Auld Lang Syne

Hello strangers. It has been WAYYY too long since I did a blog. I figured New Years Eve was as good an opportunity as any to start back up. I could give a million and one excuses for not blogging but they are all just that.....excuses. One of my goals for next year is to do a much better job with it. I enjoy it a lot and I find it to be very cathartic.

I must confess, New Years is my LEAST favorite time of year. I have always found it to be unbearably sad. I usually find myself crying at some point on New Years Eve or New Years day. It is just the most depressing time for me. I don't really have a good explanation for why that is. I guess for me, the end of the year is a time to reflect on everything you have done and too me anyway, nothing is ever enough. I fight with feelings of failure every day so this time of year just makes it so much worse. I know on the rational side of my brain that I have so many wonderful things to be thankful for and have been blessed beyond measure. It is the funky side of my brain that I have to fight with. I think tonight I will find some foolproof way to make me happy, maybe a Harry Potter marathon or something. Or maybe I will watch Twilight. What better way to spend this evening than with my favorite vampires, LOL LOL.

I also have a HUGE problem with making resolutions. I hate the word. Again, I just feel like if you label things as resolutions, then they are doomed to fail. So I prefer to call my aspirations for new year my GOALS. Everyone needs a goal right?? My goals are fairly simple. I want to become healthier. I am not going to get all wrapped up in losing x amount of weight or making it to a particular size. I just want to feel better, whatever that takes. I also want to make more times for the things I love. I tend to put off things I enjoy doing because I feel like there is something else more important. I really want to work on my scrapbooking more, especially the old family pictures I have. It is so important to tell all the stories. I also want to strive to be a better friend. Sometimes I feel like I am too selfish, getting all wrapped up in my own nonsense. I want to do a better job this year of showing those I love how special they are to me.

Ok, so that is enough of my melancholy ranting for today. Tomorrow, I hope to jump back on with my alphabet blog with the fabulous letter J. I hope everyone has a safe and happy New Years Eve. God Bless !! :)

The I's have it !

Greetings all, sorry about the delay in the new post but it was been a crazy couple of weeks. I decided to have a little mini breakdown last week for some reason. I just couldn't seem to think straight at all. I attribute it to stress and horrible allergies. I had another craft show Saturday at the airport in Hartselle. It started off slow but really ended on a bang. I ended up selling more than I did at the last one !!! I was so excited. The bottle cap necklaces and the hair bows are a huge hit. Now I have 2 months to get ready for the 2 big shows in Cullman. Based on how I have done at these two tiny ones, I have my work cut out for me. I have also set up a flickr account. This is a great way to store photos online. I have created special folders for all the graphics that I have available for order on my jewelry. I only have a few on it now but I hope to have them all uploaded over the weekend. I will also be able to put up pictures of the finished products. This will give everyone an easy way to check out what I do and all the options that are available. Here is the link http://www.flickr.com/photos/purpletreasures/ Be sure to stop by and check it out.
Here are just a couple of quick entries for the lovely letter I.

Ice - I adore ice in all its forms. My favorite is of course the wonderful Sonic ice. I always call it "rat pellet" ice, lol. When I went to London several years ago I learned that other countries do not support my love of a little drink with my ice. Imagine my surprise when I ordered a Diet Coke and got some small juice glass of warm liquid with no ice and a lime slice !!!!!! What on earth???????? I was never for thankful to see the Houston airport just so I could get my first cold drink in a week !!!!!

Italy - This is another place I would really love to visit. Someday I want to go see all the wonderful historical sights in Rome. I would also like to see St. Peters and Vatican City. The great authentic Italian food will be a big bonus too !!!

I can't really think of any more I thoughts. I promise to update again this weekend with some pictures from the craft show and some wonderful words of J wisdom. Have a great rest of the week.

The Hugely Important often Hilarilous Letter H !!

Hello folks, see I did manage to update again within a month. Will wonders never cease?? I am still hard at work on the craftiness. I think I would harder at home now than I actually do at work. I got some great new ribbon in last week as well as some really pretty Christmas print fabric so hopefully I will have some new holiday themed goodies for you to see soon. So without further ado, I bring you the wonderful letter H, my favorite so far I think.

History - anyone who knows me AT ALL knows that I am a history nut. There is a story behind the madness. When I was in the 5th grade I had a really awful teacher who was like seriously 108 at the time. She was tall and super skinny and had these freakishly long boney witch fingers. Not to mention the fact that she was practically deaf too. Well she gave us these horrible assigned seats and I got seated right in the middle of the trouble making rowdy boys. The thing was, whenever anything went wrong, she always blamed me !!!!!! Her punishment of choice was to make me copy entire chapters out of my social studies book. I think I copied that stupid book about 3 times through that year. The funny thing was, as I read what I was supposed to be mindlessly copying, I fell deeply in love with American History. Then when I was in the 9th grade I discovered Henry VIII and his wild self and my "history" was written. Even though I don't use it, my college major was history. I don't regret it for one single heartbeat. I adored every minute of every history class. I still read tons of non fiction history books and am addicted to the History channel. If money were no object and I could do anything in the world, I would go back to college and get my Phd and sit around and write textbooks all day. Some people will never understand my love of history. All I can tell them is that reality tv and tabloids have NOTHING on what real people have done.

House - I want my own house again. Don't get me wrong, I love my parents deeply, but I am in dire straights need of my own personal space. I have considered renting a town house but I just don't want to throw my money away. So my dream is to build my own house, just like I want it. It will have tons of room for people to come over (no more panning off book club and showers to others). Not to mention it would have the most mack daddy, tricked out craft room in the world. I want it to have plenty of room for tables so people can come play. I have been praying about this a lot lately and I really feel like it will happen for me. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but someday soon. Everyone is welcome when I do !!!!!

Hobby Lobby - I spend entirely too much time in this store. Of course it doesn't help that you can see it from the front lobby of the office, just tempting me to come in. My ultimate weakness is when they put out all the Christmas stuff. I am like a kid in a candy store. I tend to get sensory overload. My head is just too full of ideas. Anytime I can get out of there for less than $50, I consider it a personal victory, lol.

Harry Potter - I could blog on nothing but for weeks and never run out of things to say. They really are some of the most wonderful books I have ever read. I consider "Deathly Hallows" to be one of the greatest books ever written, period !!! They cover every facet of the human experience: love, hate, good, evil, birth, death, forgiveness. I could go on and on. For the critics out there who claim that they are evil and spark satan worshiping or that nonsense, well all I can say is that I feel sorry for you. You obviously have never read them. They are filled with the power of love and its ability to conquer evil. They tell us that good and bad are all determined by the choices that an individual makes. And I am sorry, any book that can spark a love of reading in so many millions of people could never ever be bad.

Hermione - It is just a coincidence that my favorite fictional character of all time just happens to be in the books mentioned above. Hermione is so important and significant for girls everywhere. Here is a girl who is brilliantly smart and isn't afraid to show it. She would never ever play dumb just to attract the attention of some boy. She uses all her intelligence to save the people that she loves most. Not to mention the fact that she is brave and loyal to the death. Harry was the chosen one, he couldn't escape all the danger. Hermione didn't have to be involved. She didn't have to stick around. She did it purely out of the love for her friend. I read a quote by J K Rowling that sums it all up. She said, "I pray all my daughters grow up to be Hermione's. HERE HERE !!!!

I think I have preached long enough about the wonderful letter H. I could go on and on. I still didn't mention my wonderful boss Dr Hardy who gave me a chance when no one else would or my pride in the Harp name. But I don't want to drag on and on. Until I everyone, have a great day.

Neglectful Blogging in the tune of G

Hello strangers. I am so ashamed that it has been over a month since I last blogged. I have just been so stupid busy it is ridiculous. My little crafty business is taking off with a bang. I have another craft show in Hartselle on Saturday 8/29 and I have lined up two HUGE shows in Cullman in November and December. Everyone keeps telling me how busy both of those are. I had better get some more stuff done quick. Also, I have added hair bows to my collection. I have posted several pictures on my facebook and on etsy so stop by and check them out. I really love the Alabama and Auburn ones. They are totally cute. I also have some super cute holiday ones that are almost done. I have also been experimenting and I think I have perfected being able to make my glass pendants with pictures I have taken. That means I will be able to take orders for cute pendants with pictures of your kids or grandkids or whoever. I really think these will make great Christmas gifts. I won't be selling those at the shows, so if you are interested just let me know. I really do adore making all these things but it is really causing me to wear myself a little thin. It is hard to work full time and still get all this done. I have been trying to get more organized and work out a schedule. Hopefully I will get all my ducks in a row soon !!!!!!! I promise to try to be a better blogger too. All of us have sadly been neglecting them lately. Let's get them geared back up folks, lol !!!!!!! Now, here are a few words brought to you by the lovely letter G.

Grape - This is my flavor of choice. When I was little, I always wanted to grape sucker or the grape kool aid. This has not changed. A grape snow cone right now would be just heavenly !!!! Maybe this is where my affection for the color purple comes from. Who knows, but I still adore a big glass of grape kool aid whenever I can.

Guacamole - Wow, I really love this stuff !!!!! The haters of the world thinks it looks gross, but who cares. It is the bomb!!! In fact, I could really go for some from Rosie's right now. Anyone care to join me, lol.

Phillippa Gregory - She is one of my absolute favorite authors. She wrote The Other Boleyn Girl as well as tons of others. She is the best at historical fiction that I can ever come across. I have read just about everything she has ever done and am dying to get a my hands on her new book, The White Queen, that is coming out in September !!!!! She helps me foster my love of any and all things British. You should really check out her work sometime.

Grease - LOVE THIS MOVIE !!!!!! It is funny, this is the first movie that I can remember seeing in a theater. My mom took some kids from church to see it and I tagged along. My mom had an album of the soundtrack and I would get in so much trouble if I tried to put it on the stereo myself. I know every word to every song and still love to watch it whenever I can. I always dreamed of being a "pink lady". Grease will always be the word!!!!!!

Gone With the Wind - Here is another movie that I have watched my entire life. This is one of my mom's all time favs so she would always have me watch it with her when I was little. I have always drooled over the clothes, especially the dark red velvet dress Scarlett wears later in the movie. This is another one that I know all the words too. I can't imagine anyone who hasn't seen it. I watched it again last week for the first time in ages. Good lord, Clark Gable was HOT back in the day. He was totally robbed when the didn't give him best actor for this movie. I was so excited when I found a sheet of the graphics I make pendants out of that was old movie posters. It has a GWTW one and I just had to have one !!!!! The book is pretty good too. But I can honestly say this is one of the few times that the movie is actually better. I would love nothing better than to look like Vivian Leigh when I grow up !!!

Well, I guess that is enough rambling for now. Hope to hear from everyone soon. I promise I will have H up ASAP. Goodness knows, there are some very special topics to cover in that one. Chow for now !!

FFFFFFF

Hello all! I hope everyone had a great 4th. I just had a quiet one at home. I am still working to get stuff ready for my craft show. I know I promised to have more pictures up and I promise I will later this week. So now I am on the wonderful little letter known as F.

Frosty - My sweet baby boy kitty. I miss him every single day. I can't believe he has been gone for 7 months now. I still haven't been able to go visit his little grave that Daddy fixed. I would really love to find one of those little stones that I can put his name on. I have seen them before in some catalog but I can't remember where. I am so grateful that I still have Buffy and Willow. They brighten every day for me.

Friends - Wow, this is such a special topic for me. You know, growing up, I didn't have a lot of friends. I had 1 best friend and a few others but that was about it. I never really felt like I fit in all that well. It wasn't until I became an adult that I found any true blue soul mate sort of friends. I thank God every day for bringing so many wonderful people into my life. And the book club has just added more wonderful folks to my group of friends. I am the kind of person who doesn't use the word "friend" to describe lots of folks. I only give that title to ones I think deserve it. That is why it is very painful to me when I come to realize that someone doesn't deserve that title anymore. It really breaks my heart. I am still working through one of those heartbreaks now.

FSCU - Good ole' Family Security Credit Union. It is so appropriate that I put this right along with the topic of friends. While it was a horrible place to work with some really crazy mean spirited awful people...it also gave me the greatest gift of my 2 dear friends Amelia and Jaime. I don't know how I could make it without them. Through them I have met almost all my other friends as well. So no matter how miserable that wretched place made me sometimes, it is impossible to not give them credit for changing who I am today. And lord knows it gave us an endless supply of crazy stories to tell, lol.

Food World - Wow, this one brings back some really complex emotions. I got my first job ever as a cashier at Food World on April 1, 1992 and stayed there until May of 2001. I met my wonderful friend Cindy there. I had my heart shattered there. I lived and learned, laughed and cried and grew so much as an individual while there. It will always remain a significant period in my life. I can't shop there though... call it post traumatic stress disorder. I know Cindy understands that, LOL.

France - I have a thing for all things French. It goes back to college. I signed up for a course at UNA called Renaissance and Reformation. The teacher turned out to be this incredibly good looking 28 year old new professor. I signed up for any and every class he taught. Since his specialty was French history, I learned tons of stuff about France and became hooked. He really was a excellent teacher. I really want to learn French. That is one of my main goals right now. I think it would help with all the books about French history that I read.

Fan Fiction - This is my latest total obsession. I discovered it about a year ago and can't get enough. For those who don't know, fan fiction is a very broad title for stories that are based on characters from books, tv or movies. I read only Harry Potter or Twilight stories. Some follow very closely with the "canon" story laid out in the originals. Other stories go off in the total opposite direction. There are some that are total garbage but there are many that are really excellent and well written. Yes, there are some that are very....smutty... for lack of a better word. But I only like the ones with a strong story behind them too. Some really have nothing at all to do with the original works, they just use the characters names. I have tons I can recommend if you are interested. But I feel the need to warn you, you will become totally addicted !!!!

I guess that is enough for F. Hope everyone has a super week. Looks like a busy one as usual for me.

Easy E !!

Hello strangers. I always seem to have some dumb excuse for not blogging like I should. I hate to keep saying it's because I am busy but it's true. As if I didn't have enough to keep me busy, I have signed up to do a craft show in Hartselle on July 18th. I will be selling my rings, pendants and some cute hair clips I have been doing. I hope everyone can come and check out my booth. Kelly will be there too with her great painted stuff. Now, on the the marvelous letter E.

Ebay - what can I say, I have been an ebay addict since about 2001. I have bought and sold stuff on there forever. There is absolutely nothing that can't be found on there. Not to mention
that it is usually cheaper than anywhere else. Love it love it. If you have never shopped on there beware though, it will become addictive.

Etsy - This is a fabulous little website I discovered about a year or so ago. It is packed with all
sorts of handmade item and supplies. It has some beautiful stuff on it. I think the last several baby and wedding gifts I have gotten have been off there. It is great for special personalized items. I even have my little shop on there. Please if you never have, stop by and check it out. Here is the link http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5650129 Stop by and support all us crafty folks out there

Eiffel Tower - I adore anything and everything with the Eiffel Tower on it. All my friends keep
their eyes open and have gotten me some wonderful things over the years. I really started my obsession after visiting Paris in 2001. Being at the top of the Eiffel Tower is the coolest thing EVER !!! Of course, if you ask my friend Cindy, she will tell you that I loved it so much because I was high on a jelly doughnut, lol I had a spell with my blood sugar so we stopped and ate at this beautiful little park right underneath the Tower. I had a French version of a hot dog and a raspberry jelly doughnut. It was the BOMB !! OK, so Cindy has been convinced that I got high off the sugar in the doughnut and was acting a fool. I prefer to think of it as being giddy with the moment, LOL LOL. So this became my favorite place in Paris so I have been collecting things ever since. I don't really have room to put out all my goodies now, they are in storage. Someday, I will have a house to display it all again.

England -- I have been totally obsessed with British history for years, ever since middle school.I read Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights and The Wives of Henry VIII and I was hooked I honestly prefer it to American History most of the time. I have always dreamed of getting my PhD in history and my concentration would be the Tudor period, with Henry VIII and ElizabethI. I have been to London and I was in heaven. The Tower of London was too cool. I would have got to see Queen Elizabeth's grave but some grouchy monks in Westminister Abbey ran us out !!!! If you check out my bookcase at home right now, 75% of the books have something to do with either England with a few about France. Maybe this is why I love Harry Potter so much. I am just a sucker for a British accent, lol.

Edward Cullen - Ok so I have to give a shout out to the most wonderful romantic fictional character EVER. The only other one to come close would be Noah Calhoun. It also doesn't hurt that his real life alter ego, Robert Pattison, is beyond dreamy. Just another reason to heart a British accent. Too bad he couldn't keep it for the movies.

This is my E entry for today. I hope everyone enjoys it. I hope to blog again this week. Keep your fingers crossed for me. Oh, one more little soap box moment before I go. Yes, I know he was weird. No, I don't think he was a pedophile, I think he was a sad lonely mentally ill man. But I cried Thursday when Michael Jackson died. I LOVED his music. Always have, always will. Would I have invited him to dinner or asked him to watch my kids, lord no. What I don't have a lot of tolerance for is people who just want to spew hate and venom at the dead. Let him have his moment of memorial because he was a great artist. Then let the dead rest in peace. Now, I really am finished for the day :) Hope everyone has a great week. I look foward to seeing my girls on Friday night for a big birthday palooza !!!

Back to the Alphabet Soup

Sorry folks, long time no blog. I have wanted to but I have felt like I should include a new alphabet blog first and I have come to realize D is not one of my favorite letters. It has me sorta stumped. Anyway, here goes my meditations on the letter D.

Dolls - I really don't care for dolls. When I was a little girl, I wasn't much of a baby doll girl. I had one named Joy who was totally bald. I never really wanted those that would cry and poop or whatever. Of course I adored my Barbies, but I think that is more about fashion. Now, dolls really creep me out. Especially the ones in antique stores, with the eyes that roll around in their heads. Serious nightmare material. Plus, they always seem to be "looking" at you. Nope, I will never be one of those little old ladies with 100 china dolls piled on the bed in my guest room, LOL.

DHS - Good ol' Danville High School, my illustrious alma mater. What is there to say? Did I get a good education? Well, in English and history most definitely. Mr. Walker and Mrs. Fleming were awesome. Other subjects, not so much. Overall, I HATED high school. I was a very unhappy lonely little person. I didn't feel like I had anything in common with anyone and didn't fit in anywhere. The people who know me now would have never recognized that shy girl. I didn't come of my shell so to speak until I was in college. I have reconnected with a few of the people I went to school with on Facebook, but by and large I never see anyone and I like it that way. It is too painful for me. It brings up too many bad memories. I really don't want to remember the girl I was then. I buried her a long time ago.

Depression - This is a topic I am very passionate about. I have suffered from moderate to severe depression ever since I hit puberty. That is one reason high school was so hard for me. I had all the normal teenage drama going on plus my crazy mind to boot. This was way before there were things like Zoloft or Prozac and no one really acknowledged that young people could suffer to. I am not ashamed to say I have been on medication for years. It has been a god send for me. It was like I spent my teenage years walking around in a foggy bubble. It blocked everything I saw, felt and experienced. The medicine helps to lift that fog. I don't really talk about it all that much. I am not the type to take my "bad days" out on others. Most people will never know when I am having a bad "spell". I tend to keep too much of it bottled in, which makes things worse. My hope in writing this is that anyone else who might be suffering might think about getting some help. I am not ashamed and neither should you be. Depression is not a choice. It is not just "feeling sorry for yourself". I can't imagine that I or anyone else would suffer by choice. A good attitude helps, but only so much. It helps to find someone to talk to that understands. There is always hope and light at the end of the tunnel. I am living proof of that :)

Well that is my entry for the lovely letter D. I promise I won't wait so long again before I blog. I have lots I would like to talk about. Hope everyone has a super week !!!

The Fabulous Women I Come From

I was inspired this morning by reading Amelia's mom's blog. What a wonderful way to honor mother's day than remembering the wonderful women that you come from. So here is a little about the wonderful women that made me who I am.

Rose Lee Hamilton -- That is her in the picture, with me in the playpen. This is my mother's mom. I never knew her. She died of bone cancer when I was 18 months old. I really love this picture. You can see the love for me on her face. I would loved to have known her. Everyone always talks about what a generous loving woman she was. She had a really rough time. She spent most of her adult life being emotionally and verbally abused by her husband. My mom cries when she talks about how this abuse never phased her love for other's or her faith. Someday, if I am ever blessed to have a little girl, I will use Rose in her name to honor my grandmother.

Lelma Aline Harp -- My dear sweet Mama Harp, she is the phone holding me in her lap while I was working the fab red hat. There are no words to describe how much I have always loved my grandmother. I grew up in their yard so I saw her and Papa practically every day of my life. Mama Harp was a very plain women, in no way a girly girl. She didn't care about pretty or fancy things. She was fierce, loyal, loving and never ever took crap from anyone. She lived through difficult times in her life too. She raised her children in difficult poverty most of the time. She survived the loss of a baby, my dad's twin sister, but it haunted her the rest of her life. Her mind stayed with her long after her body gave out. She died in 2000 and I miss her all the time. I never see hydrangeas, chicken and dressing or chess pie without thinking about her.

Nora Jean Harp -- Finally I talk about my sweet mommy. That is the two of us in that first picture, on my first Easter. Yes she drives me crazy a lot of the time but that doesn't phase my love for her. I am her only child so I have never had to share her with anyone. She totally loves me unconditionally. I have been through a lot in the last 8 years and done some really stupid things. She has been there for me thru it all, even when I didn't deserve it. I have seen friends that never really knew how their parents felt about them and that has always broke my heart. Everyone deserves to have a mother as longing and supportive as mine. If I am ever bless with children of my own, I know that I have had the world's greatest example to show me the way.

Happy Mother's Day to everyone out there. Take the time to celebrate the wonderful women that you are and the one's that you came from !!

C is for Cookie and That's Good Enough For Me !!

Yes, I know I am behind in my blogging. I am eternally sorry. I have just been so busy lately, not to mention the fact I have felt like CRAP because of these awful allergies. Oh well, it will get better soon. I hope you like the title. It is from an old song from Sesame Street that Cookie Monster used to sing. I thought it would be cute. So without further ado I give you the letter C, in all its random glory.

Cindy - Cindy is a very dear and special person to me. She has known me the longest of any of my friends. She and I started working at Food World together the same week back in April of 1992. Good God, that is 17 years ago, time has flown away. She and I clicked early on and became inseparable. We both stayed and worked there together for 10 years. We have seen each other at our best and at our absolute worse. We have seen each other thru more drama than I care to remember. She sat with me until the nurses kicked her out the night before my big surgery and she was one of the first faces I saw when I woke up. We have traveled everywhere together, from London and Paris to Gulf Shores and Tunica and tons of places in between. She is my sister in every sense of the word. I love her very much. I am so thrilled that she and her husband David are having their first child in August. Little Kate is going to have a wonderful mom !!!

Country Music - Ok so some people may think that this one is a little odd coming from me. I am the first to admit that I have not always liked country music. In fact, when I was in high school and college I hated it. For the last couple of years though, it has become my favorite. I find that I become very inspired in my writing. If you listen, almost every song is begging to have a story written about it. That's what they are really, little short stories set to music. Other music just doesn't do this. Right now, I would love to go see Brad Paisley in concert. I adore him, and not just because he named his new baby Jasper. I also adore Carrie Underwood, her "Just a Dream" has altered the path of one of the characters for my book. More on that to come later :)

Cricut - I know it is crazy but I just love this little machine. For you non crafters out there, this machine can cut shapes and letters in tons of different sizes. There are so many great cartridges out there, especially a few of the soon to be released ones. There is a really great blog I discovered that has so many great ideas for cricut users. I have seen things on there I have never even thought about. You should really check it out. http://regina-bittenbythebug.blogspot.com/

I think that is about it for the C's today. I will have a big baby blog coming up after tomorrow to talk about Reese, Noah and another very special little one I just learned about yesterday. D will be coming up soon too, although I don't think I can do much better than Jaime's beautiful blog about her dad. That brought tears to my eyes. Have a super day everybody !!

Catching Up

Hi everyone ! I hope everyone is having a great week. I thought I would take a couple of minutes this afternoon to play a little catch up with my blog. I had a very productive weekend. I took a ton of pictures and put a lot of my rings and necklaces on etsy. Guess what !!! I sold my first necklace today. I am so excited. Be sure to stop by and check them out. Here is the direct link to my shop, http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5650129 I hope to have more new stuff up soon. I am also working on some new scrapbook kits to replace the ones already on there. I wish I just had more TIME so I could get all the ideas out of my head. It doesn't help that I have felt like crap all weekend. My allergies are totally out of control. All those evil little wormy things hanging from the oak trees, they are my arch nemesis right now !!!

I am also anxiously awaiting more baby news. My friend Paige has had a very frustrating couple of weeks. She was put on bed rest because her blood pressure was going up. Well it is still up but the dr's just keep putting her in the hospital and then sending her back home. She is beyond frustrated. Lord knows Paige isn't known for her patience in the best of times, much less at 9 1/2 months pregnant, LOL. We were really hoping they would keep her today but no such luck. She has at least dilated 1 cm now. If nothing changes, she goes back again on Friday. She really thinks her Dr is waiting until next week to seriously talk about inducing her. Then of course Jaime goes back tomorrow as well. Those 2 will end up going on the same day. I for one am ready for little Reese and Noah to both be here happy and healthy.

I better run for now. I hope to post my next alphabet installment tomorrow or Thursday. Tootles :)

B is for..............

I know, I know 2 days in a row. Shocking isn't it. I am really loving the whole alphabet thing so I decided to go ahead with B. This one has several great things !!!

Book Club Girls - When you started the book club Amanda, it was one of your best ideas ever. Our meetings are one of the highlights of my month. It is a great group of amazing, beautiful strong and funny women. I am honored to call all of you my friends.

Boleyn, Anne - If I could meet any historical figure, it would be Anne Boleyn. For those who don't know, this was Henry VIII 2nd wife and Queen Elizabeth's mother. She was pimped out my her family to further their own political gains. She seduced the king of England and inspired him to change the religion of his entire country just so he could marry her. Then, when she didn't have a son for him, he had her killed. I have always adored her. I have probably read 5 or 6 books about her. Her story is better than any soap opera or reality show ever could be. If you don't know her, I suggest you read more about her. You won't regret it.

Brian - This person holds a special little corner in my heart. He was my first love, my best friend in high school....well he was EVERYTHING to me for a long time. With distance and wisdom I can think about him without all the pain of a broken heart. He was the first person who called me a coward and challenged the way I looked at myself. He gave me courage before I knew I needed it. He was also the first person who thought I should be a writer. He harassed me for years about it. I told him once that when I published my first book, I would dedicate it to him. I plan on keeping that promise. God Bless you my friend. I hope you and family are very happy.

Books - in case you didn't know, I love books. I love the way they smell, the pretty dust covers. There is nothing better than a brand new unopened book. It is so full of possibilities. You never know what you will find between the covers. Some people want to take books digital, reading them off their phones or blackberrys. NO NO NO. Nothing will ever replace the sensations of the book. Don't even try. It is a waste of time.

Tootles for now. I am off to finish my laundry. Hope everyone has a great Monday. Just think J, only 2 days to go!!!!!!

I Am Stealing J's Idea !!

Happy Saturday all. Hope everyone is having a great weekend. I have been working on jewelry all day today. Hopefully tomorrow I can get pictures taken and get it all on etsy. I want everyone to check it out when I finish. You'll have to let me know if you see anything you like. You know I will hook up my besties, as long as they spread the word of where they got their pretties. So I adore the alphabet blog that Jaime and now Amelia have started so I am going to do my own version now. I may not go into quite as much detail on some things. I will just make a little list of things for each letter. Consider it more evidence of my infinite randomness. So begins the letter "A" .

- Amelia - good lord, I could write blogs for days about my dear friend. They definitely broke the
mold when they made her. She is one of the sweetest, funniest and most loyal people
you will ever meet. I don't know what I would do without her. She is my partner in
crime. We always can find an adventure, LOL. I love you dearly :)

- Apple Juice - I hate apple juice. I hate the color and the taste. All the time I have been in the
hospital they try to force apple juice on me. I will not give in.

- Alabama football - I am a cradle to the grave Alabama fan. I almost went to college there.
Football season is a beautiful thing.

- Anne of Green Gables - these were some of my favorite books when I was younger. I
discovered them when I was about 12 and fell in love. The characters
have always remained with me. It is also where I learned one of my
favorite terms, a "kindred spirit". I have been blessed to have found
several of those in my life. One of the main characters in my books, they
ones that are still stuck in my hair is named Anne. Well, her name is
Anna but everyone calls her Anne. I am very anxious to bring her to life.
Looking back, I definitely think she is inspired from these wonderful
childhood books. I will definitely be buying a set for Kendall when she is
old enough for them.

I could go on forever but I think I will stop at 4 for now. B will be coming up soon. Hope to hear from all my blogging friends soon. Melanie !!!!!! I am particularly talking to you !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rain Makes Me Sleepy

Shocker I know, 2 posts in one week. I told you I would try to do better. I didn't get to post yesterday like I thought but 1 day late isn't so bad. Today is such a dreary rainy day. These sorts of days always make me sleepy. I wish I could be at home taking a nap, listening to the rain hitting the window behind my bed. That has to be the most peaceful sound in the world. There is one bright spot to the rain though. It washes away all that icky pollen that is stopping up my nose and making my eyes water so much.

I was so excited that my Twilight movie came in the mail yesterday. Of course I had to watch it again right away. It was much better the 2nd time. Of course it is still not as good as the book but I still love it. Edward is just beyond dreamy in my humble opinion. I tend to agree with a t shirt I saw online the other day, "Boys in books are better!"

I am thrilled that everyone likes my little necklaces. The girls at work really love them too. I did a large order for Kelly's cheerleading group of 21 for their end of the season gifts. I hope to have a bunch up in my etsy store this weekend so I will let you know when I do.

p.s. I am so glad that Denise Richards was voted off Dancing with the Stars. I really didn't like her. I think she is just a touch crazy, lol.

I Am Keeping My Promise !!

Hello strangers, long time no blog. I promised Amelia that I would blog this weekend so here I am. I think it has been about a month since my last blog. I really don't have a good excuse. I actually enjoy it. This is a great sounding board. I will make a spring resolution to try to do better. I have been on vacation this week. It has been good to get some rest but I really don't do well with too much time on my hands. I get SO much more accomplished when I feel like I am rushed. I tend to get depressed when I am not pressed for time. I was feeling really glum on Thursday and Friday. Thankfully, we had book club on Friday night and that helped a lot. I just adore those girls. We have such a great time together. We have a couple of road trips in the works that will be super fun too. There has been lots going on and stuff is coming up so I will just do some sound bites on those.

--We had a super baby shower for Jaime and little Noah. I can't believe he will be here in just a

few weeks. I can't wait to meet him !!! Aunt Christy is always ready for a new little one to

spoil.

--I will never watch The Bachelor again. That show is dead to me. What a class A jerk !!! I

don't buy that crap about being required to break up in front of the cameras. Crap like that

makes me thankful to still be single.

--Octuplet mom. WHO CARES!!! Ok, so she is without a doubt crazy. At this point in the game

let's just leave her alone. I am so tired of hearing about her every night on all the gossip shows.

Since when is she a celebrity anyway??

--I am anxiously awaiting the copy of the Twilight DVD that I preordered. Ok, so it will never be

up for an oscar and it is definitely not as good as the book but the eye candy alone is worth

a watch. I mean have you SEEN the pictures of him in GQ magazine?? There is no sense in

anyone being that hot!!!

-- I have been working on some new goodies for my etsy store. I have been perfecting the

necklaces that I started making around Christmas. Hopefully, I will have some up for sale

this week. I really enjoy making them. I put some pictures at the top of this blog. I have all sorts of images and initials. I will put some more up soon. I am also working on some rings too. I just don't have any pictures of those yet.

--I finally finished a wonderful book called The Historian. I love it dearly love it but it took so

long to read. I then read Confessions of a Shopaholic and LOVED it. Rebecca Bloomwood is

definitely a kindred spirit. She rationalizes her shopping just like me. Next, I read an odd little

book called The Reader. The movie that Kate Winslet just won best actress for is based on it.

Very strange story. I really don't know how to describe it. I will be watching the movie when it

comes out on DVD. I think it might make more sense then. Now, I just started The Other

Queen, by Phillipa Gregory. She is the one who wrote The Other Boleyn Girl. This book in

about Mary Queen of Scots. So far it is really good.

Well I guess I better go finish up some stuff before going back to work tomorrow. I promise to blog again soon, probably on Tuesday. Have a super week.

Quick Post for all the Book Lovers

I came across a snippet in People magazine this week that I thought I should share. There was a link to a new book swap club called paperbagswap.com. Here is a link to the site

http://www.paperbackswap.com/index.php

This seems like a really good deal. You get credits for books that you put up to be swapped. You then use those credits to pick the books that you want. It even prints out the postage for you to use. It says that most books ship for about $2.23 each. Goodness knows that is way cheaper than the cost of a new book. There search engine seems to be really good too. I am going home tonight to see if I have any to swap. Yes, as some of you may know, I have issues with used books, LOL. I like for mine to not be bent or cracked at all. I am trying to overcome this in an effort to feed by reading addiction without going broke. If you anyone else tries it let me know.

Birthday Blessings and More

Hello everyone. Long time no blog. I am sorry I haven't done a better job at blogging, I just have really not been feeling too well lately. I had some horrible sinus crap about 4 weeks ago and it just really wiped me out. I just can't seem to shake this crud. I had a wonderful birthday week last week. I am truly blessed. I have added a pic of the beautiful flowers my mom sent me. She always sends me the prettiest flowers. The girls at work gave me a super Hobby Lobby gift card. You can't ever go wrong with that. I went and picked up tons of goodies with it on Friday. I love to look at all the Easter stuff. I love all the bunny rabbits and fat little birds !!! I also got money from my parents, my aunt and Dr Hardy. I was overwhelmed by all the notes and messages I received on myspace and facebook. I am so very thankful for all the wonderful people in my life.

I don't really have too much going on right now. I have been trying to work this weekend and get some more things put on ebay. I still have a couple of boxes of scrapbook stuff that I need to get out of the way. I also need to be working on designing some invitations for Jaime's baby shower in a couple of weeks. I found some FABULOUS paper that I have special ordered. Let's pray it gets here this week so I can get things done. I am also trying to come up with some favors too. I want to think of something I haven't done before for another shower. I have done so many over the last couple of years, I am running low on ideas without any repeats, LOL.

I decided to sign up for Netflix this week. I never realized what a great invention that is. I ordered movies on Wednesday and they got here on Thursday. I started watching the first season of the Tudors this weekend. I also have Mamma Mia which I have been dying to see. I am also anxious to watch the first season of Gossip Girls. I really think I will like that show once I figure out who everyone is and what is going on.

I am thrilled that we are having book club this week. It is always such a grand time. They are some of my fav folks to spend time with. I will promise to try to be better about blogging this week. I also want my buds to be better too. They might be even worse slackers than I am, LOL !!

Wonderful Saturday

Hi everyone, hope all is well. I have been so busy and tired lately I am just the most horrible blogger ever. I promise I will try to do better. Last night I had a wonderful birthday bash with my friends at Bridge Street. I had most of my favorite people in the same place at once. That is such a rarity. We ate at PF Changs, one of my most fav places ever. It was sssoooo yummy. My friends were all so generous. I never expected any gifts, I just wanted us all to go out and have a good time. After dinner we took tons of pictures and then headed to the Chocolate Crocodile. I had never been in there but it was wonderful. It is defiantly a chocolate lovers dream. I was so excited that they had a bunch of sugar free things. I will defiantly have to visit there again. It was such a wonderful night. I am so very thankful for the wonderful girls in my life. They are a true blessing. Hope everyone has a great Monday. Talk to you again soon.

Too Tired & Busy to Blog

I know I know I haven't blogged in over a week. It is horrible I know. I have no right to fuss at anyone else when I can't do any better myself. I have just been so busy and run down lately. By the time I get home, I just crash. I just have too many things I am trying to do right now. Of course I have my regular job, 40 plus hours. Then, I have been helping a new chiropractor in Decatur, Dr. Lang, set up the business part of his office. I do this after hours and on Friday afternoons and some Saturdays. I am glad to help and hopefully everything will be set up and running smooth soon. He has a wonderful assistant Linda that I have been training. I just love her to death. We have a new person at Dr Hardy's too. April started 2 weeks ago and fits right in. It seems like she has been here for much longer. She fits in well with me and Kelly. I don't think she has had time to figure out how crazy we are yet, LOL.

I need to start my ebay stuff up again after an extended Christmas break. I still have a couple of boxes of stuff that I need to get out of my studio. Most of it is paper. If anyone out there is looking for some scrapbook paper for a particular project, let me know. I probably have some you can have !! I am thinking about donating some too. I have so many projects I want to do. I think I just need to add about 8 more hours to each day.

That is about all that has been happening. I am really excited about my little birthday gathering next Saturday. It will be so great to have almost all my favorite people in the same place at the same time. I hope everyone knows I don't expect any gifts and such. I want us all to go out and have a great time together. I am so lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life. I thank God for all of them every day. I promise I will try to be a better blogger next week. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Depression in the Underwear Drawer

Ok, so if you need any more proof that I have been on a path to being an old maid here it is. Yesterday afternoon I decided to clean out my underwear drawer. I had gotten some new stuff for Christmas and there is a ton of stuff in there that didn't fit anymore. I don't really want to get rid of anything, just move it out of the way. So I take everything out and refold and organize everything. I put the old stuff up in the top drawer of my wardrobe that I can't reach and put all the new stuff away. Then I stepped back to take stock of all my hard work. What I saw made we want to cry or scream or maybe a little of both. There was all my stuff all lined up pretty and neat and it was the most pathetically boring thing I have ever seen. There was so much white cotton it was blinding, lol. Not a speck of sheer or lace to be found anywhere. The closest thing to alluring I had was a black cotton super plain bra. That is it. Good Lord, no wonder I am an old maid, if that is the best that I can do. Granted, no one is seeing the stuff but me right now, but at this rate no one else ever is !!!! OK, so the new year new you goal for me is to update my unmentionables to something worth mentioning. I am not talking anything stupid crazy or anything. But a 12 year old can do better than this. I really should be ashamed. I told Kelly and Gina at worked and they just fell over laughing and told me I was pitiful. Gina is threatening to take me to Victoria Secret today. Wish me luck, LOL LOL LOL.

Things on My Mind

I know, try to control your shock. I am blogging 2 days in a row, lol. I guess I just feel like sharing right now.

- today we interviewed a girl at work that I really really liked. Her name is April and she is moving up here from Tuscaloosa to be closer to her fiance and her best friend. I really hope Dr. Hardy would give her a chance. I really think she would fit in really well with us.

- I am worried about my friend Jennifer. I found out from Jaime that she has been having premature labor. I am praying that her and the girls can hold on for a couple more weeks.

- I got 2 magazines in the mail today and both were featuring acid wash jeans for spring. OMG !!! As if they weren't hideous enough the first time around. I can safely say that this is one fad I will NOT be partaking in a 2nd time. I hope my taste has improved since 7th grade, LOL LOL.

- I may never eat corn dogs again without laughing. This whole jail business is absolutely crazy. I mean come on, they don't deserve steak and lobster but they are still people. I could understand it all if the sheriff wasn't pocketing all the extra money. It might not be illegal but it is 7 ways of immoral and unethical. Not to mention the fact that Morgan County law enforcement as made of the butt of the state and national news for 2 weeks now. Good Grief !!

- I have told all of you before about my love for fan fiction short stories. Yes, I know that some of them can be racy but not all of them are. There are some that are really really good. I discovered another new one yesterday and I LOVE it. The language is harsh but the story way overrides it. I wouldn't care if the character names were from Twilight or not. I would love it regardless. You should check it out. It is called "Wide Awake"

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4627414/1/

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Thursday Musings

Hello everyone. I hope you are having a great week so far. My has been pretty busy. It is very strange to be working without Paige around. I never realized how quiet Kelly and I are until Paige left, lol. Evidently, she was even louder than we thought. I really miss her though. We are interviewing a few people today and tomorrow but who knows if they will work out. I would rather we keep struggling along just me and Kelly than hire the wrong person. When you work so close with just a few people, it really has to be the right fit to work. Lord knows, we have had the wrong ones here before and it was miserable. Maybe one of these folks will work out. I am also excited about a 2nd sorta job I have taken on. There is a new chiropractor in Decatur. He just graduated from school in May and he is starting to build his practice. He doesn't know ANYTHING about the insurance or business side of things though. So starting Saturday, I am going to go try to help him and his assistant understand the baffling world that is insurance. He is a super sweet guy, I almost feel guilty for getting paid to help him.

Other than that, not much is happening this week. I need to get back to selling stuff on Ebay this weekend. I took several weeks off during the holidays. I still have quite a bit of scrapbook stuff I need to get rid of. Lord knows I need the room in my studio. Speaking of which, I have been working really hard on cleaning and organizing in there. Hopefully I will have some pictures to share this weekend. That way folks can see where my creative magic takes place, lol. I am also working on character outlines for my first book. I thought it would make sense to try to put down all the basic facts about the characters before I start to write the stories. Keep in mind, these characters have existed in my head forever. The main ones have been around since I was about 16. It is so very surreal for me to write these names down. I know it sounds corny but they have existed in my head for so long that to see something tangible on paper freaks me out a little. Please bear with my madness as I try to work through my fears. Writing still terrifies the crap out of me. It is by leaps and bounds the most personal thing I could ever do. I really appreciate all the love and support. I don't want to let you down.

I think I will end today with a quote. A few weeks ago at work we received a sample of a pocket calendar from some printing company. I kept it so that I would have one to put in my purse for 2009. I was going through it today putting in birthdays and such and I realized they have quotes from all sorts of famous people on each week. I squealed when I saw that the quote for this week was from none other than my beloved J.K. Rowlings. Her genius now ranks up there with former presidents and philosophers. Plus, this happens to be one of my favs from all her books.

"It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Reflections for the New Year

Hello all. I hope everyone has had a wonderful New Year's so far. I didn't do anything special last night. Just worked in my scrapbook room and then read for awhile before I went to sleep. New Year's eve has never been a big deal for me. Today I watched the Rose parade and then watched football. Now that is a fav part of the day. I promised I would be back today to talk about goals for the new year. Please note that I don't use the word "resolution". For some reason I hate that word. To me, it has the same connotation of the word "diet". Both seemed doomed to fail. That is why I prefer to call my aspirations for the new year "goals" instead. That way they don't have that bad luck name attached to them. So here it goes.

-- I will stop feeling sorry for myself. This includes beating myself up, thinking I am not good enough for something or someone and all related nonsense. I believe this is my absolute worse quality and it is what is holding me back from my dreams. I have to get past myself, then anything is possible.

--I will focus on my writing. I feel I am being called to do this. I always have but I have always been crippled by fear. I am tired of denying things. I am tired of being afraid. This is something I really want and I am going to try my best to go after it.

--I will share my creative gifts more. I have so many ideas and plans for gifts and cards and such but I never seem to get them done. I always have an excuse. Deep down, again it goes back to me judging myself and thinking nothing is ever good enough. I am just being stupid. So I plan to shut up and use the massive studio I have built and stop assuming that everyone will laugh at what I do.

--I will work on radiating a positive energy where ever I go. I don't want to be a downer. If you think positive thoughts, then you will get positive thoughts in return.

--I will let my friends and family know how essential they are to me. I don't want to just assume that anyone knows how much the mean to me. Everyone should be told they are loved and often !!

well that is the gist of my plan. I know they all sorta sound alike but they aren't really. I am just so worn down and tired of feeling bad or not good enough. I have come to realize that no one can help me with this. I have to find peace and love within myself. I am really going to put all my energy toward this. I hope that everyone else will share their goals too. That way we can all support and help one another. I know we will have have a fabulous 2009 together.