Look out...

the pigs are flying! A miracle, a true miracle has occurred. I scrapped. No, it's true. Out of the blue, first time since January, don't know exactly what happened, kind of scrapping. I should know to rely on my tried and true mojo breaker - BH Sketches. Every time. Not sure why I've been fighting it because if felt great to get all the stuff out and go for it. Nothing spectacular, kept it simple but love it. I'm off to volunteer at the school library but had to throw this out to the universe first. Hopefully there is more to come!

WOO HOO! Nester's World is...

New and improved! Wow. Nothing like a morning farting around on the computer. I'm fighting allergies (again) and am feeling crappy/medicine-heady so why not goof around on the computer? And the new blogger is so easy even I can use it! I've got pics and links and everything. Very exciting.

We're on day 2 of painting. I think the whole stripe thing is taking a bit more time than they anticipated. Last night we heard one of them talking about the trouble they were having with the painters tape. At that instant we knew for sure that it was worth every dime. My little man should be back in his room tomorrow night and we'll finish setting up this weekend. Ikea discontinued the drapes I have for his room but I found another pair on ebay. After duking it out in the last few seconds of the auction I emerged VICTORIOUS!!! Love ebay. So exciting to win - especially when it's something you really need and can't find it anywhere else. I did sneak in and took a few pics yesterday so I'll do a little before and after when everything is done.

I think I'll go have lunch now. All this computer work has worn me out. (: Have a great day!

Painters in the HIZZ-ouse...

Wow, that made me feel very Cathy Z. Anyhoo, finally took the plunge and hired a painter - really nice guy "Sam the Painter" - just hope he paints well! Mark and I went back and forth on whether to do it ourselves. Hate paying for something I can do. It really comes down to paying for time. We promised Spence we'd paint his room the same as his old room which involves a big ole stripe around the room outlined in white stripes. Last time it took us about a month and we just want it done NOW! And guess what? He'll be finished in one day. Hmm....one month or one day??? And that includes doing his ceiling and the ceiling in my new, completely non-used (which is worthy of a whole other post) scrap room. The ceilings are currently blue with clouds which both Spence and I have outgrown. Cute, but gotta go. I should have taken before pics but forgot. Oh well. I'll take after pics. So here's to bright, beautiful colors and very straight stripes (fingers crossed!)

Do you ever wanna....

unsubscribe to somebody's e-mails? Now, I'm not talking about anybody who may be reading this blog. Do you have somebody in your life who inundates you with e-mail? And I'm talking really bad, really stupid e-mails. Pictures of doggies and kitties and really bad jokes and, my all time favorite, chain letters with heart warming stories...sound familiar? I'm pretty sure I'm going to hell, have absolutely no friends and nothing good will ever happen to me because I stopped responding to these inane e-mails years ago. Yeah, losing lots of sleep over that. So, I'm feeling a little sarcastic today. Could you tell? I just finished reading e-mail and I honestly believe that I need to start blogging BEFORE I do a single other thing on this dang computer because my serial e-mailer is wearing me out. I have one other e-mailer who strikes usually once a month with, quite literally, HUNDREDS of pictures of her darling children. Now, before you assume (which, if I were you, I would have already) that I ODed on bitch pills this morning, please understand that this person and I are not friends. We're acquaintances from way back - 3 or 4 moves ago - happened to have kids the same age and had a few playdates together. It's the husbands who really stay in touch. Great, so why, oh why must I still be on the receiving end of HUNDREDS of pictures of her darling children. So really all I'm saying is wouldn't it be great if you could unsubscribe from people's e-mail? Of course I would want to do it in a "hurt feelings free" kind of way which can't happen so I guess I'll just complain about it instead. Now that I'm thinking about it, the daily serial e-mailer (and I'm talking anywhere from 3 to 6 a day) is my husband's friend. Hmmm....

Deep soothing breath...in....out....so much better. I'm really, acutally, in a good mood today. I know I've been out, again, for awhile. Setting up house is somewhat of drag and is taking way too long. I've been feeling too mundane to really blog about it but I suppose that's what the blog is all about. I love reading my friend's blogs and their daily doings and yet when I think about blogging my own day it feels so stinking boring I can't stand it. But then again who is the blog really for and what is it all about? My answer, which I've been pondering a lot lately, is me and my life. Duh. I've been reading Mel's Baby Alexander blog and I think it's such a cool way to have a record, a journal, of your daily life. Same with Christine's. Your kids can look back at that and it is a running commentary on your everyday experiences and your special moments as well. I need to get over my "unworthiness" and just put it out there in all its beautiful mundane-ness.

So get ready. There's a lot of non-stop action headed your way - laundry, dishes...just kidding! Hope everyone has a great day!

Tallyscrapper!

I know there are only about 5 people out there who read my grossly-infrequent blogs and of those 5 I bet there are 4 who already know about the most incredible new scrapbooking site on the internet and the other 1 is not a scrapper. BUT I DO NOT CARE!

Here it is: Tallyscrapper.com! My friend Christine started her own scrapbooking website (see the link at the right). [SIDE NOTE: Christine, I have seriously conquered some techno-fear getting that link on here!] I am so excited for her and quite selfishly, for me. Christine and I met when we both worked at My Scrapbook Store in Fairfax, VA. I am not trying to get sappy here but I am so grateful and feel so fortunate that our paths met. She was only at the store for about a month or two but how fortunate I have been for that time. She got my butt to 2 CKUs, which I never would have done on my own, even shared a bed with me, and now she has shared her newest adventure with me as well. All I can say is thank you, and congratulations! And if you are reading this and don't know Christine and are about to check out Tallyscrapper know this, this woman is awesome and will not let you down. You won't be disappointed!

I'm off to make my first official Tallyscrapper purchase and start racking up some Tally Points! Way to go, Christine!

Three weeks...

start to finish. Got the contract, went down to Hampton Roads area to house shop again, found house, made offer, came home, had house packed up 2 days later, final closing on our old house exactly two weeks after getting the offer, drove down to Smithfield, VA., holed up in a hotel for a week, had the home inspection, closed on new house, had household goods delivered next day. Done. So that's why I've been MIA for the last 3 weeks. What a whirlwind. It literally happened so fast that I still feel slightly disoriented.

Spence has done an amazing job transitioning to a new school. He actually started last Friday while we were still in the hotel and he just hit the ground running. I, of course, was practically nauseous with anxiety over him switching schools. We just loved his old school and teacher. But his new teacher is terrific and Spence just went for it. Couldn't be prouder of him. We live on a cul-de-sac now and one of the boys in his class lives right across the court. Talk about luck!

Stacy Julian had a post on her blog about "universal smiling." For years I've talked about the "universal conspiracy" where just everything goes bad and it feels like the world is against you. Holy crap, I've been so negative for so many years and I read Stacy's blog and ever since I read her "universal smiling" blog that's the way I've been living. In case you think I just went off topic - nope. These past 3 weeks have gone so eerily well. Everything that I've been anxious about has worked out seemlessly. How nice to see universal smiling because you will find it everywhere if you are looking for it and more importantly, believe in it! I may be slightly delirious from the move.

So we're here in Smithfield, VA. home of Smithfield ham. I keep hoping when the wind shifts it will smell like bacon but so far no luck. Maybe in the summer. :) Wouldn't that be nice to wake up to the smell of bacon? I'll e-mail out my new info. Off to unpack more boxes!

Fingers crossed!

Got an offer on the house today! Yikes, this home selling stuff is a crazy business! The market is so crazy here so we are thrilled we got an offer. Now begins the negotiating. There's also a chance we could be getting another offer tonight or tomorrow which is just insane. The market here is so lousy right now that it would be an absolute miracle to actually get two. So we'll see! I'll keep you posted!

The picture is from last October when the sign went up. Hopefully I'll be posting one soon with the "SOLD" sign on it. So, keep those fingers crossed, say a quick prayer, do a little dance...whatever works!

Holy crap...

Heidi Swapp is pregnant again! Not sure if it's on her blog yet but she just announced it in her audio message today! Wow!

A Year to Remember

I am so stoked about this class. It's already been totally worth it and we're only entering the third week. Two weeks ago Heidi gave us a challenge to pick a goal for the year, write down five reasons why we want to achieve it, one word that we will say daily to keep us motivated and we have to have a completion date. So my goal is huge - "Fit by 40" - not just physically but mentally, financially, emotionally, etc. I realized at the end of last year that I have let so much go, especially since having Spence which, uh, was FIVE years ago. Hello! Time to get back in the game and what better time to do it than the year before I turn 40!

So this past week we were given an art challenge. The second week of every month is an art challenge and these layouts will go on the calendar that we should be receiving in the mail any day now. Can't wait to see what other goodies she sends! So this week we have to create a 12 x 12 layout using patterned paper that is outside of our comfort zone, a light colored background paper, a target, something sparkly and we must incorporate our goal, the five reasons we chose it, our one word motivator and the completion date. I'm so excited about this layout. Not because it's the greatest layout but because it so entirely NOT a layout I would do - ever. My head is just swimming with ideas. It was much fun to do something totally different. Really, I didn't know what I was missing with the bling! And I was inspired to do things I've never tried before - printing my pictures onto cardstock (how cool on Bazzill! Looks just like canvas!) and I pulled out the colored pencils which I haven't used in years. I even used a few of those EK Success Tiles that I've had in my stash for about 3 years!

It's really interesting to not only write down your goals but to do a layout about it also. It makes it very concrete. It's not just an idea, not just a passing thought, it's down in black and white and seems more permanent. My motivational word is Balance, but I think I'm going to use Mojo too! Definitely feeling some mojo I haven't felt in awhile! Happy Hump Day!

What was I thinking?

I know. I'm the worst blogger in the world. I am really going to try. I've been spending so much time on the computer that by the time I get through e-mails, yahoo groups, blogs, etc. I have no time left to contemplate the blogging. And then there would be my new infatuation with BPS classes. I'm digging the Big Picture Scrapbooking classes. I took "Year in Pictures" (I think Beth Proudfoot rocks) and "Ornamental Memories" - both great classes - and then I lost my head. What do you think I did? Yup. Heidi Swapp's "A Year to Remember" AND "Library of Memories." What was I thinking? They both started on the same day and I'm scrambling! I have to say that I'm very excited as I'm actually getting organized and am feeling a return to a scrapping zone I have'nt been in for awhile. Holy cow.

So I'm really going to try to be better. If Cathy Z can come back to blogging so can I. Hope you all had a great Christmas and Happy New Year!