New Hairstyle? Sushi Night!

Tonight is sushi night for me and muscleman. I have talked him into trying a new place close to where we live and I am excited! I am not a HUGE sushi fan, but I do enjoy it every now and again. My hubby LOVES IT! He lived in Japan for several months and had it all the time.

I am also getting my haircut and colored this afternoon and I am really excited to get it done. I want to keep it long, but a part of me wants to try something different. I am also trying a new salon, so we will see how it goes. If it goes well, I may just have to post before and after pictures. I told muscleman this morning that I was only going to get it trimmed…but now I am feeling adventurous! We’ll see.

Have any of you seen the movie Fireproof? I bought the DVD at Target the other day, but muscleman doesn’t want to see it. Perhaps a little sweet talking this evening will convince him to do so with me. It would be a great way to end date night…I think!

I will try and update later on today with what happens with my hair. Should be interesting! Hoping everyone has a wonderful weekend!

One already?

Today marks a very special day! It's my little "I"'s first birthday! I just had to share some of the pictures from the last year with you all...he has changed so much!

I remembered this day so well. We were living in Jersey and I was just about to head out the door for work when my sister called to tell me the news. I must confess....that I was hoping for a girl and had guessed that it would be a girl so I was VERY surprised when she said...It's a BOY! WHAT? I couldn't believe it! It didn't take me long to get excited to meet the little guy and spoil him rotten with all kinds of clothes and toys! I remember looking on the internet that morning for gifts for him!

I remember thinking oh how I wish I lived closer and I remember crying to the hubby and God after my first visit to see him and my sister and asking for a way to move back to the midwest to be near them! God heard my prayers and he answered them in a short time!

I would not have traded this past year for anything! Watching him grow into the little boy is absolutely amazing and I am so thankful and blessed! I LOVE being his Auntie D. I wouldn't trade it for the world . He has brought so much joy and laughter into our family. I look forward to many more years of celebrating his birthdays and I look forward to the day when he says my name! Happy Birthday Little "I"! Auntie D and Uncle M love you so much!


Daddy, Mommy, and Little "I"...

Wasn't he precious!

I think this picture must be my favorite one that I received before meeting him.

Wrapped in Great Grandma's quilt. She would have loved him so much!

Feb- My first visit to meet the little guy and he rested on my lap so well!

Taken in March right after we moved back. He came to help us move in!

In April, Auntie D and Aunt Brey were making me take all these crazy pictures with my toys!

Auntie D's first night of babysitting!

May - Helping us move into our new home!

Another night of babysitting in July!

First time at the fair! - August

Bathtime at Uncle J and Aunt Brey's house in the kitchen sink - Sept

Celebrating Grandpa K's birthday...giving us a wink - November

Having fun at Thanksgiving!

Ready for Christmas!

Showing me just a few weeks ago that he is almost one!

Happy Birthday...looks like this next year will be even busier!

Sneak Peak...

As promised...a few items from the NEW Spring and Summer catalog! Aren't the colors fun?? They make me happy and ready for warm weather! Bring on Spring!

What have I been doing?

Some of you may wonder what I have been up to lately....as it has been a couple of days since my last post....let me show you one project I have been working on....ORGANIZATION of my office/craft room closet! BEFORE I began....
I finally got this organized and put my stereo in the room...

I have made some progress...

I need more hangers...still more fabric to hang!

So as you can see..I have been keeping busy! I have also been working on setting up several Thirty-One gift parties! I received my starter kit and let me tell ya...I WANT MORE! Love the bags and decor! So excited to begin!

I will post some pictures of some of the new products....a sneak peek!

Have a great day!

Happy Birthday!

Happy 30th to my Jersey friend! I miss you and am sorry I can't be there to celebrate with you. It's your day..so celebrate! Little did I know 4 years ago when I moved to Jersey and married my hubby that I would meet two wonderful ladies and become close friends with them both. My friend Griffin (code name) is one of them and it is her 30th birthday today!

The picture was taken when she came to stay with us this past July and check out the midwest. We had so much fun. She is a friend who I share so many interests...let's see...shall I ramble them off....shopping...the Gap, Old Navy, Banana, Crew, shoes, Starbucks Lattes, Dunkin Donuts coffee, Bare Escentuals, Sephora, Vickie's , the Biggest Loser, shopping at the Outlets in PA, she has inspired me to love dresses, necklaces, handbags, veggie cakes, snow peas for snacks, Chipotle, and many more. Our husbands have the same first name and her son is just a few years older than my Mr "y". We share emails daily with our friend Jurist and we provide daily updates of what we did the night before. Without her and Jurist, I have no idea how I would have survived the many long days, weeks and months in Jersey. They were my support group and still are!

So Happy Birthday my dear friend! Wishing you a wonderful day!

And the winner is....

Thanks to all of you who left comments and participated! I wrote all of your names down on pieces of paper folded them up and placed them in a large measuring cup....the hubby has drawn the winner and I must say congrats to my sister! You are the winner! You can thank your brother-in-law for drawing your name out of the bunch.

And for you girls who didn't win...no worries...another contest to take place this coming weekend! I promise there is more fun to come!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. I will catch up with you all tomorrow.

Name your favorite...enter for a chance to win blog candy

CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. Winner will be announced later on today.

As promised...it is Friday and my first official contest has begun.

A couple of weeks ago while driving to work the talk show hosts were discussing the one beauty product that they CAN'T live without. I thought..hmmm...that sounds like a good thing to use for my first giveaway! Do you know what product you can't go without? I do....my LOTION...and not any lotion...my Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar. I cannot go without it...or I am miserable! I am almost 100% sure I could live without anything else....(of course if I was on deserted island)...hehe!

So let us begin. What do you have to do to enter? Leave a comment on my blog telling me the beauty product you CANNOT live without and include your name. One entry per person. The contest will be open until midnight (cst) this Saturday night. I will enter all names from the comments into a basket and my hubby will draw the winner. I will announce the winner on Sunday and then will mail out the prize to you on Monday.

The prize.....is one of my Bella Bags that I made.....(thanks to one of my Jersey girls for choosing your favorite selection of fabric...it helped me decide what one to use!)

Good luck to you all and Happy Friday!

Change of plans

Today was going to be my day of getting my “to do” list done, I was planning on taking the day off. However, I found out yesterday afternoon that I have a meeting at work today that is impossible to miss. So, here I am…at work. Darn it!

Nothing has gone as planned since yesterday and I feel as if I am off schedule. I am a planner and can’t stand it! I was late getting home last night, late cooking dinner, hubby arrived late, I ended up having to run to the store at 7:30 last night because he decided he needed a new pair of nice black dress pants and shirt for his BIG meeting today. He told me yesterday morning that he thought he had something to wear so not to worry about it, but last night as we were going through his closet we realized he has no dressy shirts that fit in solid colors and no black dress pants that fit.

Off I went to JCPenny’s..they are open till 10:00…I was good to go! Shopping for him is sometimes difficult, especially when the stores have clearance sales as most of his sizes are already picked over. It took me over an hour to find something that I thought would work. No dress pants that collect lint. No shirt that wrinkles. What a chore! I was being cheap too which probably didn’t help matters. I found a pair of pants, really nice and on sale and then I found a dress shirt, which I hesitated to get because I had a gut feeling it might be too big. To the checkout I went and was more than pleasantly surprised that the items I picked out were buy 1 get 1 FREE! I felt so GOOD! A pair of dress pants and a dress shirt for $24.00!! Are you kidding me? Now that was a GREAT FEELING! If I had paid the original price I would have paid over $100.00!

I returned home, he tried on the pants, they fit. Perfect! The dress shirt we decided it should work so no worries. However, this morning when he put it on it was HUGE! My hubby is Big and Tall…but not that Big and Tall! The shirt I will be returning and he ended up using a back up in his closet! Goodness! I must say…he looked mighty handsome this morning. Hoping and praying that all goes well for him today. What a night! I then stayed up too late and watched No Reservations with my muscle man.

It has hit me today at work. I am exhausted!

Hoping to get back on schedule soon. My list is calling my name…..Enjoy the warm weather today! And be sure to tune in tomorrow…

Ready for tomorrow

Tomorrow I am taking the day off from work. This morning I made a list of all I want to accomplish and the list keeps getting longer. I have an appointment in the morning, I am hoping that maybe my sister will swing by with little “I” (hint hint), I am going to be working from home on my Thirty-One business, Bella is going to get a bath, I hope to attempt to make cake balls, and I am going to finish up the blog candy and hope to post the item on Friday! I am so ready for tomorrow!

Yes…you did read that correctly. I hope to host my first contest/drawing on Friday. So be on the lookout! It is the middle of winter and why not add a little excitement to you readers!

Did you watch the Biggest Loser last night? Oh my…I can’t wait to see next week. I am slacking on 24, my mom asked me yesterday if I have been watching and the answer was no…I have them all recorded but haven’t sat down to watch any of them yet. I am behind! And I didn’t catch American Idol last night either, I got all wrapped up in watching the Biggest Loser and some of the inaugural events. Maybe I can get caught up tonight.

Enjoy you afternoon.

Look how big I have gotten

As many of you know...we have a dog...a puggle...named Bella (BB). She has been quite entertaining lately and I have realized I haven't posted any recent pictures...so here is our BIG girl. Can you believe how much she has grown?

So this picture is from this morning. I always take a small cup of cottage cheese to work for a snack and one of the containers was empty and she kept whining for it...so I gave it to her...she dragged it over to the rug in front of the stove...and as you can see...she enjoyed it! HA!

Our girl loves to be covered in her blanket. She was so tired from being at daycare yesterday that she wouldn't even move for the picture...and that says a lot about her as she is ALWAYS full of energy!

This past weekend I bought her a new toy. She has already started tearing the eyes off...hasn't found the squeaker quite yet. It's the first thing she grabs in the morning when I am making breakfast. It's her buddy.

No more a puppy...nope not at all. But as the hubby says...she is still a princess and spoiled rotten!

Happy Tuesday!

Not Me Mondays!

It’s Not Me Monday…let’s begin.

I did NOT go to the bathroom at work on Friday and begin to button up my jeans and find that the button popped right off and broken into a thousand little pieces on the floor! And then I most certainly did NOT rush to my desk and find a paperclip and somehow use it to fasten the top of my jeans together until I got home!

I did NOT go to Hobby Lobby after work and in the middle of my shopping about pee my pants so I would certainly not rush to the bathroom get into the stall and then realize that I paper clipped my jeans together and almost didn’t get them down in time. NOT ME!

I did NOT enjoy driving to work today thanks to all those who have this holiday off and I really did NOT wish that the traffic was like this every day so that my life would be more calm in the morning, nope, NOT ME!

I did NOT begin decorating the laundry room without telling the hubby, NOT ME! And I did NOT hope that he wouldn’t notice last night that I hung vinyl lettering above the dryer and I was not thankful that he hasn’t been in the room yet! NOT ME! (it is not obvious he never enters that room..ha!)

I did NOT spend every day since Thursday with a huge smile on my face and excitement in my eyes because of the new company, Thirty-One Gifts, that I joined. I am NOT looking forward to it at all!

I did NOT go to see the movie Gran Torino with the hubby wishing that I was going to see Marley and Me or anything else, and I did NOT leave the movie happy that I saw it. NOT ME!

And finally….I did NOT loose 3 lbs this week! And I am not excited about it at all! WOO HOO! I would NOT say that it has anything to do with working out and bringing my lunch to work. Nope….not at all!

Happy Monday! Check out more posts at www.mycharmingkids.net!

Decorating the Laundry Room

As promised....pictures of my laundry room. It needs some life. This is before I began working today on it.....

Another view....

Above - The calendar my mom gave me for Christmas....I Love Lucy
Below - The beginning of decorating....

It is beginning to look better....two more walls to go...

See the fun pink rug I bought at Hobby Lobby! I need one more so it will cover the entire floor in front of both the washer and dryer.

Just some decor instead of a pile of junk sitting up there. :) And my vinyl wall art I ordered from www.etsy.com. I LOVE IT!

One more view....

Close up of the pictures on the wall. There is one each that defines sisters, family and friends. I bought them at Kohl's. They are perfect!

I have some other items to add to the other two walls..some color! ...but will work on later this week. Football time now! Go Arizona Cardinals! That is who I am rooting for...sure would love for Kurt Warner to win another Super Bowl.

We have been pretty lazy this afternoon. Made some poppyseed chicken casserole, ate some blue bell ice cream, hubby took a nap, and I worked on some of the projects I have going on. Fun fun!

Enjoy your Sunday!

Prayers requested

There are a few people I would like to lift up in prayers.

The first is my nephew, little "I". He was taken to the emergency room last night and had lots of tests done, which have all come back ok. Praise God! However, he has been fighting a fever for a week and not feeling the best. The little guy has been fighting a cold/infection/pneumonia/or something else for about 2 months and we need to get him healthy before his 1st birthday in a few weeks!

The second request is for a blogfriend of mine, Kelly and her husband Scott and new baby girl, Harper. Their link is on the right side if you want more details. Baby Harper needs our prayers!

The third request is for Shawndra Turner. I know I have requested prayers before, but wanted her to be lifted up again.

Thanks all! Hope you all have a wonderful Saturday! I may post again later with my recent purchases from Hobby Lobby...I LOVE THAT STORE!

Until later...

Snow

I know many of you are not happy that it is snowing or is so cold, but I am VERY EXCITED! I love a good snow every now and again. I am heading home early from work today and swinging by Hobby Lobby and Walmart. I can't wait to get home to get in my pjs and work on some projects.

Happy Friday!

It's official

I am now a new consultant for Thirty-One gifts! I am so excited! And I can't wait to share all the great handbags and gifts with everyone! www.mythirtyone.com/6390

The new spring catalog will be available on February 1st and you won't want to miss out! It makes me think of the beach...and I know we all could use a little warmth right now! If you are interested in hosting a FUN theme party like a Chocoholic or Pajama Party, having a "Party in a Purse" (book party) or placing an order please be sure to contact me. Or if you need to raise money we can do a fundraiser or a "Party with a Purpose". AND...there are two new divisions starting this year too; 31kids in April and Direction (for teens and tweens) in June.

More to come on all that is happening with my new side job! I promise!

So....anyone COLD? I am so thankful that we don't live any further north than we do. My brother in Iowa said the temp this morning was -23 degrees with a windchill of -43!! Too cold for me!

Nothing like a little panera bread to warm the soul. I just couldn't find the energy to cook anything tonight for dinner...so I ran out to Panera for some soup and salad. Yum-O!

Nothing else new around here. Just trying to stay warm. Tomorrow is FRIDAY!

Hint....

Here are some hints of what is to come next week for blog candy.......to be continued......

Last night...

Okay…so I did it. I started watching American Idol and ended up watching the entire two hours! Even the hubby watched with me. Did you see it??? What did you think? You know why we watched all the way to the end? We wanted to see the blind guy! I have to give them credit, they had our attention. We are HUGE fans of Andrea Bocelli. And the hubby wanted to see if he is as good as him.

So I guess they won, they will have fans again from our family. Geesh…didn’t take much persuading now did it!?!

I have yet to watch the Biggest Loser; hope to watch that this evening. But may end up watching Idol again, who knows! I can’t believe we were so entertained last night!

So I mentioned yesterday that we are trying to eat healthy. Guess what I forgot I ordered? Girl Scout cookies! Yep, 5 boxes of them! They arrived at my desk this morning! Oh goodness! Going to try and resist! Maybe I will splurge a little this weekend. We’ll see. I mean…I only have them once a year…right?

Hoping everyone stays warm today! Looks like the Artic Air is headed our way! Or maybe it has arrived; I haven’t been outside since arriving to work. I know it was really windy when I was driving to work this morning. It’s cold in our building today, just can’t seem to warm up.

Enjoy your day!

Another Tuesday

Here it is another Tuesday. Yes indeed and it is COLD outside! You know it's really cold when BB runs outside to potty and sprints back to the house pulling me on her leash. Usually she wants to stay outside as much as possible.

I am excited tonight to watch the Biggest Loser! Finally got to watch last week's episode last night. I also tried to watch part of 24...but was to tired so headed to bed instead. I am debating what to do about American Idol. I seem to always say I am not going to watch it and then get caught up in it. Guess I need to make a decision tonight. So much to watch just have to find the time.

I bought a magazine today to read during lunch that is all about organization and storage. It suggests each month to organize one room in your home. Sounds like a good plan..right? I am debating on which room to do first. They suggest the office, but I am thinking the laundry room. I ordered a little something for the laundry room from http://www.etsy.com/ and am so eager to get it in the mail. I have an idea of what to do to the room, but am always open for suggestions. Anybody have any? I spend a lot of time in the room and want it to be fun. We are not going to paint, but I want to add some decor and organization items. I am thinking the theme of the room will be "friends". No, not the show, I want to kind of set aside a room in my house to display all of my friends. Sound crazy for a laundry room? I can see it in my head, but hard to explain. And who better to start with than the two best friends I grew up watching...Lucy and Ethel. I know, it's hard to explain and it may not make sense, but the reason I chose the laundry room is because it's a room that we all have in common, I mean...we all do laundry..even though we may not like to at times. I promise to take before and after pictures. Maybe it will make more sense then.

I have searched and searched online for ideas, but haven't found much of anything. Anybody have a laundry room they love?

Other than planning out the laundry room, I am working on a couple of sewing projects. One will be used for my first blog candy....to come next week. So be ready to participate!

I have added a couple more recipes on my recipe blog, so be sure to check them out. We are trying to eat more healthy and have cut back our portions as well as cut out a lot of the carbs. So far so good, but it's hard! I am craving sweets! I am allowing myself to have one Weight Watchers Chocolate Chip cookie a day...one point! They aren't too bad either! Off to cook dinner I go.

Enjoy your evening! Stay warm!

Not Me Monday

So after last Monday and the fun I had in writing my "Not Me" items, I have decided to post again! Here are my NOT me items for the week!

I did not get up this morning and go the gym and decide to weigh myself at 4:30 in the morning and then decide I am only eating healthy items from now on! EEK! NOT Me!

I did not try on 4 different outfits this morning because I didn't feel right in the first 3! Most certainly NOT me!

My hubby and I did NOT inhale a container of Blue Bell Strawberry and Cream Ice Cream in less than 2 days!

I did NOT spend all of yesterday afternoon reading blogs! As the hubby puts it I am a computer junkie!

I did NOT have a very emotional week last week and I did NOT cry 4 times in the week. Nope not me!

I did NOT go out to eat with the hubby on Saturday night and partake in Fried Catfish and French Fries!

I did NOT spy out our guest bedroom window to check out the two couples that were looking at the house for sale next to ours. Nope...not me!

And finally, I did NOT wish that today it was snowing so much that I couldn't get to work. Is it wrong to want a blizzard? I would never wish that! NOT Me!

Happy Monday!

Thirty-one Gifts

It's time to let you all in on a little secret that I have been working on..... I am going to be working as a consultant for Thirty-one Gifts! Ever heard of them? Neither had I until about 3 weeks ago.

For some time now, I have been wanting to get into a direct selling company that fits me. And I believe I have found it! I am super excited about this company and all that it has to offer. I have been speaking to my director in Florida via the phone/email for the past week or so and will be receiving my spring kit the first of next week!

You may ask, why Thirty-one? Here are my reasons:
1. I love handbags and anything girlie
2. Make some extra money selling items I love
3. The company is based on Proverbs 31 (a virtuous woman who worked in her community for her family who deserved much reward)
4. The company believes in encouraging, recognizing, and rewarding others for who they are.
5. A great excuse to get out of the house and enjoy an evening with a bunch of fun ladies!

If you click on the title of this posting you will be directed to the fall/winter catalog. I will have the new spring/summer catalogs to show everyone in just a few weeks!. And let me tell ya...the products are even better in person than the pictures in the catalog

I will also have my own website for you all to check out as well as be able to host online parties and order items online! How fabulous is that?? I will post that link to my website on my blog once I receive the address.

I am really excited to begin this next adventure and look forward to all that is to come! So check out the catalog, let me know what you think...and if you want to get together with all your friends and check out the latest and greatest, shoot me an email or leave a comment and I will set you all up! The hostess rewards are ever changing!

Writer's Workshop

Today I decided to participate in the Writer's Workshop that Mama Kat posted on her blog a few days ago. http://mamakatslosinit.blogspot.com/...another new blog I have begun reading.

Choose a prompt, post it on your blog, and come back and sign Mr. Linky:
The Prompts:1.) Describe your latest obsession.
2.) Ask a loved one to use 6 descriptive words to describe you and report your findings. How well do they know you?
3.) Who was your first bloggy friend? How did you find each other? Do you still correspond?
4.) Tell us about your pet! If you have a weird infatuation with your dog or cat we want to hear about it (or if they just plain drive you crazy)...but please don't compare them to children. It's just not the same.

After reviewing the choices...I decided after the week I have had...I want to do number 2. Who should I ask first, none other than the hubby. I emailed him at work today out of the blue and asked him to describe me in 6 words. I was sure, I would get a response questioning why I was asking, but I didn't.

Instead...I got this:
Pretty
Smart
Safe
Wholesome
Friendly
Religious

Hmmm....my hubby's sweet. I was sure he would say pretty...because we can be sitting there watching tv at night and he will tell me how pretty I am when I am in my pjs, no makeup and hair pulled on top of my head.

After reviewing his remarks, I decided that I should ask one of my Jersey girls...so I emailed my friend Griffin and she responded with:

Kind
Th0ughtful
Witty
Beautiful
Intelligent
Spiritual

I thought her and the hubby had about the same view of me. When the hubby arrived home tonight, he asked what it was for and I told him my blog...and he just rolled his eyes. He of course wanted to see what Griffin had said. He told me he also wanted to call me Crafty....YES indeed....he is the one for me....he knows me so well.

My hubby then gave me his run down comparison of his and Griffin's responses:

Religious - Spiritual
Pretty- Beautiful
Smart - Intelligent
Safe- Kind
Wholesome - Witty
Friendly - Thoughtful

He then asked me if I am having self esteem issues.....OH BROTHER! I just laughed....NO!! I am not!......just doing it for my blog....he hasn't quite gotten the whole blog thing yet...maybe one day.

Until then...I will enjoy it myself.

How could I resist?

I mean...seriously...how could I not put this picture on my blog?? My little "I" will be one at the end of the month. My how this year has flown. He is walking and beginning to talk more and loves to dance and sing. I can't even begin to say how thankful I am for the chance to live closer to him and watch him change and grow. Truly a blessing! Thanks Pops for the picture. I love it!
Auntie D

I love short work days

Today was not meant to be a short work day, but after convincing the hubby to go see the doctor this morning, I decided I should be there with him to hear what the doctor said. After being married almost 4 years, I have learned that if I want to know what the doctor says, I should just go along to the appointment. Otherwise, I am not going to be told even half of what the doctor says. So, I did just that today.

My hubby works out almost every day of the week. He has set certain goals for himself and I am very proud of him. However, he has overworked his body to the point of exhaustion and pain. It has been so bad lately that it has been affecting every other portion of his life (need I say more). After a little chat this morning, he finally agreed that the doctor might be able to tell us what was wrong.

After x-rays, I am happy to say that nothing major is wrong! Praise God! We were both so worried that he had injured himself to the point that he would not be able to work out ever again. It is truly amazing how God works and gives us just the right doctor today to tell him it's okay to work out...but he needs to not work out his bicep for two weeks. Had he seen the other two doctors in the office, I am pretty sure he would not have been convinced to do so. He and I are SO RELIEVED!

So after a long doctor's appointment this afternoon, the hubby took me to our absolute favorite place to eat...The Corner Cafe. I had a HUGE piece of Banana Cream Pie and a cup of coffee. Can I say Delicious!!

We are all snuggled in at home now, he in his rocking chair, BB on her bed and me on the sofa. Ready for the big game on tv tonight!

Until the game comes on, I believe I will do a little organization in the craft room....time to have a little me time. It has been a VERY LONG WEEK!

Enjoy your evening....

What's up with the dress???

If you have heard the rumor. It's true! I am wearing a dress today! I know it might be hard for some of you to believe. I have received some nice compliments from a couple of my coworkers today, I think they are more in shock that I am in a dress! I never wear dresses...okay on a rare occasion. But never to work!

And to top it off, I am in my second straight day of glasses. I usually just wear them for reading; but have noticed in the past couple of days that they are helping me see the world more clearly. I even noticed this morning as I was reading my devotion (without the glasses) that I played the trombone! hehe!

I even had one coworker say she didn't recognize me with the glasses, hair pulled back...and the dress! So funny! I should try this more often! I know I have more dresses in my closet...I guess I shall try and get them out every once in a while!

On another note, any one watch the Biggest Loser last night? A new season is starting and I can't wait! I watched part of the beginning and will finish tonight. If I could only have Jillian or Bob as my trainer....it has been such a struggle to get to the gym this week. I keep hitting the snooze button. Hopefully, I can get back into the swing of things soon. It is quite amazing though how many new faces are at the gym early in the morning...lots of new year's resolutions! Even hubby has mentioned how packed his gym is too.

You might notice a ticker/counter at the top of the blog now. It is my count down to my trip to Jersey to stay with my Jersey girls in April. We have been counting down the months for a few months now, and decided we needed a counter to remind us how long it will be before we are all together again! Miss you both Jersey Girls! I can't wait for our weekend of fun!

That wraps it up for now. If you see someone walking down the street with glasses and a dress...who knows...it my just be me...hehe!

Fabric....

Wanted to share some of the fabrics I am using for more Bella bags....decisions...decisions..which one to use first!?

I would love to get some more....but need to use these up first.....can we say...I am becoming addicted to www.fabric.com?? oh dear!

Spending the evening at home....a yummy turkey casserole just got out of the oven...recipe on the link. I can't wait to dive into it!

With the holidays behind us now, I find myself wondering what to do with myself this week. I awoke this morning and thought it was Wednesday! Why is this week not going fast enough for me? BB and I went for a walk this evening...she has so much energy!

I have also just finished watching my daily recording of Regis and Kelly and am thinking about organizing either Mr "y's" closet or my craft room's. Or...could just veg and watch some tv.....I just don't know if I feel motivated.

The first full week back to work after the holidays is always so LONG........

I wanted to share with you all a verse that I read today that really hit home with me. I have..how should I put this...been a bit crabby/bitter/angered today and yesterday....and I am really trying to work on it. This year I want to focus on being a better wife, stepmom, daughter, granddaughter, sister, friend, etc. It is a goal of mine. Another one is to grow deeper as Christian. I look forward to the year ahead and what all God has in store for me.

Anyways...back to the scripture..

Exodus 14:14 - "The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent." (New American Standard Bible)

reading it in this version hit me hard... "The LORD is fighting for you! So be still!" (Gods Word Translation)

So that is what I will do...as much as I may want to fight and argue...I am just going to be still and let God take care of the problem. He is much better at it.

Anyways, I will leave you with that for now. Enjoy your evenings!