DIY - Pomander Flower Balls

I got this fabulous idea from the Pizzazzerie blog.  I just adored it and knew immediately that I had to do it myself.

Here is what I started with

I decided to utilize these already on my mantel - here is the before look

And the after (a close up is at the top of this post)

My mantel so far with the flower balls and bunny garland.  It's a work in progress.  I still have a few more Spring items up my sleeve that I hope to add to my mantel over the coming weeks.

Thanks for reading! If you want to try these - I bought 5 pieces of glitter paper for mine and used almost 4.5 pieces.  About 1.5 pieces per ball.  I easily made these while watching TV, it was easy just time consuming.  I love the outcome and think it was well worth the time spent.

DWTS - Week 2 Review - SPOILER

After Monday night's dancing episode, my opinion did not change that either "Psycho Mike" or Wendy Williams should get the boot.  Although I have not yet watched last night's boot episode (I Tivo'd it though and intend to watch it tonight), I was pleased to find out that Psycho Mike did in fact get the boot. 

Nevertheless, here is my review/recap of the dances from Monday and my predictions for the rest of the season.

1) Chelsea Kane - Like I said last week, she has a lot of potential.  I thought the routine was fun and spunky.  I think the judges were pretty hard on them in which they bashed Mark's choreography.  I definitely saw elements of the jive and applaud Mark and Chelsea for going outside of the box to create this entertaining number.  The costumes were great and they just make the cutest couple.  She has a lot of personality and I think she will, and hope to see her go far in the competition.  

2) Chris Jericho - Again, like I said last week, Cheryl is an amazing choreographer.  She can make just about anyone look good, including Chris Jericho.  I think he stepped up last week's performance and performed very well.  I think he could be a contender.  Hasn't Cheryl already won 2 or 3 times? Woman's got talent!

3) Hines Ward - Hines was just as adorable this week as he was last week.  I think he did great and I hope to see him go far as well.  Finals maybe?

4) Kendra Wilkinson - Eh, I didn't love it.  She didn't possess the grace needed the quickstep IMHO.  The footwork was pretty sloppy and it looked like Louie was dragging her around the dance floor.  She has zero flexibility (surprising for a ex stripper/playmate) so when they go into the graceful poses they just look awkward as she isn't even able to extend her leg straight and pose.  She'll last a few more weeks because she is a more well-known "star" but I wouldn't hate to see her go.

5) Kirstie Alley - She again impressed me with her talent.  She did great and I didn't see the missteps the Judges kept alluding too.  You go girl! I hope she reaches her weight loss goal.  I bet she sticks around as the fan base of the show is probably right on par for the same fan base Alley has. 

6) Mike Catherwood - He did better than last week but that's not saying much.  The only part he did well on in my opinion was the jive kicks - and I hate to say this but his kicks were better than any of the other guys performing the jive this week.  Everything else about the dance was terrible though, just like last week, so I was not surprised to read that they got the boot.  I am a little bummed though as I do enjoy the "hipper" choreography Lacey brings to the table.  Hopefully she will be back next year with a partner that makes it a little further. 

7) Petra Nemcova - They kept saying tall people can't jive.  She had the kicks down the best out of all of the women.  And dang she looked good. But some of the other parts of the dance were a little sloppy and she looked like maybe she was a step or 2 behind.  I do think she has potential though and hope that she sticks around for a few more weeks. 

8) Ralph Macchio - I was bummed on the Judge's response to his performance.  I thought it was fun and entertaining.  He could have been a little sharper on the kicks but I can't believe they said it was too much.  Isn't that what the jive is all about, being over the top? I really enjoyed it and hope that he keeps coming back.  He is a front runner in my book and I hope to see him in the finals.

9) Romeo (aka Lil' Romeo) - Last week I said I hoped Romeo stepped up and I think he did.  He allowed himself to let go and not play "hard".  He acted a little goofy and had fun with it.  I enjoyed the dance (and I love any song from Grease).  I don't see him as a serious contender, but I think we'll see him around a while longer.

10) Sugar Ray Leonard - I think he did okay as well.  I think the Judges are hard on him too.  Another person I don't see as a serious contender but I think will be around a few more weeks.  I love his personality - a lot of "stars" who aren't actually actors have trouble with the showman performance aspect of dancing, but he has it nailed down.

11) Wendy Williams - She was bad again this week, not as bad as last week, but still bad.  I knew it would be either Psycho Mike or her.  I hope she leaves next week.  She just looks awkward when she dances because of how top heavy she is.  Her footwork is also pretty terrible, but I did see an improvement from last week. 

Top 5 - I see Ralph Macchio, Hines Ward, Chelsea Kane, Kirstie Alley and Chris Jericho.

What did you guys think?

Friday Five - Why I'm Awesome

So I recently started following a hilariously awesome blog called Superlegal Fun in which she recently had a series of posts about various awesome people, etc.  I decided today's Friday Five would be FIVE reasons why I am awesome.  Yep, you read that right, why I AM AWESOME. 

Am I doing this to toot my own horn or to snap myself out of some horrible depression by making myself look at all of the good things about myself? Eh, not really.  I'm doing this so you, my faithful follower/reader can learn a little bit more about me.  Although if you're already a follower/reader you probably already know how awesome I am, so it's kind of like preaching to the choir, but I'll carry on.

1) I have a victory dance that I do when I sing the "I told you so" song.  It's similar to Carlson's dance from Fresh Prince of Bell Air.  It has been perfected over many years.  My favorite time to do said dance is to either a) the Associate attorney who works with me, fresh out of law school whom I, a paralegal, know more than about anything related to Family Law, or in some cases law in general; or b) my husband. 

2) I have won awards in the past for things such as - 1st Place jump rope competition in the 1993 girl scout olympics - regional (I know you're jealous), 2nd Place jump rope competition in the 1994 girl scout olympics - regional, 1st Place jump rope competition in the 1995 girl scout olympics - regional, 1st place in Math Field Day partners mental gymnastics for our local school district (1996), 2nd place in Math Field Day partners mental gymnastics regional (1996).  Yep.  Like I said, I'm awesome.

3) I write incredibly nasty letters to Opposing Counsel for my boss's signature which he always signs, if nothing less than to make me feel good and so that I can say "TAKE THAT" as I send it on it's way by fax to an attorney who has gotten on my last nerve.

4) I rock at Buzztime Trivia.  If you don't know what Buzztime Trivia is look it up.  Seriously.  It's awesome, and I am awesome at said awesome trivia.  A few local sportsbars/restaurants have it in my home town and my husband or dad are forced love to go with me. I hold several local top records.

5) Because I said so.

Muscle flex.

Fanciful Friday - CB2 Items

Last night I had the luxury of surfing the CB2 website - a partner of Crate and Barrel featuring a slightly more "modern" look.  I saved a ton of items that I just loved and thought I would feature some of my favorites for today's edition of Fanciful Friday.

Isn't this ice bucket gorgeous!?  I have yet to purchase an ice bucket but have been wanting a stainless steel one as I just think they are so stunning and sleek looking.  This is definitely on my wish list!

I adore these wine glasses! Right now we have a set of crystal wine glasses (which I'm afraid to use on an every day basis) and some of the gorgeous Lolita glasses (hand painted and so quirky and fun - if you haven't seen 'em check them out!).  However, we only have 3 of the Lolita glasses so we really do need some every day wine glasses that we can use at casual get-togethers for my wino friends (haha totally kidding - sorta).  I saw these and just love them! What do you think of the unique square look?

Another stunning stainless steel piece - a wine bucket.  Swoon.  This would be the perfect addition to your dining room table on that special occasion.

Okay so I just thought these "tooth" picks were too funny and unique! Definitely a conversation starter.  I love on the box it states "for pickin' and dippin".  Smart - you can scoop your own dip instead of using a spoon. Very clever indeed.

Yep, another stainless steel look that I love - I just love the shape and style of these awesome snack bowls! Don't you!?

HAHAHAH! I need these.  Totally. I want to put exclusively use these Blah blah blah post-its for work. Please!?

Again another funny item for sale - I think this Bar Bingo would definitely liven up anyone's bar experience.  I could see my friends and I having a grand ole time with this. 

I certainly hope my husband is keeping up with my Fanciful Friday posts.  My birthday is coming up (well it's in June).  Hehe.

Pay it Forward

I just love this great idea I got from a fellow blogger (check her out at her adorable blog, Perfectly Polished, Almost).  So bring on the comments! :)

ps: I will check to make sure you posted this too!

Thankful Thursday - Skype

Today I am thankful for Skype - as I'm sure many of us are.  Although when my husband was on Active Duty and deployed he was on a ship, and thus Skype was not an option for us, I know of many military members who utilize this service to communicate and "see" their families back home.  In fact, one of my girlfriends gave birth while her husband was away and her husband was able to "witness" this magnificent event through Skype.

Personally, I love Skype because I am able to communicate and "see" my husband while he is on business trips, which he has been quite often.  It's nice to see his face and his smile.  Sometimes we just Skype but go about our own business - me working around the house and he doing homework, not even really talking, but pretending we are in the same location.  It's nice sometimes. 

We also enjoy using Skype to communicate with Tim's parents, siblings, friends, and other family who are all in Michigan.  It's great to have a free service from which we can talk to people in Michigan from our cozy couch in California.  We recently gave a "tour" so to speak of our house to Tim's dad's family who weren't able to make it out to California for the wedding or to see our new house.  That was so nice to have that option. 

What a fabulous invention!

My DWTS Review

So last night was the 2 hour premier of ABC's Dancing With the Stars (DWTS).  You can see my previous post about the "stars" here, detailing my reaction after the "stars" were announced.  I was actually pleasantly surprised last night.  Although few of the "stars" have the "star" quality, the overall talent was much more than past seasons where only a few contestants performed well in week one.  Here is my recap/review:

1) Chelsea Kane - Okay, so is it just me or did she bare a remarkable resemblance to Julianne Hough!? Okay, anyways, on to the dancing.  I thought she did pretty darn well, she looked great, graceful and knew most of the steps.  I'd say she has a lot of potential.  It's hard going first, not only because of nerves, but also because by the end of the 2 hours a lot of people may have forgotten about her, I just hope they didn't forget to vote because I'd like to see her stick around.  I also have to say that with Derek Hough out, Mark Ballas is my fave male pro and they make an adorable couple!! You can watch the dance here.

2) Chris Jericho - I liked his personality a lot and I think he did "okay".  It wasn't great, it may have bordered on "good" but it wasn't terrible.  I'd like to see him come back as well. Although I don't necessarily love Cheryl Burke's personality, she's a talented dancer and choreographer and it seems that she always makes it pretty far due to that talent, so I expect they'll stick around for a while. You can watch the dance here.

3) Hines Ward - Okay he is adorable. ADORABLE.  His smile just makes me smile.  I just want to put him in my pocket and bring him to work with me so that I will have a more cheerful day.  His dance was fun, entertaining, and I laughed the whole time.  I wasn't laughing at him, I was laughing because I was having fun watching him have fun.  He looked like he was enjoying every minute of it and that's so great to see.  The boy's got moves! I think he did good bordering on great.  I think he's definitely a contender.  I hope he can do the graceful slow/boring dances like the waltz though.  I think the cha-cha was great for him because it let his fun personality shine through. Let's face it, his pro partner, Kym Johnson is a looker! You can watch the dance here.

4) Kendra Wilkinson - She wasn't as bad as I thought (and secretly hoped) that she was going to be.  Although she did make a reference to her being a stripper which made me LOL.  I think Louis van Amstel is the perfect fit for her.  She did okay.  It wasn't great, it was good/okay.  She has the hip moves and a good confident personality, she needs to work on cleaning up the footwork.  I hate to say this, but I hope to see her back because I think she has potential.  You can watch the dance here.

5) Kirstie Alley - I definitely thought she was going to be bad and I was pleasantly surprised.  I think she worked it.  Good bordering on great.  I think she'll go far in the competition, not only because she can dance, but also because she probably is a fan favorite being the closest to a "star" on the show.  Maybe this will be better than Jenny Craig for her too? You can watch the dance here. 

6) Mike Catherwood - Okay he was pretty terrible.  Definitely the worst guy, and probably the worst of everyone.  Bummer because I like Lacey, she often brings a younger and funkier vibe to the show with a little different style of choreography, but I don't think that she can work miracles with Psycho Mike enough to make him stay much longer than maybe next week, MAYBE, if he's lucky.  Poor Lacey, if you recall she also had Steve-O who was worse, if that's possible.  I do have to interrupt this dancing commentary to say WTF about her hair though. Roots much? Seriously? It was bad.  BAD!  Get your hair done Lacey! You can watch the dance here.

7) Petra Nemcova - She did pretty well.  Good even.  I think the dance worked for her as she is graceful and beautiful.  I'm nervous to see her do any kind of Latin dance though, which may not be her fault considering her limited mobility due to a previous injury (broken pelvis).  I don't know how long she will last, but I think if she keeps getting lucky with ball room dances such as the Waltz, foxtrot, quickstep, etc., she might be able to slide by.  I do like Dimitry.  I've liked him since he was on SYTYCD (yum he needs to take off his shirt more).  Anywho, you can watch the dance here.

8) Ralph Macchio - Fabulous.  Absolutely fabulous.  I have never seen the karate kid, so I only vaguely knew who this was, but I think he was the best dancer of the night, hands down.  The judges apparently agreed with me (smiles smugly).  I don't usually love Karina's choreography, so I hope she steps it up and they make it far.  I hope to see him in the finals.  You can watch the dance here.

9) Romeo (aka Lil' Romeo) - Well, he did better than his dad (Master P), but that's not saying much. LOL.  He did okay.  I feel like he wanted to be too "cool" rather than actually learn the dance.  He was afraid to let loose and have fun with it (like Hines Ward did).  I think he could be good if he loosened up a bit and did the moves (hips and everything).  I really hope he steps it up because I love love love Chelsie Hightower.  Not necessarily from this show, but she is one of my faves from SYTYCD, so I automatically love her here too.  You can watch the dance here.

10) Sugar Ray Leonard - He did surprisingly well as well.  I would say it was pretty good actually.  He was another person who actually looked like he was having fun, which I feel is important in dance.  I like Anna, but again I don't always love her choreography or personality.  I hope they do well, I'd like to see them stay for a while. You can watch the dance here.

11) Wendy Williams - Yep she was bad.  Not as bad as psycho Mike, but bad nonetheless.  Either her or Mike should definitely get the boot this week.  I feel bad for Tony, I feel like he often gets stuck with bad dancers.  Poor guy, I like him.  She was so bad I actually couldn't find a working link on youtube for her dance. Bahaha.  You can watch the full episode of the premier of DWTS on ABC's website here - she was the second dancer.

So who is your favorite (male and female) after watching the premier?  Who do you think should go?

My fave male is definitely Ralph Macchio and my fave female might actually be Kirstie Alley. Psycho Mike or Wendy Williams need to get the boot.  Stat.

Tutorial Tuesdays - home decor

In case you've noticed, I'm on a home decor kick as the hubs and I work on decorating our home; therefore, today's Tutorial Tuesday will feature some neat-o home decor DIY tutorials that I have come across and just had to share.  Most of these I have already shared on my crafting forum Miss Imagination, that I run with my dear friend Jen, but not everyone who reads may belong to that forum, so I thought I would share here as well.  Enjoy!!

Check out these gorgeous glass colored vases! I have picked up quite a few at yard sales for a quarter a piece since reading this fab tutorial (found here) on Starshine Chic's blog.  I just need to pick up some crafting paint the next time I hit up Michael's (or even Walmart) so I can try this out! ps: If you check out my last garage sale finds post you will see I picked some up this past weekend!

(photo courtesy of Starshine Chic)

So ya, when I saw this next tutorial my jaw practically hit the floor.  Look how AMAZING this faux metal wall art looks (check out the tutorial here).  You will NEVER guess what it's made from without checking out the tutorial (hint - it's not metal).  I am seriously blown away at the craftiness and sheer amazingness from Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom. I would LOVE to try this, I just have to find the patience.

(photo courtesy of Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom)

This is such a cute (and easy) craft! Best yet, you can find 2 plates you love and make something that matches your kitchen, or theme exactly! Most tiered stands are so plain, but not this one! Way cool! Check out the tutorial here from Two Shades of Pink.  This girl is so crafty!

(photo courtesy of Two Shades of Pink)

That's all for today folks, although the Internet has TONS more of these amazing home decor crafts for you to find and complete as well.  Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to try any of these quite yet, but they're all in my nifty "Crafts I wanna complete" folder on my home computer :)

Enjoy!

Fanciful Friday..... errrr Monday

Many of you know the blogosphere decided to be silent on Friday in support and prayer for Japan. 

Thus, my weekly Fanciful Friday is today a Fanciful Monday. 

Many of you know, and some do not, that my husband and I bought our first house in July.  I have mentioned in previous posts that much of our house is still, well, empty.  The rooms that aren't empty have barren walls.  So today's edition will focus on some home decor that I've had my eye on, some of which are on my lineup of weekly buys (my husband and I agreed to a small weekly budget towards home decor..... very small).  So without further ado, here we go.

These birds on pedestals are beautiful IMHO and would go great in not only my living room but also my bedroom.  You can find them here.

Okay so hear me out - I love these placemats, and if you look back to my master bedroom post (found here) you will notice that they go PERFECTLY with my bedding.  Art can be expensive, so I am thinking that I can buy these and use the 40% off custom framing coupons that Michael's has every week to have these custom framed and you won't even be able to tell they are placemats.  I'm thinking 3 in a row vertically over my bed will look great.  You can check them out here. ps: I just saw they were on sale so I purchased the 3 right now. WOOT! PURCHASED

Check out these awesome hive vases here. I love the look of these - WAY cool.  All of these colors would go splendidly with my home - again living room or bedroom.

I love these twine balls.  In fact I have an almost identical bowl on my coffee table (courtesy of my dear cousin Jill) that they would go perfectly in.  I also think the balls would look nice in a large hurricane (maybe if you bought 2 sets so you had 8 balls).  You can check them out here.  These are next on my list to buy as the price is just right.  PURCHASED

Well thanks for looking and I hope you all had a lovely weekend!!

Weekend Garage Sale Finds

The hubby and I enjoy the occasional garage sale adventures... and by occasional I mean almost every weekend unless it's raining or we for some ungodly reason have early morning plans or are out of town.

Anywho, sometimes we get some great finds, sometimes not so great.  I'm going to attempt to post my finds on a weekly basis for your viewing pleasure.

I find garage sales are a great place to find random crafting supplies as well as holiday decorations.  You also need to go in with an open mind as a lot of things can be repurposed to suit your needs and style.

On to the good stuff, today's finds.

We spent a total of $50.00 today.

I got all of the following craft stuff, etc. for about $18.00. A bird cage thingy (which I plan to paint and use for decor), a nice 3 strand pearl necklace, chipboard kids books (which I will cover and repurpose for mini albums), faux moss, 3 wreaths, Styrofoam balls, Styrofoam eggs, lots of lace, miscellaneous buttons, pearl garland, ric rac, vases, boxes, mini hats, a sewing kit, a football bowl, shotglasses, a plaque board, etc.  I can't wait to put some of this to good use! Here's a pic.

Tim got all of this hunting/gun stuff for $32.00 - 3 boxes of skeet, a skeet shooter, a shotgun cleaning kit, a gun rack, and a steel target.  Tim guesses that each of the boxes of skeet is regularly $15.00 with the skeet shooter being around $75.00 and the shotgun cleaning kit running at $20.00.  I'd say we made out pretty darn well - and put Timmy at bay for at least a month on wishing to to go Bass Pro Shop (lol). Here's a pic of the loot (oh and me - hehe).

Do you go thrifting or garage saling? What have been some of the cool things you have found?

Happy St. Patty's Day (and a Thankful Thursday)

Happy St. Patty's Day to all of my followers and readers! I'm so sorry I've been MIA for about a week.  I came down with a nasty cold on Thursday and had to take a few days off of work.  Now that I'm back at work it's catch up time and I've been slammed.  Oh and my Internet at home is down and the hubby is out of town.  I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things very soon!

Anywho - Happy St. Patty's Day to all! Hope you're all wearing GREEN!! I am:

Today I am thankful for my Irish heritage. Hooray! I actually love ancestry and spent countless hours a few years back tracing various lineages.  I did trace one of my lines all the way back to Ireland, which was difficult exciting.  I still have much work to do on completing my ancestry, just as soon as I have a few thousand spare hours (ha ha ha). 

What are your plans for St. Patty's Day?  I am going to do something with my dear friend Jessica today.  Who knows, maybe we'll find an fun Irish Pub to get drunk eat at.  Have a wonderful day everyone!

Dish Towel Bunny

One of my friends on my crafting form Miss Imagination (check it out at missimagination.com) posted a easy to follow tutorial for an adorable dish towel bunny.  I have tons of extra kitchen towels, so I thought I would whip one up to keep my wine company (haha).

I present to you my dish towel bunny.  I think I shall name her Bonnie the Bunny.

Thanks for looking! You can check out the tutorial and make one for yourself here.

My friend also brought up that this would be adorable to put together with burp clothes, etc. for part of a baby shower gift!

Fanciful Friday - My Future Living Room

So yes, we moved in last July, however, our living room is still empty.  Completely empty.  Hey, owning a home is expensive okay! Baby steps.  So in anticipation of someday being able to furnish this lovely room (which is also the room that you walk into when you enter the house (haha), this post will be dedicated to the items which I fancy for said room.

I'm in a wreath kick, although I have yet to make my first wreath, I own some pre-made wreaths and I have printed about 50 different wreath ideas and am hoping to try making my own in the very near future. 

I recently saw on a fabulous blog that I follow a great thrift store find - a wreath stand.  Perhaps I'm naive, but I'd never heard of such a thing and I just love the idea. 

I found this gorgeous stand for just over $35.00.  I think it would be great in my house! PURCHASED (different color)

I'm wanting to do my formal living room a gray/blue/cream color scheme and I think this would look great on like a buffet table behind a couch that would be pretty much in the entry.  What do you think?

I love this accent chair from World Market as well (isn't it pretty!?):

I also adore the hammered steel look and want to incorporate some of that (I thought it go well with the gray) into the living room, such as this amazing bud vase:

Well that's all for today folks.  Thanks for reading!

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful this lovely Thursday morning for my health.  Although I am not in tip top shape, I am, overall, healthy.  I am alive and well and able to do most things.  I can run, walk, jump, etc.  Not everyone can, and for that ability to do as I please without physical limitations, I am thankful and appreciative.  So many people take such small things for granted, they don't realize how blessed they are to be able to do such things. 

My New Years resolution this year was to continue to pursue a healthy lifestyle and be the best me I can be.  I need to do more.  I need to exercise more.  I know this.  I will try harder. 

I don't want to take advantage of this life I have been given by not treating my body how it should be treated.  So thank you for giving me this health and I won't let you down.

Wednesday's What's Up With That!?

Charlie Sheen is nuts. NUTS! However, it's like a train wreck that you just can't help but watch. It's fascinating how he continues to spiral completely out of control. 

The most recent event is that he is hiring (as in for money) a Social Media Intern to manage his now over 2 million followers on Twitter as well as his other social media networks. 

You can check out the whole article here, which includes a link to the online application to become Charlie's Social Media Intern. 

It's only an 8 week job.... great for those college kids looking for a Summer gig.  This is directly from the application found on internships.com:

Deadline: March 11th, 2011
Position: Full-Time, Paid
Timeframe: Summer 2011 (8 weeks)
Description: Do you have #TigerBlood? Are you all about #Winning? Can you #PlanBetter than anyone else? If so, we want you on #TeamSheen as our social media #TigerBloodIntern!
This unique internship opportunity will allow a hard-working, self-motivated, creative, resourceful and social media savvy individual to work closely with Charlie Sheen in leveraging his social network. The internship will focus on executing a social media strategy that will build on the success Charlie Sheen has attained in setting the Guinness World Record for the fastest time to reach one million followers on Twitter. The #TigerBloodIntern is expected to be proactive, monitor the day-to-day activities on the major social media platforms, prepare for exciting online projects and increase Charlie’s base of followers.
You will learn how to promote and develop the social media network of Hollywood’s most trending celebrity.

Then the application consists of the following questions:
First name
Last name
Email address
I should be the Social Media Intern Because: (75 words or less)

Is this for real? It can't possibly be for real can it? I think everyone should apply who is reading this blog post.  The rule is, you must leave a comment with your 75 words or less answer to "I should be the Social Media Intern Because". 

I have to admit - I considered copying my outcome to this awesome Charlie Sheen rant mad lib as my application.

In case you were curious, my very own Charlie Sheen rant is as follows:

I am on a drug. It’s called Elizabeth. If you try it once, you will yank. Your esophagus will melt off, and your minions will plummet over your stabbed body … I’m tired of pretending like I’m not baffled—a total freaking waitress from Uranus. I’ve got coyote blood, Apollo DNA! … They picked a fight with a vampire. They’re trying to take all my mellons and leave me with no means to poke my family. It’s not oceanography! They owe me an apology while licking my pelvis … I don’t think people are ready for the chair I’m delivering, and delivering with a sense of hideous love. I exposed idiots to magic! Here’s your mucus test. Next one goes in your belly button!

You know you wanna try.....

DIY - Easter Bunny Garland

I finally got around to creating the Easter Bunny Garland I previously featured in my Tuesday March 1, 2011 edition of Tuesday Tutorials.

I got this fabulous template and idea from my favorite website Hostess with the Mostess's blog - you can find the template/directions here. 

I chose a pastel look rather than the vibrant bolds featured on Hostess's blog for 2 reasons - 1) my Easter decor that I have is mostly pastel and 2) I already had the paper in stock so I didn't have to go out and purchase anything other than the ribbon.  The paper I used was K&Company Specialty Paper - Sparkly Sweet.  I think it's perfect for this craft.  The ribbon was just a no brand from JoAnn's that I picked up the other day when I was purchasing supplies for the diaper cake (which you can find posted here). 

This was an extremely easy project and I think the end result is mighty cute! I would like to find a better way of adhering it to my mantel other than tape - my husband won't let me put holes (nails) in the mantel. Boo.

Thanks for looking!

p.s.: I realize I need to stop taking photos with my camera phone because the quality of the photo is terrible - you can't even see the details on some of the paper patterns. Eek, sorry guys!

A special day......

Today signifies probably the third most important day of my life.  Two years ago today - March 8, 2009 - Timmy proposed to me. Awwww :)

The top 2 of course are my wedding day (August 21, 2010) and the day Tim and I met (May 27, 2007). 

Carry on, I just wanted to share. I think I will make something special for dinner tonight as a surprise for Timmy. Maybe a little love note too. Hehe.

Tutorial Tuesdays - DIY Wreaths

I recently purchased a plain wreath at a yard sale for 50 cents and have been thinking about what I want to do with it, so this edition of Tutorial Tuesdays will be about DIY wreaths.

Enjoy!

1) Using a Styrofoam base, create this adorable Curly Ribbon Wreath.

2) Elegant fabric wreath - can make for any holiday or just as general decor!

3) A great natural looking wreath - you can easily use spring colors and make it a spring wreath too!

4) Adorable moss wreath - love this!

5) Fun and bright flower wreath.

If you have a fun wreath tutorial, be sure to provide a link below, or even a link to a wreath you made! I'm gathering ideas and hope to make one in the next few weeks :)

My 1st Diaper Cake

Front:

Side:

Back:

I tried my hand for the first time at making a diaper cake.  Check out my prior post here for the various sites I used as inspiration.  I have been wanting to do this for a few weeks but, of course, have been putting this off until the day before. 

I covered the top and bottom layer with receiving blankets. I added some baby washcloths to the second layer.  Between the layers I did some shred paper to give it a little more dimension.  I also bought a bouquet of fake flowers, cut them off and put those in.  I had a ton more gear but the colors didn't really go. I found it hard to even add the few onesies that I did.

Hopefully the mama-to-be likes it.  Tomorrow is the shower, so I'll find out soon :)

Thanks for looking!

Friday Five - TV Shows

Here is my list of my top 5 favorite television shows that are currently on air (in no particular order):
1) NCIS
2) Law and Order SVU
3) Law and Order Criminal Intent
4) Big Love
5) The Office

What are your top 5 on air TV shows? Share by leaving a comment!

Fanciful Friday - scrapbook designer paper edition

I am loving some of the new (and some not so new) scrapbook designer paper series out there right now and wanted to share with those of you who are fellow craft lovers my current faves that I would just love to get my hands on.

(fore more information on any of the series, click on the name below)

1) Stampin' Up's Sweet Stitches Designer Series Paper - I love craft related crafting paper (haha).  I think it would make for some great gifts for my crafty friends and some fabulous layouts of scrapbook parties, etc. 

2) K&Company's Americana Specialty Paper Pad - Maybe it's the time Tim spent in the military, or my love for Fourth of July, but I've always loved anything patriotic and this paper pad is spot on.  I love the patterns, the colors, everything about it!

3) 7 Gypsies' Lille - I think this would make the most fabulous travel album!

4) Die Cuts With a View Whimsy Paper Stack - I love the colors, the birds, just everything about this stack. I could think of a lot of ideas to use this stack with.

5) Anna Griffin's Carmen Kit - I love the vibrant colors and showy patterns.  I just wish I could decorate my whole house in her paper!

Do you have a favorite paper series right now? If so, share by leaving a comment (and a link!).  I'm always on the lookout for fun paper!

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for having common sense.  In a field that is heavy in customer service, I have come to realize that not everyone is as lucky as me to have been born with such an asset.

Examples you say? Ironically both examples don't have to do with clients but ex coworkers.

Here we go..... I am paraphrasing as my memory may not be 100% accurate on the exact verbiage used, but I kid you not these things actually happened.

Example 1

[Male Secretary, age 18, is grunting and slamming the stapler on the table.]

Me: Name, is the stapler jammed?

Male Secretary: I don't know, it's not working.  I think we're going to have to throw it away.

[I walk over and open the stapler and see it is out of staples.]

Me: It's out of staples, you just need to refill it.

Male Secretary: You can do that!?

[I stare blankly.]

Example 2

Male paralegal, age 40: Elizabeth, I am going to Subway, do you want me to pick you up anything?

Me: Sure, that would be awesome, thanks! I'll write down what I want and give you some money.

[I write down Italian Salad (not sandwich), with onions, feta, avocado, tomato & all of the same meat as the sandwich.  I then hand said list and money to coworker.]

30 minutes later.

[Male paralegal arrives back at the office with a plate of meat, onions, feta, avocado, and tomato....... no lettuce.]

Me: Is the lettuce in a separate container or something?

Male paralegal: What lettuce?

Me: For the salad.

Male paralegal: You didn't write lettuce.

[Raises eyebrow.]

As you can see..... not everyone is graced with the asset of common sense, so for being one of those more fortunate ones, I am thankful.

The Life of a Paralegal - Dealing with an Opposing Party who is In Pro Per

I think I should amend last Friday's five pet peeves to include when the opposing party on a case is in pro per......

For those of you not in the legal field, the term "in pro per" refers to a person who is self-represented (representing themselves rather than having an attorney).  More often than not, these people make my life hell.

Today is a fine example.

I had to give ex parte notice.  Again. for those of you not in the legal field, the term "ex parte" in this use refers to an emergency hearing which will occur usually the following day rather than having to wait 30-60 days for a hearing date.  In order to "go ex parte" you have to have grounds showing that there would be irreparable harm if the issue was delayed, thus necessitating the emergency hearing. 

Anyways, back to the story.... I had to give ex parte notice to my client's ex wife.  Ex parte notice generally must be done by telephone call.  Here is my replicated transcript of the call (of course with identifying/irrelevant info omitted):

Me:     Hello this is Elizabeth with the Law Office of _____.

Her:    No! I am not talking to you. Anything you want to say to me can be done by email!

Me:     I am happy to memorialize our conversation with an email but I am required by law to notify you of tomorrow's ex parte hearing by way of telephone call. 

I then continued to give her the information as to where, when, why, etc. 

Throughout the entire conversation following her telling me she didn't want to speak with me, she SCREAMED over me repeating "E-MAIL E-MAIL E-MAIL E-MAIL E-MAIL E-MAIL". 

Upon stating all of the information I ended the phone call by hanging up.

Now I am not required to email her any of the information.  I shouldn't have.  Then she wouldn't have known where to go, what for, what time, etc.  But, as I am a nice person I emailed her a courtesy copy of the information and stated something to the effect of "here is the information I supplied to you by telephone call this morning". 

She promptly replied with "You're a liar". 

Sigh. Excellent.  I am appalled sometimes at how people behave.  This is a business.  I would never treat a business with such disrespect and unprofessionalism.  If you want to act as your own attorney (in this case she is choosing to be her own attorney it is not for financial reasons), you should act professionally as your own attorney.  Furthermore, what incentive would I have to lie?

Ridiculous.  Absolutely ridiculous.

Wednesday's What's Up With That!?

So I love dance.  I grew up dancing ballet, jazz, hip hop, etc.  I even took a swing class many years back.  Naturally I love the dancing shows - specifically So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) and Dancing With the Stars (DWTS). 

Monday night the upcoming stars for the new seasons of DWTS was announced........ boy was I disappointed. 

The following are the new season's cast of "stars".... and I use that term loosely:

1) Chelsea Kane - WHO? Seriously, never heard of her.  Ever.  Her photo doesn't even ring a bell.

2) Chris Jericho - Huh? Who's that? Apparently a wrestler or something. I don't watch wrestling, but I do watch ESPN news in the morning each and every weekday and to my knowledge I've NEVER heard his name mentioned.  Again, I'm staring blankly at his photo, although he's somewhat easy on the eyes.

3) Hines Ward - FINALLY a person I not only recognize the name, but is a legitimate "star" so to speak (in the sports field anyways).  I like him.  My husband does not.  Although football players have historically done pretty well on this show.... I'm just saying.

4) Kendra Wilkinson - Oh no. PLEASE NO! I hate her.  There are very few people that I hate.  Few people that get on my nerves as much as this person.  I've literally watched all of 5 minutes of that most ridiculous show (The Girls Next Door) and immediately had to turn it off as I was losing brain cells at a rapid pace.  I also (unfortunately) saw her interviewed on Chelsea Lately.  She's so..... crass.  Ugh. No!

5) Kirstie Alley - Okay. I've heard of her. I know who she is. She's a "B-list star" at most, but eh, I don't care either way on this one.  She comes across as having a strong personality, so we will see how that goes.  Maybe she'll be the next Kate (from Jon and Kate Plus 8). 

6) Mike Catherwood - refer to person number one. Ditto. Oh, replace "her" with "him". 

7) Petra Nemcova - shrug. Who is this? I VAGUELY remember a story of a model and a tsunami, but I would never have come up with her name, nor would I have recognized her photo. 

8) Ralph Macchio - so I've heard of the Karate Kid but never seen it. I've also never seen My Cousin Vinny.  So he's been in 2 movies. Is that  his only claim to fame? What has he done recently? Anything? Anything?

9) Romeo (aka Lil' Romeo) - I've heard his music. Wouldn't have recognized him, he's not really a "star" in my eyes.  Shrug.

10) Sugar Ray Leonard - I don't watch boxing, but I've heard his name.

11) Wendy Williams - Never heard of her either. I understand she has her own talk show or something, but I work during the day, so I've never seen it and I don't recall seeing a commercial for it.

Maybe I live under a rock? Do I live under a rock? Is it just me or is ABC using the term "star" loosely these days? I feel like maybe they're desperate and taking anyone who will agree? This is just pathetic.  What is up with that ABC!? This is your list of "stars"?  I love your show, but COME ON!

Sigh. I'll still watch.  Hopefully I'll be pleasantly surprised.

EDIT TO ADD: This line-up is almost as laughable as Skating With the "Stars".

Tax Appointment

Tonight is the dreaded tax appointment with our accountant.  It's dreaded because I don't really know what to expect.  In all of the other years I've always had a pretty good idea of how things would go - owe a little to the state get a little more from federal.

This year there are some changes - 1) we're married, 2) we own a home, 3) we have other larger possible deductions.  I'm hoping our medical was enough to put us over the required threshold, fingers crossed! 

I will be happy if we don't owe, although I'll be ecstatic if we actually get something back! Think good thoughts for us please :)

Our goal for this year was to become debt free, although the unexpected expenses associated with the burglary and beefing up our home security has made us go backwards on that goal unfortunately.  Hoping a tax return might be able to give us a jump start in the right direction.  Hey, a girl can dream right!?

Tutorial Tuesdays

It's Easter time!!! Okay, not yet, but if you want to be crafty this Easter you have probably already started collecting some ideas.  I wanted to share a few Easter themed tutorials with you all today.

Surprise Eggs
I found these fun "surprise eggs" on a site called Not Martha (haha I love it!).  Basically it's the idea of the plastic Easter Eggs filled with goodies, but using real eggs.  Pretty cool eh? She gives a great tutorial, so check it out.

Marbelized Easter Eggs
These are a unique way to dye your eggs (if you do them yourself like we do) this Easter.  I think they turn out quite lovely!

Yarn Eggs
This is such a fun craft - maybe also something you can do with your kids? I love the ones that she has hanging on her outdoor trees - what a fun yard decoration!

Easter Bunny Garland
I love the idea of creating your own garland from your paper inventory at home.  Here is an idea from Martha Stewart (I do love her).  One of my FAVORITE sites of all times (Hostess with the Mostess) has their own version of the bunny garland as well which you can find here. 

Easter Centerpiece
I love love love this Easter centerpiece (also from Hostess with the Mostess).  Isn't it so bright, cheery, and gorgeous!?

Edible (chocolate) birds' nest
This is such a cute dessert idea and just a lovely display!

Do you have your own Easter tutorial you'd like to share? Provide a link below, I'd love to check it out!