Sex and the City

My sister, my girlfriend Laureen and I went to see the "Sex and the City" movie last night. WE LOVED IT! it was soooo good, it was unbelieveable. We laughed, we cried, we gasped and we applauded throughout the movie.

There were so many scenes that were my favorites, it's hard to choose one and I really don't want to spoil it for anyone.

Run, don't walk to the theatre to see this movie. I liked it waaayyy better than the Indiana Jones movie we saw last week.


Today is the second day of our garage sale. Had a HUGE crowd yesterday and thank god for wireless internet as I was able to work on my laptop out in the garage. I continued to organize my digital elements and do some photoshopping of some photos I want to print, so I felt like I killed too birds with one stone - I love when I can do that, makes me feel super productive!

Looks like today is going to be simply gorgeous! I may have to pay the Aquatic Center a visit later this afternoon with Connor.

Boy...if this doesn't say it all

What Kristina Means

You are a seeker of knowledge, and you have learned many things in your life. You are also a keeper of knowledge - meaning you don't spill secrets or spread gossip. People sometimes think you're snobby or aloof, but you're just too deep in thought to pay attention to them. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You tend to be pretty tightly wound. It's easy to get you excited... which can be a good or bad thing. You have a lot of enthusiasm, but it fades rather quickly. You don't stick with any one thing for very long. You have the drive to accomplish a lot in a short amount of time. Your biggest problem is making sure you finish the projects you start. You are the total package - suave, sexy, smart, and strong. You have the whole world under your spell, and you can influence almost everyone you know. You don't always resist your urges to crush the weak. Just remember, they don't have as much going for them as you do. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Here's some pages I've worked on in the last month. I did get 3 8x8 pages for my cat album done this weekend since the weather was fickle.






My Library of Memories class has three more week until we are finished. I've learned a lot, I've organized my photos and I'm loving how I'm looking at the things I want to scrapbook differently.

I'm signing up for Jessica Sprague's "Now We're Rocking with PS" June 9th and I'm sure that will keep me busy for the month that class is going.

In anticipation of that class, I spent as extraordinary amount of time organzing my digital elements. I'm not done yet, but I've made great headway. I downloaded the trial version of ACD See 10 and I'm loving it! It makes organizing and viewing photos and digital elements so easy. I may have to spring for this piece of software.

The Perfect Pen

I've always had a fondness for writing instruments. It isn't because I was this fantastic journaler who alway kept a diary, but more because I've always had jobs where a pen was important and I am sooo not into cheap pens.

When I started scrapbooking, I took the pen obsession to a new level. I've tried everything on the market, from Zig to American Craft (the precision pen is close), to Sakura, you name it, I've probably spent money on it. But I think I've found my holy grail of pens. It's a Faber-Castell PITT artist pen that I get at Hobby Lobby. They're $2.99 which isn't out of line for pen and I've been known to use the 40% off coupon this item alone. I have them stashed all over the house and my boys know they are MY pens. Personally, I like the ultra-fine tip, but they come in several sizes.




Check them out!

Even though the weather wasn't very nice, the kids all had a great time at their Graduation party. I ended up being the official photographer of the event and took over 400 pictures that I have to burn on to a CD to give to one of the other mothers and then her hubby is going to take all of the photos that were taken from various cameras and burn a CD for each student.....very cool!

I was pretty proud of myself this morning. I got up at 7:30am and went to the gym. I hadn't been since Tuesday, when I worked out at Satan and I should have gone yesterday after we got home from school, but I pooped out, so bright and early this morning I hit it for about 45 minutes.

I also got down to Walmart for peanut butter, spaghetto's and toilet paper and then spent the rest of the morning pricing garage sale stuff. I got it done...YEA! now I just have to get $40 bucks in dollar bills and change and I'm ready to open the garage door. Sure hope my sister gets over here and marks her stuff, because I sure don't know what she wants for it.

I even finished another page today where I used Basic Grey's new Archaic line. I had already did two pages with it on National Scrapbook Day, but I love it so much I can't put it down.

I'll share some of my pages I've done tomorrow.

Side Note: I AM SO not ready for junior high and girls.....I have s story and pictures to share in a future post.

Freaking Weather.......*&#(*&

I really don't mind the rain, in fact, in my perfect world, it would rain every third day for a few hours so I wouldn't have to water everything, just my hanging plants (which really need watering everyday).

But TODAY....come on....you knew we were planning a 6th grade graduation party at the Altoona Aquatic Center and a pizza picnic at the Master Gardener's garden, so why today? Thank goodness we had a contingencty plan and we're now going to the Altoona Campus and the kids can swim there and we'll just do our picnic party at the school instead of the garden.

We went and saw "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls". It was a fun movie! but I'm not sure we liked the ending. It was okay, but left alot of things unanswered. I was surprised that Steven Speilberg and George Lucas would do that and it's not because I think there may be another, because both have said, no more.

Gotta go to the party now.....later.....

Introducing.........

OREO......the newest member of our family.




He is a rescue kitty and the sweetest, friendliest kitty. We've had him almost 2 weeks and he fits right in with the gang....well, Gizmo still isn't thrilled about him, but Kirby and Tucker have finally made nice.

I wish I could have a hundred kitties!

I'm pooped!

Boy, the weather was gorgeous today. It's too bad the wind picked up in the afternoon though. I got the garage sale set up today. Nothing is marked (I do that next weekend) but it's all out on the tables organized. While I was doing that huge task, the boys were in the basement cleaning up. It took all of us a couple of hours before we were done with our respective task. I gotta say the basement hasn't looked this good and clean since we moved in. I can truly saw that the only things that are in the basement are items that we want.

After lunch, I asked Fred and Connor to help me do some weeding and planting, plus I needed there muscle for the 10 bags of top soil I brought home.

I planted a couple of perennials, 3 Better Boy tomatoes, 2 Julliete Grape Tomatoes and we finally go the Japanense Flowering Plum planted. Everything got a big drink of water afterward and then the three of us headed to the shower because we were filthy!

Here's the newest addition to our backyard -




and to think that I have to get up in the morning and go to the gym.....

I've been so busy this week that I really haven't felt like updating my blog. Busy, busy at work (we have a new software release I'm in the middle of configuring and testing), busy at home (dates with Satan), movies to catch up on....i.e. Cloverfield....watch it....we liked it. I was all set to not like it and was afraid I wouldn't be able to watch it because of my motion sickness, but Connor and I watched it and thought it was pretty good. Fred said he's never heard us yell like we were doing before...LOL.

Another movie I enjoyed was "P.S. I Love You" with Hillary Swank and Gerard Butler. Gerard Butler is one of my imaginary boyfriends and he is just too freaking hot...I think the Scottish accent just enhances the whole package! Boys wouldn't watch it with me because they said it was a chick flick and they didn't want to witness me sobbing....well, phooey to you...I didn't sob....so there!

Speaking of chick flicks, I was all set to make a date with myself to go see the new "Sex and the City" movie coming out on May 30th, but yesterday my phone rang at work and one of my girlfriends called and said "Hey, let's go see SATC"....and I said "Yea, now I don't have to go see it by myself", so I have a date on Friday, May 30th with Laureen to go see the movie. We're going to go see it at the Fleur Cinema because I've been wanting to see a movie at that venue and because I heard it was a cool place to go.

Carry on with your week.

We interred Mom this morning out at Glendale Cemetary. It had stopped raining earlier in the morning and by the time we got to the cemetary, the sun was shining and all the flowers were in bloom. My brother, his best friend Craig, my sister and the kids, my Aunt Susie and Uncle Jim and Fred, Connor and I were there to see her enter her final resting place.



We laid a bouquet of her favorite flowers at the base of the columnbarium she is in. There were roses, lilacs, carnations, daisies and spring flowers. Tomorrow I will plant the new flowering plum tree in my backyard in honor of her and I on Mother's Day.

The boys decided to give me my mother's present today so that I could play with it this weekend.



It's a Epson Stylus Photo RX595 Photo printer, scanner, copier. I was getting tired of running up and down the stairs every time I printed something and printers are getting really really reasonable for a decent one. I thought about a wide format for about a minute, but then decided I really didn't need it. If and when I do print out my digital layouts, I will print them in 8x8 so I can use regular 8 1/2 X 11 photo paper (much more economical).

I've printed a couple of 4x6 photos on it and I'm pleased with the results and I've scanned something too with success. Overall I've very pleased with it, especially the cost. I really didn't want anything super expensive this year.

Tomorrow I go for my pedicure and my boys are treating me to dinner. Still don't know where....had French Toast this morning for breakfast, so the IHOP idea is out.

We'll see.......

Day #2 of "Life with Satan"

Before I start bitching about Satan, I thought I would show you a picture I took this past Sunday when I realized that our tulips were in bloom



I *think* winter just may be over. But I don't want to say it too loud.

After work today was my second session with Satan. When I got up this morning, I was surprised that I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be. I worked from home, so I got up a bit earlier so I could stop working a bit earlier, thus get my work out over with earlier.

Today, he decided we had done enough strength training yesterday and that my muscles needed a day of rest in between, so today was all cardio. A 5 minute warm-up on the elliptical, 35 minutes of treadmill starting at a 15% incline and then decreasing that by 5% every 5 minutes...15 second on the treadmill, 15 second off...interval training at it's best. The philosophy if I understood it correctly is it is to trick your body into burning calories much more efficiently. When you walk at a steady clip whether it be outside or on a treadmill, after about 8 minutes your body stops utilizing fat for energy and heads to protein because your body gets used to the increased heart rate. You'll burn calories and will continue to burn calories for a couple of hours. With interval training, your heart rate is going up and down, which tricks your body on staying with burning fat for energy and not protein. You may not burn quite as many calories right up front, but your body will continue to burn calories for 24-36 hours afterward instead of just a couple of hours.

Let me tell you, I was sweating like a bitch and panting like a dog! Satan tells me that the thought of the day is "It's okay to be out of breath"....I'm not going to get much sympathy from him.

I have a date with Satan!

Tonight I start working out with my personal trainer, Chris aka Satan. I've been toying with the idea for a couple of months and finally decided to commit. The financial commitment is big, so I better be damn serious. If not, I won't have to worry because Fred will kill me, I'll be dead and it won't matter than I need to lose weight.

I'll be working with Satan twice a week, then on my own twice a week, for a total of 4 times a week at the gym. I've also started walking with a couple of my co-workers in the mornings for 15 minutes, so I certainly track that also.

I've been a member of SparkPeople for a couple of years, but haven't done anything with it lately. I got an email the other day from the site telling me about a swimsuit bootcamp that was just starting, so I checked it out and signed up. So between the bootcamp and Satan, I better start losing some weight.

Another site that Satan has suggested to me is FitDay. It has an awesome nutrition tracker. I do alot better when I track everything I put in my mouth. It's either that or a need to use alot of duct tape....LOL.

Have a good week!

I accept this award of behalf......

A scrapbooking friend, Janet, bestowed the illustrous blog award the Arte y Pico on moi last week. Janet has an awesome blog that she calls "Of Cats and Cardstock". I love her random musings and her cat stories are just too damn funny! Check her out!

Here are the rules of the award:

1. You have to pick 5 blogs that you consider deserve this award for their creativity, design, interesting material, and also contributes to the blogging community, no matter what language.

2. Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his/her blog to be visited by everyone.

3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her/him the award itself.

4. The award winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of Arte y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.

5. To show these rules.

So to continue the tradition of the Arte y Pico, here are some places that I visit when I get an opportunity.

Laura Vegas. This gal is very talented. A few years ago, we were on a small message board together and I remember liking her pages back then. She has an awesome space to play!

Candice Stringham. Candice is an awesome photographer and she just moved to New York City and she's going through a bit of culture shock.

IKEA Goddess. If you're into digital scrapbooking...this may end up being your mecca. Seriously.

Cathy Z. Her blog is ALWAYS good for a laugh!

My friend Jen. She does awesome pages and she's got two cute boy subjects.


Got together with some gals that I haven't seen in awhile to celebrate National Scrapbook Day. I finished 4 pages in about 5 hours of scrapping.

Today, we were all major productive. I hauled rock on Friday and got the new expansion of my vegie garden bordered with the rock. Connor sprayed all the dandelions (which of course, I'll never get rid of since my neighbors are obviously going for the ala natural, never mow look). Fred mowed and we finally got my new windmill staked to the ground in one of my flower beds.

Since we got so much done, we treated ourselves to the matinee of the movie Iron Man. All I got to say is Robert Downey Jr. is looking mighty FINE! Oh baby! and the movie is really really good. I was quite pleased that we didn't waste our money. Two thumbs up!

I got some terrible news earlier this week about a friend and it's thrown me for a loop....all I can say is that my friend and her family are in my prayers and thoughts during this difficult time.

Tomorrow is National Scrapbook Day and in honor of that, I thought I would post a few pages that I've finished.





Hope all you scrapbookers get to do something fun this weekend!