Knitpickity

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

 Do you read www.centsationalgirl.com?? She does fabulous decorating of thrift store finds mixed in with pieces she loves and good fundamentals - She is my latest read and I am always impressed with her sense of style.  So friday I peeked over and she had put up her halloween decorations and I fell in love with a marble gems wreath she had made - and since she kindly shared her supplies I had to make one myself - very easy to make and they turn out just fabulous - Catherine and I did this together in just over an hour and it was a great time to chat and mindlessly slap on glue with glue guns . . .  I do like the final results - I painted my foam wreath with a copper metallic paint - ooo la la . . .

I made another wreath   this weekend and covered a chair that I got for a whopping $20 and an antique dress that I think is going to be just fabulous for $50

 
  
 Pictures were hung in the family room >>>

it is coming along . . .

except for this side . . .

But I am rather fond of my new sign ...

 
 

will write more this week

Wanted to write more but wanted to share the pictures and did not get home until 9p tonight - fun not work but still - two evenings out (business dinner last night) and I am too tired to write

Adding a furniture album of the stuff that is being refinished and also finished a scarf this week

yes gasp I still knit

My weekend as a stripper and life in Vegas

Wow - two months have come and gone faster than I could have believed as a resident of Nevada - honestly from 8/4 - 9/15 is an amazing blur - just moved in and getting the data center moved and getting the kids settled nothing had sunk in.  The past two and a half weeks have been great - Fall seems to have arrived in Las Vegas and while I have not minded the heat, the weather now is nothing short of spectacular.

Celebrated Patrick's birthday on Sat 9/19.  I am amazed that he is 15 - sad thing for him is that you do not get your learner's permit in NV until you are 15.5 so he has to wait until March.  We had an amazing lunch at Texas De Brazil with friends     

 
and Patrick enjoyed probably 6 lbs of beef and Chocolate Mousse cake before opening his presents.

 

Getting pictures of Patrick has gotten even more challenging since he is growing out his hair since his new school allows that.  We fondly call him the sheepdog :)  

So money, gift cards, a couple of xbox games, a pc game and then the final present - a trip that afternoon to Los Angeles where we spent the night at a great hotel the Towers Beverly HIlls.  Rooms were very old style hollywood with  great service and an unmatched view of LA

   

We got up the next morning and spent the entire day at Universal Studios Hollywood - the rides were awesome but the Special Effects show might have been the best part of the trip.

The next weekend we wall went to Superrun - a huge and I mean really huge Antique and Muscle car show in downtown Henderson and this weekend we went to Boulder City to their Art in the Park Festival which was good but very large and crowded.

Also found time this weekend to work on a hobby of mine - stripping

Oh c'mon lol stripping sanding priming . . .

Found  a few good and cheap pieces of furniture on Craigslist - perfect for a makeover into my fusion of french country/cottage/shabby chic/whatever style of decorating - for $148 I am the owner of a side table, 2 chairs and a  dressing table - trash to treasure - here is a photolog of the items and what the table and one of the chairs looks like primed ready to finish

        

 

So life is goods - kids and pets are adjusting and we are keeping busy and having lots and lots of fun

Come visit when you can!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

, 

Feeling the bug again . . .

 I do not know why or when the bug is going to strike but I have noticed that my crafty side seems to be coming up again.  Not sure if just being busy squelched it or if it was just a case of craft overload but I am back to itchy fingers.

No knitting yet although I have a strong urge to start a pair of socks - maybe when I am settled in the new house.  Cannot believe moving day is one week.  Time seems so distorted when it was so very slow once the decision was made until now where each day speeds by and another one is gone before I finished what I should.

I took most of today as a fun day.  I had to take Catherine to my best friends house - her daughter is Cat's best friend.  They are headed to New Mexico where I will pick her up on my way to Vegas in 8 days.  I will see Claire there, but I know it will not be the same.  I cried a river after leaving her today.  I know we will remain close and we will visit each other but it just will not be the same.

Tomorrow will be another tear jerking day.  I am moving my fish tank to my dear friend Danielle's and going to her daughter Sarah Kate's 3rd birthday party.  Again I know that we will stay close but Danielle is my buddy and just the most fun.

 

So today I needed a mental break and gave into my crafty side - Barrettes and Flip Flops - here are some of the results

 

 

I came across the cutest bows tonight as I was surfing through ribbon - I wish Cath was still young enough to wear something like these little bug bows  - too cute!

Not sure why but I think I am right where I am supposed to be

3 weeks from today I will be living in Las Vegas NV.  Actually will be be living in Henderson which is a nice suburban area in the Southeast region of LV.  When the whole concept of moving was presented, I was thinking "NO WAY"

But life has a funny way of working things out and there were no jobs in Memphis and all the pieces fell in place for the move.

So now that it is almost time, I am realizing that maybe I am where I am supposed to be in my life.  I am happy and contenet and peaceful and excited too.

So I will probably start posting again here in three weeks when our next adventure starts - new house new city and I think a new chapter for all of us

I am not dead I promise

Wow blink

days turn into weeks turn into months

and I am not sure what I have to show for it

working tooo much

took the kids out tonight for a date - just spent quality time with them

Las Vegas is still my only option so need to get ready for the move

but feel a bit paralyzed

I will post some this weekend

My name is Linda and I am addicted to diet coke

Hello all - My name is Linda - not really sure which last name to use anymore legally Stacey but prefer Fisher and I am a diet coke addict.

This morning I planned my family's breakfast around how I could sneak in a diet coke.  I felt ashamed and eventually just had the diet coke out in the open but I know what my kids were thinking.  "She is hitting that dang soda again - why can't she give it up - I mean why does it mean so much?"

LOL when Patrick developed kidney stones this fall we stopped buying sodas and bringing them into the house.  We drink water, tea, crystal light, Koolaid, milk, OJ with meals and in between.  Much easier on his kidneys.  I thought I could give up the diet coke.  I really really did. 

It is not the caffeine.  When they pulled the coke machines at work a couple of years ago and replaced them with Pepsi machines I switched to Coffee in the morning.  And I like coffee.  But there are some mornings and some days where I would kill for a diet coke.  More often than I would like to admit lol.

I think there is something in diet coke that is completely addictive besides the caffeine.  Maybe an investigative reporter or scientist should check it out LOL

Venting

I have or had (not sure which is appropriate) a friend that decided to go into a tailspin with alcohol and drugs and eventually tried to commit suicide.  His friends and family did everything they could to try and help him but he was hell bent on this path of self destruction.  Well after a few months he reappeared and expected everyone to be all open arms and instant forgiveness.  We all watched as he imploded and we were all hurt by what he did.

So tonight he is trying to lay a guilt trip on me because I am not just all happy happy joy joy over his constant ramblings about himself and how he was saved and he is here now to teach us.  I am glad he is ok but this self righteous baloney needs to happen out of my space.  He is not trying to patiently rebuild trust, he is trying to cram his new found religion of self down my throat.

I am trying to be nice and patient with him but several times a week he tries to convert me

oh well

sharing secrets of the sisterhood

I have probably mentioned oh at least a thousand times that the best thing to come out of my divorce was an amazing relationship with my kids.  I am not talking about the kind where the divorced parent makes a friend out of their kid and tries to regain a lost youth.  Instead as I have spent the last 4 years learning about myself I have developed a great balanced relationship with them.

I do have a few rules . . .

1.  If it is immoral, illegal or just really plain stupid - don't do it.

2.  You can ask me about anything

Now the kids will tell you I have about a million more but those two cover most situations.

Last night I took Patrick to Freshman Bible Study.  They were running a bit late and I had a great parking spot where I could see into the house.  There he was tall, having a good time and oh so self confident.  That is a rare and special treat to see your child when they do not know you are watching.

He gets in the car and says "Mom, can I ask you a question":

Sure son - and he blurts out - "Mom, why do girls ask you 'Do you think I look *blank*' and then get mad when you agree with them."  Yes the word blank was what he said and not editing on my part.

I thought for a second and explained to him it was because females are insecure,  By asking that we are wanting you to notice us and find something unique and appropriate to say.  That we make up for our lack of self esteem by begging for compliments.  I am not really sure that he completely understood what I was saying.  I worried that I was breaking a rule of sisterhood to tell my son about the way the female mind works.

But then he said something so funny.  I cannot remember the exact wording but it was along the lines that human's ability to miscommunicate keeps us from reproducing uncontrollably.  Yup if guys did not stick their feet in their mouths then overpopulation would be a larger problem.

I think the sisterhood is safe LOL

Dude . . . You threw off my groove

Wow where have the last couple of weeks gone?  Been a blur of friends and work and kids and chores and my new favorite place . . . The Germantown Athletic Center - which is a very family friendly fitness center with gym, indoor and outdoor pool, racquetball courts, pool table, ping pong etc.

This membership was a family gift and we have all used and enjoyed it - today was my first time going solo - Cath was in ballet, Patrick chose to walk Boomer as his exercise so I went for some zen time.

Zen time?  Why yes if I can make it for 35 minutes of cardio I get a peace with the world feeling and the last 25 minutes of my work out are spent thinking how much I love life.

So today with 10 minutes left to go and feeling very well centered something goes awry.  I feel eyes boring into my back.  Glaring eyes.  Staring in my back.  Well not just my back but along the row of treadmills that I am on.  And I made the mistake of making eye contact.  This late 50's man wearing a tight shiny workout outfit reminiscent of the 1970's is starting at us and glaring and pouting.  Ah all of the treadmills are full.  Hmmmm back to walking - trying to recapture my focus but I cannot escape the eyes - since I made eye contact he has decided to focus his malevolent energy on me.  I try and ignore him but the creepy feeling remains.  Then you see one of the gym attendants walking down the row checking the time on everyone's machine for this man.  Finally in exasperation I told him that I had 2 minutes left and he could have my machine when I was done so that not everyone's workout gets interrupted by this boor.  So I finish - step off the machine to get the stuff to wipe it down.  He is standing at the foot of my machine when I get back after being gone 10 seconds to wipe it down and starts to get on the machine before I have even completely stepped off.  I made a sweet comment that patience was not his strong suit.  Maybe I should have found him the yoga class schedule.

The weird thing is he had this really high pitched bitchy voice - ugggh

I am not an expert in gym etiquette but seems to me like this is the behavior of a 2 year old. 

But I am loving the exercise.  I have trouble staying focused on my treadmill at home but at the gym I can do bikes. elliptical, stairs, weights - good to keep engaged and helping keep me loose and aligned.

Went to the chiropractor today and needed very little adjustment - amazing difference from 2 months ago where the pain was so constant :)