retail therapy

i am very happy right now -- i spent the day shopping & got things that i have been wanting :)

first i went to west county mall -- bought some ugg boots, a couple new shirts, a pair of pajama pants, a sweater vest, and some lush bath stuff...after the mall i went to target and got some stamps (MM new christmas, with an alpha and 2 small stamp pads!) and other stuff...i ended my day at FKS to return something, and bought one of the new Basic Grey paper packs -- the beautiful oranges and greys of ambrosia!

tomorrow is no work (woo!!) so i will be reading homework and doing nothing else :)

toodles!

yay me!

i have (finally) gotten my header changed...this is a photo i took awhile back at the missouri botanical gardens of a glass chandelier hanging in the main building (it may be gone now??)....


now maybe i can figure out some other color changes and such!

toodles!

photo booth phun part II

some photos

kathy & missy @ cathi's wedding (i need to rotate my photos of the newlyweds)

rhinos at the zoo when i met my online friends from Christian Forums

barb cracking up during a crop at archivers when talk turned to unmentionables and tina didn't want to hear it

crop earlier in august when kathy had a few berries with her cream

the yummy wedding cake

sponge robert

i had a girl tell me today that her dad sometimes called spongebob squarepants, sponge-robert....made me giggle!

toodles!!

1 down, 15 to go

then i will be done with my first set of classes this term -- 8 weeks, 2 classes total, and i think it is going to be a LONG 8 weeks! prof tonight kept us the entire 4 hours (and most likely will all 8 weeks), and was told the prof i have on thursday is the same way...woohoo for me and lack of sleep (is it dripping enough in sarcasm??)....plus, i hear my thursday prof gives exams (essay ones), is very exact and you MUST read the book (which, of course, is the $110 one -- GR)

last day without the worry...

that comes from my college courses! tomorrow night i will start my teaching writing class (looks interesting so far when i look at the information on-line) and then on thursday my curriculum class begins! fun fun fun for me! if all goes as planned, this time next year i will be doing my practicum and then my student teaching in spring 2010!! then i will be all certified! and once i am done with that part, and have a job, i will be finishing the last 2-4 classes for my MAT...yay me!


toodles!

sunday is the day of rest!

slept in this morning...and have been watching tv & playing on the computer since then...meghan came down, we watched some movies on HBO (love getting it free right now!) and popped popcorn in the popper i won the other week! it turned out pretty well, but i could add more butter & it would be better...and the kernels i bought to use popped pretty tiny compared to microwave popcorn, lol...next time we shall see!!

off to finish laundry & relax...

toodles :)

beautiful day today

today my friend, cathi, got married...it was small & intimate at a martini bar! it was fun to see her enjoying the start of her & ken's life together...i took some photos and will be uploading them at some point -- all the photos i have taken in august are still on my camera (i know, i am bad!) -- 2 crops, the zoo, shopping with meghan, and now a wedding!



i need to photograph the pages for the JB contest (see yesterday's post) and then i will be ready once the info for where to email the projects to comes out :)



toodles!

jenni bowlin

as my scrapper friends know, i am a jenni bowlin fan-and-a-half...she has a contest happening this month with her august kit to become a guest designer...i use her kits when i go to crops and i LOVE them...so i created 2 pages that i adore, and i will create a few other things with this kit to see what i like the most to send in....

toodles!

scary!!

so i am in my nice bubble bath, reading & relaxing, listening to the rain & some thunder...

then the lights flicker OFF!!!


luckily it was only about 1 second, lol, but i hurried up out of there so i wouldn't get caught in the dark in the tub!!

hmmmmmm

if you were the power point presentation i have about my last trip to ukraine, where would you be?? my neighbor has asked me to speak to the students and staff at her school about ukraine because they have a student who just started from ukraine (and moved to the US within the last month)...i can find my presentation from 2005, but i would like to find the one from 2007 to consult on as well...i am guessing it will be on my dad's computer -- it better be!! i think this is a great opportunity for me, and i think it will be a lot of fun!!

off to find the presentation, toodles!

...and home by 4

after work today i ran a couple errands...first i went to webster and got my student id updated (so it shows that i am enrolled this fall), then i went and got a book from the webster library that i had put on hold...after webster i went to costco and stocked up on some things...and i was still home at 4!! yay!

tomorrow i need to go to get a gift card for a wedding this weekend and (possibly) go to the county library and return some books...it is also church tomorrow night...

other than getting errands done, i am just trying to relax before my classes start next week...

excited about the medals the Americans have been winning (and a little peeved about some of the medals that have been won but not deserved -- if you fall on your hands & knees in gymnastics, do you really deserve a GOLD??)...and a woman from east st. louis won the gold in one of the hurdle events!! that is awesome! hurdling is something i doubt i would ever be able to do -- i can't get my legs that high, lol

have a fun day!

toodles :)

nothing accomplished!!

i got nothing done today (other than work, lol) so tomorrow is work and then running errands...now i am going to enjoy john & kate plus 8 and then head to bed because i could not fall asleep last night, so i am exhausted!!

what a week to come!!

as if the start f the school year wasn't enough, this week i have to finish getting ready for my classes to start next week (i have to go get books, bleck), get a wedding gift for saturday afternoon (1/2 done), get things ready for VBS on saturday morning, crop on friday, and try to stay sane, lol...it is going to be a LONG week!!

i WILL posy everyday, but it probably won't be too long (has it ever been??) or exciting...soon enough life will settle - i hope! - and i can resume some normalcy in my life...

DONE!!!!!!!!!!

the baby book i have been making is DONE!!!!! i just need to mail it :) i finished the name on the first page and it is in the album and ready to go! i am very excited! i guess i should take some photos since it is done...

and CONGRATS to my friend, kim! connor is here, and the photo i saw is adorable! God bless you and matt and your "wee" one (he is not a tiny one for someone as tiny as you) :)

ladedah & a request!!

not sure what to write about today...i want to make sure i post everyday, but there is nothing too exciting to report on...

today was pretty nice at work -- we did some fun activities in science, and in language arts we found out that the boy i work with improved his reading level a lot since last spring!! a fire drill this afternoon went pretty well...

the drive home was stinky at first because there was a HUGE downpour where you could barely see in front of you (even with the wipers on as high as possible)...so, of course, idiots did not have headlights on (which is a law here), and the semis were driving about 10-15 miles over the speed limit! GRRRRRRRRR!!

tomorrow will be interesting -- meeting some online friends and laundry and such -- then sunday is my day to relax and do nothing!!

REQUEST TIME: anyone local to me (you know who you are, lol) have any shoe boxes???? for VBS we are doing the story of the 3 wise men, and i am teaching the littlest kids -- i want the kids to make a "treasure" chest using a shoe box (otherwise it is too expensive to get a bunch of boxes for them to paint & decorate)....if you have some, just comment or email me :) THANKS!!!!!

toodles!!

not sure....

what to say today....nothing much new is happening -- work is long & confusing a little (as it always is the first few days) -- people drive badly (turn your headlights on in the fog, don't drive slow in the far left lane...grrrrrr) -- i have some online friends that will be in town this weekend to meet -- i have one more week (i think) until classes start -- no cropping this weekend -- i need to plan for VBS on the 23rd (before going to a wedding)....FUN FUN FUN!!!!!


toodles

i'm a winner!!!

so i do a lot of surveys online...one gives points that you enter in sweepstakes...i actually won!!! i won a "summer movie prize pack" that has 6 summer DVDs (dirty dancing 20th anniversary, meatballs, summer rental, summer school, national lampoons vacation, national lampoons european vacation) and a popcorn popper!!! i did not even know i had won -- my dad goes, there is a box for you....it was in an amazon box, and i knew i hadn't ordered anything...but it was this cool prize!!

yay me!


toodles :)

There's 20 Minutes I'll Never Get Back

I just got off the phone from a political survey -- 20 minutes of my life! It was a very through one regarding how I felt about politics in Missouri and the governor election this fall. They asked about presidential election issues, how I felt on candidates involved with both elections, how certain factors would affect my vote, etc. I tend to not do these surveys, and if I had been warned that it would be 20 minutes I may not have this time, but I do like to put my thoughts into the ring when it comes to politics because my mind is made up on who I will vote for and such, but, for being a conservative, I am very much into social issues and they play a huge role in my life. These twists in my thinking make for an interesting blip on the political radar!

deer!!

i have been enjoying my drive to work in the morning -- every morning i have seen at least one deer on my drive :) last week i saw a buck one day, which has been my favorite so far, because i have never seen a real buck in the wild until then! today there were two deer across the field -- they looked smaller, but i think it was a doe & a still young fawn (one had the distinctive white spots of a fawn)...

have fun & i hope you see some deer, too! :)

olympics and such

i have been watching some of the olympic games -- i have enjoyed the swimming and watching so many world records get broken! i missed the entire opening ceremony on friday day as i was cropping, but i have seen some clips, heard a ton of praise about it, and am watching parts of it on nbc's olympic website...i love the outfits i have seen so far from the parade of nations, and i would love to see the ukrainian athletes because my dad said their outfits looked like traditional costumes...even without the most gold, at this point team usa has the most overall medals! yay!


other than the olympics, not much is going on with me...i have a headache and just feel kind of sad lately....not sure if it is the start of school, changes that i know are coming at work, being over tired, worry about so many things, missing friends and wondering if/when i will eve see them again, feeling "old" at almost 30...i know it is just a combo of all those things, and i know things will start looking up, but it feels good to just put it in writing...



hugs to all...and more prayers for danielle to keep that baby safe & sound until september!!!


toodles

tada!

finished the baby album tonight!!! i need to do his name on one page & then put the pages in the album :) woohoo!!


and prayers for danielle -- keep that baby boy safe inside for awhile longer!!!!!

get the klennex

i found this story online, and it made me cry -- both bad cries and good cries....how someone could abandon their child in their own home....and the love that a wonderful couple could share their love with this beautiful little girl...

The Girl in the Window

woo hoo!!

i (finally) found out that i get a raise this year!!! PLUS, i just emailed someone at my job regarding a salary advancement process for people who have completed coursework, etc, and since i have 24 hours done for my certification/MAT i asked if i was eligible...we shall see!! every little bit helps :)

in other news, today wasn't half bad, the meetings were better than some, the rooms were hot, and they just put a SMARTBOARD in the classroom i am in all the time!! we are very excited!!! started on bulletin boards today -- will (hopefully) finish them up tomorrow...i took my cricut to work and i am going to cut the letters out on that so they will be more fun than the ones the school has...

toodles :)

survivor, day 1

lol

today was just boring, it wasn't bad other than that!! i read, i designed bulleting boards (will be putting them up tomorrow), i went to a boring (and hot & crowded) meeting, i ate lunch at bread co with my co-workers, i copied papers, and i hole punched a bunch of things...woohoo for me...

tomorrow we have meetings in the morning & then "time to work in the room" after lunch...i will be working on bulletin boards! i like doing bulletin boards, so it will be fun :)

now i need to go to bed! 5 comes very early these days...

toodles!

last day of summer break...

kind of a boring day for my last "free" day! i woke up early (a 5 like i will be for the next 9 months, lol), cleaned a little (not like you can tell), ate lunch out (chinese buffet -- yum-o!), scrapped a little (3 more pages in the baby book), watched movies (on our free HBO right now), read (almost done with HP & the Deathly Hallows, again), and now i am going to tuck in and head to bed...i have to be up early for WORK!!!

congrats to my friend, lisa, too -- she just bought a house AND passed her social work boards!! woohoo!!!!!!!!

toodles

feelin' hot hot hot!

it was a balmy 95+ today -- with heat indexes hitting at least 115!!

but, i took advantage of the heat, and went to a discounted movie!! wehrenberg theaters lets adults pay the kids' price when the area is in a heat warning (which we are) before 4 pm -- so i saved a buck and went and saw "Journey to the Center of the Earth" which was AWESOME! it had a lot of fun action (nothing gory, etc) and was pretty funny at times...plus, brendan fraser is a cutie!! it is a totally kid friendly movie (some scenes might scare some younger kids, but no bad language, sex talk, etc)

i also worked on cleaning up my power hour room some after the movie...and since then i have been working on some scrapbook stuff, namely the baby album for my friend, danielle! i have 14.5 pages done, and 23.5 to go!!! the .5 page -- i have the base done, i need to add the name when i find the letters i want to use :) i will be working on the book this weekend, as well, when i am at a crop friday night...i have the calendar sheets done for each month, now to gussy them up for the book, lol...

not much else happening....tomorrow i am getting up early (to prepare for wednesday and WORK) and will be cleaning and maybe scrapping and going to vote in the state primary and i don't know what else!! trying to stay cool, too! hot temps predicted for tomorrow as well (a repeat of today!) so, who knows, i may just go to another movie!!

toodles!

pity party day...

today just started out crummy: storms woke me up earlier than i wanted to be up...spilled my lunch down the sink and on the floor and on me...nothing around that i wanted for lunch (other than what fell down the drain of course)...a messy house...so i stayed in my jammies & watched movies on tv all day...took a bubble bath after dinner...now i feel better!

oops!

last night i was cropping, so i missed my post yesterday! y'all might be TWO posts from me today! i did finish quite a bit last night -- i am almost 1/2 done with a baby album for a friend :) and i will work on it next friday when i crop, and possibly today at home, so i could be done quick!!

well, i will try & get back later & post again -- i may even get some photos taken of some more recent scrapbook pages and projects, and a sneak peek for danielle of the things i am using in the baby album!!

toodles :)

august is here!

on the 6th i start back to work! a week later the kids start back, and then i will be tired until the end of may, lol...it is already looking like it will be an interesting year! i will be with the same boy i was with last year (now a 7t grader with Down syndrome) for the majority of the day, plus i will have 2 different "classes" - 3 students total - for "life skills"....i think it will be a lot of money and time and job skill type things...

classes for me will start up again in late august -- my last summer class was wednesday and i think i did well :) it was one of the best classes i have taken for my certification, so it was nice for the summer.....certification class wise -- this fall i have taking 4 classes (2 each of the 2 terms) and then i will have 3 to take in the spring...by next school year (09-10) i will be doing my practicum & student teaching!!! yay!!!!!! this fall i will be taking my praxis so that i will be all ready :) after i am certified and hired, i will complete my last 4 (i think) classes for my MAT...

before school starts again there is a lot i want to get done, but i don't think i will! i have been working on my classroom at church trying to get things planned and sorted for power hour, it won't all be done before the 6th, but it is a lot closer to being done than it has since i started :) at home i have been boxing up books to donate (7 boxes already), sorting the books i am keeping, and trying to get my scrapbook room in some sort of order...it is going pretty well, but i truly feel like it will never be done!

i went to the library the other day and checked out a bunch of books, now to actually get some of them read!! one is due in less than a week and i haven't even opened it yet...it may not get read at all, lol...same with scrapping -- not much has happened lately, but i am signed up for crops the next couple weekends, so i should be able to get some done :)

nothing else very exciting is happening right now...so i guess i shall end with my "toodles" to all of you for now!! and i am going to try and be better about the blogging...i am going to try for one a day this month!!!