(diva)logues

Girls weekend...

Happy Monday... aka ZUMBA day!  Love it!  Had a great class with quite a few girls today + an impromptu lunch afterward with my 2 oh-so-fabulous friends...at our favorite place with lots of laughs.  Now I'm anxiously awaiting the plumber's arrival so I can finally get a shower after my workout.  Yay me.   

Girls Weekend in Phoenix was a blast.  I got back home last night.  We accomplished a LOT in a short time in helping my friend get boxed up, moved & ready to close on her house.  It wasn't just all work & no play though.  We had time for a fun night out together too!  I have known these 2 forever.  They are like family to me.  The 3 of us don't have a chance to get together very often, but when we do... there's always much to talk about & many laughs... 

... and Justin Bieber showed up to help us with the move.  Wasn't that so nice of him?  LOL

Have a GREAT week, everyone!!!

All good things must come to an end...

...or must they?

Since I'm coming back to AZ in a couple weeks for a rescheduled girls weekend, I'm not so sad about leaving our home-away-from-home today.

Our home-away-from-home means... Yard House for happy hour, Green for vegan ice cream, Whole Foods for lunch, PF Changs for carry-out, lots of time at the pool, Gordon Biersch, lots of running on the treadmill, a little shopping, fun times with my friend Sally, who lives in Phoenix & just sold her house in 24 HOURS, and much, much more!  We packed in a LOT in just a matter of a few short days...

Really SAD that Picnik, the free photo editing site, is coming to an end soon, but did find the Diptic app, so at least I can still create photo collages using my iPhone with a bit of funky editing.  But I am still pouting about Picnik... POO!  Guess I better keep using my phone instead of my camera?  If nothing else, it is a LOT lighter to carry. 

And why did I even bring my camera on this trip when all I ended up using was my phone??? 

As much as I LOVE to travel though, there's no place I'd rather be than HOME...

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...

... but texting your friend about it while you're there, is perfectly ok.

Had a fun, fun weekend in Vegas!  Came back home to computer issues on my laptop.  But they were resolved this morning via remote access.  Thank you Geek Squad!  I'm the geek using Geek Squad.  

AND... while they were getting started on my laptop, I snagged Madonna tickets on my iPad.  Woot woot!  I'm nothing, if not a great multi-tasker!  ;-)

Anyway... back to Vegas.  It was a combination of a lazy & crazy weekend.  Our day usually revolves around where we're eating next.  Seriously... it's amusing.  It's also a good thing we work-out while we're gone... because I can barely hold my gutt in right now & I ran the 2 days we were there!  Good thing the weather was too chilly to put on a swimsuit.  Or actually... maybe I wouldn't have ate as much if I did have to put it on?  Nah... probably not.

We stayed at the Venetian.  The place is HUGE.  They have 7,000 suites.  We had the smallest size suite & it was big... 650sqft.  Even had a sunken living room.  The biggest suites must look like a house.  I'll never know, unless Garth wants to take me there some day.  More on him in a bit. 

One of their restaurants is owned by the Cheesecake Factory.  Ummm... hello.  We may have gone there more than once.  Again, I say.  Amusing.  

This next photo was the 3rd attempt at Bob taking a picture of me with this Italian accordian player.  And he really did have an accent.  But I could NOT stop laughing, so my eyes were either closed or half-open or in this picture I was ready to burst out laughing again.  Bob kept dropping stuff when he was trying to take a picture of us, so finally he says to me (in broken English), "Your papa needs to concentrate."  I about LOST IT!  Yes, Bob's obviously old enough to be my papa & yes, he's clumsy sometimes... oh my gosh... I am losing it all over again!  So, so funny! 

So much for all my sleeveless clothes.  Jackets all day! 

I accidentally put $20 in a penny slot machine.  Let's just say, I didn't exactly win big on it either...

Since Celine Dion cancelled her show we were supposed to see, we were on the hunt for something else to do.  Found out that Garth Brooks was in town last weekend (he's only there about 1 weekend a month), so we went online to buy tickets.  No luck.  I figured all 4 shows must be sold-out, but asked Bob to call the box office & check.  He called & we were in luck... 2 mezzanine tickets were available.  They told us it was a small venue though, and all seats were good seats so we wouldn't have a problem seeing the stage. 

We picked up our tickets from will-call & went to a bar for a glass of wine before the show.  I don't know how or why it happened, but while sitting there we noticed they gave us 5th row tickets!  All ticket prices were the same... $250/each... but still mezzanine or 5th row?  Ummm... thank you!!!  No photos during the show, but here's how close we were...

Had no idea what to expect.  Well, actually, what I expected was a big rock concert.  And that's not AT ALL what it was.  One of the most AMAZING SHOWS I have EVER seen though.  Just him & his guitar.  No band.  He told story after story about his life & songs that inspired him from the time he was 5 years old until he hit it big in the early 90's.  Then he would play each of those songs.  Songs from the 60's, 70's, 80's... country, pop, rock.  Finally ending the show with his own big hits.  Trisha even came out toward the end to sing 3 songs.  Not only is he an amazingly talented singer, he's an awesome story-teller & freakin' hilarious!!  I didn't want the show to end.  It was so intimate.  Like you were sitting in his living room, just captivated by him.  Bob saw him in the 90's, but loved this show even more.  I would fly out there again, just to see his show again, & fly home.  Incredible.  And I was never a huge Garth fan either.  But now I think I'll be the president of his fan club!  Haha

Every night we ate dinner around 10:00.  Probably why I had a migraine most of the weekend.  Did it stop me from having fun?  NOPE.  It did stop us from going clubbing at night though.  So... I suppose we'll have to go back soon.  Heehee.

Back home again!  So happy to see Bryn again, too.  I MISSED HER!!!

And YAY for my Monday Zumba class!  Makes me a happy girl.

There's no place like home! 

What happens in Vegas...

... starts with what's in the suitcase, of course!  Here's just some of what will be packed in my bags soon.  Some old, some new... and lots of BLING!  

Bling in Vegas... hello... it's a MUST!   

And my swimsuit Valentine's gift didn't fit, so I had to order a new one... 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

     

Advil is getting packed first, just sayin'.  Might be necessary, especially if I make Bob stay out late dancing with me!  Well... not IF I make him... he WILL be!  Also... in looking at the forecast, I'm not even sure if we'll be able to sit at the pool, but we'll probably need warm jackets at night... thus the coat.  Gotta love the desert!       

And did I mention we have tickets to see Celine Dion at Caesars Palace?  I drove all night...to get to you.  Is that alright?    

It's going to be a FUN trip!  Our first trip of 2012... and I can't wait! 

Ok...ok.  Still have a couple Zumba classes to teach and attend before I leave... ;-)

A little Cardinals RED...

Just having a quick little fun-in-the-sun trip while Bryn has a couple days off school for conferences.  So far, our trip has mostly involved where we're going to be able to eat dinner AND watch the World Series.  Game #1 was a success... great dinner AND the game was on TV there.  But then last night we sat on a patio for a great dinner, and they actually had a freakin' football game on TV?!  Our waitress told us she attempted to change the channel, but there were 2 men sitting at the bar watching that game so we'd have to wait until they left.  Losers.  So, we had to keep up with the game on Bob's iPhone instead.

Make sure to check out the giveaway on yesterday's post if you haven't done already!

Have a GREAT WEEKEND, everyone!

More fun in the summer sun... with a bag of ice + some Advil...

 

My shoulder hurts.  Clearly... hitting about 36 balls for the first time in about 15 years, without stretching, was not my best idea ever.  In my mind I tend to think I can do anything.  Just jump in feet first.  My shoulder started hurting while we were still there though, so hopefully I just pulled a muscle.  And why aren't Bob & Bryn sore at all?  It's not fair.  LOL

Even in spite of my pain the @#$... or shoulder... injury, it still kinda made me want to play softball again.  May need to look into that...           

Wine country...

 

I had some comments about this dress after posting on Facebook, so I thought I'd share.  The dress is from Express...they have several solid colors in addition to the one I purchased with stripes.  I removed the sash belt that came with it and wore my own flower belt given to me as a gift from my sister.  The shoes were from Charming Charlies.  Not a place I would normally buy shoes, but Bryn & I were at the mall one day & my feet were freaking killing me from the pair that I was wearing.  So I needed to either go barefoot or buy a new pair to wear.  Believe it or not... this pair was comfortable.  And at $30... CHEAP!  Win... win! 

We got home on Sunday night from a quick weekend in Sonoma, CA.  We took the trip with Bob's aunt + uncle and his sister + her husband.  We stayed in Healdsburg at the same bed & breakfast (The Grape Leaf Inn) where we stayed on our wedding trip.  Upon arrival on Thursday night, we picked up our van for the weekend.  Aunt Nancy & I got to ride in the back all weekend... as we were the 2 shortest people.  I'm pretty sure we both got some extra quad work in, as we were constantly squatting to throw ourselves in & out of the van.  I also think I flashed everyone at least a couple times throughout the weekend since I was usually wearing dressses.  Sorry family!  Forgot to take a photo of our red van, so I snagged a photo from the internet.   We had dinner at Cacti in Novato, CA on the way to Healdsburg.  I was starving.  I'm thinking everyone was.  It was like eating dinner at 9:30pm our time & after 2 flights to get to California, it was a long time to wait to eat again.  By the time we got to our B&B, it was pretty much time to unpack & go to bed.  We were on a 2-hour time difference, so it was past Midnight for us.  We had a plate of chocolate covered strawberries on our bed with a note from the owners that said, "Welcome back, Bob & Deana" and a big plate of fruit & wine from Bob's uncle + aunt to thank us for bringing them.  So sweet... 

 

Day #1 was for wine tasting.  Bob & I had a handful of wineries picked out to visit.  Trentadue was our first stop... a favorite.  Bob likes their Zinfandels (RED... not white. Puh lease.)  I like their Chocolate Amore... a chocolate-infused port wine.  The guy giving our tastes told me I should make a dessert with it.  Start with a wine glass & add the crumbled cookie part of an Oreo (not the cream) on the bottom of the glass.  Next a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Then top with blueberries & a drizzle of the Chocolate Amore.  YUMMO.  Yes please.    

 

Next was Ferrari-Carano... another fav.  We go there because their winery is BEAUTIFUL.  Their reserve tasting in the basement is the best wine... especially for chardonnays, but we didn't end up doing any tastings here.  Some of us bought some things in their little store area, but then we moved on...

 

Next was Francis Ford Coppola (formerly known as Chateau Souverain Winery... where we got married.  Also the same place Bob proposed to me 8 months earlier, so that's why we decided to go back there to get married).  WOW.  It's changed a lot since they bought it.  Not for the better if you ask us.  I think a swimming pool at a winery is strange.  I also think women standing at a wine tasting bar in their swimsuits is strange too... even if you do have a good body, which these women did not.  Just sayin'.  We ate lunch there.  Even the restaurant has changed quite a bit.  Just kinda sad for Bob & me.  I'm sure there are many, many other people who love all the changes...

 

After lunch was Hop Kiln.  New to us, but suggested by Bob's friend/client/optomotrist, who has $150,000 worth of wine in his own wine cellar.  I think he knows good wine.  We liked one of their chardonnays, so we bought a bottle to take to dinner with us that night.  In most restaurants, even here at home, you can bring your own bottle of wine & they just charge you a cork fee to open it.

 

We planned to also go to Rochioli but by the time we made it there, they had just closed.  Had a nice dinner at Zin that night... a place we'd been to before and really liked.  

Day #2 started with another morning run for Bob & me.  The weather was beautiful every day.  And both mornings were chilly enough that I was glad I had packed a long-sleeved running top.  After everyone's breakfast, we did a little shopping on the square... I bought a cute dress & some hand-made jewelry... and then we picked up lunch to-go and headed for Bodega Bay to see the ocean.  Luckily we brought jackets because otherwise our picnic lunch would've been pretty chilly... 

 

As suggested by someone at our B&B, we stopped for some salt-water taffy at cute little pink + white striped store called Patrick's.  We all bought different kinds of taffy... in fact I picked out a multi-packed bag for Bryn... but Bob left it in Sonoma.  Oh well!  Had a yummy dinner that night at Bistro Ralph.  The owner of our B&B said to order the "1000 Fries" so Bob ordered some as an appetizer (I went with calamari, myself) and sure enough... there were at LEAST 1000 fries.  Eveyone but me ate them, so there was plenty to share & a LOT left over...

Got up early on Sunday to drive back to Oakland in time for our flight back.  I didn't take a lot of photos on this trip.  Not sure why.  Maybe because we've been out there so many times, it felt redundant to take photos of things we've already done before. 

But... the photos sum of the trip pretty well anyway... quick & busy! 

Feelin' lucky...

 

Having lots of fun this week, minus the major food allergy reaction Bryn had on Tuesday.  Not only did she throw up about a 1/2 hour after eating... which was good, she broke out in MAJOR hives like I haven't seen since she was a baby... not good.  Scary.  I so wish she didn't have to deal with that. 

 

 

Aside from that, the weather has been hot & sunny, the food has been good, we've been running outside, we've been able to see my friend, Sally, & even got to meet Toni for the first time on this trip after knowing each other from "blog land" for a couple years.  Met her & Julie for lunch on Wednesday... so fun!

 

 

We're putting on our green today and heading out to celebrate!  I hope you have a HAPPY St Patrick's Day, too!

More HIPness from October...

Yesterday I posted all the layouts I made using the October HIP 2B SQUARE kit.  You can see them here if you missed it.  Today it's a few more things I created with kit! 

Here's a couple more little treat boxes I made using Carole's tutorial.  Will definitely be making lots of these!  I just gave one of the Halloween treat boxes I made a couple weeks ago, to Bryn's teacher.  It was filled with candy corn + a Starbucks gift card.  If you missed those, you can find them here, along with a link to Carole's tutorial.

 

... and a couple cards...

 

Did a little more machine-stitched paper pleating on this one...

 

I made a couple more cards with this month's kit for other assignments.  Will be posting those soon!  Go here for more information on this month's kit or to find out how to join the HIP 2B SQUARE kit club!

Just returned from a quick weekend in Scottsdale.  Bryn had a 1/2 day of school on Thursday + no school on Friday, so we flew out right after school on Wednesday.  Just did a few of our favorite things while there & we were also able to see my friends, Sally & family and Julie & family...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a GREAT time!  It could've been a longer trip, but there's always next time... 

Auf wieidersehen Vienna...

What a great week in Vienna!   It was a major TREK to get there AND to get home, but we're finally back.  We got home Wednesday night at 11:30pm after 3 flights, a 7-hour time difference & being awake for 20 hours.  I think Bryn was sleep-walking off the plane... she doesn't remember any of our 3rd flight from Chicago back home.  I took almost 200 photos in the past week.  I probably could've taken a lot more... but they're scrap-worthy anyway. 

 

 

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

And just as I'd hoped... I returned to 3 packages on the front porch!  Inspite of my bleary eyes & draggin' butt... I managed to finish 3 pages yesterday... one of them a 2-pager.  Off to the Y for my interval class & then back to the craft room.  Everything has to be boxed up & mailed off on Monday for CHA... so I have a LOT to accomplish!  Send inspiring vibes please... ;-)

Have a great weekend! 

The hills are alive...

 credit

Going to be away from the internet for awhile.  It costs $25/day to have internet access on my Blackberry there, so it's not going with me.  I am, however, going to bring my laptop & will use it sparingly during the week.  While the hotel does provide access, it doesn't come cheap.  So... I may be able to pop on a couple times, but for the most part, I'm going to be out of touch for awhile.   

Blog posts are scheduled though & I'm going to come home to 2 very SPECIAL boxes... the new lines from Nikki Sivils & the new sticker lines from SRM Stickers!  I am SO EXCITED to have the amazing opportunity to create for 2 CHA booths this year.  I'll have plenty of time during the 3 flights going & the 3 flights coming back home to sketch out my page ideas using all the new products.  I'll be a crazy creating woman for about 4 full days when I return so I can meet the CHA deadlines.  Maybe my "cabana boy" will deliver popcorn into the craftroom, so I don't starve to death while I'm in there buried in paper & photos?  I love him sooo much.    

And then....  I'm off to CHA myself!  Can. Not. Wait!

And PS... I thought I had scheduled this to post on the 5th, but I guess I forgot?  My day to post at the Nikki Sivils blog was Monday...

You can see my post + a tutorial here!  

All good things must come to an end...

For the SRM blog hop... go here!

 

Heading back home today to scrap LOTS of new photos from a very FUN week with our friends.  Then on Monday, my first ART CAMP for kids begins!  

Also... I had one of my Father's Day cards featured on the CARDS blog yesterday!  Looking forward to seeing my first card published in the August issue of their magazine, too! 

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Fun in the Scottsdale sun...

  

   

  

 

  

 

Having LOTS of FUN with my girlfriends & our families... and the week is only half over.  More to come! 

Chicago. It was all about the shoes (and the food... and the wine... and the...)

10 years of marriage.  Just like every other marriage, it hasn't all been smooth sailing.  Things have always been mostly good, but when a couple major life-changing events took place after just 1 year into it... the birth of our daughter & the sudden death of my sister 9 months later... it was sometimes tough.  I was simply trying to keep from being a mess & he was just trying to "fix" everything, not unlike any other typical male.  But the point is we're in a good place now... a really good place.  Maybe we've always been there & not realized it.  I have a twinge of guilt every time I mention how happy I am in my life right now.  Feeling really happy is an odd feeling when you've lost someone so close to you, so suddenly... but I'm there, in that place.  No marriage is perfect.  But it feels pretty awesome to get to a benchmark year like 10, & know that you're both in it for the long-haul & that you both feel very happy, very loved & very lucky to be together. 

This past weekend was about celebrating all that, and at the last minute I wasn't sure it would happen.  Bob's dad was taken back to the hospital again the night before we were scheduled to leave.  I told him, "Look.  This is our life right now.  We are raising a child, while caring for an elderly parent with major health issues.  If we don't go this weekend, we'll go another weekend.  It's not like we can never go to Chicago."  He said, "No.  We're going.  There's nothing I can do at the hospital anyway and we've both been looking forward to this.  We're not missing it."  He did drive over to the hospital that night at 10:00pm to meet up with him after the ambulance took him in.  (His dad was released yesterday & all is back to "normal" with him though.) 

On with the trip.  We put Bryn on the bus Friday morning & left for the airport about an hour later.  We were flying with Southwest & they only fly into Midway airport.  We chose this airline/airport also because it was closer to our hotel.  Chicago is just a short 1-hour flight.  I think these guys fly back & forth all day long.  We were scheduled to arrive at 1:10 & had made lunch reservations for 2:00 at Joe's Seafood.  Everything was fine with the flight until we were getting prepared to make our final descent into Chicago.  There was a loud noise on our side of the plane when the pilot went to open up the flaps on the wings.  I didn't think anything of it at the time, but when we noticed we were soon flying over Lake Michigan (& shouldn't be), we knew something was up.  Then they told us they would be landing at O'Hare instead & apologized for the inconvenience.  A flight attendant kept telling an older lady infront of us that it wasn't an emergency landing "right now," but she didn't have any information to give her.  She said they were landing at O'Hare because they have longer runways & they didn't want to take the chance with the short runways at Midway.  My heart started racing.  This is exactly why I hate us flying with Bryn at home.  I told myself over & over again, "I am surviving this flight."  Well, we landed at O'Hare, where there are NO Southwest gates, with emergency vehicles everywhere... police cars, ambulances, a fire truck... they were all waiting for us.  I started shaking & crying as everyone started clapping & cheering.  I just stared out the window, so no one could see how upset I was.  After about 10 minutes of that I finally thought, "Ok... grab the camera & get a shot of this."  We were almost away from the whole scene once I finally got myself composed...   

Since Southwest has no gates at this airport, we were given the ok by Continental to use one of their gates.  Southwest offered to take any passengers by bus to Midway (lots of people had connecting flights there) OR you could just leave on your own from there, which we chose to do.  Southwest sent an email later that night to all the passengers explaining what happened, why they landed there & also gave each passenger $150 flight vouchers.  Southwest always has the best customer service. 

It took us an hour to get to our hotel by taxi with all the traffic, but I did NOT want to take the L.  We had already contacted Joe's about our reservation & they said they'd put us down at 4:30 to see if we could make it by then.  After that, they said, they were fully booked for the night.  By the time we got to our hotel it was almost 4:00, so we asked the concierge if she'd call Joe's to see if we could get in before 4:30... we were REALLY hungry... & explained what had just happened with our flight.  Joe's got us in & we enjoyed a small, very yummy lunch.  We didn't want to eat a big meal because we had 7:15 dinner reservations!   

 
Bob spoiled me (so what else is new?) all weekend, starting with a bottle of wine & chocolate-covered strawberries he'd arranged to have in our room before we arrived.  We had a fantastic view of the city & the Chicago River from our room.

 

Then we had a knock on the door...  a fruit plate & 2 bottles of water with a sweet note from our concierge hoping that after our "precarious landing" that we had a good weekend.  Just one of the MANY reasons we LOVE the Westin...

  

 

 

Since we'd made our reservations for all of our restaurants through opentable.com, they all knew we were celebrating our anniversary & would bring us dessert with a candle in it.  The carrot cake at Hub 51 was so good... as was everything we had for dinner.

We got up and ran on Saturday & Sunday morning before we headed out for the day.  Lunch on Saturday was at Terzo Piano, located in the Art Institute of Chicago.

After lunch we walked across the street to Millennium Park.  Saturday started out cool & SO foggy. 

Had to hit the American Girl Doll store for a souvenier, plus we did some other shopping.  One of the many things I love about Bob is that he just loves to be with me. Whether I'm scrapbooking, shopping, whatever, he wants to be there & enjoys it.  We had the best time walking the streets of Chicago.

We had dinner on Saturday night at Shaws Crab House.  We eat there EVERY SINGLE TIME we come to Chicago.   Their seafood is SO good & we started dinner off with a dozen oysters.  The other 3 restaurants where we dined this weekend, were based on recommendations from friends (all GREAT recommendations, too, I might add!)  Shaws is just a place we love.  

 

After dinner we went down the block to Andy's Jazz Club & listened to a jazz band for awhile. 

 

It was a FUN weekend.  And although our return flight was an hour late, it was a totally uneventful flight... the best kind of flight you can have.  It's good to be back home with Bryn again. 

Off to Zumba! 

Card Patterns + SRM Stickers = an inspiring combination...

This week SRM Stickers is the sponsor for Card Patterns... using sketch #56...

Here's my take on it...

Notice the white button with the flower on it?  That flower is a sticker & it adhered perfectly to my button!  Play along for the chance to win a generous prize from SRM Stickers!  You really need to try out these stickers... they are so fun to use!

   

Gotta love free Wi-Fi access.  I never realized how much that mattered until I went a week without reliable internet at our resort... 

Whole Foods.  We enjoyed their yummy & healthy food bars for lunch almost every day.  However, yesterday was the first & only time I got to use my laptop while having said lunch.  And in less than 2 hours, I got a lot accomplished...  lickity split!  Thank you for free Wi-Fi, Whole Foods, and for making yummy food, too!

Disney in photos...

 

 

 

I was FINALLY able to edit & post some of the many photos from the past week while killing time today at Whole Foods.  Check out time at the resort was 10am today, with our request for a later time not granted.  So... we had a LOT of time to waste before our 5:15 flight this evening.

Sunday will be all about running in the morning & crafting the rest of the day!  ;-) 

More on Disney...

Our week in Disney has been fun, albeit different from our first trip here 2 years ago.  This time... 

• ...instead of sweating our butts off, like we did in the middle of July, we stayed bundled up for most of the day every day. 
• ...instead of doing the 4 Disney parks, we did 2 days of Universal parks (Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure) & only 1 Disney park (Epcot).  Really glad we did that.  Universal parks are WAY fun!
• ...instead of going to the pool on our "off days," we made 2 trips to 2 different malls to pass the time when it was too chilly to do anything else.  I bought a Spring dress from Charlotte Russe & a tunic from J.Crew.  Bryn, of course, kept suggesting we go back to the mall every time we'd try to figure out our plans for the day.  I believe I've mentioned the girl does love to shop.
• ...instead of riding the "wet" rides to cool off, Bryn & Bob had to buy rain ponchos to keep from turning blue when they stepped off.  I don't ride the wet rides even when it's HOT outside... I have a camera to protect, you know.  That & I don't enjoy walking around looking like a drowned rat all day.  Only men & kids can pull off that look. 
• ...instead of making reservations at all the theme parks for lunch, we ate at Whole Foods almost every single day.  Love their food bar... healthy food without the wait.  What's not to love about that? 
• ...instead of having a useful laptop, wireless/internet access is pathetic.  I can't even use Picnik to edit my photos.  Bob keeps suggesting we just go to Starbucks for an hour.  I keep saying I don't need to use the computer that bad.  I think he secretly wants to live in a Starbucks. 
• ...instead of posting photos from our trip every day, I'm just going to have to come home with all of them.  But I really do have a lot of scrapping material.  Like you thought otherwise?

Hope all is well with you, too!     

Disney by the numbers...

A quick recap of our week so far...

1. Internet/wireless connection here is awful.
2. Trying to post 1 photo, let alone several, on my blog isn't going to happen.
3. Thank goodness we checked the weather report before packing.  Dressing in layers is where it's at this week... it's a bit chilly.  Still warmer than home, though, so no complaints!
4. The HULK is the most thrilling roller coaster I've ever been on in my entire life.  It is a MUST if you've never been on it.  Major FUN. 
5. The SIMPSONS is the most fun & funny ride I've ever been on, and believe it or not, it's a simulated ride.
6. Dinner with our friends, who were also in town for part of the same week, was great & the food was yummy!
7. I bought a new swimsuit yesterday (a 2-piece with ruffles... LOL!), but I'm not sure if it will actually be warm enough to wear it while we're here.
8. I ♥ getting 9+ hours of sleep every night.
9. I'm seeing a new mini book with LOTS of photos in my near future.
10. The resort is beautiful & we're having a great time!

It's been a great week, but I'm ready to get back to my craftroom. You know what I'm sayin'...

We've been coming out here, anywhere from 1-4 times a year, for the past 6 years now because we purchased 2 time-shares.  It's the equivalent of 2 or 4 weeks depending on how we book our time.  We have our routine & certain places we go when we're here.  Most of the places we like are places we don't have at home.   However, the majority of our time out here is simply about rest & relaxation.  There's always so many "to-do's" on our lists at home, that we just do a lot of hanging-out here.  Even if it's 110 degrees here & 100 degrees + humidity at home... it's a change of scenery.  And that's good.   

But sometimes you're just looking for something else to do, that maybe we haven't done yet.  So yesterday, Bob suggested driving to a little shopping area called The Boulders.  He'd been there once about 20 years ago.  I guess that should have been my first clue... 

B.O.R.I.N.G.  I'm just not into Arizona fashion, decorating, knick knacks, etc.  You know what I mean... like the Southwest stuff?  Bob secretly loves it.  I do not. 

We were there less than an hour... maybe even less than a 1/2 hour before we left.  I did leave with a little something for my friend, Christa, though.  And, Christa will be happy to know it was not Southwest-ish, because I'm just sure that she's with me on the not-liking-Southwest-stuff thing.  But she & I can totally relate to the humor in it, as she is my fellow wine snob!

We're getting carry-out tonight from PF Changs & packing for our trip home tomorrow.  I have LOTS of scrapping material & a Hip 2B Square kit waiting for me...

Out & about...

Yesterday we decided to do something other than the pool.  So... we worked out after breakfast & then hit Whole Foods for lunch.  Bryn loves to eat... not sure where she gets that?  She had grilled chicken, veggies, salad, antipasto & a Chinese orzo pasta salad for her lunch... all chosen by her.  I often hear parents bargaining with their kids over veggies (or just giving into them NOT eating them) & think, "What up with that?"  Clearly the parents must not eat veggies or the kids would grow up not knowing otherwise...

Then it was on to CrackerJax for some outdoor fun.  Not a lot of people there, as it was in the 90's today... only the crazy tourists.  We started with miniature golf & for the first (& probably ONLY time ever), I kicked Bob's butt.  And believe it or not, Bryn came in 2nd place.  Not sure what was up with the golfer in our house, but he was having a bad day.  Par was 41.  I shot 36, Bryn shot 44 & Bob came in last with 45.  I did not rub it in or anything.  Nope, I would never do that. 

Then we did the go-karts.  First time I've done those in YEARS.  First time Bryn's done the FAST ones EVER...

And then the bumper boats...

Bryn spent most of her time under the spray of water (which would be why I passed on that fun event). 

Then back to the villa to get ready for dinner with Sally!  Went to Gordon Biersch in Tempe for dinner.  Love that area.  Reminds me of the 1/2 marathons we've run & since it's near the ASU campus... well... gotta love being in a college town. 

Cool sunsets here, but we have WAY better clouds at home.  :-)

We've been friends since 2nd grade.  And I'm never not laughing when we're together.  Love her.  If only Stephanie were here, then things would really get outta control.  The ol' cheeleading pyramids usually happen when the 3 of us get together.  We're kinda dorky that way.  

Oh & ps... Sally's opening an ETSY shop, that should be up REAL SOON.  You're not going to want to miss this... 

Love you Sal, Scott & Mol!  Miss you Steph, Curt, Hannah & Alexandra!  

More fun in the sun...

More fun at the pool yesterday.  Bryn's getting pretty good at basketball...

Then we were off to see Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs in 3D, where we were the ONLY people in the theater...

 

It was a cute movie & funny, too!

We also got to see Julie & her sweet family one more time after dinner (at the Yard House), so we could return her gift from Sarah that she left at our villa.   

My family is always good sports about taking photos & I found that the deck of our villa had a good background for it.  If I had been thinking ahead, I would've packed color-coordinating outfits for us.  But it was impromptu, since we had a few extra minutes before leaving for the movie...

 

They will probably end up on a layout soon, but it's never too early to start thinking about Christmas cards, too. Not that I really WANT to think about Christmas cards, Christmas shopping, decorating, etc... but it is right around the corner I guess. 

Today, we're going to do something other than the pool & then we're meeting my friend Sally for dinner!  Can't wait to see her! 

Just add some Sprinkles...

Had a nice & relaxing day yesterday... worked out in the morning & spent a couple hours at the pool.  We made plans to meet up with Sarah & Gloria again to return their gift from Julie that they had left at our villa.  We met at Sprinkles!  I've heard so much about their cupcakes, primarily from Sarah, & all I can say is sooo CUTE & sooo YUMMY!   

Although after reading the descriptions of all the cupcakes I thought, "I'll have one of each please!" we showed some restraint & left with only 4... pumpkin, mocha, red velvet & banana.  Sarah & Gloria were better & only left with 1 each.  (Although... they have Sprinkles at home & we do not!) 

We tried 2 of them after dinner last night (at Buca di Beppo) split them down the middle so Bob & I could each try both... the pumpkin & the banana.  YUMMO!  Bryn enjoyed an ice cream sundae... vanilla soy ice cream, fresh strawberries & banana slices + some cinnamon cookie crumbles on top.  We were all happy. 

And tonight... we try the remaining two... :-)

Meeting online friends...

... is really FUN!  We planned to get together with Julie months ago during our stay here, but I was also able to talk Sarah into flying here to meet with us, too!  We invited everyone over to our villa for the evening.  Bob BBQ'd chicken, burgers & hot dogs and I had some shrimp cocktail & other appetizers to start.  Plus I did a very small amount of Halloween treats... not easy to do when you're traveling.  Bob laughed when he saw my little ghost yard with alphabet cookies.  I said, "Hey, we have a 3-yr old coming over.  She'll like it!"

 

It was fun to get together with everyone & their families...

There were quite a few photos taken last night between the 3 of us...

Thanks for all the SWEET gifts, too, girls!  Bryn has already named her Build-a-Bear bear from Sarah & Gloria, "Buddy," and she got up this moring & started painting again on her new tea set from Julie & her family.  Plus... I received a big package of scrapping goodies from Sarah & Gloria & some pretty candles & a cool difuser from Julie's family!  Sooo sweet!

We've already worked out this morning & now we're off to the pool.  Life is rough...

Wild animals & we're headed home...

Yesterday we decided to have lunch again at the same outdoor area close to the resort, on our way to the Wild Animal Park.  We did the same thing the day prior, as it was on the way to Sea World.  We thought we may as well eat lunch on the way, rather than get to the parks & be hungry as soon as we arrived.  Plus, there's no long line to eat.  2 days in a row, I had a Meditteranean salad with grilled salmon on it & 2 days in a row, Bryn had Fat Burger (which she now wishes we had back home)...

 

The Wild Animal Park is cool.  It's part of the San Diego Zoo organization, which we have yet to see.  Since our zoo is second only to San Diego's, I've always wondered what makes it better.  One of these days we'll have to return & find out.  But in the mean time, this place will work...

 

Dino Mountain was our first stop.  They have life size dinosaurs.  Some roar, some even "spit." 

 

Then we hit the petting zoo for some REAL animals...

 

My favorite part of the day was the Journey Into Africa tour.  The tram went outside the park, where you're not able to go on foot, to see all the wild animals.  I was so glad I had my long-range lens...

 

 

 

 

It was HOT today.  Although, this HOT is just fine, compared to the heat & HUMIDITY we have back home.  Bryn played in the fountains for a few minutes before we stopped for a cherry snow cone on the way out of the park. 

 

I also managed to take a few photos of some ducks on our way out, at which point Bob said to me, "You love to take pictures of ducks."  I said, "Well, that's because they let me get close to them."  He said, "They let you get close to them because they think you're going to give them food."  Poor ducks... 

 

Our plan was to only stay a couple hours, unlike the other long days at the theme parks.  It was so neat, though, that we stayed a bit longer. 

We had dinner at Joe's Italian Cuisine in Escondido last night, then went back & packed for our trip home. 

 

This week went FAST.  Time to go back home & do some "school shopping."  Next Wednesday is "Meet the Teacher" night!  I'm sad that the summer is coming to an end.  The summer went fast, too.   

One last thing!  Nikki Sivils has generously donated a give-away on Scrapbook Update, including one of her new lines that hasn't yet been released!  All you have to do is leave a comment for a chance to win!

Thanks for all your sweet comments while I was away.  You all make me smile every day, but it's especially nice when I'm away from home! 

TGIF! 

Sea World...

Sorry, I know... MORE vacation photos.  But, it makes it easier for me to journal when I get back home if I can just refer back to my blog. 

Yesterday was Sea World, which we also did on our last trip to San Diego.  The Shamu show was starting about 10 minutes after we arrived, so that was our first stop...

 

There really aren't a lot of rides at Sea World, but the shows make it worth the visit.  We also saw the Cirque de la Mer show (a mini Cirque du Soleil show).  LOVE Cirque shows.  I've seen quite a few & this one was no exception...

 

  

This time we did the Sky Ride over the water, which surprisingly did not affect my fear of heights. 

 

 

It was a nice ride & we had a great view of the park & the marina down below...

 

This seal had one LOUD bark when he thought someone was going to throw him some fish (treats).  Bryn was holding her ears...

 

Last time, we didn't go on this ride.  I didn't go on it this time, because I didn't want to get wet...

 

Bob called me right before they got on the ride, so I knew which boat was theirs.  It was an HOUR wait... (flashbacks to Disney)...

 

 

Since Sea World is owned by Anheuser-Busch (or I guess In Bev now), they had a stable with the Clydesdales...

 

It was a long day in the sun, but FUN!  We stopped for more seafood for dinner on the way home. 

At least this time I threw in something scrappy!  It's from the new Nikki Sivils "Henry's Brilliance" school-themed line.  School begins again for us in only 13 days.  Hard to believe...

 

Today is our last full day here.  We're off to the Wild Animal Park in just a bit (as suggested by our new orthodontist friend, Dr Baker), then maybe some time at the pool this afternoon.  It's been a FULL week! 

La belle mer in La Jolla...

Had lunch at Georges at the Cove out on their deck overlooking the ocean yesterday.  Why is it that food always tastes better when you have an incredible view of the ocean?  Their food was delish, even without the amazing view, but wow... my favorite kind of lunch.   

 

We walked around & did a little window shopping after lunch.  We only went into 1 store... a candy store... & Bryn got some Sweetarts.  La Jolla is a great little area & you really can't go wrong with any of the restaurants.   

 

Someone said we could see seals down by the ocean, so we walked down there to check it out.

 

Took a few photos, but didn't see any seals...

 

 

This one kinda cracks me up... only because she didn't realize that sign was part of the photo...

 

We just hung out at the condo for dinner last night.  Some wine, some carry-out & some left-overs.  Sometimes it's nice to not have to get dressed & go back out again. 

Time for another long day of FUN at Sea World today! 

Legoland...

Our second trip to Legoland was FUN!  We went once before, when Bryn had just turned 4, so this was a different experience.  We were able to do the roller coasters this time! 

 

 

Bryn won a prize while playing a ball-tossing game... a new bunny "friend" for her other bunny...

 

 

"Mini Land USA" is my favorite part of Legoland.  It's awe-inspiring how much time it must've taken to build these little replica cities with Legos. 

 

 

My favorite shot.  A REAL bunny hopped onto the scene...

 

The lines were nowhere near as LONG as the lines at Disney.  Although I guess, there's not as much to do here either!  And thankfully, the weather is much nicer than Florida, too (ie. no sweating like a pig for me... always a PLUS!)

  

Off to La Jolla today for lunch & shopping.  Not sure if we'll hang around for sunset.  We did do the whole "sunset" thing in La Jolla on our last San Diego trip, so this time we may just come back & hang out at the pool before dinner.   

Expect the unexpected...

Plan for the unexpected would be a good way to sum up Saturday.  I got up & worked-out/ran after breakfast that morning.  Bob went over to the work-out room after me, while Bryn & I got ready to go to the resort pool for the day.  Right before Bob returned to the condo, Bryn's expander came loose while she was eating some chips.  She was in pain & started crying.  There was no way we knew how to fix this, so I got on the phone with the concierge.  I had noticed there was a dental office on the resort property & I thought they might possibly have some kind of instrument that could put it back into place.  She connected me to their office, but of course I got their answering machine as it was a Saturday (no office hours). 

So I got on my laptop & googled orthodontists in the area.  I found one & called.  Answering machine again, but this time I stayed on the line & got through to their exchange for emergencies.  The nice woman I spoke with connected me with the ortho's assistant, who was on call.  The assistant, Carol, told me the ortho was on vacation.  She could remove the expander, but legally she couldn't repair it.  She gave me the name of the ortho that was helping them out while her ortho was gone & said that if he couldn't help us out today that we could call her back.  So, I called him.... Dr. Baker.  He called me back within 10 minutes & said he could help us around 2:30.  He was very nice on the phone. 

We spent a little time on the playground & in the rec. room to keep Bryn's mind off the pain, as we had over 2 hours to kill.  Dr Baker called me back just before 2:00 & said he was leaving a few minutes early & was on his way, so we left to meet him.  All I can say is, what a VERY nice man.  His office was adorable & had wild animals on the walls, inspired by the Wild Animal Park he said.  He was able to re-cement her expander & then put it back in.  He also wanted to give us some ideas of things to do while in the area & told us not to hesitate to call him back if we needed more suggestions or anything else.  We just felt SO lucky to have found someone SO nice & helpful.   

 

Suffice it to say, we were all REALLY glad I had my laptop with me.  I'm really not sure what we would've done otherwise, as the concierge here was less than helpful (and that was when she would decide to answer the phone, something we noticed back home they don't like to do here).

We had another very late lunch afterward & then headed back to the condo.  Bob & Bryn went to the pool for a bit, while I stayed back & started getting ready for dinner.  We ended up waiting until about 7:30 for dinner, later than normal, since we'd had such a late lunch.  I told Bob, "At some point on this trip, we need to get back to a more normal eating time." 

 

Bryn always brings a "baby" with us on every trip.  This trip, she took her Build-A-Bear bunny.  Since random people will usually stop & tell me how cute my baby is (thinking it's real) when I'm stuck holding her dolls, I figured I was in the clear with the stuffed bunny.  I said, "Well, at least on this trip no one will think I'm holding a real bunny."  It's just a long story. 

 

Anyway, the bunny garnered a lot of attention from wait staff & passers-by, and our sweet waitress even brought a small dish of raw carrots for the bunny to have for dinner.  Bryn, of course, loved that!

 

Yesterday, we took off for Ensinitas to spend some time on the beach...

 

 

 

The beach was simply perfect.  And more seafood for dinner last night...

 

Off to work-out & then to Legoland today!  

California Dreamin'...

We've arrived...

 

... and after a long day of travel, picking up the rental car, finding a late lunch/dinner at the Fish Market out on the deck over-looking the ocean...

  

(it just doesn't get any better than this...)

 

... a trip to the grocery store to get some essentials like breakfast, snacks & bottled water, we are FINALLY at our resort.  Travel days are always long days, but it's going to be a FUN trip!  We have lots of things planned... like a return trip to Legoland & Sea World (Bryn had just turned 4 on our first & only visit to those amusement parks in June '05) and of course some time at the beach.  I'm also looking forward to lots of fresh seafood!  I do love being here...

Happy Friday & have a great weekend!     

Let's just say, I ran 7.2 miles in the pouring down rain this morning...

... but since I'm waiting on photos from my sister, I'll save that story for tomorrow (assuming I have some photos by then). 

On a lighter note (or should I say a DRY-er note)... I wanted to post a few photos yesterday of our last night in Oahu where we enjoyed dinner on the USS Missouri, but yesterday got away from me.  Bob & I slept for 12 hours Friday night (Bryn for over 14 hours!), so we were feeling much better.  Good news.  But craziness ensued... laundry, packing again, running & running errands... so I never sat down to do it.  We took Bryn to my parents yesterday evening & headed Downtown to have an early dinner out & then spent the night at the Sheraton to be closer to the start line of the race.  So basically, we unpacked long enough to do laundry & then pack again.  So happy to be back home right now... for good... for awhile anyway!  

So here we go...

 

The last time this ship was in operation was in 1992 for Dessert Storm. 

 

    

At the end of dinner as we were leaving the boat, they had the side of it lit up with stars & stripes...

 

There's more I could say about this dinner & entertainment provided for us, but frankly I'm beyond tired right now, so I'm off to bed EARLY. 

Will be back with my running story from this morning soon.  And will be doing a happy dance around here if I actually get some time to spend in my craft room tomorrow...