Power Up: DJStoreroom

Name: Diana

Shop Name: djstoreroom

URL Links: Etsy, Artfire ,Flickr, Blog, Twitter,



Product Range: PDF Sewing Tutorials with Sewing Patterns for Zip Pouches and Wristlets, Vintage Buttons, Handmade Bags and Purses, Handmade Vintage Button Bracelets and more...



Experience: I started sewing during my school days and totally stopped once I finished my O'Levels.. And, I couldnt believe that I got first place for fashion and fabrics in the whole school.. It was only when my daughter was born that I started sewing again.. To get back my skills, I went online and registered for a long distance course on Dressmaking and Design. Today, I sew and craft daily with my daughter. Many times, I sew using my own patterns and decided to share my them online through pdf sewing patterns. These include really simple english, lotsa pictures and sewing patterns to print, cut and use immediately! Perfect for the busy sewers like you and me...



Special Promotion: Free Reversible Pin Cushion Sewing Tutorial with Sewing Pattern with each purchase of a Pdf Pattern

Unique Gifts !

How fabulous is this? I love Charity's work at Subearthan Cottage. She repurposes old t-shirts into bags. How green and unique.

You can find more unique gifts by searching Artfire Cafemom Team on Artfire.

Birthday Celebrations

This year I was very worried that my birthday would be a bummer. My husband is deployed and I am thousands of miles from family.

My birthday was made a blast because I have such wonderful friends. Thursday we played a softball game and my teammates surprised me with a wonderful celebration. They sang and gave up cupcakes and gave me a dozen roses. How special! Then the team sweetened the day by winning our game. Afterwards, I met my friend Kelsey for dinner.

This Saturday came the best celebration. We went out to the bar and club to celebrate my birthday. All 8 of us packed into my Suburban for one heck of a nite. Don't we look beautiful?

Thank you to my wonderful friends who helped to make my birthday awesome. Without you gals I dunno how I would survive this deployment.

Happy Birthday To Me

Happy Birthday to Me!!!! Today I turn a quarter of a century old!

While my hubby is not here to help me celebrate and the military has taken me far, far away from my lovely family. I do have some awesome friends who will be helping me celebrate. While I would love to get this hunk of a present:

I will settle for just a piece of this:

We are in our NEW Home

Sorry for the lack of blogging during my move. But I am back!!!!!

We moved in and what a trying time. First the movers were 2 hours late. The movers were here from 1 to 11 pm trying unsuccesfully to move all my items. They brought a truck and two guys and apparently underestimated my move. They also charged by the hour. *gasp* They dropped my armoir and it broke in half. Then the next day I demanded that more movers come as they did not finish moving all my items. So they were here for another 4 hours moving us. The didn't really set up the house or ask where I wanted things. They threw everything in our garage and put the furniture wherever. VERY unprofessional.

Unpacking was a bore-- but I got it done. I have about 5 boxes left to unpack. Im still trying to get the house decorated, photos up. In the meantime I have started buying things to fill the house.

Very exciting to decorate! As it is military housing, I can't paint or anything but I can do themed rooms now! Tons of closet space! Tons of room for Jasmine to run around and play. This house is just soo big and we love it!

Here are some photos. These were taken at 11 pm and before I upacked.

Our house from the front

Our view from the family room

Our kitchen and island.... very roomy

Jasmine's playroom / my office

There is more to the house but this is just some of the downstairs. Just downstairs we have 4 closets, a bathroom, family room, dining room, playroom, pantry and two mud rooms. Upstairs-- 3 bedrooms w/ walk in closets, 2 large baths, laundry room/ craft room with cabinets and shelving !

Here is my daughter being adorable and playing with some beads at a Memorial Day BBQ.

One More week!!!

One more week until I move into my new house. I am excited! I hate packing, but will be doing lots of packing this week in anticipation. I got to tour my house last week and man am I happy we got this house. It is huge and I hope to post photos when we get in and decorated. I don't have enough furniture to fill it!

I am hoping that the sunny weather continues and I can have a fruitful garden. I have purchased basil, thyme, rosemary, chives, green onions, tomatoes, peppers, snap peas, zuccini, lettuce, mint and cat nip to plant this year. *cross fingers* it goes well.

Ill be updating and blogging more after I get in my new house. Sorry for the lack of comments and posts until then! I hope you all understand!

What makes a great Guild/Team

Isn't that the question everyone wants to know? How to become a successful guild or team is a new series on Handmade News.

Part one of the article:

http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=993

Choosing the Perfect Guild or Team

I have written an article for HandmadeNews.org discussing how you should choose the perfect guild or team on handmade venues.

Please go check it out by clicking this link:

 http://www.handmadenews.org/article/index.php?id=953

Artfire Cafemom Team!

A selection from our guild. Search Artfire Cafemom Team to find more items from our talented ladies!

Surgery Center

Thank you all for the warm Mother's Day wishes! Jasmine and I enjoyed our day out to brunch. I have been MIA trying to pack and prepare for our move!

Here is some laughter for the day, courtesy SNL:

Video Recaps Full Episodes Webisodes

Happy Mother's Day!!!!! I love you Jasmine! You make Mommy's Life so spectacular!

Going to treat myself to brunch with other mommys whose hubby's are gone. So its mommy and daughter day! Hooray! Hope everyone else has a wonderful Moms Day!

Finished Daughter' s Summer Dress!

Thank you all for the lovely comments yesterday! I really do feel as though I have grown so much in the past year. I will be posting about my trip to Alaska with photos soon! So stay tuned!

Finally heard from the hubby after a few days and he is in a funk. You feel so helpless when your hubby is thousand of miles away and you can hear the emotion in his voice of his sadness. You know a hug be the world for him and you can't. I mean, how do you give a hug over the phone? If ya'll figure it out I would love to know!

I finished my Daughters Summer Dress and loved it soo much! It is such a pretty pattern and the ribbons and buttons really make the dress stand out. The ribbon is sewn on with a machine so it doesn't come off and ties in the back. The ribbons at the top allow the dress to grow with my DD- so when she hits a growth spurt and gets taller, the ribbons tie and adjust to the new height.

The second dress I made after that was of white cotton and had the prettiest floral ribbon. I decided to list it.

I am not sure if you can tell- but my model was completly uncooperative with the photo taking process so I wasn't able to get a good shot of the white dress. I made some tweeks to the pattern and I like how it turned out. These are so beautiful and much easier than a blanket to whip up!

Jazzy Jemz

Im not sure why, but I am moving back into a crochet mood. I think its because I need a change from all the ACU purses I have been doing. I got another order in last nite and I hope that is all for a bit!

I got my embroidery machine fixed!!!! Super excited to start embroidery again. Apparently the machine was not level. LOL.-- Didn't realize the machine had level sensors.

Yesterday I got two phone calls. One from Housing at Ft Richardson. My house is almost done and they scheduled a day for me to do a walk through and get the keys. They also said I could borrow a set of keys and go check out my new house! So that is on the to-do list next week. Ill take photos for ya'll to check it out!

The second phone call made me mad. My landlord called to see if I could have potential renters do a walkthrough . UM- NO! I still live here and frankly haven't cleaned and its a disaster and I still live here. She pushed and said that I wouldn't have to be home and she can just walk them around and they can see if they like the house enough to rent in June.

Hmmm-- what about the lack of insulation in the attic , the windows that still need to be fixed and the kitchn tiles that are bowing and coming off. Don't you need to fix that before hand? I may be moving out- but I have paid to rent the place out until May 31. Why should she invade my privacy by trying to get in before the end of the month?

She still has our security deposit and we are moving out a month before our lease is up -- per a military clause. Do I have any rights to say No. I feel like I do- but she is so darn perisistent it just wore me down. 5 minutes of nos and she still kept insisting that renters need to see the house. I broke down and said yes, only if we are home. I can't wait to get out of this house!!

Looking back...

It has been one very wild ride this past year. I can't believe where I have come from in such a short period of time.

May was a turning point in my life. An end of old ways and the beginning of new ones.

I had just had my first daughter in Feb. I moved back home with my parents while Scott was in BOLC II and III and then Airborne. He was never in one place long enough that the Army would pay to move us, so we went 5 months without living together.

May was the month that would bring him back into our lives for awhile. May also was when I formally announced I would not return to work after my maternity leave was over. I decided not to go back to the world of counseling drug addicts and the mentally ill. It was not a tough choice, as how could I help others when we were preparing to move across the country! After never living more than 10 minutes from my parents house, even all through college- I was preparing to move across the North America with my newborn and two cats.

Moving to Alaska was the best trip we every had! We drove about 6 hours a day and stopped to view the sights. It took two weeks, and it was wonderful! Even with a teething baby and two cats mewing the whole time! Scott and I got to reconnect after 5 months, and having a baby without him. It was awesome. I will have to blog about that trip and show off the magnificent photos.

Scott and I arrived to Anchorage and he started making his way back into Army life and his new career. Long hours were something new to me. He was working 16-18 hour days and hardly home. I was stuck in Alaska without friends and family, all alone. That truly is tough. I forced myself to make friends and these friendships will last a lifetime! After making friends, I was no longer longly and homesick.

Soon summer ended and made way to fall. Fall in Alaska is tough. The days are dark and long. It is very sad and depressing. To make matters worse, Scott had to leave for NTC for another month to prepare for deployment which was fast approaching.

It was during the fall that I really kick started myself to sew & crochet and make more out of my hobby. I started selling at craft shows and online. This gave me some purpose. I am a busy body and staying at home with my daughter- while wonderful -- was keeping me in idle. Since I couldn't go back to school, making a business is what I started to do.

Scott came back from NTC on Thanksgiving. The rest of the year was a whirlwind of holidays, birthday parties and then the dreaded deployment. The tears, the goodbyes, the anxiety, the irritable husband, the irrational wife, the lack of cuddles and love. The mental seperation before the deployment. The fears.

I underestimated myself. I honestly thought I was going to be sooo depressed. So sad that I would be moving my butt back to Maryland. That so far has not happened. Three months in, i am still going strong. Thanks in part to my deployment buddies and literally keeping myself involved in as many volunteer and business endeavors as possible. I am more than thriving, I am surviving this deployment.

This past year, I think I have shown incredible strength through all the life changes we have gone through as a family. This is my way of patting myself on the back. Everytime I thought something would break me, it didn't. I know now that my marriage can survive my husband being gone more months out of the year than not. Heck, I didn't think I could survive childbirth and the first few months of her life without him. The move to Alaska scared me half to death to loose all my support system due to distance. My niave thoughts are no more. I have grown so much and am grateful to have learned so very much about myself this past year.

Giveaway!!!

Artfire Cafemom Team is having a 15 item giveaway at their blog!!! Go check them out:

http://artfirecafemomteam.blogspot.com/2009/05/major-giveaway.html

Also their sale is still going on: http://artfirecafemomteam.blogspot.com/2009/05/come-shop-in-our-open-house.html


Today I have a big day of events going on. I am in charge of fundraising for our Battalion. Since they awarded me with a huge plaque and a ceremony announcing me Volunteer of the Month, I feel kickstarted to really work on fundraising. We hope to have a ball and homecoming party for the guys early next year so that is a lot of $$ we need to raise.

This week, we are having two fundraisers- t-shirt sales and a car wash. Talk about a lot of time and energy preparing for these. Our next fundraiser is the ever fun cookbook. Guess who gets to collect and type and prepare a cookbook? Muah.

Yup, lots of fun fundraisers.... Got any good ideas for fundraisers ? I would love to hear them!!!

Leashes and Kids?

As Jasmine has learned to walk we are constantly playing a game of tag. I try to keep her with me. When I don't have her in a cart when shopping she rarely goes more than 5 feet ahead of me.

I have been talking to my friends as they give their horror stories about run-away kids and how to keep them in line. Most swear by the leash method.

I don't get it. A leash for your child? Its like your child is a dog that can't be kept in line.

Yes, I understand the practicalities of keeping your child tethered to you. You can always have the child near you. No one will kidnap the child and he or she will not get lost. If you have more than one toddler or pre-K , then its easier to handle when they are leashed to you.

What I don't get is why Moms today can't modify their child's tendency to run away. It would be easier on the child and the mom to have the child behave properly. My mom did it, my grandma did it- they certainly didn't have leashes. Call me old fashioned.

I see leashes two fold. While practical for all right safety reasons, it allows moms to let their guard down too much. Kids want freedom, but need to be taught that freedom is allowed inside their home or outdoors on the playground. I think that if Moms use leashes, they are allowing themselves to partially ignore their children.

I know I will get a lot of crap for this post. The bottom line IMO is that if you teach your child to behave properly and stand beside you when shopping that goes a lot further in life than a leash will. Are you going to hone your behavior modification skills now with a 2 year old, or wait until they are 16 and too big for a leash?

I found you!!! Hide and Seek

One of the events I am coordinating this week for the Artfire Cafemom Team Open House is the Hide and Seek Challenge.

What you do: Browse through our members shops. Each participating shop has a photo of a letter hidden in one of their item listings. Write down each letter. Find all the letters and you will unscramble them to have a phrase. Each day we will give another clue to let you know if you have found all the letters!

What you get: Correctly figure out the phrase and you are entered to win one of 3 $10 gift certificates for use in any participating shop!!! How fun!

Get your seek on! Bet you can't find the letter in my shop ;)

http://artfirecafemomteam.blogspot.com/2009/05/hide-and-seek-time.html

Artfire Cafemom Team Open House

This week I am coordinating my guild on Artfire's Open House. Many shops will have a sale going on in their shops. We have lots of talented ladies in our guild and make a variety of items from baby to glass to jewelry to paper goods to original artwork.

Please support other moms (and grandmas) by browsing their shops and supporting handmade mamas!

Here is a list of shops on sale. Feel free to grab the list and help us promote this awesome sale. Goes on until Saturday May 9th!

Jemz – 20% off , free shipping on orders over $30
www.jazzyjemz.artfire.com

Bows for Baby: 15% off items in store, not on custom orders. Free shipping on orders over $20 before shipping.
www.bowsforbaby.artfire.com

Stitch’N Love : 10% off all orders
www.stitchNlove.artfire.com

Spirit Essence Art: 20% off all items, Free shipping on orders over $30
www.spiritessenceart.artfire.com

Creations with Heart: 15% off all items
www.creationswithheart.artfire.com

JewelrybyJanzia: 15% off all items
www.jewelrybyjanzia.artfire.com

Chantilly Lace: 15% off all items
www.chantillylace.artfire.com

Totally Tyra: 15% off all items
www.totallytyra.artfire.com

Diecutz: 50% off all items
www.diecutz.artfire.com

Bittersweet Design Studio: Free Shipping
www.bittersweetdesignstudio.artfire.com

Francisbel Boutique: Free Shipping
www.francisbelboutique.artfire.com

Waters Girls Crafts: 15% off all items
www.watersgirls.artfire.com

By Coco: 15% off all items
www.bycoco.artfire.com

SW Designs: 20% off all items
www.swdesigns.artfire.com

Eddy’s Pressies: Free shipping on all goods over $25 to UK, US and worldwide
www.eddyspressies.artfire.com

Soft Shell Body Shop: 15% off all items, free shipping on orders over $30.00, after discount
www.softshellbodyshop.artfire.com

DJ Storeroom: Free international shipping, international airmail, delivery confirmation and insurance for all items.
www.djstoreroom.artfire.com

Vestque Creations: 50% off all items
www.vestque.artfire.com

SubEarthan Cottage: 10% off all items
www.subearthancottage.artfire.com

Handmade with Love: 20% off items in her store
www.handmadewithlove.artfire.com

Go Blogger Awards!

My very FIRST blogger award was bestowed upon me yesterday by the very gracious, very sarcastic, very loveable The Obnoxious SAHM. Her blog is a daily read I enjoy and she graciously gave me the Blogger Buddy Award.

Gee I am so honored!

It is an award that goes to blogging friends who you find truly awesome. So I am going to pass on the torch to my blogging friends.

Bows For Baby is one who really roped me into the blogging scene.
Creations with Heart is a regular follower and a fellow crafter.
Boylerpf: you are so awesome and we share a passion for jewelry
Girl in the Glasses- I love your Would you Weds feature
Julia's Sew Sweet- You are great at what you do and I look forward to seeing your creations every day.

Congrats on your awards! Look forward to more interesting posts from you ladies!

Drum roll..... 37 bags

For those of you who took part in Thursdays Blog asking how many bags it took to rake up my back yard, the answer is 37 filled to the brim bags.

That is a lot of bags for a small yard. I now understand why some people take the lazy way out and buy leaf blowers. Seriously, how tempting would it be just to blow them all into another persons yard?

So yesterday I went over to my new house with some friends to show them where I will be living. Obviously we don't have the keys yet so I couldn't give them a tour of my new larger house.

With my new neighbors watching, we went out and about like peeping toms and peered into the windows. The place is HUGE! I personally love the bay window. I know my Brownie and Raven will love it too.

Speaking of Brownie and Raven...... Jasmine is now saying both of their names. Although she sounds adorable, apparently only mom knows what she is saying.

"Bow - knee caaaat"

How adorable. Then she ruins the moment by pulling "Bow-nee caaaat's" tail. But I figure that is just the torture he needs for the attempted homicide of my camera.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!! And if you haven't voted in the artfire cafemom team challenge- please check it out www.artfirecafemomteam.blogspot.com

Weekly Contest: Flowers

ACT's Weekly contest this week had some great floral entries! Please check it out and vote for your favorite!

http://artfirecafemomteam.blogspot.com/2009/05/weekly-contest-flowers.html

Gotta love the sweet moments

Yesterday was a cuddle with Mommy Day. Jasmine is getting too stinkin cute. I know I complain when she is cranky and teething or sick. I do have it really easy.



She is getting at the stage where she is trying to be independent but still runs back to me for help. She tries hard to put her socks on and wants to try to dress herself but it all goes awry. She tries to play with the big girls but gets so scared. She tries to feed herself, and well we get a mess.





I'm grateful she is investigating and trying new things. It is so cute when she gets excited about doing and comes waddling back to show me. It is those moments that I love being a proud mommy and saying "YAY!"

Here is where I need some expert advice:

In all the brave new investigating of her world, she will not investigate the outdoor world. She is terrified of being put down on the ground outside. She wails and cries. I try to just stay close and she clings to me. When I go to walk away she has big alligator tears in her eyes and shreeches. We have gone outside every day this week for at least 30 mins at a time. Same routine, different day. She is not acclaimating herself at all.

So how do we overcome this stage?

How many bags does it take

Guess how many bags it took to rake up all the leaves in my backyard?




Okay that really isn't my bags all lined up in a row on the curb- I don't have OCD, but it comes close to the amount I gave to the trash guy two weeks in a row!



Yes, my hubby was lazy and "forgot" to rake our yard before the big snow came. Mind you, we are in Alaska and we have 3 weeks of fall and before the snow comes- but still..... Our yard has 13 trees in it. It really isn't that big, but we get huge gusts of wind and things seem to collect in our yard. This is a photo of our yard to give you an idea of how large it is.




So two weeks of leaves have been bagged and handed over to the trash guy. If anyone asks how I lost 10 lbs- that is how! Man that is tough work with just a rake and my two hands. Talk about blisters!

How many bags do you think I raked out of this yard?

I won! I won!

Super duper excited!

I won in Boylerpf 's blog giveaway! Out of 82 comments, my one comment won!

Can't believe it!

This just made my day! Look at this beautiful necklace I will be sporting soon- purple is my favorite!

For more antique and vintage jewelry pieces you can check out her Etsy shop by clicking here.

Woot Woot !!

Here comes the Crazy Train!!! Next stop is Bijoux Designs on Artfire. This shop has some very special jewlery for Moms Day at excellent prices. Click the photo to go to the shop!

Yummy Peanut Butter

So in my love of Peanut Butter and my PMS state this week I did a search for Chocolate & Peanut Butter. I found some awesome Peanut Butter items in the google search and some came from my second home- Artfire.





Except, when I clicked on one it wasn't a product for me.Found in Divine Canine- It was something for dogs! Don't they look like human PB cookies?

Almost good enough to eat right? now I am craving some homemade PB cookies! Gah!!!!! Guess I need to get on making some yummy cookies today!

Currently on my nightstand

I picked up a book at Barnes and Noble a bit ago and finally go started reading it. It is called Marked- a vampire book by PC Cast and Kristen Cast.

It certainly isn't the same story as Twilight and frankly, is very teenage. The language is like talking to a high school girl. Its so frustrating to read. Run on sentences, thoughts in left field. I can not get into this book.

And the premise of how one becomes a vampire is completly new to me. They are choosen by the undead and marked on their forehead. Then they go to the House of Night- a school for vampires. The human world is away of this co-existence are are working to find a way to eradicate vampires.

Interesting concept. But, man I can't get past the very 15 years old language. Ill let you all know if I can make it past Chapter 5.

What books are you reading? I need suggestions for some brain stimulating books!

Needing a long hot...

Needing a long hot bath (you dirty folks probably thought I was gonna say another 4 letter word, huh?)

I am feeling very bloated and sore right now due to that monthly influx of hormones to my body.

Remember those two years of pregnancy & breastfeeding where I didn't have my monthly hurricane of hormones coming down on me to wash me into this bloated, bottled over in pain, bitch of a woman. Can someone knock me up again just so I can avoid the unpleasant side effect of monthly PMS. Please?

My lovely family called this morning and got an earful. I mean, cmon, pick your battles. After I complain to my mother about my new obsession with Pamprin, she promptly goes into a tirad about how I need to visit home more often.

Hmmm, you have never flown your butts out to Alaska, yet I have traveled with my then 10 month old to Maryland. Maybe you can pay $800 for a roundtrip plane fare and get out here.

Then, the DH called. My hubby is in Afghanistan. Far Far Away from my mess here. Yet he got the whole mess of PMS thrown at him-- very rightfully so. He started badgering on about my recent retail therapy.

I ripped him several new holes about how he needs to lay off me- we are a military family and do not need to save money for a new house. We are paying down my student loans. My retail therapy is for fabric for the business, clothes and dinners out. It could be worse. He should thank his lovely stars I am not throwing my daughter at a babysitter and being like some wives who go out and party at clubs and get their therapy by grinding up against other men. I then told him to go somewhere when he started to resist my argument.

The call was suddenly dropped. Poor guy never got service again to call me back. Can someone get me a chocolate bar? Seriously, I am needing chocolate therapy today :(

Im Moving!!!!!

I am moving! I am super duper excited about this move. Im not going to lie, Im pumped that I am moving into a bigger house!

We got notice that we have a housing unit on post. This house is a 3BDM 2.5 Bath, 2 car garage. It is huge! We have an Artic entry way, a formal sitting room and dining room, a family dining room and living room. We have a huge kitchen with a nice island with bar stools around it. We also have a sweet amount of closet room!

As painful as it is to orchestrate and complete a move all by myself. I am totally pumped to do it.

I wish I could show you guys my photos, but my camera is still recovering from its attempted homicide. See this post for a recap. Doctors tell me it can take up to 12 weeks for recovery. Needless to say my cat Brownie has been charged with the attempted homicide and will go on trial shortly. Stay tuned.

Are you Ping-ing yet?

If you are like me, spending countless hours updating your status on the various social sites can seem daunting. Ever wish there was a way to do a quick update across the board without logging into every site?

There is a solution!

Check out Ping.


Setting up your free Ping network allows you to update your status, post blogs and other promotions without logging in to those different sites. You don't even have to log in the online Ping dashboard to update your status either, you can simply text message or instant messge your updates and Ping will format them to each of the different sites.

For use with:

Twitter

Myspace

Plurk

Facebook

Blogger

Xanga

Friendster

Delicious

& Many, Many More


Yes, I realize this reads like an infomercial- but what a time saver! ;)

Chocolate Martini Time

Wow, I am surprised most people don't know what a Chocolate Martini is.

Let me give you a little insight into the awesome, sinful duo of Chocolate and a Martini.


This delectable martini combines all these ingrediants together for an orgasmic shot powerful one two punch of chocolate and vodka that brings me to my knees(figuratively).

1 1/2 shots Godiva® chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 shots creme de cacao
1/2 shot vodka
2 1/2 shots half-and-half

Mix like so:


And enjoy! Trust me, its the best drink on the market if you are a social drinker and want a dessert to the end of your meal without all the calories. Yum!

There is also a white chocolate variety as well. Just as delicious and using the white Godiva and white cocoa liquers.


So next time you order a drink, think about my favorite the chocolate martini!

What is your favorite drink?

25 Random Facts about Me

25 random things about me.


1. I love to fish, but hate putting a worm on the hook and never keep the fish to eat- I toss Nemo back in the water every time.

2. My favorite drink is a Chocolate Martini

3. I have played softball for 20 years.

4. I like to think I can dance and get my groove on (but a video of me at our wedding proves otherwise).

5. My hubby and I met through Yahoo personals (don't judge!)

6. We have two cats. My cat is named Raven. My hubby the die hard Cleveland Browns fan had to adopt another cat (a bigger cat) and name him Brownie.

7. I grew up in Maryland- and went to a school that a documentary was made of called "Heroin High"

8. I used to work with drug addicts and do home visits on them- even if they were not sober- talk about scary walking into a drug deal!

9. I have epilepsy.

10. I want 6 kids.

11. I always wished I was a twin

12. My sister and I were baptized together. I was 18 when I came to know Him.

13. I love to volunteer my time

14. I wish I had finished grad school - my MSW

15. I am obsessed with collecting Precious Moment figurines. Someone buy me a curio cuz Jasmine knocks all of them over.

16. I wanna hug a polar bear while in AK (I know I am crazy).

17. I am a huge crafter- and am obsessed with watching Martha Stewart

18. I am obsessed wtih shopping. Although before I would shop for me, now I love to shop for Jasmine. Luckily I handle the finances in our house.

19. I am forever jealous of my sister and how awesome she is. She will be great- I know it. She is a smartie and is going places. Look out politicians in Washington D.C.

20. I am huge on denial. I had a hamster that died for weeks and I ignored the smell and just thought he was sick. My hermit crab was dead in a month and I kept him in his tank because he never moved much anyway and was sick. Those are just mild examples of my denial.

21. I want to buy a house for my future family of 8.

22. I died once. I had a fever so high ( I have heard it was 105) and I was 2. I stopped breathing and was dead in my grandmas arms. EMTs arrived and resusitated me. I have scars in my brain and on my heart from this ordeal.

23. I fear that my parents will prematurly die. I fear this about all those around me. It is my worst fear.

24. I have little tact and am socially awkward.

25. I love gross humor.

Searching for Jasmine

So , as I am trying to distract myself from my daughter as she cries her cranky sour puss butt to sleep, I search on Artfire for Jasmine.

I found this awesome shop of candles that I had to post about. He is THE Candle Guy.

This candle is entitled "Rain Water" Click on here to see the item.





His description is fabulous:

"The candle fragrance “Rain Water” is best described as a white floral bouquet of carnation, lily and crisp white grapefruit. The heart is a very nice blend of jasmine, tuberose, cyclamen and violet. The base gently combine’s vanilla beans, East Indian sandalwood, rose crystals, and aromatic musk. The hot and cold scent throw is excellent, certainly a room sized fragrance. This is a light blue candle at the top blending into a royal blue color with streaks at the bottom and weighs one pound. "


How can a candle with jasmine sound so alluring & calming as my Jasmine screams her head off. Seriously, I need this candle to counteract my stress.

Can someone help me find my hair

Cuz seriously I think I may have pulled it all out!

Its funny how difficult single parenting can be. Although I am technically not a single parent, this deployment has made me one.

Jasmine is teething and has what apprears to be another head cold or sinus infection. YUCK!

So she is cranky and monopolizing my time.

Can mommy have a time out please?

Outraged over the Neglect

As a horse lover I am outraged.

This morning while watching NBC's Today show, I started crying.

They showed the story about a horse racer who owned 177 Thoroughbred horses who he has neglected to the point of near death. They were eating wood fences, mud, ice. Lice, parasites, leasions all over their body. No health care, no food, severly dehydrated and malnorished. All were near death.

The Humane society has come in an rescued the horses, which are being taken care of medically and need loving homes.

Here is video of the story and information for adoption of these loving horses. If you are animal lover, you will be outraged and may cry.

http://allday.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/04/17/1895781.aspx

I DO NOT understand how someone can be that thick that he can not see the obvious maltreatment of his animals. To blaime their care takers and his mismangement. I hope you go to jail and do your time for the 22 counts of animal cruelty. I hope you never enter the horse racing ring again.

Need your vote!

I entered an artist contest with my guild and would appreciate your vote!
My entry is #4--Jemz- Carnival Bloom Splat Mat

Thanks my faithful followers!

http://artfirecafemomteam.blogspot.com/2009/04/our-weekly-artisian-challenge-is-under.html

ACT Giveaway : Earrings

Reminder to everyone to check out Artfire Cafemom Team's giveaway! One lucky winner will receive these very spring earrings!

http://artfirecafemomteam.blogspot.com/2009/04/giveaway-4-abitofcolor.html

Celebrity Look alike

Happy tax day!!!! Don't these celebrities look like sisters?

Zooey Deschanel (actress-Yes Man) and Katy Perry (singer)

These two are really sisters though- Zooey and her sister Emily from the t.v. show Bones. I didn't know that! Both are awesome actresses !

Easter Recap

Easter was something that I dreaded this year. With Scott being deployed and having our first Easter all the way up in Alaska without any family , I thought it would be disappointing.

Pleasantly it wasn't. My friend Kelsey and her daughter came over for dinner and we had a blast just eating a ham dinner and lounging afterwards.

Jasmine went bonkers for her Easter basket. She is a chocolate fiend already at 14 months old.

This is a photo of the destroyed Easter basket. There was a stuffed bunny in there , which promptly got flung out in an effort to make way for the chocolate.

So in talking with moms around the area, it never occured to me that a child can be "too little" for an Easter basket. Some moms forgo the Easter Bunny basket until the child is older and can grasp the concept of the Easter traditions. Others simply go over the top with a basket, candy and presents.

So how young did you start your Easter traditions? How much did you spend? What kinds of things do you give for presents?

Happy Easter everyone!!!!

Class of 2002

Last nite I was listening to this internet radio station that played nothing but songs from the year I graduated high school- 2002.

Talk about a flashback!

You know how a song can bring back memories? These songs reminded me of hearing that last bell ring and racing to get to my car just to drive to Burger King and hang out with my friends. While I "raced" to get out of my high school, I would be jamming to some of these songs on the radio. When I was chilling with my high school sweetheart we would be listing to these songs. Two words: Senior Week.

Get The Party Started, Pink
Hot In Herre, Nelly
Ordinary Day, Vanessa Carlton
Girlfriend, 'N Sync
What's Luv?, Fat Joe f/ Ashanti
Where Are You Going, Dave Matthews Band
Your Body Is A Wonderland, John Mayer
U Got It Bad, Usher

Class of 2002, what a great year! What songs were came out in your graduation year that bring a flood of memeries back to you?

Attempted homicide of my camera

My camera fell while I was trying to capture a video of Jasmine and I. Thank you Brownie (yeah the one that can't hit the brakes and runs into a wall).

I had the camera posed on my desk and was capturing Jasmine and I sending Scott a video of her walking. Brownie wanted to get in on the action and jumped up on the desk.

Like slow motion, the camera wobbled and started falling.

Falling

Falling

I start rushing forward leaving my teetering daughter behind and jump to catch the camera.

CRASH!!!!

The camera braced its fall on my Singer sewing machine.

It hit exactly where the metal rod holds my thread. A verticle metal rod stabbed my camera.

It landed right on the LCD screen-- shattering.

It still takes photos- but I do not have an eye viewer. Luckily I do have a service plan with Ritz to fix or replace it. But is there a Ritz in Alaska- um no.

My camera was pushed off a cliff by my large cat and stabbed by a jutting rod upon landing. Do you think Brownie will see jail time for this attempted homicide?