But those won't fit my butt!

Prompt... I am nothing if not promt. Er, I mean, promt-ish. I am nothing if not promt-ish. Okay, who am I trying to kid? When it comes to this blog I am always late. I have the best of intentions, but my posts are always a few days later than I plan. Today is a perfect example. Last Wednesday night I went to a great little event and I am just now getting around to blogging about it... five days later! Oh, well, better late than never. Oh, wait!!! Let's just pretend I went last night instead of five days ago. You will play along, won't you? Great! Continue to read on (if you haven't fallen asleep already)....

Wow! I had such a great time last night! The Footzone (my favorite store in Bend) sponsored a Girls Night Out complete with wine, chocolate, free foot massages, chocolate, wonderful door prizes, and did I mention chocolate? Not to focus too much on the chocolate (this was at a running/walking store, after all), but they had these tasty little peppermint truffle-things. Oh. My. Gosh. Divine, simply divine. I may have had one or two (Or was it five or six?!?).  

Stacey giving Pam a foot massage

As you can see form the pictures, the place was packed. A pretty good turn out since the temperature was hovering in the teens.

They had some pretty great door prizes and BOTH Pam and I won something. Pam won these cool compression socks that are supposed to be great for preventing muscle aches and pains when running. 

Normally, I would be more than a little jealous but I won something too! I won a pair of Brooks running pants (which I had been coveting)! How exciting is that??? If only I would had remembered to not shout the first thing that came to mind when they announced my name. You see, they had all the prizes out on  a table so you could check them out before the drawing. When I was checking out all the goods, I had noticed the pants were a size medium. No biggy... I wasn't going to win, after all. So when they announced my name I said rather loudly (because I have a super loud voice) in front of a store full of mostly strangers, "But they are a size medium. Those won't fit my butt!" Dead Silence. Awesome, I spoke without thinking again.

Oh, for those of you who are concerned about the pants... they exchanged them for my size!

Looking like Crap

Right... so you know when you are at work or around town and you see someone dressed, well, a little a less than stellar? You think to yourself, "What were they thinking?" If you saw me today... you would be wondering this. In an effort to be honest (and to avoid any nasty remarks on this post) I will admit that I have several days like this a month. It isn't my intention to look like crap, it just happens. Today it happened because I didn't want to get out of bed. Ah... nice warm bed with two furry dogs to help keep me warm versus sub-zero temps outside. The warm bed won hands down! By the time I could convince myself to get out of bed I was running crazy late! How late you ask? Well... I need to be at work by 8:00 am and it takes me about 15 minutes to get there. I got out of bed at 7:22 am, this gave me exactly 23 minutes to get ready for work (and feed the dogs and start my car so it would warm-up ... which I went out and did wearing my short nightgown, ski parka and snow boots. Very attractive! )

After hoping in the shower with a shower cap on (no time to wash my hair and then dry it), I ran back to my bedroom and started to put together an outfit. Easy enough. Start with black pants, always a good staple to any wardrobe. Add a grey and black sweater that I have been meaning to donate because I don't like it anymore... not my favorite thing to wear, but it is presentable. Next came a pair of hideous socks that are also black and grey and look like I have had them since the early 90's. But the socks don't really matter because I am going to wear my black boots- you will never see them. Ah, but then at the last minute I decide that I don't want to wear heels today and opt for a pair of red flats. And even as I was slipping the red flats on there was a quiet little voice in the back of my head saying, "Don't do it! You will look like an idiot." I really wish that voice was a little louder. Actually, I wish that little voice would have started to scream and yell at me  because it wasn't until I was at work and went to the bathroom that I got my first glimpse of my whole ensemble.  That is when the little voice started to laugh and point (yes- I am aware that the fact I am referring to the little voices in my head is bad. And I am also aware it is even worse that I claim the "voices" are pointing. I am messed up... deal with it!) and say in a loud voice (finally), "You look like a freaking' idiot." All of you will have to take my word for it, because I will not take a full on photo. However, I will give you this little gem of just my foot. Enjoy!

Happiness is...

... watching my dogs play in the snow. 

Finn 

Gidget 

Ever so thankful

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I couldn't have been happier with mine. Wonderful family, yummy food, and no trips to the emergency room (you never know with my family).  I hosted the big dinner this year and may have gone a bit overboard, but it was fun.  This post is mostly pictures... I hope you enjoy!

I enjoy a pretty table and I wanted everyone to feel special and welcome at mine. I created one large flower arrangement and two other small groupings of flowers. In between the flowers,  I had several tea light candles that I set down into cranberries and pine cones. The table runner was just a piece of orange vinyl that I bought and cut to fit. The reason for the vinyl.... because everyone got a piece of chalk under their name card and were allowed to write on the table runner. Fun!

I set up a little something in the bathroom to keep everyone from digging around in my medicine cabinet...er, I mean to make the feel more welcome. Please note: I added the traditional Thanksgiving Buddha with my flowers in the bathroom.

While I was preparing the food, my dogs sat around anxiously waiting for me to drop tidbits on the floor. Finn took up a spot on the rug in front of the sink. PLEASE NOTE: I DID NOT CHOOSE THE BLACK SPONGE PAINTING IN THE KITCHEN!!! IT WAS LIKE THAT WHEN I MOVED IN AND I HAVE BEEN TOO LAZY TO FIX IT!

Then Gidget joined in and placed herself by the oven/stove (she knew where the big treasure was).

Finally they gave up... Finn fell asleep on my foot to start with and then both dogs found a sunny place to take a nap (and still be close to me in the kitchen).

I cooked two turkeys... one in the oven and one on the BBQ. I love the way the one on the BBQ looked after taking it off (It tasted just as good as it looked).

Ah... and then dinner was over, everyone left, and I got to clean-up... ok, so that didn't really happen. I just picked up a few things and then I crawled into bed!

Here are a few "after" pictures.

Thanks to everyone for a wonderful day!!!

Don't hug the natives!

I have recently learned something about myself... I give off a strong hug me vibe. I recently posted a few items on Craigslist to sell and was pretty successful in this endeavor (although I am a sucker and always sold the items for less than I had asked in the posts). I was so successful that three different people decided to tip me... in the form of a hug. Really? A hug? Please don't get me wrong, I enjoy the occasional hug but only from people I know, and even then I am a bit stingy. I really have to be in the mood. If you are a friend I haven't seen in a long time or a family member who needs comforting, these are when I give hugs. I do not hug it out with strangers who just bought my grandma's old dresser.  So why did these three different women (they were all middle aged women) feel the need to hug me as they were leaving? I find it very odd.

On a side note, when I am back East I am still not a big hugger, but I am a cheek kisser (not that cheek- stop thinking like a 12 year old boy). Everyone kisses you on the cheek back there... when in Rome.

You need to go now!

Monday, Monday, Monday. So lacking in motivation today, dear Monday. And why is this? Maybe because the sickness that overtook my body last week really doesn't want to go away! Hello lingering cough - your time is up. You need to leave now. You are a very unwanted guest! All night you keep me up with your noise and ruckus. Oh, yeah... I just went there... I said ruckus. As soon as I lay my head down to dream of sweet things, you begin your wild partying. Lingering cough, I am getting older and I actually enjoy sleeping now. You must leave! I don't like thinking about you and wondering when you will appear (which you do at the worst times). I have other things I want to think about it now. Like... yummy Gerard Butler... er, I mean work. No... I really mean Gerard Butler. I am a shallow woman and I feel like I can admit this to you, dear friends.  

Puppy in my purse!

My sweet little puppy, Finn, has an odd obsession with my purse. To Finn, my purse is a bag of curiosity and delight. If I leave my purse on any of my furniture Finn will seek it out and bury his little head inside to see what treasures he can find. He politely rummages through it until he finds a particular treat that meets his high standards. He bypasses my hand written grocery lists, thankfully ignores my favorite MAC lipstick, and doesn't even look twice and my id badge for work. No... he is a man on a mission. Finn is seeking food.  And I can't even blame him... I am the reason he loves my purse!

I have two dogs and zero kids. So instead of carrying things like cheerios, diapers, wipes, and toys in my purse--I carry extra leashes, a tennis ball, baggies to pick-up "accidents," and dog treats. Not long ago, Finn had been scolded for chewing on something he shouldn't (big surprise) and after a few seconds of looking remorseful, he moved on to his next adventure. This adventure happened to be my purse which I had so carelessly thrown on my couch. Finn attacked it with all of the enthusiasm a puppy his size could muster. He bit and he shook and he flung it around on the couch... and then it happened... a little baggie of doggy treats escaped from inside my purse and landed at his feet like a perfectly wrapped present. Finn quickly abandoned the purse and attacked the treats directly. It was like he cracked a piñata and got all of the candy for himself. He was in doggy heaven. Of course, being the bad, mean doggy mom that I am - I not only took away his treats, but I took away his piñata... my purse. I gave him my sternest "no" and the look that makes small children cry in fear. But my Finn is no chicken... and he is smart. He looked back at me with those sweet puppy dog eyes that say, "I am so very sorry. I will never do that again. Please love me." I bought it hook, line, and sinker. What I didn't know was he was simply biding his time until the next opportunity.  And since I am often careless with my purse, it didn't take long for the next opportunity... but I was more prepared and was able to separate Finn and his piñata before he broke it open and got the treats. Unfortunately, I wasn't so diligent the day of the butter incident.

Mr. Finn took advantage of my distraction one evening after work and sought out and found my purse, his piñata. Apparently after vigorous shaking and searching, Finn found a prize better that gold. At least I assume it was something special... after all, he was so excited he couldn't even keep his find a secret! Upon retrieving the prize from the piñata, he ran into the kitchen where I was. He ran around my feet until I paid attention to him. That is when I noticed something odd hanging from his mouth. It was pale yellow, oddly shaped, and in a plastic bag. What in the hell did he have? I bent a little closer to look and Finn sat there so I could get a nice, clear view of the questionable object. Seriously... what was that? And then it hit me... Oh, dear lord.... I knew what it was. And Finn knew the moment when I realized what his very special prize was, because he dashed off at the same time I lunged toward him. My dear sweet puppy had a half of stick of butter in his mouth!!! Let's pause for a moment... you need to not judge me right now. Yes... Finn had butter. Yes... he had gotten it out of my purse. So, yes... I had a half of stick of butter in my purse. Don't judge... there was a reason. Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for Finn, I had forgotten about said butter (which was there for a reason) for over 24 hours. That is bad, isn't it? Okay, back to the story... after a few minutes of Finn doing his best NFL running back moves and always darting right out of my reach, I finally caught him and relieved him of his treasured butter. Again I scolded and glared. Again he gave me those sweet puppy dog eyes that say, "I am so very sorry. I will never do that again. Please love me." And again I think I saw the wheels in his brain plotting for the next time.

Irrationally Annoyed

There are a few things out there that annoy me. Well...  there might be more than a few.  Anyway, I have no idea why things annoy me... they just do. Take for example the Snuggie. The Snuggie angers me in a way that is by no means rational. I don't know why I hate it, or the mere mention of it, so much. For those of you who don't know what I am talking about - the Snuggie is the brainchild of some brilliant person (she said sarcastically). It is a "soft fleece blanket with roomy sleeves." What the heck?!?!?  A blanket with sleeves... what is wrong with just wrapping a blanket around you when you are cold and watching tv? Oh, I forgot... I might want to be active while wrapped in my blanket. Yes, that is it... they even told me so on all of the commercials. Of course, they only show the shiny, happy people doing things like reading, knitting, or eating popcorn. I think that if you bought a Snuggie, you may fall under the category of, "needs to be a little more active."  So venture out in your beloved Snuggie and conquer new and exciting tasks and activities.

Wait... are you worried that you will look like a complete and total idiot in your  "soft fleece blanket with roomy sleeves?" Well never fear! They now come in fashionable patterns. Can you say leopard print? Rawr!  Oh, but wait... want to match your toy poodle? Perfect! Now they make a Doggy Snuggie! Whoo Hoo!

Ugh... again, I don't know why the damn Snuggie bugs me so much, but it does. It bugs me so much that I can't walk past the display in Target without making snide remarks.

Strict Joy

Happy, Happy Tuesday!!! Do you know why Tuesday is so wonderful? It is the day new music and movies/ DVDs (and books) are released. Music and movies... these are just a few of my favorite things. (re-read that last sentence and picture Julie Andrews singing it. If will make sense if you are a Sound of Music fan.)  That is why I am going to do dedicate my Tuesday ramblings to my favorite things. Tune in Tuesdays ( I feel this is a nice title after Motivating Mondays). Now to the music...

For months now I have been eagerly waiting for October 27 to arrive. This is the day The Swell Season would release their next album, Strict Joy. The Swell Season? Who is that? Well friends, let me share with you.  Ah, forget about it... I would only bore you with a long drawn out biography that you can easily Google. I will tell you how I discovered them and why I like them so much. A few years ago an Indie film was released called Once.  It caught my attention because it was about a street busker (person who plays music/performs on the street for money) in Dublin. And as many of you know, I have a slight interest in all things Irish (some would call it an obsession). Before the movie was able to come to Bend, I bought the soundtrack and fell in love. Then I saw the movie and fell even more in love. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova  (the main characters) were amazing! They won an Academy Award for best original song, Falling Slowly.  A little over a year ago I was able to see them in concert in Eugene. Love. Love. Love.

I have previewed a few of the songs off of the album before today and again, they are great. I am especially fond of "Low Rising" and "In These Arms." Ah, they make the hair on my arms stand up when I hear them (in a good way). I would love to tell you more about the songs, but I just downloaded it this morning and it wasn't ready before I went to work.

I highly recommend checking them out and go out and buy Strict Joy.

 Click here for The Swell Season website

Oh... and they are on tour (amazing concerts) and will be coming to Eugene and Portland in November. I would like to go if anyone wants to join me.

Motivating Monday

Ah, Mondays... how I loathe thee. Every time you come to visit, I want to slam the door in your face. Or, close my eyes and stay in bed. To be fair, dear Mondays, there are two of you that I adore--Memorial Day and Labor Day Mondays. The rest of you can suck it!


Okay, obviously I have an issue with Mondays.. especially Monday mornings. But I am going to try to and turnover a new leaf. From here on out - I will look at Mondays as a time to share what is motivating me and hopefully, it will motivate one you. Who knows?  Here I go...


I have been thinking about Christmas lately and what I can make for friends and family. I would love to share all of the fabulous things I have planned, but since only my friends and family read this... I would ruin Christmas for you. Kind of like the one time I told my mom that she was getting the new Bee Gee's record for Christmas. Dad wasn't so happy that I told her what we just bought.  Probably because he had racked his brain for days trying to pick that out and I up and spoiled the surprise by blurting out the purchase as soon as I saw her. Now that I think about, I have a tendency to tell people what I am giving them quite a bit! Hmmm... so I can't keep a secret very well. But this year, that is all going to change. Mum's the word. 


What I will share with you is my fabulous re-do on my office. Not only do I have all my office "things" in there, I now have a dedicated area for my art, craft, and sewing things. Boxes have emptied. Supplies have been dusted and sorted. Crap has been put away!!! Holy freakin' moly! Surprised? I am... I am so happy with what I did I am going to share some pictures with all of you.  Double click on any of the pics to make it larger.

Gidget relaxing in the chair

The "Office"

Hi Lovely

A space to create

Supplies in front of my blue rails that hold my shelving

Fabric... I am my mother's daughter

What is motivating me... a few fabulous blogs (one that Julie suggested):

How About Orange 

Angry Chicken 

Apartment Therapy (always a favorite)  

I have a plan! (shocking, I know)

I have neglected you and I feel terrible about it. Really, I do! I have the audacity to announce I am going to blog, tease you with one or two entries, and then completely ignore you. I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart... but all of that is going to change. I promise I will do regular entries Monday thru Friday (at least for the next few weeks). In an attempt to make this easier for me, I am going to create a different theme, if you will, for each day. For example... On Mondays I find myself dragging after the weekend and unmotivated to do much. So every Monday I will blog about something, someone, or somewhere that inspires me. Cool, huh? Something so cool needs a cool name (drumroll, please).... so how about Motivating Mondays? OK, so you caught me on that one. Not such a cool name but it is pretty descriptive. 


I haven't worked out all the details for the rest of the week but I will figure it out. When discussing this idea with my friend, Julie, she suggested that Tuesdays be called Tantrum Tuesdays (Which I love) so I can rant at least one day a week. I have ideas for the other days, but I can always be persuaded to change if you have a good suggestion for me. I look forward to writing every day (even if it is just a few lines) and I hope you will enjoy it also. If you don't... then stop reading this. 


Cheers Everyone!
Stacy

Cue Music!

Why the hell don’t I have my own personal theme song? I am in complete disbelief that I am lacking a personal theme song. Think about it… you show up to do a stupid errand, like going to the bank, and the minute you push open the ridiculously heavy bank doors – cue music. “Do-wop- a-ditty” (or something that sounds a little cooler) plays inside and everyone turns to see who just entered the bank. It must be someone super important – they have their own theme music! Seriously… someone needs to write me a theme song.

The reason I am not married

When I was seven years old I had the privilege of being the flower girl in a wedding. I got the gig because I was the only girl in the family that was the right age--young enough to be cute and old enough to follow directions. There was no emotional attachment between the bride (my mom’s cousin) and myself. That being said... it was the coolest thing I had ever been asked to do in my young life. Hello! A wedding! I had been having weddings in my bedroom for years. My Barbie doll (the little tramp) had married Ken, my brother’s G.I. Joe and even Chewbacca (eh, I like the big furry guy). And Skipper, being the coolest kid Barbie knew, was always the flower girl... and sometimes the ring bearer. So when I heard that I was going to be in a wedding, I was beyond ecstatic. A real wedding... I was going to be in a real wedding! Looking back, I wish I never carried that damn basket of flowers down the aisle! Because on that day... I think I was cursed.

Let me explain... after my starring role as the flower girl in the ceremony (which was brilliantly casted - I was adorable) we moved on to the reception. I don’t remember much about the reception. I am sure there were people (hopefully happy), food, cake, and probably even those melt-away mints. But all of that is a blur because it was pale in comparison to the “big event.” That is right boys and girls... I am talking about the bouquet toss. The moment at a wedding that can predict the future wedded bliss of one lucky single woman. In case you have never been to a wedding, you have never seen a movie with a wedding, or you are just plain stupid - I will explain. The bouquet toss is the is the equivalent to the bride saying, “Ha, Ha you single bitches, I am a married woman and you are not, but let me throw you a grain of hope with this ceremonial toss of my used flowers.” Well, that may be slightly editorialized. I guess the more traditional meaning of the bouquet toss goes more like this- It is said whoever catches the bouquet (married ladies need not apply) will be the next to get married. 

On the day I was the flower girl... I ran, fought my way though a crowd of older women in their teens and twenties, and dove in the gravel parking lot for that damn bouquet. After my dive that would have made an Olympic volleyball player proud, I stood up with a bloody knee, a huge whole in my brand new white tights, and the coveted bouquet of flowers. Ladies and gentleman... I won. I was going to be the next to get married. There was just one problem... I was only seven years old. Hence, the curse. I think the fates laughed that day at the adorable little seven year old girl. They laughed and put a curse on me. This explains why I am not married... right?

But as with all good curses, I think it can be reversed. Here is my plan: I need to go to a wedding, bring my own bouquet, and throw it at the the bride. Even if if it doesn’t reverse the curse... I think it would be pretty funny. So, do any of you know of a good wedding coming up?