Grand Lake for the 4th of July!

We had a wonderful 4th up at the lake with Doug's family. Before we left our house it started to POUR and continued to do so just until we got off the Vinita exit. We ran into Walmart to get a watermelon and when we came out the sun was trying so very hard to peek through the clouds.

When we got to David's lake house it was still sort of drizzling but after about an hour or so the sun came out and we decided to jump in the boat and head out. We had so much fun!
Katie and Jennifer enjoying a cold one:

Lots of people and boats at Dripping Springs:

Douglas and me:

Me and Dee:

Getting a smooch!

Dee and Katie:

David had a little "accident" with a butter knife while trying to pry apart some burgers. He cut his middle finger really deep so he had to keep it dry and elevated. We got this picture:

Today we were at home trying to get a few things accomplished. Doug mowed and edged the yard while I worked inside the house. Here is what I got accomplished:
1. Niles: Bath
2. Nestle: Bath
3. Bedroom cleaned and vacuumed
4. Our Bathroom cleaned
5. Several (about 6) loads of laundry
6. Cleaned the dining room
7. Cleaned the kitchen
8. Cleaned the nest (where the dogs sleep)
9. Put up the shower curtain in the guest bathroom
10. Cleaned the credenza in my office
11. Doug and I hung a picture over the fireplace, and three pictures in the dining room.

Whew! Productive day! I don't really want to work tomorrow since I'm on a roll with projects around the house. I'd really like to clear a spot in the garage so I can park my car inside. Plus, I'm embarrassed for people too see how terrible it looks out there. We'll see how it goes...
Have a good week!

Spoiled on my birthday!

My birthday was a very good day. Douglas took me here:

For my dinner, I ordered the caprese salad as an appetizer and the scallops for the main course. It was absolutely delicious! Of course, I forgot to get pictures of the entree, but I did get a picture of my dessert, apple crumb ala mode:

Here we are in a self portrait sneaking a kiss!

Here I am ~ another year older!

Douglas bought me lots of cool presents. I got a pair of MBT sneakers which I have been wanting for a very long time, a Shu Umera (?sp?) eyelash curler, some new clothes, and a great lens for my camera. The pictures above were taken with my little old point and shoot but I can't wait to try my camera with my new lens!

In other news, it has already been a busy week. Last night we went to dinner at D'alesandro's on business. I ordered a caprese salad (!surprise!) and the carbonara. Delicious! But as usual, there is enough carbonara left over to last a week.

I had a business luncheon today and met with another local attorney to discuss a potential case that we might share. Can't talk about specifics here. You know, client confidentiality and all.

On a sad note, over the weekend, a good friend of mine was in a bad motorcycle wreck in Connecticut. He broke his arm, some ribs, punctured his lung and broke his clavicle and shoulder. The shoulder injury is very, very bad. He had a six hour surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital to try to repair the damage. The doctors are not sure how things are going to work out post surgery. If you are so inclined, please pray for Scott. It makes me so sad to think about what he is going through right now.

On a lighter note, we are supposed to head up to Grand Lake on Saturday to see Doug's family. Should be lots of fun out on the boat but we will need to be careful too as I'm sure with the 100 degree temperatures the weather man is predicting in combination with lots of potentially drunk people in speeding boats - we just need to be careful.
Last time we were at the lake, riding the Seadoo ever so peacefully until I got the thing going about 50 miles per hour and dumped Doug right off the back! How I didn't fall off too, I'll never know.

I'll let you know how it goes!

Closing the book on that chapter

Goodbye Woodvine!

You were a good little house but it's time to say goodbye. When I first met Doug, the grass didn't look nearly this beautiful in the yard. I mentioned to him how that was one thing I wished for. Well, he went right to work and in no time turned the grass from a sickly yellow green to the beautiful, thick, lush grass you see in the picture above. I have to admit it did put a smile on my face to have the prettiest grass in the neighborhood (thank you sweetie!).

Yesterday was the closing on my old house in Edmond. It has been a long process getting it sold and I didn't want to post about it yesterday until I was absolutely sure the closing had happened. I went down a day early to sign the papers I had to sign and got notification last night from the other realtor that it did in fact close. Yay!

It has been an extremely hot week here. The temps have been over 100 degrees with heat indexes of around 110. I'm not complaining, I'm just mentioning it. I would so much rather have it be hot than cold and besides, the sun is shining!

Lots of projects that I want to work on now that the sale of my house is complete. Things that have been on my mind for a while now but I felt "stuck" until I didn't have an additional house to worry about.

New Scoot!

Look what Douglas got today! A brand new scooter!!! It's a Vespa and it's Italian. But here in Oklahoma we say "Eye-talian". :) It's got the cool seat that has the colors of the Italian Flag and has a few, very nicely placed red, white and green stickers. This one is supposed to be much easier to ride than his old scooters since this one is a "twist and go" style. He tried to get me to drive it around the neighborhood but I politely declined. I'm kind of nervous about it...

The pictures are a little dark but the scooter is a gorgeous shiny white. I'm sure I will take more pictures of it another time.

This one is kind of cool - the scooter looks bluish though.

Where the heck have I been?

Gosh, it's been a while since I posted anything on here. So sorry about that. Life has been kind of crazy.
Well, the inspections went well on Woodvine. Of course there were a bunch of little, annoying things like a light bulb burnt out on the front porch and in the vent hood over the stove, some caulking needed around an outside fixture, etc. The only potentially major thing was the air conditioning unit but I haven't heard anything further and we are only a week away from closing! I'm going to assume we are all set to go. Their inspection period ended over a week ago so they are pretty much obligated to close. I spoke with their realtor and we agreed that I would just credit them the agreed amount for repairs and I wouldn't have to fix a thing. Thank goodness! I hate doing repairs especially when I'm not living there anymore. We were originally set for closing on the 30th, but the buyer's bank called and said if they want the good rate they were promised they had to close by the 23rd - which is fine by me! Definitely ready to close that chapter and move on...
This past weekend I was in Pottsboro, Texas at the Tanglewood Resort for my Solo and Small Firm Law Conference. It was pretty good. Many fewer people there this year but I made a few good contacts which is always a positive. The entertainment Friday night was a ventriloquist. He was very funny - his jokes were sort of cornball but I like that. I know, I'm a nerd...

Woodvine continued...

The inspections on the house in Woodvine were completed yesterday. The only potentially major thing the inspector found is the air conditioning. Apparently the unit is dirty and may need some additional freon. I hope that is all that is wrong with it because I certainly don't want to have to purchase a new unit. Other than the air conditioning, he found a bunch of little things like a few light bulbs that have burnt out, some caulking that needs to be done around a light fixture on the front of the house and that sort of thing. No biggie. I'm waiting on the list of things the buyers actually want me to fix. I should have that in the next day or so and I'll see what I can get accomplished and as long as it comes in below the amount we agreed upon for repairs, then we are all set to go. Still keeping my fingers crossed.

This past week was incredibly busy between trying to catch up at work, a doctor's appointment over in Oklahoma City and just life in general, the week just whizzed by. This coming week is shaping up to be another busy one. I'm sure another trip to Edmond is in the works once I get the repairs list on the house. We are having dinner tomorrow night with the Tomacek's - I'm not sure where yet but it's their pick. Thursday I am heading out of town for the annual Solo and Small Firm Conference in Tanglewood. It's a really good conference where I not only learn alot every year but I also get all my CLE's done for the year. It's a great chance to network with the other attorneys in Oklahoma and the vendors at the conference always give out some great prizes. One year I was the lucky winner of an iPod Nano!
Another year I won software to do my billing.

Yesterday we had plans to go to Grand Lake but I woke up not feeling great so we decided to stay home. Doug and I went to Ted's for lunch and cooked burgers on the grill last night. I went up to my craft room and spent several hours sorting and organizing. It's getting there. I haven't had a chance to scrap any pages lately though. I have a bunch of ideas for layouts I want to do so I need to just sit down and create them.

I'm going to try to be better about posting this week. Maybe I'll even take some pictures and post them....

Goodbye Woodvine?

I've been negotiating with another realtor on an offer on my house. It's been on the market for so long and I've been wondering where the love is for my cute little place. Well, maybe now it is finally getting some of the appreciation it deserves. The realtor called to let me know we have a deal.
It was a fabulous little place for me. Cozy, homey and I definitely felt safe there.

The kitchen was a tad small for all of my cooking gadgets, utensils, dishes and things, but overall, it was a great little house.


I'm taking a loss, but with the real estate market the way it is right now, I'm just going to accept it, cut my losses and move on. Now, just to get through the inspection process. That should go just fine and I really don't expect anything major to come from that. The new buyers want to close before the end of June which means I won't have to make another mortgage payment which is good news for me.
I'm saying a prayer and keeping my fingers crossed that all goes smoothly...

Good To Be Home

After spending the week in Connecticut, I'm home and it feels so good to be here. It has been a stressful and heartbreaking week for our family. Despite that, it was good to be around my family. I miss them being so far away. Sometimes I feel like I'm totally out of the loop on everything and sometimes I feel lonely. I'm envious that they can meet for breakfast anytime they want and that they call each other all the time. I want to be a part of that but I'm so far away.

However, I really don't think I could ever move back there. It's too cold in Connecticut for me.

A sad day for our family...

I received a call from my sister today with the news that nobody wants to hear. She went in for her 36 week checkup to find out her baby girl had died. What devastating news. It's almost too unbelievable to wrap my mind around. Our family is just devastated. I'm praying that God gives Manda the strength to make it through.
Douglas and I were scheduled to go up to Connecticut in two weeks for the baby's shower. Today, I had to call and cancel our trip and book a flight for myself to go and help Amanda get through this. I'm so worried about her because she is such a private person. She doesn't like to talk about anything and I'm afraid she will hold it all in. I just don't understand and I can't help but ask why. I just don't understand....

Animal Attraction

Well, good news for the bird. One of the local veterinary clinics took him in to turn him over to a bird rehabilitator. So, hopefully he will be back to flying real soon and back out enjoying the wild. Hope he learned his lesson and doesn't go flying into any more windows.

This morning, I was looking out my window and I saw a boxer with a leash attached looking like it was scared. Our neighbors have a boxer so I thought it might be theirs. I went out to see if the dog had tags (none) and then went to my neighbor's house. Nobody was home so I rang our other neighbors doorbell. That neighbor said she knew it wasn't anybody's in the neighborhood because the dog had been hanging around and they asked around and nobody knew anything. I have to say this made me SO ANGRY. So, let me get this straight: you just LEAVE the poor thing to fend for itself? People are such IDIOTS!!!! I guess some people just don't care. They can't be bothered to make sure an animal is safe. How about a little food and water? Nope.

Anyway, I put the poor, scared thing in my backyard, give her some food and water and start calling. I call the local vets, the local boxer rescue group and the dog pound. Then I put an ad on craigslist. The first few calls I got were from people wanting a boxer in case the real owner didn't claim her. Finally this afternoon, I get a text from the real owner. He identified her right down to the leash that is attached to her collar. He is coming to pick her up once he gets finished with work. I'll give him a little lecture about putting tags on her and let him know that next time he might not be so lucky as to have someone return her. Unbelievable.

So happy that both these stories have a happy ending.

Tomorrow, Doug and I are heading over to Guthrie to walk a 5K in memory of a man named Chris Cowden who was killed in a motorcycle accident last year. He was an animal lover and all the proceeds are going to Free To Live, a no-kill animal shelter in Guthrie. I used to be a board member for Free To Live and it really is a nice place for animals. You can find Chris's story here.

Everyone, please, make sure your dogs and cats have tags. You may think they won't ever get out but it happens sometimes. Also, please spay and neuter your pet. It is simply irresponsible not to do so. Thank you.

He almost bashed his brain in!

Around noon, Doug was working on his computer while sitting in the kitchen and heard a loud thump. A poor little birdie had smashed himself into the kitchen window. We went outside and there he was, completely stunned and breathing rapidly. He was standing on his little bird feet but he wasn't trying to fly away. I figured I'd give him a little time to get his bearings.

When I looked out the window a little later, he was gone. However, when I got home from work tonight there were birds at the feeders and one little guy just kind of hopping on the ground - it was our little brain basher. I knew I couldn't just leave him because apparently he is hurt enough that he can't fly. Eventually, I have to let the dogs out and although they wouldn't hurt him on purpose, I just had to do something with him.

So, I got a big box from the garage, put some newspaper on the bottom along with a bunch of shredded paper from my paper shredder (he needs a comfy nest you know!). Then the comedy show began.

I put on a pair of garden gloves and went out to put him in the box. Well ~ he didn't exactly like this idea and started to run and hop. He was fast! I chased him around and around the back yard for a good twenty minutes. I didn't want to just grab him and end up hurting him even more so I tried to get him in a corner and gently get him in the box. We got him in once and he managed to flap his little wings enough to get out of the box and start running around the back yard again.

We eventually got him in the box. I put in a shallow bowl of water in case he wanted a drink or maybe a bath. I need to go put some bird seed in there so he has something to eat. We called the local bird sanctuary but unfortunately they were closed by the time I called. Hopefully, once they get my message tomorrow they will call me back and tell me what to do with this little guy! The website gave some information about keeping them in the dark and quiet for a while so they have a chance to recover. I hope this little fella recovers soon and is able to fly away.

Of course, after watching me run around the backyard the dogs were going absolutely crazy! It took quite a while for them to settle down and to forget about what was going on in the back yard. So, that is the excitement for tonight. We have an extremely busy week so I'd better get off this computer and do some other things. Good Night!

Happy Friday!

Welcome for coffee, Company Girls!
The week has flown by and has been a very busy one. Doug was gone part of the week and got back Wednesday afternoon. So happy to have him home!He had a good time but has been a little under the weather since he got back.
We've got a few plans for the weekend. Tonight we are going to a ball game at the Drillers Stadium to see OU vs. OSU. Should be lots of fun!
We were going to go over to the old house to take care of the yard tomorrow. Luckily, someone left a flyer on the door and I called the number. So, instead of us having to do it, I'm just going to pay someone else to mow, edge and take care of it! I'm praying that I get an offer on that house soon. It's a cute little place and I can't understand why it hasn't sold yet. There was a showing last night, one today and one tomorrow. So, come on offers!! It's a great little place:

On Sunday, we are going over to Edmond to take Doug's mom to brunch for Mother's Day. Sunday is also my brother Bobby's birthday. Can't wait to see my family next month!!
Have a great weekend everyone!

Trying to get my mojo...

I mentioned back a few posts that I need an attitude adjustment. I'm working on it, I promise. I think this rainy, cold weather is just really getting to me. I love sun and I NEED sun! And warmth...I'm tired of being cold all of the time.

So, when I'm feeling crabby to begin with, people just aggravate me. The smallest little things bug me. I can think of a million things to complain about. But really, I shouldn't complain because when I step out of my crabby mood and look at my life, it's a pretty nice life. Here are some of the things I'm thankful for at this moment:
I've got a man who loves me and who just put a beautiful ring on my finger to prove it...Not that I needed the ring to prove it, I already knew it in my heart :) But the ring is beautiful and I appreciate it. (I haven't been able to get a picture that does it justice, so you guys will have to wait a little longer to see it!)
We have four furry little dogs that we are crazy about. And yes, they are crazy about us too.
I've got a job and most days I really like my job.
I'm healthy.
I'm smart. Is it conceited to say that?
Anyway...The sun is supposed to come out in the next couple of days and Doug will be home tomorrow. The nicer weather is just around the corner I just need to be patient.

Random Thoughts

~I'm sitting here tonight watching Celebrity Apprentice and I have dogs sprawled all over the place. *THAT* makes me happy. One of our family members is missing however...Douglasssssss. He is in San Diego for work. Wish I was with him... Things are not the same around here without him. We all miss him.
~We picked up my ring on Friday. It is even more beautiful than I remembered. Can't wait for my family to get to see it! Now we have to set a date for the big day. It will most likely be sometime late this summer or early fall. We have talked about going somewhere to get married and then coming back and having a party. Sounds like a plan. :)
~Finally finished Amanda's baby shower invitations today and will get them in the mail to Connecticut tomorrow. I'm happy to have those done. I wanted to share a picture of all of them complete. Unfortunately, the weather has been dark and rainy and I couldn't get a good picture of them.
Have a great week!

Four Years

Four years ago today, I lost my mom. And I lost my best friend.

Many things have changed in the four years she has been gone. Changes I couldn't fathom at the time. Back then, I had to take things minute by minute because I didn't know how I was going to make it without her. In my darkest hours I would remember how she would say that she didn't want us to be sad, that it would make her sad to see us unhappy. She wanted us to smile, laugh and be happy and remember all the good things about her. I think that is what makes it so hard to be without her.

So now, I do smile when I think of her and I laugh when I tell stories about her. It makes me happy to think of all the ways I am just like her. Like when I say things that she would say, or I mix up a popular quote. For instance, instead of saying "someone left the barn door open" I have been known to say "someone let the horses out of the barn". Or, just the other day, Doug laughed at me when I said "he is seeing the handwriting on the wall." My mom was always mixing things up and how we would laugh with her!

I'm trying to be more like her by being more spontaneous and not letting things get to me. She would just roll with things. If an opportunity arose, she would jump on it. It didn't matter if she had limited funds, she didn't let that stop her. She lived her life, even though it turned out to be way too short.

Today, I think she is smiling down from heaven. There have been dramatic changes in my life in the past four years. Today: a new chapter. Doug and I are picking up my ring. I'm so excited! I know my mom is looking down from heaven and smiling. I can hear her saying, "See! You never know what is going to happen! God never closes a door without opening a window." I know she is excited for me ~ I am excited for me. So, I'd better get going. The sooner I get ready, the sooner I get my ring! :)

How much is that Doggie in the window?

On Saturday, I pulled all the pansies out of the front. While taking pictures of the beds without flowers, I looked up to notice a crazy man looking out the window at me! Can you see him? Doug opened the windows in my office so the dogs could enjoy the fresh air and see what I was doing out front. I think I see Phoebe peering over the windowsill but Teddy is front and center. I wonder where the other two dogs are? The beds look sad without the pretty pansies.
I've only planted a few perennials so far including Black Eyed Susans and Lavendar.
I've left plenty of room to add more flowers and more color as I go along. Usually, I plant geraniums (usually pink) or begonia just like everybody else. This year I want to be different and mix things up. Plus, it is so exciting when things bloom from year to year and you can watch the plants get bigger and prettier. I've also thrown in a few verbena to attract the hummingbirds and butterflies. Of course, I forgot to take my after pictures so I'll have to do that another day.

Speaking of hummingbirds, I saw one just the other day. He flew up to one of the birdfeeders in the back looking for some nectar. I immediately came in and filled up my hummingbird feeder and put it in the backyard. I hope I'm not too late. All I need to do now is to plant some hummingbird and butterfly friendly flowers in the backyard too.

Lots going on at work. Getting ready for a few conventions coming up. Plus, we are starting an Osteoporosis Support Group at the end of May. Busy, busy, busy!

Yay Saturday!

The week went by pretty fast, actually it was a blur. With Niles getting sick and neither of us sleeping much, Friday was here and gone before I knew it. I guess going through the days totally exhausted makes you kind of oblivious to the here and now. Hopefully, we will all get rested up this weekend and get back on track.

The weather was gorgeous this week and I love it. I love having the windows open and being able to wear cute shoes without my feet freezing! The funny thing is, they freeze anyway. Even though we had temperatures up to 90 degrees and the house was warm with the windows open, I *still* had the space heater on my feet...Last night when Doug and I were sitting on the patio at McGills having some dinner, the weather was perfect but I was glad I brought my sweater. He just shook his head at me. I can't help it.

Early in the afternoon yesterday when I got home from work I saw that the heat has made my cute little rosebush absolutely POP! Just Thursday it had two little roses on it and last night it looked like this:

Unfortunately, its getting too hot for the pansies and it is time for them to go. I feel so guilty pulling out perfectly good plants. But the front is starting to look unsightly and overgrown. So, this weekend, out they go.

Waiting to be planted in their place are these:

and these:

Finally, I leave you with this: Have you ever wondered what a canned ham with legs would look like? Actually, I've never given it much thought but everyday I see this I think of new foods she reminds me of. To get the full effect you need to see her running down the street.

I just love her!

Cone Head

Poor Niles. He has a cone on his head. He had to make a visit to Dr. Hooley's office today and ended up having a couple of minor procedures done. Tonight, he is NOT a happy camper. Between being drugged up from the sedation, having a cone on his head and having some discomfort, he is not happy. I'll save him from the embarrassment of posting his cone head picture and instead post a picture of him from a better day.

Of course when I got the bill for all of this, I wasn't too happy either. Yikes!
On a more positive note, today was a beautiful day here in Oklahoma. The temperatures actually hit 90 degrees! I went to Home Depot and picked up some pretty flowers to plant in the front yard. Hopefully I'll get that done before the weekend because we are supposed to get some rain. Everything is really starting to green up so nicely. I love it!

Attitude Adjustment

I have been in total need for an attitude adjustment lately. I'm not exactly sure what my problem has been but I've been pretty cranky for a while now. I've been unsatisfied and just in a pretty unpleasant mood. Lots of things on my mind and knowing something needs to change although I'm not exactly sure what. Doug has been so patient with me and I'm greatful for that.

Thankfully, I'm feeling much better tonight. I went with my friend Tonya to The Melting Pot for ladies night. The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant and I can honestly say this is my first time EVER having fondue. The meal was good but of course, dessert was my favorite part! It was great to sit and chat with Tanya for a while and I came home with a new disposition.

Our weather is supposed to be fabulous for the rest of the week, so I'm hoping my pleasant mood sticks around.

Wow! Where has the week gone!?

Can't believe it has been a week since I last posted. Another too busy week and not nearly enough down time. Dinner out every night and crazy week at work.

Last night Doug and I worked the "Beers Around the World" table at the Holland Hall School Fundraiser. It was a last minute thing but we had so much fun doing it! Apparently someone else was scheduled to do it but couldn't, so Doug's friend asked us. I was nervous at first but I got the hang of it and we were laughing and having a good time most of the night.

We didn't bid on any of the silent or live auction items. Usually, I am a total sucker for those types of events. Honestly, I am trying so hard to declutter and not buy things that I really don't need. Except of course, scrapbooking and crafting supplies. I can't resist those! I didn't even look around to see what they had to offer because first, I was too busy and second, I didn't need the temptation!

Yesterday, during the day, we went for lunch at Tei Kei's and then went to look at diamond rings. :) I picked a ring that I liked but I wasn't so happy about the diamond that was in the ring. So, I picked out a different, what I thought was prettier diamond and the jeweler is going to custom make a new ring for the diamond I picked. It should take about a week or so to create. Stay tuned!

Well, I guess I should get off this computer. There are so many things I want to get accomplished today.

Happy Easter!

I hope everyone had a fabulous day! Doug and I stayed at home and had a nice dinner of pork roast, scalloped potatoes and veggies. It was simple but good. What a nice change of pace to just take it easy on a holiday; no rushing to get to family and no going crazy to prepare for guests. Quiet and peaceful. Nice.

Since it was a rainy, dark and sort of cold day, we just stayed in all day. Doug had the Master's tournament on and I watched some of that with him while I worked on getting our meal ready. Other than that I worked on a few things on my to do list. Nothing too stressful.

I spent about three hours cutting out the pieces for Amanda's shower invitations. They are going to be so cute. I will get them assembled sometime this week and get them mailed off to Jess and Jan to take over from there. Still throwing ideas back and forth as to what to do for shower favors.

Hope your weekend was a good one!

Painting with Priscilla!

Thank you for stopping by!



Last night I took a painting class with Priscilla Hauser. What a great time!Painting with Priscilla is a dream of mine from a long time ago. I used to watch her try to teach Carol Duvall on HGTV how to paint. I remember thinking that I would love to take lessons and someday be able to paint like her. Well, now I can! She has a studio right here in Tulsa located at 19th and Harvard. She teaches all kinds of lessons from painting parties to painting 101 to advanced lessons,and she will even teach private lessons. The class last night was a beginner paint class just for fun. The classes are three hours and you can choose from a variety of designs depending on the date you choose. I've signed up for a dragonfly painting class in May. At some point I would love to take Painting 101. Guess I'm just going to have to make room on my schedule for it.
Here is a picture of Priscilla with her sister Ann. Such sweet, talented ladies - and fun too!

Here I am with Priscilla and my painting:

Not bad for a beginner - if I do say so myself!
I'm hoping for a relatively quiet weekend this weekend. The Master's Golf Tournament is on so I know Doug will be glued to the TV most of the time. I'm cooking on Sunday. We are planning on having a pork roast with scalloped potatoes. I haven't cooked in a while so I'm actually looking forward to it. Doug isn't sure he really likes pork so I'm hoping for the best. I'll have some shrimp on hand to throw on the grill just in case. ;) Hope to get the baby invitations finished too.

Baby Dress Invitations

Aren't these cute? My little sister is having a baby in June, and of course, we are having a shower. I came across the most adorable card designed by Beatriz Jennings and knew I had to make the invitations to look just like her sweet card. Beatriz is a super talented paper crafter and I often go to her blog to seek out ideas.

Sorry for the terrible picture but the lighting in my house in the afternoon isn't all that great and I wanted to get this one wrapped with a gift. The one pictured above is actually a gift tag I am enclosing with a cute pink and white blanket that will be on its way to Connecticut tomorrow. Don't worry though, I have, oh, about 30 invitations to make so I'm sure there will be more pictures.

Doug is going to the Bruce Springsteen concert tonight at the BOK. We are meeting some friends for dinner at In The Raw before they all head off to the concert. He has invited me to go too but really, I'm not that interested. Besides, I have other things I would rather be doing - like making baby invitations. :)

Productive Weekend

Well, Douglas and I actually got a few things accomplished around here this weekend. While he scalped the lawn, I cleaned the garage. We *almost* have enough room for my car to be parked in there.

Saturday I planned to spend three hours in the garage. Just three. But, once I got started and got in the groove, I actually spent about seven hours out there. I loaded my car up to the top with flattened boxes that went off to the recycle center. I also had 5 big boxes of stuff that I dropped off at the Salvation Army. Yay me!

Decluttering is hard for me. I'm always thinking I'm going to need something once I get rid of it but I'm trying hard to overcome that. I actually came across some gardening magazines from 1998. Since 1998, I have moved, oh, four times including one move half way across the country. That means, those magazines have been packed up and moved too. Absolutely crazy. What was I thinking in keeping them all these years??? Guess what ~ out they went ~ to the recycling bin. I've promised myself to do better and to let things go...

Sunday was COLD! Doug and I went for lunch at TGIFriday's and went grocery shopping. By the time we got home I was exhausted. I decided to take a nap for about an hour while he watched golf. I then went to Michael's and poked around for a while. Last night, I went up to my craft room and made one invitation for Amanda's shower. I wanted to be sure they were going to turn out okay before launching into making 30 of them! So, now that I feel more confident in my abilities, I will work on them this week. Pictures to follow, I promise!

Today is another freezing cold day here in Oklahoma. Thankfully, it is supposed to warm up by Wednesday. Can't wait!

Another week..

Wow! How is it Friday? It has been a busy week but things have gotten accomplished so I'm happy about that.
Do these guys look nervous?

That's because they were on their way here:

It was time to have Teddy groomed and he doesn't like to go to the Spa alone so Phoebe got to go too. Not sure she was too happy about that. They came home with cute little Easter scarves on.

Niles and Nestle were glad to have missed out on that one. Phoebe has different texture fur and she tends to get matted more easily so she needs to be groomed more often. Niles and Nestle have more "wash and wear" hair so I just throw them in the sink and give them a good scrub. The funny thing is when they hear the water running in the laundry room, everyone runs and hides. When I find them, they totally avoid eye contact hoping I won't see them. It doesn't work. When I'm on a mission to get them washed, that's it, there going in! Gosh, I'm mean! ;)
Made a couple of trips to Goodwill this week. It feels so good to get rid of stuff. I also made a trip to Edmond and met EARC at my old house. I donated enough stuff to fill up *half* of a box truck! Honestly, I didn't even know what was in most of the boxes they picked up. Whew! Totally unbelievable!
My "big" plans for the weekend are to make some progress in our garage so I can actually park my car in there before the really bad weather this spring. I also have to work on the invitations for my sister's baby shower. That should be fun. I'll post a picture when I'm done.

Teddy Bear

I wanted to share a layout I did over the weekend. Doug took this picture around Christmas time and although it is sort of blurry I absolutely love it.

What do you think?

What a difference a day makes

Okay, so I thought I didn't like the rain, but snow? I *do not* drive in this stuff which means if Douglas is not around, I do not go anywhere! I know, I know, I'm from Connecticut so I should be used to this stuff, right? Wrong. People in Tulsa are some of the worst drivers I have ever seen in this stuff. I'm so nervous about it I'm better off just staying off the roads until they are clear.
I will admit, the snow is so pretty.
Priscilla Hauser, the decorative painter, had her open house yesterday.

I didn't know if the open house would get cancelled due to the weather but it wasn't. Doug drove me there and dropped me off while he went to a record store he likes near by. (Do they still call them that: ?record store?) I got to chat with Priscilla and her sister Ann. Two great ladies. I had such fun looking at all the artwork in the studio, watching them interact as they were doing a painting. Only a few people were brave enough to get out on the roads in the snow so there will be another open house scheduled in the near future.
Anyway, as I think I have mentioned in my previous post, I used to watch Priscilla Hauser on The Carol Duvall Show on HGTV. I used to dream I could paint like her and always wished I could take painting classes with her. Well, looks like my dream is going to come true! She offers all kinds of classes in her Tulsa studio and I have signed up for one. She was also kind enough to give me one of her books. Thank you Priscilla!
After the open house, Doug took me to Red Robin for a burger. I wasn't impressed. Honestly, for a ten dollar burger I guess I expected a lot more. Even the steak fries weren't all that great. Chili's has a much better burger that is less expensive and much more delicious. Guess we won't be heading back to Red Robin anytime soon.
Last night, Doug watched the basketball game while I went up to my craft room. I intended to straighten up but ended up scrapping a page instead. I'll probably post that later once I take a picture of it.
I've got lots of things I want to get done today so I'd better get off this computer and get moving.

I know we need the rain but...

This is what I'm seeing out my office window. Not a pretty sight ~ Pretty ugly and depressing if you ask me. And it's cold and only going to get colder. Yep, freezing tonight and snow tomorrow. Hopefully, this will be the last of it because I *really* am ready for spring.

This is what I'm seeing under my desk:

This is Nestle and he is very worried about all of the thunder outside. It makes him nervous! He goes back and forth from under my feet beside the space heater to look out the window to check out the commotion and back again:

The other dogs are sleeping peacefully in the nest. Not Nestle, he was jumping up and down all wild eyed and panting like a crazy man. I'm afraid he is going to have a stroke or something so I let him stay in my office with me while I work. The problem is sometimes he likes to bark when I'm on the phone. Not good.
I usually keep something soft like a wadded up paper towel on my desk and if I'm on the phone and he starts to bark, I bean him with it. Mean, huh?
Since I'm freezing and the weather is awful and I don't really want to go anywhere, my sweet Douglas is bringing me a hot steak grinder from Bellacino's. Yum!
Yesterday, I went to McAlister's Deli for lunch. In the plaza they had the most beautiful tulips all around. I love tulips. It was just starting to rain but they still are so pretty:

Oh! I almost forgot. A few weeks ago Doug and I went to the Tulsa Home and Garden Show. While we were there we saw Priscilla Hauser. She is a decorative painter. I used to watch her on The Carol Duvall Show on HGTV. I was so excited! As is turns out, she has a little painting studio here in Tulsa where we can take a painting class or have painting party with friends or whatever. I have signed up to take a class with her in a couple of weeks. Anyway ~ tomorrow she is supposed to have an open house to show off her studio. So I'm praying the snow isn't bad on the roads and the open house is still on. I'm SOOO looking forward to it!

Ooops!

Somehow I published today's blog without typing in anything. Let me try this again.

We went to Savastano's tonight for pizza. Call me crazy but I like my pizza cut into wedges ~ not into squares! At Savastano's they absolutely *will not* cut the pizza into wedges. They claim because it is supposed to be Chicago style pizza and the owners are from Chicago that they are not allowed to cut the thin crust pizza into wedges. What ever happened to "the customer is always right"? We asked for the pizza to be brought out uncut so we could cut it ourselves - into wedges. It may sound crazy but I think it tastes so much better cut into wedges. I don't like pizza without crust on the end. So, out it came and we cut it ourselves. Ummmmm.. delicious! and I was so much happier.

I will eat there again because the pizza is good. Next time though, I'm going to bring my own pizza cutter. Our waitress brought out the biggest clunker pizza cutter I've ever seen. The wheel was completely wobbly and I thought it was going to fall off the handle and go rolling across the floor. (I must be tired because I'm laughing to myself thinking about that wobbly wheel while I'm typing this -hee hee hee!)

Okay, so now that we've talked about food...

This is Phoebe. Also known as Phoebe Buffet, Phoebe who stayed too long at the Buffet, Curly, Girls, Feebs, Nerky, Narnickiny...the list goes on and on. She has never met a meal she hasn't liked. Let's just say she has a slight, ahem, weight challenge. We tell her it looks good on her though. :) I'm not sure if you can see from this picture but she has stumpy little legs and a nice, round belly. She sort of wobbles when she walks - kind of like a weeble. When she runs she looks like a little millipede.
Anyway. Curly and I have just started walking in the evening. We both need to stretch our legs a little. Since we are just starting out, she can't go very far without running out of steam so we are starting slow. The problem is, when she gets tired ~ after oh, about 100 feet or so, ~ she tries to walk directly under my feet so I'll pick her up. But I'm smarter than that. Tonight I tried to run just slightly ahead of her and made her run to catch me. I'm sure we were quite a sight. She just needs to lose a few .oz's and hopefully by helping her get a little extra exercise she can lose a little weight (and maybe I will too...).
I can't really put her on a diet or limit her food intake because she is already very food possessive and she gets even worse when I even think about limiting her intake. Plus with four dogs, honestly, it is so much easier to just free feed. So, as an alternative we are walking. Hopefully the exercise will do us both good and will wear her out so she will just sleep at night instead of guarding the food bowl all night long. Maybe we will both benefit.

Time is just flying by...

Gosh, where does the time go? I can't believe it has been almost a week since I posted last. In a nutshell, things we have been up to:
1. St. Patricks Day: Doug and I met Jerry and Annette at LXI for dinner and drinks. What a great time we had and great food too!
2. Friday night we went to Bonefish Grill with Dr. T and Tonya. Another great night of dinner and drinks and fun conversation with friends. It was a last minute decision to go and I'm glad we did!
3. On Saturday, Doug and I went to D'Lambrusco's for a nice lunch, we ran around doing some errands and then headed back home. Doug put together a bookcase for my craft room and I worked up there for the rest of the evening. I made a fleece blanket for the dogs and finally got around to making Doug's Boston Red Sock's fleece blanket (a year and a half later...)
4. On Sunday we rented a U-haul trailer and went to Edmond to empty out some of the stuff in the garage. I guess in our hurry to get things done we didn't quite load the trailer correctly and on our drive home the thing started swaying like crazy. It scared me so much it made me sick. We had to drive really slow all the way back to Tulsa. It was that or pulling over, unloading and reloading all over again. That probably would have been the safer thing to do. Oh well, we made it safely. We unloaded the trailer and returned it. I cannot wait until we are done!

The house in Edmond showed four times over the weekend but so far no offers. I'm really hoping something happens soon.

Tonight I took the dogs for a walk. One at a time. I simply CANNOT walk four dogs at once. Not my dogs anyway. Nestle and Niles do just fine. I used to walk them together all the time. Phoebe is just a mess! She zigzags all over the place and we hardly make it halfway around the block and she is running into my feet which means she wants me to pick her up. She's the one who needs to walk! I'm going to have to progress slowly with her because she is so heavy she just can't handle going that far just yet. Teddy is just a goofball on a leash. He jumps up on the curbs like a little jackrabbit and then is scared if the wind blows. Walking on the leash is all new to him. He is used to running around the back yard uninhibited. He is just too cute.

It was a nice night for a walk. The temps were in the mid 70's and there were lots of people out walking their dogs, riding bikes with their kids and just enjoying the evening. Our neighborhood is a great place to walk and I plan to do alot more of that this spring.

Doug may or may not be going to Georgia at the end of this week. I can't believe tomorrow is Tuesday already. I've got a list of things to accomplish this week that is a mile long. Wish me luck!

What a beautiful day!

Don't you just love spring?

These are some of my pretty pansies out front.
The weather today is almost perfect. Warm, slight breeze, in the 80's. Gotta love it! It is spring break here in Oklahoma and so far one of the nicest we have had since I moved here in 2001. Usually it is cloudy and rainy but it looks like we are in for a very nice week. I'm so excited!
This weekend was a productive one. I spent some time in my craft room organizing and cleaning. The room is a great size but my biggest problem is that I have SO MUCH STUFF! Plus, the room has a funny "L" shape with sloped ceilings so it is difficult to decide where to put things. Thankfully Doug put up two of my embellishment centers and a huge bulletin board for me. Thank you Douglasssss!!!

Sorry about the dark picture but the area is tucked away in a little corner away from the light. I'm just so excited to have a place to put some of my stuff. I've got alot more to organize and I will post pictures of that as I go along.

Of course, I can't go up there for one minute without the dogs looking for me. When I look around the corner, this is what I see:

Gotta love it!

Snow.. Ugh!

Woke up to a freezing cold day today with big, fat snowflakes. I am so ready to be done with winter. I need sunshine and warm days. The good news is that it looks like by the middle of next week we will be headed into warmer weather. Can't wait!

Last night we went to a dinner presentation at Flemings Steakhouse in Utica Square. The presentation was about continuous epidural infusion rather than a single epidural steroid injection for back pain. Exciting, huh? Actually, it was kind of interesting and definitely made sense for some of our patients. Look forward to see if it works better than the ordinary injection. The dinner part wasn't the greatest however. I was really looking forward to eating at Fleming's because I had never been. It was mediocre at best and it definitely wouldn't be my choice if I had to pay the bill.

Missed out on a dinner tonight because of exhaustion and a terrible headache. I was supposed to attend a meeting at Dave and Buster's but didn't make it. Been going like crazy and need a break. So, I'm just taking the evening a little easy, straightening up my office which has gotten totally out of control the last week. Also listening to my iTunes and to Doug hollering in the other room over the Sooners and the basketball game. Sorry Douglas. :( Seems as though the Sooners have let him down tonight.

Okay, enough doom and gloom. On a more positive note, here I am tonight with Teddy:

I know I look tired, but isn't he just too cute?!?

On other positive news, I booked our flight for our trip home to Connecticut this summer. Can't wait! We are going to stay with Bobby and Jess and I'm sure have a great time. Yay! We haven't been to Connecticut since September of 2007 and I sure miss my family. And I can't fail to mention my favorite pizza in the whole entire world: Pepe's Pizza on Wooster Street in New Haven. It's world famous. I tell my family everytime I go home that I'm going for Pepe's. They can join me or not but I'm not going to miss it - yes - it IS that good!

C'mon Spring!

Over the last week we got a teaser of spring weather. It has been in the 70's and maybe in the 80's and I have loved it! We had the windows open to let in some fresh air and it has been great ~ even though it has stirred up my allergies a bit ~ I'll take it! Unfortunately, that was just a tease. The weather is taking a nosedive this afternoon into the 40's and it will be cold for the next several days. NO FUN! I'm hopeful though because spring is right around the corner. There are cute little buds on the trees, my pansies are perking up out front and I'm feeling motivated! I've got my list of things to work on and I'm crossing things off a little at a time.

Work has been crazy. Dr. Webb is out of town for a conference and I thought I would use these few days to catch up on a few things. I'm not catching up like I hoped I would. Some days I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels. I just keep plugging away hoping to catch up.

Nice to be home...

While it is great to get away and get a break once in a while, it is always nice to return home. We got back Sunday night to a quiet, empty house. The dogs were still at Cathy's and I could hardly wait until Monday morning when I could pick them up. Boy, were they happy to see me! Usually they go a little crazy in the car but when I picked them up they all seemed to know we were heading home and everybody was so well behaved while I was driving. When we got home, I had four little shadows following me everywhere I went. I love those little bears...

Too, while getting away is nice, the work left behind always piles up. I've been working like crazy all week to catch up. I just have to remind myself that everyone else's "emergencies" are NOT my emergencies. However, I like to make people happy and I like to get things done so I let little things stress me out. I have to remember to take time to breathe.

One giant project I am happy to be done with is getting my personal and business tax records to my accountant. I'm praying I don't owe taxes this year. Last year, I got hit with a whopper of a tax bill and it took me quite a while to recover from that. I'm hoping for the best this year and I'm just so happy to turn my records over to him and let him deal with it.

The weather is supposed to be in the 70's for the next couple of days and I plan to take full advantage of that. I'm meeting my friend Phyllis at PF Changs for lunch tomorrow and I am so looking forward to seeing her and catching up. I'm not sure what Doug and I will do this weekend ~ maybe a trip to OKC to take care of a few things. Savastano's has opened their new restaurant (finally!) so we might try that. I heard that last night there was a wait to get in. We'll see how it goes.