The Scrappiness of My Life

2006-08-08T07:58:00.000-04:00

Okay...after much thinking and thinking and thinking I've decided that it's BEST for me to maintain a single blog. Having to keep up with my blogging buddies here and my designer's blog elsewhere has really gotten to be more than I care to handle.

sooooo

I'm merging the two of them. Please find my new blog here with today's prompt update. I will be blogging as both blog-fiend sharia and designer sharia at the same spot. Plop plop fizz fizz oh what a RELIEF that is!

2006-08-02T11:28:00.000-04:00

Prompt 8/2/06 : In What Ways Do you/Would you Indulge Yourself?

The "Would You" First:
I can't lie...I'd shop. I'd shop for clothes (a minimal amount because it's hard for me to make up my mind about what I like) But I'd shop for virtual things - I'd shop for programs, I'd shop for the best camera I liked. I'd shop for clothes GALORE for my daughters, and shoes and belts and all kinds of accessories - they love that stuff much much more than I do. I'd drag dh in for a serious manicure and pedicure. SERIOUS. He's in dire need and I'm not the kind that will perform those duties myself.

Now, for the things I do.:
I am big big big on salon trips. Hair, nails and feet. I am not so keen on 'makeovers' because I'm not that big into makeup. A little mascara, some lipstick and creme-to-powder foundation and that's it. No need to pay for a full makeover when it makes me feel like i've got a ton of gunk on my face. *shiver*. I love pampering myself. Or rather, having someone else to do it. Although I have a facial steamer (2 in fact) and 3 massaging foottubs and a full manicure set including the electric 'drill' aka nailfile/buffer, I am not into performing these operations on myself by myself.

2006-07-28T12:37:00.000-04:00

Be a Citizen - Screw your responsibilities as such...

Okay....so I haven't blogged in a few days because we've been busy getting the apartment ready for painting. That is now done, and I've been waiting to get this rant up for 3 days now.

Many people are here illegally, they come on boats, on planes, the walk over they even ship themselves over in boxes and crates. People are willing to DIE to live here - people that have only HEARD of the freedoms that belong to us are willing to give their lives just to end their lives on American soil.

I love being here. I know that this country has its problems. I know as a black woman I sometimes feel (both from outside sources and myself) inferior. I know that 'equality' isn't across the board here. I know that bad things happen here - more than anywhere else I believe. But, given all of that, I really ADORE this land. I love the freedoms I have. I am not the type of person that would volunteer for the military, but I vote faithfully, I obeserve national holidays for our armed forces with my own silent moment (and if my girls are around, I explain to them why it's important). I think that I am a good citizen, maybe not 'model', but I contribute positively to society.

I AM FUMING AT MOST PEOPLE THAT ARE CALLED FOR JURY DUTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, not all of them, but the bulk of people that are called for Jury Duty view it as some stupid waste of time. They can't seem to understand that they're being INVITED to share in one of the things that make this country a great place - and that is a legal system - even with it's flawas - that includes and requests the local citizenry for it's help in enforcing the laws - the lawas we as citizens vote for year after year.

As a member of the court system, I see daily people that freely admit they've got 'better things to do' than sitting in a courtroom being examined for Jury service. How can this be? How can it be that the same body of peopel that whine and cry and scream bloody murder at criminal activity can't see the service the provide when they are serving on the Juries of our nation? Why is it that the only time the majority of people living in this nation want to experience the jury system at work is when they're own family member or friend might be on trial for something - then of COURSE they want to have a "jury of peers" sitting in judgment of the facts of the case. Which, if you aren't clear on that, is what the Jury is doing. No Jury judges the PERSON, the Jury judges only the facts, in respect - what is TRUE and what is FALSE within a trial.

Gosh - if you're one of those that can't stand being called for Jury Service - please stand back, take a moment, and ask yourself where else can you be such an integrel part of the system of laws...and if you dislike Jury Duty so much - are you willing to move to a less free country to avoid it? After all, I am not so sure that if you can't see the reason and necessity for serving as a Juror you deserve the other 'good things' about living here.

hmph. - blogging buddies - if you've been patient enough to read this long post, click the link to my designer's blog and you can snag that gift that's there. It's for another purpose, but you can have it too.

Prompt 7/24: Would I Go On Reality TV?

2006-07-24T15:40:00.000-04:00

Notice - I have new stuff in my store - click the my designer blog to see them (over to the right)...
--------------------------

It's funny that you ask that. Dh and I were just talking (actually, we'd been talking for weeks) about if I'd ever want to do that "wife swap" or "trading spouses" show. You, the ones where they swap two people that are living lives that are completely and totally the opposite of each other. On the surface I'm thinking, sure...why not? What's the harm in such a thing really, because I do believe we can all learn something from the next guy (or girl) but I'm thinking they use those shows as more than 'testing' your limits. They're more likely to toss youinto a situation that living your regular 'safe?' life you'd never get into. I'm not sure how well I'd do with something like that.

Also, while I'm not a particularly 'private' person, I don't think I could ever be myself with a camera following me around all day every day for weeks. Nope...don't think I could do that. Sometimes (more often that not really) the people on those shows end up showing themselves to be fools and idiots - and who knows if that's an acurate depiction of them or if that's just what the network told them to present themselves as. I can't believe some of the crazy things I've seen and heard professed 'christians' say and do on those shows - and I'm not talking about things that are outside the walk of God, I'm talking things that are supposed 'helps' to the new families. Critical things to, debasing people and whatnot. Oh well...I guess the short answer is that no...on second thought I don't think I would go on 'live' (yeah right) television...

2006-07-21T10:46:00.000-04:00

7/21/06 Prompt: What's The Best Advice You've Received:

I really don't know. Well...yeah..I think it was "lean on the Lord". That's the best advice I've ever gotten. It keeps me from worrying about ANYTHING - and I DO mean anything. I just always find a way to "Let go and let God". It's sometimes HARD to follow that advice, but what makes it easily the best advice that I've gotten is that it's always easy to forget about it and just say God's working it all out FOR me. That keeps me safe. So, that's the advice I always give....
Oh, and it works in ANY and EVERY situation.

2006-07-20T07:06:00.000-04:00

OH MY GOODNESS I'M SO EXCITED !!!!!

I have some big news to announce about one of our blogging buddies. Click Here to see what I'm talking about!!
____________
NOW FOR TODAY'S PROMPT
How Was I Proposed To:

I was proposed two twice. Twice in the space of 24 hours. The first was semi-classic. We were just getting in and went to his apartment after a dinner date and I sat on the sofa to settle in to watch this movie he wanted to show me (i forget what, most likely something that I wouldn't watch otherwise lol). He came over to me and gave me this long stemmed silk rose. I know fake flowers, and they don't ususally glint....this one did. So I said "Thank You" and looked inside. Wow...there was a ring inside it!!!! He simply, after I calmed down a bit, asked me to marry him. I, because mama didn't raise no fool, said yes *smile*.

The second, which was the next day, was at a restaurant - you know where this is going. EXTREMELY CLASSIC. I didn't put the ring on right away and it was in the rose still, but I couldn't find it when I left and he said we'd look for it tomorrow. So, we went out and ate (we like to eat eh?) and after dinner the waitress brings two slices of chocolate cake - and silly me none the wiser. I'm eating the cake and only AFTER I'm good and into it do I see the ring (MY ring) at the edge of the cake. So, he gets on one knee and asks me - again. Complete with holding my hand and sliding the ring on and eeeeeeeeeveryone in the place watching. So this time I'm laughing and crying - which was weird, because I had already been proposed to. So anyway, I said yes again and jumped up and hugged him all like crazy lol. The restaurant cheered. It was nice. I liked it.

I want him to propose to me again lol.

RE: Shariaspeak 101

2006-07-19T09:57:00.000-04:00

I am horrible about using vernacular at all times unless I'm in a very professional environment (work....as I work in the court system, in the COURTROOM). If I'm speaking with my daughter's teachers or some other professional setting like that. My work emails are attrocious for my personal vernacular. I have even spilled over to my daughters (which is sorta sad I think). Here are some examples:

1. Dude (i use this CONSTANTLY - even when I'm talking to other court personnel)
2. Whodawhat? (when I haven't heard something clearly or don't understand)
3. My bad big dog (it's awful, when I've made some small mistake or error, this is what I usually say)
4. Li'l mama (how I refer to my girls sometimes, or my friends)
5. Naw - I say that a lot....maybe because i'm in the South (florida?)
6. Y'all - see reason for "naw"
7. Fixin' ta - see reason for "y'all"

If i can think of more right away, i will post those.

The Amazing Human Body

2006-07-18T10:31:00.000-04:00

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)
I know the human body is an amazingly technical organic machine. The various systems that make up our bodies, that all work together to make us 'go'. How awesome that we are all made alike but the variations in our bodies is so different. We are built more than Ford tough. Men and women built so that sleeping (and I do mean sleeping) together is compfortable, even when there's nearly no space between you. We're so strong, built to resist bugs and viruses that invade our bodies. Yet, even with that, a single solitary germ can bring the strongest of us low.
Our minds - what we use of it, amazes me. How much more would we know about ourselves if we pushed THAT one part of us to our limits and beyond. The fact that these bodies can sustain themselves in small ways, yet are still in need of our help, thinking about what we need to do to keep ourselves going.
*more to come later*

2006-07-17T11:13:00.000-04:00

shameless plug -->Name my Newest Kit and Win It. Get a minikit from it just for submtting a name!

COMPUTER CHIPS IN YOUR BODY

That's the prompt for today's blog entry. This is such a deep issue and requires lots of thought. Luckily though, I'm married to MISTER SCIENCE FICTION (which is why my main email address is mrsscifi hahahaha) and we've gone over this a gazillion times. I think it would be good, but for the potential for misuse - and I DO mean misuse by the government. I probably would allow it to be done to my child because I would want the security of safe finding if they were to ever go missing, but I think I would be constantly considering drawbacks. Bugs - could these implants provide a way for the government to easily listen to anything the chipped individual were saying? Could they be modified to adjust someone's behavior - for good OR bad?

Maybe I'll come back and list more potential threats of something of this nature when I return. Not to mention, there are some people that share my faith to believe something of this nature, though containing more specific uses, like monetary information, to be a mark of the beast (not sure I agree with that quite yet) but still....many varying opinions on something like this happening.

2006-07-16T23:47:00.000-04:00

I am so lame.

I love designing kits and I love when people say they enjoy them, but I hate designing and not scrapping. I LOVE LOVE LOVE scrapping - way more in fact, than designing. I have thought several times in the past few weeks that it's not worth it. *sigh* I am in possession of 6 folders of photographs now that need scrapping and have I lifted a single scrapping finger to do them? NOPE...I suck, horribly. I mean, I've scrapped a few photos, but only in conjunction with crops and chats that I've had. It's hard to find time to do both. I wonder though, if I made my kits smaller would that free up time for scrapping?

Well, the weekend's prompt is 'your favorite room in the house' and since I live in an apartment, my favorite room isn't really something that exists - although this is a very roomy apartment, if THAT makes any sense. Speaking of blogs, I haven't had much time to update this blog, seeing as how this is July 16 and my last post was a month ago. Oh lawd help a sista *rolling my eyes* *sigh*.

Anyway, I guess if I HAD to pick a favorite room, it would be the bathroom. I can relax in there with the door closed and a good book - or no book at all. Plus, it's at the very back of the apartment and closed off from the rest of my family. I need that privacy and closure when I'm trying to relax. It's important to me. I'm glad we've decided to stick it out in this apartment for a while longer, I'll get up the snuff to actually decorate in here, and the bathroom in my bedroom is going to be my first endeavor. I'm thinking shades of burgundy and cream. Yeah, burgundy and cream. I'll scrap that - if I ever find the time of course.

Finding Peace

2006-06-14T08:49:00.000-04:00

Well....I am not sure when I last did this. Peace, to me, would be lying out with a book and a soda and maybe some grapes. Maybe even a bowl of watermelon peices. But I haven't had that kind of peace in a long time. We just had a vacation, and I didn't have that kind of peace then either. It's important to me, however, to have a little peace in my life, no matter how small a piece I have. Sometimes, taking a small piece of peace is just taking the long way when i'm driving home because as soon as I get there, peace is gone. A lot of times it means rushing dh out of the door to his tuesday night meetings and putting the girls to be a smidge earlier than normal so I can scrap or plan or bathe or veg or read or just whatever. All in all, for the past year and a half I haven't found that peace that I used to have, and that's rather saddening now that I think back on it.

My First Memory

2006-06-05T12:11:00.000-04:00

My first memory is really rather gross..but I guess I'll share anyway since Bethy shared her desire to be able to do her monthly stuff w/o the kids barging into the bathroom lol.

When I was in headstart (i'm thinking I was 3 years old, 4 at the most)I had a crazy condition with my scalp and I had these splotches or sores or whatever all over the top of my head. You could't see them from just looking at me, because I've always had really thick hair. But I remember one day my mom combing my hair parting it very carefully and putting some....STUFF....on them. I also remember the teacher checking everyone for lice and she checked my head, and while I didn't have headlice I DID have those sores and she almost sent me home until my mom explained something to her. I don't know what.

I also remember my very first day of 'real' school. I was going to kindergarten and my mom ate breakfast with me. I had coffee cake and chocolate milk and eggs - which I didn't eat because I have always hated eggs. I cried in the lunchroom at my table because she said she had to leave and go to work and I didn't want her to leave. I met Abby when I finally went to class though, and we were friends until 5th grade. Abby (a little puerto rican girl), Misty (a little white girl) and Me. Great in-school friends.

*sigh*

to be in Kindergarten again....no THANKS!

2006-06-05T10:41:00.000-04:00

Okay...Vacation

1 - I am either very dedicated or such a geek.....I spend $30.00 at an internet cafe just so I could download and use Photoshop and complete part of the digiscrapit county fair MEGA kit. The papers I already showed you guys, I'll show ya the elements here.

2 - Vacations sometimes ought to be outlawed - when you're gone away for 8 days and are so busying "seeing the sights" that you don't get to relax, that is sinful. Sheesh

3 - We met a very nice family from Montgomery, Alabama. That is only 9 hours away driving and I am looking forward to getting to know them in depth. Our daughters met at the kiddie pool alrea and it was history. We spent several hours entertaining them the next they, they us the day after that. Exchanged email addresses and such. Isn't meeting new people wonderful?

4 - My daughters experienced their first 'spa treatment' ever. They both got pedicures and manicures and felt like the little princesses they are - when they're not hiding food inside their table that is. Photos to come later, of course.

5 - I didn't talk to Lisa (boobearsmama1) once while I was away, I missed her. shhhhh don't tell her, don't want her head getting all big.

6 - My charger conked out on me so I spent a half day searching around for a corporate cingular store rather than paying $30.00 for a new charger when it's still under warranty - shamarranty.

7 - I intended to eat a Bubbagump Shrimp Company - but we never made it. That sucks.

8 - I got back Friday afternoon and was able to finish the mega kit, and Saturday I did some requested Father's Word Art and yesterday I did a kit called Cotton Candy. I'll put the preview. It will be on sale in a few weeks. It's going onto a Fair Themes CD and after that will be sold for charity. How cool!

I'm going back and forth between just continually updating a website for Scrapilicious Designs (hahah that's me) or just maintaining a blog dedicated to designer me. I am leaning toward the blogging option though. It seems so much more simple AND on that note I've discovered how to customize the page....go me go me go me lol. You guys can see what I've got so far here http://scrapilicious.blogspot.com not that there's anything there though....just sharing a bit. *sigh* I guess that's all my vacation updates in a real tight nutshell. Let me see what today's prompt is. Brb...

2006-05-25T10:12:00.000-04:00

This Morning's First Thoughts...

My first thoughts this morning were about my kit-in-waiting. The idea for this came to me 2 nights ago and I have been having to put it's creation off. I finally was able to get it started Tuesday night and so this morning at 5:48 a.m. I was able to complete the rest of the papers and I even got 3 elements done. I got flashes of ideas for further elements and I'm sick with the thought that I might not be able to finish it until I get back to town next week (we are leaving tomorrow for 8 days). I hope that I am always this excited about new kits that I design and I guess if that means only release 2-3 kits each month, oh well.

back to this morning

I also thought about going to start the laundry, but I put that off to finish things in my new kit *fingers crossed* I will have to do that laundry this afternoon though...

2006-05-23T20:46:00.000-04:00

Freebies and Prizes for the Digiscrapit County Fair

MY FIRST KIT IS FOR SALE !!!!!!

2006-05-23T08:17:00.000-04:00

It's called Cherrie's Jubilee - named after my good friend Cherrie Webb, the fire behind my skid into the world of Digital Scrapbook Kit Designing. I love you girl. You can purchase my new kit here, at my store in Digiscrapit.com . I am so very excited at this, my first kit for sale. Golly wow gee, I can't even stop screaming, and my co workers thing I have gone batty....

Now, for today's Prompt - Pets in Your Youth

I haven't ever really been a hugh fan of 'pets' but we have had cats and dogs both when I was young (er). The first pet I remember that ever was actually MINE was an orange tabby cat. I named her muffin, because she looked just like a muffing, her fur I'm meaning. That was one smart kittykat. She would leave sometimes for a few days, but always came back. Even though she was a housecat, I guess she felt okay about leaving because we found her. Whenever she was bad I would call her by her name, backward. Niffum, and boy she did NOT seem to like that. She would come, but she would be antagonistic w/ me because she knew, I think, that she was about to be told off lol.

I'M A FRIKKIN DESIGNER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-05-19T05:30:00.000-04:00

Okay...not at DSP - which i love...but I AM a DESIGNER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you KNOW how exciting this is???? Okay..you can't possibly know because I am positively BURSTING with excitment. This was a whirlwind of events for me and I am going crazy with wonder. All I did was send and email asking if she thought my designs were on the level, but really just hoping for an apprenticeship - after my friend CHERRIE WEBB lol took the knife from my throat when I said I would inquire.

Comments about my work that were as sweet as any nothing dh every whispered to me (okay...totally different league, but you have to hear me on this lol) So....Today is my first day as real, live digi scrapping kit designer...and I feel so crazy.

I will be bringing in income for my family doing something that I have discovered only a few short months ago and have totally fallen in love with. Oh wow o wow o wow o wow o wow o wow o wow o wow o wow o wow o wow o wow.

Stacey would say I was GEEKED, but dude that doesn't even cover how I'm feeliing. I have to get up from here and go do something calming....where's my peppermint tea....hmmm.....

FRIKKIN EXCITED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

digiscrapit here i come *giggle*
__________________________________________________
now for today's prompted entry - what do I miss about playing in childhood.

MORE THAN ANYTHING I miss doing the hand-clapping games. Oh gosh they were so fun, 2 girls, 4 girls, especially the ones with 5+ girls.

miss mary mack/bo bo see otun totun/hands down connected 5/swing swing swing/down by the river/tiny tim

so many more....picture groups of little girls all hand clapping and giggling and forgetting the words then remembering the words then forgetting again. Starting over and over....the sun high overhead, frozen treats onthe table next to us (or most likely) sat in cups on the ground next to us. We all think we're cute even though we're sweating because the trees have all been recently pruned and there's no good shade outside.

My favorite one for big groups was hands down connected 5. A MAJOR game of quick thinking. Everyone in the circle has their hands resting palm to palm with the girl on either side (one up, one down) and sings:

hands down connected 5 (while patting palms together) clap clap
gonna get (patting palms) clap clap
names of (patting palms) clap clap
1 a piece (patting palms) clap clap
to know a piece (patting palms) clap clap
no hesitation (patting palms) clap clap
no concentration (patting pams)
names (patting palms) clap clap
subjects (patting palms) clap clap
of (patting palms) clap clap
SUBJECT HERE.....colors/cars/girls/boys/toys/foods/ ANYTHING YOU WANT.

Each girl in the cirle says 1 of whatever the subject is, after every girl has named 1 thing, the song repeats, the # changes to 2 and the next girl in the circle chooses her subject and names her things. This repeats and it's SOO fun because the #s just keep on going up. There is no hesitating or conentration during the game if you don't rattle off your items when it's your turn you are OH-YOU-TEE out of the circle.

I am in the process of teaching my girls this game...

and of course i miss rolling down the hill....i even did a layout of this

2006-05-17T10:27:00.000-04:00

I don't have any foods or items or anything else I have that I endulge in for comfort - I hope that doesn't make me a weirdo....

I will blog the Journaling I have in mind for a layout that I will be doing soon. This layout is going to go into the black heritage book that I've been making layouts for for my girls. The photo is of my oldest daughter Noelle and a friend from her class, Nicole - a white girl.

Intended Journaling-->

You two little girls sit so close together. Your arms around strewn around each other's shoulders in the most lackadasical manner. You are Friends. The only cares you have are what hot topic of conversation will be in first grade. You have no idea of the boundaries you can break, the significance this photograph portrays.

Not so many years ago there would have been uproars and angry cries about a photograph like this - if there was one at all. Hateful names would have been used to describe each of you and your parents as well for allowing this. There would have most likely not been a photo like this at all, because you wouldn't have known each other. You wouldn't have been fellow students, you wouldn't have played at the parks together, you wouldn't have lived in the same or nearby neighborhoods.

This photo signifies the strides that our nation has made in the efforts of race relations. Some steps were taken skittishly and by peaceful means, others weren't steps but leaps and bounds in some of the most violent manners you can imagine - on both sides. Over skin color and how that causes people to react to one another families have been ripped assunder, lovers have lost lives and friendships have been ended with nasty abruptness. This photo says that our Nation is on the right track - though the fact that this photo is significant is this way means that we still have a long way to go.

My prayer is that great gains, great gaping leaping bounding steps will be taken and that while not every single person can be won over to the idea of "complete racial harmony", enough people and get the word out to their own children so that this photo will not be a stand alone.

Your Daddy and I try our best to introduce you to people as people, but we can't always sheild you from the world at large. We know that you know "black" and "white" but our wish is for you to know it but not see it in a way that affects you. We want you to know there is a difference but that it is by far not a significant one. We want you to reach out to people and help people and love people and smile at people - not because their black and part of 'your people' but because they are human, and part of your race (the human race).

I can't tell you enough times how important it is to remember the things that have happened to people over the years, recent years and long years past but not to let those things cloud your mind. I can't tell you strongly enough that you can't allow racism to bind you mentally and you can't just ignore the bad parts of your ethnic heritage. We have to take these things and continue on with our lives be they bad or good events.

Live your lives so that your children and their friends and your children's children and friend's and theirs after them will look back on this photo and see nothing so significant nor extraordinary about it at all.

2006-05-17T06:45:00.000-04:00

This is my gift to Lisa (boobearsmama1). She is graciously - eeeeevvver so graciously - sharing it with all of the people at her birthday chat :)

2006-05-16T10:55:00.000-04:00

Bad habits? Me? Uhm....

I'm a whole hearted supporter of acrylic/gel nails - the bad habit associated with this is that I am a MORE than chronic nail biter. I bite, I nibble, I gnaw, I chew I do all of that to my poor nails - you wouldn't think someone that is always thinking of her appearance to be so out of control in that area, but I truly can't stop. It's not nervous behavior either - I do it when I'm nervous, calm, happy, sad...I do it just because I have nails. Most of the time I have so little nail showing but I do it anyway.

I'm ashamed to even put this in print, but that nail biting is bad enough on it's own, but made worse by the fact that after I come out of the shower I tend to sit with my feet tucked under me and sometimes I play with them *frown* like fingerng my heel or arch of my feet. This drives dh mad with disgust because sometimes i absent mindedly do them both *sad face* I say my feet are super clean at that time anyway - but i really should get a hold of myself.

Technology Services Dept has told us to log off and back on to our computers, so I'll be back in a bit.

My Mother's Day - Sweet and Sour

2006-05-15T10:28:00.000-04:00

Well...it was great really - until the last hours of the night.

There was a huge card on the front table from Michael, which was just lovely...There were also handmade gifts from the girls - a magnetic crepe paper butterfly from Alexis and a paper cup w/ a real bag of stress reliever tea inside. MMMMMMM that smelled so good.

We drove to Tampa to take my Mommy to eat and we at ate this super great restaurant - great because it was buffet style and it was real Southern cookin'. Collard greens, cornbread, fried chicken and oh my goodness the BISCUITS !!!!! Mouth watering stuff and I just know I overdid it *smile*.

Spent a lot of time with my mom and that was nice, I hadn't done that in a while and the girls were playing and having a nice time. Michael was in the front room watching discovery channel...We were all together and eveything was good.

Then....got home....things were going beautifully. Right after the girls went to bed we discovered they had been hiding food betweenthe two levels of their special lego table. I have NEVER been so pissed off at those girls...

NOTE....if you're part of the "SPANKING IS BAD" CLUB...you can stop reading now :)

I was so upset. Michael spanked 1 and I spanked the other - and I mean but GOOD. I marched them right into the kitchen and made them throw out everything that was good and tasty and 'snackage' in the cabinets and the fridge. (I even sacrificed my kettle corn because i knew how deeply they'd feel that...since they are the ones eating most of it). I took away their table and they're now relagated to eating on newspapers onthe floor in kitchen. I told them I couldn't trust them to eat at a table like normal non-sneaky children. I explained to them that I was no longer mad but I was EXTREMELY disappointed....

That hurt them worse than my being mad, and I must say, I was glad they went back to bed feeling bad.

2006-05-15T07:00:00.000-04:00

GIVE-A-WAY FOR FREE KITS!!!!!

My good friend Lisa's Birthday is May 22 and she is having a chat and at that chat will be these 3 kits, this alpha, various embellishment kits and soooo much more!!! You won't want to miss this I'm telling you!

Information on the chat can be found at this thread over at DSP (digitalscrapbookplace.com) We really hope to see you all there. The Chat is going to be Monday, May 22,2006 at 11:00 p.m. and for those of you across the world (or are just early risers) There will be a 2nd (post chat chat? lol) on May 23, 2006 at 7:00 a.m.

You can see these kits in larger previews if you'd like by clicking

Life Against the Wall Page Kit

Skee Wee Page Kit

Violetta Page Kit

Chipboard Alpha (Melanie BT)

If I Could Take Tomorrow Off...

2006-05-11T11:32:00.000-04:00

I would go to the park with all the books I'm currently reading:

Chronicles of Narnia
Black Hawk Down
Various comic books

I'd take fruit and sandwiches and Peach flavored green tea. I would have my cell phone on vibrate and lay out on my blanket in the middle of the park under the trees.

I'd read. I'd sleep. I'd think of layouts that I might want to do.

She's Doin' Her Own Thing

2006-05-09T07:51:00.000-04:00

This morning Alexis asked if she could wear her blue skirt - the only blue skirt I know of is too small for her, but apparently she meant a blue skirt that was too small for Noelle. I let her and gave her a white top to wear with it. I fully expected to blurt out "go put on your sandals" but instead I got so busy with the cares of getting ready in the mornings that I neglected footwear altogether. She did not. She put on a pair of old black boots. She loves these boots even though they're no longer shiny and the toes of both boots are scuffed so badly they're an awful grey against the black of the rest of the boot. I told her several times to take those off in my head, but outside my mind, where she could hear me, I let her wear them.

Afte all, at 5 years old you don't get a lot of chances to assert yourself and probably fewer chances to assert your own 'style' when you're going out in public for all the world to see - and of course Judge your parents worth by how they let you come out of the house. So, I let her wear the not-really-coordinated-and -badly-scuffed-should-have-been-tossed-long-ago boots to school with the pale blue skirt and white blouse. It's not like she asked me to wear a kiddie-sized black trenchcoat to school for pete's sake...

Written Pleas of Not Guilty

2006-05-02T11:29:00.000-04:00

That's what I should be doing right now. In fact, I should have done them last week, and I'm talking EARLY in the week last week. They're just so dang on tediuous...I mean...maybe tedious isn't the right word, but it's jus the same thng over and over and over and over and over and over and ver and over and over and over and over again. Written pleas of not guilty are great wen I'm in court and can get them done, but outside of court - well...its just not so great lol. I guess I should get to them...I only have about 15 or so to do, and they're not going to take long once I get going on them...but first I'm going to post that I finished my blog.

A written plea of not guilty is paper work that an atty files on a case so that the Defendant doesn't have to appear at his arraignment - which is a formal reading of the charges the state has filed against him, and can be set straight away for a pretrial conference date and trial dates.

Oh, quick note for those that are reading this....I'm going to be transferring my personal blog into blogger so that when I have oher stuff to say, I guess I can say it and if you all want to comment you can do so. It's going to be kinda toughish, blogging her for scrappy prompts AND blogging in my personal blog twice...because I guess I'll still continue to update the yahoo one...*sigh* i should be doing written pleas of not guilty...

2006-04-28T11:10:00.000-04:00

I Believe.....

That's today's blog prompt from the dear sweet meg

practice does NO GOOD AT ALL unless you're practicing it the way it should be done

good things do come to those who wait

good things sometimes come even if you rush it (i got married 8 months after meeting dh)

humor will slap you down and hold you there with laughter if you've got yourself open to being amused

I will get my broken acrylic nail fixed this evening

the Judge is back on the bench and I'll finish this in a few hours lol

I'm back now and i'll continue my list of personal beliefs

that I am going to grow to become much more than I am now within 5 years

that people depend on me and I'm not aware of it

that my daughters will be going to bed EARLY tonight lol

that I am enjoying getting to know the ladies of DSP in what is sort of an outside environment

that by smiling at everyone I meet and interact with I am making SOMEONE'S day

2006-04-27T08:34:00.000-04:00

Which quality best describes your life--exciting, organised, dull, etc? How would someone else describe it (like your children, a high school friend, random person on the street)?

That is the prompt for today's blog entry. Hmm.... I think I'd describe my life as ..... normal. We have times where we're significantly busy, and I mean that to say we've got something going at least 5 days out of the week, aside from work and school, then there are times that our lives just sort of roll on from one day to the next, without much effort on our part. I enjoy "rolling on along" timespans. I don't much care to spend my days and my weeks being busy busy busy.

Outsiders tend to say we're constantly on the go, but that's only because people ask what are you doing next week or what did you so many weeks ago and we like taking weekend getaways. They're not as often as most of our friends make them out to be, but they're a nice break from our lives, and we like to keep ourselves relaxed.

We have two time shares but don't yet own a home, and that's actually quite fine by me. With the launch of our new e-commerce store we're kept quite busy with meetings and quarterly conferences and such, and I'm rather more inclined to devoting my time and money into making that flourish than I am into getting a house right now. So...there it is after all, my life, to me, is described as normal.

2006-04-26T15:13:00.000-04:00

What Physical Thing Can Make Or Break Your Day?

That's today's blog prompting from Meg...but I can't really go on about that, because nothing phsycial makes or breaks my day. I'm not that attached to anything - I never had been very attached to anything. I don't have a very good "sentimental" or "intrinsic" value placing about myself. Things just....are. Well...not so much the thing itself that is.

However...I'm sitting here thinking that I can't blog about this because I don't have any attachments to anything, but I have just remembered, something that always tends to 'do me right' as they say.

EARRINGS !!!

I noticed a while back that when I catch myself reacting negatively to things that happen within my day**, I am not wearing any earrings. That might sound strange, but I feel that my outward appearance (to myself, because I'm really only concerned with how I see myself) is so much great, so enhanced, when I'm wearing a pair of earrings. My thought is that subconciously I feel not so great when I am not wearing them...and it's maybe like I am getting some kind of signal, or NOT getting a signal as the case may be, when they're not there.

**I won't say that "i'm having a bad day" because God doesn't make mistakes, everything he's made is good, even the worst day of my life is good. The Bible says that afflictions, trials, tribulations must all come and to be content where you are - therefore, if I find myself having what some would call "a bad day" I try and quickly remember that the Day is good, and I'm probably not reacting to things in the way He would have me to.

2006-04-25T23:23:00.000-04:00

click the image for a larger picture.

This if my first ever kit that I created for the purpose of actually creating a kit. I was home today and bored out of my mind, and rather than working any number of the beautiful kits i have in my stock, I decided to try my shakey hand at making one. The colors were picked from the a few colors that made a smoothie I had the other day, hence the name of this kit - SMOOTHIE CITY.

If you take, please leave me a comment and I'd love a little note & link when you have used it.

Also, if you get to this and the link has already expired, just let me know and I'll re-upload it.

You can download this by clicking here.

2006-04-25T10:24:00.000-04:00

When I Grow Up

I want to be wealthy (no...seriously)
I want to be a stay at home mom - these are the best years for me to be, because my girls are at school and i will really get to be a loaf at home mom and turn into SAHM on certain days. Okay okay okay...its true....i know i wouldn't make the greatest SAHM - but I'd like to try lol.
I want to be a chef!
I want to be a world famous journalist!

SCCCCCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Seriously....I just want the balance of my life to be spent in good service of other people. I really WOULD like to be wealthy & that's because of the amount of people i would be able to help if I were. I want my life to be significant and by just going to work and coming on for me doesn't create signifigance. I thik that I am already living a significant life, but I never think that I can't do more for myself or fo others. You just....well...you just can always beef it up a bit, I think.

I want to be sure that my girls are learning good lessons from me and they they are big enough and strong enough to maintain those lessons and put them into practical action when necessary. I want to be talked about by my great great great grand children as someone the family really appreciated and someone that affected her world.

2006-04-25T10:14:00.000-04:00

My Girls At Easter

2006-04-25T07:49:00.000-04:00

I have been having an idea to scrap memories without photos for the longest. I haven't done so yet because I want it to be a good scrapping, not just thrown together and I want to make sure they're memories for which I really DON'T have the photos. I really feel like those are the ones that I need to get down...after all, once the person that has cler memory of those photoless occasions is gone, or their memory is gone, even one as perfect (ha ha ha) as mine, they'll be lost.

2006-04-25T07:32:00.000-04:00

A converstion with alexis that I hope to scrap today..

Her – that kind of thing just gets me wound up
Me – what gets you wound up?
Her – silliness
Me – like what?
Her – Noelle
Me – what? Noelle? What do you mean?
Her - *heavy sigh* she tickles my feet, tickles my whole body
Me – anything else about her gets you wound up?
Her – yes, sometimes she makes me mad like a monster
(at this point offering your feet to Noelle saying “tickle my feet”

2006-04-24T10:58:00.000-04:00

so.....the only pets I have are reptilian and there's not much talking to them. Really. But we do, sorta sometimes kinda talk to 'em. Well...usually the talkiing consists telling Jojo how greedy he is and telling Spotessa how much she is growing. I am loving watchin her grow ... even though it is a slow process, it's one I find that I'm enjoying. I would have never thought of owning a snake before, much less talking to it. But...I guess if people can love and talk to their dogs I can love and talk to my snake....

this is a layout I did of my girl

*sigh*

But one day, when I own a home and get out of this apartment, we'll have dogs to - and even THOUGH i'm not close to anything one would call a dog lover, I am looking forward to owning a canine companion. (dog just sounds on un-P.C.)

Life Happened to Me While I Made Other Plans

2006-04-14T12:22:00.000-04:00

Today I had planned to meet Lauraloub before she left town this morning. She’s boarding the plane right now and I have missed meeting her. This makes me mad. I had the day off from work today and specifically scheduled my hair appointment at 8:30 so that I could be at the airport at 11:00 to meet with her. She’s such a nice lady. I’m sorry I missed this opportunity. Anyway, the purpose of having a day off is so you can do what you want to do, it’s so you can relax and just kinda hang out. Well, dh had other plans for my day. I wish I could just say NO I’M NOT DOING IT…but then what kind of response would that be? Well, here I am in the middle of doing things he’s asked me to do today and I’m still mad. First I had to go all the way to our local video store to get Rookie Of The Year – that was a wasted trip because they copy they had was broken. Then I had to get lunch to bring him here at the school. Now mind you, I’ve already missed my meeting with Laura and I was thinking that at the very least I could go home and spend the balance of my day scrapping away my disappointment. But ooohhh nooooooooooooo!!!!! I am NOW asked to play interviewer along with DH for his 5^th grade students that he’s got doing ‘job skills’ type activities. His para-teacher (teacher’s aide) didn’t come to work today, so he asked me to fill in and help him with the interviewing process. Now, instead of leaving here 15 minutes ago (12:00 p.m.), I am roped into staying here for another hour. Gosh I am so mad. Couple that with the fact that I’ll have only 1 hour at home because I have to be back here at 2:30. I am so mad I could scream. I’m not even smiling right now..i’m as scowled up as they come. The only good thing that came of today is that I set up emailing blog posts and that's how I'm adding this post. Phooey!

AARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-04-13T10:46:00.000-04:00

Old Wive's Tales....

In my family we don't have many of these, but I know they're prevalent in all communities. When I was in the 8th grade I was involved in a group that met every Saturday morning and solve engineering problems. One Saturday we were all just goofing around and someone came up with the ideas for NEW wives tales. I'll list some of those here:

rid yourself of fever by rubbing a teaspoon of peanut butter on your elbow

blink your eyes twice and turn around 3 times (to the left) to ward off arthritis

a bit of egg yolk across the nose will EASILY cure watery, red eyes

There are more but this was all I could come up with out of my memory banks.

2006-04-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

okay...here's my two latest layouts - they're linked to my DSP Gallery

2006-04-12T11:54:00.001-04:00

Proverbs 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Oh my GOSH how I love to laugh.

laugh laugh laugh laugh laugh. I am so easily amused it's crazy. Everyone in my family knows this about me and my friends also. Sometimes I just burst out laughing when i'm just in mid conversation or even if I'm not talking. it's kinda wild I guess, but that's me. Anyway, Noelle keeps me laughing and it's not because she's all that funny (she's really sort of a dud when it comes to making jokes lol) But when she gets to talking about what happened in school and telling me what I call 'Tales of a First Grader" boy I just have to hold my tummy (all of it) in to keep myself from shaking all over with laughter and i have to be very very sure not to look at her or else I'll lose it.

It doesn't help that dh says "Sharia, what are you laughing at?" and I try...oh my Lord I try so hard not to open my mouth because as soon as I do, here comes the red sea of laughter. If he keeps asking and I don't answer, then I get this from Noelle "Mommy, I know you're laughing at me" - boy am I in trouble if she has to say that.

My whole family is into laughing actually, and I can't get enough of listening to them laugh, dh, dd )both of 'em). The bible says that a merry heart doeth good like medicine...who can argue with the Bible? hehehe

2006-04-11T16:15:00.000-04:00

uncommonly common me-type question: why is it that they've got a dumb link back to my own blog when I open this quick blog window? That doesn't make sense to me...oh well..

Anyway...today's prompt (thanks meg) is food. Just today I was telling someone "food makes me happy" and it's true...it does...but...I shouldn't consume so MUCH of the stuff...geez. I am starting to look like I'm preggers - and that's no good at ALL when we're heading for the beach in a month - and for an entire week no less. Oy Vey!

but...about food...uhm..hmm..it's good..it's tastes good and it smells good. I'm nuts for a good steak any time (but really only for dinner). I can go w/o pork chops of quite a while, but I do love them, parasites be danged. *sigh* my favorite favorite favorite food (is it really food though?) of all time is and THOSE things I can eat all day and all night. Well..I can eat them until the milk is all gone anyway.

My favorite recipe is Goulash. What an awful sounding name but MAN is it GOOD !!! It's beef sausage (or kielbasa) cooked in red sauce (some thick spaghetti sauce is great) mix in your choice of non-mushy veggies (i go with corn, green beans, zuchini, carrots & pre-stewed tomatoes). Serve over rice. Hey...that sounds like a super-duper recipe layout...*mental note* My mom used to make this for us allll the time, probably because it's cheap (not as cheap as spaghetti of course) but inexpensive to make and feeds a lot of people. *sigh* i miss having someone else to do all the cooking.

I feel```````````````<--that (the little ```` )was me leaning over the keyboard to drop this big (4ftx4ft)peice of foam board map over the front of my station in the courtroom which is a 1/2 wall about 5 ft tall...I did it so well, it landed on the floor and leaned easily against the wall of my station....that's cool man. The Judge smiled at me - he's so funny. Dang..that would be me shooting off in a tangent that has absolutely NADA to do with food....imagine a conversation with me...scary!

Now I don't even recall what I was about to type with the statment "I feel"...

2006-04-10T17:01:00.000-04:00

First thing - I have to be all giddy and proud because my "Your Take On This Photo' contest at DSP won a prize. I'm sure i'm not the only person, as it was a challenge and not a contest, but it's still cool that I won something for photo manipulation.

I've been out of town on business, so I haven't been able to post any blog entries, but I guess that's okay. I'm sure I can read the prompts and go back later in the week just to do them. Today's prompt though, is to use a quote in our blogging...

I read a book this weekend titled "The Pursuit" and it was FULL of golden nuggets about forging ahead and having success. I loved them all, but the one that really stuck out for me was this "a wise person is one that makes decisions on their own, an ignorant person follows the opinion of the masses". That makes me thing about noelle and alexis...Now, they're only 7 and 5 respectively, but I am hoping that Noelle (the 7 year old) will grow to be a little wiser in her decision making.

Alexis has already shown herself to be a person of her own mind (and while that sometimes causes her to get in trouble) it's mostly a good thing. Noelle on the other hand is too concerned with the thoughts and opinions of her peers. I know it's the way of an elementary school aged child to be this way, but sometimes I think she's a bit TOOO concerned with what others think.

I haven't found anything I can do to reduce this depency of hers on what other people think of her and what she does and if I could do something other than coach her in that area, I would. i try to raise then BOTH with strong self images and the knowledge that they're good girls and they can make good decisions on their own (and that God would like them to make their own decisions, rather than keep the counsel of other kids that aren't exactly 'behaving' in the right way)

This I will have to work on....maybe I can find some excercises online on some parenting site that will help me with this. *sigh*

2006-04-06T13:47:00.000-04:00

okay...must remember to scrap this word:

This morning Noelle tied her shoe w/o incident. Upon seeing this, Alexis started clapping her hands shouting ROBBO!! ROBBO !!! heheh She was apparently unaware that the word is BRAVO hehehe

2006-04-05T13:00:00.000-04:00

Today's Prompt is C H A N G E

I think I will write about change and my daughters...Up until a few weeks ago, Noelle was the buckled down, demure, well behaved, rarely sad-face by her name 7 year old and Alexis was the uproarus, rambunctuous, often excited, rather mouthy 5 year old. Of course things change. Why would things not change? but...I miss Noelle the way she was and I am not altogether sad that Alexis has changed, because it's for the better, but still...who they were is no longer who they are.

They have reversed roles a full 180 degrees. My sweet Noelle has had a bad report (when I say bad, I mean talking waaaaaaaaaaaay too much in school, playing when she should be listening, that sort of thing) almost daily for the last 3 weeks and Alexis has been just Angelic to let her teacher tell it. I don't know if this is scrappiness, but it is worth mentioning. Their dad has noticed this also. *sad face* I even had to spank Noelle yesterday. Spanking doesn't make me sad, I am in full agreement with spanking, but spanking her always just seems wrong...but if you do the crime...well..you know the rest. *sigh* It would be good if Noelle would coome back to herself and Alexis would remain with this new mindset that she's currently gotten her mind around.

Actually, this brings me to another issue, which I'll post on my personal feelings blog. You can read about it here: oh craps, i'll post the link later lol

2006-04-05T11:56:00.000-04:00

Scrapping a photo that isn't mine...

A coworker/good acquaintance at work had a baby a few months ago, and BOY IS SHE A CUTIE PATOOTIE....I wasn't able to attend her shower and haven't gotten anything for the baby yet. I haven't done it because I really want to do a "vital statisctics" page on the baby. She's got that kinda irristable-scrapping-cuteness. Vitals kinda like this LO , but baby-styled. I am refraining from asking her though...I don't want her to think I'm a big ol' weirdo (even though everyone here and their mother knows of my love for doing that sort of thing.) Gosh...decisions decisions...

2006-04-05T07:04:00.000-04:00

I'M GOING BONKERS!!!!

I've always been able to decypher coding and customize my various sites to my own liking...I'm finding that so difficult in this blogging atmosphere. I'm not sick of the pink and plum (yet) but I soon will be. I really want to be able to put my own backgrounds up. How lame is it that I can't do that just yet? What a hokey chick. This is really making me crazy and only made more so by the awesome and even not so awesome lol customizing i'm seeing on other people's blogspots. *sigh* oh well..i guess when it's meant for me to get I'll get it. Till then I'll be happy with changing titles...i suppose. But...i really don't think I will.

2006-04-04T13:05:00.000-04:00

Something I dislike doing...

HAIR!!!! Both mine and my daughters....I love actually having hair, I disdain having to keep it kempt and taken care of. I had my daughter Noelle given a perm because her hair was waaaay too thick and waaaay to kinky for ME to deal with comfortably. Now it s nice and straight, and she makes regular trips to the salon just as I do. My youngest daughter, Alexis, has very very curly hair which is ALSO long and thick and takes much consternation on my part to make look neat.

It takes me 4 hours to undo, then wash, dry and re-do (style) both their hair. Trust me, now that Noelle has a perm I can focus on alexis..which is much better than having to do two of them. Geez...more later i think...maybe even PHOTOS lol ....

2006-04-03T19:25:00.000-04:00

Okay....as part of a challenge on DSP, I'm creating an entry about a birthday...my FAVORITE birthday party of all time HAD to be when I was about 5 or 6 and both my brother and I had a seperate cake and we both had allll our friends over. Our cakes were layer cakes, round with canary yellow icing and i recall really disliking that icing lol. We had GAMES GALORE and PRESENTS A'PLENTY...*sigh* oh to be young....

2006-04-03T19:14:00.000-04:00

This is my first entry into the Scrapbooking Blog I've created. Mainly I created it so that I'd be able to enter a challenge at my favorite digital scrapbooking site, DSP. I am hoping thought, that I'll be consistent about updating it...that would be nice of me eh? hahaha.

Oh, okay...here is a view of my latest LO. This was done as part of a challenge, yes...but it was still an important LO for me to scrap. It's a photo of me, my dad, my sis and stepmom and my 2 little girls.

2006-04-03T18:21:00.000-04:00

testing...this is the first blog post....