Stuff and Such and GOOD NEWS!

I figured since I used 'this n that' last time. So much for posting more often. So far this year has really flown by.

Snickerdoodle has received her admission forms, etc for Berea College in Kentucky with a full ride! http://www.berea.edu/. As she had to sit out a year due to finances, she did more investigating of financial stuff. Turns out Elmhurst actually limits the amount or percentage of your tuition that you can get grants, scholarships, etc for...and if you cannot get a loan...then you are SOL! If you can get into Berea, then you are guaranteed tuition for all four years. Talk about a huge blessing. Hopefully the BF can get relocated to somewhere in KY after he finished his training and they'll be closer. Not sure what Snickerdoodle is more excited about...getting into Berea or being closer to BF.

Let's see...where were we? The BF just left after another 3 week visit. He's got leave time that he has to use up by the end of May, so he'll be back again in a couple of weeks. We like him a lot. He had a 'precursor' to The Talk with Cabinet Man to lay out plans and priorities. He's moving over to Army Reserves, so he's going back to school for EMT training and seems quite excited about it. He and Snickerdoodle are both resolute on getting their educations so that is a Very Good Thing (as Martha would say).

Sunshine is working on her first big essay for school. It is based on a political cartoon from the Civil War. Very interesting. 500 words (5th grade), but she'll have about 8 weeks to work on it before it is due....she's got 4 weeks left. Glad that Snickerdoodle is still home to help her on it, how to organize it, etc. The school does expect big things from the kids and they really step up...but this one has been a struggle. She has sort of goofed off last quarter, or rather, didn't apply herself so...but she's going to work hard on it and we're not going to make her go to summer school so....but ONLY if she does really well.

College Dude is doing well. Going to school, working, playing Warhammer with his friends...having Mom proofread his papers when the only thing I can do for them is spelling, grammar/punctuation and sentence structure....'cause I have NOT idea what the papers are about subject-wise...Cellular biology. Really? Over my head. FAR over my head.

Specialist is now Sargeant! As of the end of February....very proud of him. He's still loving the Army so that's good. He's there for the long haul so liking it is good.

Cabinet Man is doing little projects around where we can find them. This administration is going after our target clientele and, as a result of the attacks, they are holding onto their money until they see how it shakes out. But until something happens, we'll keep on! I'm still working two part time jobs, and am looking again for something longer term with more money. Things are moving a little bit now so maybe that will result in something! I'm really enjoying the students and do have my favorites...it's so close to the end of the year now that the seniors are getting antsy and stressed. They have started presenting their theses, so we can tell at a look the ones who are presenting in that week. They all have circles under their eyes and shaky hands from all the caffeine. Attended one last week that was really good. Rock solid and he defended it really well. He is a good friend of Snickerdoodle and was at the house several days over the last week to get her to help him polish it.

The weather is warming up (sorta) so I have started planning this summer's projects. I have the coffee table I picked up at GW to get done, finally get our headboard painted so I can get our master bedroom painted and the room fixed up a bit. I'm really so tired of not having it complete that I want it DONE! Our lovely neighbors gave us an electric fireplace so I have to figure out a place to put that. Would love it in the family room, but the way the TV has to sit in there makes it tough to arrange that room. If the lottery falls into my lap (the only way I'll win since I don't play it), then I'd splurge on an LED television, move the fireplace in there and mount it over the fireplace. But no matter where it is, I have another surface to decorate AND someplace to hang stockings at Christmas!

That's all for now lovelies...I have to make about a jillion phone calls this afternoon.

Many hugs your way!

Susan

This n that...mostly that

It's been a busy week here at Casa de Colorado. Specialist and his friend, aka, Snickerdoodle's boyfriend (hereafter known as The BF), rolled into town on a week ago Sunday. We've not seen Specialist in a year and none of us had ever met BF (not even Snickerdoodle). He's a good guy. Guess I need to roll back a bit.

Specialist met BF up at Ft. Lewis. Specialist is in mental health and BF is a medic. Their areas overlap. Specialist talks about his family and Snickerdoodle...they are very close. So BF had seen snapshots and family pics. Liked the stories that Specialist told him about her. Then he saw more pics and some of her portfolio shots. Unbeknownst to us...Specialist has a habit of staying logged into his FB account. BF would sneak into his room and 'stalk' Snickerdoodle via his FB account! This confession just came this week. So he FB stalked her for a few weeks, while working up nerve to ask Specialist if he could contact her (confused yet?)He finally did and they have been texting/talking/IMing/Facebooking/emailing for months now...since sometime this past summer. It's been a great way for them to get to know each other and frankly, isn't that one of the ways that our grandmothers and great grandmothers got to know their "beaus"? Well, they finally had leave at the same time so they came down together. We have almost 2 weeks of them! BF and Snickerdoodle are staying up til all hours, talking and watching movies and talking and going out and talking. I'm surprised they are both not hoarse by this time. All the kids have grown up on stories of how Cabinet Man and I used to stay up til all hours talking and looks like the tradition is being carried on.

We did allow her to go outside and greet the guys first when they got here..and waited patiently. Specialist came around and snuck in the back door and scared College Dude out of a year's growth, which was good for a laugh all around. Then Snickerdoodle came in with BF and introduced him...he'd brought her flowers ;D

So things are going well...except for the part where they watch movies til all hours and leave a mess downstairs and in the kitchen. Snickerdoodle turned 20 on Monday and they went to Old Town and hung out for a while, then brought some of her friends home with them for cake. One kid had 7 pieces of cake, another one had a piece of cake and a cup of chili, another one had 2 pieces of cake and 2 bowls of chili....so much for leftovers :D

Specialist turns 25 today. Hard to imagine that he's that old when I'm only 26...the age I was when he was born. But I guess that is the way it goes.

It's been so very good to see him. It is his pre-deployment leave so we won't see him again for over a year. We're having Christmas for Specialist and BF tomorrow (ham or chickens and all the fixin's), and a few gifts for them. Then I get to start on NEXT year's Christmas for him as I'll have to get it in the mail to him by October (I think). And all my hard work around here has definitely paid off...Specialist not only noticed the work, but complimented me on it...it MUST looks tons better if a young adult male noticed it ;D

Well, time to work on laundry (Specialist, I'm guessing that the black trash bag dropped in the front room contains laundry that needs to be washed, but I'm not sure that I need to wash the stuff that is folded in there...communication son!

I'll bid adieu until next time.

Oh yeah, check out this VERY cool blog that I found! http://thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com/ I am finding myself more and more drawn to steampunk and trying to figure out a way to integrate it into the cottage style that I love so much. I mostly like it for the techy stuff and jewelry...the jewelry is amazing and might get me to venture into jewelry making. And I would LOVE a computer in the style--don't you LURVE the monitor and keyboard???? http://thesteampunkhome.blogspot.com/

Sorry for the weird linkage...blogger hates me today when I tried to insert the links!

I'm still here!

Hello Lovelies,

I'm still here and breathing. It's been a weird and wacky summer and fall. I spent most of the summer working for a friend as a mobile pet groomer. I was actually the "head wienie washer". Hey, what do you expect when I can't actually groom them? I did get to appreciate the art that actually is part of a good grooming. The only fiasco was with a cat. He didn't want a bath and shave. Mitzi got bitten and he scratched me up pretty well on the way down. We took her to the doctor immediately to get started on antibiotics, and Cabinet Man picked me up there. At home in the bath was where I found my battle injuries. That was July and the scars didn't really fade until September.

I worked for a couple of months down in Denver. I could easily live in that part of town. Legal work, which I really enjoy. But it was only a two month assignment and not permanent. That would have been nice, but I'd be very tired ALL the time. So now I am working part time doing scheduling for the groomer friend and part time at my kids' school as a lunch monitor. They are terrific kids for the most part (I work with the upper grades) but some of them are a real pain. Love the ladies I work with. It's funny seeing some of the kids I watched graduate come back and work after they have their degrees...have a hard time calling them Mr. and Mrs!

There is a course offered on Dance...swing dancing to be exact. The kids have a great time and get up and dance during their lunch periods also. Some of them are really good. There are a couple of places here locally that they can dance and it's not unusual to see them in the summer out at City Park at the Friday dances. I've heard a rumor that an adult dance class is going to be offered after the first of the year. Cabinet Man won't do it, but I will. Just looks like fun!

Snickerdoodle, aka Model Child, has had her first two assignments. She got them on her own. One was for a fabric store here in town for local designers. Below is a shot from that one.



It was a pro bono shoot. She did another in November for the cover for a novel that she did get paid for, so that was fun. Not allowed to post that one...copyright stuff I think. Anyway, lovely stuff.

College Dude did well on his fall courses...thank goodness. I promise you, for the drama we endured around here the last month of classes...I'm glad genetics is over. He ended up with 3 pretty tough classes but he pulled B's in all of them so he's quite happy.

Specialist is finally deploying in February...to Iraq. He's very excited and looking forward to it. Mom? Not so much. I wish he had a different Commander in Chief...one who was actually concerned about our military, but if wishes were horses....We'll have another Christmas at the end of January when he comes home on pre-deployment leave. He's bringing a buddy with him...who happens to be Model Child's boyfriend. They've never met in person, but they've been talking on the phone, emailing and texting for months now. Some of her friends think it is 'unnatural' that they've not met, but I have to tell them to remember how their grandparents or great grandparents met and if they corresponded if the grandfather was in WWII...they just don't get it. I'm happy that they have gotten to know each other in this fashion before meeting. They are very encouraging to one another...he supports her in her desire to start college in the fall (and finish). Who knows where this will lead? I'm okay to see what develops...her father is a bit nervous...;D But we'll see where God leads them.

Sunshine is in 5th grade this year and is doing well. Holding her back last year was indeed the best thing for her. She has made new friends and kept the old ones. I am particularly taken with her friend Mary. Sweet little girl who can hold her own in this family (there are 5 kids in her family) and that is saying a lot.

Well, that's it for now. New Year's resolution is to get back here regularly. I have plans for sewing and crafting and painting for 2011...have to keep busy!

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas holiday (or whatever you celebrate) and a fabulous new year!

hugs to all

Best curbside find --EVAH! (for now anyway)

I did a bit of garage saling last weekend and had actually planned show it off...then I curb-shopped this one on the way home the other day and it takes precedence. I have wanted a porch swing, patio swing, any kind of swing for years...but it just hasn't happened. Then, on the way home the other day, I passed this baby.



Please ignore the junk behind it...the landfill has been closed due to high winds every time we have tried to go over the past two weeks.

The cushions are a vintage-y floral (prettier than in the picture). I was yelling at Cabinet Man to STOP! Back up! I want that! He backed up, and I was out of the truck and around to the side, trying it out. He was wanting to know how much they were wanting for it and I was pointing to the FREE sign and telling him to get down there and pick up that end after he put the tailgate down on the truck. While he was doing that, I was back at the truck telling Snickerdoodle to get out of the car and HELP!

I have taken the cushions off to clean them up and it is all in great shape! I know they usually have a canopy on them, and I figured out that is why they were getting rid of it...one of the places where you fasten the canopy is broken. Probably our high winds. Cabinet Man has looked at it again and I have made a couple of suggestions on how to mount it (like he wouldn't know how!)

He mentioned today that he thought the place I wanted it moved to in the yard is a good idea. I now have enough yard furniture to actually have a nice back yard...now I just need a patio cover like Rhoda suggests. After 8 years in this place, I might finally get one!

Linking up to the lovely Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Thrifty Mondays. I don't know about you, but I cannot WAIT to see what she does with her 'room'!

http://southernhospitalityblog.com/thrifty-treasures-3/

Prayers please this week! Graduation and party on Saturday for Snickerdoodle. I have to make several dozen mini-cupcakes. And I'll post details next week including the cupcake plates, tablecloth, decor, etc.

Metamorphosis Monday--it's been a while

This is mostly a 'so-far' metamorphosis...I want to finish it up but could use some suggestions.

Before - and please excuse the ratty looking cat scratch post there...apparently I need to reattach that rope---again! Oh yeah...that tub of fabric on top too...sigh. I need to work on my pictures!

Here's the after.

I am thinking about painting the trim gold...needs a few more coats of modge podge...and it looks a lot cuter in person! My cost for this was around 35 cents! The tray is one of a set from Freecycle. The cutouts are all from saved J.Peterman catalogs...I adore those catalogs...for the stories as much as for the items in it. See for yourself here: http://www.jpeterman.com/

Maybe outlining the stuff with a paint pen? (sigh) I just don't know...but they are so cute in person! Going to do the other two in the set over the summer...as soon as I decide what to use. Took forever to save the catalogs!

Linking up to Susan at Between Naps on the Porch!

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/05/welcome-to-68th-metamorphosis-monday.html

I also made this over the past week...but more a show-offy thing rather than a metamorphosis! :D

Here it is on the wall over my hubby's reading chair!

Another week of job hunting and dog bathing ahead...it really is fun.

Hugs,

Susan

Graduation Party Prep and Plea for Ideas

Snickerdoodle (aka Model Child) is graduating Memorial weekend. As money is really tight, I'm actually able to get a head start on it (unlike when College Dude graduated from HS).

She's having the party with two (male) classmates, so it cannot be really girly. One of the boys has volunteered his family's membership at the lake so we can have the party there...which cuts down on the need for decorations. I made a run by Goodwill today and scored a yellow tablecloth and 4 blue dinner plates (school colors). I picked up 4 black metal candleholders so, with the addition of E6000 glue), there will be serving dishes of various heights. Everything was yellow label so it was all 50% off! I also grabbed 3 black metal display thingies for decorative plates or pictures on tabletops...3 of them, 3 grads...senior pictures or mini collages in each one for display, some confetti and that is done. I have some silver holders that should have Pyrex or other glass dishes in them...no dish, but the servers....so raffia or ribbon across the bottom, towels in them and they can hold the plastic silverware. So I think that other than maybe some balloons and confetti...the decorations are taken care of!

I am starting to collect cans so I can use them to make holders for tea light candles or votives. Maybe someone else would feel like buying citronella candles...or I can pick up some oil and put a few drops in each tea light. I can always use citronella oil in summer. I've seen the can candleholder on Martha Stewart I think, but the reminder was here http://www.homemademamas.net/2010/04/tin-can-tea-lights.html

If the other two sets of parents will pick up the food expenses, I will make red velvet cupcakes (torn between quick and using a mix or being true to my Texas/southern roots and doing them from scratch). Of course, if I do from scratch I can make a batch per week, freeze half and let the family have the other half so they'll be quiet ;D

Another idea I had was to find out where the boys will go to college and have some sort of little picture of their college or mascot or something to go on the table next to their picture....what do ya'll think?

That's it for now...and any other suggestions for cheap/free decor would be greatly appreciated!

Hugs!

Susan

New Header

My new header is the work of a friend from HS. As much as I enjoy Spring in Colorado, I miss my bluebonnets and apparently this is a bumper year for them. Thanks Larry.