I'm Back :)

YAY, It is so good to be back home (although I do miss California again!). So I had Dustin take the above picture this morning of me so I can use it for a DT picture. I hope it is okay, I hate taking pictures!

Boy have I missed my blog! I took my computer with me to CA because I thought I would be working a bunch there but MIL did not have a free phone jack for me to hook it up so I ended up using her computer for the things I did use and it was limited time in the mornings. The last week of our vacation I could not even get on because we were all just to busy. Okay lets see, well we left here Friday Aug 19th, it took us about 10 hours (my dh is a speed demon) to get to San Jose (CA). We went straight to bed that morning and the boys spent time with their grandma (bubba karen as they like to call her lol). After we got up we all went swimming in her pool. You guys this pool is amazing! I remember when they were building it (I was PG with Austin) it is a darker color blue, it has blue marbled mini tiles all around the border of the inside of the pool, it is shaped differently, it has a built in water fall that spits out 90* water (soooooo nice) and it is surrounded by LOTS of plants and trees so to me it reminds me on a lagune in the middle of the rainforest lol. We spent ALOT of time this whole vacation in that pool! Man I missed swimming and WHOA what a workout! I was starving and ready to eat a horse (not really eat a horse YUCK, just a figure of speech lol) when I got out of that pool everyday LOL. We did that for the next few days, Dustin went out with friends on tuesday and I stayed home to watch big brother lol and work on a kit for ebay. Wednesday we did not do much but swim, Thursday was my parents Wedding! The wedding was amazing! We got there early and helpped my dad and mom put up decorations, my mom was so nervous! But she looked so happy! My dad went to pick up my sister from the airport. It was so nice to see her again! I have truly missed her and am so proud of her and how she has changed er life around!

Soon lots of family arrived. It was only suppose to be a few of us but more people showed up :) It was so great to see everyone. I got pictures with my grandparents and some of the boys with my grandma. Our family friend and Chiropracter TJ (Thomas Jefferson) Osbourne (sooooooo handsome!!!!) married my parents. I remember watching my mom and dad standing there looking at eachother, tears in there eyes and even before they devoted themselves to eachother they cried. I remember the feeling I had, WOW! Their love is so true, so heart warming. It was such a wonderful wedding and day. After that we hung out for a while. My parents said they were treating everyone who wanted to come to dinner at "BABES" Sports bar (a hang out my parents love to go to and dance and have fun) It was so much fun going. Dustin and I played Pool, it was fun!

Friday night, Aug 26, we went camping at the KOA in santa cruz for the whole weekend. We love camping! We set up our tent on the site we shared with MIL and her tent trailer. MIL and julia as brought a laptop so every night we did movie night lol, we set it up with the LARGE laptop screen and big speakers, we watched shrek 2, winn dixie and the second night we watched Ring 2 which got the teenage guys from the site next to ours to pull up their chairs and watch with us all LOL. We roasted marshmellows, eat great up there lol, swam in the pool there, they had an awesome HUGE hot tub and they also had a mini golf land there. Saturday we went to the beach for the day (Sunset beach) we all got so sunburnt there. I made sure to take lots of pictures since the beach is one of our family traditions. The boys built some awesome sandcastles and I read my book most of the day (in fact I read the whole camping trip lol, it's a good book to, by Dean Koontz called "PHANTOMS").

We headed back to MIL's Sunday night. When we got home, Dustin and I decided we wanted to go on a date to the movies (first one in over a year and dumb me forgot the GC to chevys resturant here in Idaho so food was out lol) We went to see "Wedding Crashers" at the AMC movies. That movie was the best! SO FUNNY! I cried it was so funny! It was a great time and I was glad I got to spend that time with Dustin!

Monday we swam most of the day, we went to have dinner at my folks house that night. My dad had to go out of town for work (to SAC town) so it was just my mom. I knew this night would be very emotional for the two of us. I can not tell you how much I have missed my mother this past year we have lived in ID! We decided (dustin did lol, I wanted mexican "albertos") on Juicy burgers. So we all ate and then headed to the backyard for the boys to play. Austin was a pill and kept crying to go back to bubba karens house, finally he fell asleep. Aidan played with the water house and mini rocks my folks have in the back yard. We all sat out there talking about live and everything. It was great seeing my mom. Dustin stayed outside with aidan and my mom went to talk on the phone with my aunt so this gave me a perfect time to be alone (well minus my sleeping 4 yearold lol) to just sit in my moms room and cry. I sat there thinking about my life before, in this house, but most of all my mom. I went over to one of her dressers, she loves little nic naks and has them all about her room. I picked up this beautiful tea kettle that had flowers on the outside and little mice dabcing in the inside, I flipped it over and turned it on (it was a music box) I set it down and just listened. I use to do this all the time as a child with the nic nacs my mom had while I was growing up, I then took out my camera and took a picture of this dresser, WHY? Because this is my mom (well a part of her) this is who she is and I want to scrapbook it to remember how I felt about this and my mom. I then got super emotional and headed to her bed. I lay on top of her pillows and cried a good cry. I remember growing up in this house, I remembered my sister and I fighting from young children all the way to adult hood (18 in highschool) fighting over who was gonna sleep that night with mom, lol yes Grown girls in highschool fighting over this! It was only one day a week we would ask to sleep next to her in her room, my mom rasied us on her own until we were in our teens (well me, I am 4 1/2 years older then my sis) we have such a tight bond with our mother now. For the longest time in our childhood we had to share a room with our mother so we all slept in the same bed, and we were use to it, being with our mom. When my parents bought the house we all got our own rooms. And so the fighting between my sis and I began lol. It was getting late so we decided it was time to go, I hate this part so much, I am way to much of an emotional person and hate goodbyes. So we sad our goodbyes and I did very good. We got out to the car and guess what? Dustin left Aidans sippy cup in the fridge, YIKES, so I had to go back. I got to the door and felt the emotions rising, and then she opened the door. There she was my mother, crying so hard, just short of a sob, and then I began! We hugged and she told me I was not suppose to see her this way, I said I know, told her about the cup. I stood there for maybe 5 minutes just hugging my mother not wanting the moment to end! I have missed her so much and have had many moments here in ID where I wish she was close so I could talk to her, moving here has been great but GOSH do I miss my family like crazy! That has been the hardest thing for me! So I said goodbye for the second time and we left back to MIL'S for some packing and more goodbyes :(

Tuesday morning we got everything loaded back into the car and said our good byes to MIL, Peggy, Julia and Kate. Austin did very good, I thought for sure we would be hearing LOTS of crying for the first 3 hours of car ride to Russells house (BIL). On our way home it was decided that we would stop in at BIL's to visit with him and his family. MIL got us a hotel room 5 minutes from their house so we could have a place to rest before the super long car ride home. That was a great visit! Dustin had fun visiting his brother and I had fun talking to the kids and Marijane. We left for home on wednesday afternoon (5pm). We stopped at froster freeze (like their milkshakes) for a bite to eat and ht the road. It was so beautiful the first couple hours, all the trees and the breeze that went through the car. I truly miss California! We stopped at a Truck stop outside of Reno, and D said he was only going to sleep an hour, we ended up sleeping until 4am (yikes because Dustin had to be at work at 2pm), I drove about 2 hours and then we stopped at a gas station to fill the car up, While dustin was in the store he played the slot machine LOL and won a couple bucks, of course he emptied his winnings back into it lol. When we got to Winnamucca I decided to grab 4 quarters from the money tray and go potty then play the machines, my first time ever ( I have played a slot machine at my moms neighbors house on thanksgiving growning up (block party) but that is not the same. I put the first 2 quarters in, nothing, then when I put the 3rd in It started dinging, so I pressed the button where you choose to get the money you won, 40 quarters came popping out!!!!! I was shocked! lol WOOOHOOOO I won, may not have been to much but it was great, I of course put a bunch back into the machines LOL, so in all I can say my $1.00 I went in actually made us $4.00 when I was done playing lol so I did leave there with more money then I went in with. I put it all back into the change tray so D could use it it get snacks at work if he wants. I can tell you right now that we are gonna have so much fun in Oct, in Vegas! I am already starting to save the silver change in the house LOL ;)

Anyways we got home Thursday afternoon and just in time for my poor DH to go to work. I was so tired, I unpacked and went to bed! Friday I went out to put some apps in at places. I decided I want a parttime job a couple days a week just to get out of the house every once in a while. I have decided to make a bunch of new changes in which I really like! I have now made it through about half of my emails (there were so MANY!100'S) and am slowly getting settled back in. Today I got up early, showered and went back out for apps, I got one from Moxie Java, it looks like a great place! Now I am just popping on to get a little caught up and then need to get back to my page kits I have spread out and working on in the kitchen on the bar. It's great to be back! I have missed my blog :)

When will I feel right?

I am in such a funk this morning, I can't seem to get my thoughts straight and I just wanna Cry. Do you ever have one of these days? I have been super depressed lately and alot of "home" personal things have gotten to me. So much so I am starting to have panic attacks, (which if you ever have had are NOT GOOD! The pain is the worst!) I went to bed simi early last night, I had to get up because at 11:00 D would be home from work and I knew he would be hungry so I fixed him something to eat. (I have been super busy this week getting things ready for our long CA trip next week) I wanted to go back to sleep, so as I am serving him his food at about 11:30 there is this LOUD annoying knock on our door. I was freaked out! WHO would be here this late? And knocking like that? AHHHH It was my BIL, I was so anrgy to see him there! At this hour and when it was time for us to go to bed! Well I guess Fil bought him a new used car yesturday and he wanted D to help him with it. Dustin tried to get him to leave but he would not listen! He is VERY stubborn! Well he was out there for 40 minutes making so much noise that I will honestly be surprised if we do not get a complaint for noise notice! I just went to my room, read the Big Brother live feed message boards and went to bed. Well I get up this morning start cleaning, Dustin is clearing off the purch and I am getting ready to carpet clean the apartment so it's nice and fresh when we get back from vacation. GUESS what, a KNOCK at the door! And it is BIL AGAIN! Darn it! He now wants D to help him install a radio in his car. I have not really seen or spent time with my DH in a week and here comes my BIL again, oh and I can not tell you the TUDE he gave me at the door, he told me to "get my brother NOW!!!!) He just turned 18 in March and now he owns the world? Geeezzz what happened to him? he use to be so sweet and I did not mind him being around.

I worked so hard this past week to get some extra money to finish paying off the bank so we would not have that debt hanging over our heads when we got back to (BTW My MIL is paying for our CA trip). I even had to auction of my Jolees collection and my dear sweet friend Kristie won them. I am so happy they are going to her and so blessed to have her in my life, she is truly a wonderful friend so talented! And just the sweetest gal ever! I am really going to miss her though :( see we are going on vacation and when I get back she will be leaving for a while, I am going to be so lost without her :(

My mother called last night to tell me that after 18 years her and my Dad are getting married while we are in CA, we are all so very excited and I am so happy I will be there to see it and my Sister YAY. She asked me what I was doing and I said I spent the day taking photos, cropping them and uploading them to inkfrog to auction off the boys baby clothes, she asked me how much I thought I would get for the HUGE 93 item lot of everything and tons of name brands, I said I was hoping for at least $100, she said she would buy them off of me so I would not have to list them and that will be her gift to her young friend at work (she already gave her our baby crib, rocking chair for nursing and stroller) I said thank you so much and she said to bring the box down with us when we go next week. My mom is awesome! I also spoke with MIL last night, lol I was trying to get (Weds plans out of her LOL) she giggled at me and said it is something fun that is close to home (her home) and we and the boys will love it. I am thinking it might be the Circus lol :)

Oh my as I was typing this the phone rang, it was BIL, now he wants D to go get him because his new car battery exploded or some excuse like that! My gosh all kinds of things are unfoiling right now :( I have to go, i'll be back later :(

Nikki


2.36pm
Okay so D bought a new carpet cleaner (the old one gave out, I loved it too) and he comes home with this TINY little carpet cleaner lol I am going to have to take a picture of it and post it, it is so tiny! and thing is because it is so tiny it now makes my 6 hour job turn into a 10 hour job :( I am going to be carpet cleaning all day! Okay popping back off to get to work, just got on to chek my EBAY auctions :)

Either I am getting old or I am blessed with lots of laugh lines ;)

CLOSE UP


LOL I was looking at them this morning while washing my face (one of those first things you do in the morning when you wake) I am always smiling and boy do those babys show up nice and noticeable when I smile. My mother calls then laugh lines. I just think it's a sign that I am getting older. Part of life I suppose.

I woke up early this morning and had the whole apartment clean by around 11am. Even got the last load of laundry done YAY! Now I am sitting back here debating taking pictures of the rest of the baby clothes to get up on ebay, BOY was this a job! I had to sort through all the different sizes, make a bunch of piles, and then you have to take pictures of each LOT and each outfit in a LOT. I am also working on a summer page kit, hope to have that up tonight, but we shall see. I am hoping when D gets home from work that I can go in and take a nice hot bath and read for a while, it's been a couple weeks since I have had time to read so It is much needed! Okay well I better get back to work, I just finished going over "ABC's" with Aidan, it was so cute! He loves his Elmo learning table. TTYL Hope you are all having a good day! :)

Nikki

The voice within

Well I changed my music for this page to one of my favorite songs, This song has been an anthem to me through some rough times. I used this song on a layout I did last summer, layout entitled "The voice within" also. This layout meant so much to me! Not only was it one of my first layouts I ever did for my
"book of me" album, but it touch on a deeper part of my life, a battle that I over came. An eating disorder and it touched the surface of the depression I suffer from. I would like to share with you the journaling I did for this layout, right now I can't share the layout because it is being published in Memory Makers Ideabook "My scrapbook My story". I am so nervous about it being published. My own personal battles with depression and an eating disorder is going to be out there in the world for millions of people to see, to read, and in a way I feel blessed, maybe there are others out there that will be touched by my story, my layout because maybe they have been through something like it? Anyways here is the journaling on this layout...

"I have thought about making this layout for sometime now.This page is for my about me album. I realized in making this album that I have to include the good with the not so good.I included on this layout a song I like to think of as an Anthem for me. I suffer from depression, I have since I was 11 years old. I grew up thinking I had to be perfect, look and act perfect. The sad feelings and thoughts I had soon became an eating disorder, that I suffered with until my early twenties. I may have looked and seem normal on the outside but inside I felt alone. I thought constantly about flaws in myself and problems I seemed to cause others. Eventually, through counseling and my family and friends, I learned that many others battle depression, that I am not alone.I found the strength to over come my ED. I still have off days where I battle mild depression, but the thing that keeps me on track are my husband and boys. Also the great bond I have with my dear friends I found on an online community. I know that if I trust in myself and listen to the voice within things will be okay!"

"Song lyrics "Voice within"
Young girl, don't cry I'll be right here when your world starts to fall
Young girl, it's all right Your tears will dry, you'll soon be free to fly
When you're safe inside your room you tend to dream
Of a place where nothing's harder than it seems
No one ever wants to bother to explain
Of the heartache life can bring and what it means

When there's no one else Look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend Just trust the voice within
Then you'll find the strength That will guide your way
You'll learn to begin To trust the voice within

Young girl, don't hide You'll never change if you just run away
Young girl, just hold tight And soon you're gonna see your brighter day
Now in a world where innocence is quickly claimed
It's so hard to stand your ground when you're so afraid
No one reaches out a hand for you to hold
When you're lost outside look inside to your soul

Life is a journey It can take you anywhere you choose to go
As long as you're learning You'll find all you'll ever need to know
Be strong, You'll break it, Hold on, You'll make it
Just don't go forsake it because No one can tell you what you can do
No one can stop you...

When there's no one else Look inside yourself
Like your oldest friend Just trust the voice within
Then you'll find the strength That will guide your way
If you will learn to begin ,To trust the voice within

Young girl don't cry
I'll be right here when your world starts to fall
Trust the voice within"

I have been thinking about this layout a lot now that it is so close to being out for the public eye to see.I am very proud I submitted it this and so honored it was picked up! And I am glad God gave me the courage to write it down, after all what is scrapbooking? It's a wonderful outlet and it allows you to share your life and memories with your loved ones, GOOD or BAD! I want to challenge those of you who read my blog, How about you sit down and think about something you have over come in life or you are going through, something personal, something with real feelings and meaning and please show me! I would love to see! It can be about anything just something about you good or bad!

Okay I better get back to work, everyone is alseep and this is the perfect time for me to get things done :) Good night

Nikki

Just messing around

With my camera :)

The power of being positive

Well I have been up early today, I actually woke up very sick last night (BAD BAD BAD double chocolate cookie dough blizzard from DQ (bush smiley here), so I went to sleep on the couch were I could feel the ceiling fan in the dining room blowing and cooling my skin (this has always made me feel better, as a child if I was sick I would turn on the ceiling fan in my room and after a while I would feel better, like the fan was helping bring my temp down, lol does that sounds strange? Honestly it works. Well I was awoken by the sweet sounds of my youngest son talking to my husband. So I turn my head to see and My husband had him all dressed and they were heading out to work to pick up his paycheck. I layed there on the couch for a while thinking how I could easily go back to sleep right now, but just feel so excited about today that I had to get up. I have Chatterbox on the brain. If you all know me you know how much I LOVVVVVVE Chatterbox! I have since the beginning (lets just say before the paper was called "cbx walls" lol. Well before I even knew about the sale at the chatterbox offices I had people email and iming me to get them a bag I was like what the heck are you taking about, I guess they did a search to see who lived in Idaho, and My name came up on a message board. That is fine I don't mind but alot of these people I have never spoken to. So I picked 4 people to get bags for (myself is the 4th person). I can not tell you how awful this whole thing has made me feel! In a way I wish I was not going now, I feel so bad for all those ladies who I had to turn down or who keep posting about needing a bag, I so wish that I could help, but with me, the two boys and dh and not to mention what a mad house it probably will be, 4 bags is all we can handle. I was in chat lastnight with Mely and Kristie and it dawn on me. You know what I am going to do, with "MY" Bag I am going to Rak a bunch of people, yes so it's not a whole bag I just can't do that, but I can send a few goodies to a few people. So keep a look out ladies, in a week or so some people will have a surprise package in the mail. Now I am just hoping by the time I get there 12pm my time that the preferred customers have not taken everything LOL and I can get my 4 bags for everyone.

I had so much fun lastnight, I worked on a page kit for ebay (almost done) and I played online Monopoly with Kristie and Dianna, LOL Dianna has a HONKING problem, there is a button in the game that you can push and (oooooo richard marx song is on that I haven't heard since I was in JR. High :) It HONKS like a horn lol. I think I am going to call her and Kristie Honkers now lol. Hoooooooonk That one was for you guys ;) and I sooooooo wanna rematch! I actually WON a game last night, I was actually shocked lol, I always lose! Oh and Kristie cheats ;) lol (just kidding).

Okay well I better go hop in the shower now and get ready for the day. I will post more later, If it is not crazy at the CBX place I will take my camera to get pictures :) Have a wonderful day Blog readers ;)

Nikki

Can I get a SWEEEEET? Can I get a YEEHAW

mmmm I am sitting here with my lunch, A coke and a bowel of Velveeta Kraft Mac and cheese (shells) mmmm. I was woken up this morning by my husband, he has a plate of potatoes and Eggs he made me. You should have seen the look on his face so happy and proud, poor guy was a little upset when I took just a couple bites here and there and mostly played with it with my fork. Thing is I am not a morning eater, never have been, I remember getting ready for school and my mom being upset that I did not eat anything for breakfast, so she would have me eat a banana on my way to school, I remember getting sick once I hit the school grounds. After being up and awake a while I can eat but not when I first get up. Believe me those eggs and potatoes looked so good to but my stomach just could not take them. I love the fact that he got up extra early just to do this though, so sweet! It is about 1:30pm and I am finally eating for the day, D should be home from work in a couple hours. I need to call the front apartment office and let them know that the garbage disposal stopped working and it's a must that it gets fixed. I use that thing a couple times a day lol.

Well after watching Inked lastnight I went straight to bed, for two nights now at around 6pm I get this painful headache, I took meds for it but it just did not help, I have no clue what it could be from but I am drinking more water now like I shoul be. I need to make a shopping list for tomorrow and get more aquafina.

I have received a couple emails from ladies asking when I am going to get new layouts up lol, well I am working on stuff now, I did get one new layout up this week, but I was super busy the last couple weeks with custom kits and pping orders which is my "JOB" that pays me to bring money in that we need, so I had to set regular scrapping aside for a little while, But I am working on stuff now and will post them as soon as I finish :)

Okay well I have two more loads of laundry to do and finish this page kit for EBAY and then I get to start a layout WOOHOO :)

I hope you all are having a great day!

Nikki

Lots to do today

wow it's been a long weekend-week so far. I finished and mailed off a couple cutom orders I made for people. I have also been working on stuff with my WSD Aug kit, lots of fun! I received an email from Maegan from Little Red scrapbook the night before last and I made the TEAM! YAY! I am so very excited! I have always wanted to be apart of a kit club design team.

So for Aidan's birthday, D came home and I suggested taking the boys to the park and doing a BBQ there Well he had a better idea, he said lets all get ready and take this party camping lol. So we packed up stuff for camping and headed up to the mountains (about an hour away) and went to this spot we picked out when we went up that way a few months back for the snow. It's great it has a stream that runs through it and a great little area for the boys to play in. When we got there we unloaded the car, then D and and the boys put up the tent (it's a tent FIL gave us that they use to use on camping trips when D and his brothers were younger. After that D started the BBQ. We had hot dogs, hamburgers and I brough some bush baked beans but for got the pan for it so D cut open a coke can and used it as a pan to cook the beans LOL, very clever! While he cooked, the boys played a bit and then we decided to do the cake and presents before dinner because we were losing light. They had so much fun, D bought those trick candles that re-light after you blow them out, that was so funny to watch! We all hung out for a while exploring a bit and then D started a bon fire. So we roasted marshmellows and made Smoores. A couple hours later we all went to the tent, I journaled a bit in my journal and then tried to read but just decided to go to bed with them. Thing is when all the noises I could not sleep LOL, I kept waking up, I would check the cell phone to see the time and swear I woke up every hour on the hour lol, I would hear a car pass by and wonder who the heck was driving around up here at 2-3-4 am lol then at one time at about 2am thi s creature jumped on the top of the tent, he was very tiny but I could not see what he was, his 4 feet were about the size of my thumb nail, I woke D up and he pushed the creature down. Finally at about 5am I went to sleep lol. We got up, explored some more and then got everything packed and ready to go home. It was a great idea, we had alot of fun!

Now I have been working on some new ebay stuff and some layouts for the DT's. Super busy this week but having fun! Okay well I better get back! Oh before I forget I am so excited to live in ID! Chatterbox is having a huge free 4 all sale at their place you pay $10 and get $300 in products, I am already getting 4 bags full for the girls who asked and I wish i can do more then 4 but with two kids and my hands full I can't :( I feel so bad for those who email me to see if I can get them one :( believe me I truly wish I could, but 4 is all I can do.

Okay need to get back, laundry and kit is calling my name! TTYL

hope you all are having a great day!

Nikki

Here is a couple of the camping pictures....

Here is the birthday boy :)



here are the boys in the tent



here I am lol this was me in the morning I was reading my book (no make up lol YIKES) and look Kristie it's the hat you made me ;) it came in handy that night, kept me warm :)



and here is one of D :)

Two years ago today....

My Precious son Aidan was born. For the most part (minus my last blog entry LOL) He is the sweetest most kindest hearted little boy ever! He has such a HUGE heart. He loves LOVE! And he shows affection so much. Although I am so very happy my Baby is TWO today, I am also very sad, Where did my BABY go? It seems like Just yesterday I was announcing in CHAT and at Lifetimemoments that I was pregnant with our second child. He was my "24th Birthday gift ;)". He was planned out of Love and us wanting another baby. God has blessed us with two beautiful amazing little boys and for that I will be forever Grateful to him. My miracles.

We are kinda on a budget right now so we decided to do a small (our little family) party for Aidan today. We are either taking them to the park for a BBQ (depends on the heat lol it is suppose to be 104* today) or we will do the BBQ here. I bought the boys hotdogs (these are their favorites) and hamburgers, chips, and fun stuff to do. I also Picked up this very Cute Madagascar Birthday cake at Walmart (we usually do these HUGE parties where we have to get these HUGE $70 Birthday cakes) but this one I got today is just perfect and it was only $11 WOW HUH! I also bought matching birthday gift wrap to wrap his gifts in. I will post pictures of the event today, later tonight. Okay well I better get going, I have to keep an eye on the fridge to make sure nothing happens to the cake LOL.

I will post more later, hope you all have a great day!

Nikki

PS. so who wants to join me on that Cake island pictures above? mmmmmm All you can eat Cake and frosting....I can't wait to dig into that baby lol

Vacation! I need one! **UPDATED!**

Okay this day is already turning into those ones where you keep saying over and over agin in your head that you need a vacation. I was awoken early By DH, then could not get back to sleep. Finally Aidan got up, I got him breakfast and came back to lay down. DH got up took a shower, he let aidan in the bathroom with him, next thing I know he is yelling about how Aidan got into something....My make up drawer, so now there is makeup everywhere including all over his face (yes I got pictures). So I have to clean all of that up, while dh gets ready for work and DMV (paying a ticket). Well I sit down to work on some ppings again and the phone rings, it's Dustin telling me he just got out of the dmv and the postoffice, okay cool, as we are talking I walk out to the living room to find aidan pulling the protective plugs off the outlits, GREAT! Now what do I do to stop him from trying to stick things in the wall? so now I have to move all my scrap stuff I am working on (table, lightbox, CS, PENS, ppings patterns etc ) out to the living room. I come back here because I heard a YOU GOT MAIL massage to check my email, when I go back out he has gotten into the fridge and has pour the gallon of milk into the trash can :( so now I have to clean all that up plus get the boys read to now run next door to walmart to get more milk :( When we get back I get on the phone with the bank, have to come back to my room to talk because the boys are being loud and I can't hear, when I go back out the whole box of trix cereal is on the living room floor (AHHHHHH) So I have to come back here and get the vacuum and vacuum the cereal off the floor (what a waste!). I start working again, the phone rings again, it's a person asking if I have any clothes or items for this charity collection, I come back here to hear and talk to here. When I hang up I head back out towards the living room, no aidan, so I start searching the apartment for him, I turn the corner of the kitchen bar and that is when I see it! SOOOOOOOO FREAKIN GROSS! My son has managed to take his diaper off, he went ahem poop and it is now smeared all over the dining room wall (BY NOW I am in tears, what the HECK!!!!!!!!!! Else can go wrong today?) So I grab the lysol wipes and start cleaning that mess up. While I am doing this he opens the pantry door and pulls the HUGE bag of coco puffs (the generic kind in the huge bag at walmart) off the shelf and I guess the last person to eat them forgot to seal it because NOW there is this HUGE mess of little brown balls all over the kitchen floor! GOD what did I do to deserve this today? So I am praying in my head now for it to all end and let me get some peace and I am also cursing in my head why why why? So here I sit, I think things are calm, sounds calm, I can not wait for nap time today lol. Okay I better got get back to work, if anything else happens today I think I will need to take that vacation, hmmmm catalina sounds nice right about now ;)

Hoping you all are having a better non eventful day then I am!

Nikki

**UPDATE**

Okay someone up there must not like me today! I am working my behind off to get these ppings done and overnighted now. But nothing, noone is letting me do this, I am about to freak out so bad, can't anything go right today? I am going to have a freakin heartattack (or maybe a panic attack!) so I am back here now working, it was to nosey out there and I could not work, so I moved back here again, the phone has rang about 8 times since last I posted! And everything else has gone wrong. You would not believe what Aidan has been up to now! Oh and I took pictures for those of you who would not believe all of this stuff could happen to me today! PROOF!

So for the freakin second time today my son has taken his diaper off and smeared is gross poop on the wall! Had to clean that up. Then my sister calls, so I am on the phone with her since I have not spoken to her in a while and she is telling me about school and honor roll (I am so proud of her! She has really turned her life around for the better!) anyways so I am walking out to the kitchen while on the phone and who do I see?, Aidan with the brand new jar of peanut butter all over the carpet his clothes and hands and face and he was smiling. So I put the phone down carry him to the bathroom unlock it (we keep it locked because of how scary aidan can get (lol hince today all this stuff). so he is in there I tell my sister goodbye because it is to crazy, as I hang up and head back to the bathroom I get to the door way and what do I see? Aidan with hot wheel in hand toss it in the toilet and flush, hot wheel gone to the ocean for all I know (wish the hot wheel would have let me hitch a ride, I would have been more then willing to go today). So I get him out of the tub sit here for a second PRAYING OUT LOUD that GOD just take all of this for me today and let me get what I need to done.I go out to clean up the peanut butter and my older son has walked all through it so now there are peanut butter tracks all over the living room and dining room (hansel and gredel can surely find their way home in my house with these tracks) Then I get an email from ebay :( Because our bank is overdrafted and we have been working with the bank, ebay tried to take my monthy fees out, but was declined so now they are shutting my listing and buying options off until I pay the fees!!! OMG what next, without ebay I can't pay the damn bank off there for we are really up shit creek this time (sorry for that curse word :(). I feel like my life in this one single day is over! Everything is going bad, I am trying to stay positive but it's not working, I even had a melt down and called dustin begging him, pleading with him that he please rush home to save me and take the boys out so I can get my work done, please if you pray, say one for me? I really need it today :(

Okay off to try and work again :(

nikki

Sigh, i'm sleepy

I went to bed super late last night, was having fun playing the online monopoly with Kristie. It's very addicting. I got up around 9am this morning, got ready to go down to the bank to talk about our account and get some papers notarized. When I got back home the apartment was a HUGE MESS. LOL It always is when DH is watching the boys ;) I cleaned up a little (there is still a huge mess, but I am so lazy right now, I will get to it later lol) DH left to work and the boys and I watched some cartoons together. Both Aidan and I fell asleep, I slept for about an hour and was woken up by the phone.

so here I am now sitting back here working on more paper piecings, I want to have them sent out tomorrow. I also really need to get some eBay stuff up. We got some super awful news yesterday :( My DH was layed off of his second job, We were just getting by with his two jobs so this is going to make it super hard on us now. So I really need to step it up now and get eBay going stronger now. DH losing his second job has him very depressed again, he feels like he is not doing good enough for his family. I can not tell you enough how much it makes me sad to see him this way. I just want to snatch him up and hold him. I keep trying to reassure him that things will be okay (God I hope so), that he was working so hard and maybe this is a good thing, God never sends us things that we can't handle. So I am praying now that DH will start to feel better and not be to hard on himself.

I am planning to spend lots of time this weekend scrapping, I want to get some layouts done using my new WSD Aug stamp kit. It's awesome! and I can't wait to try it out. I have an eBay kit almost done (just set aside to work on these ppings) that I used WSD stamps on :) I find myself reaching for them on everything I make lately lol, they are super addicting. Okay I need to get back to work, just thought I would pop in to update a little. I hope you all are having a great day!

ttys

Nikki

Early day

I got up at 6:30am this morning, lol it's be a LONG time since I have been up this early, I layed in bed for a while just relaxing and watching some music videos. Dustin left for work, he ha sthe day off from Costco but is working for Dave washing the windows at Golds Gym with Jeff. He will hopefully be home in a couple hours. As soon as I finish writing this entry I am going to spend the day finishing my eBay kits, and try and get the rest of the ppings for Donna done, (I am on Q and only have 7 left. I want to get them done in the next day or so and out to her, because I am going to have a busy week with eBay kits and My WSD DT stuff. WooHoo, I am thinking today is going to be a good mail day, I have two WSD stamp orders that should be here today, my DT kit, My Britney Spears sunglasses (blushing smiley here) I ordered from eBay and my LM Kit. LOL Maybe today will make up for the lack of mail last week, lol yep mail i sthe highlight of my days, seriously, it is such an event for me to go down stairs and walk to the rec center to get my mail and if there is none I come up stairs with such a pouty face lol, lol well I do come up stairs with a pouty face when it is just BILLS too :)

I can't wait for Dustin to get home, he is Taking me to Cut N' Paste (LSS) to get a couple sheets and maybe a ribbon pack of the new Chatterbox stuff. I can't wait for LM to get it in too. I am dying to see what the embellishment kits look like in person. I spent all day yesterday and some of Saturday redoing my whole scrap office area , I switched tables around, brought supplies out of the closet so I can see them and start using them more. It's an "L" shape (the tables) I put the 8ft table on the left side and the two 4ft tables next to each other so one of them sits right under the window now, this is the spot I work now. LOTS of space. OOOOOOOOOO So I was at walmart yesterday and went over to where they have their cork boards and dry eraser boards and found a HUGE Magnet board (white to match my scraproom furniture), so I had to have it for all my Wendi Speciale Designs stamps and Magmounts, I LOVE it so much! It's so handy, now I cane see all my stamps, no more digging through the July box (that the July kit came in) where I previously stored them, lol I have so many now that it would take a while to look for the one I needed. so this board is awesome. I also reorganized my 12x12 clear plastic tray paper holders (from LM kits) I am now thinking I will need more. I have 4 of them almost all fully stocked (except yellow) with bazzill, and I have 3 full of Chatterbox paper. I will be getting more to store all my Moments Defined Products in so it's all organized by lines and right there for me to {CrEAte} with. I have all other Patterned paper in my wire cubes (Costco). I also moved all my ribbon, so the shelf that holds all my MM paints (LOTS of those lol) now have my inks and foam stamps on it. I also cleared a whole shelf that will be just for my little boxes and WSD kit boxes. Anyways I am really loving the new set up. Next thing on my list to get which I really need so badly is a Computer chair, my old chair broke a week ago and I have been sitting on one of the end tables from the living room lol (blush), cool thing about this is I get to sit Indian style better :) (which I love to do when I scrap, or a half Indian style (one leg folded the other leg hanging down) lol, yes I know, I am strange lol but it's what is nice for me when I work.

Okay well I better get off the computer now and get this kit done FINALLY. I will pop in a little later, to chat a little more.

I hope you all have a wonderful day today! :)

Nikki

Andy Milonakis

“The Andy Milonakis Show”
I rock peas on my head but don’t call me a pea head. Bees on my head but don’t call me a bee head. Bruce Lee’s on my head but don’t call me a Lee head. Now please excuse me, I gots to get my tree fed. You wear name brands and I make my own clothing. I hang out with an apple who loves self-loathing.“I hate myself.” Pancake on my face makes me extra happy. I like shampoo bottles that sit on my lappy. Cause it’s my show you can’t tell me what to do. When life hands me lemons I make beef stew. So yo I gotta go, it’s time for me to rock it. I put baloney in my left pocket. Smear some cream cheese in my gold locket . Cause it’s my show I’m Andy Milonakis. It’s my show I’m Shmandy Shmila-Shmakis. It’s my show I’m Andy Milonakis."

LOL have any of you seen this show on MTV? We are watching it right now, and I have to admit It's hard to look away lol, in fact..... I like it, it's silly humor, which ROCKS lol. Great another Mtv show I will be watching now lol. I LOVE Laguna Beach, Real world, lol well pretty much all the shows lol :)

OOOOOOO and speaking of Luguna Beach the new season starts tomorrow, I can't wait! :)

3:00am and I can't sleep

I woke up about an hour ago, well when my husband decided to come home. I fell asleep with the boys at about 11:30 tonight, I fell asleep on the couch with my book, lol I had flashbacks of my parents waiting up for me as a teen, porch light on, dad with the TV on, mom with a book. This was pretty much me tonight, I get like that everytime my husband spends a late night with the boys. It was not suppose to be a night with the boys, actually I made plans with my husband at the start of the week for us to go out on a date (with the boys of course) I was thinking a dinner out somewhere, since we have moved to Idaho we have not had one date. Well he came home today talking about going out with his friends from work tonight. I was so hurt! I think this is what started my gloomy afternoon/night. I admit it, in a way I am GREEN with envy, jealous, I am jealous that he gets to go out, that he has friends, I am sad that I can't be with him. I was also hurt because of our broken plans. I tend to say really stupid things when I am upset too, which only makes things harder on me in the long run. YES I understand that my husband was only 20 when we got pregnant with our first son, I was 21. We were still very young, there are many things we missed out on. I lost all my friends because we lived totally different lives after that. My husband worked so hard for his new family (5 years later and he still works that hard) at one time he had three jobs at once just to help us get by. It's ALOT of money to raise a young family in CA. We were paying $750.00 a month for rent on a studio apartment. Utilities were about $350-$450 a month. My husband worked this hard so I could stay home and raise our kids, I will forever be grateful for that. It was my husbands Idea to move us to ID. We could have a wonderful apartment (to start out with, we plan to try and own a home some time in the future), a great community, great schools for the boys when it was time for them to go, just a better life. Although I was so upset to leave my family and his, I knew that this had to be the best thing for us. I can tell you now that this year has been one HUGE learning experience. We have had many ups and downs.

Tonight I needed to have a talk with my husband. I have felt so lost the past couple months. We have problems like any other marriage does, and we have done a darn good job getting through them. But tonight, him "ditching" me to go with his friends, brought out these emotions I was hiding deep down inside. When he got home tonight (2am) and woke me from my sleep, I let them out. Things that I had been thinking about,problems we have been having my feelings etc. I told him it felt like somewhere in the last 5 years I lost "Me", the person I use to be with the big hopes and dreams for her family and her future. I found her tonight. Although she may be different, she is still there. I also found something tonight that I thought I lost... My husbands love. YES I know he loves me, but I am talking about that love, that secure feeling, that emotional love, that love I felt 5 years ago. Lately (well since our talks a couple months ago about separation) I have felt down, like maybe the love is gone and this, what we have is just routine, something we were just use to. But after laying all of me (LOL Nikki "Raw" and very emotional) out there for him to see tonight, what I got back from him was amazing! Here I had thought so many things, like that he hated me spending all this time scrapbooking, trying to make something out of it, having my job be selling page kits on eBay and a couple special orders here and there, thinking he could careless and seemed pretty annoyed with it. Well let me tell you, tonight I was ready to give up everything, I thought this could be the reason things have been so rocky lately. He assured me it was not, that he thinks I am amazing with what I do, that he loves my eBay job, he wants me to do this, he said he knows this (for the most part lol) is what makes me happy, being able to do this and be home with the boys. It made me feel so good to hear him say these things, here I thought he did not care. Communication, that is the key and something we need to work on. We are still new at this, our family, our marriage, it has only been 5 years. With that said we have been through so much it actually feels like it's been 20 lol, (not in a bad way).

Okay I know I am rambling now, but had to come journal what I was thinking just now, while I was in bed looking at the lights pour in from the window and dance on the wall. This is fresh and what probably is keeping me from sleeping right now. Now that it is out, my eyes are beginning to feel like sandbags and I am getting so sleepy. I have lots to do tomorrow, grocery shopping, finish my kit and get started on that custom order of ppings again, I want to have that finished by the end of next week so I can have lots of time to work with my Stamp kit (DT stuff) from Wendi Speciale Designs.

Okay I am headed back to bed to cuddle with my husband and sleep, I will try to post tomorrow, not sure though, it will be a pretty busy day.

I hope you all have a wonderful day!

Nikki

Feeling like I am at the bottom of the totem pole today (or the week)

I feel like such a big fat loser today. I had a very hard reality check this week and my feelings are so hurt. And if the day or week can't get anyworse it does, over and over again like a knife stabbing me in my back, or like a record that keeps skipping to an anoying tune. Am I really cut out for all this? Someone very wise told me to be careful at how fast things happen, just take a step back and look around, remember who your friends are and who cares about you and who your associates are, to try and keep them seprate, well I guess instead of dipping my feet in I jumped. Who would have ever thought this hobby would bring me to tears, or make me feel so depressed sometimes, lol it's like a love hate relationship, some days I just love it and can't get enough, others I am ready to throw in the towel, It is nice to know others feel the same (I have read it in a few blogs lately). I realized today that I need to not let my feelings get involved, I need to stay level headed and be more professional and keep my relationships as a "work" relationship. I have learned so many things this week about how I carry myself, who I am and who people see me as and I also allow people to take advantage of me (I have always done this I guess). I need to sit back and think about what I want and what is going to be healthy for me, (I thought about quiting ebay tonight and actually getting a REAL outside the house job)because the way I have felt this week is not healthy, I have been depressed and moody, and lazy and eating like crazy and not getting things done that I should be! Again I think alot of it also has to be the amount of time I spend on the computer instead of working, my priorities should be first, which is my family, my work (ebay, DT's), then my scrapbooking. I have been spending LOTS of time with my family, but I need to spend more time working, I have sat here all week knowing I have lots of work todo but with all these things happening I have'nt done much.

Please good lord above let me get through this, with out anymore crying, headaches, upset feelings, please guide me in the direction I am meant to go in, I know that you did not send things my way unless you were sure I could handle them, you believe in me like I should be believing in myself, it is just a little hard to believe in myself when I feel like a tiny fish with no name swimming in a pond of fish with big names, more talent etc. We are treated differently.

Okay well I have to go, my husband decided it is his "night out with the guys" so I better get off the computer and work.

Night,

Nikki

Almost time for bed, just thought I would pop in for a second

It is 1:30 am and I am ready for bed lol, I worked on my page kit some more, should have it done and up on ebay tomorrow. I just need to finish getting the bills together for DH to pay tomorrow, and I can hit the hay :)

I had a HUGE mess to clean up just now in the kitchen, believe me I tried to save it for morning but could not stop thinking about the mess. Dustin cooked chicken strips and fries tonight for dinner, so he left egg and batter all over the counter, it was running down the front of the dishwasher, all over the sink and floor, EVERYWHERE lol. And he said since I have to go to the bank tomorrow that he would clean it in the morning, 10 bucks says it would have still been there when I got back home, my husband is a great guy but most of the time when it comes to cleaning, well, he does not LOL. So it took over an hour to get everything scrubbed down, floors mopped, dishwasher started. Thankfully I got all my chores done tonight so all I have to do tomorrow is vacuum. YAY :) And I can spend the rst of the afternoon (until "D" gets home) is work on EBAY kits. Then when he gets home we need to do grocery shopping, and head to the Lake YAY. Hears hoping tomorrow is better then today (well I guess since it is 1:30 am that it is tomorrow lol, okay so when it is late like this I chatter to much and get a little strange LOL)

Oh I don't think I mentioned this in my blog yet, last week Wendi told me to go look at an alphabet stamp in the store, so I go and find this...

And guess what it's called? "Nikki's Pixies Petite Alphabet" Yep that's right Wendi said she named it after me (shock smiley here) HOW AWESOME IS THAT? I have a stamp named after me, and the best part is, I am sooooooo inlove with the font used, I have almost all the stamps carried in the store with this font. I can not wait to get my hands on the "Nikki Pixies Petite Alphabet stamps", it should be here anyday. I think I may need to order another one to, so I can use one as a background and one as a mini alphabet stamp (cut them apart).

I am also DYING to see the new line of stamps Wendi will have up on the site tomorrow, she gave us a sneek peek today and of course it is a new font that I LOVE too, and they were word stamps (which I just adore!) Let me get a picture of them up here for ya'll to see :)


and what is {cool} is that this font is Wendi's own handwriting. Okay well I better get to bed, it's late and I have lots to do when I get up. Night all :)

Nikki

mmm Cream pie blizzard, New CBX YAY, must work!

AH! I am in such a downer mood today! If everything could go wrong it sure did today! I apologize now for yet another venting post! So lets see, well for starters my son was in my bathroom this afternoon, while I was on the phone, he must have picked up my 5lb blue candle I keep on the toilet shelf because next thing I know I am listening to some serious screaming, so I get off the phone and run to the bathroom (6 feet away) to see the candle on the floor and a HUGE black and blue mark on his cheek (below his eye). My poor baby :( I kept saying awww you have a bad shinner and he kept saying ouchie shinner ouchie shinner. The scrapbooker in my reached for the camera as soon as he calmed down enough for a couple shots. He is fine now, just a little brusing.

So I received a phone call from my dad today saying that our bank is looking for us and called their house (shocked smiley here), he gave me a number to call. So when I called it, it was for the overdraft department (see a couple weeks ago we stopped our direct deposit because if we did overdraft then it ate up dustin's paycheck in huge fees which means we would get behind on bills, we thought this would help us manage our money better until we were caught up, in the mean time I have been working my behind off on ebay kits and special projects to earn extra money to pay of the hefty bank fee, I deposited money two days ago so it will be in there tomorrow) anyways I talked to two people on the phone and they told me I need to go down to our local bank tomorrow and speak to the manager about helpping us with all our $33 overdraft fees that have added up (not going to post the amount here but it is alot) so the only money we have had is Dustin's paycheck from both jobs and the money I have been earning that is in paypal that I have been transfering into the bank to take care of the overdraft fees.The man on the phone said that he agrees that for purchases that were only $4-6 costing $33 in overdraft is not quite fair but it is a fee they want for taking care of the item they had to pay for. I am so bad at money! I stink at it! I wish we were rich and could hire someone to take care of the "money" for us lol. But we are not rich, so I will do, I just need to learn to manage it better. I know I will get it someday. what also stinks is some of the recent overdrafts are my fault, I get online kits etc that take from our account each month, well even if the money is not in there they will take so if the kit is $33 it will end up costing me $66. I pmed one of the kit owners to ask if I can start paying with my paypal, that way it is my money that I make and I am not taking away from family money. I need to email the other kit company to see if she will take paypal, if not I will have to quit it :(

I am just so happy that we are caught up every where else, it's just the bank we owe. I plan to have the bank paid off by next friday, I am going to first see if the manager of the bank will help with some of the fees, and if so then I need to get the new amount we owe.

okay enough money talk. My local scrapstore is getting in all the new chatterbox stuff on Monday (lol I know what you are thinking, yes I know I have no money for this! it's just nice to know it will be there when I do, and I do have a small GC to the store, so I just may use that), I can't wait to see most of it in person.

Oh another stupid stupid stupid thing I did was a woman ordered a kit from me a month ago, Well we agreed that I would send it priority back then. This slipped my mind when I mailed it :( I think I upset her by mailing first class which I did not mean to do :( I paid for the postage through paypal (since that is where my money is at) I did not mean to upset her, I feel so bad! God why do I have to be such a scatter brain all the time? I think I need to just go to bed early and wake up to a new day.

On a lighter note, my husband got off of work (his second job) early today and spent the rest of the day with us, it has been nice, I can't tell you how much I miss him since he works so much! It got to be 108* outside today and guess what he brought me home to eat???

a banana cream pie blizzard from DQ, I am not a huge fan of banana stuff but this was so yummy! Oh another good thing is I received my goodie box from Memory Makers today (for being pubbed in the July 2005 issue) there were lots of {cool} stuff in the box and oooooo I just LOVED all the goodies from GO WEST STUDIOS , awesome awesome stuff! I can not wait to use them! Okay I have to go get this kit done finally, TTYS

Hope ya'll had a great day :)

Nikki

PS SORRY FOR ANY TYPOS LOL I WAS TYPING FAST AND DID NOT SPELL CHECK

AWESOME chat with Scrapbook answers Editor

It was such an awesome chat tonight she answered so many questions if you missed it you can read it here, she said they are not doing goodie bags but sending $25 if you get published, if you ask me either one is great! Leslie was so sweet ladies go read quick quick..... lol

Here's the chat thread with the Editor of Scrapbook answers

Refreshed

PHEW, I actually got 9 hours of sleep last night, lol I swear I did not mean too LOL, but my son wanted me to go lay down with him and before I knew it I was asleep too. I left everything out last night, I set up shop (a folding table, sewing machine, stamps embellishments, ink, paper, cutter etc) over my bed so I could sit Indian style on it and just work on kits yesterday and last night for eBay, my poor husband had to sleep on the couch because of my mess LOL. So I woke up later then normal this morning to, and the only reason I woke up is because adian planted a very cold milk jug on my chest while I sleep (I could feel the coolness through my shirt and the blanket that was covering me lol.) so that woke me right up. I got up and remembered that Wendi had an interview today on a radio station so I came back here, checked emails played with aidan a little and then sat back down to get the radio thingy on so I could hear wendi. (I should also explain that since I got up late and came back here right away instead of doing my morning cleaning first, the house was a MESS!) So right in the middle of the interview I hear the front door unlock and open, AH OH My husband is home lol (I hate it when he pops in and I have nothing done, makes me feel like I am lousy at my SAHWM job), then I hear him yelling, ah oh what's going on, meanwhile I am also trying to listen to wendi and her so cute accent ;)
so I get up to go check it out, I walk out to find my 4 year old sitting on the countertop with the measuring bowl in front of him and all the eggs from the fridge broken open and in side the bowl. ( blasted MIL who taught him to do this ;) lol ), so DH is a little upset about this. What a bad mommy I was but he was asleep when I came in here to listen to the radio show, so I figured he was still sleeping and Aidan was back here with me. We are having a problem with my 4 year old right now, he wants to keep getting things for himself, and we keep telling him if he wants something he needs to ASK one of us. That is not working :(
The interview with Wendi was soooooooo AWESOME! I absolutely love love love working with her! She is such an amazing woman! So caring and sweet! It was great to finally put a voice to her face. One day I hope to get to meet her. Maybe at Memory Trends, still hoping I get to go to this, I have been talking to Dustin about it, so we will see :)

I am a bloated oinker right now lol, just had me two slices of cheese pizza YUM YUM and a (blushing smiley) soda, I HAVE TRIED so hard to give soda up it is soooooo hard , why is it so hard? I of course have been drinking more water, love my bottled aquafina water, it's the best! But still have to have a soda. I have been really good this week to and doing more walking on my Treadmill. I want to lose this extra weight I have been carrying around for 4 1/2 years now! I want to wear my capris and tanks from old navy again. PLEASE GOD let me be able to FINALLY do this! I know my big problem is that I am not active like I use to, I need to start working out on a regular basis. I don't eat bad, it's just the working out that I need to do.

Okay well I need to finish the cleaning I did start ) I have some laundry and the boys room left and then it's back to kits. My scanner AC DC caught on fire Saturday and is dead now, so I need a new one, so for now I am going to have to take digital pictures with my Rebel, hope they come out okay :(

SUPPORT WENDI SPECIALE's DIABETES WALK !!!! ---->
It's VERY VERY IMPORTANT!!!! Copy this and post it on your Blog !!!

Okay have a great day :)

Nikki

Horrible day

What is it with Mondays anyways? I wish I could just sleep Mondays away each week. It's be a super horrible day today. To start it off I was up most of the early hours with Austin, he is so sick right now with a stomach bug. It always makes me so sad to see him hurt. Then Dustin got up early to go work his second job. So I got up to read the last 20 pages of my book I spent the whole day yesturday reading (It's a Trilogy by Nora Roberts, about the "Gallagers of Ardmore books are called "jewels of the sun, tears of the moon, and heart of the sea" they are soooooooo good!, so good I read over 200 pages yesturday lol) well I finished that and started the second book "tears of the moon". it was so nice to just finally spend a day for me to relax, well sort lol, I had to stop a million times for the boys, but it was still great.

Okay back to today, well I should have never read to day, I just should have continuted to sleep until aidan woke up. I was so tired from being up so much early morning with austin and then getting up early. I cleaned the house and the came back here to work on a kit for ebay, I really need to get at least 6 kits up this week so I am working so hard here. Between me stopping about 20 times to tend to my sick boy or clean up the puke off the carpet because he just could not make it to the bathroom, and then aidan getting into the fridge every 5 minutes and pulling something out to spill on the carpet, then the 50 phone calls, and trying to sit here an work soooooo tired, it's been a day! Then my husband calls me 30 minutes ago to say he is going to be home after work (which I don't really think will happen :( ) then he is going out to his friends house (the one I don't like because he lies to his wife) for a small party....at 12am (bulging eyed smilie here) he wants to drive home so I can drive him there so I can pick him up when he is done there. Oh and he adds when I am upset about this that his stupid lying arsehole friend whated my dh to lie to me about where he was going (shocked smilie again) um hello, are we back in highschool? this jerk is such a flippin loser! so I go on to explain to my dh that he has work very early tomorrow not to mention he has to help his father earlier then that , and did we not just spend our last $15 on gas for the car (we have no more money until friday when he is payed) and since he has work the next two days (30 miles away so he has to drive that back and forth) that if he does this drives home, has me drive him 25 miles back that way and then drive back to get him and back home that that alone with eat up the $15 he just put in that has to last him the next two days. SOMEONE please explain to me WHY my husband is going through this now? It feels like he is already going through his midlife crisis and he is only 25, yes I know we started our family super young, but I am starting to feel so bad, bad for my kids whos father seems like he can't stand to be home with us when he is here, or who always wants to be somewhere else or at a party with fiends, I feel bad for my husband, I feel like I some how took his life away, yes we were young and I thought we both wanted a family, we were both so happy. I don't understand what is going on lately. Maybe it is me, maybe he hates that I don't look the way I did 5 years ago, maybe he hates that I gained 80 pounds while Pregnant with my first son and have only lost 20 of that. Maybe he hates that I scrapbook (I have tried fixing this by, scrapping when he is gone and spending lots of time with him when he is home). I feel like this change is all my fault. I love my husband so much, I just feel like I am doing everything wrong all the time. I wish I would do things right, to make everyone happy.

I have felt so unspecial lately, not only at home but everywhere. I feel ignored. Okay well I better get off the computer now, My DH should be home soon (I am hoping, he said he would but I never know anymore). And I think I am going to start a bubble bath and try and relax with my new book I started. Here's hoping tomorrow will be a better day :(

Night

Nikki

WOWIE! BIG TOOT, DT and cleaning, charity auction

Phew, where to start? I did not get to bed until Weee weee weee early morning (lets just say passed my normal 2am (scrapping time) lol. So I was pretty tired. LOL I don't know what happened, I set out to start a baby layout but could not find the pictures for it in the 4 photo boxes I have on my shelves above my scrap table (there are 1000 pictures in each box (shock lol). so I then go into my closet for more boxes of pictures, NOTHING! I am so sad at the pictures I did take, I am going to have to take the negatives to costco and slowly have each one blown up so I can get a better picture to scrap, they were all just taken so far away. In searching for baby pictures, it ate up lots of time and before I knew it, it was almost time for Dustin to get up for work LOL. So I crawled into bed and cuddled him and fell asleep. I most have been passed out because I never heard his alarm go off or him leave this morning. Well I decided to go lay in the boys room with them LOL, (sometimes I can get a little more sleep if I am in the same room with them, they don't move through the house when the get up then LOL) well aidan woke up an hour later. so I went back to sleep at about 10:00am when aidan fell back to sleep.

I was awoken by the phone at 10:30, but when I answered they hung up, so I went back to sleep lol. Well at about 11:30 the phone rang again, I let it ring two times and thought okay I need to get up so I will answer. So I answer thinking it is Dustin (he calls a couple times a day when he is at work on his breaks or lunch when he is bord), nope I hear a woman's voice. She asks if this is Nikki. I say yes. She then tells me she is Angela from "Moments Defined", right then I snap out of my grogginess (lol is that a word?) and try clearing the frogs from my throat, my heart starts racing. I say HI :) she asks how I am doing and if it is a good time to talk, I say yes sure it is, I just woke up and proceed to tell her why I was still sleeping lol (insert blushing smiley here), I am so embarrassed now lol, I think I rambled on about it like a nut LOL. She was so sweet and so kind! She talked a little about what is going to happen this week, etc. She also told me she is a fan of WSD stamps :) and just bought the July kit and loved one of the layout I did using the stamps :), Oh and she also read my blog (yet another blushing smiley here). I think I must have told her Thank you Thank you Thank you so man times lol and a few WOW I am so excited in there. I can not tell you the excitement I was (am) feeling! Just as soon as we hung up I called Dustin's cell phone to tell him. He was equally as excited as I was. WOW! I can't believe this is really happening, someone pinch me because this has to be a dream ;) I am so thrilled to be apart of this endeavor. I can not wait to get started! I am so biased right now, and blessed to be apart of two absolutely wonderful Design teams (Wendi Speciale Designs and Moments Defined).

I was surfing the Pub this morning and read a post from Kara, she was talking about the laundry she needs to get done, and that reminded me that I have lots of cleaning to do today as well lol, so I started and am now almost done YAY, I just have my bathroom, vacuuming the living room and the rest of the laundry to do. Then I can upload my new ebay kit and working on somemore ppings for Donna :)

Oh before I forget, The Lifetime Moments charity auction starts Thursday, Mely and I have lots of work to do for that to, so if anyone (lol those of you who read my blog) has any handmades they can donate to the auction at LM please email lmcharityauction@gmail.com for those of you who have no idea what this is, every year at LM we host two auctions of just handmades for a few days to earn money for children who need a Christmas, (called "giving from the heart"), we have been doing this each year for three years now, and have helped so many children have a good Christmas, and I am just so honored to be apart of this (Thanks Mely and Jackie), It is such a wonderful thing to read how happy we have made the parents and kids who need a little help each year. Lat year we sponsored well over 100 kids! Can you believe that! Everyone of those woman at LM who made things for the auction or bought them, or even sponsored one of the children, made a huge difference for a child on Christmas, and it just warms my heart and makes me so teary-eyed to think about all these women who care so much! Here is a link to more info on the Auction if you are interested.

Okay well I need to go save my hair brush from an almost two year old boy who is brushing the pink hair of his "my little pony" he got out of a happy meal. LOL Thanks for reading this far, and sorry for typos or mis-spellings, I did not proof read lol.

Have a Great day!

Nikki

Tired, CBX on sale, more yankees

Hey it's me, yeah the one who stayed up until 5am this morning working on a layout for the CK fall call. I like it I just think it is missing something :( I did the layout about my love for Yankee candles and the scents of Fall my favorite season. This layout will go into my about me album.



I keep trying to think positive today, but I am slowly wishing I had not gotten out of bed this morning I was up until 5am working on this layout (I had a long nap yesturday afternoon otherwise I would have never been able to do this) then got back up at 9am to finish it to get sent off (email) for the CK call. Then I packaged up my cards for the cards magazine and TOLD my husband three time to go to the local store that has a PO inside (there are never any lines), instead he ends up going to the PO and the line was out the door, so he calls me on his cell phone to tell me he will have to mail it tomorrow, hmmm that's just great dear, but the postmarked date is today . Then my son who is potty training, had a couple accidents today, now here I sit with a dirty messy house that needs to be clean, but I am to tired to do it, and I should because I have lots of work to do today, I need to scan in my latest kit for ebay, finish up a special ordered kit, and get back to the 24 ppings (special order) That I can't wait to work on (I love making ppings). It's a LOOOOOOOOOONG day today lol! can I go back to bed please??? well I will be taking a nap today lol. Okay I better go clean something :) TTYL Hope you all are having a great day today.

CHATTERBOX PAPER is on sale for $.30 each here at Lifetimemoments , just click inside and see, it's on sale in everyroom! :)

Nikki

Fall Smells, Name stamps and EBAY

It has been a busy weekend, but a good busy. I have managed to keep the house clean :), I have been sitting back here working away. First things first I have been working on a couple ebay kits, I just finished my "Let your dreams set sail kit" last night, it's boyish (a boy pping with a boat) well Dustin said what if I did one but changed it up a bit to gear towards a girl, hmmmm maybe I can, but a girl with a boat?, not sure. I am also finishing up my newest kit but decided to put that away for a couple hours to work on a layout for the FLY BY CK fall thanksgiving pages due on the 13th (not that I have a change but there is a layout I have wanted to make for a while about "FALL" (my favorite time of year) and this is a great time to make it ;). I will post more about it once it is done and sent in, maybe even added a couple pictures :).
I was talking to Dustin today when he called from work about all the calls that end next friday and how I want to at least take a little time of from working (ebay kits) to work on some layouts for them. Maybe I can do one kit and one layout a day? We'll see, crossing fingers and toes here lol.

Okay now on to this amazing new stamp at WSD, a couple weeks ago I made a post in the "rubber stamp" forum. It saidsomething like this...

"So I was sitting here working on some DT stuff and started sketching out my new layout, well I was adding stuff I want on and thought man I wish I had a stamp of each of the boys names lol then I started thinking what if there was a custom "name" stamp we could purchase in the store, So they would be like the "Adore" stamp in the store,Example one of my son's name is Aidan so it would be the same size as the adore stamp (same font etc) lol make sence? and if the name is longer it could be $.50 extra for each letter or something? LOL does this sound silly? LOL I don't know I just like adding my boys names on their layouts alot and I thought having a stamp with their name would be easy lol"

That, thread got so many people loving this idea. and what did Wendi post? "you speak...we listen" . So then, a couple nights ago I see a post from Wendi, saying she added a new stamp to the store, to go check out the homepage, so I go and what do I see????



She DID IT!!!!! How amazing is that? And the example is MY SON'S NAME!!!! I was so excited I ran out to the front room to tell Dustin he had to come back a check this out lol. So guess what ladies (and gents ;) ) you can now get a custom name stamp at WSD, Each unmounted, custom word stamp will be 4.75' x 1.75'. And now matter how big the word or name is it is ONE set price, AWESOME I tell you! And think of ALL the things you can use these stamps on, Layouts, cards, You can stamp your childs name on a lunch bag, clothes (you can stamp then heat emboss with embossing powder on fabric!) last names on christmas cards, tags, there is just endless ideas on what you can do with this custom name stamp. I am soooooooooo Flippin (ND shoutout lol ;) I have been saying Flippin so much since watching that movie LOL)

I made another suggestion in the stamping forum about maybe getting a 1" stamp set upper and lower of the font used on the WSD stamps, how awesome would that be? again endless ideas for these too, so we'll see what Wendi thinks.

Okay well I need to get back to work. I will pop in a little later when I finish my layout :)

Oh I almost forgot WSD also has these cool new Mongram stamps in upper and lowercase, which is awesome because you can use them with the insert stamps.

WOOHOO another TOOT

I was beginning to think My "A dog's life" Layout was going to be an unloved layout, but It was picked up today by Memory Makers :) YAY. I am so excited! What a GREAT TOOT week :)

Okay I need to get back to work, have lots of kits to make for EBAY :)

Nikki

Walking Zombie

LOL Okay I am asking you now to please forget any spelling or typos, I am a walking Zombie today. If it were not for my can of Coke and my Cheese it's party mix, I think I would be slumped over in this chair, forehead stuck to the keyboard sleeping away ZZZZZZZZ. I am at the point right now where if someone asked me a question it would take at least 5 minutes to figure out what the first word was lol. I am so happy to say I have the most spotless apartment ever lol. I was up until 3:30am and back up at 7:30am finishing up the cleaning for the apartment pre-inspection by the manager today. They want to check for stuff that needs to be fixed before the owners of the apartment come in to inspect all apartments (oh the joys of apartment live, I wish calgon could wisk me away to the time in our lives when our dreams of owning our own home where here) I hate apartment living. We have had our share of noisy neighbors, partie neighbors, witnesses fights going on, fireworks going off all around any time of the year (curse those darn firework stands ;) they allow people to stock pile fireworks all year long). Oh I wish the manager would get here so I could nap with the boys. All I keep thinking about is sleep. And my nice clean apartment :) it looks so good that I even thought about taking pictures lol. You know Pictures to prove to myself and DH that this house can look good all at once lol ( although I have had to pick up many legos and toys this morning over and over again) I have one more load of laundry to go into the wash and two more loads to fold and the laundry will be done YAY. Hmmmmm have you ever listen to a dryer, the soft humming sound, so relaxing, makes you want to nap....zzzzzz, lol AHHH I am so tired. With my luck these people will be here at 5pm. By then I will look like spongebob (the way he looked in the spongebob movie after eating all the icecream and waking up the next morning on the floor of the icecream place) yep that will be me, answering the door to those people.

Okay well I better go fold this last load of laundry, TTYAL

Nikki

WOOHOO

I carpet cleaned the living room and dining room and when I finished I came back here to check my email and to chat with Kristie on Aim. Well My email box had 12 new messages, most of them were DT emails, after going through a couple, I saw two in the box from Cards Magazine (the new card ideabook from Scrapbook trends) They want my "Adore" and "Christmas Joy" cards for their November/December issue (Premier issue). I am so excited! I have never had a card published before so this is just awesome! Not only that but the Adore card was using my Wendi Speciale Designs "July kit" so that is awesome too :)

Thanks for letting me TOOT :)

Nikki

updating

I have been super busy so I have'nt really had enough time to update. I have been cleaning like a mad woman today, I should not be sitting here but needed the break for a few minutes. We are having an apartment inspection (everyone one in the building is) so I had to patch a couple holes (toys hitting the walls in the boys room) paint, carpet clean, scrub walls etc. I am so tired today too. I was up late watching the movie "TROY" (very good movie, UM YUMMY Brad Pitt!) and working on a page kit. I slacked on the page kit yesturday to work on a couple cards for some current calls. It was fun working on cards, I really like making them. I am hoping to get this laundry pile on my bed folded and hung and then as soon as I finish cleaning I need to get back to my page kit. Two of my page kit auctions are ending tonight, so I would like to have something else up soon. My other page kit up is a bomb :( I really loved the way it turned out but I guess no one else thought it was nice (0 bids), hoping for a last minute bidder, not holding my breathe though.

Lets see, our 4th of July was so much fun, we sepnt the day here together and at about 7pm we went to the inlaws. We had a great BBQ dinner ( Hot dogs hamburgers, baked beans with bacon, corn on the cob, watermelon and coleslaw.) The boys played in the pool for a while, we all played with bubbles, out on the grass, feed the neighbors goasts and cow lol, and we did some fireworks there. I took about 60 pictures. After we left there we headed to Caldwell for the 10:30pm firework show. We set up our blanket right under where the fireworks would show the best. Aidan kept running away to see other people lol and Dustin would have to run after him. as soon as they started and went off right over our heads the boys LOVED it, Austin plugged his ears and Aidan kept saying "AWESOME" lol. I took a few pictures, just a couple I liked though.

When we got home at about 11pm we sat in the carport and did somemore fireworks, Austin did a bunch of sparklers. It was a great day!

Well Dustin just seems to not be able to get a break at costco with his job hours, they changed them on him again! I was so pissed! Just when they were as perfect as they could be (7:30-4pm shift weekends off) they change them again. What gets me is they tell him YES this will be your set hours and then a week goes by and they change them, this always happens. It's so annoying for our family, we make plans, plan on them happening and then this wishy washy crap happens! He works so hard for them!

Okay well I better get back to my housework. TFL

Nikki