All set up for Christmas

So I have mentioned on the blog before that when the hubby and I started dating (13 years ago) my grandma suggested we buy a Christmas ornament when ever we travel and to get at least one new one each year for the tree.

See this is SUCH a fabulous idea because every ornament on the tree has a story.

But see I am a bad Christmas person. I LOVE Christmas. I LOVE seeing everyone's decorations, I love getting into the spirit I LOVE getting our new ornament every year but I am a little ashamed to admit this......

This is the FIRST TIME IN 7 years (yes all the years we have been married) that I put up a tree **hangs head in shame**

Yes you see I have never "bothered" because of the mess and I am so SORRY I never did! I popped in The Cinderella Story (with Drew Barrymore) and started to decorate.

The before:




And then the after:




I so wish I would have done this forever ago....


Sorry for the bad pictures this one was taken at my mom's house the first year we were dating 1998 (akk I am so old) I remember this picture and if I recall correctly that I was wearing *gasp* overalls! Ugg


And this one is one of my new favorites. I am not sure if you remember our Christmas morning last year? Yeah our furnace caught fire and at 5am Christmas morning and 15 guys from the fire department came out to investigate? You can read about it here?
I just thought the fire dog was a fabulous way to remember that year?



And this one is from Mount Rushmore...

I also realize now that I have dragged everything out that I NEED MORE STUFF!! I need WAY more lights for the tree, and a tree skirt, and a wreath for outside.. the list is endless!

So I totally understand if you want to start collecting a new one each year too... Its so cool! I am getting old though so all the ornaments are marked with dates and placed so my crazy brain can remember where they are from....

Now that the tree is all set up I will show you some more of my fabulous decorations and the stories behind them.

Its a funny story really...

A couple of weeks ago Old Navy was having a fabulous sale! All clearance was %50 off PLUS I had a coupon for an extra %30 off.

So I headed out in search of almost FREE (well sort off if you do the math, the items were already marked down %50 plus MY EXTRA %80 off) items.

I am usually not a HUGE fan of Old Navy but for the clearance and quality there is just no where else to get deals like that.

So I made a "few" purchases and paid $23 for 3 pairs of pants, 6 sweaters and 7 shirts. WOW what a steal! The pants were all $3.20 FOR CARGO PANTS! And they are so comfy!

I immediately wash the black ones to wear and I LOVE them. I also love that I got them in 3 colors.

Well yesterday I was feeling under the weather. I slept late, was dragging and I swear I am fighting something that wants to make me sick (I also think it may be stress)

Anyways I head out to the post office which is a block from the house and throw on a pair of my new comfy pants.

I run a few errands and come home to cook dinner.

After dinner I use the rest room and I notice I HAVE HUGE BRUISES ALL OVER MY LEGS!! I run out of the bathroom with my pants around my ankles to show the hubby.

We are both SUPER concerned, he is telling me I need to go to the hospital and I am FREAKING out because WHAT IS THIS!! We thought all the bruising was from the massage the hubby gave me the night before....

Then I start to laugh....

Yeah the pants I "threw on" had not been washed.. And the grey dye transferred onto my skin! It was SO GROSS/Scary I will never do that again (wear something before its washed) I am usually VERY weird about stuff like that because of all the stuff I read like this and this.

And I would have taken a pictures but it was UGLY.. But the good news is I do not have to go to the hospital! lol

Thats it your fired!!

The laundry fairy is SERIOUSLY lacking on her duties?

I mean this is 10 loads of laundry just lying on the counter! I mean the nerve of some people.

Its been there for 2 days!!! You figure she would get the picture??

(this has since been put away...sheesssh no help from the fairy either!)

DIY projects the ugly ottoman...August 2010

So before we moved I was on my way home from work and spotted a garage sale that was closing up.

This little gem caught my eye.. She was SO ugly, but it turns out the lady was packing up and did not want to drag in back into the garage and I paid $2 for this baby.... The lady had just reupholstered it and I LOVED the top of it...

I know shes ugly...


So I took off the legs....






Sprayed her with primer...





And they sprayed her black...


Voila she still has a little life left in her.. And I now LOVE it, we were looking for something for the end of the bed because its so high and sometimes at night Daisy trys to jump and falls off.. I thought this would make it easier..


And now that we are all moved into our new place... there is no room for her...

I am linking to this party


Show & tell

Making complete strangers cry

So being that we are moving and all, I had a HUGE box of stuff that was left over from couponing, stuff that I would not be using in the near future.

Anyways I went back to My new love Craigslist and posted the whole box for $20 there is probably about $150 worth of stuff in there.

So I had a lady call wondering the different prices of everything and I explain its for everything and they had to come get it that night.

She said her husband would be by in about an hour.

Then about 10 minutes later she called me back, and went on to explain to me that she lost her job when she was diagnosed with cancer and they went to apply for assistance but because her husband has a good job with the post office they would not give her assistance and they have twin 12 year olds.

Times are tough and she asked if I was doing any more couponing before we leave if I could keep her and her family in my thoughts and anything would help.

So hubby and I got to talking and I asked him if I should just give her all the food in our fridge and freezer (it has to be cleaned out anyways) and the 3 boxes of dry goods (pastas, sauces, soups ect) that had already been packed. We were worried about offending her so I called her back.

She cried on the phone and said she "knew" God would provide and its in his hands. After her family came to pick everything up (her husband looked stunned as I refused his money) she sent me this text

"I just wanted you to know that even though its not Christmas it felt like Christmas to us. Even my husband broke down and cried as we prayed and thanked you and God for the blessing that was bestowed on us this evening. GOD BLESS you on your trip and if there is anything we could ever do for you please let us know"

We are so blessed in our lives it makes my heart sing to be able to help someone else who is in need.

Something that I have missed

Y'all know how I am a photographer at heart.

But its so weird, I go through phases, where I LOVE to take a million pictures and I try to find photo opps in everything.

And then I go weeks or a month without "really" taking any pictures?

Does this happen to anyone else?

Where you go crazy for a bit, then take a step back?

I was thinking today and I started perusing photography sites again and I spent about 2 hours just marveling at the beauty in the world.

I also went back to one of my FAV photographers sites.

Herb Ritts

It was his print that made me LOVE photography, I am not sure what it is about this print but I LOVE it. Its so beautiful.

Insert foot in mouth here...

I tend to sometimes not have a filter.

I say what I am thinking almost all the time.... And some times I should REALLY just not say anything.

For instance:

Example 1: While at the hospital with food poisoning while waiting for the Dr. 2 of the nurses explained he was called to a "code" which was what was taking so long.

Well when the Dr finally got to our room and diagnosed me the conversation went something like this.

Dr. "I apologize you had to wait so long, we have reviewed you test.. blah blah....."

Me "Yeah the nurses said you were attending to a "code" I hope you were able to save the person"

Dr. "No I was not able to, she passed away"

Me "Oh I am so sorry"


Example # 2:

A table of 10 ladies come in for lunch on a Friday

Me "Hi ladies, looks like we are a wedding party when is the big day?"

Bride to be "Tomorrow, I am so excited, all the ladies are going out for lunch and the guys are all out golfing today while we do girl stuff"

Me "Oh that's funny, I have a friend who's wedding party the guys went golfing the day before the wedding and they all forgot to wear sunscreen so all the wedding pictures they were so burnt it looked like they were all still wearing their sunglasses...pretty funny huh?"

Bride to be and WHOLE wedding party immediately start texting like mad....

Example 3 :

Table of 12 walks in, they are all hugging and kissing like they have not seen each other in forever..

Me " Hi everyone... it looks like we are out celebrating today.. Whats the happy occasion?

Party "Oh we are all in town for a funeral"


So yeah I think I have some things to work on....

My Bucket List

I have been thinking a lot lately about goals and things I would LOVE to see for the hubby and me. This is my list of the top things I would really like to do in my life.

1. Be debt free (unnecessary debt like credit cards). This is #1 but also because it will be the biggest accomplishment.

2. Kiss under the Eiffel Tower.

3. Change someones life.

4. Volunteer more hours in a week than I work.

5. Take my family on an expense paid trip.

6. Go to the airport with a bag packed and get on a flight to where ever sounds great (with the hubby of coarse)

7. Volunteer for another disaster team.

8. Be a home owner.

9. Take a dream vacation to Fiji.

10. Learn sign language.

11. Learn another language.

12. Travel to India.

13. Flip a house (buy and renovate and sell)

14. Influence a child's life.

15. Plan a wedding (or 10 year anniversary)

16. Take a cooking class.

17. Paint something for the walls in the living room.

18. Have a library in our house.

19. Spread my grandfathers ashes at duck lake where my grandmothers ashes were spread.

20. Take a dance class with the hubby.

21. Drive a Harley with my dad on the back.

22. Travel across the US again with the hubby in a car with air conditioning...

23. Rescue another dog.

24. Spend a big family Christmas at home in Canada.

25. Get a tattoo with the husband.

26. Take a photography class.

27. Start a small photography business.

28. Swim with sharks.

29. Dance naked in the rain.

30. Go ski diving.

More to be added soon!

Addicted to junk TV!!

Has anyone else been watching Celebrity Rehab?

I love it.....


My name is Random and I am addicted to reality TV!!! Any show really...

America's Next Top Model

House Virgins

Income Property (actually any home show on HGTV)

MTV 16 and Pregnant

I did not know I was pregnant

Say yes to the dress

Platinum weddings

Addicted

Hoarders

Kendra

The millionaire matchmaker

Undercover boss (CEO's go undercover in their own company's)

High Society

Sober House

Yes my name is Random and I am addicted to reality Tv..lol Which is funny because I do not watch tv ever at the regular time, I TIVO it and watch it sans commercials..lol

And the hubby HATES it he is constantly yelling at me "How can you watch this garbage!"

Its like a train wreak I can just not look away!

I can see my toes OVER my head!!!

This IS HUGE!!

I have fallen back in love with Bikram yoga.

A long time ago (about 12 years ago) I used to practice about 9 times a week. I loved it, it made me full of energy, helped me stay slim, it just all round made me feel good.

I forgot how much I LOVE IT!

When I started back at my first Bikram class 2 weeks ago I could BARLEY (and that's being nice) stand the whole class, I was dizzy, lightheaded, nauseous. It was bad. But I stuck it out, stayed in the class.

And kept going back.

And 8 classes later I AM BACK!! And I want to scream it for the world to hear!!

This is the posture that has eluded me for weeks



And today I HIT IT! all 4 times.

I think I may have done a little happy dance, and at the end of class while we were resting in the last posture the instructor was talking about "The best thing about teaching is seeing a student work SO HARD, and being there their first class and seeing how far and well they have come"

To be honest it felt like he was talking just to me.

And maybe he was.

Coming soon to "People of Walmart"

Oh yes, I have become that crazy pet parent!

I was off work today because of the "big D" my stomach has been messed up all day (I know too much information) so I was home from work.

Daisy was excited of coarse we laid around all day taking naps, playing fetch and just being silly girls.

I noticed she kept licking herself. Something she does not usually do, so about a couple of hours later she was STILL licking herself so I flipped her over to see what she was licking.

Her nipple was bleeding and she had 2 marks on her belly that were also bleeding, I called the hubby, called the vet to say we were coming and out the door I went.

In my jammies.

Oh yeah I am "that" lady running into the pet hospital in her PJ's (in my defense they do not "really" look like jammies, black pants with a white sweatshirt?)

AND I did not look in the mirror in my haste....

So yeah Daisy is fine she just scratched herself but the site of blood made me freackoutalittle because I do not handle blood very well. Mine or anyone elses.

SO while I was walking around walmart to get slim jims to hide her anti-biotics in I envisioned my picture posted here because:

1. I was in my jammies

2. I was wearing my dressy peacoat open so you could see my jammies

3. In my SUPER comfy fuzzy socks

4. I did not even bother to fix my hair or anything...

It was so bad the hubby did a one over when I walked in the door

And I was not wearing I bra... Oh yeah coming soon to the pages of The people of Walmart

I wash EVERYTHING..

Yep, I put everything in the washer and dryer...


Case and point. I found this BEAUTIFUL vintage "faux fir" (or what I thought) at goodwill for a steal at $3. It was so gorgeous on it fit PERFECT! I though I would take it home and wash the thrift store smell out of it and try my luck at dying it because the color was a little uneven....



There goes that idea.....



And because it was so old there was no label.. But I guess I should have maybe looked a little better? lol

Oh well I tried...

Helping the needy

So one of the jobs I work for I mentioned that we should put together a team to do stuff in the community. Volunteer, help with events and so on. Well one of my managers (we have 5) and I joined together and came up with the "Community action team"


This was a couple weeks ago, we helped pack up and distribute goods to to the needy at a community center that was scheduled to distribute turkey dinner to 450 family's.


Me on the truck doing some heavy lifting.
Packing up the boxes
In the pantry me and a co-worker with the same name..


After a hard days work! All sweaty and dirty!


It was lots of fun. I would be lying if I did not say there were some tears. Its amazing what people do without. It was so humbling to hand out boxes of food to people and family's who need it.

We also had to say no and turn some people away. In order to get the packaged goods you were required to register the week before hand. My general manager and I had a "code word" actually be quawed like a bird to be honest when people showed up and were not on the list. There was LOTS of food and we actually did this for 2 days straight and it was REALLY hard to look someone in the eyes and tell them no.

So for some people we did not.

Nope.

We added them to the list and sent them off with a cart of goods.


But to be honest, when a gentleman comes up with tears in his eyes and asks "how can I get a few cans of food? My wife was laid off from her job 3 weeks ago and we have nothing left" (the center has fresh bread and donations daily for free all you have to do is walk in...

You give him a cart of food, with a turkey and maybe a few extra and when he grabs you in your arms crying and whispers "god bless you" into your ear.

You cry too.

On a budget....

So times are tough.. and I had a coupon for free hair dye. From the look of my locks you can tell its been a while since I have been to the salon.. like 6 months!! And seeing how I am leaving for vacation in 4 days!!!! And the fact that I am a server and I am not going to be getting paid FOR 20 DAYS, I need to cut corners where I can!





The finished product!


I love the new color, its similar enough to my own that it will not be too terrible as it grows out.

Not bad for free huh? Now I just have to hit up a cheap hair cut place for a trim....

A diamond in the rough

So I bought this dress. It was a dollar. The dress was cute but not the color. I told myself for a dollar I would buy the dress and get some cute accessories and shoes to go with it. I mean it was a lime green dress how bad could it be to accessorize it? You know how you try on dresses and then one fits but its not the one you were dreaming about?? Well that was this dress. It was cute, it fit in all the right places, it was "doable" but not the cutest color...



And then I got to thinking... What if this dress was PINK?? I would totally love this dress if it was pink! I have NEVER died anything before. Or even thought about it so seeing how I had a coupon for a craft store I headed over to see if they had clothing die..... And they did.... So here we go....


Prepping the dress for dying... (see how ugly the color was? I lime/yellow green?)



And then........................






















VOILA!! A super cute party dress for a grand total of $4.00.


I LOVE this dress now.....


Do you do projects like this?

Coffee and I are not friends..

We have never been, really. I NEVER drink coffee, or soda for that matter. Caffeine and me are on the outs. We always have been. I don't know why really I just love to drink water. And lots of it.

I drink coffee so rarely that when I came home with a 4 pack of Starbucks Mocha Frappachinos the hubby says "Who are those for? You do not drink coffee?" (they were on sale and I had a coupon)

Also he does not drink cold coffee.


SOOOOO on to my Mochas. A little tib bit about how I do not like the way caffeine makes me feel. Although when I do need it IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the smell of coffee ( I did work for a HUGE coffee place as a manager for almost 2 years) I just do not like the taste.

Weird no?

Well this morning I busted open on of those cold coffees.....


AND WHOA!! COFFEE IS FUN!!!

I have been SUPER productive this morning:

Walk dog ~ check
Go to store to pick up sale items ~ check
Clean bathroom (after procrastinating for 2 weeks) ~ check
Shower ~ check
Laundry ~ check
Watch 2 big brother episodes I missed ~ check
Applied for 6 jobs online ~ check
Did nails ~ check
Blog entry ~ check
Walk dog (again) ~ check

Wow I think I may have to rethink this whole "I do not drink coffee bit" and its only 9:30!!

If you want to read about my NEW GIVEAWAY that starts Monday click here 7 books in 7 days Bonanza!

Coming up...

1. The reason I cut my eyelashes.



2. I hate my restaurant job and rant about stupid people.

3. We may be moving AGAIN.

4. Weight loss struggles.

5. Shoe therapy and how I stimulate the economy..

I really amuse myself sometimes!

Yes we stopped a complete stranger to take a picture.. she was laughing as hard as we were...

The LOOT!

I am so getting a hang of this coupon thing!! I did not do as well as I could have because I did not have a coupon for EVERY ITEM, but I did pretty good and I know where I made my mistakes.

My total bill was $56.09 and out of pocket I only paid $8.67!! A savings of OVER $47!!

So I also purchased this


So I can duplicate the binder this lady had!! I am going to be a coupon MONSTER!! I spent a few hours yesterday scouring sites with coupons. Watching you tube on "how to do it" I am SO EXCITED about saving money on stuff we need anyways..

And I also discussed with the hubs when I can get stuff for free I am going to start a big box of stuff for one of the charities or "food banks" in our area! I can see the overflow becoming a certain problem..ha ha..

Look out retailers I am going to find you and the best deal I can get!

Memorial Day - For those who have gone before us

My drive to work for the last week has been donned with American flags. Its about 3 miles of American flags lining the way to work.

And it got me to thinking....



I stopped and bought a bunch of flowers.


And I stopped at the local cemetery and decorated graves that did not have flowers. And I said a little prayer for each person I left flowers for. It was a lot more emotional than I thought it would be. On the entrance to the cemetery they were giving out American flags if you were stopping at a grave of a Veteran. I ran inside to get a list of which graves were veterans because I was looking for graves of Veterans that had not been yet visited.



I left with a sense of clarity and calmness, I thanked them all for their service and sacrifice.

It so weird because I do not know what made me get this idea in my head. But it was good idea...

It will be my new Memorial day tradition.

I remember taking this picture at Arlington National Cemetery while choking back tears.... It humbles me all the lives sacrificed for this country.


Today we all remember.