a little bit of me.

{taco bell}

Thank GOD for Taco Bell.  It means that I don't have to worry about what's for dinner.  PLUS our taco bell is strategically located on Eric's way home from work - which means that I don't even have to pick it up!  All I have to do is announce that it's "TACO BELL NIGHT" -- Eric stops on the way home, I get a Nacho Cheese Chalupa minus the beef, sub beans, and Everyone's happy.  Oh, and bonus points that our Taco Bell shares their space with a Long John Silvers {which =} Hush Puppies with my Chalupa...  You're all thinking "gross", right???  Don't knock it till ya try it!  :)

{thank-u}

These came yesterday from my fabulous sisters.  Thank U.  I love them, and I love that you are both so excited for me -- even you, Kimmie (the non-scrapper who really doesn't get it but I know pretends to get it!).  I love you both.

Been a busy week.  The new job is going ok.  I have decided that I am NOT a morning person (not that I didn't know that already).  Rush hour traffic just does not agree with me.  I told the job that I can't start before 10am in the morning.  They said "ok".  Isn't that great?  I'm a lucky girl.  :)

{twister-z}

Pulled into the garage tonite at about 7pm, and as I was taking everything out of the car, our neighborhood tornado sirens started to wail.  Funny, but it made sense, because on my hour+ drive home, the sky had progressively turned stranger and stranger colors...  Quickly grabbed Toby and the portable phone and ran to the basement, into our safe room (no windows).  Spent the next hour and a half running back to, and from, the safe room...  (At one point I fell asleep on the floor - figured I might as well take a little nap.)  I kept thinking that the coast was clear, only to hear the sirens start-up again.

During all this, Eric called from work, and informed me that he was trapped there - he had been forced into the basement, and would try to leave when he could.  Turns out when he finally was able to leave right before 9pm, he actually SAW A TORNADO on his way home...  what's even better, is that he called me to tell me this while he was driving -- what the ??  Thanks for scaring the shit out of me sweetie.

All is well now...  but if anyone would have told me that there were tornados in MN...  I'm not sure that we would be living here now.  Give this Florida girl a hurricane anyday of the week - at least there is prep time for that...  But, for some reason, I thought that tornados were strictly restricted to Kansas and like maybe, Iowa.  Total shocker when I saw the warning megaphones scattered around MN, and innocently enough asked what they were for...  By then, it was too late!

PS - THANK YOU all so much for the MMM congrats!  :)  I still think I am dreaMMMing tho...

{MMMpossible}

Not impossible, but MMMpossible.  Crazy where life leads you.  A year and a half ago I was just rediscovering scrapbooking.  Rediscovering my creative side.  A side of me that had been bottled up for too long.  Eric was halfway through his first year of grad school and I had endless hours of empty time to call my own.  I placed my first (of many) online order for scrap supplies, discovered ScrapJazz, then 2Peas, then joined the DT at ScrapSupply and the rest is history.  The industry and community of scrappers totally engulfed me, and still continues to amaze me.  I feel blessed to have ScrapBooking in my life.  The friendships I have made, and the experiences thus far, are priceless.

Wanted to say a special thank you to Kelly -- she was the only one (other than my fabulous hubby), who knew that I entered MMM -- she cheered me on and provided much needed CC on my entry layouts.  You are AMAZING KELLY!!!!  :)

And also a huge congrats to the other talented ladies named 2006 Masters - You all Rock!

{back to work}

So in about 12 hours from now I will be leaving the house and returning to the work-force.  Albeit the "part-time" workforce, but still... its finally sinking in.  I have been "blissfully unemployed" since we left Philadelphia in early May...  3 and a half months.  WOW.  Its been nice -- but I am just now starting to want to fill the empty rooms of our house with furniture...  and that means $$$, which means me working.  HAH.  :)  Should be interesting.

Thank you all so much for the well-wishes on my interview.  Thankfully they liked me...  And I liked them...  So -- I'll be working at a small property management real estate type company, as an assistant.  I worked at a real estate investment firm in Philly (as an assistant to a few VPs), so at least I have a good understanding of the industry to start off with.  And since it's only part-time, I should have at least 2 free days a week to spend at home!  Sounds perfect, right?  Let's hope so!

Spent the weekend with some of Eric's friends who were in town...  and totally took over the house.  Tried not to let the open suitcases and shoes scattered across the whole downstairs area bother me too much...  haha.  Toured them through the Mall of America -- and I found a fabulous black evening-fancy-style purse on sale at Banana - totally will work great with the dress I picked up last week...  Finding something that I NEED, and LIKE, and on SALE is such a natural high for me...  good stuff.  What's not so good stuff, is that I tried to keep up with them last night when we went out after the Florida game (gators beat the crap out of Tennessee, thank-you-very-much)....  and almost a whole bottle of champagne during the game + a margarita + an appletini + some horrible white wine + McDonalds fries with buffalo sauce = NOT A GOOD COMBINATION.  I was in *******pain******* this morning.... 

Hope everyone had a great weekend!!

{not too much to say}

So I haven't felt like I have alot to say on the blog lately.  Maybe it's just me, maybe it's my lack of activity outside the house...  who knows.  Any-hoo, I have a job interview today - woohoo, right?  The description is for a part-time position (couple days a week), and is exactly what I need right now...  something to get me motivated, and yet still allow some time at home during the week to focus on scrapping and other organizational, house-related type stuff.  So we'll see...  wish me luck :)  *(And hopefully the company is not wierd and I don't run screaming from their office immediately after getting there - hehehehe)*

{9.10}

THE GATORS Take on Lousiana Tech tonite...  Rooting for another win...  I've ordered ESPN Gameday for us and we're ready to watch! :)

This week seems like it was somewhat a blur.  Spent yesterday at Mall of America, finally found a dress for the black-tie wedding I mentioned before...  There was a fabulous, black BCBG dress on sale at Bloomingdale's.  So relieved to have that done...

Not much else new...  BUT... So excited to get a request from CK for a layout using Kelly's new CityType Toby Type stamps...  Have to pack that up and mail it off next week.  If you haven't already - definitely check out this new stamp set at scrapsupply!

{happy}

So So SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!

MSN is reporting that SNOWBALL HAS BEEN FOUND!

Can not wait to see some photos reuniting that poor little boy with his dog....

{Snowball}

ETA - this update from the Snowball Search Fund Website:

The LA SPCA thought that they may have found Snowball -- This dog unfortunately turned out NOT to be Snowball.  The search is still continuing.

***************************************

WARNING - this is an EXTREMELY SAD STORY....... (but there with the efforts of a few caring individuals, there is now a chance of a happy ending...)

***************************************

Last night, I read the horrifying and gripping account of a little, white bichon/poodle type dog being ripped from the arms of a young boy as he boarded an evacuation bus from the SuperDome.  The newstory reported that the child repeatedly screamed the dog's name "Snowball...  Snowball" as a police officer ripped the animal from the little boy's arms, and tossed him to the side of the bus.  The child screamed to the point of vomitting -- not being allowed to take his beloved animal with him, and not knowing where his pet would end up.  Snowball repeatedly tried to run to the doors of the bus and jump on, and was pushed away by officers.

This, by far, is probably the single worst story that I have ever read, and will haunt me for years to come.

The story was orginally broadcasted by the A.P. -- and I am sure that some of you have read about it....  Since the broadcast, there has been a sort of public outcry at the indecency of the whole matter...  A fund has been set up as a reward fund to FIND SNOWBALL, and as a means of re-connecting the family with Snowball.  I just donated specifically to the fund...  and i absolutely URGE any other pet owners / animal lovers to do the same...  EVEN IF you can only donate $5 -- that $5 will go to specifically help re-unite this family with their pet.  And if you can't donate - just give your pet a hug or a little extra play time tonite....

Here's the website that you can donate at (via paypal) - just click on the photo of Snowball:

Snowball RESCUE Fund

http://www.katrinafoundpets.com/snowball_fund.htm

{cupcake overload & rupert}

So I spent the morning baking cupcakes for my husband.  Eric has been in NYC the past few days, came home today, and his birthday (the big 2-7) is tomorrow (sunday).  Thought I'd surprise him with his favorite - funfetti cupcakes (the kind with the sprinkles in the frosting)...  Picked him up from the airport this afternoon and what does he get into the car with... A box from Buttercup Bakery -- a NYC FAVE of mine!!!!  Being the amazing hubby that he is, he went by BB this morning, picked up 4 cupcakes (3 vanilla, 1 red velvet -- the icing on these bad boys is like nothing you've ever tasted), and then carried them ALL THE WAY BACK TO MINNEAPOLIS for me!!! :)  I just think it's funny that we're now on cupcake overload -- no dinner tonite - just cupcakes!  :)

Another great story -- yesterday morning Eric called me from his cell and said "Rupert wants to say hi to you"...  he puts "Rupert" on the phone and IT's RUPERT-FROM-DAVID-LETTERMAN-HELLO-DELI-RUPERT....  How crazy is that???  And...  how nice is Rupert to take the time to talk to some random crazy lady (me) on the phone???  Turns out Rupert is super-nice, and invited me to stop in the Hello Deli anytime I'm in NYC (hehe)...  I asked Rupert to take a pic with Eric (because I knew Eric would never ask him)...  good stuff - totally made me smile (and wish I had been there) to see the pic....

Finally.............  Happy to report that the Gators came out tonight and performed as the winners that they are - 32-14!  :)