantom hanging from the chandelier.  It was awesome to finally get to see the play in real life.  The Phantom was not that great, but who can replace Michael Crawford?  Christine Daae was good and the dude that played Raul was fabulous.  It was such a wonderful night and I had a great time.  Even though I didn't get my lens, lol, this was way better.

Until next time!

Don't Know Where The Week Went

Damn! This week flew by!  Been trying to get some crafty goodness together and I have found that I have put scrapping on the backburner.  I did manage to get one thing done.  I decided to make a little journal to document the 33 rd year of my life.  There really isn't much that stands out for your 33rd birthday.  I guess you just ride the time til you turn 35, then 40.  So I made this little journal

Nothing fancy, I figured I could take a monthly pic and do some journaling on the 10th of every month.

While scrapping was on the backburner, I had no problem buying stuff cause I don't have enough, right?  Got these yummies.

I've been busy crocheting my ass off.  Making a blanket for my friend, Joan, who happens to share the same birthday as me!  I think I have carpel tunnel now.  lol.  It was nice to bust out the hooks and threads. Of course I will burn myself out and get right back to scrapbooking.  Does anyone else do this?
I'm happy that this crazy cat is FINALLY using this -

It has taken about 3 weeks, but she finally (sometimes) understands that this is her little bed and my chair and my blankets don't belong to her. 

Lost 3 pounds this week!  Woo Hoo!  Now down to 167!  5 more pounds and I will have lost 20! Other fabulous news, my wonderful son, Kyle, just got accepted to the Gifted and Talented Program!  That has had me happy for days now.  Kyle has ADHD and this year has been the hardest year at his school so far.  He has a horrible teacher, who knows the problems we have been having with his meds and EVERY THING he does, he gets in trouble for.  She even tried to keep him from testing, so when I got the test results and he scored a 98 (an automatic placement in GATE) I wanted to drive to her house and shove the results right up her ass.  I really feel vindicated.  I'm just glad he gets out of her class 75 mins on Thurs and Fri. 

Anyways, I have to go tend to my 3 year old.  He is screaming how he doesn't like me at the top of his lungs because I told him he had to get off the PSP.  Isn't that sweet? 

later

Really

A special value from QVC for NSD.

Crafting headgear with magnifying lenses AND a head lamp.  Oh, you can get this in purple too.

Random 5s

bloglifting from Tina.

What were doing 5 years ago today:
I was probably sitting in the dispatch center with my headset on listen to police chatter and  answering 911 calls.  Hey.. just like today.. I've gone far in 5 years.

5 snack I love:
- Jenny Craig Anytime Bars

- fruit

- chips and dip

- m&ms

- cheese

5 things on my to do list today (or things I did today)
- get Kyle ready for school ( check)

- spin class (check)

- get ready for work (check)

- work (check)

- do not get irritated

5 things I would do if I were a billionaire
-pay off my house

- travel

-travel

-travel

- travel

5 bad habits I have
- not saving money

- drink tons and tons and tons and tons of coffee

- I'm too blunt with people

- I have a potty mouth

- I'm an impulse buyer

5 places I've lived
-Philippines

- Texas

- Alaska

- Ohio

- Nevada

5 jobs I've had:
- Waitress

- Cashier at Long John Silvers

- Maid, oh, I mean Guest Room Attendant at a strip casino

- Front Desk supervisor at 24 hour fitness

- Police dispatcher

Alright, you're turn. Give me your fives!

And I wonder...

- if anyone who reads this blog has been sitting at home when they felt the urge to call 911, yell obsenities at the dispatcher and then hang up.

- if I will get my mom's mother's day present done on time.

- if I am getting money back from the IRS.  I still don't know.

- why people feel compelled to have sex in dumpsters. (true story - not my story, someone else.)

- if I will ever get my adorama wish list down below 24 items.

- how many more times I have to hear Sean say, "Guess what? Chicken Butt."

- how I am going to work 13 hours tomorrow on less than 3 hours of sleep.. should be fun.

- if my house will ever be worth what I paid for it 2 years ago.

- if I can lose 24 more pounds before I go back to the Philippines in July.

- if this day is gonna end!

Some Scrappies

Part of my vacation was having my sister come out and lock ourselves in my scraproom and do some scrapbooking.  We did some lifting, some sketches, some challenges.  Here are the fruits of my labor.

Loving the 5th Avenue collection.

This is my favorite.  Isn't this paper gorgeous.

This was for the scrapjacked challenge, but I don't think I will submit. 

This was for How Much Is Too Much.  Had to use 7 letters in title, 7 flowers, 7 brads, 7 labels, 7 word stickers, 7 buttons, and 7 of anything else.  It was so hard.  It was like doing a puzzle ! But I liked how this turned out.

This is my least favorite.  Like the right side, but hate the left side.  Dunno what the hell happened there.

This is a shadow box for my girl.

Some ATC's ...

In other news.. I didn't do the 5 spin classes..I cleaned on Wednesday.  I did get Les to go on Thursday for her first ever class, but she was pained and Friday she didn't want to go.  But I did losee 8.2 pounds for my first month on Jenny Craig!  yeah!  I am working on losing 10 next month so wish me luck!

Oh.. and the actions for photoshop ( I don't think she does them for other programs) are from Nichole V Photography.  You can find them here.  Have a great day peeps!

Actions

Bought some new actions yesterday.  I'm not very computer literate and after two unsuccessful attempts at adjusting photos, I had to walk away.  I even had to call my  help desk (James) in Cali, but HE WASN'T THERE!  AAHH!

BUT!  After clearing my head and working it out, it was relatively easy and I likey! So, of course, some photos....

Before - self portrait of me

After - a better me.. lol

Before - My sister, Les

After -

Before - my neice

After -

I think this is the way I'm gonna go from now on.  I am just gonna find some cool actions and use them instead of trying to learn photoshop. 

Anyways, have to hit the hay.  Have another spin class in the morning. 1 down, 4 to go.

later. 

Vacation

Today marks my first official day of vacation.  I definitely needed a break from the shitty month of March.  I have a week off.. What will Michelle do with herself?

- Take 5 Spin classes this week (wish me luck)

-  Scrapbook, scrapbook, scrapbook and maybe paint.

-  Have my little sister over from Wednesday until Sunday. 

-  See a movie - don't know which one yet, but I will gladly take some recommendations.

- Visit the Bellaio Art Gallery

-  eat the Reese peanut butter egg that keeps calling my name over there.  I am going to the gym 5 days this week... hmm

- Take lots of pictures so I can scrapbook (see above).

-  Catch up on 60hrs of Tivo. (we'll see.)

and totally chill out.  Can't wait.

True Tales From The 911 Center

911 operator:  911.  Police, Fire, or Medical

Citizen:  Police.

911 operator:  What's your emergency.

Citizen:  I was beat up.

911 Operator:  What happened?

Citizen:  I went over to my boyfriend's wife's house and she beat us up.

911 Operator:  (in her head) That's what you get be-yatch.

911 operator: (for real)  Where are you now?

Citizen:  Sitting in front of her house. 

911 Operator:  Do you need medical?

Citizen:  No.

911 Operator:  Well, you better leave before she comes out and kicks your ass again and may need medical this time. (That was in her head too.)

911 Operator:  (back to reality) Okay, well, you need to come to the station before things escalate and file a report.

Wife - 1, Girlfriend- ZERO

March Mini Madness

  Here are a few mini's I have done and/or am working on..

This was for my momma. The five are her grandkids.  She has been on me about making something for her to display at work.

Another one I did at work.

some of the pages

And with my A Million Memories kit..

some pages

some cards

 

 

A mini clipboard. 

Got a lot more out of this kit than I thought I would.  It was totally not my style, but I had so much fun with it. 

Don't have to work til 0400 tonight (well,not yet- the day is still young).  My boys let me sleep until 1030! woo hoo.  Wearing some capri pants cause it's that time of year again.  I can't believe they still fit.. lol.. Have a fabulous day!

It was an ok day after all

I woke up tired even though I got like 10 hours sleep.  I had to go to Target because tomorrow is Easter.  Chris says we have to get them baskets from the Easter bunny.   I thought we just handed them baskets.  WTF?  I guess the bunny is like Santa now? Chris says we have always done it that way and "to just believe him cause you've worked on Sunday for the last 6 years."  I guess he's right.

Soooooooo... I get to Target at 1110.  Get everything (and then some cause Target traps you like that) and I go to pay.  I can't find my debit card.  I write a check.  I can't find my Driver's license.  Now, I am just pissed and embarrassed.  The clerk hands me a suspended transaction receipt and tells me to just push my cart to the customer service counter and pay when I find my stuff.  Well, the line is like 20 people long and it's 10 minutes til my Jenny Craig weigh in.  So, I'll come back later.

Rush to my car and there, in my center console with my gym cards are all the cards I need. Dammit! Speed to Jenny Craig.  And I get there 5 mins til my appointment time and she calls me 25 mins later.  I was not happy. Anyways.  The food has been good and I think I've eaten more veggies and fruit in the last week than I have in the last year.  I have to eat every few hours, which has been the toughest thing.  I use to eat when I was on the verge of starvation.  Now, I have to eat even if I'm not hungry, BUT... it paid off.  I lost 2.9 pounds this week! Yeah!  I get my food and dash off to my friends baby shower.

I get there and I'm later than I wanted to be, which pissed me off too.  I can't stay long cause I have frozen food in my car and I have photo class in an hour and a half.  Had a little bit of food and played one game then I was off. 

Got to the photo class.  My family checked out the rest of the park while we were off taking pics.  It was 80 degrees.  Shouldn't have wore jeans and hiking boots.  So we are taking fabulous pictures.  I realize - 1.  left my big CF card at home and now had to change my resolution on my card so I can get more than 80 photos.  Did that matter?  NO!  2 - my battery died an hour into the class!  AAAAAHHH.  No.  I didn't have an extra battery.  I couldn't believe it.  So I took 30 pictures.  Pissed off again!

Rush off to Target to "really" get the easter stuff.  Success this time!  Took the boys to see Horton Hears a Who.  But got there too early so we couldn't be let in and so we sat on the floor in the hallway.  seriously.  But the movie was cute.  I did fall asleep for a little bit, but caught most of the movie.  The boys liked it and there was a good moral to the story.

Came home - CHARGED MY BATTERY! Ate some dinner and watched some TV.   I will leave you with this picture.

 

One Good Element and No Bad Elements

Well, something like that.  Had my little photo class at Springs Preserve.  Love our instructor.  Very likeable. 

We touched on Design principles of photography.  Line, balance, color, rhythm, symmetry, texture, and proportion and incorporating those elements into your photographs.  We critiqued some pictures then went out and did a little bit of shooting.  Still in love with my lens.  I've always been in love with macro photography since I took my first photo class when I was 16 years old.  16 years later, I finally get the lens.  Hopefully, it doesn't take me that long to get my next lens. lol.  Anyways, I love nature photography and Ansel Adams is one of the greatest masters of light this earth has ever seen.  I actually prefer to shoot nature instead of humans, and we know how much I love taking photos of my kids... anyways, here are a few of the photos I took..

I can't wait til next week!