Being Creative

This is a card that I made for my friends that are expecting twins next month. They already have one, so didn't really need a shower, and have gotten doubles of all they need, so this seemed to be a good idea. It's actually been a GREAT idea!! They have gotten a really good response from it.

This is the backside. The black box is where I had their address.

Great giveaway to check out!

Grosgrain is hosting a Sitting Pretty Studios portrait giveaway!! Click here to check it out.

Time to go shopping...

So, I've been trying for about 2 hours to decide what Brody is getting for Christmas. I can't even believe how hard it is this year. I haven't decided my budget for him yet (until I know for sure what my bonuses are going to be), so that doesn't help. Last year, I spent $300 on him, and that bought A LOT of toys. This year, it seems everything he "wants" is either at least $50 or....just stupid. I don't like buying stupid toys that I know he won't play with, or that are going to break right away. I don't waste money.

I know that no matter what, Santa HAS to bring him the pirate ship set above. He still sleeps with his toybook every night, even though it's ripped up and crumpled so much you can barely tell what is on the pages anymore. If he doesn't get this ship, he will be crushed. and REALLY mad at Santa.


Another thing I think I am going to do, is add on to his Geo Trax train set. They have an awesome airport now, that attaches to the train. He has the main Grand Central Station already, so I was thinking of getting one of the planes to go with it, and maybe a bridge and another train.

One of the things that he wants, but I am really not wanting to get him, is this.


He loves Ironman. I think maybe even more than Spiderman. But this stupid thing shoots those plastic things and I don't like that. I know what he will be taking aim at (the dog, the cat, the tv, the lamps, ME). I don't mind the mask so much, because I know he would have fun with that, pretending to be Ironman, but really, why does the toy have to shoot things??
I would much rather give him this. No shooting involved, and he'd still play with it. A lot probably.


I don't know about that one yet. I think for the grandmas and grandpas and uncles and aunts, I 'm just going to assign a theme to each gift giver, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Handy Manny, John Deere, Transformers, etc. (Sometimes I am amazed I know so much about boy toys. I am such a girl.)

...and of course, some little things and stocking stuffers. I already bought Lincoln Logs awhile back, (the huge set that makes a whole town) and I found this -
Isn't he awesome??

So, my question is this, how much do you spend on your children, and do you buy stupid toys just because they want them, or should I get him what I want him to have instead?

My College Girls

This weekend we had a birthday party for one of my old college roommates kids. He will turn 2 next month, but she is due with twins the same week as his birthday, so to make sure he GETS a party, she held it early. (She's the second from the left above, I know she's sitting, but does she really look a month away from having twins?? Didn't think so.)

My senior year in college was by far the best of the four. I had a group of girls that I met through the years that were just like me - we all were very driven to succeed, got good grades, went to class...and partied like rockstars. So senior year, 6 of us moved into a house together. (2 bathrooms). It still amazes me to this day that we never had any fights. Not one. This includes the "extended family" as we called them, the other girls in our circle who didn't live in the house with us, and the boyfriends that survived. Above is 4 roommates and 1 extended.

We have one BIG reunion a year, where no matter what everyone makes it, and then every few months make an effort to at least get a few together. This time, everyone (minus the prego) came back to my place to stay and go out that night.

Adam (the ex, if I can still call him that) really stepped it up this weekend. Friday night he really opened up to me, which has been one of our major problems. He told me he knows he's lucky to have me and that he's not going to screw it up again. I think I've come to realize that it's not me, or even our actual relationship that scares him. It's the "titles". I think he's afraid that it will bring too much pressure on him to NOT screw up that he will. So I'm not pushing it. I am happy with him, and honestly, right now he is the boyfriend, just without the title. (If that makes any sense.)

He even stuck around Saturday night, knowing I had the girls over, and helped make margaritas and cosmos, and then DD'd for us all night. We got home around 1:30, and of course he wasn't tired so we watched a movie. He even rearranged the furniture so that the loveseat could face the tv better so we could sit in it together, since the couch was acting as a bed for one of the girls. I really hope he keeps this up!

Photo Story Friday

Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

I love this picture. It's about 9 months old, and I just found it on my moms camera. She was watching Brody one afternoon, and he was trying so hard not to fall asleep while watching a movie.

The "pillow" is my parents' dog, Annie. They have had her about 10 (people) years now. She doesn't know she's a dog, she is so spoiled. I think her and Brody are about the same size (and she is an inside dog)!

I notice Annie's face right away, it is white in this picture, but even now, 9 months later, it is soooo much whiter. She is getting so old. She's been around a long time, and is such a good dog. I guess I'm just glad Brody gets to know her too.

Better.

I am not as crabby today. I decided to stay home and deal with double work tomorrow. I am still busy here, but hey, it's sort of a day off.

and... I am making TWO crisps. One plain apple and one strawberry apple. Can't wait.

I just want to go home.

So I guess I'm really crabby today.

No one has even stepped foot in my office for at least an hour, and before that I got asked what my problem was three times. What, can't I take a crabby day? At least everyone knows it and won't bug me.

I don't really even know what my problem is. I'm just crabby. I want to go home, not have to work on anything, and lay on the couch and watch Days of our Lives, okay? I'm super busy all the time and just want a ME day.

I really thought about taking a day off this week and staying home to catch up on the gazillion projects I have started, and finish stuff up for my sisters wedding that is coming up in just a few weeks, but when I looked at my schedule, there wasn't a day that I could skip. I am just too busy.

SO, sorry to my coworkers for not being any fun today, and sorry to the three sales calls I got earlier that I was not friendly too, sorry to the ex, I don't want to have lunch with you, and sorry friends for neglecting my email. But right now, I just want to be crabby.

For some non-crabby news:

Don't forget to vote today. It's your right and civic duty.

also, the Brodster and I watched the new Indiana Jones movie last night and it's awesome.

AND if I can't take the whole day off, maybe I will just skip bookkeeping tonight and make an apple crisp. I'm crossing my fingers on this one.