Photo Challenge

It's been so long since i've pick up my camera.....not sure why but I'm ready to start snapping away. I thought what better to get me going is to participate in February's Photo Challenge through Fat Mum Slim Blog.

I love this kind of challenge because you don't have to come up with the topic, each day is provided!
You can do it any form you like...in Instagram or any fancy app or collage....no rules!

Charging up my battery and ready to roll.....

Happy Tuesday!!

Monday laughs....

My sister sent this in an email this morning.....I laughed so hard!! Thought it was worth sharing!
Have a wonderful Monday!! 

RETIRED HUSBAND 

After I retired, my wife insisted that I accompany her on her trips to Target. 

Unfortunately, like most men, I found shopping boring and preferred to get in and get out. Equally unfortunate, my wife is like most women - she loves to browse. 

Yesterday my dear wife received the following letter from the local Target:

Dear Mrs. Harris , 

Over the past six months, your husband has caused quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against your husband, Mr. Harris , are listed below and are "documented by our video surveillance cameras": 

1. June 15: He took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in other people's carts when they weren't looking. 

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals. 

3. July 7: He made a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the women's restroom. 

4. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away'. This caused the employee to leave her assigned station and receive a reprimand from her Supervisor that in turn resulted with a union grievance, causing management to lose time and costing the company money. 

5. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&Ms on layaway. 

6. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

7. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told the children shoppers they could come in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department to which twenty children obliged. 

8. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?' EMTs were called.

9. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose. 

10. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were. 

11. October 3: Darted around the Store suspiciously while loudly humming the ' Mission Impossible' theme. 

12. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels. 

13. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!' 

14. October 22: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed the fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!

15. Took a box of condoms to the checkout clerk and asked where is the fitting room? 

And last, but not least: 

16. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile, and then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.' 

One of the clerks passed out.

Decisions decisions........

It's final.....

She's made her decision....

She is off this fall to University

3.5 hours away...

Her father and I are so proud of the hard work and dedication she has given her school work. I'm happy to say every University she applied to she received a scholarship. The University she choose is a small Catholic University outside Pittsburgh. She was one of 35 students accepted into their accelerated Physician Assistant Program. With continued hard work and dedication in five years she will graduated with her Physician Assistant BS/MS degree.

Now she can sit back and enjoy her Senior year of High School and I can get writer's cramp from writing out checks!!

Our bedroom redo progress

We have been working on our bedroom redo since Christmas break. It's a process....and we are progressing! This weekend we found perfect curtains for our room....we are over joyed with them. They are blackout curtains and do they ever black out the car lights, street lights, moon and even the sound! We have had the best nights sleep since!! We went every where looking for the perfect curtains....last place we went success JcPenny and they were on sale....bonus!

Imagine chocolate brown instead!

We also exchanged a accent chair for another one more colorful....and that splash of color needed to bring out accent colors we were going for.....

Picture really doesn't due justice it's a gorgeous deep teal and cream.....just need a pillow for it and we are good to go. Chair is from Pier One....they have some great pieces. 

I also ordered the  fabric to make our headboard....

So hopefully in a few weeks time we will have a new headboard......

Lastly all that's left is pictures....I love Pinterest and all the idea's for picture walls...here is a few I like.

Also found this informational layout which will be extremely helpful.....

from here

As soon as it's done I'll post the pictures.....

But so far we are loving our room.

A late Sunday in my city.....

Morning sunrise on my way to work.....

 Empty slopes waiting for the rush....

Last of the Christmas flowers bloom....

Dinner before the big game....

Dessert......

Great weekend...

Fast weekend...

Busy weekend....

Hello Monday!!! 

When it rains....

Photo credit

It pours....

It's been a crazy week or so.....

Lots going on....

Weather has been insane...

snow, rain, wind snow again

water heater replaced

wind storms

no electricity 

sump pump over flowing

buckets and buckets of water

electricity back on...yay!

I need wine....
Sick baby home with a cold...
Working.....

new carpet installed today yay!

moving furniture

tearing out old carpet

lots of staple removal...fun times!

eating too much conversation hearts!

That's what I've been up too 

how about you?

Hello Friday!!

My snowy view this morning as I type.....it's finally a major storm accumulation wise at least! Might have to fire up the snow blower for the first time!

Wednesday night our hot water heater died and leaked it's contents all over my basement...thank goodness my hubby was not out of town and handled it....I have discovered I shut down during stressful situations like 40 gallons leaking in a basement. The plumbers were here all day installing our new tankless water heater. Warm water is here again yay!!

Finally hit 200 followers..I've been going back and forth from 199 to 198 forever...I imagine it will only last a day or so and change....weird how that works!

Have you seen this video floating around the internet.....I love the wedding one a couple years ago to Chris Brown. Well and I love this one....mostly because I'm a Beiber fan!! If you have 3 or so minutes it's really cute!

I'm staying home today....watching the snow pile up....

Have a great weekend! 

Friday Frags

Mrs. 4444's Blog stop by say Happy Friday!! 

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. Lake Superior University has once again published a list of words/phrases they think should be banished from the Queen's English in 2012-

amazing, baby bump, shared sacrifice, occupy, blowback, man cave, the new normal, pet parent, win the future, trickeration, ginormous, and thank you in advance.

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Go here to read more about how the words are chosen.

Well I use amazing a lot probably too much!! Some of these words I have never heard of or used. I would probably pick trickeration mostly due to its nature plus I'm clueless to it's meaning.  Football terms should never been common language or at least in my vocabulary! 

2. Are you easily embarrassed?

Depends on the situation...I'm embarrassed for other people that embarrass themselves unknowingly by what they say or wear or act. 

3. What is your go-to snack?

Cheese....couple slices or a cheese stick.

4. Have you ever been to Washington D.C.? If not do you have any desire to go? What site/attraction would you most want to see in that city? If you have been, what's your favorite site/attraction?

We visited last Spring break and loved it. It was my first visit to DC and I can't wait to go again. We were there for three days and didn't see it all. I loved the National Cathedral and it's grounds.

and Arlington Cemetery and the changing of the guards is another must see. 

5. sit ups-planks-lunges-squats...which do you hate the least?

Planks we do those almost every time in my Bootcamp we never have done a sit-up in all the time I've gone there.

6. What's a small act of kindness you were shown that you've never forgotten?

I would have to say when we were living in Germany many acts of kindness were given during those awkward language barrier moments. I would be in the grocery store looking for something or trying to order something from the deli or bakery and be struggling  and a random stranger would help me. I appreciated those moments like none other in my life. 

7. Have you ever been a blood donor?

Yes it's been a while though since I've participated in a blood drive or donated. I need to do that...goal for new year!

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Remember when men didn't care about decorating....before HGTV was around....suddenly my hubby has opinions and thinks he is Genevieve Jr. Needless to say our ideas are not the same and they are clashing. Compromising  and decorating is not meant to go hand and hand is it!! 

Stop by Joyce's blog and play along! 

Happy Wednesday! 

I'm so excited...

In a couple weeks An Idiot Aboard 2- The Bucket list is on!!

 January 21st on the Science Channel. 

Omg.. I love Karl Pilkington and Ricky Gervais in small doses!

Did you see An Idiot Aboard when Karl travels to the Seven Wonders of the World

It was so funny!

Now he is attacking a Bucket List....can't wait!

Happy Monday!

We had a great weekend here......a very productive one!

Hubby's back is a little better, thank you Dr. Chiropractor! 

Our master bedroom is coming together nicely!

Painting is done! Yay!

Bought new comforter, chair, lamps ! Yay!

Ordered side tables! Yay!

Picked out new carpet! Yay!

All that's left is staining our dressers, laying new carpet

and accessories....pillows, knick knacks and hanging pictures!

I work in progress!

It's slowly becoming a sanctuary!

Yay!

Happy Monday!

Happy Weekend

Tonight's sunset......

Beautiful Spring Winter's day!

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Wednesday Hodgepodge-New Year

Wednesday Hodgepodge

1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2011?

Hard

Different

Fast

2. Do you like shrimp? What's your favorite way to have it prepared?

Yes I like it cold with cocktail sauce or in a scampi.

3. Is your house de-Christmased? If so when did you tackle that job? If not, when will the decorations come down?

Yes I did it in stages. All of if was put away this weekend and house clean! 

I really like starting the new year clean and organized.

4. Do you like to watch scary movies?

No not really...I like murder mysteries but not Halloween type no way! 

5. ice skating~sledding~skiing~snowboarding~of the four listed which wintertime activity do you most enjoy?

Skiing....in fact I just booked our February trip to Utah last night. My favorite ski trip was when we went to Austria....I'm not a huge skier like my hubby and daughter. I'm a sunny day ski a few runs stop have some coffee, ski some more and soak up the sun on the deck kind of skier!

 Austrian Alps

 Soaking up some sun

Spent some time on the ground too!

I love how a picture was snapped before helping me up....!

6. Did you have a childhood hideout? Describe it.

I remember setting up forts everywhere....under pool table, dinning room table....outside my sister's and I were masters of fort building. 

7. What's a place or space that motivates you?

As of lately Pinterest...I'm in the process of redoing our Master and next is our living room....so many ideas on the net! 

8. Insert your own random thought here.

It finally snowed here...it's bitter cold. It's Katelyn's first winter driving solo....is it possible to pray for her safety too much. Tonight she is working at the ski resort...she is driving in the dark at night with snow and ice....did I mention she is a new driver and my only child...! ugh!! It's all too much for me!! 

Happy Wednesday all please stop by Joyce's blog and wish her a Happy New Year and join the fun! 

Happy New Year....

Happy New Year a day late...

yesterday was a fog

not because of the alcohol

more the lack of sleep

and my dancing feet hurt!

The Ice Ball at The Statler Building was amazing

the decorations... gorgeous

the food.. delicious from the Buffalo Chop House

the entertainment....Jim Tudini Band 

Not the most photogenic...but you get the picture...

My TOMS wedges look great and felt great until the dancing started

It's not the shoe.. it's me..really!

High heels and me just can't be friends!

The night started out with meeting the Mayor, we were looking for parking and pulled in front of the event to ask for directions and who came over to our car and gave us directions...none other than Buffalo's Mayor Byron Brown!

5,000 people attended, I think 10% were over 40 the rest were 20 somethings...I felt like we crashed a frat party or prom! Open bar from 8-2 am!!  Lots of barely dressed girls and by nights end lots of drunk 20 something year olds falling,vomiting, total train wrecks...I wanted to go up to each of them and tell them their Mother's would NOT be so proud!!

The noise level from 11:30 on was crazy everyone blowing the horns and noise makers! Once the ball dropped it was insane...my ears were ringing all day yesterday and I seriously have no feeling in one of my toes! We lasted until 1:30!
Happy 2012!!