What happens in Michigan....ends up on my credit card

Yesterday I had to go over to Detroit to pick up a few things. I needed to get my sister a couple of polo shirts and tanks that she saw at KMart and Khols the last time she was here and I also needed another mini album and some extenders for a mother's day project I'm working on.

First mistake. Expecting to walk away with those few things.

KMart ended up being hilarious because I picked up the shirts for my sister but also managed to score a pair of cute dress capris, a couple of peasant blouses, a new bathing suit for my niece, and some other things I found like shampoo (love the anti-flat shampoo) bobby pins etc.

Next it was Khols. Where I scored the tanks for my sister but also a couple pairs of cargo capris for me (I love these things in the summer and you can dress them up, dress them down and they're a great alternative to shorts which I hate) a few tanks for myself, and a couple of cute shirts. I managed to score $20 in Khols dollars but they have to be used by this weekend.

Next it was the scrapbook store. Where I managed to spend a whopping $75. Which I wasn't expecting. But they had so many cute things I just couldn't say no. I picked up a couple packs of chipboard shapes from Autumn Leaves and Fancy Pants designs. I liked the big buttons ones and the other shapes etc. in the Autumn Leaves pack (can't find them online or I'd link, Chipboard is heavy cardboard cut into shapes that you can paint, paper, or distress), also picked up a few cute sticker things in the dollar section, some neat paper, and also some other little odds and ends. They didn't have the exact mini book I wanted (love the 7 Gypsies line) so I picked up a smaller version. Which will work out perfectly for what I'm working on.

The funniest part though, was that we were supposed to only be gone for a few hours. Six hours later we were heading home. And my goal was to get gas at the bridge, where it works out to be about 75 cents a litre. Which is really cheap considering it's 1.05 here. Except, I don't really know my way around from I-96. So I took 275 instead which took me to almost the Ohio border. My aunt was laughing at me when I said we took the "scenic route" because boy did we ever. I actually had to stop to get a little bit of gas to get us to the bridge that's how far we were. But it all worked out in the end. Filled up my tank for more $10 less than what I do here (and yes, that's a good savings) and we got through customs no problem. Worked on my little project until about 2:30 a.m. (now that's what I call playing) and today I was up early and working on the next one. Stay tuned for more photos.

Note to self

During the last month I have been through several tests to determine what exactly is in my upper abdomen that is causing me great discomfort. I'm kind of glad I did go through all this testing especially in light of the extreme pain I experienced yesterday afternoon at work that had me seriously contemplating driving my scissors into my stomach and pulling out whatever beast was growing in there and causing so much trouble.

Erm. I digress.

So I've been through three tests so far. Tests that required the removal of clothing. And let me say, sometimes, humiliation comes in the form of undergarments you are wearing (or not wearing) for these tests. Test one was relatively easy. That was the blood test whereby I just had to remove my coat and roll up my sleeve. The fainting part in the lab was not exactly pleasant but at least I didn't have to hold anything closed.

Test number two was the barium drink which required a gown and no metal undergarments. I am just slightly embarassed about walking around with a cheap see through gown and nothing else on. Especially when part of the test required me to walk around the waiting room.

But no, test number three today was not at all pleasant if you consider what it entailed. That was having nothing but socks and underwear (a funny sight) and of course the aforementioned gown that was to be "left open in the back" that I tried to quickly grasp around me while walking to the ultrasound room. The lady was quite nice and I'm sure she's seen just about everything but lying on that table, with just a small little sheet covering my bottom while the gown covered me on the top and she made me move around, hold my breath, and hold still.

Note to self....don't be so embarassed next time.

Or wear granny pants.

A picture is worth...

A few of the pages I did on the weekend...I have just realized that I am a Prima Flower whore. Love those little bits of paper!

Postcards from the edge

A lot has been going on in the last week and this weekend was kind of nice to just sit back and enjoy some time with my sister and my nieces. For starters, I came down with this horrible cold last Sunday that really kicked me on my ass. Added to that, my laptop was stolen off my desk at work and that involved a pile of paperwork, briefings, memos, phone calls and other stuff. It continued on into Friday when I had to answer a bunch more questions.

Needless to say, getting up to London was a nice break and one that I was really in need of.

I have to say though, as my nieces get older, they get funnier. I swear, their personalities change about as much as they grow. It's like they're new people every time I'm there. When I picked them up from school on Friday they were so excited to see me. Friday night, after they had gone to bed, I was rummaging through my suitcase looking for my pyjamas when I heard rumbling little foot steps, and then a huge smack hit me in the derriere. And then rumbling footsteps back into the other room followed by uproarious giggles from the two of them: what did you do? I hit her big butt. What did she say? She said "OW"! On Sunday we went to sell Girl Guide cookies at the truck stop and while the younger one was all "I'm tired, I don't want to sell these..." she would turn around on a dime and do the whole "would you like to buy some girl guide cookies?" on a moments notice when a potential sucker....er....customer would come by.

Last night was the kicker though. The two of them climbed into my car as I was leaving and sat one on top of the other and chanted "we're going to Windsor" over and over again. They wouldn't let me leave. And then when they finally did get out and I got in the driver's seat, the younger one climbed on my lap and begged me to stay. After convincing them that the presents and treats would stop should I lose my job for not going home, they let me leave--reluctantly.

It's getting harder and harder to leave them!

Checking in...

So I have just arrived home from the day long "croptacular". That would be the all day scrapbooking thing. Which was fun. I can't believe I'm still awake though. I am exhausted. It has been a whirlwind of a week and I'm ready to crash.

Didn't get as many pages done as I wanted to. I had planned to work on ten two page layouts and oodles of cards. Of course I overpacked. So I was left with no cards done yet piles of products to work with (including my stamps, which I lugged upstairs in the heat on Friday). I managed to get seven two page spreads done. Which turned out cute. Got to play with the great Luxe stuff too. I'll post when I get home and get them captured on digital format.

Off to bed though. The girls will be clamoring for me early. I know it. And we have to go sell Girl Guide cookies....sigh....no rest for the wicked.

April Showers...BRING THE HEAT ALREADY

Apparently we live in the land mother nature forgot. Or maybe the mud king remembered. Or perhaps it's just supposed to be this cold and rainy in the middle of April.

So I don't have an ulcer. Which is good news. However, there seems to be this acid reflux/GERD thing happening. Which doesn't make me happy. But seeing my stomach on screen was pretty cool. Drinking the barium however, was not.

I'm looking forward to this weekend. Even though it was a short week, I feel like it's taken forever to get to Friday. I hate weeks like that. Tomorrow, my coworker and I are doing Chinese take out for lunch. I have been craving the sodium. Should be fun.

Can I tell you how much I am looking forward to sleeping this weekend? I feel like I have just been dragging it this week.

Next week is CKU and I've booked my room for Wednesday/Thursday in order to help the Luxe girls with their teaching on Thursday. And Saturday is our big crop day in London (we being my sister and I) so I have to get organized for that. Which should be funny because I end up giving up sometime around 4 p.m. and just sitting staring at my sister freaking her out.

Sadly, my perfect teeth record has finally been broken. I have a cavity. My dentist in London would be so excited if he knew. He has been waiting for this moment since my molars fell out when I was ten. Stupid teeth. Stupid getting older. Stupid enamel!

I also have a new little cousin. Have neglected to mention that....he's beautiful. A boy, Alexander. Apparently he's really smart. And really cute. Can't wait to see him in person. I love babies. I love the way they smell. And the little sounds they make. And the little cuteness they are in their own sweet little way.

Chock full of goodies

I'm sorry I've been AWOL. Not for lack of anything to say, just for the fact that I am now completely addicted to Facebook. And I've gotten my older sister into it as well. Which is funny. And it's even funnier to see all these people I haven't seen since graduation online. Most of whom are married, which makes me feel a little weird. But I figure, I've concentrated on my career and my own personal enjoyment. Marriage can wait.

The stomach problem has morphed into a wonderful little stomach pain in the you know where. I'm being tested for an ucler which is not happening entirely fast enough for me. I have one of those Upper G.I. tests on Thursday where you drink the lovely barium drink and have this big camera scan your insides. What really sucks is the food issue. Because almost everything upsets my stomach. So I am down to the minimal items in the food groups. Bananas, plain yogurt, cereal, plain milk, bread (sparingly of course) and carrots/broccoli/cauliflower. Gone is the soy milk, the hemp seeds and the flax seed oil because it contains Omega fats which are considered a non-steriod anti imflammatory. Also gone? Fruit. Because the citric acid is killer. I am now chained to a bottle of Gaviscon should I get a flare up. And caffeine of any kind is also out of the question. In the last two months I have become an 89 year old woman. Lord help us all.

I'm with my sister and the kids this weekend which is entirely too much fun. My youngest neice has developed into quite the little ham and I love it. She is so funny. I don't know where she gets it from (I think it might run in the family though) and she says stuff that cracks us up. And the way she says it too is just hilarious. She's so firmly invested in being right in her pronunciations that you can't argue with her. Things like "drawling" make me giggle. Yesterday we went to see Meet the Robinsons (cute movie) and she says at the end "Let's go to the video store and rent it now because I want to see it again". She was convinced I was wrong when I said it wasn't out at the store. Telling me instead that it was just that I didn't want to buy it for her. Of course that's why you can't get it. What ever was I thinking?

I also decided to make this spring cake recipe I saw on Martha Stewart. You make a carrot cake, frost it with cream cheese frosting (my favourite cake by the way) and then cover the top with chocolate cookie crumbs (the dirt) and make little veggies out of marzipan. Finding the marzipan was a bit tricky but I managed to locate some (try an italian store if you have one locally) and then we sat and made the veggies last night. The two of them were convinced they were not going to taste good (they were veggies after all) and I told them it was pure sugar. So they tried some. After that, they were sold on this whole idea of cake with candy on the top. I'm excited to see how it turns out. The veggies were quite cute.

Other than all that, nothing exciting going on in my little world. I wish it would stop snowing (it's April already people) and of course warm up a bit. I wanted it to be cool enough to not wear my new shoes I bought at DSW last weekend because I needed a pedicure. Now that I have it, I am ready to break out the cute summer clothes. Also looking forward to seeing Jen in two weeks and the rest of the Luxe girls at CKU.