Here is Madison's room.

The stove/microwave kitchen

Sink/Dishwasher kitchen. To the left is the Sunroom

The livingroom

I heart the fanglass over the front door

It looks dark (the other picture is true) but shows more detail.

More to follow. I've got a very busy day ahead of me!

Here is my clinique perfume, see how much i've got and the new one and the box of Godiva. I stopped and got us dinner (marinated ribeye w/ garlic mashed potatoes & salad for him, Fettucine Mosaic (w/ grilled chicken & shrimp) for me and corndog nuggets/fries for Maddie. It was SO GOOD.

Ever did something nice that just makes you smile? Could be something big, could be something very small. I did, this week and I'm so glad I did! I am a true believer in karma and hopefully what goes around comes back around in that my moving this week-end is smooth and relatively headache-free! I'll be off tomorrow so no blog post from me until probably Monday. Have a wonderful week-end all.

Also I'll be MIA for most of this morning but I should be able to get around to reading your blogs this afternoon. The Milwaukee peeps had to come to Carolina (instead of me having to go there HAH! and on V-Day no less).

Today is the day when a young man's fancy turns to thoughts of... wait, um, er that would be Spring wouldn't it?
Anyway Love is in the Air!
I'm usually slightly disappointed on Valentines Day. I don't know WHAT I expect but obviously I always expect too much. I did get a big box of Godiva chocolates (which I LOVE) but he also got me a big bottle of Clinique Happy perfume. Anyway this will be a day i'll be glad when it is OVER. I get sick of seeing all of the flowers/balloons/stuffed animals here at work. Jealousy is a beeyotch isn't she? hehe...... Hey at least i'm HONEST if nothing else!
I looked longingly at the Roses online last night. The sterling ones are gorgeous!
One last question to my dear blogging buddies.
Will you be my Valentine? *kisses*

Good Monday Morning! How was everybody's week-end? I went shopping for the house. We bought a new mattress set. Ugh. Why didn't anybody warn me how expensive mattresses are? Moreso than the actual BED. I'll be getting my gorgeous cherry sleigh bed this week. I can't wait! We also chose a cocoa brown microfiber suede couch. I think Reilly will like it (must take the dogs comfort into consideration since he will lay on it far more than we actually will!). I also chose new bed linens. Wow I also did not realize there were so many thread counts. I know the higher, the better but I got 300. That's good enough for me. Our duvet is beautiful, pink & chocolate. I'll take pics probably this week-end. Madison is going to stay with her Aunt Buffy and she's really excited about that. When she comes home it will be to a new house and a brand new big girl bed with Strawberry Shortcake bedding. Well let me know how your week-end was. What you did/where you went. I want details people. Details *grin*

Kiss Me Baby!

Madison got some Valentines Mail from Aunt Buffy. A ring pop with lips!

Is there anything better than a package in the mail? I think not!

I love getting stuff in the mail. The last things I got were from Cheeky, Jenie & Madison got something from Chickie.

This was Madison after throwing a tantrum Tuesday night. I called her Pouty McPout. She's thrown a few doozies but we are trying our best to be patient and just ignore them for the most part. It's kind of hard sometimes though. Anybody got any good parenting advice? Oh and she is still on the "Daddy Do It" kick. Good thing she's got a good Daddy. He takes such good care of both of us (and Reilly too).

In the meantime i'm going to delight you all and relieve my boiling brain with a PSA or two.....
To: The Chick who sits in spot B185 of cubeland. You are a white female. Not a sistah. Your attempting to act/talk like a sistah is VERY irritating. We all act silly from time to time and mimic different slang but you are serious and it is sad. So.Very.Sad.

To: Mr. Stripey Shirt: Memo: (cos' you obviously did not get the first one) The world revolves on it's own axis. It does not revolve around YOU. Get over yourself. Now. If you do not I will be forced to take a page from SFG and stab you in the neck.

To: The people who are moving out of my new house. Get your shit and Get.Out. I'm tired of stalking you riding by and seeing NO attempts at packing your stuff up going on. Humor me. Stack a box or two where I can see it M'kay?

To: The bitches (NOT said lovingly) in Milwaukee. Take your little OI's and shove them straight up your collective asses. Sideways. Not that you could find your asses. That's a bit more challenging than you all are used to, obviously.

That's enough for now. I'm off to OD on some Tylenol.

Good Morning! First off let me say YAY COLTS! I am so glad they won. I heart Peyton Manning (but not like I heart Brett Favre!)
I went to Myrtle Beach with my sister this week-end. I am so-o-o-o tired this morning. I don't have any pics to post but we shopped at the Tanger Outlets and I of course bought Madison a bunch of stuff she doesn't really need. We ate at the Melting Pot. It was, um, interesting. The food was good, and it was fun but at $50 per person I was really appalled at the skimpy amount of the entree (meat) you get. They fill you up on the bread cubes/cheese/apples in the first course. The dessert was heavenly. We chose white chocolate and they gave us pound cake, cheese cake, brownies, marshmallows, strawberries, pineapple & banana to dip in it. There were several other varieties of chocolate as well. I"m glad we chose white chocolate because I have a feeling if you get too rich of a chocolate that stuff will probably make you sick. Well, it would me, anyway. Anyway that was my week-end. What did you do with yours?
And question. Does a Craftsman Powertool qualify as a decent Valentines Present if your hub states he wants it?

Packers QB Brett Favre will return for a 17th season in 2007.

There really IS a Santa Claus! Yahoo!

Are you diggin' her leopard coat? Mommy wants one!!!

Holy Shiznit, it is FREEZING here in the Palmetto State. Actually there is freezing rain forecasted for today. We'll see if we get any or not.
I took Maddie to the doctor yesterday. We were placed in the "sick" waiting room and Madison took a seat at the little table and proceeded to read magazines and was as good as gold.
We got in to where the Doc was and she acted a fool.
Wouldn't let them weigh her, screamed and threw herself on the floor.
I was horrified. Dr. Tim calmly picked her up, got on the scale, handed her to me, stepped back on the scale and subtracted the difference. Voila.
It was downhill from thereon until bedtime.
Every time something didn't go her way, apeshit.
I was never so glad to hear that child say "I want to go to bed".
This morning she "helped" me give her medecine but I figured Carrie will give her a good dose later on. Carrie's good like that!

This is my kid when we ate at Flo's in Murrels Inlet, SC recently. Yes she is actually smiling. Don't faint now.

My friend who has the monogram shop did this sweatshirt for her for her birthday. I heart it!

I had a oyster po boy sandwich that was to die for! Mmmmmm on hot crunchy french bread. I don't remember what Stacy had. Madison had the kids shrimp boat and I swear there was enough food there for her Daddy to eat. We took it home and her and I both ate on it two more times. Ridiculous. I often order kids meals when we go out to eat or just an appetizer if they won't let me get a kids meal and rarely can I finish the meal. America's portion sizes are really getting out of hand.

Of course when I said "Say Cheese" she ducked her head. Eh.

Stacy surprised me with a romantic week-end in Charleston! We stayed right off the Market at the Doubletree Inn and Suites on the corner of Church and Market Streets. That was nicer than the Bed & Breakfast we stayed in last February.
We ate at A. W. Shucks before we left on Sunday. I had bacon wrapped shrimp stuffed with crab. Mmm it was so good!

We ate at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. on Saturday night. The garlic boiled shrimp was awesome and they make their hushpuppies mixed with shrimp & corn.

Here is clothing from the actual movie, when Forrest and Jenny were children "like peas & carrots".

When you need the waitress you flip this sign over so it reads "Stop Forrest Stop". Stacy had much fun with this of course!

We stayed in Suite 170.

This is the view as you walk off the street into the Lobby. Isn't it pretty?

Here is the corner, you can't really see the moon and one star over the Market but it was so pretty.
We did have a nice time. Did a little shopping, relaxing and re-connecting. When we first got there we ate dinner at Tommy Condon's, I had the best Ruben Sandwich. OMG. Has anybody else visited the Holy City? Where did you go and what did you eat? Can you tell i'm hungry this morning?

Now you see them..........

Now you don't!

Man am I glad to have those things off my teeth. No more brace face. Getting them off was, um, hell for me. He filed my front teeth down to make sure they were even. The sound alone made me cringe. Then there was the scrape~scrape~scrape to remove the cement. I had chills running up and down my spine ... but I am glad it's over.

Here is my darling Reilly. He was neutered yesterday because of a condition he has that makes it very likely he would contract testicular cancer if I did not have the procedure done. So, even though I hated to see my poor little guy like this I bit the bullet and did it. He came through surgery just fine and they let me pick him up after 4:30 pm. Here he is relaxing in his new leopard doggie bed that Santa brought him. I covered him with a towel because he was shivering so (despite his bed being lined with sherpa) and I was afraid to use something big like a blanket because he is so small I was afraid he'd get tangled up and hurt himself. He seemed much more relaxed and was able to doze a little when I put him to bed and covered him. I feel so much better. Maybe now he'll actually use his bed since it's been such a comfort to him tonight. Why is it so hard and stressful when your child or pet is ailing?

OMG I am already ready to get the heck out of here. Yesterday was one of "those" days. Everybody had a gripe, everybody "needed something". Ugh. Hopefully I will have some good news to share with you all by Monday (or maybe later on today I will do an update). Anybody want to venture a guess as to what it might be? (I am SO wrong... I know *grin*)

(my kid at Chuck E Cheese on Sunday but i'm sure if she knew what a blog was she'd be celebrating!)

Wow I can't believe it's been a year since I began blogging. I can't even remember whose blog I visited first or what got me started. Weird. I've met SO many wonderful people in this past year (see my sidebar of links to meet a few). I hope to meet a few IRL as well. I know i'll get to meet Cheeky on one of her Charleston trips. It's just too close for me not too. There is also a chance being that I have family in Pennsylvania maybe i'll get to meet Gerbera Daisy or Maidink. I wish I could do a cross-country Blog tour and meet you all! I REALLY do.
Anyway I want to say a big THANK YOU to all of my blog friends and the people who lurk on my blog. You are all loved and valued more than I can say!

I couldn't HELP but notice this guy in his brown shoes/black socks combo. Every time I turned around he was pacing around with a CELL PHONE GLUED TO HIS EAR, BLABBING ON IT. I tried shooting him my "asshole deathray look". Alas, it didn't work. What a tool.

The zoo wasn't the only place we saw monkeys. This chick was all but showing her monkey for the world to see. Seriously she did have on white panties (cos' you can SEE them) but WTF? Who sits in a restaurant like this? Especially when i'm lurking nearby with FUG CAM. Stacy swears someone is going to beat my ass one day over this. I say "Nada". heh heh....

FOR SOME REASON I AM GETTING A BLOCK WHEN I TRY TO POST COMMENTS ON BLOGS SO I'LL HAVE TO TRY AT HOME. SEEMS I CAN READ, JUST NOT POST


We forgot her umbrella stroller but she loved the rental stroller at the zoo. I think because she had more room to stretch out and she liked to "drive". She probably rode in it more than she would have hers.She was ready to start.
Come on Mommy!

Rrrrawwrrrr.... tigers are kinda scary. She wasn't going to get on him unless I got on with her.

Madison will be in business if we ever buy a farm. She liked "milking the cow".

She rode the pony twice. She liked it a LOT. Maybe riding lessons in the future?...

Her and Daddy on the Carousel. She rode a brown bear. The first time it was an ostrich. She now has to pick her own animals :)

the Tiger was gorgeous....

We heart the monkies!

The bear was busy eating but he stopped to strike a pose

The end of a VERY long day...........

I let the girls flat iron my hair yesterday. I'm not quite sure what I think about it. Never mind the funky lighting, washed-out looking quality of the photo. The right side actually looks like my hair. My hair is very dark brown. Comments? Criticism. I can take it!

OMG today has already been a not-so-good one. On the way to work I remembered we were supposed to bring in food today (we do that every so often to boost morale). I have to drive 30 mins out of my way to go to the 24hr grocery store. They don't have any sandwich or pinwheel trays nor even any chicken drumettes so I end up with a variety of snack chips & dips. Lame. Then I am rushing back, already running late and I drive past the entrance to crying cow bank. WTF In all my years of working here I have never done that. THEN I can't find my ID badge. I look everywhere in the car, in the side of seats - nada. So I "piggy-back" with someone else who HAS their badge and enter the building. Now i've got to probably have another ID made and that involves much sighing and eye-rolling from security. Which makes me majorly annoyed unless I am doing the sighing and eye-rolling :) Then I get here to find out I "might" have to go back, once again to the Land of Snow and Cheese. It better not be around Valentines Day or heads will roll. Somebody PUH-LEASE tell me my day will get better.

It's National De-Lurking Week so go ahead and leave a comment!



I don't know whether to call Madison a ham or a cheese ball LOL This was at my MIL's sister's house in December. The big family celebration that I had to miss because I was in the Land of Snow and Cheese. My MIL said Madison was the star of the show. I can believe it.

Boy I have had a busy week-end thus far. Yesterday morning I got up and rode with my parents to Charleston. Got Maddie a Strawberry Shortcake toddler bed set and luggage set which she is going to have a FIT over when she sees it. My kid spoiled? Nah...

I bought these cool Chuck Taylor Converse for Christmas next year (shut it) my sister bought a pair too.


I got this little guy - does anyone see a peppermint fetish forming here????



Then last night I got a wild hair and decided I just had to go to Kohl's in Columbia (cos' the one here in Florence will not be finished until Spring 2007) so I rode to Columbia by myself around 6pm and did not get home until after 11pm. It was a fruitful trip and I bought some stuff for ME (Yippee!) The prior shopping trip was all about Madison & Stacy (Boo hehe..) And how come nobody told me Target had their Christmas Crap 90% off? Holy heck I got a holiday CD for $.99 a box of that expensive Choxie 16 pc artisan truffle squares for $1.50 a mega-deluxe super duper tree stand that holds up to a 10 ft tree and does everything but water itself for $2.50. Whew. Such savings.

I"ll buy a piece of belly button lint if it's a good enough sale! I swear.

Carrie was experimenting with hair-do's today

Daddy calls this "double devil horns"

To the peeps in Milwaukee who "trained" us. Here's a clue. You don't show somebody something once, have an incomplete OI and then call me 45 minutes before I am to leave for the day and say "something has to get done now". At least not without possible bloodshed.

To Stacy's !@#$%^!@# co-worker who sent home a candy cane full of M&M's AND a box of Russel Stover Candy. Damn you. Damn you. Damn you.

To all the ladies who are bringing in the leftover holiday sweets,pastries,goodies etc. Don't.Do.It. Don't you know it is the New Year and dammit, people are dieting and are desperate for carbs and sugar. You could start something VERY ugly up in here

OMG Ass Chips. My dear old Ass Chips. If you come near me again with that piece of dried up mistletoe in a lame attempt to "jokingly" kiss me I will punch you so hard in the mouth you will shit your own teeth for a week.

Can you tell i'm on a diet yet? I think my flatscreen is fairly humming.......

Today is the second day of January 2007. I am drinking my Slim-Fast Optima that is supposed to control my hunger sufficiently until 11 a.m. I have another one for lunch. I have made myself a little ticker at the top of my blog (in case you didn't notice it) and my goal is to lose 39 lbs by mid-April. Stacy says I don't need to lose that much. My plan is to drink a slim fast for breakfast & lunch, allow myself one diet soda mid-morning and drink water for the rest of the day until I leave work. Once home I can have diet soda (my weakness) and eat a small portion of whatever we're having for supper and I have some 98% fat free popcorn to snack on if I get the urge in the evening (and I WILL).
The week-ends are "free" but i'm not going to totally pig out hopefully. Wish me luck and any encouraging words or tips are MORE than welcome.
I already want to eat the can the Slim-Fast Optima came in LOL NOT a good sign right? but I am telling myself "You only have to do this for one week" and we'll see how it goes.
One week at a time.
Also in my previous post I LOVED Seven's suggestion that Brett retire and be my own personal Monday morning QB. I could definitely think of some "plays" for us to go over. Hehehe... nothing like naughty thoughts first thing in the morning!

To all of my Blogger Friends and those you love, I wish you Health, Happiness and Prosperity. Now please~please~please let the Packers beat the Chicago Bears and somehow Brett Favre not retire. Thanks.

UPDATE Forgot This One!

Yep my baby girl had a very good Christmas. She pulled her hair out of pigtails so her hair was WILD on Christmas morning and made us laugh.

She was so good about opening her presents and looked at every one. No glance-throw aside for my girl (that drives me bonkers)

She even took a moment to admire her Strawberry Shortcake outfit. Of course she likes clothes - she's my kid isn't she? ;)

The end of a VERY tiring Christmas Day

We had a VERY Merry Christmas here. I think my favorite gift from Santa was this string of pearls.

What touched me the most was a visit from the Postman on Saturday from my friend Jen in Indiana, she sent me these goodies and this cute magnet (LOVE that saying) and I also LOVE the Linus talking card. I love the message and I always love to hear Linus say it in "A Charlie Brown Christmas". It's so funny how you find little pieces of me Jen! Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness. It made my day.

Stacy, Myself and Madison wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous Happy New Year!