scammin

yesterday i was in the grocery store with the boys when i was approached by a woman.  middle aged, seemed nice, she complimented on how cute my boys were and asked their ages.  little did i know at the time that she was just trying to strike up a conversation with me so that she could talk about her "company".  we somehow ended up on the subject of homeschooling when she jumped in with, "you know, i work for this company and i love my new job, you might like it too- you can work from home!"  i say, "really?  what kind of work do you do?" (why are you offering me a job?!)
"it's financial, i work in finances, i'm still new... i think it would be perfect for you, if you were looking to make some extra money..."
i'm sure she can see the skepticism on my face (seriously lady?  do i have the word sucka on my forehead?) but i ask anyway.  "what company do you work for?"
"it's called _____.  (i already forgot the name) it's a really good company.  they give you all the help you need, it's really easy. and a great way to make something extra.  wanna give me your name and phone number so i can contact you?
(did someone add stupid right next to sucka on my forehead?)  "as tempting as this all sounds, i really am busy and have a lot on my plate right now.  these three boys are just half my brood.  i have 6 children."
"wow, you are really busy!"
(ya, no duh) (smile)
"okay then, you have a nice day then."
"you too." (happy scamming!)

have i been living a sheltered life, or are scammers getting bolder? 
i even got scammed at wally world.  i got charged $40 for a $12 memory stick.  it said 4gb right on the package, but the receipt said it was a 16gb.  of course, i didn't notice this error until i got home and looked at the receipt- all the way home i was wondering why the bill was so high.  i took it back the next day and the manager told me that they could not refund me for something that was not there.  the product in my hand was not what was on the receipt and vice versa.  i asked them to ring up the product in my hand again and it came up as it's correct price.  I don't know what they scanned- there was not another memory stick at the checkout.  since there are cameras at each check out, the manager said he would review the footage and call me later in the day.  okay.  i waited, and waited.  the next day i went back.  mr. manager that i talked to is not in that day.  i call the next day and he is still not there so i talk to another manager and leave a message.  still nothing.  at this point i am wondering if it is worth the fight.  i don't exactly live close to wally world, it's in the next town, granted, it takes about 15 minutes to get there but there is some freeway access involved.  i was so mad.  i'm over it now, but i did not shop there for over a month- see? i don't hold a grudge long.   lesson learned.  i just now know to always check my receipt if i suspect there's a problem right away.

tell me your scam story!

what i wore wednesday

i got dressed a few times this past week!  link up at the pleated poppy and join us!
in the first photo devyn caught me giving myself a once over.

 

hat- target?

gray hooded sweater- target

black sweater(favorite)- target

jeans- gap (i got the idea to roll them from lisa)

3 buckle boots- robert wayne

 headband- target

scarf- target

swan t-shirt- target

jeans- gap

red maryjanes- nine west

brown longsleeved t-shirt- h&m 

sweater- gap (this photo makes me look like i have a boob malfunction- it's the sweater.  i think?)

jeans- kohls

brown mary janes- target

it's the little things

the little things that make me happy today:

fresh flowers on the dining room table

 

 

 

 

 

 

keith getting out of school at 2 o'clock today.
i finished my bible study lesson before bible study.

fresh fruit on the table

pumpkin french toast i made this morning.  it was good.  sorry, the pics didn't come out so good, but trust it was yummy.

this face

i hope you all are having a happy thursday!!

what i wore wednesday

i am joining in on something fun at the pleated poppy.  i've been following lisa leonard's blog for a while and when she started posting what i wore wednesdays i found myself looking forward to her posting every wednesday so i could see what she wore that week!  i am not a fabulous dresser like her but, it seems like fun, and will probably get me out of my jammies so i will give it a go.
i'm only posting what i wore today since i am just joining in today.  i hope to have a few days worth next wednesday. my daughter took this photo and cut off my head- which is fine by me, but you can't really see the cowl in the cowl neck sweater.

cowlneck sweater- target

thermal shirt- local shop

wide legged pants- gap

uggs- ugg outlet store

careful what you wish for

when i first set eyes on these bowls it was kismet.  i went to pottery barn with a friend to look at frames and i ended up drooling over these bowls.  so pretty and white, i thought to myself, now THESE are cereal bowls!  AND, they were dishwasher and microwave safe!  the cereal bowls i had at the time were not microwavable and shallow.  can't have much cereal in those and i loves me some frosted flakes and would like to have them in a nice, deep bowl.  oh, i could just taste it and this could be the perfect bowl!  or so i thought.  anyways, that first night i used my rule for buying pricey things.  that rule is, walk away.  if after a couple of days i still feel the need to have it then go back and buy it.  after a few days i knew i needed to have those bowls and so the next time i went to the mall i stopped into pottery barn and bought 8 of those beauties.  at home, they look good in my cabinet- i decided to switch all of my dishes to white and they look so crisp and pretty! 
the first time i used one i had tomato bisque.  i was not only enjoying the yummy soup, but my pretty bowl as well.  it wasn't until i got to the last few teaspoons of my soup that i realized that i had a problem.  when you get to the bottom of what ever you are eating, a spoon will no longer work unless you  a) have a ladle or  b)tilt the bowl.  i guess it's no big deal, but i feel stupid for not even considering that the thing i loved most about the bowl would be the thing that would disappoint me in the end.  oh well, it still looks pretty.

this one goes out to those drooling over the great white traditional bowls at pottery barn.

meet pepper

we have really gone off the deep end now!  we have an addition to our family!  seriously, i just had my gallbladder removed, i did not pop out another kid!  but, we did get a puppy!!!
her name is pepper

she is a vizsla, almost 6 months old which is why she is so big! 37lbs already!  last monday we were going to get an 8 week old pup, but then the breeders said they had an older dog who they were going to train as a show dog but changed their minds because she had an underbite.  we asked to see her and i knew she was going to be ours.  we came home and talked it over as a family.  the kids wanted the smaller puppy but jay and i convinced them that pepper was a better choice- she had all of her shots so we could take her out to play right away and we didn't need to be as careful for the next 8 weeks.  we all agreed and went back to get her at the end of the week.
she is already spoiled to pieces!  by next week the honeymoon for the kids will be over and then we will see if they start going back on all of their promises!!

surgery

my gallbladder surgery is tomorrow.  it's a quickie, about an hour.  i go in around 7:30 and should be home before noon.  the surgeon explained the procedure to me so that i understand and would be more at ease about it, but i am still super nervous!!!!  can you believe hubs used the words "you" and "despondent" in the same sentence yesterday?!!  i'm just nervous- i'm not THAT bad, sheesh!!!

not the average day

i awoke yesterday morning for my 6am walk with colleen like i always do. 
drew was gone by the time i got back, but that happens sometimes.
i kissed cam and hubs goodbye as they drove off for school and work.
i walked keith to school.  i drove devyn to her enrichment classes.
i ate breakfast while i watched castle.  i let the carter and deacon watch tv and then i went to work in the new office.   the entire office needed painting so i got started on the ceiling.  about 10 minutes into it i started to feel a burning in my chest, like heartburn.  the burning increased into pain and i'm thinking heart attack.  i know it's not my heart now, and the pain is intensifying and i'm thinking anxiety attack.  by now, i am having trouble breathing so i leave the office in case i pass out because if i do, i won't be found for a long time.  so i'm pacing the house now, i can't breathe, and the pain is unheard of.  i'm thinking i better call someone before i can't call anyone so i call hubs.  he doesn't answer.  i call my friend colleen.  forget words, i can barely get out syllables at this point.  she says she is on her way.  hubs texts me to say he is in a meeting and i respond by saying, im n trbl.  so he calls me back. after he hears me, he takes off from work and rushes home.  on the way he calls another friend of mine because she can get to the house faster than him.  colleen gets here first.  i am panting heavily and can't speak.  she asked me where it hurt.  i told her the pain was coming from  my abdominal area but spread out to my chest and back.  she asked if i felt hot, like i wanted to take off all my clothes.  huh?!!!  i shake my head no.  even though i was in a bad state, i still thought that was a funny question.  but still, she said that she thought i was having a gallstone attack.  to be honest, i think fear was driving that attack.  i was panicking because i didn't know what was happening to me and panic was giving it fuel.  after she told me what she thought it was, i was able to start relaxing and i was able to breathe regularly and the pain subsided.  my other friend taina showed up by then and i was starting to feel better.  it was over and i wanted to hug them and thank them for coming and then get back to painting.  but they were not letting me off the hook.  i had to call my doctor before they would leave.  i called and he was able to see me right away.  hubs was home by now and took me to see the doctor.  he sent me to the hospital to get blood work done and then to an imaging place to have an ultrasound.  after the ultrasound i knew something was not right because they would not let me leave.  they called my doctor and then put me on the phone.  a gallstone.  colleen called it!  i had a gallstone attack!  and now i have to have my gallbladder removed. 
what a day!  it went nothing like i expected, that for sure!!!

seriously?

please let this be a joke!
really abc?!  there wasn't anyone else they could have chosen?  this guy had his chance.  wasted a whole season!  well, i can't commit to saying i will watch the next season...but i can't commit to saying i won't either...i'm just sayin.

kitchen organizing

i am very attracted to organization.  i love the idea of it. i love reading about it.  the problem is, that i am not an organized person and i fear i never will be.  who ever said, "organization is a journey, not a destination", is my hero.
i've tried flylady, i have done M.O.T.H(managers of their homes), sidetracked moms.  i like the ideas they present, i just have a hard time implementing them.  a place for everything and everything in it's place sounds like a dream home to me! 
recently. i was at shari's blog and she mentioned the new good housekeeping magazine with jamie curtis on the cover.  i was intrigued so i bought it and loved the interview with jlc!  she is super organized!  she gave me the idea to organize my kitchen a little.  i wasn't using my cabinet space efficiently so i moved some things around and ended up with two empty pullout drawers in one of my lower cabinets!  i then decided to move my spices and baking items from here

it's a corner cabinet where i could easily lose things around the back.  see how there is uneven shelving?   and it's dark back there!

this is much better.  i can reach, i can see, and nothing will get lost in some dark corner.

i could do even better if i put labels on the tops of these, but i'm not that ambitious.  yet.  

credit goes to lisa for encouraging me to take photos of my accomplishment!

 

new handles

ever notice that when you get something new, you see it everywhere? (that is, with the exception of unique items)  like i never really noticed how many silver honda odysseys there were until i got one, or how many houses were yellow until i painted mine yellow, or how many kitchens i have seen online with theses handles until i chose these at the hardware store.

house of turquoise

photos from house beautiful, better homes and garden and my home ideas

i don't know, maybe i've seen so many kitchens with this same hardware that i chose it not consciously knowing.  what i do know is, that it's one thing hubs and i both agreed on so it's a good choice for us. :)

lisa, are you bout done with that kitchen yet?

NOPE!

the kitchen has been on hold for a bit until i find another paint.  i used a latex paint and even after days of drying, the plates and glasses make a small sticky sound when you move them.  small, but still...
so i'm thinking maybe going with an oil based paint?   i have read that i should use a latex paint if i am painting the cabinets white because it covers better than oil based paints.  i want white cabinets, and now i am confused.  i asked the paint guy at the hardware store, but i got the impression he did not know what he was talking about.  i told him everything i've done so far, and about the paint feeling tacky.  he basically told me i was out of luck, it's only a little tacky... thanks, paint guy dude.
the section of cabinets i did get through will not be painted over.  i repeat.  i. will. not. repaint.  i wanted to show the section of cabinets i did, but my card reader is not working right.  ugh.
so there is the update on the kitchen.

blog woes

as you may already know, before coming back to blogger i was at typepad for 4 years.  my hubs is wanting to drop the other blog and stop payments.  my issue is that i have 4 years worth of stuff i don't want to lose.  not every single post, but a lot.  there are things that i don't want to forget, like the funny things my kids said to me, and the rare occasions where i posted an insightful post.  i thought about moving some of that stuff here, or even make some sort of book.  who knows.  i am open to suggestions though.
here are a couple of funny things my kids said back in 2006:
lesson to me in talking down to my little ones:  deacon(3) brought to me one of his little thomas the tank engine pieces and i said to him "oh, is that one of your new choo choos?"  and he just plainly looked at me and said, "mom. it's a freight car."  i guess he told me huh?

one morning while doing history lesson with the girls in the family room, the three little boys were quietly playing with their toys, probably half listening to us too.  i asked the question: "when george washington was a young boy, he dreamed of being an officer in the british royal navy.  what did his mom say about that?"  carter(18mo) then replies, "no, no, bad bad!"  we instantly all fell out into laughter as that was basically george's mom's reply!

a little keith humor:
he comes to me one day and says, "i need some medicine mom"  i say, "oh really? why?"  he replies, "cause i'm sick of hearing deacon sing that song!"

cam-"mom, should i wear a dress or a blanket to church tonight?"
just in case you were confused, this is how you know that it is bible character night at awana.
btw, she went as queen esther.


i also want to remember when i take photos like this:


i took this one of cam reading to the boys. well, she is really supposed to be reading to carter, but drew was listening in.








i am slowly going through and pulling things i want to keep, but i'm thinking, there's gotta be an easier way!!!

on being content

“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for.” ~ Epicurus

this needs to be framed and hanging in my home where i can see it everyday and remember.

good books

sorry i haven't been blogging, i've been reading instead.  every. chance. i. get.
do you want to know what book is so good that i can't even stop to blog?  THE HELP.

i could not put it down.  it was hard enough to find the time during my days and nights to read so i wasn't on the computer very much-google reader is definitely full.  guess how much painting in the kitchen went on?  well, i can't really blame the book for that one.  more on that later.  i kept hearing how good this book was so i thought i would give it a go and boy, was it a good read!  during the pivotal points my heart was racing and i was scared for these women!  i had to step back and say to myself, "it's just a book, calm yourself."  i highly recommend this book!
the website says dreamworks is making a movie based on this book- i can't wait to see who they choose to play these characters!  should be interesting, but i am not getting my hopes up- the book is always better!

movie home

recently i rented the movie funny people.  i thought it was an awful movie.  i was about to give up on it then i saw this

the photo wall in the dining room really caught my eye.  i love that photo wall.  i want to do a photo wall.  maybe not in the dining room, but somewhere in my house i want this wall.  so then i started paying closer attention to laura's house.

can you see the two refrigerators in the kitchen?(there's one on the left wall, and one to the left of the microwave) at first, i was like, why would you have two fridges in the kitchen?  then it hit me- i have two fridges.  one in my kitchen, the other in the garage.  it would be nice to have them both in the kitchen i guess!

love this large table in the center of the kitchen.  see the twinkly lights outside?  they light up this area outside

i always wanted an outdoor room!  i could see myself sitting out there by that nice fireplace having a glass of wine.  pour me a glass too eric bana!!
i started to watch certain parts over again just so i could try and see more of this house!  unfortunately, there are no good shots for the outside.
for anybody that is out there reading this, are there any movie homes you just love?  tell me about it!

what we did this summer pt.2

vacation bible school

my birthday

cam's birthday

i had a spa weekend at this place

oh it was WONDERFUL!  i was scrubbed, massaged and pampered all day!

movies we saw this summer were(not everyone, but between the 8 of us)
Eclispe
The Last Airbender
Toy Story 3
Inception
Despicable Me
Dinner For Schmucks
we also got netflix instant streaming this summer and became fans of quite a few shows:
Roswell(me)
The Tudors(me)
Lost(jay)
Cake Boss(all)
Man vs. Food(all)
iCarly(kids)
Suite Life(zack and cody) on Deck(kids)
and a slew of other movies.  we don't have cable so we got to see a lot of shows we wouldn't normally be able to see.  we LOVE netflix!


part 3 coming later!

on hold

i went and got myself sick so everything is on hold.  finishing the kitchen this week is not looking good.

next!! (a window seat)

i have d.i.y.a.d.d.(do-it-yourself-attention-deficit-disorder).  i am not even done with the kitchen and i am ready to start a new project!  a window seat for the living room.

we have this niche in the living room with a big picture window.  it's wasted space really.  we tried putting a couch there, but it always butted up against the blinds.  every time we pulled it away from the window, the kids would come in and jump or plop themselves on the couch in a manner that would just push it back up against the window.  so i figure we could put in a window seat like this one

we need the extra storage for blankets and we could still use it for seating.  i am all hyped about this because it seems so doable-how hard can it be to build a box?!!

the one where i was supposed to be painting but i was blogging instead...

i don't know what i was thinking folks.  i guess i was delusional reading all of those diy blogs.  jessica and mikael make it look so easy!  i guess i should have visited kristina first eh?  i promise you i am about ready to crrrraaaaaack.  my husband is going to come home from work and find that i have run away from here, never to return until someone else finishes this dang kitchen!  all i'm getting from him is "you missed this spot, you didn't sand this part, and it's gonna look so nice when it's all done."  gee, thanks babe.  i know he means well.
so, i ditched painting today and met some friends of mine this afternoon for a coffee.

and then i went to target.  and fell. in. love.  look at target trying to be all pottery barn

and these little plates are adorable

the numbered ones go up to 4.  cute!


now i'm a little more motivated to get the kitchen done so i can find a place for those canisters...