8 things... and The Burning Questions...

I have been tagged with a couple different meme's lately and have fallen way behind... So today I will catch up. Prepare yourself for a long-ish post.

First, I was tagged today by Sophie
.

So, here are 8 random bits about me... but first the rules.

* We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
* Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
* People who are tagged write their own blog post about their eight things and include these rules.
* At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged and they should read your blog.

1. I hate fish, or seafood of any kind. EWWWW! They all taste like fish, no matter what you say. And well, I think its pretty gross.

2. I just got my hair done on Tuesday. It is no longer super dark brown... it has pretty blonde streaks now. Maybe eventually it will be all blonde again, who knows.

3. I am Mormon. Are you surprised? People are always surprised...

4. I always have these big ideas, that I don't know how to execute... or I know how to execute but do not have the money. Like right now, I want to buy all the supplies to start electroforming stuff... I have idea's people! Anyone want to donate to my cause? LOL

5. I have the mouth of a sailor... I really do. All 3 of my kids learned how to swear by the age of 2... oops. These days I try to keep it to the occasional "dammit" (is that how its spelled? my spell checker says so...). And I was filled with an unexplainable glee when reading the new Harry Potter book and Ron said "effin" (not the real word, but still I knew what it meant) and Mrs. Weasley called Bellatrix LeStrange a Bitch. It was GLEE I tell you. I stopped and re-read the paragraphs where it happened just to enjoy it again.

6. I am so freaking excited to read the new Stephenie Meyer book. HELLO!!!! The Twilight series has stolen my heart... and if you have read them then you will understand when I say Edward can steal my soul... Yes, people. I am in love with a fictional vampire named Edward Cullen... He is so smoking sexy and I don't even know why...

7. I am an excellent procrastinator... for example I am writing this blog instead of making new pendants to sell...

8. I don't like to spend money... it is hard for me. I am getting better at it, I am now willing to buy myself supplies to make my jewelry and other projects... but until the last year it filled me with dread to buy anything more than 20$... even the 20$ I had a hard time with and always called my husband to ask if it was ok... he thought I was crazy.

And now... for the Burning Questions, asked of me by the lovely Jenica... I was supposed to answer these about a month ago...

Q. Do you floss?
A. Now I am going to sound just plain gross... because most days the answer is no. I hate flossing. I do it when my teeth feel icky, or when I think I have something stuck in them... My dentist probably hates me.

Q. How has motherhood changed you as a person?
A. Oh, wow... I could go on for years about this one... I think everything about me is changed... the way I look at life, the things I do... The friends I hang out with even. For corns sake even my body has been drastically changed. I have had to learn patience (still not the best at this), I have had to *try* to get organized... so not me! I love it all though, would never change a thing, except maybe magically make them all listen to me every time I speak.

Q. Name 3 pet peeves of yours, however neurotic they may seem
A. * Opened doors and closet doors. Especially at night when I am trying to sleep. If a door is open I get progressively irritated until I have to close it.
* Smelling like food... I cannot stand to smell like food. If I have been in a restraunt, or cooking and I can smell it in my clothes or my hair I will be very mad.
* Listening to people say stupid things. Like when people defend Bush like he is soooo great. He is not, people he is the devil. Or when I heard a group of teenage girls talking about some guy at school saying "He is such a loser, he is soooo gay!" And then listing each thing about him that marked him as different... PISSES ME OFFFFFFFF!
* While we are on the subject I will add one more pet peeve... People who are mean to people who are different for whatever reason. I had a chair thrown at my head once in High School, and for the better part of 2 years in H.S. I had at least one, usually 3 or 4 guys from wrestling and football follow me to class calling me such lovely things as "fu@&ing dyke" or some other gems I don't want to type out here ... All because I had short hair and was friends with a few gay kids. I hated high school... Apparently i am still not over all that... DON'T BE A MEANY!

Q. Name a few moments or experiences in your life that *defined you*
A. Oh wow... so many.
* I think I will have to go waaaay back to good old H.S. and remember a time when life was hard, but I had really good friends. I was having some kind of break down (of course) and my dear friend Luke sat outside with me late into the night. He pointed to the stars and reminded me of some very important things about life and myself I had been forgetting. Then we sat in silence for what seems like hours holding hands. Or the night he got into a verbal scuffle with "The Crow" and we walked around all night talking... *sigh* I miss my friend Luke...
* And a second one... Hrmmm... The first time I told someone that I loved them, and they said it back... It totally blew my mind.
* Meeting and becoming friends with Adam Lawson... seriously, everyone needs an Adam. He changed my life.
* Marrying my husband. He is amazing
* And because I can't resist a 5th... Each time I gave birth to one of my children. I cannot even describe what it was like, but it was AMAZING. I felt very empowered having done them all at home naturally, but it was so much more than that... Looking into each of their faces was pure magic, and looking at my husband knowing we had created this little person... wow. There are no words.

Q. Name your favorite breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert.
A. Breakfast is Belgian waffles with fresh strawberries, real maple syrup, and powdered sugar. Lunch is a Dr. Pepper... what? Dinner would have to be Chicken Tika Masala from Bombay house with Garlic Naan and a Mango Lasse... yum. Dessert would be anything chocolate.


So, I am breaking the rules, and I am not tagging anyone right now... but if you would like me to ask you some Burning Questions leave me a comment and tell me so!

Monsoon season

There are few things I love more than rain... When it rains here I usually find myself lying on the ground looking towards the sky, getting drenched by the downpour... Feeling light and alive.

I love Monsoon season...

It is finished...

I finished Harry Potter last night.

It was AMAZING! I loved every second of it. I laughed out loud, I was scared... I cried big huge sobbing tears (the hubby thought i was being silly)... It was perhaps the perfect way to end the series. I had my doubts that it could end well... but I am beyond satisfied with it, infact this may be my favorite one yet. At least it ties with Half Blood Prince for my favorite.

Still, I am sad that it has ended. I do still have the movies to look forward to but they are just not the same. I am thinking that after I read Eclipse I might start the Harry Potter series over again from the beginning. I am just not ready to let it go yet. They really are so wonderful... I could LIVE in that world.

Did you read it yet? Did you love it, were you happy with the ending? What are your thoughts?

Oh... I don't want to give anything away... but Zoe... Did I call it, or did I call it? ;)

HARRY POTTER!!!! *squeel*

I have so many emotions welling up inside me right now... I can hardly contain them, I may burst any second.

I just got back from Costco with my copy of Deathly Hallows... Just so you know... Costco never has a ridiculous line for you to get the bestest new book... So, haha to you Zoe who was waiting in line all night last night. Sure, you may be about 300 pages in by now... but I didn't have to wait all night long... no. I was sleeping peacefully, dreaming of walking calmly into Costo, picking up my copy of Deathly Hallows from the MASSIVE pallet they have of that particular book... and paying my measly 17 dollars and something cents...

I am off to read my book... Don't expect to see me around much for the next day... maybe two.

xoxox

My random thought about Harry Potter... and other stuff

I believe... and have been thinking for some time now, that Harry Potter is the sixth horcrux...

Discuss.


Oh, and also... I am FREAKING excited for Deathly Hallows to come out... wheeeee!

Oh, AAAANNNDDDD... Has anyone out in bloggie land read Twilight and New Moon by Stephenie Meyer??? They are very delicious books if i do say so myself... Her third in the series, Eclipse, is coming out August 7th. HOORAY!

Jerome Arizona... And, Gallery Representation!?!?!

My lovely friend Jessica took me to a FANTASTIC little town called Jerome today. I AM IN LOVE! I kid you not, that I could move there and live there forever in complete and total BLISS!!! Okay... perhaps not, as one day I would really like to live in an old plantation house or perhaps and old farm house... *sigh* I have been imagining living somewhere verrrrry rural lately... But that is beside the point... I am in LOVE with Jerome.

It is the most wonderful, eclectic mix of shops and galleries. We ate at a little restaurant named The Haunted Hamburger which by the way had AMAZING burgers! We were also so lucky as to be seated outside on the deck, balcony thingie (technical term) that was basically just a glass room overlooking ALL of Verde Valley... silly me, I was so mesmerized I took NO PICTURES! Yeah... smart I know.

Then we were off to look in all the adorable little shops. So many places I fell in love with today. But, the most AWESOME thing to happen? We went into what I thought was the NICEST gallery there today, and while my friend was purchasing something the owner noticed my necklace and stared asking me about it. I told him I make them and he grabbed his partner to show him. Anyhow, I left with a packet of info on what they want from me to send them so they can maybe SELL MY JEWELRY! Can you believe it? I can't believe it! I am in a daze really!!! I have no idea how to even approach this! Good thing they gave me a packet laying it all out for me ;)

So... If there is anyone out there who reads this... How do I go about figuring out wholesale prices??? I am going to research this more tonight, but... if anyone has advice I am willing to soak it all up like a sponge. :)

Anyways, to sum it all up: Today rocked.

What can honestly be better than a day trip with a close friend, talking and laughing... Singing loudly along with Wicked, Chicago, and the Scissor Sisters... Eating the best burger EVER, and having a gallery basically ask to represent me?

Today was AWESOME!

A short trip to Utah

My family and I drove up to Utah last week on Wednesday at the last minute to attend my cousin Muriel's wedding reception. I am so glad we were able to go. It was a
short trip, but the weather was *perfection* and I got to see some of my favorite people in the world!

In this picture, I am with my lovely Muriel. I have to admit I am totally weirded out by her getting married... even though she is older than I was when I got married.





And here I am with another cousin. This is Eliza. I want to steal her and take her away to Arizona so she can be my helper and watch the kids for me. She has *almost* as much energy as they do and they LOVED her!








Here is my Aunt Lill and my cousin Harvest. *sigh* I miss my Harvest so very very much... It was such a wonderful thing to see her. And for reasons I won't write it was also very hard. I just love her so much...









So very much infact, that I am putting this picture up as well...









And this one... *sigh*









This is my Grandma May... She is a spitfire. And I love her to pieces. She cracks me UP!










This here is my Grandpa... His name is Marion... he goes by Dick. Check out those eyebrows!!! He really isn't scowling at me, just trying to figure out why I won't get the camera out of his face :)









Ahhh, my lovely sister and my daddy :)









A wedding flower...











And another...











AND!!! I was SOOO beyond excited to get to see my sweet friend Jenica!!! We knew each other eons ago in the dreaded land of High School... She is so wonderful! I look stoned in this picture :)







Seriously, look at her adorableness, and be very jealous that I was able to bask in her glory and you could not. :) It was so very nice to see you again love.




All in all I must say it was a good trip, even if it was too short. All good things must eventually come to an end. I cannot wait until the next time I get up to Utah and see all my loves.

*quiet*

Now that its summer I am adjusting to not having Kayden in school... It is fun... and sometimes overwhelming. During the week I babysit for a family down the street. During the school year I watched their 19 month old boy, now that school is out I also watch his sister who was in Kayden's kindergarten class. Is it horrible to say that by the time they get picked up in the afternoon I sometimes feel like my mind is about to jump out the window? Having five kids 5 and under in my care all day is sometimes just overwhelming. Sometimes I just need a moment to myself...



Here I am, taking a moment. Sitting on the floor, in the only room in my house where I can *sometimes* be alone... The bathroom :)

Go see other people self portraits here.

I will never look at a Dodge Ram in the same way again...

I have to say first off that I have never REALLY looked at a Dodge Ram, but from now on I will give them all my respect... I mean just look at this...

Just when you thought it was safe to go to the bathroom...

It is never a good idea to turn your back on a young child, especially if they are eating Spaghettio's... How do you spell that???

I leave room for one minute... Ok, maybe three... And this is what I come back to... And yes, he knows how to use a spoon... And yes, beneath all that wild blonde hair he really is a boy. He has all the necessary parts to prove it. He looks like a boy to me, even though EVERYONE thinks he is a girl. He especially looks like a boy when he is messy like this.




And of course, all photo's are clickable for your viewing pleasure.

xoxo

*giggles*

Thank you to Karli for this little gem... and for a wonderful, much needed chat tonight.

100º in the shade... SPC "environment"

When you live in the middle of the desert you don't do much in the summer... It is simply too hot. About the only thing we do around here outdoors these days is lounge around in the shade or swim in the pool in the afternoon after the sun is not quite directly above us... We don't want to burn to a crisp after all. And that takes only a few minutes with my boys, even after they are slathered up with sunblock. They are sooo pale, not like me. They got their father's skin.

Here I am in the blistering heat, see my sweaty hair? Sexy no? And yes, I added some filters and what not to this to make it look more like it felt. IT WAS HOT! :)




I tried to find the least boobtastic photo's of me in my swimsuit... Every photo had an amazing amount of boobage showing, so... whatever.

And here are the little ones hanging out in the shade and by the water.










To see more people in their environments, just click here.

A day in the life...

A small glimpse into our lives... You will see something like this at our house a minimum of several times a day.








They were being Pirates and Spiderman... I guess you are automatically a pirate if you wear a bandana... go figure. Aaaaaarrrrrrr ;)

Worlds worst mother award

If there was an award for the Worlds Worst Mother it would go directly to me right now.

Tonight was Kayden's kindergarten graduation. We have been getting him ready all last month. He had lines to say in it... Songs to sing... They were singing songs and all kinds of adorable, bring your video camera and shoot lots of photo's, things...

WE MISSED IT!

Not only did we miss it, I did not even think about it until one of the other mother's called me and asked where we were and told me all about it. All about the video they showed with Kaydens picture in it first IN A CAP AND GOWN, and him saying that he wants to be Batman when he grows up.

I don't really even know how I got so mixed up, but I do know that I suck. I suck big time. I am sitting here typing and crying and knowing that I SUCK, and I can never get those moments back ever.

WORST MOTHER EVER.

This one is right up there with the time our computer died and we lost every picture we had of Kayden's first couple months of life including the photo's of him being born...

Awesome. :(

Wow!

This kid is rockin' in the talent department...

three year old prodigy

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I don't remember eating that?!?!

I have the stomach flu... Its good times.

My kids have kind of had it all week. Jett was puking on Sunday... Then again all day yesterday. Kael threw up yesterday morning and has had the shits for a few days... I won't say "diarrhea" because that word is gross. And really this whole experience can be summed up in those two words... The shits... Not to be confused with "The shit", because that would imply that it is cool. And it is so not cool.

And now, just now I was laying down feeling tired and not so hot, when it hit me. I don't know if there is anything ickier that knowing you are about to vomit... And then actually doing it. Blech! I have been feeling a little off all day but now I actually feel like ick and death all rolled up into a nice little package. Awesome.

Needless to say I have not listed anything today in my shop... That is going to have to wait until I can move more than just my typing fingers.

Butterfly love..

Going to list a few new items tomorrow in my shop...

Please excuse the sloppy pictures. I was so thrilled when I finished this pendant I had to take photo's right away.

This pendant is two sided.





I like it a lot, good thing I made two so I can keep one.

Phoenix Craft Mafia

It's official. *I* am official!

I am officially one of the Founding Members of The Phoenix Craft Mafia. How cool is that???

This is quite possibly one of the coolest things that has happened to me in a very long time. I am so excited for everything that will be happening in the very near future. I feel like the creative endeavors I decided to undertake have finally begun to pay off. I feel like maybe it wasn't a mistake after all to let my Massage License lapse and quit my job. I think that this just might be my ticket to being a stay-at-home mom who also has a really cool life outside of changing diapers, and sippy cups.

I will write more about this later, but I just wanted to share the good news.

My eyes... MY EYES!

I think I may have caused permanent damage to my eyes today... Or at least my fragile ego.

You see, I went shopping for a bathing suit today and can I tell you that it is NOT a pleasant experience. It is considerably less fun now that I am a bit larger than I was in the days of yore. It used to be that I could walk into a place, point to the smallest skimpiest suit and know that it would look fabulous. I would know that the teeny triangles that covered my teeny boobs would somehow make them look voluptuous and shapely. I knew that the small bits of fabric that covered my perfect dimple free ass would hang just right... Not so anymore.

I don't understand how people get back to looking normal after having kids. In my first pregnancy I gained 70 pounds. Yes. SEVENTY. I weighed in at 200 pounds the day before I gave birth. Good times. My previously invisible breasts were now an impressive set of double D's. I had really awesome boobs. Like, they were my dream boobs. But then I lost 50 pounds. And got pregnant again, and gained 40 pounds, and then gave birth, lost 40 pounds... Got pregnant again, gained 35 pounds, and then lost about 30 after I had him... Then I gained back about 15 pounds. Is that right? I think so. What this super cool roller coaster has done is leave me all deflated and soft and gushy. Its hot, trust me. Rawwwr!

Anyhooooo, back to swim suit shopping. Which, by the way is not fun at all in and of itself... But when you add an almost 2 year old and an almost 3 year old into the equation it turns all kinds of ugly.

So, I grabbed a few suits off the racks... The least matronly one pieces I could find that did not look like they would drown my no longer large ta-ta's, and would not make my thighs look all jello-ey...

These were the contenders:



Not bad! I was surprised when I put it on and looked relatively GOOD! It was very attractive infact! But then I bent over and *bloop* my boobs popped right out the top. How exactly they achieved such freedom I shall never know. They are simply not large enough to go hopping out of things!

So, sadly that one went back on the hanger.

Next up was this one:



Or, actually one very similar to this. Instead of the twist thing it had a ring thing there. And it was red.

This one was probably my FAVORITE, it was a very beautiful color that just happened to be quite flattering... Only thing is, it was one size too small and it was the last one. It would work sooo well if I lost just a few pounds but I am not holding my breath on that one.

So, I wiped a tear from my eye and said my good-byes to that lovely suit.

The last suit I tried, and the one I ended up buying is this one:




This one was not my very favorite, but it fits alright. I would prefer a solid color, but the design is cute, and I think it might distract from the soft tummy I have going on. The only thing is that it is ridiculously low cut... Much more so than this picture would indicate. But, it does keep the girls in place and they have not been able to escape their spandex and Lycra prison yet... SO, even if you can see part of my sternum poking out at least you will not see my horribly deflated boobs.

I guess that as long as small children don't point at me and ask "what is that?" I am good.

Oh, and the best part about shopping for swim wear with the 2 youngest kids?

Me: (Setting the boys on the bench in the fitting room) Jett, Kael, you two sit here for one minute while I try these on.

Jett (2 almost 3): (laughing and pointing) Look at yow BOOOOOBIES! (then he reaches over and *yoink* PINCHES my nipple as I am bending over to step into the suit!!! I figure such an action is deserving of a sound effect, thus the yoink.)

Me: (shocked and in pain) Jett! Don't do that, we don't touch people there. Sit down please.

Kael (almost 2): BOOOOBEEEETH BOOBETH BOOBETH!!!!

Me: Shhhhhhhh!

Girl in next stall: *laughing*



Yeah, glad thats over.

The ants go marching one by one hurrah... hurrah...

I have little tiny demon invaders in my house.




They look less evil in this photo, but trust me they are of the devil...


They are living somewhere in the wall behind my stove is my best guess. They come out at random intervals throughout the day and just wander around looking for something to eat. They walk in a line under the edge of my counter, they crawl into the sink. They are even in my DISHWASHER!

I have been very good about wiping the counters, and washing the dishes right away, or at least rinsing them so there is no food to be had. I make sure to rinse any residue of juice or soda down the sink. I don't leave dinner sitting out on the stove... And yet they come. They come and walk all over my counters and sinks, and up the wall behind the stove. It is really starting to piss me off.

I have had the exterminator over TWICE. I have even bought those little ant baits that are supposed to poison them and the whole nest... Yeah, not so much. The little bastards swarmed that stuff and went on their merry way. Not a hint of deadness anywhere. Nope, they are like the ants of the apocalypse! I don't know what that means, but it sounded neat in my head...

WHAT am I to do? Seriously, they are bugging the crap out of me. And they are weird. They do not ever go near where the actual food is, they stay away from the cupboards and dog food... but the food free counters and sink? Those are fair game apparently.

Pleeeeeeeease, if you know of a way to kill these suckers that actually WORKS help a girl out and pass that secret on. :)