Jason's Birthday

High time for a few pics, wouldn't you say? But the only Jamie one is right here. Sorry about that.

This is a clue to the video link that will be at the end once it's done uploading to Youtube.

By the way, you guys are holding out on me! I've been serious when I've pleaded for help on how to embed the actual video in the post! I know you guys know how to do it! C'mon! C'mooooooonnn!!

Oh, the hand cramps.

I had to laugh when I was rather sheepishly and quietly trying to take a picture of this today. Jason heard the "beep-beep" of the camera from the other room and called, "you blogger!" " :)

Honey mustard, barbeque, and buffalo chicken wings. And I gotta say...


We were proud of ourselves.

They turned out gooooood. Little Caesar's has nothing on us.

Add a CostCo pizza and you've got a happy Jason!

I'm not going to say "happy birthday, babe!!! You're the best!!!" because (1) I already told him, and (2) he doesn't read this anyway.

Okay, video's done. And I still don't know how to embed it, so you'll have to click on this little link right here to watch it!

Oh, and sorry about the neck cramps, those of you who don't have laptops...

Another giveaway that I'm being manipulated by...

Check out this giveaway on makeitandloveit...but DON'T ENTER because you'll lessen my already pitiful chances!!

Oh, and happy V-Day. :)

On a side note: because Sacramento is just not showing us one bit of love in the money-making department, and since our temporary mail forwarding just ran out, I had to change it to "permanent." It's looking like we'll be down here in So Cal for a good while and I'm trying not to think too hard.

A happy note to end on: my exercise routine got shot in the foot when I was sick for a week, but when I could (which was Thursday), I started walking again. I took at least 25-minute walks Thursday, Friday, AND yesterday! Woo!

Another whirl

Well guys, after getting a couple of quick sales and some nice compliments on my bows at a garage sale today, I'm giving the online shop another whirl. (I really prefer craft fairs, but I'm not good at finding them or paying the fees to enter...)

So I just wanted to let you know that my etsy shop,

www.tinasbows.etsy.com

is open for business once again. It's not real impressive right now; it costs to put things up for sale whether you sell them or not, so I'm not going full speed on this.

Anyway, if you wanted to, say, buy some bows, or tell all your friends to, it would give me something enjoyable to do here in the desert and make us a smidgen of money. ;) Thanks!

Manicure Tips

Did you know...

1. ...that when removing nail polish, you should use the nail polish remover, wash your hands, then go over your nails with polish remover again--and this gets the oils off so your polish will adhere better?

2. ...using ONLY the rough side of a nail buffer over your nails before you put on the polish

makes it stay on longer without chipping?

3. That you don't have to spend a lot of money buying a Mary Kay Satin Hands kit to have

soft, moisturized hands?

• Rub baby oil, olive oil, or whatever oil you want over hands
• Add 1/2 tsp sugar
• Rub to luxuriously exfoliate
• Add your favorite body wash or soap, lather, rinse
• Finish with your favorite lotion.

Ahhhh...

That's right, ladies. I'm here for you. ;)

Heartwarming news!

Bronson is awake, alert, and there is even a picture of him smiling! I've really been reminded of the power of prayer. Apparently his story spread far, and hundreds of people (many who don't know the family, from the looks of the comments) have been praying for him. If you'd like to see the updates, just click on the link I gave you and then click on the title of the blog at the top; that will show you all posts.

This is so touching. Go take a look and feel good! :)

Read for a wake-up call

I was just visiting an old roommate's blog and saw that she's very concerned for a friend of hers. She put up a pic of their poor little toddler who is in the hospital, unconscious, with tubes running in and out of him. I'm not sure what prompted me to read the story on her friend's blog, but I did, and I'm glad. It was a reminder that although I do believe babies and kids have guardian angels to keep them safe from the scores of things that can hurt them, we have to do our part as parents, too--and I'm not always as diligent as I should be about that.

The moral of the story is to

never, ever, ever leave your baby alone in a bathtub,

watch them carefully, etc. Otherwise you might have his brother screaming that he drowned, a toddler who won't revive, detectives trying to question you about criminal activity against your own beloved child while you're dying an emotional death at the hospital, and anguish for countless people. I don't blame this poor mother in the slightest for the accident; we all make mistakes. I just wanted to share this; I don't think the mother will mind. Maybe we could all say a little prayer for little Bronson.

Craft Bragging: GPS cozy

So Jason got a GPS for Christmas (thank you, Black Friday) and said he wished he had a cover for it. (He's kinda finicky about keeping his stuff well cared-for. He cleans the laptop screen all the time with the special rag and cleaner. It's cute.)

And I, remembering a tutorial that I saw on Make It And Love It, said I would be glad to come to his rescue!

Getting to sew is a sacrifice, but my honey is worth it. ;)

Only problem is, I didn't have fabric scraps, because most of my worldly possessions are still back in Sac. :( So I did kind of spend a pretty penny--for us broke folks, anyway--on the fabric for it, but I love it and have lots leftover, and am keeping my eye out for a good and free purse pattern. Oh, and I had to summon up my courage to face my mother-in-law's sewing machine. It's kind of a beast.

I forgot to get velcro at the time, and by the time I did, the sewing machine was put away. But I still wanted to share. You likey? Really, it was almost over too fast! I only got about two hours of sewing time!

Unexpected brain-picking

So, after a month of letting Netflix gouge us (i.e., letting the DVD sit without watching it), we finally made ourselves sit down and try out "Citizen Kane" today. Not exactly a feel-good movie. Black and white, not a happy plotline; I mean, hello, it begins with a death. I was glad we watched it in the daytime.

But wow. It starts out slow--I was close to turning it off--but boy, does it make you think. Especially on what really matters, and the evils of money. Really well-written, and Orson Welles, holy crap, what an actor (and director, apparently).

There is no doing this movie justice by description. It must be experienced. Try it out, and remember that if you can get through the beginning, you're in for a deep experience.

Man, how was I ever in Honors English?

Oh, and I just found out that New Moon releases on DVD next month! Woo-hoo!

Picnik Premium Free

...just for today. Go on and put all those normally-costly stickers and fonts and junk on all your pictures while you can. Go! Go go go!