11/25/07

Another new addition to the Myrannda household

Last weekend Hubby and I found out that there will be a new addition to the family come July. I'm about 5 weeks pregnant at the moment, and my first doctor's appointment is on December 12. We told all of our family at Thanksgiving, and we've been trying to explain to Wee One that she will be a big sister soon.

By this point in the pregnancy with Wee One I was already pretty sick, but thankfully I feel really good so far. I'm hoping that this one will go much smoother than my first, and if all goes well there will be another Wee One at the end of the summer.

11/20/07

A few more cool sites I've found

image from www.vladstudio.com

If you like to change your desktop often like I do, I think you'll LOVE VladStudio.com. They have some amazing desktop wallpaper on there, and I currently have the Christmas wallpaper clock on my desktop.




image from www.someecards.com

Another site I've found is for ecards - SomeECards.com. They are all witty and sarcastic, and not your normal every day ecard!

11/16/07

More cool shoes!

Let me just start this by saying that I hope my youngest sister isn't reading this. And C, if you are, STOP NOW!!! :D










I'm giving you time to leave. Seriously, go away. ;)






Now, on to the cool shoes! My younger sister and I wanted to get our little sister (who is 15) something really cool for Christmas. She loves shoes as much as I do, and purses even more than that. We decided to pool our money and have found (what we think) are the perfect pair of shoes and purse for her.

Behold!


Are those not the coolest shoes?? I just love them, and hope little sister will, too!

10/28/07

Typography

I love looking at examples of typography. I can't draw at all, so it always amazes me when people can make their own handwritten fonts, and I adore looking at cool new fonts to use in projects (handwritten or not.) Here are a few sites I've come across recently that deal with all things typography.

Mike Perry at Midwestisbest.com
He does hand drawn artwork for some pretty big names. He also has a book out which will be on my Christmas wish list soon.

I love typography.com
A great site with articles, information, and even a few "fonts of the month."

Jeremy Tankard Typography
This guy has created custom fonts for many businesses, and has some very clean and beautiful work.


Image from flickr photoset
Typography - A photoset on Flickr
This shows some great examples of typography in print.

10/26/07

Cards I love

One of my favorite card sites is MikWright. They take old photographs and put some extremely witty sayings with them, and also sell the designs on other items like notepads, napkins and mugs. They have cards for just about every occasion, and I'm always finding a new favorite every time I visit. I have some family members that these cards are great for, and have a few that I've considered getting on notepads for myself!

10/24/07

Some fun quizzes

Jess at How About Orange always finds the coolest quizzes, and this is one she posted today. It's another "What color are you?" test, but gives your color complete with the HTML hex color code. I took it and ended up with lavender. Not only is it my favorite color, but it was also the color used as the inspiration for this site. Go figure. Extra bonus? The description is pretty much right on as well.


Another one I like (also first seen on How About Orange) is Personal DNA. It lets you use sliders to pick how strongly you feel about each section. It's kinda long, but very worth it.

10/23/07

New and Improved! Whatcha think?

When I started this blog, I had intentions of posting lots of random funky things I found online, and instead it's turned into a blog about Wee One. Sorry about that! She's still going to be here, but I'm going to start trying to post more cool sites.

So first, thanks to How About Orange (one of my favorite blogs to visit), is this site: Tips for New Bloggers
It's actually the reason my blog has a new look. There are tips on there for adding columns to Bloggers templates, and also cool bits on how to change colors, fonts, and add pictures. I had WAY too much fun playing tonight, and am very happy with how it looks!

And if you need cool retro graphics and fonts, check out Tack-O-Rama. There is so much groovy stuff on there, and it's actually where I found the background and font in the new header at the top. Here is a sample of some of the retro designs you can find on the site:


New family member

Yesterday we get a knock on the door, and it's two girls from the neighborhood. They had found a kitten that had just about been run over, and was living around a house that had a for sale sign and no occupants. Their parents wouldn't let them keep the cat, so they came to my house asking if I wanted it or knew someone that would. Me, being the sucker that I am, kept it. We *think* it's a girl, but aren't entirely sure because of how small she is. She was also COVERED in fleas, but I think we've managed to get her nice and clean. She's so precious, and Wee One just adores her. Right now her name is Baby Kitty (Wee One's choosing) until we can find something else. However, Baby Kitty is really starting to grow on me...

In other news, we're almost ready for the Princess Party (less than 2 weeks! eek!!), and all of her costumes for her birthday and Christmas arrived today, along with a ton of shirts and other goodies. She got some of it today, but the rest has to wait. She didn't care, though - she LOVED everything she got, and made me promise she could wear one of her new princess shirts tomorrow.

We also went to the park Saturday and took some pictures. They turned out SO well (thanks to Anj's wonderful photography skills!), and a few I'm definitely getting framed.





And I also got pictures of Princess Belle yesterday. A little Halloween preview.

10/12/07

Princesses everywhere!

Wow. I'm so sorry. It's really been awhile since I posted anything. We are back from Disney, and Wee One had a blast. She loved princesses before we left, but now she's completely infatuated with them. She loved getting to meet all the characters, and is still telling me that she wants to get back on the airplane and see Cinderella. I will try to get some pictures up soon.

Also, we are in full birthday mode. Her birthday is Nov. 2, so on Nov. 3 (a Saturday) we're having her party. Hubby doesn't want to have two parties - last year we had one small one here for her friends, and the big one in our hometown with family - so we've decided to have one big party at a local state park. It has lots of space for our huge families, and a massive playground that Wee One loves. And I'll give you three guesses what the theme will be...

Princesses.

Here's the front of her invitations:

I found the design online (I'm sorry to whoever actually drew it!) and I took it into Photoshop and added the color. I cut those and use the little foam squares that you use to make things 3D in scrapbooking to adhere them to the front of the invites. Then, I printed the wording for the invitation on pink cardstock and have it attached on the inside. I *might* get a silver gel pen or glitter glue pen and add some finishing touches to the inside, but I haven't made up my mind yet. They look really good, and Wee One loves the picture on the front. When I showed her, she goes, "Cinderella's pumpkin!!! Momma, I LOVE Cinderella's pumpkin!" Hopefully she'll love her party just as much.

8/30/07

Busy, Busy, Busy!

So things have been extremely busy around here lately. Hubby's mom and dad recently moved into a new house (which is gorgeous, btw) and since they bought new appliances, offered to give us their old ones. Our stove still works, but not great, our dishwasher completely washes about half the time, and our fridge is huge, mustard yellow and was last made in 1968 (the thing's older than I am!) So needless to say, I'm EXTREMELY excited about the "new" appliances.

When we found out we were getting them, I told Hubby that the only thing that would make me happier was if we were getting rid of the nasty linoleum floor that was in there. Which then led to not liking the cabinets or the wall color. So, our kitchen is now in the process of being transformed from nasty white floor, light wood cabinets and sage green walls to new terracotta colored ceramic tile floor, bright blue walls and chocolate brown cabinets. I'll make sure to post before and after pictures.

Also, I've been swamped at work, have another freelance project I'm working on (my first international one!), have started The Firm videos, and we're getting ready for Disney - we leave in 16 days! I'll try to post some more before we leave, but if not, I promise there will be lots of pictures from our trip!

8/20/07

OMG! What a workout!

One of the girls on the board I'm on is very into The Firm workouts. So into them in fact that she is in the latest infomercial. She has gotten a lot of the girls on the board to try different videos, and every one of them has been very pleased with them. A few have even commented on how they really don't get bored with them, even though they normally don't make it more than a week or so with a workout video - and they have been doing them for 3+ months. Since I was given an Amazon gift certificate, I decided to order one of the workouts thinking that it definitely couldn't hurt.

It came in the mail on Friday, but today was the first chance I've had to put it in. I ordered The Firm Bootcamp: Maximum Calorie Burn. I stuck it in the dvd player, and like a dummy decided to try it in what I had on - jeans, a knit top and no shoes. No other workout I've ever used has been that bad, and I didn't think this one would either.

O.M.G.

This workout is BRUTAL! None of the moves are hard - actually they are all very easy. But this video hits the ground running! By the 5 minute mark I was sweating, by 12 minutes I was panting, and by 20 minutes I had to quit. Turns out it's a 52 minute video, so I have a ways to go before I can complete the entire thing at once. And omg do my abs hurt!! I'm going to be SO sore tomorrow. It claims you'll see results in 10 workouts, and I could definitely see how that could happen. I might have to measure myself tonight to see if there really is a difference in 10 workouts. My goal is to get all 10 in before we go to Disney (26 days), so The Firm and I will become great friends over the next 3.5 weeks. I'll keep you posted on how it goes.

8/16/07

No More Nookie!!!

Not *that* kind of nookie, you dirty minded person, you. ;) Wee One calls her pacifier a nookie, and I think we’re finally rid of it. I realized today that it’s been over a week since she’s asked for it - which is great since she’s been without it for a month and a half. For at least a month after we took it away, she still asked for it daily. It started as multiple times a day, then just once or twice a day, then just when she was cranky or stalling bedtime (which was pretty much every night.) Finally we told her that nookies are for babies and she’s a big girl now. And since she’s a big girl, she gets to go eat with Cinderella. And babies don’t get to go eat with Cinderella. So from then on if she asked for it, we’d ask her if she was a baby. Her response was always “no, no, Momma. I a big girl and I go eat with Cinderella.” She still asked for it for over a week, but it hit me today that she’s no longer asking for it. Now if we can just convince her that Cinderella wants her to use the potty I think we’d have it made.

8/14/07

Did you know....

... That when we go to see Cinderella, we’re going to fly in a purple airplane?
... when you eat something, it doesn’t go into your tummy. NOOOO! It goes into your tongue!
... that everything tastes better with either applesauce or yogurt on it - even french fries and chicken nuggets?
... that the cubed turkey that comes in Lunchables packs is called “jelly bean turkey” (as opposed to sliced deli turkey)
... Wee One *is not* a princess - she is a GIRL!!!
... even though she’s not a princess, wearing a tinkerbell costume, Cinderella shoes and a Snow White crown is the height of fashion
... I’m not sure who is more excited about our upcoming trip to Disney - me or her!!

Turns out we only have 31 days to go! I can’t hardly stand it I’m so excited. I have a huge list of things still to do before we leave, and an even longer list of things to remember to pack, but I know it will be worth it. Now if it would only get here, I’d be fine! :D

7/15/07

Not unlucky at all!

I know that Friday the 13th is supposed to be unlucky, but thankfully for me, it wasn't unlucky at all! We managed to get the 4 wheeler sold (finally!) and I was able to go online and pay it off. I also won a hardback fiction book from the library's summer reading program, and Hubby received his bonus check that day, too.

6/21/07

Little things that make me happy...

There are lots of little things that have happened in the past few days that make me very happy.

Shoes! I found the coolest shoes online today. I don't have $102 to buy them, but oh how I want them! So pretty! The are from www.endless.com. This site has some of the coolest shoes I've ever seen. Not that I have any money, because I'm flat broke, but I still love looking and dreaming. I told hubby today that sites like this are the reason we don't have money - God knows that if we had money I'd own more pairs of shoes than I could wear in my lifetime.

Wee One's favorite book is Mouse Cookies and More: A Treasury and she insists on reading it all the time. Last night we started reading and it went like this:
Me: If you give a mouse a...
Wee One: COOKIE!
M: He'll probably ask for some...
W: MILK!
M: And if you give him some milk...
W: He ask pour a STRAW!
...and on and on through If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, If you give a Pig a Pancake, If you Give a Moose a Muffin and If you Take a Mouse to School. The funniest part is in If you Give a Mouse a Cookie when he wants to hang his drawing on your refrigerator, she screams out that he'll need "SCOTCH TAPE!!!" It's so sweet to listen to her "read" it with me.

I have a ton of work that I'm doing right now - all freelance stuff - and it's been so much fun. I actually love what I get to do, and lately have gotten some really great people to work with. And to top it off, I got an Amazon gift card from one of the people this week (thank you if you're reading! :D) How awesome is that? I get to do what I love, work with great people, and get cool gifts. I love my job.

And the best thing of all...
I've lost 9 POUNDS since Christmas! I'm SO excited. I had 22 that I needed to lose, so now I'm down to only needing to get rid of 13 more. And even better - around Christmas I bought this belt - it has 5 notches on it. When I bought it I barely got it to the second one. Now it's on the last, and my pants are still loose. I think it's almost time to go clothes shopping!

6/13/07

15 years today...

Today makes 15 years since my brother-in-law had his transplant. When he was 7 months old he had a liver transplant at the University of Nebraska in Omaha, and thankfully has been doing great since. He will have to take anti-rejection drugs for the rest of his life, and there are a long list of things he can't eat, but he's here, doing well, and is a typical 15 year old boy. I can't even imagine what my inlaws were going through while watching him in the hospital, and knowing that there might not be anything they could do to save him. Even though I didn't know them at the time, I'm extrememly grateful that he is doing well now, and adore having him as my brother-in-law. He annoys the crap out of me at times, but as long as he's here, I don't mind. :D

They are coming up here tonight to take him to Bass Pro Shop, and then on Friday we're going out to eat. And I'm going to do everything in my power to be there for both of them - because after all, 15 years ago we didn't think he'd be here.

5/25/07

What 80's toy are you?



You're a Speak & Spell!! You nerd, you.
Just because you were disguised as a toy
doesn't mean you weren't educational,
you sneaky bastard.

****************************************
Hubby was GI Joe with Kung Fu grip, and when I tried to do it for Wee One, she was a My Little Pony. Take this test to see which one you are!

5/17/07

Cutest mugs *EVAH!!*


I found these at Disney Shopping today, and I love them. I think I might have to buy the set just to get the Cinderella one - and only because I love the saying on the back of it! I wish I knew what the others said, but they sure are cute!

5/15/07

Some cutsie little things...

Just a bunch of cute little things Wee One has done over the past few days.

• Last night I introduced her to the wonders of the Hokey Pokey. It’s SO funny watching her try and do it, and she calls it the “Pokey Pokey” And when it comes time to “do the hokey pokey and your turn yourself around,” she puts her hands on her hips and shakes her booty back and forth. It’s hilarious.

• She likes for me to tell her the story of the Three Little Pigs. And she tries to help. Her favorite part is when the wolf says “Little Pig, Little Pig, let me come in” and they respond “Not by the hair of our chinny-chin-chins!” Only when she says it, it comes out “Little Pig, COME IN! Not *my* chin-chin-chin!” (last part said with hand on her hip and in a VERY sassy voice.) She also likes to say “Puff, puff, BLOW!” while blowing in my face (and usually spitting on me.) It’s quite funny.

• She’s learing the words to “Ring around the Rosie”: “Ringy Rosie, Pockey Posey, Ashes, Ashes FALL DOWN!” (as she falls into a giggling heap on the floor)

• She still has her nookie (pacifier) and a guy at Mazzio’s tried to bribe her the other day. He offered her a brownie if she would throw it away. She took it out of her mouth and seriously considered it, but then told me, “No, I no want brownie. I want nookie” and popped it back in her mouth. So much for getting rid of it!

• She has taken to putting things around her neck like a cape (her two favorites are hubby’s pj pants and one of my scarves) and running through the house shouting “SUPER BUNNY!!!!” We have no idea where she got this, but is sure is funny!

• The child gets irate if I try to touch something of hubby’s, or he touches something of mine. For example, last night hubby went to look for something in my purse. She got furious and started screaming at him: “NO, NO DADDY!!! That’s *MOMMY’S* purse!” She tried to snatch it away as well. Also, I was putting on my belt one day and it looks a lot like hubby’s. She got upset, took it from me, and as she was running down the hall she was screaming “Not *YOUR* belt! That’s *DADDY’S* belt!”

• Probably the most heart-stopping so far: She LOVES to jump off of things. Chairs, tables, even books on the floor. She jumps everywhere she goes! I don’t mind the little things (standing on two books that are stacked on the floor then jumping off - max height is about two inches), but the big things worry me (climbing up in the dining room chairs and jumping off of them - I’ve also seen her eyeing the table...) I just keep telling myself that this will be good when we start going to the pool...

5/13/07

Happy Mother's Day!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day, and I hope that yours was a good as mine was.

5/7/07

The Princess and the Housework

Sounds like it would make a good fairytale, huh? Sorry to disappoint you, but no fairytales here. Just a few things that I'm VERY excited about.

First, the Princess. I can't remember if I've posted it here (and I'm too lazy to go back and look at the moment), but we're going to Disney World in September! Wee One is so excited about going (except doesn't have any concept of time yet, so gets confused when we're going to town or to see one of the grandparents and I start talking about going), and she has recently gotten a Cinderella dress to wear while we're there. It cost a lot more than I wanted, but I figure if she wears it to eat with Cinderella, to the Halloween party at Disney, for trick-or-treating on Halloween, then for her Cinderella birthday party, we should get our money's worth out of it. I'm so glad we got it, because she ADORES that dress. She has worn it non-stop since we got it, and even slept in it the other night. She looks so stinkin' cute in it, and I can't wait for her to meet Cinderella.

And now, the housework. Someone on a board I visit posted about the 15 minute Housecleaning Challenge. They said they got the idea from www.flylady.com, and here's what you do. You pick a room in the house, set a timer for 15 minutes and clean. When the timer goes off, you can stop, and you see how much you can get done in 15 minutes. OH. MY. GOODNESS. I was shocked at how much got done in just 15 minutes! Wee One's room got completely cleaned and vacuumed, the play room is now completely cleaned and vacuumed, the guest bathroom is cleaned, floors swept and counters and mirror cleaned, my living room is clean and vacuumed (I still have some clothes I have to fold, but the rest is clean), and then in my dining room and kitchen it took two rounds - but they are both spotless now, too. So in 2 hours, all I have left to do is fold some clothes. That's it. And I didn't spend all day working on it, either! Of course I had to spend another few minutes after dinner cleaning back up, but that's ok - I spent less than 10 minutes and woke up to a clean kitchen instead of over an hour and the kitchen being messed up again and nasty when I woke up. I just love this, and am going to try my best to keep it going!

4/19/07

Really Serious

Wow. 2 weeks since I've posted anything - I'm so sorry to those of you that actually check here, and will try to step it up some!

Let's see - in the last two weeks, quite a few things have happened:
• I attempted to go to the dentist - just Wee One and me. Didn't go over well, and I learned to NEVER go to the dentist with a 2 year old without someone else there to watch her while they scrape your teeth. It wasn't a pretty picture.
• Dealt with Wee One getting sick and running 104 temp. Turns out it was a sinus infection (which I was pretty sure of anyway), and she's back at the baby sitters today.
• I had to put out fires on the message board that I "run." Nothing major, just some crazy things that lead to people getting upset about what was going on, and hopefully it's over now.
On a side note, I hate saying I "run" the board. It's technically mine - as in, my name is on the paperwork, and my bank account is attached to it - but it's not MY board. I have admin duties, but I don't feel like it's just mine - there are 140 women on there - it's their board, not mine.
• Found out that we'll be going to Disney World in Sept, and made the mistake of telling Wee One about it. Now all I hear is her asking if we're going to go eat with Cinna-elwa, Innie-A-Pooh, JoJo, Mickey Mouse and Sweeping Booty. Yes, honey, we will. But not for 5 more months!
• And have been dealing with lots of little crap - getting ready for my cousin's wedding, getting a portfolio online and trying to get freelance work (www.mldesigns.carbonmade.com), cleaning house so that my grandparents could watch Wee One while she was sick, etc.

However, the funniest thing started just a day or two ago. Wee One has watched way too much JoJo's Circus - specifically the episode where JoJo wants to be like her favorite super hero, Super Duper Girl. To look like Super Duper Girl, JoJo stands up straight, puts her hands on her hips and looks "Really Serious." My daughter has now perfected that look, and it has to be the funniest thing I've ever seen. And she's started using it if she gets in trouble. She's less than 3 feet tall, is on the smaller size for her age, but I swear, if looks could kill...

I haven't been able to get the really good look on film yet (furrowed eyebrows, puckered lips, etc), but this is close enough:

4/5/07

What a sucky day...

Today was just a crappy, sucky day. The message board I run has had a minor "event" that I spent most of the day working on, I found out I had to pay a ticket *today* or the price on it was going to jump up, then if it wasn't paid by the 15th there would be a $100 contempt of court charge, then if not paid by the 30th they'll suspend my license. Then I still have this stupid earache, and a package that I was told was sent out Sat *still* isn't here! It's from my Secret Sister, and it's for Easter, and I won't be here on Saturday if it happens to show up that day! I'm just cranky, and tired, and not really wanting (but kinda wanting) to send Wee One to my mom's for the night. I just feel like whining I guess.

Today Wee One did get to have her first party at the babysitters. She missed the one at Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day because she was sick each time. But today they had an Easter party and she was well! They said she had a blast hunting eggs, and we did it again after she got home. She was so cute walking around with her little basket and trying to find all those eggs. Sunday is going to be so much fun!

4/3/07

I know he didn't just say that...

My boss made a comment this morning that I found very offensive, especially in light of the post I made yesterday about wanting to hurry up and get this business off the ground.

He was mumbling under his breath about not getting this picture emailed in like it was supposed to have been, and I hear him say "well, that's what happens when you get these women trying to start up their own little business..."

WTF??? Has he lost his mind? I have news for him. It's going to be quite a shocker when I leave here because I have not one, but TWO "little businesses" flourishing, and it's going to be even better when he has to come to one of those "little businesses" to find someone to replace me. I just couldn't believe I heard that come out of his mouth. Yep, definitely working on getting this up and running asap.

4/2/07

Seems I might officially be a full-fledged freelancer! I’ve done a few little things here or there for people, and never really charged much, if anything. However, since Thanksgiving, ML Designs has seen quite a jump in orders. One friend of mine that lives in OK has sent me multiple jobs - both for the company she works for and for herself - and another friend from CT has sent me jobs that her company (a graphics design place) didn’t have time to finish, or just flat out didn’t want to tackle. Then there’s the ad and flyer I did for a friend in TX, invitations for a cousin’s wedding (however, those were her gift from Hubby and I), and I’m now scheduled to do wedding invitations for a guy I graduated high school with, and also the photographs for their wedding. I’m not quite sure what to think of all this. On one hand I’m VERY excited because I love doing this stuff much more than the newspaper design work.On the other, though, I’m scared to death about what’s going to happen when tax time comes around next year. Heck, I don’t even have a separate bank account set up for the business yet, because up until Thanksgiving I had never made enough to worry about it! It’s quickly becoming a real life “jump in head first and either sink or swim” situation.

Then, on top of all of this, the newspaper, having a 2 yr old and being a good wife, there is my dream. I so want to start my own business. Not ML Designs - that’s been in operation for awhile, just not full fledged. No, I want to go in with a friend and start a company called Design Placement. It wouldn’t take much to get us up and running - between $5,000 and $10,000. And I *know* it would work, and would be a success. I just know it. And the more my friend Anj and I talk about it, the more we’ve decided that we’ll actually have a variety of companies. We need one “Mother Company” name (we’re still clueless as to what that would be), but housed under that would be Design Placement (the bread winner), ML Designs (my freelance graphics stuff that I love doing) and then her photography studio. With us running all three companies, I’m pretty sure we’d be unstoppable. Now to just get the money to get it started, and my bills paid off so I can work on getting it flourishing...

3/29/07

The MS Gulf Coast - in pictures

These were taken this past weekend in the Biloxi/Gulfport area











3/26/07

The coast - A year and a half later

Hubby and I had a nice little getaway this past weekend. We went to Gulfport/Biloxi to meet a couple that he plays WoW with. They were very nice people, and I enjoyed meeting them - even if we didn’t have a whole lot in common. I also now know that I will NEVER beg hubby to come to any board gathering with me. I felt very out of place most of the time, because he *knows* these people - literally the only thing left was for him to meet them face-to-face. He plays WoW with them, talks on teamspeak with them, and even has their cell numbers. I, however, didn’t know them and didn’t know much about them at all.Every time they’d get to talking about the game or other people they played with I felt left out, and I really didn’t know what to expect going into this. Needless to say, if I meet other people from my board (which I know I will eventually) I won’t be upset if he doesn’t want to come.

Other than the uncomfortableness, I had a great time. It was nice to be away just the two of us, Hubby loved the whirlpool tub and I think would have taken it home instead of me if he could have found a way to get it out of the room, and I’m glad I had a chance to see Gulfport and Biloxi since Katrina.

The place is so heartbreaking. It’s been a year and a half, and while I know it looks better than it did in the days following Katrina, it’s still awful. On 49 in Gulfport things look pretty much back to normal. Most of the businesses are open again, and life is going on like it should. However, when you get to 90 and drive it along the beach, it’s like being in a different world. There are no gas stations, hotels or major restaurants. No souvenir shops. No gorgeous old homes. Everything is gone. They are rebuilding some, but you would never guess it’s been a year and a half. On 90 in Biloxi we saw a Wendy’s and a Waffle House that were open, a few brand new apartments, and the casinos. That’s it. At the other end of 90, there isn’t anything. People are starting to rebuild their houses, but there aren’t any businesses open at that end. And the bridge is closed on both ends. At the Isle of Capri you have to turn around because you drive into water if you don’t, and if you want to get past (I think) Bay St. Louis and Waveland, you have to take a ferry. There is no other way to get out.

The VA hospital? Destroyed. William Carey University? Building have been gutted. Beauvoir? No longer exist. It’s so unbelievable. And while I know that New Orleans suffered a lot of damage, this is a major sore spot for me. City officials in New Orleans have known for years that the levis were unstable. It wasn’t Katrina that harmed New Orleans - it was Lake Ponchatrain flooding and the levies not being able to hold the water like they were supposed to. The problems in New Orleans could have - and should have - been prevented. However, in Biloxi, Gulfport, Pass Christian, Long Beach, Ocean Springs, Waveland, Bay St. Louis and every other small Gulf coast town that no longer exist as of a year and a half ago, what happened there was unpreventible. So yes, New Orleans did suffer losses, and what happened to them was tragic. Preventable, but tragic. However, on Mississippi’s coast - the state that no one remembers, and that you never hear anything about - there are still people living in FEMA trailers beside a slab with their house number spray painted on it, because that’s all Katrina left of their entire world. Historical landmarks are gone. Not flooded, not damaged - completely gone. Nothing left. No sign of the majesty that once was. So please, I beg of you to remember the ENTIRE Gulf Coast - specifically all those tiny cities along the Mississippi coast, but the ones in Alabama and Louisiana as well. New Orleans is coming back better than ever. Mississippi still has a long way to go.

And a few links for more information:
http://www.beauvoir.org/
http://www.biloxi.ms.us/
http://www.wavelandcity.com/

3/21/07

PWNED!

You know, I just love it when people get what they had coming to them. It makes my day - esp when It’s something I wanted to say/do and couldn’t for whatever reason.

As soon as I walked in the door this morning, the salespeople stopped me to complain about the cover to the Senior Lifestyles tab that we ran this week. It was definitely not a normal cover, but I thought it was nice, and so did the other designer. And I think I have fairly good tastes about this kind of thing - the last tab cover that I liked that they actually used won first place in the statewide Press Association contest. So we got told that it “looks like shit,” “is too plain” and “the crappiest cover we’ve ever had.” I’m the one that designed it, so of course I’m getting a little upset about this. I was very polite to them, but was fuming when I left.

A little while later our boss comes through and they started in with him. The cover is awful, we should have done something better, it’s the worst cover yet, blah, blah, blah. My boss looked at the one leading the charge and said, “If you think you can do better, design one yourself and give it to them” and turned and walked away.

As Hubby and his WoW buddies would say, PWNED


And the utterly crappy cover:

3/18/07

Adventures in Potty Training ... and a new camera!

This weekend was interesting. Wee One and I went to my mom's for the weekend, and also spent time at my grandmother's. On Saturday night we were at my grandmother's, and since she doesn't have carpet in her home, we let Wee One wear her "Big Girl Panties" that night.

Pair One: JoJo's Circus
I put the first pair on her, and she lasted about 15 minutes before I saw that the entire back of her skirt was wet. Thankfully it didn't get all over the floor (her skirt soaked most of it up), but we had to go change her.

Pair Two: Dora
I put the second pair on her, and they had Dora on them. Less than half an hour after putting them on I noticed they were sagging - and this is with me asking to take her to the potty and her refusing. Yes, she pooped in these. I took her to the bathroom and changed her bottoms again, and told her this time that she pooped on Dora and tried to make her feel bad. When I told her that, she got all excited and started saying "I poo pooed on Dora!!" That's all we heard the rest of the night. She was so proud.

Pair Three: JoJo
Third pair was another one with JoJo, and she actually kept them on about an hour before she peed in them. However, she never told me she was wet - I just happened to notice it. Then when I told her that she wet them as well, I got told, "Momma, I poo poo on Dora and pee pee on JoJo." Yes, honey, you did.

I have no idea what we're going to do. If she completely doesn't care that she's wet or dirty, we're not going to get anywhere very fast. This might take awhile.

And the good news - I'm getting a new camera! My friend is selling me her Canon Digital Rebel because she is buying a newer one. I'm so excited!! I should get it next weekend, and it's good because I agreed to take pictures for someone's wedding in July. It will be nice to have a good camera to use!

3/14/07

Spring cleaning time!

You know, I didn't realize how much I could get done without Wee One around. I now get off at noon on Wednesdays, and today I came home and cleaned. I still have an hour until I have to go get her, and my living room and dining room are both clean and vacuumed, some broken toy boxes I had have been thrown away and the toys have new homes, I'm about to finish folding some laundry, and I should be able to get the playroom and/or her room clean before I have to go get her. I also have every window in the house open letting in the fresh air, I've febreezed the entire house, and I'm just so glad it's finally almost clean! It's amazing what happens when I have some time to do things without "help."

I have Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on while I'm cleaning, and you know what I find most disturbing about this movie? It's not the crazy Tim Burton film style (I actually really like that), Johnny Depp's creepy demeanor, or the psychedelic Oompa Loompas (I like them MUCH better than the original ones!) It's the one scene where Veruca is being taken away by the squirrels and thrown down the garbage chute. And you know why I find it disturbing? Because her dad is just standing there staring as his daughter is attacked by squirrels and thrown, possibly, to the furnace. And I dont' think it's because he doesn't care - I think it's because he knows that she's a little brat, and is relieved that she's finally getting what she deserved. I know I'd be going nuts if that was happening to Wee One, but I wonder if I would act the same as him if my daughter was as spoiled and obnoxious as Veruca is. And that disturbs me.

Ok, off to finish my cleaning before I have to go pick her up.

3/12/07

Parties, talking and basketball

Well, we’re back from our trip to Houston. I love going out there to see family. I really don’t get to see them often enough, and wish we lived closer than 7 hours away. My youngest sister was a huge help on the drive there and back, and I loved getting to spend all weekend with her. She was a tremendous help with Wee One, and managed to keep me awake and alert on the drive there and back.

The birthday party was amazing. It was held at a place called Pump It Up, and had to have been the most fun I’ve had in a very long time. The place was full of huge inflatables, and they were even big enough for the adults to get into! Wee One and I had a blast going through everything there, and I was exhausted when we left. But for some strange reason, Wee One was still going strong - even after almost an hour and a half of playing. She stayed awake all the way back to my cousin’s house, and then I had to *make* her lay down with me to take a nap. It was unbelievable!

I also discovered this weekend that she talks a lot more than I thought she did. I love getting to see her with C (just turned two - 4 months after Wee One) and M (turned two in December - a month and a half after Wee One.) C doesn’t talk a lot. He *can* talk, and when he does it’s really clear, but he doesn’t say anything unless it’s important. He just isn’t a talker. M talks a lot, but most of it is repeating what others say. She’s clearer than Wee One, but doesn’t do as much spontaneous talking. Wee One, on the other hand, Talks. Non. Stop. She never shuts up. All the way to TX I heard “Momma, what color dis? IT’S WED!! Momma, what color dat truck? IT’S BWACK!! Momma, I see bawoons! Orange. Gween. Ellow. See bawoons Momma? BAWOONS!!! I see cwouds Momma! White cwouds! Up in de sky! The white cwouds up inde sky, Momma!” All the way there. The child would not stop talking! And she does this everywhere we go. She knows her colors, so she has to tell me the color of everything. And she knows her numbers, so she’s constantly counting everything she sees.It’s great, and I’m glad she picked up colors and numbers so quickly, but my goodness! Please stop!!

Hubby and I went to see 300 last night. It’s gory and violent, but a great movie. Filmed very well, the story was amazing, and the special effects were awesome. The only problem I had was that a couple brought their three small children in there, and they were probably about 3, 5 and 7. This was definitely not a movie for children. Lots of sex, nudity and violence, not to mention blood and battles and people getting pushed off cliffs and decapitated. I *might* would consider taking a 10-12 yr old to see it, but there’s no way I would take children as young as these. They were great during the movie - didn’t make a sound - but I knew they were there and felt so bad. I’m sure at least one of them was up last night with nightmares.

On a happier note, I found out that my middle sister is getting to go to the NCAA championships with the college team she’s a manager for. They are an extremely small school, and this is a huge accomplishment for them. I wish them and the men’s team the best of luck, and hope their winning streak continues!

3/7/07

Another roadtrip and bedtime prayers

I know that our baby sitter must think we take more vacations than anyone else. Since the first of the year Wee One and I (and a friend and her girls) have gone to Austin, TX to visit some friends; Hubby, Wee One and I went to Atlanta, GA to see my dad and step-mom; Wee One, my younger sister and I are going to Houston, TX this weekend to see some family, then in two weeks Hubby and I are going to Biloxi, MS for the weekend. Yes, we like to travel, and thankfully Wee One is wonderful in the car.

I'm really looking forward to this weekend. My cousin's little boy turned two today, and his birthday party is this weekend. Now, this is one of my favorite cousins - one of my best friends. I was Maid of Honor in her wedding, and she was Matron of Honor in mine. I was born 3 days after she turned 4, and since that day I have been "hers" - and I truly wish we lived closer to each other because 6ish hours is way too far away. Anyway, her little boy turned 2 today, and I did the invitations for his birthday party this weekend. My "payment" for doing them is that she's going to help me with gas money so we can go to the party. I'm so excited, and I'm getting off work at noon on Friday. It's going to be so much fun!

Tonight Wee One was so sweet. We were saying her prayers, and when we got to the part where she gets to list everyone she wanted to pray for, she gave me all the usuals - Momma, Daddy, MamMaw, GiGi, etc, etc. Well, when it got to where she couldn't think of anyone else, she said Sissy (that's the baby sitter's chihuahua), Cinderella (her current favorite movie - she's a pwincess!), and her bear (meaning the musical bear that plays every night when she goes to sleep.) It was just so sweet to hear her praying for them, too, and I just about cracked up when she said Cinderella!

3/2/07

Stupid nurse and favorite shoes

I hate stupid people. I just really really hate them. And right now one of the stupidiest is a nurse at my doctor’s office. I was taken off my birth control pills in December for medical reasons, and called twice right after that happened to ask some questions about what to expect since I was taken off of them mid-pack. She acted like I was wasting her time by calling, and like I was an idiot for not knowing the answers to my questions. This is also the same woman who didn’t want to give me a copy of the procedures done at my yearly check-up so that I could submit it to Aflac because she didn’t see why I would need them. And also told me that my health insurance didn’t cover the visit so I’d have to pay (not true. They cover preventative visits 100% and have for years)

Today I called with a few other questions, and unfortunately she was the one that called me back. She started out nice enough, then spouted off some asinine comments that made me want to slap her. This woman knows nothing about me other than what is in my chart. She wasn’t even working there when I got pregnant with wee one, was induced because of PIH, or there when I came back for my 6 week check up and showed off my daughter. She wasn’t there when I had to go back and have a d&c done because my body screwed up on me. She wasn’t the one that answered the breastfeeding/medication questions during the 19 months I nursed my daughter, and she doesn’t know me from any other patient in there (unlike the other nurses). Yet she takes it upon herself to know what I want, and pretends to be my friend calling me honey the entire time. I’m the same flippin age as you. DO NOT call me honey. I can’t stand the woman, and am debating what the best course of action to take at the moment. Should I call my doctor and speak with him directly? Should I call the head nurse (whom I LOVE and is one of the main reasons I still go there) and speak to her about it? Should I just try to plan my appointments around the evil bitch so I don’t have to see her anymore? I just wish she would leave. I don’t go visit my doctor often (except the 9 months I was pregnant), but I still can’t stand her being there.

On a lighter note, I’m one hot momma today. I wore the red heels with this kinda lacy black shirt and some dark jeans to work today. I was also called a whore by one of my co-workers, and my boss told me if I ever got in trouble I could defend myself with my shoes. :D And this morning Wee One was helping me get dressed, brought me my shoes and said “Here Momma! It’s your babrite (favorite) red shoes!” I heard hubby behind us say “Yeah, they’re Daddy’s favorite red shoes, too.” Yep. It was a good morning.

2/28/07

Such a fun day

I had such a fun day today. My new schedule is that I stay late on Monday nights (until around 9pm, so about 12 hours), but I get off at noon on Wednesday. I LOVE this new schedule! And since it's been beautiful here (was almost 80 today), I decided to go pick up Wee One early and head to the park. After picking her up we went to visit a friend of mine, then headed to the park. She stayed in the swings most of the time (and the "big-girl" swing, not the toddler swing! Woo Hoo!), and loved the slides. We were there about an hour and a half, and then went to get ice cream. It was so nice to sit there with her, outside in the breeze and eat ice cream. We had no plans, we weren't rushed, and if she ate the sprinkles with her fingers it didn't matter because we were having fun. Afterwards we came home and watched 'A Bugs Life' then took a nap. It was a wonderful day.

2/23/07

What the hell was he thinking?

Yesterday morning I woke up with a killer sinus headache, and made the mistake of asking my dad for some medicine. I meant some sinus stuff and maybe an advil or two. He gave me a handful of pills to take, and like a dummy I took them then asked what it was. 3 extra-strength tylenol and half a percocet!! I'm allergic to darvocet and codine, and by yesterday afternoon my stomach was cramping and I was throwing up everytime I moved. I was so scared that I had some freaky bug and wouldn't get to meet Anna, Karin and Alison today, but I woke up feeling fine this morning, and the more I thought about it, I figured it was probably the percocet. I couldn't believe it, and now looking back it's a miracle I didn't have to go to the hospital. Who the hell gives their child 3 extra strength tylenol and half a percocet for a sinus headache???

In other news, we're having fun in Atlanta. Wee One and I met with some friends I know online this morning, and Wee One, Hubby, my step-mom and I all went to the Aquarium this afternoon. Wee One LOVED the jellyfish and the penguins. We even bought her a stuffed jellyfish (which is actually pretty cute)that she slept with on the way home. I'm really glad the trip (other than the percocet incident)has gone so well!

2/21/07

Leaving today!!

We leave tonight heading for Atlanta. I'm excited to see my dad and stepmom, and I know that Wee One will have a blast while we're there. It's almost 3:30 and I'm still not completely packed - seems I'm cutting it just a little close. ;)

Hubby should be home shortly, and then we'll pick up Wee One and hit the road. Please send lots of p&pt our way as we travel, and I'll be back on Sunday!

2/19/07

Movies, vacations and the internet

First item up today - Ghost Rider. It sucked. That's about all I can say about it. Hubby and I went to see it Saturday night for his birthday, and it was horrible. The acting was awful, the special effects were cheesy, and Hubby was upset because it didn't follow the comic books. We both wished we had went and seen Bridge to Terabithia instead!

Second - VACATIONS!! My dad told hubby and I for Christmas he would pay for us to come to Atlanta to see him and my stepmom, and I can't wait! I think we're going to leave on Thursday night after work, and stay for Friday, Sat and Sun, then come back home on Monday. The only major thing we have planned is going to the aquarium, but to be able to get away for an extended weekend would be WONDERFUL! Wee One doesn't get to see my dad and stepmom much (she's only seen them maybe 4x in her entire life), so I'm glad we'll get to go over there and see them.

And last - the internet. It constantly amazes me the things I can find on here. In a matter of minutes I can download music, chat with my online friends, order pizza, get reviews of the latest movies, plan our vacation and pay my bills. I never have to leave the house - unless I want to, of course - and it's wonderful! I've met so many new people, learned about things I never knew existed, and gotten freelance jobs - all because of the internet. It's truly a wonderful invention!

2/17/07

New stuff for ME!

I very seldom by myself anything new - not that you would know it by this last week's blog entries! But really, if I have extra money, I usually spend it on hubby or Wee One. Today, however, I went on a shopping spree just for me. I received a check in the mail for one of the side jobs that I just finished, plus I won the big gift at Bunko last night which was $30. So, I told hubby I was spending it on me.

Today Wee One and I set out to find me something to wear tonight with the new red shoes since hubby and I are going out for his birthday. I ended up getting a new pair of jeans, a really pretty black lacy shirt, a brown sweater and two new pairs of shoes. I went about $10 over what I had to spend, but I don't think he'll kill me. I'm wearing the jeans, black shirt and red shoes tonight to dinner, but I almost considered changing what I was wearing when I got the new shoes. Payless is having BOGO right now, and I swear I had to restrain myself. Between all the ones I wanted for me, then all the ones I wanted for Wee One, it's a miracle I made it out of there only $10 over. I ended up getting one pair that I could wear with tshirts and jeans, and one more dressy pair. I just love them. The bottom ones are a pink color, and even though a friend asked "what are you going to wear pink shoes with?" and I didn't have an answer, I don't care. I love them and will find stuff to wear them with! I know that no one at work will notice, and unless I specifically point them out to hubby, he won't either. But there's something about having new stuff, even if it's something small like a pair of shoes, that make everything better.

Hubby and I are going to the movies and out to eat for his birthday tonight. We're supposed to go see Ghost Rider, and hopefully he'll enjoy it. He's had a rough week at work, so I hope tonight makes up for some of it. He just called and is on his way home, and it's been a BAD day. Who knew installing car stereos could cause such headaches?

2/16/07

Why can't we just get well?

I hate being sick. Actually, I despise being sick. I have The Crud right now, and it’s about to take it’s toll I believe. Wee One has been fighting it for months, and Hubby is just getting over it. I knew it would get me eventually, just because I *always* get sick. Always. It did, and I will be heading home at noon today to try and get some sleep before I have to pick Wee One up at 5. Maybe the sleep will help, especially since I have plans for the night and would really like to keep them.

I ended up with an entire circus in my bed last night, thanks to Wee One. She is fascinated with JoJo’s Circus from Playhouse Disney (and since we don’t have cable that makes it really fun around our house), and carries her JoJo doll with her everywhere. She’s recently acquired the other characters from the show - Skeebo, Croaky and Goliath - so now the entire circus has to go everywhere with her. She woke at 4 this morning and I brought her in bed with me just like always. At first she went down the list of every food she could think of to keep from laying down - I want water, I want milk, I want chocolate milk, I want apple jacks. Then she realized she didn’t have JoJo, so she has to get down, run into her room and find JoJo. She comes back to bed and realizes she doesn’t have Skeebo, so she goes and gets him. Then Croaky. Then Goliath. Then her music bear. Then her green blanket. I swear there’s barely enough room in our bed for me, hubby, Wee One and the cat - definitely not enough for all of us plus the entire circus. She finally settled about 5:45 or so, but since my alarm goes off at 6:30, and I’m fighting The Crud, it’s making for a rough day on little sleep. Thankfully I have an understanding boss and sick time I can use.

Hubby and I are supposed to go out tomorrow night for his birthday. He wants to see Ghost Rider, and since his birthday is Sunday, that's going to be part of his gift. I'm meeting his mom tomorrow to drop Wee One off for the night, then we plan on going to dinner and a movie, then sleeping in REALLY late on Sunday. I miss her terribly when she's gone for the night, but I know she loves her GiGi and PapPaw, and they will take great care of her. Plus it will be nice to spend some time with hubby without having to do all the kid related stuff we have when she's home, and I'm excited to actually eat my meal in peace and without sharing! I hope the movie is good, and that Wee One has fun getting spoiled.

2/15/07

Can I do this?

Is it ok to blog multiple times a day? I'm not sure. Most of the ones I read don't, but I guess since it's mine I can do whatever the heck I want with it. And today I want to post twice. Why? Because I'm bored at work, feel like crap, and need something to occupy my time.

Last night it was so hard to come up with a name for this blog. I wanted something different that described me, but it was so hard to figure out what "me" was. I figured out that I'm a nice little hodge-podge of stuff. My new iPod has everything from Norah Jones to Linkin Park to Three Dog Night on it. I usually wear jeans and tshirts to work, but like to spice it up with red heels every so often. I love talking on the phone and being online, but am perfectly content to sit for hours and get lost in a good book. So what really describes me? I'm not sure, and I think I like it like that.

In high school I always wanted to fit in, and have people like me, and was easily defined. Then as I got older, I started to realize that it's ok to not be confined by a "label." But after so many years of trying to define myself and make myself fit into this nice little mold of what I was supposed to be, it's hard to break away from that. And for once in my life I'm finally starting to figure out who I am and what I like. A few years ago I would have never decorated my living room in black, red and lime green - because OMG! What would people think of me??? I wouldn't have had Nirvana right after Ludacris, right after Alicia Keys on the iPod because someone might see it and wonder what kind of person I was. And I have to say, the stuff I designed sucked because I wanted to make sure everyone liked it and it couldn't be taken the wrong way by anyone. And because of that there was no creativity. Now I'm started to be less concerned with what others think, and more concerned with what I think. And I know everything around me is better because of it. My house is now becoming a reflection of me, I'm more comfortable with myself, and my design work is getting better, if I do say so myself!

Case in point: A project I did for a friend of mine. I can promise it wouldn't have looked anything like this 3 years ago.
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©2006 ML Designs

Sickness and shoes

I think I just might keep this updated - for at least a little while. I went to bed last night thinking of things to blog about, and even dreamed about it. Yes, I get a little carried away with things. So sue me. ;)

Seems I now have the same crud that Wee One has had. She’s on a nebulizer every 4-6 hours for her coughing and congestion, and last night I didn’t sleep at all because I’m now coughing. I’m so tired today, and would love to go home and go to bed. However, I would also love to use my vacation days for actual *vacation* time, so as long as I’m not dying or contageous I’ll be at work. Sucks, but since I don’t do any physical labor (I sit at a computer in a darkened room and surf the net most of the day) I don’t want to waste the days if I don’t have to.

I broke down and bought some new shoes this past weekend. I’ve been wanting some red heels - sexy red heels - but couldn’t find any that weren’t $100+. I love shoes, but I also love paying bills, and since I’m broke, bills come first. Anyway, I finally found some that I LOVE.
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And Hubby loves them, too, which is even better. ;) I wore them to work on Monday, and my co-worker told me I “whore it up well” and that all I needed now was a pole. For me to be such a sweet girl and to wear jeans and tshirts most of the time, the red heels were quite a change. I love these shoes.

And it seems Wee One loves them, too. What can I say? Like mother, like daughter.
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2/14/07

I wonder if I can keep it up...

I have quite a few friends that blog, and I read a few on a regular basis. I like the *idea* of blogging, but I"m horrible at actually following through with anything. I never made it more than a month or two with a journal or diary, I have a blog started on a messageboard I'm a part of that hasn't been added to in months, and my daughter's baby book is only about half full. I have great intentions, but never seem to follow through. I'm hoping this will be different, but only time will tell.

Today was Valentine's day. Hubby and I don't normally do anything special (maybe a card or candy, but never much), so I didn't figure this year would be any different. However, we got our tax refund in last Friday, plus hubby is getting a bonus this month, so we had more money than we were expecting. Since we had more than we thought (almost $600 more than we thought) we spent it on something completely frivilous. We both got iPods. I have been wanting one SO badly, but never had the extra money to blow. We probably didn't have it now, but man, do I love my iPod! It's bright green, and I've been using it at work since I can't have a radio or anything playing. I love this thing!

Also, hubby came in tonight with flowers for me and wee one. I was so surprised, because we both agreed to not get anything else. It was a very nice surprise, though.