Bob Breck's Weather Blog

Here's a link to Bob Breck's Weather Blog...our local weather man.  In my opinion, he's the best.  And whenever we do leave, I try to get his info on my cell phone, now the blog is great!  If you're concerned about us, read his blog.  Seriously more informative than watching the Weather Channel.

The Calm Before Gustav...

We're still home, cleaning up the yard and about to put the biggest yard things in the shed.  It's not going to be pretty.  We remember what it was like after Katrina with no power and no civilization around you.  

Lots of neighbors by us for Gustav and we're all here for each other.  We're not near the coast, no body of water.  But not safe from bad weather, trees falling, tornados.  It will be scary, no doubt.  Couldn't find a kennel for Daisy, we were too late.  So it will be a 24/7 watch of her in the house.  But right now we are staying.  We can leave very early tomorrow morning if we feel we should.

Such a busy but good week and we're both tired, and my 41-year old eyes that have a little more difficulty adjusting in the mornings, woke to this, and realized I should snap even these moments when I don't feel up to it.  Everything looks so beautiful...right now...

Picked up the cat bowl to give them fresh water and had to rub my eyes quite a few times to see the water blob left under it.  God speaks to you in so many unique ways...this to me is how I love my relationship with Him...
Edited both shots in Photoshop Elements.  Love the color that I changed this Peace symbol pic to.

Probably won't check back in until after Gustav...Praying for everyone in the surrounding areas that God would have mercy...

Gustav Preparations?

Three years almost to the day since Katrina and here we go again.   I could not believe the news how they are stirring people up, just yesterday, to make hotel arrangements, the state and parishes issuing their plans...you'd think there was a Hurricane in the gulf...

Ahhhh, then I watch good ole Bob Breck from Fox 8 News.  He is the ONLY one we watch and have always trusted.  Kind of like back in the day when we all watched Nash Roberts on channel 4.  You only watched that one weather man.  Bob will always give what the National Hurricane Center will give, but he will always tell you not to panic, plan, watch, and what he thinks may happen based on the Vipor.  Anyway, I watch him, and the panic I see on the news about a hurricane is just a tropical storm not even by Cuba yet.  Watching Bob now and he is saying that it's okay that people are stocking up and preparing, but "the anxiety level of people preparing is going off the roof".  This is life after Katrina.  People are going to panic, but hopefully they will relax and just plan and watch.  And as the Mayor of New Orleans said before Katrina over and over again...have the "wherewithal."

Plans, yes, we will be safe.  We have reservations in northeast Mississippi IF it turns into a powerful hurricane.  We normally do not leave for 1 or 2's...neighbors by us never leave, not even for Katrina, we're not that crazy.  If you've never evacuated, it's not like going on a vacation.  It's taking all of your important paperwork, pictures, necessities, and sitting in the worst traffic you can imagine, and looking at your home with different eyes...will it be here when I get back.  Even when I was a kid with all of our evacuations we did with the family, I can remember looking at the house wondering...that feeling is awful.  We went to north Louisiana for Katrina, a 4 hour drive from us...it took 10 hours...leave earlier?  Maybe, but you just never know, and if you work, work most of the time won't let you leave in enough time to prepare your home, gather your things and hit the road, not unless you have vacation time.

But we'll be safe.  As long as we have power while we are here, I'll post.  Or if we do leave, I'll connect and say we are fine.

Combo with a Slight Shifting to the Right

Dennis and I are so different, and when I'm not around and he's cleaning up around the house (which is more his thing) and sees a BC powder wrapper, or an empty Coke Zero can (my drink of choice, bottled water, is with me all the time), or whatever notepad I was writing on, book I was reading, bowl I was eating some Goldfish out of, at least he can laugh now and he's told me, "I know you were there.  You live like a guy, but I know you were there."  We've come a long way in our marriage, for him to be so lighthearted about my mess.  Didn't used to be like that.  He's a neat freak, and I take after my Dad, both in creating and making a mess at the same time.  But Dennis actually says he doesn't mind my creative mess over the ordinary day-to-day mess...and a creative mess I've been making...

I've been in mad scientist mode working on something.  I've taken those left/right brain tests before, and I was combo, but I think I'm leaning more to the right and all that junk is starting to flow out of my head that's been trapped for so long.  Can't look back, no, but I still wonder what my life would have looked like if instead of going to work at 19 for a huge Corporate employer and staying there for 20 years, if I wouldn't be so messed up about who I am...well, I know that's the case for sure.  One other obstacle would have been to create my separate identity from the family.  I feel like I have lost time to catch up and be the real me...but no, really can't look back, it only helps to understand why and be at peace about it.  I've swallowed the blue pill and am leading a different life now...Patricia is evolving...
My August Layout and calendar...Jo-Anne, one of the Fashionista's at Scrap in Style selected this for the Catwalk last week.  So sweet of her and so honored she picked me.  Love her...she's so inspirational...
I actually did buy some new storage things, and even though it doesn't look like it anymore, I got up enough energy (with all the nausea, tiredness, and just feeling sick from Byetta) to adjust how things are in my little corner.  It just can't stay neat while I'm working...
...And this is what I'm working on...sneak peek.  Wanted to make a book of the Def Leppard concert.  I'm using lots of paint, ink, glimmer mist, and so it is taking awhile.  I get these brainstorming ideas that require time to dry...and then I had taken Lucy's, another Fashionista, online class and have been using water like crazy with my paper...love the effects of it.  She is great.
I wanted to use my new Zutter for this, but I had this acrylic book tab type thingy and it's too thick for the Zutter to cut...
Couldn't throw away the pipe cleaners I had misted with glimmer mist, so used the leftovers for little trailies going down the pitcher.
So excited to see this!!!  My brother is getting remarried.  He's still in Connecticut, and his fiance did a combo of using the foliage that's so gorgeous up there and the fleur de lis...she loves to create as well, along with her whole family, which I think is really cool.  So her Mom and Sister probably helped her out with these...that came out so beautiful...

...And a little more Def Leppard...I'm so glad I was able to pick up a T-shirt while at the concert...I love rock T-shirts now even more than I did then...I really thought this one was beautiful, and it's that thin cotton that fits snug, so it doesn't hang like a big shirt.  So much meaning behind the skull that I love now, used to be afraid of it, and the wings with the celtic pattern behind it...just love it...
...And busy with the business.  Need to update the blog now that I started for it.  We have added the aromatherapy packs.  Will be a busy week.  We have a seminar to go to this weekend for embroidery...can't wait to get started adding that to the business...

I have so many people to ask what do you do all day.  I have to say I've never been bored since the day I quit.  The only downer was when I injured my foot and was laid up for so long.  So long that I re-read and re-read all the Harry Potter books and/or watched old reruns of Charmed, which I still love to watch.  Dennis even laughs and says, I'm the type of person that always has something going on and can always find something to do.  Downtimes I need and may need more of them if I've been on my foot way too long, but something is always in the works...I just do it at my own pace while enjoy the ride of life... 

Playtime

We have had 7 orders this month, one was International.  Doing lots of sewing, stuffing, and filling orders.  So thankful and having fun.  And still have more stuff in the works.

Should be doing something else right now, like cleaning up my scrapping corner, but...the Byetta has really been getting to me...so tired, nauseated, headachy...hopefully will adjust...  But played around on Photoshop Elements with some old pictures of Emma's room.

Where the Girls' Have Style

Sneak Peak of the Urban Prep Collection

There goes another clever layout that's got style, color, and eye appeal.  Oh, how I need to replace these old geese and duck stickers for something like that.  What is that my, Muse?  Until 8/24, it's available for preorder...and if I spend $50, I get a $10 Gift Card?  Please tell me where can I go to find such style and be like all the other clever girls?  All I have to do is click here and I'm on my way?  Thanks, my Muse.  This is Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!

Ribbit, Meow, Om

Daisy wanted a lot of attention yesterday...and it's probably time for us to give her her fluids again.  She kept coming in or seeing us and then wanting us to go outside.  She is still going strong.  Unless you'd see her from before, she looks normal, but to us, she is so skinny.  Love seeing her paw prints here...

Finally opened up my fortune cookies and they couldn't have fit for the both of us any better, especially with the business and all of the learning and growing we're doing...
How often do we feel like we're scattered...just makes me want to take deep breaths...
Yes, I took a picture of Dennis at the Yoga studio.  I don't think he'd want to go by himself, not yet anyway, but he did feel comfortable right away with seeing how many men are in the class, and that's what got him to join the gym.   Sometimes it's a pretty even mix, sometimes there's actually more men.  But there are always regular men...lots of runners like to do this class, as Dennis is seeing too, that running injuries start to get better after the classes.  He said it feels like he went for a long run after taking the classes...and she killed us yesterday...
Uploaded the videos to YouTube.  The one of Daisy is really long...I just got carried away...for sure.  Love my girl, Daisy, as you will see and hear.  Yes, I talk human and cat to her.  And then there's one that I wanted to do because of the frogs...they are so loud!!!  The camera can't pick up the sounds too great, but you can still hear them...and their little orchestra.  And it was so cute, as I was taping them making all that noise, Archie decides to walk right along the edge of the pool, seeing the rain drops hitting the water, thinking it's something...and sometimes there really are frogs swimming in the pool...worse when you're under the water and look over and see frog legs just a kicking...they are all over the place...

A Running Around Kind of Day

Not having a good day with the computer...will retype what got lost...

Got up and we were both chatty about the business and decided to make our own photo box for taking better pictures of our pillows.  So headed off to find everything...

One stop was at Wal-Mart.  Dennis said, "stay in the car to save your foot."  Nothing too thrilling about sitting in a Wal-Mart parking lot, but the birds were sure having fun.  Not a great shot, but got some of the playfulness caught here with these two birds...they are the two specks by the tire......edited it in Photoshop Elements...just not a very good shot to begin with, so about all I can do with it, but they were too cute...
Quick shot of Dennis's cool jeans.  He gets comments all the time.  He didn't buy them like this.  They are really that worn out and he ironed on the patch from the inside...
Wal-Mart didn't have the lamp, but he picked me up some of my favorite muffins from there...the Uncle Wally Wal-Mart brand...

Taking more pictures as we run around...this was the before...

...and this is after edited in Photoshop Elements...

Driving around looking for that lamp, I really like street signs right now, and snapped this one.  This is the cropped original...
...this is edited in Photoshop Elements, used a little warping too...the sky was just starting to get dark again before pouring down...
After all that running around, we got hungry and stopped for some Chinese...so good, haven't had it in awhile...

Then one last stop at the grocery for more cat food...man...with Daisy being sick, it's great she has her appetite, but it's like feeding times for a baby...almost every 2-3 hours...so had to stock them up again...and speaking of Daisy, got some video too, but with the new Mac the videos were not playing...after hours...found out that .avi files needed a component, got that downloaded, now that I had the video, still no audio...it's missing something but can't figure it out.  Downloaded something that will only play it in it's program and not in QuickTime...screw it...I'll call support and figure it out later.  But Blogger isn't uploading them either right now...so no video...
Taking video and saw this little guy...I'm afraid he may have jumped in the pool after I left him while the pool was running...he got sucked in probably...he should have waited until it went off, but I guess he's not that smart...and I can't say he's cute...they just kind of creep me out now that there's so many of them around...

This SISter Rocks!!!

Feeling funky, and not doing a whole lot.  Filling orders, so keeping busy with that, and did do this flower arrangement thingy from a webisode I had seen over at SIStv back in either April or May.  Was ready to do the flowers back then, but couldn't find the right vase or holder thingy, until when I found this pitcher at Tuesday Morning for $10.  Loved the color which is teal in real life with the ruffled edges like old milk glass or something.  Didn't like the way they were coming out with the pipe cleaners, so used a technique from Andrea Wiebe's class with floral wire going through the buttons and flowers, twisted that behind it, then floral tape all the way down it.  I couldn't help but laugh at myself...I had all the floral wire and tape already from years ago from doing some kind of arrangement before..it's good not to throw away that stuff.  

I just got my order from Fancythat.  Had to order from them, because by the time I saw that SIStv had it, they were sold out.  It came in so handy for these.  It's like clear packing tape, but with a design.  I could have used regular clear packing tape, but the yellow design was pretty with this.  Filled the pitcher with those glass balls and just stuck them in there.  After looking at it for awhile, I may add something else, or something to the vase like rubons or something, but for now...this is all I was motivated to do...like how it's wirey and whimsical looking...

Made a little butterfly out of left over pipe cleaner I had sprayed with Glimmer Mist.  I didn't want to waste all of those, since I didn't use them as the stems, so also made little curlies for the flowers.
This SIStv SISter known as {bzzyfingers} really does ROCK!!!  She organized a Rock Out ATC.  But with a twist.  Not just doing ATCs but we had to pick a song, burn it, and send with the cards.   She took all 30 songs from everyone in the swap, ripped them, then burned them all on a CD for us.  Had soooo much fun listening to the songs while Dennis and I tried to see who could pick the card that went with the song first.  He surprised me, by getting one over me, but that's all he did ;)  He's not a music person.  So many talented girls!!!  Just blow me away...ooohed and aaahed over all of them...
And not only did bzzyfingers ROCK the Rock Out ACT, but she sent me a RAK!!!  Chipboard musical notes, a litte book, and old music sheets, PLUS an additional CD of songs!!!!
And she put it all in this beautiful folder!!!
A lot of work she had to do for the swap!  Thank you, bzzyfingers!!!!!

It's Miller Time!!!

We are so overwhelmed with excitement, gratitude and disbelief of how our small, little business is starting to show signs of growth from the amount of orders we are receiving, to the ideas that we have that are coming to life.  We have had three nice size orders back to back and one...our first International order!!!!!  Kind of freaked us a little.  Not like it's hard to mail...we just really don't want anyone to have to pay the crazy and outrageous S&H costs, plus we're not used to addressing to an International address...just gave us some butterflies.  Words of affirmation mean a lot and thankfully we believed enough in ourselves to stretch our necks out and take big risks.  We are very thankful for God giving us the courage and the desire to do something we enjoy...and having faith in Him all the way...

This is the new baby...isn't she beautiful!!! ;D  I just ooh and ahhh everytime I look at her...
Miller Time...which is funny for me because I'm not really a beer drinker, but have just come to liking it.  But since being back on Byetta 10 mcg, alcohol soothes my stomach.  So picked up some today.  I can't help but think about my friend, Leslie, my roommate from SISiversary...here's to you, you crazy, creative soul!

Scissors are Good for Lots of Things

I had to do something with that photo of the rabbit, but really challenged myself to keep it very simple.  Didn't even rough up the edges...just let it go as is...  Inspired by MandyKay and the Sketch This girls, used the puffy circles.  They are an older product of Heidi Swapp, that was just sitting.  And then inspired by Kristina Contes using floss under and over the photo, I did this, but did it on a curve.  

Called "Welcome," the journaling reads:

"for 12 years we've seen deer, possum, raccoons, foxes, owls, but with more subdivisions going up, we don't see them as much.  The snakes we've seen can stay away, but this little guy and his friends can always stay around."

This, on the other hand, I wanted a LOT of layers.  I altered the photo in PE by adjusting the master hue...I liked how it changed the colors in the photo to a little purple and it was perfect.  Left the white edge around the photo, and felt like it was a photo from the 70's...kind of liking that look right now.

Title is "I Love it when it Rains," jounaling reads:  not too much rain, just a nice slow rain.  It makes me feel cozy and wanting to curl up on the couch for a good show, a good book, or a good nap."

And besides cutting up paper and ribbon, etc...I got my hair cut...just trimmed...but always nice to get it done...beautiful, sunny day today...

What's Up Doc?

Another wonderful rainy day, except for in the middle of the night, it was a pretty bad sounding storm.  Daisy wasn't too happy, but she still wants to be outside, which is better for us anyway.  It's a win/win with her being out on the screened area.

Dennis and I had talked about upgrading our sewing machine.  Well, we finally did it today!!!  So excited.  Setting up some new space in the house so it'll be better for the both of us.  Can't wait to learn some new things for our personal use, but for the business it'll be so much faster and easier, but also giving us the quality we want in some of the new products we're working on, that the other couldn't do.  It does embroidery as well, which is something else we've wanted to add, so will put that to good use as well.  We're both so excited.  How many men get excited over a sewing machine?!  I love him!!!  We have so much fun together.  Corny, but true.

When we got home, saw this little friend out in the yard.  Have been seeing them a little more lately.  Took a chance and walked out there.  Now, of course, as I reminded Dennis, if I had a zoom lens, the shot would have been mine!  Just a friendly dig.  But it was still fun.  Cropped the photo and played with it in Photoshop Elements using some of the things I'm still learning through Adrienne Looman's Artistic Edge class.

Changed the colors of the grass and pinched this photo...

Same photo here, just cropped a little better with the rabbit right in the center and kept the grass green, still using the pinch to distort, that really makes him stand out...
And this was the original photo...really like how the effects above changed the entire photo.
Got my new prescription for Byetta going back to the 10 mcg...stung like crazy...uh.  So much cheaper going through mail.  Without insurance, the three pens would have probably been close to $900+.  With insurance, I would have paid about $350.  With the mail in, it was $117.  Oh, that is soooo wonderful!!!!!