(diva)logues

A couple quick updates...

 

GREAT NEWS!  Scrapbook.com is now carrying the 6 brand new lines from Nikki Sivils!  Check it out here! 

 

Just for what it's worth... I hope by mentioning that I took a vicodin on Thursday night, that I didn't come across as a pill-popper.  After one of the comments I received, I thought maybe I should explain.  I gave myself more than a minor cut.  I left a small piece of my finger on my craft table. It hurt like a mother f-er when I did it and even worse when I finally decided to seek attention for it.  I have a very high tolerance for pain (I am a woman after all... you know what I'm sayin'), but this stupid self-inflicted wound HURT.  BAD.  The tips of your fingers are nothing but nerve endings.  The same wound somewhere else may not hurt so bad. 

I think vicodin is WAY over-prescribed & was just saying that very thing to Bob on Thursday night.  I've been given a prescription for it multiple times in the last year for major dental issues... new teeth, root canals... you name it, I've been there... but I haven't filled them.  Ibuprofen is fine for me and I don't even want to take THAT if I can avoid it.  I didn't fill this prescription either, I took one that Bob had from a recent surgery, because it was the exact same dosage prescribed for me AND I had major throbbing pain and wanted to sleep.  I know this isn't necessary to explain, but if I'm going to inspire anything at all on my blog... it's hopefully just creativity & exercise... not painkillers.  ;-) 

Moving on and speaking of pain...

I had my follow-up today with urgent care to see how I'm healing.  The little piece of dressing on top of my cut was stuck to my skin, obviously, so she had me soak it in a saline solution for about 10 minutes to see if it would fall off on it's own.  It didn't. Yay me!  So... she had to pull it off.  I'll just say it felt like I sliced my finger open all over again.  Put a freakin' bullet in my head and put me out of my misery, is pretty much all I could think.  Good news is, no infection so far.  Bad news is, I have to go through this redressing process every day on my own (probably about 2 weeks) until my finger grows some new skin & it closes up.  Should be about a month until I'm fully healed.

So my dad, always the comedian, said to me after lunch today, "Is this going to change your fingerprint?" 

Why yes... yes it is.  LOL!

Pure entertainment...

 
 

I'm not a huge reader anymore.  I just don't have time for it.  I guess it's because I'd rather spend my "reading time" on magazines & blogs... you know, the important things.  Not having time for reading also assumes I've been lucky enough to have chosen a book that I can't put down.  There's nothing worse than starting a book & then never picking it up again because it's putting you to sleep.  

But when Bob gave me my iPad, I realized that I now had the ability to download books which could come in handy when I'm traveling.  So, on my sister's suggestion, my first purchase was Are You There Vodka?  It's Me, Chelsea..."  I read it in about 2 days.  I probably could've finished it in a day, but completely ignoring my family on vacation was not an option.  Two words... FREAKIN HILARIOUS.  Laughed OUT LOUD for most of the book.  It got a bit embarrassing on the plane when a woman sitting across the aisle turned & looked at me.  I couldn't help it.  And most of the time I was laughing, I had tears in my eyes.  So if you need a little light, fast reading or... you just need a little laughter in your life... pick it up. 

And ps... I just downloaded my second book... Chelsea Chelsea, Bang Bang.  I guess I'm a Chelsea Handler fan now (and maybe a new fan of reading?)  Who knew?   

Getting back into the craft room makes me a happy girl...

It's been a great weekend so far & I was even able to fit in a little scrapping time just for fun yesterday! 

I used up some leftover October Afternoon paper that was included in the June HIP 2B SQUARE kit + some of my new 72 and Sunny stuff from Jing-Jing!  I I purchased the Jenni Bowlin sun paper before I found out it was going to be included in the July HIP 2B SQUARE kit.  I don't have my kit yet, but it looks like you'll be seeing it again.  Promise to use it in a different way though.  LOL

I curled out my sun rays to add a little more dimmension to the page (this also means it's going to get smashed the minute it goes into the scrapbook)... 

In addition to creating, I was also able to FINALLY finish editing my (diva)logues blog book for 2009 last night.  I had slurped it all using Blurb back in January, but this year when I slurped it, every page had all these funky symbols where my typed words should've been.  I thought to myself, there's NO WAY I'm going to have the patience to sit & edit over 300 pages so the wording is all correct.  So, I gave up, all-the-while wondering why this year didn't slurp correctly, when last year I had no issues?  Then a couple months ago when I was reading Laura Vegas' blog, she posted about the SAME exact issue as mine.  So, I emailed her & told her I had the SAME problem & she told me how to correct it.  So, last night, I picked up where I had last left off, finished up editing the photos in the book, & deleting anything that didn't have to be there.  So... I'm happy to say that I'll have my 2nd year of my blog committed to print!   

 

Also, there's a new challenge up at These Are A Few of My Favorite Things.  This time the challenge is your FAVORITE BAND.  With all the chaos of creating for CHA and then actually attending it too, I didn't have a chance to create something for this challenge.  BUT... my  plan was to do a play on words & make a page about the "Silly Bands" craze going on with Bryn & everyone else we know.  So... even though it will be late, I'm planning to make a page about that eventually!  Check out the blog for more inspiring ideas, as well as to see the FABULOUS prize up for grabs this time!

Have a great week!

My 8 1/2-year old author & illustrator...

Bryn's been working on a book this weekend.  It's based on the children's book "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie."  She made up the story on Word a few days ago, printed it out & then cut out her journaling strips.  Over the past 2 days, she tackled the illustrations.  She did all this free-hand & through her own creative imagination.  I sat looking at the finished book this afternoon with my jaw dropped wide open.  I need to figure out what to do with this.  Maybe a book with Snapfish?  I don't know yet.  Since it's Sunday & there's not usally a lot of people out blog-hopping on the weekend, I'm posting her book in it's entirety for my own memories...

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

 

  

  

 

  

  

 

  

  

  

  

The end...

Packing...

... & making lists for Disney.  Getting excited about the Spring weather we are experiencing right now & will get MORE of on our trip.  Excited about pops of yellow in my Spring wardrobe... it always makes me feel a little happier.  I'm loving yellow + grey right now.  Here's some of what's getting thrown in the suitcase for this adventure to theme park land... 

 

Of course, the cross-body bag & the Keds are for the theme park days, but since there will only be 3 theme park days, I need less sensible things for everything else we do.  Like the pool & dinner & just hanging out doing whatever-we-please, for instance. 

Back to finishing up projects that are due while I'm gone.  Send inspiring thoughts my way please...

Feeling good...

I just read Rinnavation.  I love Lisa Rinna & have been a fan of hers all the way back to Days of Our Lives.  I think I like her because she's just a few years older than me, but she's still doing all she can to look good, feel good & slow down the hands of time.  And like most of my role-models, she works hard for her body & looks better in her 40's than she ever did in her 20's.  I can very much relate to that. 

 It's a very easy read & I finished it in just 2 days.  In it, she talks about doing cleanses & detoxing.  One thing that works for her is SoCal cleanse, which I just ordered & received in only 2 days.  Super fast shipping & I didn't pay for that to happen either!   I also ordered some Spirulina to add to smoothies, for which she gives several recipes.  You can read more about each on their websites & she has her reasons in the book.  My reason for doing some cleansing/detoxing is really my sugar intake... specifically chocolate (or Dark Chocolate Raisinets, which I can manage to down quite a few of in one sitting).  While I do work my a-- off every day to allow for the extra calories, I've heard more than once that sugar really is the worst thing you can put into your body.  So... I'm making some positive changes.  I already have a multi-vitamin + vitamin D + Omega 3 that I take daily, but I just want to add more good stuff. 

    I have also made & tried her home-made cleanse she included in the book.  I have to say it's the oddest tasting thing I've ever tried, but I guess it works.  (2 T. of fresh lemon or lime juice, 1 T. pure maple syrup, dash of cayenne pepper & 8 oz. of water).  

Her Ballroom Body Blast dvd is a ton of fun, too.  Lately on my running days, I've been running for a 1/2 hour on the treadmill... about 3.2 miles... & then doing this dvd.  It's similar to my Zumba stuff I do on Mondays, so between LOVING Dancing With the Stars & LOVING Zumba, it's a win-win dvd.   And speaking of feeling good, nothing makes me feel better than a new pair of shoes (well, actually I have a list of things that make me happy that include more than a new pair of shoes, but you know what I mean!).  Here's my latest purchase, that I can't wait to wear with my "boyfriend" jeans & a tee... Found these lovelies here.  You can use 2 coupon codes at once (SUMMERLUV for $10 off any purchase of $49 or more and SHIP2ME for free standard shipping on $35 or more.) 

I have zero desire to be in my 20's again... ZERO.  But I don't exactly want to LOOK my age either.  No one's going to mistake me for a 20-year old (other than maybe that "blind" cashier at Whole Foods who carded me about a week after I turned 41... not that I was complaining, mind you), but I really don't want to LOOK my age either.  I'd rather look a few years younger than I am.  But the bottom line is that you can't just do it on the outside.  It starts with what you put into your body.  Junk in, junk out.  I agree with the general message of Lisa's book.  It takes some effort, but it's as simple as eating right, exercising & taking a few minutes on your appearance every day.  It takes as much effort to throw on a sundress & some flip flops to run your errands, as it does to put on some sweats & a t-shirt. 

When you FEEL good, you LOOK good.   

Making me smile...

1. This post on healthy eating
2. A place to learn different ways to hand-stitch
3. Actually landing a spot on Catwalk 
4. Finding beautiful blogs (thanks Mandie)
5. Seeing more photos of Willie B's new paper/product line here
6. My first attempt at masking/misting for a new LO to be posted on Monday
7. Coupons from Archivers
8. 
9. "Wacky" challenges
10. Sea of Shoes
11. Finishing up projects that are due
12. New running shoes
13. Making more cupcakes for Bryn's "friends" party on Saturday
14. Reading this great book that I can't seem to put down (I was friends with his older sister in grade school)
15. Hanging out every day with this smiling face