It’s a Party, and I Can Cry Because I’ll Have Waterproof Mascara

Quick confession: I used to sell Mary Kay Cosmetics™. The judging stops NOW!

Moving on. A friend of mine has invited me to a Mary Kay party. It has been roughly ten years since I have been to one, much less used their stuff. That doesn’t mean I don’t own some still, though mostly perfumey stuff. Usually I dread going to these parties because I have awful skin, and usually buy into the hope that this time I will find something that will make my skin look perfect and flawless. That is silly, of course, but I can still hope. Prayer doesn’t hurt, either.

Surprisingly, I am looking forward to it. I have come to the realization that I am a homebody. I don’t go out much, and when I do, I tend to come home early because of the kids. I do my chores around the house in total silence, forgetting about the radio or the CD player, and sometimes feel like I’m in a tomb, at least until Little One comes home and watches Disney Channel. I need to get out more, and make new friends, and if that entails going to a make-up party and buying something that guarantees to take years off your face, I will do it!

I just hope that stuff isn’t botox 😉

I Need to Invest in a Rake

I have temporary custody of my sister-in-law’s sheltie. It is a very pretty, very fluffy dog.

It also barks a lot.

Anyway, I usually sit with her and comb her coat before Eldest gives her a bath. One thing about this dog: she LOVES getting a bath. She also LOVES being combed. And finally, she LOVES getting her coat blown dry. I think she was a princess in a former life. But boy, does she ever shed.

I know you can’t tell very well, but that pile was the stuff I combed out. And it didn’t even make a dent, people!! She fluffed herself up again, and I could see little bits of fluff floating down to the ground. If I can’t use a rake, I will start using the vacuum on her coat.

At least she was happy!

This Day is Like a Joke

And yes, I mean that. I started off today by getting up with the alarm, only to find myself knocking glasses and phone off the nightstand. As I scrambled off the bed, I stepped on the glasses. Picking up the phone, I shut off the alarm on it, and turn off the little light it gives, so not only do I walk in the dark, I do so without my glasses, which HILARIOUSLY leads to me stubbing my foot on the Turkish chest at the foot of the bed. No worries, as I finally manage to get slippers on, and walk out of my room in time to trip over the little dog who is SO GLAD to see me she barks over, and over, and over…

Making my way to the kitchen, I remember I was supposed to change two spotlights, and sigh in the mediocre light as I fill the coffee pot with water, only to find I had forgotten to wash it out yesterday. As I turn to get the coffee grounds, I trip over Miss Attention and fall against the counter, spilling coffee everywhere. I scoop it up (hey, it’s still good!), and finally get the coffee started, going on to wake Eldest first, since she takes a bit longer to get ready.

Finally sitting down to drink my coffee, and I realize I had forgotten my pajama pants.

Yes, my friends, it’s that kind of day!! Make sure to enjoy it!! 😉

Fairytale Versus Reality

I love fairytales. My favorite Disney™ animated film is still Cinderella. Oh sure… I like most of them, even with the creative license the screenwriters take, though sometimes they take it too far (*cough* Pocahontas *cough* Little Mermaid *cough*). Reading them in their original wording is far more sinister and suspenseful than Stephen King.

The other day I was chatting with Hubby via text messages. He had mentioned he had seen a children’s book of stories at the market, and had recognized some words. I had to laugh, because he told me he tried reading Goldilocks.

Me: Not to spoil it for you, but she breaks into a house, steals food and breaks furniture, finally passing out from her wild rampage.

Hubby: Really?!? She seems like such a nice little girl.

Me: Her name is a thinly veiled reference to her cat burglar days, when she would break the safe locks to steal gold. Do not be fooled!!

Hubby: Hehehe…

And of course, the ultimate fairytale has to be The Wizard of Oz.

Placed in appropriate context, any story can be a fairytale. Likewise, any fairytale can become bitter reality.

It’s all a question of angles 😉

Because Plans Go Out the Window Once You Begin Execution

Last night I was awakened by the sound of rain. At first it was very nice, but soon enough it turned into a racket, my headboard being against the outside wall being pelted by it, and the thunder adding to it. Most people would sleep right through that, but not me. Why? Because I have a fraidy cat for a dog. I just knew she was going to be upset and whiny, and wanting to have company. Sure enough, she was at my door, whimpering until I got up and went to lay down with her until the storm passed.

Two hours later the storm was still going strong, and I am so grateful we got the rain, but the dog…. she would NOT let me sleep. So I stayed up with her until about 3 AM, when it turned into a more steady rain. I got in bed just in time to get a text message from Hubby, telling me it was snowing so hard where he is at that he couldn’t see the river. So we conversed by text for a while, finally letting myself fall asleep just in time for the alarm to go off, since Son has a drill meet today.

And what does this have to do with planning anything? Well, I had planned to go out and do some clothes shopping for the kids, groceries, Goodwill™ run, and of course, shopping for the Red Dress. For once my day was planned to the minute. Now I have to wait until the people around here stop their raindance so I can go out and manage to salvage the day. That is, if Hubby doesn’t Skype today. If he does, I will just put everything on hold until tomorrow. I do have my priorities straight.

Seems like a great time to make some brownies. Oh… I’m out of eggs.

Sigh….

The Only Reason to Visit New York

I know, I know….most of the state is nothing like the Big Apple™. Still, it gets cold up there, so it’s not on my list of destinations. I would make an exception for this, though:

I would be there with lightsaber on 😉

Creatively borrowed from Sanyo Soup.

Irony: I Have It

And it’s apparently a supplement for me.

Yesterday I was telling y’all about getting back into cross-stitching. Today, I have to put it on hold. A friend of mine is having a rough time of things, and we decided to get together to scrapbook this week. We got nothing done yesterday, since we decided to be more of a support group. But today, we took inspiration from Jennifer McGuire:

Courtesy of Jennifer McGuire

So, cross-stitch on hold, until my version of this beautiful collage is done!

Southern Cross

I used to do cross-stitching a long time ago. In fact, I still have several projects going.

Projects that have been years in the making.

As much as I like doing scrapbooking and altered art, I think it’s time I got back into cross-stitching. It’s something I can do while sitting with the kids, and let’s face it: the mess is minimal. Besides, Hubby bought me a ton of embroidery floss and it’s a shame to see it sitting at the bottom of the closet, a riot of color peeking up accusingly at me every time I go in to get paper or glue.

That is the alphabet, designed from a sketch Hubby made waaaaay back in 1988, while in college. You will notice the date I finished it. I’m a bit slow, but hopefully I will get the rest of the projects done this year.

I just need to not start any new ones 😉

There is Never Enough Coffee

Last night was  the AFJROTC Military Ball for Eldest and Son. Normally the Ball is a smooth affair. This year proved to be a challenge, but only to my sanity.

Eldest, being the sweetie she is, invited three other girls to come over and get ready. Now, Eldest is not the fastest person in the house. Combine that with three other girls and one bathroom, and only ONE hair iron thingie, and you will have chaos. Son? He gets ready in less than 20 minutes, including the time he took to iron his pants and shirt. The girls, however, began getting ready three hours before, and still managed to run late. Nevertheless, Chauffeur Aggie managed to get them there on time after a few applications of fire under their…feet. And that’s when the fun began…

It wasn’t just the Ball, but also going to IHOP afterwards, and since it would be late, that entailed the girls spending the night, too. Which meant me getting the upstairs room ready, and staying up to be the chauffeur, and not imbibing at all!! Oh, and one gal showed up late, so it became five girls, and surprisingly, Son wasn’t as disgusted as he would have been three years ago. After fetching them home, they decided it was just too early to go to bed, so the giggling and the screaming and the “NO WAY??”s kept going until 1 AM.

And five hours later, the little dog woke me urgently.

So, two small pots of coffee later, my nerves are going through some repairs, hoping for some peace and quiet by noon. Of course, the caffeine in my system will make the world seem like it’s shaking, but that’s a small price to pay so I can function 😉

Steampunk’d

As y’all may or may not know, I am a fan of Steampunk. I love the look of it, and apparently Eldest does, too. Today we are starting to change her room around to accommodate all of her junk the new decor.

I have plans….

She doesn’t know it yet, but a lot of the stuff I plan to use will be coming from the local flea market, as well as Lowes™. We are talking copper pipes, fittings, ventilation ducts, PVC, faucet knobs, pulley wheels, and any random stuff I can find to give an “antique” look.

She may or may not agree with my take on the room, but I know what I’m doing. Some would argue that I am living vicariously through her, since I can’t do it to my room. And some would be right 😉