Monday, Monday
Keeping busy around here!
This past weekend was nice, Greg was off on Friday as well. We did get a lot accomplished:
- Halloween/Fall things put away in attic.
- Oil changed in Impala.
- Saw new James Bond movie.
- Organized our DVD movies.
- Finished Christmas shopping for Jac and almost finished for Storm.
- Got a table and 2 chairs for Violet.
- Caught up on DVRed shows.
I went to a Creative Memories open house thing on Saturday and I had a good time chatting with Sami. I scrapped with her and some others last month. They are having a crop on Sat. from 3-11 and I’m going! There’s only 6 people that can go as it’s in her home this time. I did buy another coverset, this one is for Greg’s scrapbook.
Yesterday Jac and I went to a Slipada jewelry party. It was at Tammy’s house. She’s best friend with Sami. Jennifer is the jewelry and Pampered Chef gal. While I was getting directions from Tammy she told me that they would probably be using me in the very near future for a photo session! YAY! Breaking into this group would be great, just takes a few and then business will start rolling. Tammy and Sami’s kids are the same age, 15 and 17. Both girls are older, they will be uprising seniors next year. So, I will be busy this summer! Hopefully the referral incentives I have set up will bring in some of their friends as well. Anyhow, we had a good time at the party and I ordered two things, neither for me! I have a wish list though. Jen and I talking I’m going to have a Valentine’s open house for Mary Kay and have a Slipada party at the same time. My SIL did this and got a lot of jewelry free as well as some MK bookings! 
I have booked 3 Mary Kay skin care classes for the first weekend in December. If you are local and wouldn’t mind me borrowing your face, let me know. I just need to get 15 faces done in 2 weeks and I get something called “Perfect Start”. No one in the unit I’m in has gotten it and there’s a lot of them, like 25 or so. I have 9 faces booked, including Jac! One of the gals at the gym used to use MK, but, her gal moved, so that’s very cool for me. Just going to do the class and then take reorders. I’m going to do a follow-up with her the next week for color. Storm’s mom is going to get some church gals together and I invited my friend Jen to a class with Jac. I need to borrow your face, Alisa, Ginger, Joanna.
I got weighed and measured at JC this morning. Didn’t gain, didn’t lose, but, I’ve lost a total of 16″. Wow, eh? It’s coming off, slowly but surely. I’m kicking it up a notch this week at the gym, varying my routine, not just running. I think I’m PMSing, so that’s probably why I didn’t gain or lose. 
Violet has been sick since Thursday night. Not eating much, but still drinking and slept almost the entire day and night on Saturday. She’s a little better today, eating crackers and drinking milk and water along with juice. I think that Jac said she was going to call the doc today about her. Poor baby, she’s exhausted and so is her mommy. I’m a little worried, but not overly as she’s still got wet and dirty diapers, she’s not running a fever, no puking. Maybe it’s going around.
The movie on Saturday night was really good. Really, really good. I liked this one a lot more than the one before it with Daniel. He’s not the best looking guy, but, he’s alright body wise. 
The trailers at the begining were good, even though it was a 20 minute time frame. We saw a few that we want to see when they come out, especially since Vin and Paul are back for “Fast and Furious” as well as my girl Michelle. The movie with Jim Carrey looks hilarious! It’s been a long time since Greg and I went to the movies, the last one we saw was The Dark Knight back in July! How did that happen?
Weekend Update
I’m laughing at the title I wrote, just like on SNL! I hope tonight it’s a good one now that all the election stuff is over and done with.
I just reorganized the entire kitchen. We’re getting rid of some things, moved some things, stored some things in the attic. Much better. We just added this to our counters, it’s big! I knew it would be, so we had to shift things around. We’re off to Home Depot today to find an over the range microwave! Finally! We’re putting the existing one downstairs in the game room, for popcorn and stuff. Hopefully we can find one we both love. We will probably have to have it delivered and I’m really considering paying the $75 for them to install it. Seems like it may be a hassle, of course if you ask Greg, it’s easy! I could then have it installed without him having to be here, easier to me.
I’m batch processing the family photo session from last weekend. I’m so glad I moved it to last Sunday vs. today. First, I have a cold and second it’s rainy and for an outside shoot, that’s a no go. I deliver it tomorrow.
I didn’t get to go to the gym yesterday as I woke up feeling pretty cruddy. After a hot shower and some Sudafed I felt much better. I didn’t go to Tyson’s, just the base. I have 3/4 of our Christmas shopping done! I just need to get some shirts and jeans for Greg, a few sweaters for Jess + a gift card and some books and gift cards for Jacqueline. Violet is almost done too, I need to find her some of those Duplo Lego’s and a little camera. We bought her a riding toy and some little people things so far. Last year it was books, this year learning stuff. I may look at the V-smile things for babies/toddlers, she has one of those. I have yet to make up my list, I really just want to have Jess here for Christmas.
The other day Greg found a cruise book that we missed back in 1987 on a MED cruise. We either didn’t have the money or didn’t get it in time. Someone put one on eBay, probably from an estate sale and we jumped right on it. We’d never seen one, so we didn’t know that he was in a few photos! It’s nice to have one from each of the 6 cruises that he did. We finished the set and now it feels like we have closure or something. It’s a rare one as there wasn’t enough printed or something, I remember something about that.
My Mary Kay site is up and running here. Please go and visit, order if you need to replenish anything and if you are in the area and want to host a skin care class or facial, let me know! I have secure shopping and checkout, I only see what you are buying, not how you are paying for it. Every three months they update the site for me, nice that I don’t have to do that! I have a call with my sales director tomorrow. I’ve already contacted a few people about having a skin care class. I have cards on order and I have a few things for a starter kit. I do not like the pressure from everyone to take out a loan or borrow money or put it on a few different credit cards to have more product on hand. It makes me feel very uncomfortable that a company runs their business that way. VERY uncomfortable. I will just buy the product as it’s ordered and as I make more money, then I will buy stock. We don’t have $600-$4800 for something like this. I wouldn’t even think of taking out a loan for that, that’s ridiculous to me. We’re trying to pay everything with cash and get our debt down, hopefully Mary Kay will be helpful with this, but, I refuse to put ourselves more in debt!
I picked up my Father Christmas at the ceramics store the other day. We found one through an ad in the local paper. I did paint one ages ago for my MIL and wanted to do one for our house (once we bought one) as well. Over Christmas break I will have plenty of time to get it done! Jac is done with school on the 15th of December and isn’t back in until mid-January. So if not for this Christmas, definitely for next as decoration!
Have a good weekend everyone!
Stuff
Catching up with everything around me. Did you vote? I did this morning, yay!
Work: Doing well, booked and did a session one day apart on Sat/Sun. Went and picked up stuff for auction photos on Thursday. Delivering auction photos, this Friday. Delivering family session this coming Sunday. Booked another family session with our Realtor on the 21st! Have to get with his wife for confirmation. I had to re shoot all the auction photos, I hope he likes them at delivery!
Work II: I just became an independent beauty consultant for Mary Kay! I have my training materials in the house, been looking at them when I can. Tomorrow is a phone call from my director. I joined under my SIL in Atlanta, so I’m out of state, but she gets me on her team. If you would like some samples, let me know. I have a few to give out to people that have never tried MK or haven’t in a while. I really like how it makes my skin glow and it’s all soft and healthy. I posted about it back in September and in August. If you decide to purchase after trying the samples, let me know! I ship for free! Everything can be ordered online and there’s a secure server for payment. I have to get all that set up tomorrow, so look for a post with the URL in it!
I’ve just been busy working out at the gym and I’m THISCLOSE to being at my 1/2 way weight! I think I will hit it next week. I lost over 3 pounds last week, my weigh in was awesome! I’m wearing a size 6 jeans now and I just had to return some shirts that were too big. I’m in a petite small now vs. a misses small. There’s a HUGE difference with that! I ran and did the bike + abs today and I do the arc trainer + abs tomorrow. Thursday I will run again, then Friday I’m off to get the 5K under my belt for the week. I didn’t get to run it last week as I was at the doc, so it’s been a while.The doc gave me a three month holiday from taking the Zocor. I’ve been taking that for 10 years for my high cholesterol. This is the first check since joining Jenny Craig, so we’ll see. I go back in January. I really think that the weight is coming off easier because I stopped taking it.
Friday I’m off to Tyson’s to shop for a while, then delivering the DVD on the way back through to the auction guy. A WHOLE DAY OF SHOPPING! No kids, no grand-daughter, I’m terrible, oh well. I can’t wait to spend a little bit of money on some nice stuff.
I went to a Pampered Chef party last weekend, was right next door to the family session, didn’t know it till I looked at the address. *LOL* Was a good party, met some more people. I’ve been invited to a Slipada jewelry party on the 16th! MORE people! And there’s a meetup group meeting on the 14th and the 22nd. I can’t wait for this, they are all over 35+ and women, which is exactly what I wanted. I have friends, Greg’s co-workers are married, those are my friends. I want my own friends, weird huh?
We changed our hotel for our Thanksgiving trip - November 26th through the 30th. We found one that can offer us separate rooms for just a little more than one room divided would be. After travelling for 3 weeks with everyone in one room and NO Violet, we don’t mind spending a little more for two rooms. It’s always worth it. It’s a long drive, 10 hours, so hopefully it will be okay. First long trip for Violet. I remember the girls being 6 months and going on long trips. She’s so antsy all the time, it’s like tying her down or something. Part of it she’ll sleep through, which is a blessing. Turkey at my brother’s house, then visiting with Jess on Friday. Also, we’ll have a porta-crib for Vi, so that’s one less thing we need to pack. Tina (my SIL) has one we can borrow while there she’s borrowing from a friend. I’m so excited to go already! We’re planning on going to the aquarium on Saturday. I think that my brother and his family along with my SIL and her girls + Jess are going to join us! Wow, what a group!
Time to go and watch election stuff. TTFN! 
Brain Dump
Scheduled an appt. for Greg to see the doc on Friday. Been nagging him for THREE days to see the doc, finally sunk in. He’s been having night sweats for a week, chills, headache. Headache and chills finally faded on Monday. I think the flu or pneumonia, maybe mono? He’s feeling better these days though, Nyquil at night and no headaches during the day, more energy. I’m probably worried about him, I woke up with an upset tummy today, nursing a Coke. No gym for me today, feels weird to have more time in the morning.
Need to put more photos up on SNP as soon as possible. I just put up the wedding photos from last month, last night. I have a lot of good ones from the past two races at MIR, need to make another gallery. Will try to do that this afternoon. I’ve been itching to get on PSP for three days with the new monitor and video card. I may even load up PS, oh wow, eh?
Burned 3 DVD’s yesterday. All music is now backed up, everything business wise too. Graphics, photos are usually done monthly, for some reason I needed to do it yesterday.
Was contacted by a client last night for senior portraits! She got my card from one of the gals at the crop on Saturday. If it pans through, need to buy her a gift for referring. Meeting another client (hopefully) on Saturday in Springfield. He has eBay things to put up, antique knives and pens! How cool is that? Alisa, want to meet for a bit? If you are around that day I mean. I’m thinking mid-afternoon. I need to go to Tyson’s as well to the Franklin Covey store and get some notepads and check register pads. Dawn, I know you are an hour away, but, if you can make it out, holler! Would love to finally meet you!
Finally have the Christmas card list in order. Want to exchange cards? Leave a comment and I will email you for your address.
I’m taking Violet to Target today while her mom is in class. I need to buy a new, smaller trash can for the laundry room. Simple yet will improve the space in there. The one we have is too big and gets in the way of things. Putting that one out in the garage where Greg can use it with the other one he’s got out there.
This afternoon I’m mailing out the auction that someone won yesterday. I have to put the Coach purse and wallet up on eBay this week, probably Friday if I get a chance.
I have yet to watch Desperate Housewives from Sunday, finish watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Ugly Betty from last week, CSI from last week, Prison Break from Monday. Just not enough time for everything I guess.
TTFN! Have a great one!
Monday
Hi all new readers from Twitter Mom’s! I’m glad you are here! Thanks for visiting and please comment, I love comments. I will be working down the links throughout the week. I hope to comment more often on blogs now that I have a schedule down with the family. Feel free to add me as a friend on Twitter Mom’s and join my group Tattooed Mom’s if you would like. If you aren’t on Twitter Mom’s, just click any of the links to get you there, then add me! 
It’s definitely a Monday. I haven’t really had a bad day, just a long one.
I went and weighed in today, down 2.8 more pounds for a loss of 10 pounds in 10 weeks! Go me! In 10 days it’s my bday and maybe I will keep my goal of 12 pounds by then, but if not, no biggie. I ran a 12:19 mile on the treadmill this morning! A new pace for me, I’ve been at 4.7 for a while on the speed, cranked it up to 5.0 so I can get more and more speed and get this weight off of me! I started working on my abs as well, I’ve been putting that off for a while. I’m going to take my own personal yoga mat to the gym and put it in my locker. I cannot stand using a mat with a towel. I have no idea who or how many people have been on the gym mat before me and I’m a germophobe that way! EW! Anyhow, I plan on working on them each time I’m at the gym, so by Christmas I should see some sort of improvement. I’ve been working out each weekday for the past two months! I just realized that today. I only skipped last Friday because there were a lot of things going on and it was Greg’s day off.
The weekend was good, we went to the race on Saturday. Jen and Matt went with us and we even got a photo taken of us there. I took one of them as well, you can see that on my Facebook and our Flickr account. There was a really bad accident early on Saturday morning, during qualifying. The girl riding the bike in the tower lane near us, wiped out so badly that we were all stunned and just sat there. (We later found out that she was fine, moving, talking, no injuries, thank God for that!) I thought I had gotten photos of it happening, but, didn’t know that I hadn’t until Rich Christensen asked me to let him see. Since I didn’t and there was a camera…I asked if it was okay to have a photo taken with him. Hubby took it and did a pretty good job I think. We had a good day, I took a lot of photos and got some great bikes speeding along at over 150 MPH in some cases. Jen and I walked around and saw all the bikes, went to the top of the track where everyone was lined up waiting and took some photos of some bikes and some of the guys and their kids too. Greg and I each bought at least one shirt. I think that was a great way to spend the day. It was sunny and in the low 70’s, not very humid either.
Sunday we got some stuff done around the house, then went and delivered the DVD in our old town to the “wedding” couple. I don’t do weddings. ‘Nuff said. We also went and shopped for some baby things for people we know having babies. I just have to wrap them up and send them off this week. Theresa has gotten her gifties by now, how about you Cheryl? It was SO weird to see our old town, really weird. I haven’t been back there since we moved I don’t think.
Jess is going to be visiting this weekend, I’m so excited!! She flies in on Friday night, so I’m off to meet Greg at Pentagon City Mall for dinner, then we’re picking her up! She flies out on Sunday evening. I know it will go SO quickly. We’re taking our Christmas family photo on Saturday and probably doing lunch somewhere as well. She hasn’t been here since the end of May for Violet’s birthday! We saw her for a brunch in mid-June and Greg and I saw her in August. But, Jac and Vi haven’t since June. Hopefully she will remember Violet.
We finally hung the photos on the wall in Violet’s room. She loves them. I took a bunch of photos that one day a few weeks ago and had them all printed up in 5 x 7’s. She can see Jac and Storm as well as Jess and Greg and I any time she wants. We just change them out as the family photos are done. There’s a little gallery on each wall and we put one right next to her line of sight on her changing table. Target had a HUGE sale on frames for college students and I ended up getting like 30 or 40 of them for about .50 each. I have a bunch to hang in my office as well.
Gotta run and get some food, then, time for laundry and then hopefully watching Prison Break tonight. TTFN!
1M4JC
I just ordered one of these!
Shopping when it’s raining.
I’m so excited! I just ordered this: Jill.e Weatherproof Small Red Leather Camera Bag.
I just sold my 2 Crumplers so I needed something for around town. 
Remember when I posted that I wanted a medium one? I think I will wait for that one, a small one is fine for right now, especially when all the reviews said it’s really not that small! *LOL*
Trip to Atlanta
We had a couple of hours to kill at the airport before our flight yesterday morning. We took out our PSP’s and played head-to-head “Buzz“. Too fun!
The flight was really good actually. There were two babies in the row next to us and they were SO GOOD! I didn’t even hear them cry once. One was a year old, slept most of the way, the other was 8 months and too cute. Both girls, maybe that’s why they were good, I don’t know. When we boarded the pilot asked me if I wanted a tour of the cockpit, I said “no thanks”…but wasn’t that nice?
After getting our luggage and making our way to the hotel, it was nearly 3:30 and even though I brought something to eat on the plane, Greg hadn’t eaten anything all day. He skipped breakfast and drank some coffee before we left. We went to Subway so he could eat and the Kroger for a few things.
Jess came to our room last night, it’s so good to see her again! She had a dinner meeting with some vendors who are in town for a few days.
Today we went to Centennial Park and The World of Coca-Cola. I found some scrapbook paper, stickers and a new mouse pad for my desktop there. We also bought a pack of playing cards for Jacqueline (yes, she’s still collecting them), some postcards and a cute little toy for Violet. We’re saving the aquarium for November so Jacqueline and Violet can go with us! I really wanted to go today though, they have some of the artifacts and a replica of the Titanic there. We ate lunch at the Hard Rock. Jess is making us some dinner at her new apartment. I can’t wait to see it!
Tomorrow she’s off at noon from work, then we’re going to try to meet my brother and my niece for lunch in Alpharetta. Then we’re going to bowl as she needs to make up 3 games from last night. She has 21 games, so, we’re going to bowl a few with her tomorrow afternoon.
Saturday we’re spending the day with Greg’s sister, Tina and her family. It’s been 5 years since we’ve seen them, so we have a lot to catch up on! We’re going to the dirt track that night and sit in the pits. Her hubby, Dave knows the guys that run the cars on the track, so we’ll be nice and dirty. Good thing she gave us a heads up about that, I packed old sweat pants and a t-shirt that we painted in.
Sunday we’re meeting my brother and his wife for brunch, then spending some time with them. Our flight doesn’t leave until dinnertime, so we’ll have a good visit.
I’ve taken TONS of photos so far, I’m going to upload them to Flickr, but I’m not going to have a chance to tag or describe anything until we get back home.
Peace!
The weekend
The weekend is filling up. Going to upgrade to the latest and greatest new version of WP. Probably on Sunday as tomorrow is filled with patching holes, painting over those holes, hanging things and sleeping. And I will be meeting my new Creative Memories person. She keeps my tape runner and photo file box needs met. I found her through the gal that runs the crops on Friday nights. Hopefully some business cards will make their way into her goodie bag to hand out to her friends.
Speaking of cards…I handed out cards and talked to a family waiting outside the JC Penney studio this morning. They brought their 3 kids and a week old newborn to the mall for photo time. She thought it was awesome that I would drive to them vs. having to schlep everyone. 
Hopefully she will call me when they need their holiday photos done. She liked the idea of having the photos on a DVD a lot. I also handed out cards to the gal at Borders and the one at Best Buy. They aren’t doing me any good unless they are in someone’s pocket!
I found a bathing suit to try on in JC Penney’s. I then ordered it from the catalog through the gal there, it may be here before we leave, but, I don’t plan on wearing it except for when we go to Kings Dominion in two weeks, so no biggie. I could only try on a top in one suit and a bottom in another suit to gauge the sizes. I think I’m going to be another size smaller by the 30th, oh well. I gave that gal a couple of cards as well.
Tomorrow night Greg and I will have our first date night in three weeks. I think we’re going out to eat and then to the movies. I’m a Star Wars geek just like he is. We may end up shooting pool instead, who knows.
I bought some really cool cards for Greg, Gary, Storm and Tina. They all have birthdays this month. Gary and Greg on the same day, of course. Tina is the 28th and Storm is the 29th. He will be 21. It’s pretty sad that they don’t make any really nice cards for someone’s 21st birthday. He doesn’t drink, so, the options are pretty limited. At least where I went they were. I did get a good one though, one from Hallmark. I wish they carried cards for a twin to his brother, that would be awesome to have to give to Gary.
Greg’s gifts are this (the catapult) and this. I hope he likes them! I cannot believe he asked for a book, that never happens. I guess he will read it on the plane. I’m taking a book to read.
Hopefully on Sunday I will get a chance to decide what to take on the trip, we leave Wednesday morning. Hard to believe we’ve never traveled on a plane anywhere alone, eh? I guess this is our time.
TTFN!
Home
We got home after dinner on Thursday night. I drove the entire trip both ways which I’ve never done before! Greg loves to drive, so I let him. But, this time we took my Jeep so I drove.
Thursday morning I checked out of the hotel and then went to Bluebird Gap Farm and took some photos of all the animals. We used to take the girls there when they were little. It’s a free little farm, you cannot pet the animals, but, you can throw them some of the feed that they sell. There’s also a community garden that you can visit. It’s changed a bit, they put another fence up around the animals so there’s two now. I still managed to get some great photos though. I just stuck my lens through the fence if possible.
We hung out yesterday as it was Greg’s Friday off. He put up a light over the dartboard, I went to the store and got some food. I went to the gym and played on the Wii Fit. I found a top to wear with the black pants I found in Hampton for weddings. I dropped off some pants and jeans at the tailor, I pick those up on Wednesday. JC Penney hasn’t really be on my radar over the past few years. Their stuff has changed a lot and I’m giving them another try.
Violet is growing so fast, she’s practically walking. She’s standing up on her own, so we know it’s only a matter of time until she’s off and running. Jacqueline is feeding her more and more table food, our shopping cart was only filled with some baby food fruit yesterday. Pretty soon she will be totally on table food hard to believe.
I have tons of photos on cards to upload to Flickr. I will probably do that tomorrow. From our trip to Newport News and from yesterday.
I’m meeting with one of the wedding couples today. It’s an hour drive to get down there, so I will be taking photos on the island as well. I’ve never been down there, but I’ve wanted to go. Today is contract day and I get to see the church and ballroom. I’m nervous about the dim lighting in both, going to fire a lot of test shots. I’m glad I don’t usually do weddings, after this one I just have one more, then that’s it. It’s nerve wracking to say the least. I have the contracts and all the other stuff to go over with them. Today is the couple that’s already married, but are getting re-married in a Catholic church. Their wedding is on the 9th of August.
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