Blog Bug

I have a few posts written, and several I'm waiting to write, but for some reason Blogger won't let me upload any more photos (the horrors!) and I can't figure out why. When I look at my data limits it appears as if I'm well inside the free boundaries, but I'm not technical enough to sort it out after about a week of trying, so forgive this added delay...

If you got her via the MayDay "follower fest", welcome. Uh...er...hi. *Shuffle, shuffle, stare at the floor*.... I'm Heather. I'm in the process of riding out my last few weeks in the workforce, and then I'll be staying home with my 16 month old, referred to here as TC, or The Cupcake, so my current attentions are focused on that transition. WILL WE MAKE IT? WILL MASSIVE DISASTER ENSUE? WILL LIFE BE LIVED IN ALL CAPS FOREVERMORE??? Stay tuned to find out! I used to throw a lot of parties including an epic annual Halloween event - you can use the labels in the menu at right (scroll down below the bucketlist) to browse some of those projects, and potentially I'll be doing that again someday... Most of that is off the table for a while while I adjust to momhood, and now stay-at-home-momhood and it's sister MASSIVE POVERTY. I'm still doing occasional creative stuff - a craft here and there, a costume for an event, baking, home projects, etc. I have a bucket list that is perpetually growing, and every once in a while I cross something awesome off it and share the story here - click on the highlighted ones in the list at right for some of my adventures. I don't have a real blog plan at this point, I just document various aspects of my life. Such as:

Stealthy ninja things The Cupcake did in the 5 second intervals during which my back was turned yesterday:

1. started swinging the 2' wood & glass framed Bob Dylan portrait on the wall like a pendulum. Bob is now temporarily hainging out in the kitchen. At some point, I'm just going to pad the walls and go for full on sanitorium decor. (don't worry, I'll be sure to document it on Pinterest).
2. silently opened the front closet (which is hard for ME to open due to old knobs) and started unpacking jackets and vacuum parts
3. ...I already forgot the third one since she was such a smooth criminal...or because I'm losing my mind. **
4. ripped out her ponytail holder 10 bazillion times. If I can't "palm tree" her terrible Trump hairstyle until it grows out, I'm kind of out of options...she won't tolerate barretts or headbands at all.

In other fashion news, these pants (B-day gift from Al, who has WAY more style than I do) kill me:

Mint green glitter cordoroy. From GAP. This kid dresses so much better than I do...Butterfly boho top was a gift from Auntie Em.

She is currently sitting on the floor tearing up a Dell catalog and calling all the people in it "Mama" and "Dada". She knows Norm, Moon, Ball, Snake, BubbaGump the Pink Babboon - but Mama and Dada she is totally messing with us on.

Hugging Norm. Her first word were night-night and Norm. I'm just glad she doesn't call him any of the names WE usually refer to him as...and why does HE get hugs and we don't?!?!

** I remember #3! Out of nowhere the tiny sheister shoves something shiny in her mouth and tries to run away - the clear tip off it was NOT supposed to be there. Once she was subdued and searched Dada found a 2" silver safety pin in her yap. AACK!

It still ends with ZOMBIES!

I'm skipping the excuses and apologies because really? Nobody cares. I'm the only one who feels bad about not posting, and I'm over it. This is life now. Kids knock you down a few levels on Maslow's hierarchy, but maybe they're also the key to climbing. Oooh, deep, especially for someone who is half zombie.

The Cupcake is a toddler! Maybe not in age, but she definitely toddles. And runs. And climbs. And tries to jump off tall objects. It's been a challenge to try and get a photo the past few months as they're all a big blur. She acquiesced to a quick snap in her otter hat and fuzzy pink jacket the other day, gotta love those big blue eyes. She's very into books at the moment (YAY!) and we splurged on a big ebay lot of them this past week, and at the same time found a big stash of board books in the basement we were saving until she was old enough, so mega score. And just in time, as "Hand, Hand, Fingers, Thumb" might have been shoved down the garbage disposal if I didn't get some relief soon. Other favorite toys are that strange Kewpie doll in her hands (yes, that was mine as a child - though I have no memories of it), and the big awesome slide/tunnel/crawling structure that was TC's birthday gift (and sort of mine too). The other love of of our lives right now is this CD by Jewel, which is completely addicting and not nearly as annoying as all the other songs that we are surrounded by daily (the stuff her bouncer played almost drove me to an ice pick in the ear). Seriously, this disc is awesome, thank you so much Auntie Lorla :)

In other news: I have an epic cold, which TC had a week before me and I now have new appreciation for why the poor bugger was so unhappy. I'm on my 7th box of Puffs Plus (Grammy is on her 12th...) and still somehow making snot. Egads.

Oh, is that not what you wanted to hear? Because with how much I talk about poop every day now, snot barely registers on the ooky scale. It's glamor all the time. TC started sleeping through the night at a year, then 2 weeks later she stopped. It seemed to maybe coincide with our switch from formula to whole milk, so we went back to formula, then she was sick, and now she is better and has slept through the night 3 days in a row. Basically, we have no idea, we're just delirious and zombi-fied most of the time, so we're thankful when we get a good night and too confused to question when it's a rough one.

And speaking of zombie-fied:
RUN FOR YOUR LIFE: 5K OBSTACLE COURSE ZOMBIE RACE!

Um, YES. Please. I have to think the only time I'd ever really run is if I were being chased by zombies, and even then chances are good I'd just give up and go brainless pretty quickly anyways. So not only is this an awesome race for athletically minded individuals, I think I may have to sign up as a zombie (shuffling zombie, not chasing zombie - you have options!) since I always seem to miss the "Zombie Prom" type events and have sadly never been turned into the living dead, despite my love of costumes and events. Sadly no ankle biting zombies allowed, but I'm looking into babysitting options already. Nothing says romance like a zombie date with the husband.

Coming soon (well, maybe):

-many musings on the future! (hint - more questions than answers!)
-exciting news and world events (at least for me it's exciting)
-must learn to watermark my photos now that Pinterest is co-opting them even more than google images

Checking In...

So when you fall through the ice in a Minnesota winter, your body tries to survive by shutting down function to the extremities in order to keep the core going. Bodies are smart that way.

That's pretty much my new mom strategy too. Apologies to "extremities" that have been put on ice for a while - i.e. cleaning, socializing, brushing my hair...

I've also taking a bit of a sabbatical from blogging I guess, it wasn't intentional but it's working out just fine. I just had a few too many balls in the air, and it's amazing how much easier juggling is when you kick a few of those balls under the couch and forget about them.)

So, YES, I am alive!

Yes, I will blog again - eventually! I even have a few projects I really should put up before I forget them.

And if you are visiting from [MN]Love's newsletter, welcome, thank you, and you'll find my "Marriage is..." pic and post here.

And this is The Cupcake at 10 months + change, using her FOUR new teeth to test out a pickle:



Ta ta for now...

30 Days of Joy

For a while I made some posts with the "brought me joy" tag, intending to do it regularly. Then I got uber busy and all mom-ed out, and sort of sucktastic about blogging in general. I'm working on it. And thus, I'm picking up Maggie's gauntlet and going to try and do something FUN every day for 30 days. Actually, I'm sure I do something fun every day, so the key will just be recognizing and remembering it in the haze of poop/puke/flying prunes that is my daily life. And then making it online to post about it.

So here we go Internets, FUN day 1:
Guilt free "gear up for a crazy day" power breakfast:



http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

and as I imbibed the aforementioned high calorie goodness, I giggled over some websites I'd gotten behind on:
Damn You Auto Correct
Failbook
Passive Aggressive Notes

I also used sucktastic above, which my spell check violently opposes, but I'm letting it ride. How fun is that?

Pumping Moms

I'm contributing to a new blog called Pumping Moms and my post is up today. You can read it here, it might eventually be a good resource for EP (exclusively pumping) moms. But if you are scared of boobs or breast milk, or if you'd rather not learn about my sore nipples (I completely understand) you should instead distract yourself with this HILARIOUS post from The Bloggess that Al sent me this morning.

Pardon me, do you have the time?

Part time, that is.

Two posts in a row. Well, in a week anyways.

Hello again, blogosphere. I'm back.

You've missed out on so much this year, but I'm finally catching up to 2011, and one of the reasons I'm starting to get my sea legs is that I made a large and life changing decision: I'm working part time! It is glorious and I am thrilled.

You'll remember I was pretty bummed out about my maternity leave coming to an end. Part of it was that I didn't want to leave The Cupcake, but truth be told the main reason was I just could not imagine how I would add 40 hours a week of work and a few more of commuting on top of my already exhausted list of burdens and not somehow short circuit. It didn't help that I had marked the WRONG DATE on my calendar and realized somewhere around then that I actually had to return to work a full week earlier than I had expected (sleep deprivation messes with your math skills apparently). I was devastated.

But what could I do? If I hadn't returned to work my benefits could have been retroactively ended on the last day I attended work - meaning I'd owe some big $$ for the small paid part of my leave, the sick time that was paid out, and all of the insurance coverage over those three months. That was simply not an option. Luckily we had the BEST POSSIBLE childcare arrangement, GrammyCupcake (my mother) would come and tend to the kid right here in her own home, where she would receive more attention and love and kisses than even I could bestow on her in a day. She'd carpool with GrandaddyCupcake who happens to work close to my home, and that way I'd know she'd be on time and everything :)

So when my last days of leave were crossed off the calendar I dried my eyes, bought a couple pairs of new pants (yay for breastfeeding weight loss), and jumped back in to showering and getting dressed in the mornings. Whoa.

Actually, the mornings went pretty well, we had already been waking around 6am for pumping/feeding time, and TC had just started being able to entertain herself long enough for me to go to the bathroom or brush my teeth without her screaming bloody murder. She even enjoyed chillin' in her Boppy in the bathroom while I showered, she just loves herself some warm steamy time.

So GrammyCupcake came and loved up the little one. And I headed back to see what had happened in my 12 weeks off. I expected a giant pile of work to catch up on.

And that lasted about 12 minutes. And then I was bored again.

This is a problem that some people just can't related to. I know, I know, I should be happy to have a great non-taxing job, lots of people would love to be paid for being bored all day.

I'm not one of them.

I try. But it's not very compatible with my personality. I keep thinking about all of the "important" things I'm missing and the anxiety builds. It was peaceful to be back, that was for sure, almost eerily calm. I almost felt like the sad lone survivors in zombie or outbreak movies who walk out their front door expecting the hustle and bustle of the world and find it is suddenly still and silent.

It was definitely silent. And I could eat. With both hands. And go to the bathroom, whenever I wanted. And did I mention eat? Because eventually that will come around to bite me in my once-shrinking @$$ for sure. And the silence? Yeah, I had to physically assault myself to keep from falling asleep. Because, in case you remember, I was exhausted. And despite all the craziness of having an infant at home, at least when I was home all day (in my pajamas)there was likely some point at which The Cupcake would fall asleep for a short period, and because the only place she would do so was pretty much in my arms, it meant that I was used to conking out for that short time as well. And suddenly that option was off the table. And it was very difficult.

And I made it about a week before I cracked and asked my bosses if it was possible to cut down to part time. I was pretty uncertain about the option being accepted for a long and myriad list of reasons, but somehow everything went through perfectly, and a couple weeks later I was back to PJs 2 days a week. Two glorious wonderful days, and that means I only ever really work 1 day at a shot. Even if it's the longest day in the history of time (most of them feel that way), I already know that once I'm done, I have the whole next day "off" to recover.

And being at home has gotten SO much more livable now as well. TC sometimes naps, during which time I accomplish all matter of other things like house work and even a few craft projects. The other day I actually cleaned the bathroom and washed a wall in the entryway, things I never could have gotten to if I had been working full time. Everything feels much more manageable now.

Maybe even blogging :)

To sleep, perchance to dream...

I was a sleepy baby, or so I'm told. While I can't vouch for the accuracy of the legends, I've been told that my mother went as far as to wake me up as an infant for visitors who swore that all I did was sleep. I've always enjoyed sleeping, and it was not uncommon for me to get 10 hours of sleep a night before I got pregnant.

Lord how the world changes.

I went into labor in the evening and despite the best efforts of my nurse, I didn't sleep a wink that night. Despite sending the kid to the nursery during our hospital stay, I never got more than 15 minutes of sleep in a row, and our first night home was completely awful, especially since we had to be back at the pediatrician the net morning. I don't believe I slept a wink. That meant from Monday - Friday I was operating on less than 5 hours of sleep, TOTAL. On the way home from the doctor, while sitting in the back seat next to the carseat, I had a conversation that didn't exist, and not just talking to a baby who couldn't talk back, I was hallucinating.

I completely understand how sleep deprivation is an effective torture technique.

The Cupcake is 3 1/2 months old, and this is a delightful age. It's a hopeful age. For me, I feel hopeful. I feel so much better than I did in those first two months, when everything was hard and frustrating and potentially impossible, when I was so entirely exhausted that I wondered each and every day if the lack of sleep would just erode my sanity completely like water carving canyons and valleys out of rock.

When The Cupcake sleeps, everything seems possible again. The night before last, she slept from 5:30pm until 8 the next morning with just a few sleepy bottles in between. At first I held her and watched TV, checked my email. Then as the hours added up I started to poke her and study her, feel her temperature, contemplate what was surely wrong...but she was just very peaceful. At 11 the hubby and I woke her up completely to re dress and swaddle her for the night, and she cooed and sang and smiled like never before. She was utterly delightful, and then went right back to sleep. And I did the same. And it was wonderful.



And it made all the difference in the world.

Yesterday all things seemed achievable. I must have slept for 7-8 hours, not straight through the night but with short enough breaks that I felt almost rested in the morning. And the idea of feeling rested was energizing in itself. I awoke re-calibrated to my life, and somehow, the kid was STILL in a great mood. She lounged in her swing while I loaded the dishwasher, watched and cooed as I cleaned the bathroom, listened to the dishwasher swish while I folded laundry...

It may have been a very isolated incident, and indeed last night TC was much more fitful, fighting sleep until she melted down in tears and frustration sometime after 10, and she woke up three times between midnight and 4am, but just the idea...the experience...the light up ahead...

It's the same feeling I had when I attempted my first post-partum craft project. Cupcake was snoozing in her swing, and I attempted to cut out pieces for some paper crafted invitations. When I had finished, she was still asleep, so I started to assemble one...two...forty-three...and then I jumped for joy because for a while there I thought I might never get to finish another project again, heck, I might never clean off the dining room table again, and here I had sat down and done crafts. Awesome ones that I can't wait to share next month after the bridal shower, so I don't ruin any surprises.

So much has happened in the past 3 1/2 months. Every time I bend over I get excited at how easy it is to squat and reach my feet now, compared with the chore of late pregnancy. I can put away groceries and not have to be helped back up from the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. That's not the only thing that has gotten easier. Not only did I lose all of the limited baby weight I gained, but I'm down nearly 20lbs more (thank you breastpumping) and all of my clothes are falling off, including my wedding ring. What a delightful problem to have, one to be solved with a shopping spree eventually. Speaking of pumping (long story short: Cupcake wouldn't play along with breastfeeding, and after listening to everyone and their mother tell me what I "HAD" to do in order to raise a happy healthy daughter, I did what MY mom told me - "whatever works for you." So Cupcake is getting breastmilk, just not from the tap), operations at the dairy are almost old hat. I'm only chained to THE MACHINE 5 times a day now, and at work it's even a nice break - I look forward to sitting down in solitude with my Kindle for those two 20 minute stretches. My emotions are still slightly wacky, and I may have teared up this week while reading cards at Walgreens AND Tina Fey excerpts on Facebook, and let's not even discuss how I react to diaper commercials like the Pampers one about new moms...but I'm starting to get it.

Or at least believe that I will, eventually.

We even packed up our bags and went out to LUNCH yesterday with Dad/Grandpa, and babies + restaurants = MAJOR ANXIETY for me, so that was a HUGE step, my first time taking her to a restaurant all by myself and on purpose, and she was a perfect peach the entire time.

I have stories to share. I've probably forgotten more of them than I'll remember already, but I'll get back to it.

Someday she'll sleep through the night for real. Someday she'll even do it in her crib, and maybe I'll go back to sleeping in my own bed. And she will continue to smile and coo and laugh, and one day she'll talk and tell me what a great job I'm doing and thank you so much for all of the effort...

Or maybe not.

But she will sleep. And I will sleep. And that will heal so many things.

Dear Internets,

I may have found a way for us to be together. I'm still working out the details, but it involves T-Mobile's new "WebConnect Rocket" - unlimited Internet, decent monthly price, and most importantly NO CONTRACT, so if the babybomb dropping in January proves to bankrupt us or otherwise turn us into Internet abhorrent zombies, I can hit the kill switch at any point I need to. None of the promo materials give you this option, but when I asked - BOOM! Excellent answer: if you buy the card at retail price, then no contract (otherwise you're locked in for TWO YEARS. I have no idea if I'll still be able to walk, talk, and type in two years. I may be locked in my house with an evil toddler no longer able to comprehend adult speak. Or just broke). I think this could be the start of a beautiful friendship...and more posting.

I loaded it up last night and was super disappointed at first - it was really slow. This was particularly confusing as my excellent saleslady (excellent because she gave me a new charger for my out of date phone, since they didn't sell them anymore and she had one sitting around - this was the REAL reason I had gone in to the store in the first place. Kinda makes me rethink my hatred of T-mobile...) had said it was their fastest product, competing with Sprint's 4G card. Harrumph. But after I ran a million updates on my poor computer that hadn't been connected to the Internet in months, everything seemed pretty slick. Tonight's plan is to test out how my Heritage Makers site runs on it, since a large part of my plan is to attempt to keep up on scrapbooks when the little bugger arrives (go ahead veteran moms, laugh at my naivety. I realize it's a long shot, but we all need dreams).

Anyways, I'm still in the "testing phase" and I have 13 days left to make up my mind or return it. I'll let you know how it goes. And by the way, T-mobile isn't paying me anything. Though they are certainly welcome to.

Baby Poll

I added a poll in the right menu bar - we're getting close to our mid-point ultrasound, got any guesses?

The most terrifying thought...

Making ends meet with no pay? eh.

Being responsible for another life? sure, whatever.

A new routine filled with vomit, drool, and poop? resigned to it.

BUT NO INTERNET ACCESS FOR 3 MONTHS?!?!?! too terrifying for words.

Maternity leave just took a frightful twist with this realization...I may have to sell a kidney for some MiFi...

Home FROM the range...

Well, we survived our trip to Texas despite seeing a snake, several smooshed armadillos, a heard of long horns, a couple wood ticks, and various other elements of nature that I steadfastly try to avoid. We ate some good meals, spent a gorgeous evening at the ballpark, and toured the JFK museum at Dealey Plaza. And then I puked on the plane ride home. Hooray.

But in happier news, I'm in love with my new necklace from Etsy seller SimplyChacha:



Isn't he adorable? I've had it on my "favorites" list for a while and finally gave in, and I'm glad that I did.

You've probably also noticed my new logo, from Etsy seller Enchanted Memories:



I'm still working on updating the blog layout (the templates are limited and I've got no idea how to do it on my own) so bear with me as I bounce between styles and colors for a bit here - nothing I've tried meets my OCD standards yet, so I predict more changes to come.

Drumroll Please...

With the help of an uber-talented geek-minded friend who prefers to remain anonymous, this blog has now migrated over to MY VERY OWN WEBSITE!

WELCOME TO:

HeathersCreativeLife.com

WHOO HOO! It's the next step in my (slowly) unfolding empire, and I'm extremely excited! I don't have a complete roadmap for where I'm going with all of this yet(and I'm still holding out for that call from Intel), but watch for a few more surprises coming soon. Or eventually. :)

As a side effect the search function seems to be disabled, I'll look into it next week. In the meantime you can scroll all the way down and use the keyword labels on the right, or the "recent posts", that seems to be working okay still.

Blog FAIL

I know, I'm working on it. :) I'm not dead, just busy. I promise posts soon...

Lost & Found

I found a set of keys outside my office yesterday, sort of lost in the bushes along the sidewalk. Of course I thought "Oh no, someone lost their keys, they shall be so happy I have found them" and scooped them up. I sent a message to our building's listserv, but nobody claimed them. I started to rethink my helpfulness. I called the University Police, who told me they wanted no part of it - they didn't keep such things as lost car keys, and I should turn them in to my building lost and found. Which does not exist. And inquiring about said lost and found only resulted in a defensive statement from the building manager about why we aren't REQUIRED to have one, and therefore won't. The building manager will begrudgingly pick them up and hold them in the basement for a week, then throw them out. Hmm. Somewhere someone is locked out of their Audi, home, and mailbox or padlock #151. I even went through two parking lots looking for an Audi, and didn't find one (interesting note: there are a TON of Toyotas at the U). But the moral of my story? Don't be helpful. Leave keys where you find them. Apparently all I've done is hide them from anyone who might have gone back searching. Live & learn!

Have you ever tried to help and just made the situation worse? Share your life lessons in my comments. To comment without signing in, choose "anonymous" - but please sign your submission :)

Random Round Up/End of the Week Thoughts...

I finished 3 mosaics last night during the Vampire Diaries (I'm banished to the witch's tower for that one so hubby can watch and record Community and Bones) but I didn't take any photos - I realized it, but the thought of climbing the stairs again couldn't overcome my laziness, sorry folks. Here's one of all the glass I cut the night before - I actually made a big rainbow mirror using all of these and several more colors last night:



Now I have some SERIOUS grouting to do, like 30 projects worth or more. Boo! That's my least favorite part. This time I'll try to avoid shredding my fingertips. Maybe gloves.

And speaking of mosaics, remember today is the last day to enter my blog giveaway! I know many more of you have stopped on my page than have entered, so go the extra mile and leave a comment on this post. It'll make me feel loved, and you could win a mosaic photo frame to keep or re-gift! Be sure to include your name & a method of contact so I can tell you if you win - and spread the word!

And to add to the randomness of this post, here's another few things I'm in want of today:


4' adjustable height folding table - which goes from kid height (useless) to normal height (useful) to COUNTER height (aka out of dog's reach height) which I would LOVVVVVVVE to have.



Vintage-inspired "flapper hat" at plasticland. Could I pull it off? Probably not. Would I love to try? Of course!


Adorable little retro robot necklace, also at plasticland. I don't particularly have a robot "thing" but lately I'm thinking they're way cute. Ditto these glass ornaments .


True Blood Season II - this isn't released yet, but they're taking pre-orders on Amazon. I do have all of the Season II episodes saved on our satellite, but I most like to watch them while I'm crafting upstairs (not hooked up to the satellite), so I'm anxious for the DVDs to come out.

I'll draw for the mosaic tomorrow, so get your comments in! Happy Weekend.
~H.

Musings on my (nearly) 300th post, and a GIVEAWAY!

This is my 299th post! Holy cow!

I started this blog in June, and in less than 5 months, I'm almost up to to #300. That's an average of nearly 60 posts per month, or 2 per day - in fact, I think I can count on one hand the number of days where I haven't had any updates. Huzzah! I think this is a pretty big accomplishment, I know I certainly wish all the bloggers I followed (especially the ones who support themselves solely on their blogs) would update at least that frequently. Of course, I've yet to make a penny from this endeavor and probably won't ever, but I still hold out hope I could get the sweet Intel gig MightyGirl did or support my whole family like Dooce. Or at least get free stuff to play with. :)

But if nothing else, this blog helps me keep pushing forward on my various creative endeavors, and gives me an outlet to showcase all of them. This also helps keep me sane, since my work life (where I spend most of my time) is less than exciting. So until corporate America comes begging me to create projects for Martha, or throw lavish parties with their money, or test all of their new and amazing products, I'm enjoying the blog life, and I'll plan to keep up my crafting and posting at least this often.

AND, in honor of my nearly 300th post, I'm jumping on the bandwagon and hosting a GIVEAWAY!

Now, this could be highly embarrassing if nobody decides to play along, if it turns out only my mother reads this (and she probably doesn't know how to leave a comment), but I guess I'm willing to take that chance :) So here it is: I'm celebrating this blog milestone by giving away a hand cut glass mosaic photo frame! It'll be one like these:


They hold a 4" x 4" photo and come with a peg stand, or they can hang on the wall.

To win, leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite project I've posted (or I suppose if you hate them all, tell me what I SHOULD be posting about!). Get a 2nd entry if you post a link to my blog on your own site, and leave a comment with the web address. Make sure you leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the big winner! I'll ship the prize anywhere in the continental US (sorry overseas blog stalkers, maybe next time!). And everyone is eligible - including my mom, and just so you know, she always seems to win any drawing I'm involved with. I warned you! :)

Get your entries in ASAP, I'll draw the winner on Saturday November 14th. That would have been the date of my first craft fair, but I've decided the show I had registered for wasn't the right fit for me (all vendors, I was the only crafter - so calling it a craft & gift fair was a little disingenuous) and sublet it to someone else. That gives me more time to prepare, so I was able to be lazy today - though I did have my dad & brother help me cut a bunch of boards for larger mosaics!

Thanks again for taking the time to visit my site, I hope it brings you some joy or inspiration - and spread the word on my giveaway!

Heather's mailbag:

How cute is this:
Last week I "facebooked" that I couldn't open my jar of salsa. I'm not embarrassed that I facebooked it, because it had a significant impact on my day. (I am, however, smart enough not to say why it affected my day so significantly in this public forum. Remember the Dooce rule.)

So low and behold, this weekend I got a package in the mail from my "big cousin Mindy" - a little aside here, her title has to appear in quotes, as I have significant inches and pounds on her, and have since we were kids and she broke my arm pushing me off the queen's throne, AKA a chair on top of a table. In a playroom with a cement floor. And it really was my turn to be queen of the table. But that is a whole different story. She is, however, exactly 6 months older than me to the day, so "big cousin" it is.

Anyways, aside from breaking my arm at age 4 (and I know she cried more than I did about it), Mindy is adorable - she sent me two jar openers!

The note says "Heather - These always work for me when I can't open a jar! Keep one at work and one at home. <3 your big cousin, Mindy."

How sweet is that?!?!?

Mindy has a blog too - she shares recipes, shopping deals, and all sorts of "mother of the year" stuff you won't be fining amongst the penis pops and naked mermaids of my blog.

And check this out, they even WORK! Salsa success!
I never liked salsa because I'm not into spice, but peach & pineapple salsa is YUM!
Thanks, Minderella!

BlogHer Reviews - Contest

Why don't people pay ME to do stuff like this?

Hey Corporate America, I have a bevy of loud opinions I'm just waiting to share, especially if you give me FREE stuff to review :)

Wouldn't that be a great job? Sort of like Tom Hank's in BIG, he wanders into this life where he just gets to play with things all day, and give honest feedback on what he liked and didn't like, without any of the responsibility of actually making or changing it...DREAM JOB!

We go through computers pretty quickly in my house (well....one of us does...and it's not me...) The hubs has lost a couple PCs to viruses, a mac to a mysterious power problem (the "geniuses" told us it was worthless to fix...ouch), and right now we both have Dell laptops. His is a mini and perfect for what he does - web searching, streaming video, email, and office functions. Its super light and he can take it anywhere. Mine is not super light...it's actually a little heavy for all I haul it to, but I really wanted the extra battery and large screen since I do so much with photos and desktop publishing. Mine is also way faster and has more memory - it's technically built for video gaming, not that I really know what that means, but it holds a ton and is always quick. The hubs is a little slower, only has an external CD drive, and couldn't take a ton of photos or software without slowing down.

So, SINCE ACER HASN'T YET GIVEN ME A FREE COMPUTER TO TRY OUT (subject to change, of course) I'd have to say I'm really happy with our Dells. I highly suggest if you are getting one to call them and walk through the process of telling them what you use it for, and they help you "build" what you need. I've done it a few times now (helped with some family members as well) and they never try to push me into extras I don't want/need, and they have real expertise. I'd also highly recommend their service plan/warranty. As I mentioned, the Mr. is pretty hard on computers, so we hooked him up for sure - and within a month he actually had a problem (not his fault) that required a total wipe & re-installation. They CAME TO HIS WORK and did it on site, so no down time, no shipping, it was well worth the price. And I'm sure this won't be the only time we use the service :)

Bucket List

I've never seen the movie, but I like the idea. I am so horribly jealous of Maggie over at MightyGirl who somehow got Intel to "sponsor" her version of a bucket list, her "Mighty Life List." Can you imagine someone footing the bill for you to take time off and just follow your dreams? I can't even wrap my mind around that one, it must be amazing.

My dreams aren't quite as lofty as hers (I never even knew there WAS photo-luminescent plankton)but a few years ago I did put together my own list, and here are the first 100 things that came to mind. I've managed to check off a few items, even without a "sponsor." I hope to check off a few more by the end of the summer, including one to be announced this week! :) But you'll just have to wonder unil then...

Bucket List
In no particular order, 100 things I think I should try before I die…
Number Item Date Accomplished
1 Start my own business
2 Have a child
3 Wax my eyebrows-Feb 2009
4 Get a full makeover
5 Paint something on a canvas
6 Take a class at the actual Wilton School
7 Speak Swedish in Sweden
8 Go to a Hot Air Balloon festival
9 Write something that gets published
10 Learn how to make stained glass
11 Re-tile my bathroom
12 Learn to take great photos and get a “real” camera
13 Sew my own clothes
14 Make a quilt
15 Makeover an entire room in my house
16 Buy a piece of “real” jewelry
17 Serve as Grand Marshall in a parade
18 Try a bikini wax
19 Have elective surgery
20 Get a pedicure
21 Attend a charity ball
22 Sky dive
23 Buy a brand new car
24 Take a road trip without an itinerary
25 Cook a turkey
26 See the Martha Stewart Show live
27 Start a craft club
28 Blog publicly-June 2009
29 Learn to knit
30 Give a surprise party
31 Get a surprise party
32 Leave an anonymous $100 tip to make someone’s day
33 Win a costume contest
34 Gamble in Vegas
35 Watch a jazz funeral parade in NOLA
36 Be part of a cookie exchange for the holidays-Dec. 2009
37 Go to Hawaii
38 Sleep on a beach
39 Join a “bouquet of the month” club
40 Win a big prize
41 Go on a roller coaster tour
42 Get a full back tattoo-Spring 2009
43 Have a garment custom made-Mermaid Sundress - Spring 2009
44 Commission a painting or other artwork
45 Graffiti
46 Get a passport
47 Be an extra in a movie or TV show
48 Have zero credit card debt
49 Run on a spinning log like in lumberjack competitions
50 Own “land” somewhere
51 Donate a chunk of hair to locks of love
52 Feel financially stable
53 Hang Xmas lights around the outside of my house
54 Have Halloween yard decorations that draw a crowd
55 Ride in a limo
56 Find the perfect “little black dress”
57 Make an elaborate gingerbread house
58 Learn how to work with rolled fondant
59 Go to the mermaid parade at Coney Island-June 2009
60 Get a master’s degree
61 Participate in a poetry slam
62 Build a full size playhouse/treehouse
63 Trace my full family tree as far back as possible
64 Be proud of my government
65 Visit every state in the U.S.
66 See a professional production of “Blood Brothers”
67 Be a bridesmaid or matron of honor Aug. 2009
68 Start an Xmas tradition and carry it on forever
69 Host an exchange student
70 Have a photo taken of myself that I really like
71 Donate blood, plasma, a kidney or part of my liver
72 Make a legal will
73 Sleep in a castle
74 Open an Etsy shop
75 Get an embroidery machine
76 Perform in a play
77 Coach a state champion
78 Go to a fun convention – candy, tattoo, crafting, etc.
79 Own a giant bathtub you can actually soak your whole body in
80 Have a real (snail mail) pen pal
81 Have a signature recipe for something
82 Host a party with a live band
83 Buy CDs, bonds, and other secure investments
84 Diet
85 Go to SXSW
86 Join a protest
87 Fly on a trapeze
88 Learn how to silk screen
89 Own a set of “Barnes & Noble chairs”
90 Go to a film festival
91 Collect seashells on a beach
92 Whiten my teeth
93 Eat a multi-course meal at a fancy restaurant
94 Go geocaching
95 Organize my important documents
96 Keep records – create my history
97 Surf
98 See the Northern Lights (not the casino, the natural phenomenon)
99 See an opera, a ballet, and Cirque de Soleil
100 Get my car detailed