On Vaca Next Week

Things have been so crazy this week that I thought I'd better get on here real quick to let everyone know that I will be on vacation next week.

We are taking our annual trip to Maui & although my hubby will have his Mac, I don't plan on getting on it too often.

So, if ya don't hear from me, "see ya" in a week!

In the House of Scrooge!

Every year it seems that Christmas time sneaks up on me! I cannot believe that Thanksgiving is this week & Christmas is only 1 month away already!





Since we go to Maui every year the first week of December & then trade off going to Nick's family's home in Kansas every other year, I always debate about putting all the decorations out to only enjoy them for 2-3 weeks. I love to have it all up & get my Holiday Mojo going, but I am the only one that does it in our house! My husband is a Scrooge! His family always celebrates the holidays, but they never had any traditions!

I have so many fond memories of decorating the tree with my family as a child & melancholy ones of taking it all down after the new year. Every year on Christmas Eve, my sister & I were allowed to open one special gift before we went to church. Then we'd be up so early that we'd have to wait for mom & dad to get up lest we get in trouble sneaking downstairs to see what Santa brought us! We always started the morning opening stockings, then have a traditional breakfast of Eggs ala Golden Rod (egg whites in a white gravy over toast w/the yolk sprinkled on top! The BEST!). We would spend the rest of the morning tearing through presents & laughing at the reactions. After that, it was hanging out in our pjs until about 3 when we would get ready for dinner - usually a big Smithfield Ham & all the trimmings. I loved those days & I want my daughter to have as many fond holiday memories as I do.

This year has already been no exception for my scrooge of a hubby. But I had the wonderful help of my 3 1/2 year old this year to hang the ornaments on the tree instead of taking them all off like last year at this time! We didn't even get a "hey, that looks great guys!" (Albeit, he had other things on his mind when he got home at 7pm, but still! Bah Hum Bug indeed!!) I am determined to show Maggie all the magic of the season & maybe her joy will bring her silly father around to our side!

Happy decorating!

blah, blah, blah, BLOG!

Just checking in real quick.
No offense, but sometimes it's really a chore to hop on here & blog about things - especially when I am updating 2 blogs at once! The business blog is definitely getting all the attention these days!

Nothing new to report on the home front! just that I am domestically challenged lately! Between crafting new stuff for the shop & searching for deals at thrift stores to fill the shop & driving back & forth from Denver to Castle Rock on a daily basis, my home life has taken a turn for the worse!

I never see my husband anymore because I eat dinner & then retreat to the studio to work more! I am so far behind on laundry that I will probably be taking dirty clothes with me to Maui in a week (just kidding, but it sure feels like it!) And I think my daughter thinks I'm a stressed out nutcase all the time since I don't get to have much fun with her lately either! I just can't seem to find the balance! How do all these other crafters with families (especially small children) do it?? When do they find the time to re-group??? I know that my sister feels the same way as I do - that we are busting our butts in the business, & slacking in our "life" to ensure that the business that we feel so passionate about gets off the ground soon! We (mom included) really want it to succeed & we don't have a lot of time since the $$ can run out at anytime! Ugh!

Sorry, I didn't want to get into the work stuff, but that does seem to be my life lately! On the other hand, I am half-way looking forward to our annual trip to Maui. Why "halfway" you ask? Well, I've put on about 20lbs since Feb. & I am not looking forward to a swimsuit, let alone hanging out in one next to my ultra-skinny & fit new sister-in-law! Other than that, I think that Nick, Maggie & I could use the time away to re-connect as a family & not think about work for a week!

Well, I've written a lot more than I had even thought existed in my exhausted head today, so I think I had better stop now before true diarrhea of the mouth sets in! C'ya!

My New Fashion Accessory!

I haven't been blogging too much these days - between our little cruise, Maggie being really sick earlier in the month (couldn't tell by the bucket head pict!), Nick's mom having health issues & getting ready for The Scrap-a-Teeny Open House & filling the shop with goodies it's been hard enough to keep up with the business blog.

On top of all that, both Nick & I started getting a cold on the first day of our cruise (Oct 1st) & it is now 11/2 & he's all better & me, well I have been fighting it ever since! So, even though Maggie's head's in the pot above, I really feel like I'M in there!

Today, I finally called the doc! I am tired of sleeping with my mouth open because I can't breath through my nose, & my husband is tired of my snoring! The doc said that I have a stupid sinus infection prescribed some antibiotics & sent me on my way.

But these days when you go out sniffling & coughing everyone looks at you like you have
The Plague!
I actually saw a lady at the pharmacy cringe when I coughed (into my elbow I might add!) in the waiting area! Really?!!! Get a grip people! It's just a cold & the flu is just the FLU, albeit a highly contagious one, but still! It seems that everyone around me has some form of icky sickness this fall & they say it's going to continue for quite some time. If everyone would follow a little hygene these days, maybe so many of us wouldn't be hacking up a lung!

Ok, I'll stop complaining!
I really had just wanted to write to let everyone know that I was still alive,
but breathing through plugged nostrils,
& that I have added a new accessory to my wardrobe...

Really, it's the latest trend!
It goes with me everywhere!
You can get so many different boxes now that it even usurped my Burberry this fall!
And, I hear that the new must-have for your Holiday Party Look this season
is a HONKER as bright red as Rudolphs!
What a trend-setter I am!!!
Sneeze-at-ya-Later!!!
LOL