Sweets 'N Greets

2009-07-30T07:23:00.005-07:00

Hello! I know...it's been a while :-( I really have been terribly busy with work, personal life and BIRTHDAY PARTIES!! Though I would love to be on the blog EVERY DAY, I just cannot do it right now. I am hoping September will be much more calm.

Recently, I have added a couple of new posts to my shop: 2 dozen Chew Chocolate Chip Cookies and 1 dozen My Big Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies. I am also hoping to post more of my U-Bake line. So far I only have my chocolate chip cookies posted but I'm aiming to post my Snicker doodle and Fudge Brownie mixes before the weekend.

I hope all is well :-)

Tons of hugs and love,

Laura

Two words...

2009-07-03T20:16:00.009-07:00

My love. With mine and Paul's 19th wedding anniversary approaching, I find myself thinking about the past more and more, all they way to the day we met. I think about the great times and the quarrels we have had...even some ugly, stupid arguments. But if we didn't have the combination of good times and bad, would we be this happy today? Would we still be in love with one another? Probably not. But I am happy for the challenges we have faced and will accept those we have not faced yet...because we will conquer them together.

I wish for you many more years with the one you love.

Two New Items :-)

2009-06-11T07:59:00.004-07:00

Hello!

Well, I haven't yet made the new batch of Lemon Sandwich cookies but I did manage to knock out some White Chocolate Macadamia Cookies and Peanut Buster Blondies. YUM!!! Stay tuned until next week when my only goal I plan on setting (heeheehee) will be my Lemon Sandwich Cookies. Woo Hoo!

Have a sweet day :-)

Lady J Design Creations

2009-06-06T14:36:00.009-07:00

Hello my dear friends and bubbly sheeshter!! I HAVE to share with you a brand new shop on Etsy:

ladyjdesigncreations.etsy.com

In this shop you will find beautiful bead work and gourds. YES....GOURDS!!! I just happened to get glimpse of a flower made of beads at a local pharmacy and the cashier told me that it was not for sale but she knew who made it. She then told me that the one I was looking at was beat up. Beat up??? If THAT was beat up, I HAD to see one that wasn't because this "beat up" flower looked great.

I got to meet Jackie, the Ms. Lady J, and learned so much more about her creations. Jackie has won a medal for her work and, not to mention, was featured in two National magazines AND nominated into the 2009 Biltmore Who's who of 2009 book for personal achievements! WOW!!

Please swing by her shop and check out the beautiful work she has posted so far. You will be amazed!!!

As for my lemon sandwich cookies....uuuhhh....I'm editing my already edited recipe and trying again next week ;-)

Something New!

2009-06-04T10:47:00.004-07:00

Hello my wonderful friends! I know, I know...where the hell have I been? LOL!! Well, we had Corbin's graduation and his party to attend to plus I wanted to be able to spend time with my nephew while he was here. So things went well and I was able to get some R&R and then it happened.......a drastic reduction in staff....the OT is back!

I've been working a lot lately and hoping we can get fully staffed again QUICKLY! I do love my job but it has been a burden on my shop :-( I'm exhausted when I do have a day off so I have not been creating anything new...until now! I am experimenting with a new recipe today and hoping it goes well so I can add it to my shop...lemon sandwich cookies. Yum! Cool, refreshing lemon perfect for summer time. I've also been thinking about adding my white chocolate macadamia cookies to the shop as well. It has been slow lately and figure a change in line-up might be in order.

So that's it about me and what's going on in my life. I will do my best to keep on top of my blog :-)

Love to all!

Aaawwwww...

2009-05-13T09:38:00.005-07:00

I love my little Mag-Anne and love being a new mommy to yet another fur baby...but I sure don't want to be a grandma to any fur babies....so little miss Magi-Anne underwent surgery on Monday. It was best for her health and my sanity ;-)

Daddy (Paul) dropped her off early Monday morning and picked her up early that same evening. I think I irritated Paul with all my texting from work..."Have they called yet?" "Have you heard about Magi-Anne yet?" "Any news?" HAHAHA! Talk about a worried mom! My last text to him was, "I'm really getting worried now..." and two minutes after I sent that I received an email with this picture:

Now...my first expression was of joy...my next was tears rolling down my face of laughter! My poor baby was soooo high on medication that she had no idea what the H E-double L was going on!! Her poor eyes were more bugged out than they normaly are and she just sat there and stared into the back seat the entire time.

I am happy to report that the anesthesia has worn off and she is back to her old spunky self. She is not to be running around right now, yet she doesn't want to listen to me and, apparently, this little turd-nugget thinks she is invincible! Not only is she being her rambunctious self, she is back to chasing the big dogs!! I have to take the big girls our for potty breaks first THEN I can take Magi-Anne...otherwise she thinks it's play time.

Though she had to suffer some minor induced trauma, something very sweet came of it. Sierra and Gypsy could not stand to see their baby sister so "sick" and kept trying to mother her even while she was in my arms. THAT is love ;-)

I'm Baaaaaack!

2009-05-08T06:32:00.006-07:00

Helloooo my dear friends :-) Oh my gosh...it feels like forever AND a day that I have been on this blog! Great news (at least for me...mua hahahahaha) is that I'M BACK! Yep! Finished my last OT day on Wednesday AND I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE WORK THE ENTIRE SHIFT! *doin' the happy dance*

I have spent the last day and a half working on stuff around the house that I have been putting off and taking "Big Black" (my car...hahaha) to get serviced. Poor girl hasn't seen an oil change since January :-( We call her big black because she takes up as much room in the garage as my Jeep Commander did...and she's a car!! Hey...I'm not the only one that names my car. Nope. My husband has named his "The Lady" and our oldest son has named his newest car "Big Sexy". PPfft. PaaaaaaaLEEEEEEEEEZ!!! hahahahahaha!

So now that I have all my chores out of the way I get to play for the next two days. Well, almost. I do have an order to fill tomorrow for a local customer BUT I don't have to bake it while working a million hours at my other job. WooHoo!!! OH...and speaking of baking, I have made some changes in my shop as far as goodies I offer. I have take out all of my chocolate dipped items because it has just become too hot here in Arizona to ship them out. I would rather not have my customers receive something that resembles....well...you know where I'm going with this! HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Instead, I am adding new items like lemon curd muffins and nutty chocolate chip cookies. I will also be adding more U-bake items as well as some macadamia/white chocolate chip cookies AND The Commander's White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies!! You heard me right...LuLu's darling husband shared HIS recipe with me and.....OMG these are to die for! Look for these beauties today as they will be posted in my shop shortly :-)

OH! Before I go...I do have to announce that Corbin has done it again! Just when I think my son cannot surprise me anymore..HE DOES! April 24th was the ROTC awards night and Corbin J. Crosby came out with the most decorations WHICH INCLUDED the Association of The United States Army award. This award is handed to one ROTC participant PER DISTRICT! Sadly, the auditorium sucked for lighting so the picture is crap BUT it shows him being pinned by a retired Colonel....

Ok...it's time for me to go visit all of you WONDERFUL friends who have been ever so patient with me. I am truly grateful to have such fabulous people in my life. Thank you :-)

Love & hugs,

Laura

Growing Up

2009-04-16T07:12:00.005-07:00

In 34 days my oldest son, Corbin, will graduate from high school. It seems like it was yesterday that he was running around in diapers and playing with Batman figurines! My son has grown up quite well and I couldn't be more proud of him!! He has done so well through school and in his young personal life so it only makes sense that his graduation gift be something special....something that HE wants. Well, since we couldn't quite hide it from him, he received his graduation gift and is VERY happy.

What? You want to know what it is? LOL! Corbin is now the proud owner of a Buick Park Avenue! He really wanted a new car, especially since he will be starting college soon, so how could I not fulfill his wish? He has been such a wonderful son and I know that will never change. Plus, I feel better now that he is in a larger car ;-) I have have several people ask me if he as "decked" it out or "pimped" his ride...LOL...no, he has not. He loves the car just the way it is. One more thing about Corbin that makes him so special...he has always had this "grown up" sense about him. He is a very special child and I am a privileged mother to be able to say, "This is my son."

So here he is..smiling over his "new ride"...

A Lovely Experience Never To Be Forgotten

2009-04-09T10:37:00.002-07:00

What is time? An instance. An indefinite period. An action in a certain period of time

Sadly, my time has been quite scarce and so many important levels of my life have been neglected. With this said, I have made a decision to close one of my Etsy shops; Any Occasion Boutique officially closed this morning. It was a difficult decision to make, but an important one. However, I will continue to carry on with my Laura Lee's Tasty Treats plus will have more time to blog!

Another definition of time is- 'A moment considered as a resource under your control and sufficient to accomplish something'. I did just that with my Any Occasion Boutique and, now, with my Laura Lee's Tasty Treats. I have accomplished what I set out to do, put smiles on the faces of those receiving my cards. Now it is time for me to refocus on my family, friends and Laura Lee's Tasty Treats so that I may, once again, accomplish goals for which I have chosen.

Thank you to all my friends and family for your support and I look forward to many more days and years of sharing experiences.

LOVE TO ALL,

Laura

R & R

2009-03-25T09:04:00.005-07:00

Hello everyone!

I am chillin' in San Diego for the next couple of days before I head back to work. I know blogging has been stinky lately and I appreciate every one's support and understanding :-) Since one of the girls at work quite, the rest of our team has to pick up her days so I will be have some long weeks for the next 5-6 weeks. It is going to be even more difficult for me to keep up on my blog but, rest assure, I will be here ;-)

I had have been so crazy busy that, when I heard Paul was going to be in San Diego for work on my normal scheduled days off, I jumped on the opportunity to join him. Well, sort of....he's working and I'm not. HAHAHAHAHAHA! (Sorry, Baby-Face ;-D ). I am going to enjoy these next few days since the next time I will get my normal 4 days off won't be until the end of April and that is because I told work I cannot pick up any shifts since two very important people will be visiting ;-D AND YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE LADIES!!! LOL!!

Just a quick note to bring you up on some other important events coming up in my life- my oldest son, Corbin, will be graduating high school in May and is getting a wonderful gift....my oldest nephew (Rocki's oldest son) will be flying in from Portland for the graduation. Corbin is so excited!! We all are excited :-D Plus he will be getting something very special from us but I cannot tell....you never know who might be listening. Uuhh, reading. HAHA! So.... good try, Corbin!! ;-)

So that's it for now. I will do my best to check up on the blogs during the week. Have a wonderful week and a fabulous weekend.

Hugs,

Laura

I lost something....

2009-03-12T23:56:00.004-07:00

....my energy to keep up with BLOGGING!! OMG! What the f=flip is wrong with me????? I know I am busy but come on! An important part of my life truly is on this blog and I have been ignoring it....but not on purpose. To be quite frank about it (Josh. Cover your ears...er...eyes!), it's pissing me off!

I know I'm busy...blah blah blah...but once a week is BS. Yes. BS! Magi-Anne definitely takes a lot of my time when I am at home (no complaints though!) and then I had some ill men in my house (all you women can probably relate to THAT scene) and work is busier than snaut. So, I truly am sorry that I am not on top of the blogs these days. I tried to make a promise and fell flat on my face so I am not going to promise I will be back tomorrow but I will try my best :-)

Ok. So I bitched a little in tonight's blog and, heck, even had a little pity party for myself (just ate a brownie...YUM!) Maybe it's the earth's tilt. HAHAHAHAHA! Oh man I bust myself up with my stupid jokes! HAH! Speaking of jokes, I will leave you with one......drum roll please (thanks crazy drummer dude...even though those are bongos)

What do you call fish with no eyes?

Fsh.

AAAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Happy Friday!!

A Gift of Love

2009-03-05T19:16:00.004-07:00

Life is ever so precious and yet it is taken advantage of every minute of every day. Just yesterday I hit an 8 week old puppy with my car...she ran into the street right in front of me. I was devastated. I thought I killed her but then I heard her crying. I got out of my car and there she was under my car as she began to limp towards a house. I instantly picked her up and began knocking on the door of the house she was headed towards. I felt so horrible yet thankful...I had almost ended this puppies life.

No one answered at the house, even though their door was open, and the neighbor next door just walked away when I tried to talk to him. The only thing I could think of is to take her home, have Paul look at her while I called the vet. I thought then the, if a pet owner could be so irresponsible to allow this little angel to wonder off and NOT have a collar, then maybe she was put in front of my car for a reason.

When I arrived at the vet, the first thing they did was check to see if she was chipped. NO CHIP! That was it. I couldn't take her back to where she almost lost her life so I asked the vet to vaccinate her and check for worms so I could take her home and give her a family.

I would like to introduce to you, Magi-Anne........................................

She is approximately 8 weeks old, her breed is long hair Chihuahua, weighing in at 2.13 pounds. I am so thankful that she is here with us today.

Peek-A-Boo!

2009-02-18T13:49:00.004-07:00

Oh my do I feel like a turd!! The last time I posted anything was on 2/6...and that is probably the last time I visited the blogs!!!! Shame on me <:-(

Well, I am back now and ready to cause some trouble...uuuhh...I mean, ready to play nice ;-) It really has been so crazy between going back to work and filling Valentine's orders...not to mention that the hubby was away on business during this time and ump-teen-million things went wrong while he was gone. Whew!!

Now that the "lovers" holiday is over, and I am on my regular shift now, I am free to play in the blogs 4 days out of the week :-) I would love to visit every day, as I have in the past, however my shifts are 12 hours each and my drive time is 1 hour each way so I do not have a lot of time to play during my "work week". I won't complain about the hours since I love my job AND I only work three days a week......how awesome is that? Oooooh but I do miss chatting every day :-( But as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder ;-) Are you fond of me yet? AHAHAHA!!

Well, that's about it. I've just been working, baking and making cards ;-) I wish you all well and I PROMISE to keep up on my blog!

Love you all,

-L

New Items

2009-02-06T08:41:00.008-07:00

HELLO EVERYONE!!! It has been quite a busy week for me with starting my job (loving it) and creating some new yummies for the bake shop. Sadly, I have been so busy that I haven't created anything new for the card shop :-( Soon, though. Very soon ;-)

So, some of the goodies I have been working on have to do with pretzels and peanut butter. I've been on a candy kick lately but I do have a baked yummy in the works. More on that later. Mua hahahahaha!

This is my Peanut Butter Chocolate Dipped Pretzel-

It is a pretzel rod dipped in a peanut butter sauce then dipped into melted milk chocolate. It's finished off with a generous drizzle of more peanut butter sauce.

These are my Peanut Butter Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Sandwiches-

They waffle pretzels with peanut butter in between then dipped into melted milk chocolate.

And finally, my White Chocolate Pecan Pretzel Rods-

Pretzel rods are double dipped in premium white chocolate then rolled in chopped pecans.

All of my pretzels in my shop can be made with a choice of chocolates- milk, dark, semi-sweet, or white.

So this is what I have been up to lately. I wish everyone a wonderful weekend!!!

Hugs,

Laura

So Much To Talk About

2009-01-29T17:52:00.007-07:00

Where to begin?? Oh. I know...my latest award :-D

I am honored to accept the Lemonade Award from the fabulous Sharon of Mana Moon Studios! This is an insightful award for it brings encouragement to those who may be in a difficult situation...what do we do when life throws us lemons??? We make LEMONADE!

This award could not have come at a better time. Just today I received an unwanted phone call from my vet. My beautiful Sierra (also known as Big Mama) has a very dangerous level of triglycerides...it is so high that she risks going into seizures. We knew that her time with us was getting close to the end but I did not expect to hear what the vet had to say today. Sierra's chance of surviving 2009 is very slim. BUT this is where I take those damn lemons and make sweet lemonade. Sierra has been in our lives since she was 6 weeks old...she has grown up with our children and has been our daughter, sister, protector and very best friend. No one and nothing lives forever...we are so blessed to have this lovely lady in our lives and we are thankful that we still have time with her. So please do not be sad for my Big Mama. Please be happy for the life she has lived and the love she continues to give every single second.

Now the rules- I am to post it on my blog and then pass it on to others. Since all those who I would pass it to have already been awarded with it, I will pass on passing it ;-)

In other news, I am going back to work! Though I am very thankful for the success I am having with my newest shop, I still require a steady income. So, I am going back to work for Rural Metro Corporation which is Rural Metro Fire Department and Southwest Ambulance. I am excited to be going back and even more excited that I will be working 3 days a week so I have plenty of time to work on my shops!!

Finally...FOOD! I have attempted to duplicate the Oreo! Yes...Oreo. You know that yummy, delicious, cream filled cookie sandwich that I love so much, especially crumbled on ice cream or dipped in milk. It's the cookie that, if I had them in the house, they would last only a minute? I mean...you know? The Oreo? HAH! Anyhoo...I almost did it!!! I have posted the copy-cat in my bake shop and, though they do not taste 100% like the Oreo, they taste pretty darn good ;-)

So...that's about it! Thanks for stopping by :-D

Hugs,

Laura

AND THE WINNER IS......

2009-01-25T19:54:00.003-07:00

When I was a young girl, I used to love roller skating............WHAT is everyone screaming about? OOOOhhhhh. You want to know who the winner of my Black Tie Cookie bar give away is? Well then- the lucky winner is........................

SHERRY SMYTH!!! (yaaaahhhhhhhhhh- and the fans go wild!!!) Congratulations, Sherry!!

A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated and spread the word of my give away. It is truly appreciated :-D It is wonderful people like yourselves who make the world a happier place!!

Big hugs,

Laura

It's a Give Away!

2009-01-19T14:30:00.007-07:00

****UPDATE**** ***DING DONG ALERT*****

Hello my fabulous friends! Well, it has been pointed out that I do not have my end date visible. OOPS! Come on people!!! You can't read my mind??? HAHAHAHA!! AAAhhhh yes. I'm a ding dong! The end date is this Sunday, January 25th and I will announce the winner then ;-)

I am holding my first ever give away on my blog; "Not Even A Crumb Left". Since I offer so many different things in my "treats" shop it was a little difficult to think of what to give. Then it hit me...just about everyone loves chocolate so what better to give away than my Black Tie Cookie Bars!

My Black Tie Cookie Bar is a delicious moist dark chocolate cookie dough with scrumptious premium white chocolate chips mixed in then baked into a cookie bar. As soon as it comes out of the over, layers of creamy milk chocolate is added on top and smoothed out to create a heavenly chocolaty top. This is the chocolate lovers dream bar!

The rules are quite simple- just leave a comment on this post letting me know you are interested in the give away. You have the opportunity to double your entry if you add the above picture in your next post and give a short "blurb" about it. That's it!

The lucky winner will be chosen by a random name generator off of Random.com.

I would like to give a great big shout out to the fabulous Mz. Sharon for making the give away badge. Isn't she just the greatest??

Good luck to all and have a "sweet" day!

Hugs,
Laura

Still not telling!

2009-01-17T11:18:00.005-07:00

Ok, so maybe I promised to tell a little secret but the secret is not ready to be told yet...heeheehee! BUT, I can tell you that I finally posted my first dry cookie mix on Etsy and Art Fire today! Check out this bad-ass container! Oh yes. It's a Chinese take out box! All the ingredients are nestled inside, all secure in their own little bags, along with mixing and baking instructions. I'm anxious to see how many hits I get on it AND if it sells quickly.

I was a little nervous about the shipping ($9.80 priority mail flat rate). Due to the contents, it is quite heavy and if I were to send it any other way, the cost would be even higher. Oh well. We don't know if we don't try. Right?

I also posted a new item in my shops- Heavenly Marshmallow Pops.

Soft, fluffy marshmallows are encased in a shell of premium white chocolate and chopped pecans. These are a little pricier than my other marshees but the ingredients used on these are also pricier. Each pop is individually wrapped and tied with ribbon. Right now I am purchasing the marshmallows but, sometime next week, I am going to attempt to make my own. There are really not that difficult, just time consuming for little puffs of cloud ;-)

So, this is it for me today. I have a lot planned, both in the kitchen and around the house. I wish everyone a very wonderful weekend!!!

Big hugs,

Laura

New Name!

2009-01-12T15:19:00.003-07:00

Hello everyone :-)

Just wanted to give you a heads up and let you know that I am changing my blog name. Yep! Sure am :-D My new Blog name will be Sweets 'N Greets. Get it? Baked goods....cards....??? Hello? HAHAHAHA!

Anyhoo...just wanted to share the news. I will be posting WHY I am changing it in the next couple of days. Hhmmm...wonder why???? Gotcha all guessing? GOOD! HAH!

Take care and have a great day :-D

Hugs,
Laura

I'M ON A TEAM!

2009-01-09T00:18:00.007-07:00

Yep! You "read" me correctly ;-) I am on my very first team and I am totally excited about it. In fact, I'm so excited that I had to blog about it! I have joined Team EEAT- Etsy's Edible Arts Team and today was my official day as a member. I am looking forward to all the great things being on this team will bring :-D

In other news...I am sending out 20 orders tomorrow of mini Snickerdoodles and mini Chocolate Chip Cookies as part of a sampler box. Just another way to promote the shop ;-)

Also, I am going to dedicate this weekend to ONLY card making (that is if I do not have any baking orders). Valentine's Day is approaching quickly and I REALLY need to build up my stock in the shop. I did manage to get one card done yesterday but haven't posted yet. That will be coming soon :-D

Finally, the nasty spider bite is calming down! Yay! It is still quite infected but not as bad as it could have been. I visited the doctor today and, though she is pleased with the progress, still cut me open to try and get as much of the poison out that the medication has not killed yet. I am a bit sore but, in the end, it is worth the pain. I want to send a million thank you's, hugs, and kisses to all of my wonderful friends for your caring thoughts. I love you all very much :-D

Hugs,
Laura

I taste delicious!

2009-01-07T12:56:00.004-07:00

Once again, I have been absent from the scenes of BlogLand but I have a good excuse this time! Unfortunately, over the weekend, I was bit by a spider...the doctor believes a Brown Recluse. Fortunately, I got to my doc in time and started treatment right away. The infection is already calming down :-D I have a great doc and she deserves a HUGE applause! Thanks Dr. G!!!!

Now, as for this ugly bastard...I am trying to not be mad at the spider but it pisses me off that I had to be bit! I guess I taste that good or else I was invading it's home. I'm sure it's the latter ;-) I wasn't sure if I was going to blog about it but I wanted to get it out there that these little buggers are actually quite dangerous. The amount of harm they can do to a human is great, and can even end in fatality if not treated right away. These spiders usually reside in dark places so BE CAREFUL where you put your hands, feet, etc. They have been known to take cover UNDER covers so please check your bed every night.

I know this may have scared some of you but I only posted because I care about all of you and want you to be safe :-D Because I went to the doctor when I did, my recovery is going well and, at this point, my biggest boohoo is the effects of the medication and not the bite! But, as I have told my family and a few friends, I would rather have the side effects of the meds than the effects of the poison. So, remember to always look before sticking your hands and feet in dark, hidden areas AND always look around the seating areas at parks and other outdoor places.

That's all :-D Have a wonderful day!

Big hugs,

Laura

2009-01-04T10:06:00.013-07:00

Happy New Year everyone :-D I've been a bit absent from the blogs lately due to TONS of chores around the house and thinking of new ideas for my shops!

Today is a bit rainy here in ugly El Mirage...I mean beautiful El Mirage :-O HAHA! I'm not afraid to say that the tiny city in which I reside is quite ugly. It really it tiny at 11 square miles, considering my neighbor city (Phoenix) stretches 475 square miles! Ahhh, but I won' t bitch too much about this pie hole and the irresponsible police force and city counsel since I have a roof over my head and food in my cupboards ;-)

The main reason for this blog, other than slightly slam El Mirage, is to announce a new item I will be selling in my bake shop. Coming soon you will be able to purchase cookie, brownie, and cake mixes. The only thing that will need to be added will be the wet ingredients. I am pondering on adding the vanilla if I can find tiny containers...kind of like the little medicine cups but with lids.

My idea is focused more on the taste of the finished product so the packaging may not be so beautiful. To keep it as cute as possible, the packaging will consist of the ingredients being placed in separate bags and then enclosing in a Chinese take out box; the will have a sticker of my shop banner. This adorable idea came from the sweet Sharon of Mana Moon Treasures! Thank you Sharon!!!

So this is my next adventure in the bake shop. OK, and I will divulge a little about the up coming "lovers" holiday...I have a few things up my sleeve that I will be adding in the form of hearts ;-)

But before I go I must add a very special notice about a very special give away- Yes, Ms. Sharon of Mana Moon Treasures is holding a great give away on her blog!

YAAAHHHH (and the fans go wild) :-D What makes this so special is not just the three chances you have to win but the fact that the prize is an original Woven Wire Beaded Bracelet! You know you want this bracelet. So what are you waiting for? Don't walk...RUN over to Sharon's blog at http://manamoon-studios.blogspot.com/ and enter to win!

Have a wonderful day, stay dry if it is raining or snowing in your part of the woods, and enjoy :-D

Hugs,

Laura

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T06:44:00.002-07:00

Thank you to all my wonderful friends and my fabulous family for a year of excitement. I am thankful for all the events that have occurred and look forward to another intriguing new year.

Our world has many challenges which we all must face every single day. I ask that, in the new year, your hearts be filled with love, peace, harmony, and success. Here's to life.

Happy New Year!

Time for a sing-a-long

2008-12-30T09:09:00.006-07:00

OK...everyone please clear your throats and help me sing along. Why, you ask? Weeellll....IT'S DEBI'S BIRTHDAY!!!!! WooooooHoooooooo! Alright...on the count of three.....

ONE!
TWO!

THREE!

Happy birthday to you. Happy birthdaaay toooo you. Haaaaaaaaaaaaapy biirrrrrrrrrrthday dear (hhhmmmm...should I use the nickname???) Debi/Rocki/Sis/(nicknaaaaaaaaaaaaame). Haaaaaaaapy Birrrrrrthday toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! (oxygen please!)

Love you Sis!

A Beautiful Christmas

2008-12-29T13:08:00.009-07:00

What a lovely holiday it has been so far. Though I spent the two weeks leading up to Christmas baking up a storm, I would not change it for the world. I have been absent from the blogs in order to spend time with my family but I am back now and just aching so share some memories and gifts I received.

First, I must share this GROOVY picture of my family and I. My sister thought of a fabulous idea and we all just went with it. This year, our family spent Christmas in the 60's. Nooo, not 60 degrees, 1960's! We had an absolute blast. So, from our family to yours- Groovy Christmas, Baby!

A very dear friend, Angie of Angie Kelly Designs, sent me a FABULOUS surprise. Here she worked me up that I would be receiving a gift, taunting me and teasing me (OK, so I did the same to a few people ;-D ), and wouldn't you know I DID receive a package from her. As I gently opened the box (tore it apart!!) there was the cutest, most darling, special little guy I have ever seen!! Written across his tummy is my favorite word that I use OOOOOHHH so often, "DUDE!" Yes. I say dude! I say it a lot!! I love the word. I love saying it. I'm sure some of you may be a little surprised but, hey, I can't tell you everything on the first date ;-) HAHAHA!! This little "dude" has found his new home right next to me so every morning I roll over to turn off my alarm, there he is reminding me, "Dude. You don't have a 9-5 job. Turn off the alarm and go back to sleep!" :-D I love this DUDE!

Another wonderful friend sent me a very special ornament. An ornament she painted herself. My dear friend of The Mum and The Rose made this gorgeous ornament. I was stunned by the art work and just the thought that she had thought of me. The colors she chose blew me away! My tree is decorated with tons of blue, silver and snowflakes and here was this darling angel in green and blue painted on a snowflake. I was shocked! It was as if she just knew. I put her on the tree towards the top, right in the front, for all of my friends and family to see. She is beautiful, much like the wonderful artist who made her :-)

And then came another great surprise...my very special friend Sharon of Mana Moon Studios sent me a gift that brought tears to my eyes. I opened the package and there it was...an apron! But not your ordinary apron. This apron is handmade by Sharon and it was made just for me. On the apron is my shop name along with the fancy design she had created for my avatar and business cards! It seemed like forever had passed when the tears finally slowed down enough for me to see two feet in front of me! Paul and Cody were home when I opened this gift and both were silent because, they too, had their breath taken away. I felt compelled to wear it right away so I put it on and pranced around the house like I was some hot-to-trot pastry chef :-D I love my apron and I AM a hot-to-trot pastry chef when I have it on ;-D

Sharon also surprised me today with a wonderful award...the Christmas Spirit Award! The giving just keeps on going even though Christmas has passed. I like this award :-D So, with this award, I am to share five reasons why I like Christmas and then pass it on to others.

So here I go:

1. Friends and Family- though I try to spend as much time with my friends and family as possible, Christmas time allows us to spend that much more time together. Even if it is just an extra hour for a day, it is time well spent.

2. Giving back- Whether it is to my friends, family, or a stranger, I love to give! I am a firm believer that what goes around comes around AND to treat others as you wish to be treated. I try to live my life this way every day and, given the wonderful people in my life, it is working :-D

3. Decorations- I love how others join in the spirit with decorations and lights. Every year we spend an evening driving around looking at the wonderful Christmas decorations as well as the Menorahs in the windows of those celebrating Hanukkah. It is very festive and peaceful.

4. Cards- I love receiving cards as much as I love to give them (OK, and made them :-D)! They are always so beautiful and there is always on special letter inside.

5. Music- Oooh how I love holiday music! My favorite, 'O Holy Night' sung by Luciano Pavarotti. I can listen to this song over and over again and never get bored of it. It is so beautiful, so graceful, and so meaningful.

Now the best part, I get to forward this on to others. I know some of you don't like to hand out awards, and I am totally OK with it, you still deserve an award ;-) And the winners are:

Rocki's Supplies

Angie Kelly Designs

Hey Harriett

The Mum and The Rose

Heart of A Cowgirl

Pup Love

AAAHHHHHH! And the crowd goes wild ;-)

Enjoy the rest of this year and, those who received the award, you all deserved it! I will end this mile long post now ;-)

Hugs,

Laura

2008-12-23T19:48:00.002-07:00

Many wishes of love and happiness to my friends and family! May you have a beautiful holiday and a new year filled with joy!

Hugs,
Laura

Dear Santa,

2008-12-18T10:43:00.010-07:00

I would like a bigger kitchen...

HeeHeeHeeHee!

Now that I am done with my wish list for Santa, I thought I would take a moment to share some pictures of our decorations outside the house. Some of the pics are not of the best quality but at least you get the idea ;-) Enjoy!

There are blue lights running through the riverbed..hard to see in the pic!

Up close with Santa and Rudolph! Santa's hand waves and Rudolph's nose lights up.

My favorite elf!

Busy workers...

The elves rest on the other side of the drive along with some lit-up pine trees. Maye I can get some good pictures tonight and share the elves and the trees tomorrow along with the Christmas tree inside.

Have a wonderful day!

Hugs,
Laura

Porn in the kitchen!!

2008-12-16T16:55:00.004-07:00

HEE HEE HEE HEE! Is it me or is this guy checking out this hotties backside?? HAH! I was looking for a cute clip art to post and these two popped up in this EXACT order. AAAhhhh yes, and my mind instantly plopped right into the gutter. HAHAHAHA! I crack myself up!

Soooo, the REAL reason for this post (no, it has nothing to do with porn in the kitchen!! PPfff...dirty minds!!), I'm just checking in with my dear friends to say "HELLO" and that I finished my large order of cookies and am continuing to receive more orders. I am absolutely thrilled and I feel like a lottery winner every time I log in to find I have had another sale. I'm sure you all can relate ;-)

I would also like to update you on our mission with our son Cody. We finally had our appointment at the Melmed Center in Scottsdale to determine if Cody has Asperger's Syndrome. According to the doctor, the two main behaviors that would classify AS are very mild in Cody, therefore he is confident that he does not have it. However, he did tell us that Cody is mildy autistic. I guess we could be upset but why? We have a diagnosis and we do not have to keep wondering anymore.

Well, time to get back into the kitchen and make more goodies to send out! Have a wonderful day :-D

Hugs,
Laura

HAPPY FRIDAY!

2008-12-11T22:33:00.006-07:00

HAHAHAHAHA!!!! Oh, yes. Can you imagine what when through this birds mind once he realized he was being watched? Oh...I know I have MY version of what he was thinking! AAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Have a great weekend my dear friends!
Hugs,
Laura

Highs and lows...

2008-12-11T08:05:00.003-07:00

When I found this picture I knew that it was going to end up on one of my postings....and here it is! I love it!!! Though I am hoping my back side doesn't end up like this from all the taste testing...I mean, baking! Yep. BAKING! heeheehee. What kind of baker would I be if I didn't sample first??

I am proud to announce that I gained the business of the customer with multi orders in the midwest. Yeah! I started the first part yesterday and it went well. Besides the cookies, I am also making gift cards to go with the gift. This has turned out to be a fabulous adventure and I am really enjoying it :-)

I can go on about my baking experience but there is something deeper I would much rather share. Last night, I logged onto the blogs for a quick peak before heading off to bed...that is when I read my dear friend Angie's blog. Her husband's step mother passed away from a long battle with cancer yesterday morning. In reading her blog, she has had cancer three times!

It angers me that we can spend millions, even billions of dollars in research to create crap that eat away at the earth's protective ozone layer, or how about creating HFCS? Really? Scientist create a synthetic sugar to add to almost EVERYTHING we eat because it is sweeter and manufacturors don't have to use so much thus saving a dollar. Here's an idea.....SAVE A LIFE INSTEAD! The percentage of cancer patients is off the charts and I am convinced that the air we breathe, the tainted waters we drink, and the packaged foods we eat are the cause of the majority of cancers.

Dan and Angie- from my family to you and yours, we send our deepest condolences and hearts filled with love for you. Here is an angel of peace to watch over her and love her.

Have You Seen Me?

2008-12-09T07:03:00.003-07:00

Hello? Has anyone seen me?? Anyone at all?? AAAHHH, here I am!

Gosh, I thought I was lost in a pile a flour for a moment. Whew!

I am happy to report that my shop opened on schedule this past Sunday and I had received 5 sales within the first two days. YESSSSS!!!!! I am also currently working with a potential customer to send a some of my baked goods as gifts to her clients throughout the Midwest. As I told a couple of people already, if she doesn't go with my quote I am OK with it....at least I know my shop was attractive enough to bring her in to think of me :-)

I will be busy today with baking more items to post on Etsy. Today's focus will me on breads and thumbprint cookies. With this said, I need to send out a VERY special THANK YOU to my husband, Mr. Paul Crosby. TWO years ago we replaced every appliance in our kitchen (even the darn blender) and my eye spotted a very beautiful item....a stove with a double oven. I explained to Paul that we needed this oven (yes, I actually said need) and he agreed! So, THANK YOU HONEY for buying the oven that is now being consumed with ooey, gooey, yummy goodness ;-) I love you!!

It is time for me to put my apron on and get busy. Have a beautiful day my friends and thank you all again for you wonderful support :-)

Hugs,

Laura

Move over Sarah Lee...There's a new kid in town!

2008-12-06T06:37:00.006-07:00

Tomorrow is my GRAND OPENING for my new Etsy shop, Laura Lee's Tasty Treats. I am totally excited yet totally nervous at the same time. Two shops, a family to take care of (including all my four legged kids and one "fishy" kid), and a house to keep in order. But I have met several wonderful people who have multiple shops and still succeed with their businesses and their family. I guess it just wouldn't be right if I didn't get that nervous tickle, right?

I have some incredibly wonderful friends who had agreed to be my taste testers. They went above and beyond just tasting, they even shared with others! It was important to me that I shipped these to different locations to research the USPS mail time and, quite frankly, their "handling" practices. It was also important for me to know the consistency of the product once it arrived. So, to these fine friends, I thank you from the bottom of my heart and would like to present you with an award- the LAURA LEE'S TASTE BUD AWARD . And the winners are (envelop please...)

1. Mana Moon (also includes Sharon's son Josh her fabulous hubby D)
2. Angie Kelly Designs (also includes her fabdabulous hubby Dan)
3. Heart of A Cowgirl (she should be getting them today)
4. Hey Harriet (this wonderful young lady is a trooper! She is test tasting all the way from Australia!)

Thank you all so very much. Your feedback, good or bad, is a blessing :-)

I have another thank you for Mana Moon Graphics. I gave Sharon some colors and a "thought" of what I wanted for my banner & avatar, what she came back with just blew me off my feet! There was no adjusting (OK, maybe the name was changed since the original was too long for Etsy). The colors are perfect, everything is perfect. Thank you so much Sharon for a beautiful banner :-) I am going to be the hottest bakery on Etsy :-D

And last but not least, a big thank you to all of my friends and family for the support and your belief in me...that is really all I need to be successful ;-)

Well, that is it my friends. Don't forget to stop by my shop tomorrow and check it out. PLEASE keep in mind that since I am just now opening, I will not have all my items listed. I still have more baking to do so I can get more pictures! Anyone hungry?? HAHAHAHA!

Hugs galore,

Laura

lauraleestastytreats.etsy.com & anyoccasionboutique.etsy.com

2008-12-03T07:25:00.004-07:00

I have to say that I truly do have some wonderful friends. Though I may have never physically met you, my life has been lifted even higher by our loving friendship.

Once upon a time I was one who wondered, “How can you become friends with someone you never really met in person?” I take the meaning of ‘friends’ seriously and thought it was not possible to have online friendships. I was VERY wrong. I feel the human touch from the kind words and love that is poured from my wonderful friends and I am thankful that my sister, Rocki, introduced me to this wonderful website. I have met some really great people that I know will forever hold a piece of my heart. So thank you for accepting me for who I am and creating a life long friendship.

Here is a great example of what I am talking about- I was awarded two blog awards yesterday. TWO! I am tickled pink and honored to accept them. Sharon of Mana Moon honored me with the beautiful Butterfly Award and Angie of Angie Kelly Designs awarded me with the Marie Antoinette award. Thank you Sharon and Angie for the fabulous gift and I will proudly share the awards ;-)

Now, I do not have a huge list of friends so I won’t be able to give these awards to ten people but I can give them to people who truly deserve them.

For the Butterfly Award, I bestow onto you:
Heart of a Cowgirl
Angie Kelly Designs
Pup Love
Scribbles of an Ancient Soul

Here are the rules:
1. Post a copy on your blog

2. Mention who gave you the award

3. Pass the award on to 10 others

4. Leave a message on their blog letting them know the honor has been bestowed upon them.

For the Marie Antoinette Award, I bestow onto you:
Hey Harriet
Phoenix Commentaries
Rocki’s Rock ‘N Beads/Supplies
The Mum and The Rose

Here are the rules:
1. Add the logo/badge to your blog

2. Link to the person from whom you received the award

3. Nominate 7 or more blogs

4. Leave a message on their blog letting them know the honor has been bestowed upon them.

Thank you again for these fabulous awards. To my wonderful friends of whom I have bestowed them upon, do not feel you must forward these on but just know I sent them to you because I care about you.

Have a fabulous day :-D
Hugs,
Laura

Post Thanksgiving Belly

2008-12-01T05:14:00.008-07:00

UUUuuugggggghhhhhhhhh. Though I have worked inside and out on my house over the long Thanksgiving weekend, I think I STILL feel like this cat! So many yummy foods everywhere I looked...YUMMMM!

Paul and I have almost completed decorating the outside of our house with our Christmas decorations. I still have a couple of plants I want to put lights on but, other than that, we are done with the outside. Now comes the tree; OH how I love decorating the Christmas tree! For the past couple of years my theme has been snowmen and snowflakes so my tree is primarily blue, silver and white. I have used only clear lights but I think I am going to try something new with my tree and add blue lights as well. I am only going to add a few strands since I have several blue ornaments. Anywhooo, this is my plan for later today and tomorrow.

That's it for now. Hope everyone enjoyed Thanksgiving with your friends and family :-D

Hugs,
Laura

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

2008-11-27T07:09:00.002-07:00

Wishing everyone a wonderul, fun filled Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

Hugs,

Laura

MMMMMMMmmmmmmmm.....

2008-11-25T06:11:00.005-07:00

Hot, fresh, homemade chocolate chip cookies. What could be yummier? How about buying them along with other treats on Etsy? I am opening up a "bakery" shop on Etsy. This idea came from Sharon (the fabulous Mana Moon) and I just had to roll with it. I love to bake so it just sounded perfect to me. Sharon and her family have been quite the troopers as I have recently sent them some cookie bars to try out...and not just the taste but the texture and appearance. Fortunately, they didn't get too stale. HAH! And Sharon was so sweet that she created a form to collect feedback and sent some of the cookie bars to work with her husband. I am still shocked by her generosity and, of course, she never seizes to amazed me with her creativity and kindness!!

I will not be ready to open the shop until I have perfected a way to keep the baked goodies fresh. We believe tins are the best way to go and I will be testing them out beginning Black Friday. Let me know if you are interested in trying some goodies; just send me an email with your address and I will send you some sample yummies. I would love to get more feedback. I would also love to send some international. Gee...don't I know someone who lives in Australia? heeheehee.

I was going to attempt to send pre-portioned cookie dough but the cost of shipping refrigerated/frozen items was ridiculous. Just shipping the cookies bars was a bit high but the data that was collected, a few would be willing to buy them. The cookie bars are heavy as are the Peanut Butter Jelly bars (above) and fudge brownies. But, after doing my research, it seems that people are willing to pay a little extra in shipping for homemade yummies!

I am hoping to open the shop by the 6th of December, just in time for the holiday rush. Oh boy :-O. But if it takes off and people are happy then it will be well worth it ;-)

Hope everyone has a wonderful week and enjoy your Thanksgiving with friends and family.

Hugs,
Laura

Thank You!

2008-11-20T21:49:00.006-07:00

To all of the men and women who protect this country and our freedom, I thank you with every beat of my heart.

Thank you for being our eyes and ears while we sleep and our hands to feed the hungry when we are unable.

Thank you for protecting our skies so we may once again feel safe to fly with our families.

Thank you for raising toys for the less fortunate so they, too, can have a gift to open Christmas morning.

I know war is a touchy subject and not many want to write about it on their blog...I don't want to share my feelings about war but I do want to share my feelings for our military men and women. Too often people take advantage of their freedom, never thanking those who have sacrificed their lives so they can go to their favorite trendy coffee shops or hang out at the fancy dance clubs...never giving it a thought that, without our troops, their freedom could be stripped away in a heartbeat.

November 27th, 1990, I married a United States Marine *OO-RAH*. Three days later he left (orders...compliments of the Corp) to Desert Storm. I am proud to be a Marine's wife (once a Marine, always a Marine) and I am thankful for my husband and all the other men and women for their efforts to protect us.

So THANK YOU for our freedom. May your angels always be watching over you.

Courage Of a Young Man

2008-11-18T07:37:00.005-07:00

Last month I shared with you a fabulous story about my oldest son and now I would like to share with you a challenging story about my youngest son, Cody. Much like his older brother, Cody is willing to drop what he is doing to help someone in need. Uh, as long as the need is not his chores. LOL! But seriously, Cody has been known to help the elderly at the grocery store by taking their items out of the electric carts and putting them onto the belt, or holding doors for people that are behind him. He will even help his fellow classmate with sticky problems on class work. Simple, gentle help that a lot of people just turn their nose up to. Oh, but not Cody.

Cody has always been extremely intelligent, always soaring beyond his class mates. But there was always something a little different with him...he would do his homework but not turn it in until the teacher would contact us...it was the same thing year after year. He would play with one or two kids at school but very rarely play with them after school. He tended to play more with CJ and HIS friends. We often suggested he go play with his friends but he would rather stay in the house.

Last year his attitude began to change abruptly. He became verbally abusive and began to get physically destructive. Paul and I were at a loss. Here was our son who had always been laid back and easy going was losing control right before our eyes; he was a ticking time bomb. We took him to a doctor who suggested he has ADD. After having an evaluation done by a child psychiatrist, it was confirmed...Cody has ADD and ODD (oppositional defiant disorder). The reason for the outrage was due to his age and not being diagnosed sooner. I did not believe he had ADD because he did so well in school...so he would complete his work but not turn it in or we would tell him do something and an hour later it still was not done. We thought it was just Cody being Cody. The doctor explained that kids with ADD either soar above the other kids or they fall far behind. Also, the later in life it is diagnosed, the more complications the child occurs such and major mood swings and destruction of property. Cody was prescribed a medication that, if he indeed has ADD, we would see a difference....we did. We still struggle a little with the ODD but the medication does help.

Just when we finally got him comfortable with the thought of having ADD/ODD and needing to take medication for a while, the doctor pulled Paul and I aside last week to tell us he suspects Cody has Asperger's disorder- a mild form of autism. I didn't believe him. How, after a year, do you tell me this NOW?? First we are told Cody is ADD/ODD now he has autism? The doctor told us that he has been noticing a behavior and pattern with each visit and he didn't want to just make a quick diagnosis. He gave us some reading material and some names of centers here in AZ so we can take him to be tested. I want a second opinion and I do appreciate the fact that the doctor supports me.

After reading about Asperger's and comparing them to Cody, the doctor may be correct. But I can't help but be selfish and ask WHY? Why Cody? Hasn't he been dealt enough in his young life??? We are going to have him tested at the Melmed center in Scottsdale. We don't care about the cost, we just want a correct diagnosis so our son can get on with his life. If he as Asperger's, so be it...we will continue to support him in his plans of being a Quantum Physicist and he will succeed in life.

I didn't share this with you today to feel bad or sorry for Cody. I wrote it so you can see what a strong young man he is and how successful he has been and will be. We are so very proud of him.

Jobless and Loving It!

2008-11-17T06:04:00.002-07:00

This is me this morning...I so excited to announce that I quit my job! YES!!! I QUIT MY JOB!!!! OH LORD I could not stand that place nor the morons that worked there. My position was within the customer service department in which customer service is excactly what they lacked. The employees would argue with the customers, even hang up on them. Worse, they acted like children in the department. The final draw was when a birthday card was being passed around to be signed when two of the girls acutally took the car and threw it away! I could not believe it. Why? Because they didn't like her. Seriously people? I cannot work with jerks like this. I have a higher standard for life and, uh, working side-by-side with garbage is not what I signed up for.

So I am back during the days again but I am going to look for another job. I need to work since my Etsy shop is extremely slow. I am going to be VERY picky this time around and I will to a thorough investigation of the place before I accept. I would like to say I got screwed but, in a way, this was a very valuable lesson.

A big thank you goes out to you, Sharon. You understood first hand what I was going through and you know where I am at now. You were a huge help in my decision making and could not thank you enough. Another big thank you to all of my wonderful friends who had to hear about the shit-hole and all my gripes. Thank you all so much for always being here for me. I love you all so dearly.

Have a wonderful day my dear friends!

It's Wednesday...

2008-11-12T06:28:00.005-07:00

and I'm ready for the weekend! Could somebody make 5:00pm Friday happen now? HAHA. Only in our dreams, right? I anxious to start touching up on my Christmas gear, which we will start this Saturday.

Oh my Santa and his reindeer, the sleigh and the little helpers...gosh how I want to put them up now but I cannot "dis" Tom the Turkey. Poor guy doesn't get quite the attention he used to :-( But I still love you, Tom....yyyuuuummmmmmm do I love you! HAHAHAHAHA! So, here is to my fun weekend touching up the holiday gear!

Hugs,

Laura

2008-11-08T07:41:00.002-07:00

Yesterday I left a comment on a blog in which may have offended others. My outburst may have been a bit bold for some to handle. I thought it might be noble of me to apologize but then why should I have to? I was speaking my mind (which you all know I do quite well) and, as an American, I have every right to express my thoughts as do you....but NONE of us have the right to decide on one's sexuality or their marital status. I will, however, apologize for some of the bold words I used, such as A-hole.

When I wrote my comment yesterday, I wrote it in tears and major frustration; my heart has been broken by a ridiculous proposition that passed by popular vote. I prefer to say it passed by discrimination....but I do not want to get started on this topic again.

So, if I have offended you with the bold words I used, I am very sorry.

Hugs,
Laura

Where Is......Laura??

2008-11-07T05:07:00.004-07:00

I'm here! I'm here!!! Don't you see me? I'm being suffocated by in this crowd of people! aaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!! ;-)

Hello everyone! Oh I am so sorry I have been absent lately. I went to the grocery store and someone spotted me and said, "Hey! Isn't that Laura Crosby?" and next thing you know I was signing autographs for the next 3 days! Oh, wait. That was my dream....LOL!! OK, so the REAL reason is I have had a very busy schedule PLUS my Internet was down a day and a half (pooh for all of it). I wanted to write a quick hello to let everyone know I am still alive and kicking and have not forgotten about you ;-)

Since this is my hubby's birthday....HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAUL!....I won't be back on the blogs until tomorrow. We are going out to a wonderful place for dinner with family and friends. He won't have any present to open from me since we picked it up yesterday. I set up a secret squirrel meeting with our car guy to have some stuff (seriously, don't make me talk mechanic because I'll screw it up) done to his Mustang. He was quite surprised and he is very happy with it. Yeah!

Ok, off to get ready for work. I will be back tomorrow in full swing.....smart ass comments and all! Everyone have a WONDERFUL Friday!

Love and hugs,

Laura

Let's Vote Together

2008-11-04T04:53:00.003-07:00

It's election day so don't forget to get out there and vote! As I say every four years, "If you do not vote, you do not have the right to complain." Of course that is if you are an American citizen ;-) Paul and I will be doing our part today so, please join us and VOTE!

Have a fabulous day :-)

Laura

BOOOOOoooooooooooo.

2008-10-31T04:14:00.003-07:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful, safe, enjoyable Halloween!

Hugs,

Laura

We are sooo proud!

2008-10-30T05:44:00.003-07:00

This post is for our "faux" son (my sons best friend) Ryan! I'm sure many of you have read a little about Ryan in my "shrimp" post...he is like a son to us and we love him dearly. I just learned that Ryan has received a $30,000 college scholarship!!!! We are so proud of him! He has worked extremely hard all through high school and the Jr. ROTC. I just HAD to post about him and let everyone know!! YAY!

Also, I posted my "6 things that make me happy" so please check them out when you get the chance. Have a wonderful day, everyone!

2008-10-29T22:20:00.003-07:00

I have been tagged by the wonderful Sharon of Mana Moon to share six things that make me happy. I am very much a happy person so this tag should be fairly simple. The rules are simple, post six things that make me happy, add the award, and pass it on to six others. So, without further ado, here are six things that make me, Laura Crosby, happy:

1. My family (husband, children, father, uncle, sister, brothers, nephews, wishing was niece (Lauren), distant cousins and the rest of my distant relatives). I love my family very much and I would be lost without them. There is not a day that goes by that I do not appreciate all of them. My family is what gives me the strength to wake up every morning and face the challenges put before me. I like to think of us as a flock of geese- when the leader is tired, he/she moves to the back of the flock to rest while another moves forward and keeps us in the right direction.

2. Gypsy & Sierra (my dogs), Happy & Maya (my cats), and Pepe La Zoom (my fish). They each have their own personality but the one thing they have in common is their love for me. Every morning I wake and every evening I get home, all of my animals and fish are wagging their tales, meowing/panting, and swimming wildly. When I am sad, Sierra always rests her head on me and looks me in the eyes as to say, “I love you, Mommy”. Every evening Happy climbs up on my chest and puts a paw on each side of my neck as is she is giving me a hug. Gypsy…weeeelllll….she is just AWLAYS excited to see me…even if I just walk in and out of a room, she gets so excited as if I had just made her day that much better. Maya, she’s a stubborn cat but she loves me dearly and always waits for me by my door when she hears my alarm clock go off. Pepe. Well, all I have to do is walk into my bedroom and he begins swimming circles and will literally swim back and forth as I walk past him. They may not be human but they all express their love like one!

3. FOOD! Yes, food. I know that most people would say I have a “food addiction” since food makes me happy. Well, maybe they are partially right HOWEVER I still enjoy trying new foods and making my favorite recipes. And if loving food is an addiction then arrest me for enjoying family and friends over great conversations and fabulous foods.

4. The beach. I LOVE the beach. I have a saying when Paul tells me I am getting on his nerves, “Just give me a PB&J (or honey) sandwich, a diet coke, and drop me off at the beach….you won’t hear a peep from me for the rest of the day!” I love the peacefulness, the serenity, and the magnificent views at the beach. It clears my mind and I think of nothing. Aaaahhhhhhhh……..peace.

5. My Etsy shop. I had played around with the idea of selling my cards but never thought I would really enjoy it. I was wrong. I was sooo very wrong! I love it and do not ever want to give it up (thank you Rocki for getting me started 0 ;-)

6. I saved one of things most precious to me, next to my family, that makes me every so happy…my friends. I told one of my friends recently that I have only a handful of true friends but I have several acquaintances. The meaning of ‘friend’ is widely taken advantage of and, sadly, ‘friend’ is just a word to many and not a meaning. So, to my friends, I do adore each of you and love you very much. You are my friend, my confidant, my heart.

So there you have it…the top six “what makes me happy”. Technically, I can tie these into one….#1 thing that makes me happy is my life. These six happy things make up my life; they make me smile every day and encourage me to keep pushing forward. I love my life and I love all of you!!

Since most of the people I know have already been given this award, I only have a few..

My newest friend, Elayne, of PupLove
Little Man Josh of Scribbles of an Ancient Soul
Damien of The Phoenix Commentaries

That's it! I hope you enjoyed learning a little more about me!

Tons of hugs,
Laura

A Beautiful Day

2008-10-27T19:04:00.004-07:00

I would first like to thank EVERYONE for the sweet birthday wishes… THANK YOOOOOOOU!!!! Special thank you to Angie and Sharon…they wrote such beautiful posts on their blogs for me and to my sister Rocki and her hubby Mark for the awesome early morning birthday song :-D I am blessed to have so many wonderful friends and I wish to never know what it would be like to not have you all in my life and I thank God to be a part of yours ;-)
I spent my birthday hiking at Sabino Canyon in Tucson, AZ. with my husband (one of my favorite places to hike) and then had a fabulous dinner with some friends at The Melting Pot; it is a fondue style restaurant. I love Sabino Canyon for its diverse scenery…you will be hiking along a desert path and turn the corner to white sand and lush green trees. It is absolutely amazing. Here are a few pics I took along the way:

We started at the base of the canyon and hiked almost to the top…I would have made the entire hike buuuuuut had a little mis-happen along the way. Yep, dorky me twisted my knee stepping on a rock! Now, this was not your ordinary rock. Nope….this sucker sought me out, stalking me with its evil rock eyes, waiting for my next move to push me over the edge when it finally struck causing me to step on it. Once I did, my leg twisted causing me to lose balance, but I managed to lean my weight to the other side and catch my balance…sadly, when the rest of my body went to the right, my knee continued to go to the left…thus, a knee strain occurred. I’m glad I didn’t break any bones and certainly glad I did not fall down the side, that would have been ugly.

We did have a few visitors along the way-

Aparently this little beauty wanted to help heal my knee by landing on my foot while I was resting it-

Dinner was a little less hazardous. I wish I had pictures to share but we were having so much fun we forgot to snap a few! For those who are not familiar with The Melting Pot, it is a fondue style restaurant where YOU actually cook the food. I’ve seen another restaurant that puts the cooking method at your table but they put the food in it instead of you. Not at The Melting Pot (geesh, one would think I’m advertising for them). Here you choose your cooking method, the foods you want to cook, and YOU do the cooking…or should I say fonduing? There are several cheese fondues to choose from for the hors d’oevres and the chocolate fondues are to die for! OOOOOOH MAN!!!!!!!! I just ate dinner but I think I’m getting hungry again!!!! LOL!
So, this was how I spent my birthday weekend and had an absolute blast. Even though I came home with a minor injury, it was all worth it! Thank you, again, to everyone for the beautiful greetings ;-)

Love and hugs,
Laura

Little Things, Great Friendships

2008-10-22T21:35:00.011-07:00

Many of you know Sharon, the fabulous outstanding creator of Mana Moon Studios and Mana Moon Treasures. Recently, Sharon was able to score two treasuries on Etsy (lucky girl). You are already aware of her creative talent with her graphic and jewelry shops but , if you have never seen one of Sharon's treasuries, you're missing out! She is amazing they way she puts them together and she does it in a flash. I am honored that she chose two of my items to display on each of her treasuries...thank you Sharon.

Besides being this wonderful artist that we all love, Sharon is also an intelligent, respectful, loving, giving, beautiful person. To know Sharon is like having a butterfly land on your heart; her gentle spirit fills it with joy. I am blessed to have her in my life.

So thank you Sharon for being such an important part of my life, for bringing happiness and love to my heart, and most of all for being the wonderful person you are. Don't ever change!

Love,

Laura

Now THAT’S A Cake! Josh, close your eyes!!

2008-10-20T20:53:00.006-07:00

Since Paul and I have dated, one of our goals is to top the others prank….he got me this year :-0
Most of you know me well enough that when I got a good look at what Paul had written on my cake I busted up with HUGE, LOUD laughter!! What a riot!!!! To top it off, he told the guy at the bakery, “Oh, and could you please put a heart on it so she knows I love her.” AAHAAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh gosh I am still laughing just thinking about it :-D But, since he took that extra step to call me what MANY others have, I couldn’t let the cake have all the glory….Debi knows this look quite well (hah…think Jack In The Box, Debi! MWAHAHAHAHA)

Ok, enough of the cake (aaaaahahahahahahaha). My loving husband and two handsome boys took me out for an early birthday dinner this evening; this was the only evening that all four of us could be together for dinner this week. They took me to one of my favorite burger joints, Reb Robin (yyyuummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm).

We had a great time with lots of yummy foods, tons of laughs, and good times. Oh, how I wish these moments would last forever!

So, that’s it. A crazy cake for a crazy lady. HAHAHA!!!!

Miracles Come in All Shapes and Sizes

2008-10-19T07:51:00.003-07:00

How many times have you heard or said this? I know I say it often! Miracles happen every day yet they are frequently missed…too many people are wearing blinders.

I wanted to share with you my little miracle, Happy. This picture was taken this morning…she was actually facing the wall before I snapped the picture. (pardon the quality of the pic…it was dark and I was using my cell phone camera) I’m sure most of you are thinking right about now, “So that cat is facing a wall…” What most of you do not know is that Happy has only one eye of which she is also blind. It amazes me that she walked up to the wall, never touching it, and knew to stop. What also amazes me is that this is an area we have never seen her rest at before, so I question why? Just behind her are the stairs…normally she comes down the stairs and makes a hard left, walking the same path every time. So, again, why did she go straight?

So what makes Happy such a miracle other than she is blind and has only one eye? She, along with her sister and brother, were found in a pallet of roofing tile when she was approximately 1 week old; the mother was nowhere to be found. The loader was about to pick up the pallet of tile with the fork lift when he had caught movement where the forks go and, being a snake lover, he thought it was a snake so backed up and lowered the forks. The three kittens were spared that day.

It was decided that the Humane Society would not be called and homes would be found for the trio…her sister and brother were snatched that very same day but Happy was left alone. Because of her handicap (having only one eye which was only 1/3 developed as it were), the crude and selfish bastards begun calling her names like “Uno” and “Cyclops”. I knew that she was not going to have the quality of life she deserved so I took her home. Instantly, my 100 pound Rottweiler wagged her little nub, sniffed her, and claimed her as a friend. Happy, so little and barely able to walk, looked up at me and that is when I thought of her name; she has a permanent smile on her face.

She was not always blind…she began to lose her sight when she was around 6 months old; it didn’t take long for her to become fully blind. Yet she walks around the house as if she see’s everything around her and Sierra, my oldest Rotti, still claims her. Every time I sit on my couch she quickly finds her spot on my lap and, when I am in my stamp studio, she curls up behind me on my chair. I wonder sometimes what would have happened if I did not take her home and it makes my heart hurt, but all I have to do is look at her and the pain goes away.

So, believe in miracles because they happen every day.

UUUUhhhhhg.....

2008-10-16T04:36:00.002-07:00

Yep...the hubby shared what we thought was a bat with allergies. He had bee sneezing since Saturday but it made sense because he had trimmed the plants and tree plus it was slightly breezy for a few days (hah...that sounds like a weather report). Today will be sunny....LOL!!! Anywho, last night he started a fever which has basically been up and down all night. In the mean time, lil' Laura is snoozing off and on because I feel the distinct ouchness of a sore throat. By the time I woke this morning, the throat is even more tender and I'm sporting a stuffy nose and, quite frankly, I feel like dog poop. Oh but do not feel bad for me. I'm sure my orneryness brought this on. HAHA!

My day shall continue and I will go to work. Why, you ask? So I can infect everyone in that office because the manager has stated that absences are unacceptable during the first 90 days of employment and missing a day is grounds for termination. Hah. The woman cannot show an ounce of leadership yet can stand by this rule. Maybe I will stay home and get myself fired. LOL!

So that's it for today. I would love to chat more but I woke up late (oops) and must get going with my day. I leave you with a great joke:

- For sale- brand new parachute. Used once, never opened, small stain.

LOL!!! Terrible, I know ;-)

Hugs,

Laura

It's Happening

2008-10-14T04:40:00.003-07:00

The weekend came and went and, incidentally, so did Monday! Now, I have really never had an issue with the “Monday Blues” since I tend to take life one moment at a time. Recently, however, I thought I might be dreading this particular Monday; after all, it was the first Monday after beginning my new job…the job that I thought I was really going to hate!

I do not believe I dislike the job but I will say I am not fond of some of the people, as you all know. But something happened today that gave me hope, not just in the position but with some of my coworkers. Maybe, just maybe a couple of them might actually see ME as a friendly person and not their enemy. OK, so MAYBE I might have given a few of them the impression that I am out to get them….err....FINE…so I verbally scared the poop out of a couple of them…that does not mean I am a terrible person. I prefer to WORK when I am at work and not play like I am a 2nd grader on recess. Well, back to today- it was a pleasant day, I got to learn something and I even got some respect from some coworkers. Really…that is all I ever expected from this place. Huh…maybe I will lose the title “Ice Queen” after all ;-)

That is all for today. I hope everyone has a fantastic Tuesday….and you are being forewarned now………………..I AM OFF ALL DAY WEDNESDAY! BWA HAHAHAHAHAHA! MWA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! AAAAAAH HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHh eheheh (*cough-cough*).
Hugs,Laura

A Beautiful Heart

2008-10-11T06:22:00.004-07:00

This is my oldest son, Corbin, when he was much younger. He's always been a sweet, helpful, caring individual with BIG dreams. His dreams have led him through all sorts of "what I want to be when I grow up" careers but finally chose one. Now that he is a senior in high school, his dream is finally becoming a reality. But, before I get into his career choice, I want to tell you a little about him-

He was a good size baby weighing in at 8lb 11oz. and was 21 3/4" long. He started walking when he was 9 months old and had ALL of his teeth by the time he was 16 months. Freak of nature? Yep! LOl! I had to say that since I know he will be reading this.

Other than his BIG dreams, Corbin has a Big heart. Somehow, he has always found himself in strange situations or strange things found him. When he was 5 years old the doctors told us they found what looked to be a mass on the occipital area of his brain; further research proved not to be a mass yet an arachnoid cyst (water cyst). The doctors told us that it would be OK if they did not remove it as long as it did not grow anymore, however, if it were to grow they would have to remove it leaving Corbin with a 50/50 chance of brain damage. Someone up above stopped that cyst from growing and surgery was never required.

Later on in his life, Corbin found himself in another situation. Sadly, gangs are everywhere and of any age. There were a group of 8th grade kids that called themselves the "Dirt Match Gang". They would randomly pick a child, regardless of age, and beat him up after the school bus left. One day they picked out my youngest son, Cody. Corbin picked up real quick on what was about to happen and stepped in front of his brother and said, "He's only 7. If you want to fight someone, let it be me.." and they did. Corbin had the daylights beat out of him that day so that his brother wouldn't. With the help of the school and the police, ALL of the kids were arrested and expelled from school. His guardian angel is strong.

But this wasn't the end of Corbin's strange happenings. Shorty after recovering from the fight, he was hit by a car at the bus stop. The kids were playing tag and he slipped off the curb right in front of a car. The investigators and doctors all said he shouldn't have lived...but, once again, his angel came through for him and here is with us today.

I honestly believe that the strange incidences in his life has made him the way he is. Corbin loves life and life loves him back. I know you have been waiting to hear about his career, but how could I not share the triumph of this wonderful young man?? Well, this young man is going to become a lawyer of politics and, eventually, become a lobbyist. I'm sure most of you are probably dropping your jaw saying, "Lobbyist?" He is determined to change the faces of lobbyist to work FOR the people. I know he will. He came to us and said that he wants to attend a community college for his perquisites before attending ASU. Why? BECAUSE IT WILL SAVE US THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS! He's not a lobbyist yet but he sure is practicing ;-)

So, America, here is your future lawyer who WILL become the lobbyist that America needs:

WHAT? Did you expect a picture of him in a suit?? HAH! He'll be the ONLY lawyer NOT to wear a suit!! And, if you ask him, this picture is of him walking the CAT walk for all the hot ladies. Um, Corbin, this is you after getting out of the pool at yours and Papa's birthday! Nice try, buddy ;-)

So, ladies and gentlemen, this is MY son!

THANK YOU FOR FRIDAYS!

2008-10-10T05:05:00.002-07:00

Hello, my friends!

I just HAD to start off this morning with a funny cartoon :-D I wonder what my pets do when we are not home?!?!?!?

It is finally Friday, hoot-hoot, and it couldn't have come any sooner. This week has been a little odd for me so I could totally use some R&R. I believe my weekend is full of stuff to do, but at least it is enjoyable stuff like lunch at Dad's on Saturday and dinner at Grandma's on Sunday. HEY...that means no cooking for me this weekend! YYYAAAHHHHHH!!!! I also have some card ideas that I want to try out this weekend as well. One I'm not too sure of but I won't know if I don't try ;-)

Next week is going to be a little backwards for me in the sense of emailing and blogging. I have to be to work earlier than normal so I will not be able to get the "good" stuff done before work...............oooooohh but you WILL hear from me after work- mwahahahahahah....BWA HHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!! However, you will not hear about my work. As of yesterday, I have decided that they suck and I don't and that I need to concentrate on finding a professional place of business. BUT, I am going to stay at my current place of biz and earn cash by literally just sitting there! God I hope I find something soon :-D

Well, kids, I will leave you with a joke before I had off to work....have a wonderful, fun filled, and exciting weekend. Love, Laura (pst- not sure why my paragraphs are not spaced in the post but they are spaces in the 'compose' box???)

JOKE- A blonde heard that milk baths would make her beautiful. She left a note for her milkman to leave 25 gallons of milk When the milkman read the note, he felt there must be a mistake. He thought she probably meant 2.5 gallons. So he knocked on the door to clarify the point. The blonde came to the door and the milkman said, 'I found your note asking me to leave 25 gallons of milk. Did you mean 2.5 gallons?'The blonde said, 'I want 25 gallons. I'm going to fill my bathtub up with milk and take a milk bath so I can look young and beautiful again.' The milkman asked, 'Do you want it pasteurized?' The blonde said, 'No, just up to my boobs. I can splash it on my face.

My first day...

2008-10-08T20:11:00.003-07:00

So, my first day at my new job did not go as well as I planned....I learned quickly that this department is in the trouble they are in due to lack of organization and competent employees! I kept my mouth shut for most of the day but felt compelled to put at least half of a shoe in my mouth! HAH!! I wasn't sure if I even wanted to go back but then I realized what they need is a REAL leader. I did not accept a management position, however, tomorrow I plan on going in to work and stating my piece and offering suggestions. If they accept my help, wonderful, if not, just the same. So, if I succeed, the office will go from this:

to this:

Hey...it's all in a days work, right? LOL!!!!!

Hugs,
Laura

AM I REALLY DOING THIS?

2008-10-07T16:14:00.002-07:00

Am I really going back to the Mon-Fri, full time hustle? Yes, I am. I FINALLY got the official OK from the CEO today to start work at my new place of employment (I’ve only been waiting 3 weeks to start :-0 ). I know I have blogged about going back to work before but his time I have the ACTUAL start date- 10/8.

For those asking, the answer is still nooooooooooooooooooo, I am not giving up my ETSY shop! I have worked out a wonderful schedule that will allow me to work full time, attend my yoga practice, and pay plenty of attention to my family, friends, and Etsy shop. It sound like a busy schedule because it is and I like it this way. I have tried to stay busy during my time off with my shop, doing “things” around the house, and harassing all of my wonderful friends on your blogs…but that wasn’t enough. I want more money (still waiting for Angie to pay my tab at Rocki’s shop- LOL!) and I want to be bus ALL DAY. Maybe I’m nuts but I’m a nut who is not ready to sit still yet :-D

So, for the first time in 10 years I will punch a time clock tomorrow! I think I am actually excited about it…with a time clock comes less responsibility ;-D WOO HOO!!! I’m not used to taking a lunch at work, unless you call eating at your desk while you work a lunch, so clocking out and eating in a lunch room is going to feet strange for me. Gosh, I feel like a kid going to school for the first time! HAH!

Well, here I go back to work…………again :-D
Hugs,Laura

For the love of..........

2008-10-06T09:35:00.003-07:00

So, today I had my heart set on writing a blog about my sister. Ok, it was actually going to be a retaliation blog on a couple of text messages (including pictures) that I received this weekend from my oh so sweet, darling, charming, innocent (uha-uha..I’m choking), sister. BUT she was spared by an email I received just a few minute ago. (I’ll still get you, my Pretty! Mwahahahahahahaha)

The email I received was a chain letter telling me how blessed I can be IF I send it to X amount of people. REALLY???? So, in order for God to love me I have to send it to 15 people??? What if I do not know 15 people? Will God no longer love me? Pff!! The people who right this (insert bad word here) make me sick.

Here’s a good one- Send this to 5 people in the next hour and you will get a surprise in 2 days. Send it to 10 people in the next hour and your surprise will come immediately. HUH?? What kind of surprise? I do love chocolate cake…can I pick my surprise??? HAH!

I will admit, I have forward some…SOME…and I normally send them because, most of the time, there is an absolutely adorable picture attached and I will always make a comment such as, “Ignore the chain but check out the pic!”. I am, however, a fan of the friendship chains…a simple chain letter encouraging you to forward it to a friend as a simple hello. No, you won’t get a million dollars in the next 20 seconds and God won’t require you to send it to a thousand people…just a simple, “I’m thinking of you”.

Because of these chain letters, I tend to have a hissy-fit every couple of years which causes me to write my own chain letter…enjoy!

- If you want to know if you are loved, look in the mirror; you must love yourself before others can love you.

- If you want to be rich then stop and look around; if you have a roof over your head, food in the cupboards, and the support of your family and friends then you are the richest person I know.

- Do you really want your friends to send back a chain letter proving they ARE your friend regardless of all the other emails you will receive from them the same day? They love you so don’t hold your breath for the reply.

- You don’t have to be religious to be blessed; you are already blessed with the love of your family and friends.

- Everyone has a guardian angel watching over them so there is no need to email a thousand people to “earn” an angel!

So there you have it...my own chain letter. I forward it to all of you in hopes that you will hold it to your hearts and keep it for yourselves.

Now...enough with this sensitive stuff....on to my sister! Oh, you thought you got away with it...didn't you? Ok, you did for now, however I will share one of the pictures you sent me. MWA HA HA HA HA HA!!! My dear sister and her hubby sent this to me titled,"Got Food"-

HEEHEEHEE! But those will not work for me....................but this will-

AAAAHHHHH HA HAH AHAHAHAHA! This is an awesome picture! Can you imagine the amount of yummy goods I could fit in my mouth?? Hey...no comment, Debi!! LOL!!

Hugs and more hugs,
Laura
(I'm not done with you, Sister!!!)

2008-10-05T07:21:00.003-07:00

Today's blog will probably be my shortest ever (alright...quit cheering...hahaha). I woke this morning to a beautiful sight...I have a bloom on a plant that should have died the beginning of summer. Take a look:

This is a seasonal plant that typically does not survive the summer so we normally would dig it out and replant a different seasonal. This year, I kept this particular one planted because of the excess green on it so late in the season. All summer long this darling plant would repeatedly dry up and then sprout another green leaf....until this morning when I found a beautiful flower that has begun to bloom.

So, I am going to keep this plant in my backyard for another season and hope that it will stay for many summers.

This is me...

2008-10-03T09:01:00.001-07:00

These are my footprints; I took them last week while I was in San Diego. No, they are not as magnificent or perfect as the footprints in the famous poem, but they are mine and they are beautiful.

I was “tagged” today by a very special friend, Sharon from Mana Moon. I spent 15 minutes crying after reading her “blob” (inside joke that I just KNOW will make Sharon smile) and not because I feel sorry for her but because I didn’t think it was possible to love her more. She is a courageous and strong woman who inspires me every day!! Though we have never met in person, I feel as if we live right down the road from one another and I appreciate the bond we have hat makes me feel this way.

The “tag” I must accomplish today is to tell you six secrets about myself and then pass it on to 5 other people. My friends and family are my world, everything else is the fillers, so for those who know me, I do not hold things back (Debi’s nodding her head right about now). So, without further ado, here they are:

1. When I was 9 years old, myself and two friends were collecting empty cans for a school project; we hit all of our neighbors and even our local grocery store (I was always a determined child). On the way home we passed my brother’s friends house and decided I would ask them if they had any empty cans. It was a condo so I had to enter a courtyard to knock on the door. My two friends did not know these people so they stayed outside the fence...I should have never knocked on that door. Harold Fligg (yes, I am using his real name), the boys father, opened the door and listened to my request for empty cans. “Of course I have empty cans. Why don’t you come inside.” My instinct told me not to go in so I didn’t. He asked me again and when I said no that is when he grabbed me pulling me inside him home. To this day, I still do not know how I did it but I escaped the son-of-a-bitch but we left me scars on my right arm and left wrist from his fingernails. It seems that Mr. Fligg had just been released from prison for child molestation and the courts felt mercy on him since it was close to the holidays and gave him one year additional probation.

2. I have incredible patience but I find that once my patience has been worn I do not hold back what I am thinking. That’s not always a bad thing buuuut I struggle with cushioning the blow. I have always been a matter-of-fact person and stupid people, yes STUPID people, drive me crazy…to the point that I honest to God think I should get help! I know this doesn’t sound like a big deal but it bothers the hell out of me. Here’s a good example: my ex-fill in-boss was an absolute dumb@ss that literally sat at his desk and would fall asleep while I ran an entire department along with several installation crews. We constantly bickered with one another, then one day he asked me, “Why don’t you like me…” (I can hear Debi snickering already)…I tried to soften the damn blow but couldn’t so I told him what I was thinking (and please pardon the language you are about to read)…I told him, “Because you are a f’ing idiot and a lazy piece of sh!t. You are absolutely worthless yet I am impressed everyday that you find your way to work…I guess you need to sleep sometime…” Yep. I said that. Honestly, I do not mean to offend anyone but isn’t the point of this tag to be honest?? No, I was not fired from my job :-)

3. I am the one that found my mother dead in her bed. It is not a secret to the family and only a couple of my friends know. I don’t talk much about finding her because I am afraid that my dad will blame himself because he called me that day and asked if I had heard from her and if I would go check on her. Well, in reality, Paul and I have always blamed ourselves. We were at the house earlier that morning doing some light cleaning (Mom had not been feeling well so we would go over once a week and help out). I left to do some errands while Paul finished the house. When I came back to pick him up, she was still in bed so I thought it would be best to not disturb her. Later that day, Paul stopped by again on his way to work to check on her. He heard some noise in the bedroom so he left thinking she was up and getting dressed. It was shortly after that my dad called. To this day we believe that if….IF we would have just gone into the bedroom she would be alive today.

4. I am 37 years old…well, October 25th I will be ;-), and to this day I literally am afraid to let my feet or legs hang over the bed in fear that someone is under their and will grab them!! Really!!!

5. I am afraid to take new medicine in fear it will kill me…yet I am trying to get into nursing school. I don’t know what else to say about that.

6. I say bad words…a lot. I say “sh!t” every single day. I will even drop the f’ bomb when pushed. A-hole is another common word I use. I do my best to not say it around the kids but I admit I have slipped a time or two, or three. But, just because I say a bad word does not change who I am!

So there you have it- six secrets about me. Take it and run with it…if you come back then I know you are my friend.

Now I have to tag 5 people but I do not have five people to tag…three of them have already been tagged!! So, here are the lucky two:

Rosebud Collection- The Mum and The Rose
Harriet- Hey Harriet

I hope you take this to heart, ladies, and know that regardless the secrets, I love you dearly!
Hugs,
Laura

2008-10-02T06:53:00.001-07:00

Oh I just couldn’t help it! This is one of the funniest picutres I have ever seen…and there is a story behind it. I was working for an design and installation company where I was the only female prodution manager, which was challenging at times, but I never let these challenges push me down; in fact, they only made me stronger. Well, one of my challenges was a certain young man who felt that I had no business being in this particular industry as a production manager and went as far as to tell me where I belong. A gently pulled him into my office and had a brief, VERY brief discussion with him. Um, look at the picture again….

Later that day I left for lunch and returned to this picture taped to my monitor with a sticky note that read,”We didn’t think you were hungry after the large breakfast you ate this morning”. LOL!!! I still have that sticky and I still have the picture. I would have shared the original pic BUT my version has a, um, well…a not so nice exclamation stated before “Pete” ;-) The gentlman who decided to challenge me? We became very good friends!

Hope you enjoyed the story…and, Debi, ssssshhhhhh! Let’s just keep THIS incedent out there and the rest to us ;-) LOL!!!
Hugs,
Laura

(put the theme song to Rocky in your head...)

2008-09-30T22:17:00.006-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen....gather around...for I am about to introduce you to the GIVE AWAY of a lifetime!! Mana Moon Studios is approaching her 100th sale on Etsy and she is hosting a FABULOUS give away on her blog page. YYYAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH (the sound of 20,000 fans screaming in the stadium). The lucky winners will receive a Woven Wire Beaded Bracelet from her Treasures Shop (I own some of her jewelry and I will promise you this...YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED).

The rules are simple so go check them out at http://manamoon-studios.blogspot.com/. Sharon is so sweet that she will DOUBLE YOUR CHANCES TO WIN! How?? Weeeelllll....go to http://manamoon-studios.blogspot.com/!

For those who do not know Sharon, she is a fabulous woman, mother, wife, and friend. She sports a halo the size of Mother Earth and her heart cannot be measured for it grows larger every day! I am one of the fortunate people who know Sharon and proudly call her my friend. Once you meet her, she will forever be in your heart.

SO...what is the contest?? (*whispers: 100 Sales Give Away). Where do you go to participate?? (*whispers again: http://manamoon-studios.blogspot.com/). Great! See you there :-)

Hugs,

Laura

WELCOME TO THE 3RD ANNUAL CROSBY SHRIMP EATING CONTEST!

2008-09-29T20:53:00.006-07:00

Yes, you read it correctly....a shrimp eating contest! For the past three years, my husband and our two boys hold an annual shrimp eating contest (the winner takes home bragging rights). And what do I take home? The memories of having to sit in a boot for 2 1/2 + hours at a time waiting for the animals to finish grazing on the poor little shellfish.

It sounds gross (because it is) and I'm thinking this must be a man thing?!? BUT I am the fool who attends every year keeping score and taking pictures. I do admit that this year was a little exciting because Ryan joined the contest (Ryan is my oldest son's best friend and a very dear family friend).

I will show pictures!!! No worries, I have only posted the "clean" pics so you don't loose your appetite!

- This first picture is of the three boys (from left to right): My youngest son Cody, my oldest son Corbin, and Ryan (we call him Gigantor. The boy stands 6'2". That's a giant next to me at 5'1")

- I cannot forget a picture of me!! My son snapped this one during a brief grazing break. I couldn't help but post it because I love the expression on my face. Whatever it is you are thinking of what I might be thinking....you're probably right. Notice the hair pulled back...Debi can tell you that once the hair is pulled back I'm ready to GO! I cannot tell you how many games of Jeweled I played or how many cups of coffee I drank , but in the end, I'm the sucker who agreed to attend :-)

- They are all smiling here after mowing down a gazillion shrimp (love the bibs)...but when the camera was put in its case, the smiles quickly disappeared and out came the sparkling mineral water!!

- Finally, the big winner...my husband. YEP, he won. Not only did he win but he beat his score from last year; I would only know this because I am the lucky score keeper! Since he was the winner, I felt it would be nice for me to pose with him. Again, notice the look on my face... it is a look of exhaustion yet joy because NOW we can leave!!!!

A total of 610 shrimp were eaten tonight between Paul and the boys with Paul in first place eating 175 shrimp, Ryan in second with 172, Corbin in third with 138, and Cody took last with 125.

- I think the real winner was the restaurant! What you are about to see may be ugly so, if you have a weak stomach, look away.....OK, it's just the receipt but it sounded funny!! The waitress said that this is the longest receipt she has ever printed. So, for your viewing pleasure, here is all 18 inches of the receipt!

So, there it is. Grossness at its finest ;-) Did I have a good time? For the most part, yes. I know, I am contradicting myself a bit, but it was spending time with my family that I enjoyed. I look at these crazy pictures and I cannot help but laugh...and almost cry. Corbin and Ryan will move away to college next year and Cody is not far behind. As much as I find it gross, I can only hope that this contests continues for many years to come :-)

Here is to life...live every moment.

Hugs,

Laura

WHAT Did You Do Now??

2008-09-27T06:58:00.006-07:00

Do you know how many times I heard that growing up? I would tell you but I’ve lost count :-) It seemed to be a frequent question my parents ENJOYED asking me, ”What did you do now, Laura?” Sometimes they would change it up and say my name first then ask the question. HAH!! I was quite intrigued with life when I was younger…who am I kidding, I still am! And I love living my life by the moment. Oh, I still plan my days but I always leave enough room for mischief ;-)

So what DID I do now? Well, scroll down and take a look (Debi made me do it)

I changed my hair color back to red! Oh, yah, and Debi really didn’t make me do it ;-) Just figured I could blame her if you didn't like it! AAH HA HA HA HA!! (*running away from Debi REALLY fast *) (pst..watch out for that dishwasher, Debi!!!)

So why did I do it? I was tired of the blond…tired of it drying my hair out no matter how much product I used to keep it moisturized and tired of dealing with the dreaded touch ups! UGH! The red is a little rich in color right now buuuuut it will fade; by next week I will be back to my ‘old’ red. I had a couple of pics to choose from but this one made me laugh so I just HAD to use it.

I had fun changing my hair color to blond but I guess it just wasn’t for me. And I will say that blonds DO NOT have more fun. It’s not the color of our hair, it’s the wonderful personalities and ambitions that allow us to have MORE fun! SO GO HAVE FUN! Do something bold, something new today and enjoy it :-)

Hugs,

Laura

PS...the bag over my face opens the opportunity for me to picth using cloth bags instead of paper or plastic. Please recycle! I know, sounds funny coming from a card maker, but rest assure I save and use my scraps and what cannot be used is recycled. We have only one earth, and she has given us a home, so let's take care of her.

Treasured Moments

2008-09-25T12:38:00.004-07:00

(I am writing this blog on September 24th to share with you upon my return home today, September 25th. )

Sometimes it is the simple things in life that are most precious; for instance, composing this blog while sitting on the beach nibbling on a granola bar and sipping cool water. Ahh… warm sand between my toes, cool ocean water, the smell of salt water in the air, plenty of birds to talk to, and even an occasional dolphin ( if those darn dolphins would have stayed surfaced a little longer I would have had some great pics to share). There is no stress here, just happy beach goers simply laughing and living.

At this very moment, I am feeling happy, comfortable, peaceful, relaxed, blessed, appreciative, and most of all- thankful. And as I sit here on the beach, I find myself not wanting to leave, just staying in this peaceful environment for eternity. Ahh, but this little piece of sany heaven is meant to be shared. So, with this said, I will share with you what I have experienced today-

Welcome to Torrey Pines beach:

I have NEVER seen a kelp bulb (or Bull Kelp) this large in my entire life!! It is monsterous! Just look at the patch of dried kelp off to the right.

If you go towards the cliff, you will come upon La Jolla. If you go back the other way some distance, you will find yourself at the infamous Blacks Beach (nudist beach). I stayed right in the middle ;-)

I wasn't the only one playing in the water!

So there you have it; a simple day at the beach which I will cherish forever! Though, I will admit that it was difficult to leave ;-)

Hugs,
Laura

A Day At The Beach

2008-09-23T22:48:00.004-07:00

The beach was fabulous, the weather was perfect, and my companions were well behaved! In fact, they were so well behaved that I was able to take their picture together without any fighting!

By now I am sure I have many heads tilted with a facial expression of, "What in God's earth is she talking about...". Well, I'm talking about these two stamps! I am making cards for my sweet friend, Sharon, and told her I was going to work on some of them while at the beach. She was so excited that I was taking them and even reminded me to put sunblock on them. I even brought a bottle of cold water for them so they wouldn't get parched!

There was not a lot of people at the beach today but we did watch a couple of surfers try and catch some waves. We also had a couple of visitors come by and stair aimlessly for no reason (seagulls).

Sharon, the "kids" had a great time and we wish you could have been there :-) Maybe next time (I will bring a bigger bottle of water for you)! LOL!!!

Enjoy!

Laura

How Do You Spell Relaxation? BEACH!

2008-09-22T14:45:00.004-07:00

Hello everyone! Originally you were to have been able to read this if you stopped by my blog earlier today. Unfortunately, someone did not click 'PUBLISH POST' and just logged off!! I cannot believe this person!!! Who does she think she is (um, ME!) So, if you tried to view my newest blog earlier today, I am sorry. I guess I had RELAXATION on my mind!

Which brings me to what I wanted to blog about :-) What better way to relax than sitting on the beach with a cold beverage in hand (Smart Water) soaking up the sun (a sun that won't burn the skin off my body!!)? There IS nothing better, at least for me there isn't. So...I drove to San Diego today with my sunroof open and music pumping. I knew I was close when I could smell the salt water in the air (plus I used to live here so I knew where I was at :-} ).

(please picture a scene of Torrey Pines Beach here...darn connection issue will not allow me to add my picture!)

My plans are simple- spend my early mornings (not a late sleeper) working on a VERY special custom order, my afternoons at the beach, and my evenings with my husband and some of our wonderful friends laughing it up over suhi and sake. The only thing more I could possibly ask for would to have all of you here with us!

Oh, and just because I am away on a short vaca, don't think that I won't be able to chit chat...no way, no how! My laptop will be soaking up the rays along with a couple of stamps (yes, Sharon, I brought the sun screen so the moon does not burn!! HAHA!!!). So don't be shy, I'm still "here" in internet land. Have a wonderful day!

Hugs,
Laura
ps- On behalf of my awesome sister Rocki, she apologizes for not being able to blog and email much today for she is experiencing some ugly Internet issues. I, unfortunately, am experiencing webmail issues. So if we are not responding right away, you can thank Cox Communications :-)

READERS, BE WARNED! WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE WILL SCARE YOU!!

2008-09-18T13:39:00.003-07:00

THIS can happen to you if you are not careful!! All I did was ask for a simple, yummy recipe and my FRIEND, who will remain nameless (it was Sharon), gave me a simple, WAAAAY yummy recipe!! We couldn’t stop eating! Even my son, the pickiest eater alive, could not stop eating! Look at me…look at my belly (the water splashed on my belly is supposed to be spilled food…so go with it)!! I look like I have a pillow stuffed in my shirt (at least it’s my favorite throw pillow)!!
LOL!!!

I could blog about anything I want but, today, I wanted to send a BIG thank you to the one who shall remain nameless (Sharon) for the awesome recipe. I am not kidding when I say my son Cody literally licked the dish clean!! Debi can vouch for me on how picky he is…so a licked clean dish is a 5 star meal award ;-)

Here is to a fabulous, outstanding meal!! THANK YOU!!!!

HEIGH-HO. HEIGH-HO. IT’S OFF TO WORK I GO….

2008-09-17T08:32:00.006-07:00

Ahhh, yes. It is time for me to break away from my stamp studio during the day and become a member of the work force again. BUT this does not mean I am giving up on my Etsy shop! I love making my cards and other goodies and definitely love visiting with all my wonderful friends every day. However, I am feeling a bit cramped and want to slightly strike my husband in the head with a solid object just because I can! HAH! I would never hurt my husband…NEVER (mua ha ha ha). LOL!!! Actually, Paul works out of the house so we share an office….we are together ALL day long…I need a break!! My sister knows me all too well…..I am a work-a-holic.....so being home all day is not condusive to my life style, yet!

So I guess you can say I have a touch of cabin fever…and some extra ‘dough’ wouldn’t hurt ;-) Two months ago, I was working in the corporate world as a manager in new home construction and, because of the lovely market, lay-off’s were ordered. Since January, 2008, the company I worked for ordered 7 lay offs….SEVEN! Sadly, my department was hit every single time and I was the one who had to make the decision on who stayed and who left. But on the seventh lay off it was my turn. Many people were shocked but I wasn’t…it was only a matter of time, and I have told everyone who felt sorry for me that they should be happy for me because I was bouncing off the wall with excitement. I needed to break away from the ugly world of corporate but didn’t know how….so I stayed until they had to pay me to leave- CHA CHING! LOL!!!

With this said, after lightly looking around, I received two job offers this week and have accepted one of them. The hours are perfect and I have weekends off, but the best part of it…I will still have plenty of time for my cards, shop, and most of all my friends and family!

Here's to another journey in my life and I am happy to have all of you here with me.

Love,

Laura

GETTIN’ READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

2008-09-15T09:22:00.002-07:00

The Fall & Winter holidays are just around the corner…where did time go? It seems as if we just celebrated New Years 08’. Well, since I can’t fight time, I might as well accept it ;-)

I have been working on some holiday cards and tags and thought I would share them with my friends...some feedback wouldn’t hurt :-) If we were all the same then it would be easy to make what everyone wants, but we’re not. For instance, I like more of the non-traditional Christmas/Holiday cards; the Poinsettia is pretty but it needs a break! Thanksgiving- do you send greeting cards to friends and family? How about holiday dinner/party invites? I would love to hear your thoughts!

As you can see by my collection, I do not offer much in the means of Halloween. Though I enjoy the holiday, not many people hand out greeting cards, but I do make candy bag tags...these were quite popular the past couple of years.

So, don’t be shy! Let me know what you think!
Hugs,
Laura

TODAY

2008-09-11T07:42:00.001-07:00

TODAY…
I will pray for those who have lost their lives September 11th, 2001, and their loved ones who must bare the loss.

TODAY…
I will pray for those who have lost their lives protecting us from harm and those who continue to shield the American people from terror.

TODAY…
I will pray for my friends and family; may your hearts be filled with joy every day.

TODAY…
I will go on with my life; I will make my daily list of things to accomplish and do my very best to complete all of them.

TODAY…
I will be me.

All my love,
Laura

DIVA GIIIIIRRRRLZ!

2008-09-08T09:09:00.007-07:00

Awww yes…here are my diva Rottweiler girls, Gypsy (16 months) and Sierra (4 months shy of her 9th b-day). I am told Gypsy is dressed like a boy; however, that was not my intention. She has quite a bit of energy and I felt that this sweatshirt fits her energetic personality. We adopted Gypsy a few months back from a couple who split up and went their separate ways. The gentleman kept both dogs but, due to long work hours, he was unable to take care of both by himself. Since the other dog was older and required less attention, he decided to find a home for Gypsy. I was honored when he approached me and asked if I would take her- the rest is history! She loves her home here and her new family and especially her new big sister, Sierra!

Sierra is the princess of the house; only pink and purple shall touch her precious fur!! She even sits like a princess!! We bought her from a breeder when she was 6 weeks old. The mother had 10 pups- 9 were full of energy, bouncing around and playing hard with each other. Then there was pup number 10, the runt! She was sitting by herself in a corner in the yard staring at me…she looked so sweet. I clapped my hands and she came running to me and sat on my foot. That was it!! This was my dog!! Her shyness dissipated almost instantly when we brought her home. I knew then she was going to be my princess…and she still sits on my foot :-)

We are currently teaching Gypsy some of Sierra’s special tricks and commands such as: High five (yes, she really knows the difference between “high five” and “give me your paw”), names of the family, “bring it to me” (point at an item and she will bring it to you), and other fun things. She is a fast learner...she picked up on "biscuit" right away! LOL!!

So, these are my diva girls. Both are so very special and so darn loveable but, there is a warning that come along with these beauties…don’t EVER put your face in front of them if you don’t want to be kissed to death by Rotti tongue!!!!!!

Have a wonderful week-
Hugs,
Laura

Don't LEAVE Just Yet!!

2008-09-03T14:47:00.003-07:00

I am so excited to be posting my first blog about one of my items listed on Etsy!!! YEAH!

I named this one ‘Autumn Leaves’, it is a Thanksgiving dinner invitation. I had created something similar a few years back for my family and thought this would be a great item to sell on Etsy. The leaves are actually two separate pieces held together with an eyelet; the eyelet allows the leaves to swivel. I first printed the information onto the card stock then stamped the leaves onto the paper with a Versa Mark ink. After I stamped the leaves, I heat dried a clear embossing powder onto them to give a shiny texture. A chestnut and a sheer ribbon finished it off! The most time consuming portion of this was cutting the leaves out by hand…but it is well worth it.

My mind is wondering on winter holiday invitations but I cannot go there just yet. I have holiday greeting card sets I must complete and list first!!

Well, that’s if for now…have a wonderful day!
Laura

Fabulous, Darling. Fabulous!

2008-09-02T06:50:00.004-07:00

How fabulous is this? It is not often that one makes me speechless yet, for the third time within one month, I have been left speechless! This can only mean one thing....I have some very wonderful friends and family :-)

I woke up this morning telling myself, "Today you will not start off with a huge cup of coffee." Of course, I mumbled some choice thoughts to myself and stomped upstiars (OK, maybe I didn't stomp but it really did set a great scene! However, the mumbling DID occur). Feeling a tid-bit huffy, I signed in to my blog and began to read some comments others had left about my sister, Rocki Balboa (LOL! Couldn't help that one!). I was requested to visit another site and, to my surprise, I had been given this awesome award from The Mum and The Rose! I was speechless. It takes a very special person to recognize someone else...The Mum and The Rose takes the award!!! Thank you so much for the recognition :-)

With this, I have been asked to pass it on. I may not know a ton of people on the blog sites just yet but, for the few I do know, you are absolutely awesome and deserve this award! Here they are, from the bottom of my heart:

http://ablondandatorch.blogspot.com/
http://angiekellydesigns.blogspot.com/
http://grizzlymountainarts.blogspot.com/
http://manamoon-studios.blogspot.com/
http://rockisrocknbeads.blogspot.com/

These are the rules..
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog;
2. Link the person you received your award from;
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs;
4. Put links of those blogs on yours; and
5. Leave a message on the blogs that you’ve nominate

Thank you, agian, to The Mum and The Rose and to all my friends who love me! I love you back!!

Hugs and kisses,
Laura

Don’t Box With My Sister…

2008-09-01T15:46:00.006-07:00

She will whoop your BLEEP!! I may have, inadvertently, created a Wii monster :-0 My dear, sweet, darling, won’t hurt a fly sister (Rocki) is training to BE the next RockY with Wii Boxing (kicked her husband’s bleep), Wii Tennis, Wii Bowling (she whooped my toosh), Wii Skiing….I think you get the point. And now SHE’S GETTING A WII!!!!!!!!!!

Rocki and Mark (her fabulous hubby) came over for dinner last night and we spent most of the time playing on our new Wii system. We had such a great time playing the sports games and even exercising on Wii Fit. Watching her turn into a snowball as she biffed on the ski jump was hilarious but her knocking Mark out in boxing was even funnier!! OK, I confess that I MAY have been a snowball once or twice myself but I never beat the crap out of my husband. LOL! I guess I should mention that Debi beat Mark up in the game...he's the bald guy laying on the mat! HAHAH!

Ahh…here’s to great family, great food, and great gaming systems!! HA…who knew I would ever become a gaming junky??
Love to all,
Laura

So It’s Time To Go

2008-08-28T16:27:00.004-07:00

Yes, it is time for my oldest nephew to head off to his brothers before leaving back home to Portland, Oregon. Oh how I will miss him so much! For the past six days, my home has been filled with extra laughter and excitement; watching movies, playing volleyball in the pool with an inflatable dolphin (yes, I said dolphin) and beach balls, roaming the streets for the closest Starbucks, competing with the Wii Sports, and so much more! I even made some extra delicious meals which, due to REALLY high calories, I do not make that often such as: lasagna (homemade pasta and sauce!), cheese enchiladas, refried beans (yes, homemade), Spanish rice, and tons more yummy in your tummy stuff!

How can I forget the scare tactics? Oh, yes, my darling nephew scared the daylights out of me!! I was working away in the kitchen and the little brat snuck up on me and scared me! How, you ask? Well, he said, “Hello Laura”. I know, I know…I hear you all now, “That’s it????” Well, YES, that’s it! He said it in a very scary voice AND I was alone in the kitchen; total horror flick moment. But, one thing we love to do together is watch scary movies…and scare each other. Bwa ha ha!!

OK, now that he is no longer a brat, it is time to head down stairs and get ready. In one hour, Paul, Corbin, Cody, Jeremy, and myself will meet his mother (my awesome sister) and Mark for one last fabulous dinner together until he comes back to visit again. We will sit around the table and laugh as we share the moments of his visit; tears will fall but our hearts will be kept warm. These are the memories that keep us strong and motivated. They are the memories that make us smile day after day, month after month. Yes, we will keep in touch over the internet and cell phone, but we cannot wait for the grand reunion when he comes back home again!

I will leave you all with this quote: “We do not remember days; we remember moments.” -Cesare Pavese

Have a beautiful day,

Laura

It's finally....Monday?

2008-08-25T07:43:00.002-07:00

Am I nuts?? Did I just say, “It’s finally Monday”? Yep, I sure did!

Mondays do not have to be so darn dreadful. As I see it, we dread Monday’s because it is the ‘back to work’ day and many people do not like their jobs; I was one of them until recently. I take that back, I loved my job but disliked the companies unethical decisions. With this said, I did not enjoy Mondays.

Even after my departure with the corporation, I didn’t always accept Mondays. I was in an ugly routine and Mondays were like a negative spirit haunting me, but then something hit me over this past weekend; I was having a wonderful time with my nephew who is visiting from Portland, I received a generous request from a fabulous Etsy shop owner (and best sister in the world) for another custom order, my oldest son only needs ½ credit to graduate this year but chose to complete the full year so he can walk with his class, and my youngest son is exceeding in his honors classes. WHY THE HECK WOULD I NOT EMBRACE MONDAY? It is just another day in our lives, right?

What if we worked the weekend and had Monday’s off? Would we dislike Tuesday? What if our week began on Wednesday? Who cares! You woke up, didn’t you? Yep, otherwise you wouldn’t be reading this right now ;-) So, love your Mondays, love every day you wake up…because you can!

Happy Monday!
Laura

2008-08-23T09:02:00.003-07:00

Oh my, I'm a winner! Thank you, Rocki, for thinking of me :-)

I was quite shocked when I read Rocki's blog to find she had nominated ME for a brillante weblog award; I'm so new to blogging! I kindly accept the award and will definitely share with others.

I have met some very talented people since I opened my Etsy shop and all of them have been nominated for this fabulous award. It made me realize there are so many other great individulas out there that I haven't had the chance to really get to know. I have chatted short words with them as I reply to someone else's blog, but never really got to know them. So...today I will send this award to some very special people whom I may have only crosses paths with a time or two but deserve this award.

* Grizzly Mountain Arts- I'm Rocki's crazy sister! And you are obviously a dear from of Rocki's!

* A Bond and a Torch- Absolutely fabulous! It is obviousl you love life!

* Enterprise Solutions- BRAND NEW BLOG! Still in construction but it's my hubby so he deserves the award for putting up with me ;-)

This may not be 7 people, but it's a start!

For the nominees here are the rules:

1) Add the logo of the award to your blog

2) Add a link to the person who awarded it to you

3) Nominate at least 7 other blogs

4) Add links to those blogs on your blog

5) Leave a message for your nominees on their blogs

Congrats!!!

Laura

It's All About YOU...and YOU...and YOU!!

2008-08-21T21:13:00.005-07:00

It's getting a little late here in dreadfully hot Hell (most people call it Sunny Arizona) and I have a studio to put back together...but before I do, I want to give a shout out to Sharon, Mana Moon Studios & Mana Moon Treasures; this weekend Sharon will be part of a huge art festival!

I also want to give a shout out to my seeeester Debi ;-) Every time I turn around, this woman has yet ANOTHER sale! HIP HIP HOOOOOORAAAAY! And why does she have sale after sale? Oh, probably because she makes AWESOME jewelry and supplies (doin' the happy dance) at her shops Rocki's Rock 'n Beads and Rocki's Supplies.

And one more shout out for the evening; this one goes to a very special person who holds the key to my heart...that would be the one and only- Laura's husband! OK, we'll call him 'Paul' to protect the innocent (which he SO is not!). Yup, yup...my hubby is now an Etsian! WOOO HOOOO! His shop is Enterprise Solutions and he will be selling his custom invoice and inventory software. I asked him to write a program for my Etsy shop (which he did because he didn't want me to pull out the broom!!) and I loved it so much that I told him he should sell it. It took me some time to convince him but once I received the reply from Etsy that they do consider this a handmade product, he took the leap. Look for his shop to open this Saturday, August 23rd!

Soooooo.....here we go- YAY Sharon! You will do great this weekend!! YAY Debi! You freakin' rock!! YAY Paul (a.k.a. Laura's Husband)! I want half ;-)

Tons of hugs,

Laura

Have I gone crazy???

2008-08-19T20:21:00.008-07:00

What the hay? Have I gone crazy? It feels like yesterday was Sunday. I cannot belive we are just hours away from Wednesday. They say time flies when you're having fun but, since the past two days have been a blur, I wonder what I've been doing to have fun??

I do know I was busy creating some new holiday cards which I am hoping to list on Etsy this Thursday. I was so anxious to have them done by Wednesday but I was interrupted by my husband. Why that filthy, no good for nothing...LOL. Actually, I really was interrupted but for a good reason; he scheduled a company to come in and clean our carpets (what little we have) and my stamp studio just happens to be a carpeted area. BOY it needs a good cleaning. I guess I may have dropped an ink pad or two...and possbily have had a couple of blow-outs with some re-inkers! OOPS ;-) HHHmmm....maybe I should tear out the carpet and add tile? I do have extra tiles from our remodel (*wink wink to Sharon).

I had to move all of my stuff out of my studio and into my grand room upstairs where my husbands office is (forutnately my studio is upstairs, too). It was a tough job but I managed to get my things moved in just so I can turn around and move them back out when the carpet guys leave. HEY...maybe they's be cute! What are you doing tomorrow, Debi? They should be here between 11-1! LOL!!!

That's all for tonight. I wish everyone a wonderful Hump Day!

Hugs,

Laura

It's Sunday...and no purple hair for me!

2008-08-17T17:23:00.001-07:00

Whew! I survived the hair salon....and braces! Yes, I said braces. I didn't want Debi to feel alone in this world with bits of steel glued to her teeth so I decided to get braces for myself. OK, so maybe it was a strip of tin-foil twisted up, it still did a great job serving as braces!

As you can see in the picture of the wonder twins (Debi's older!), the blond worked out and I did not end up with purple hair. I did ask to have some of my auburn weaved in so my head didn't look like the darn sun! My hair was just a wee bit too light ;-) But I am happy with it now. This is the first time I actually left the salon and really, REALLY liked the color. I had told myself that if it did not turn out they way I wanted this time then I will go back to my medium auburn. It came out great so I guess it was meant to be!

Well, my friends, I am off to save the world, one greeting card at a time! Have a wonderful week :-)

-Laura

It's Friday...

2008-08-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

and hair day! I must say to all the blonde's out there, well, to all the chemically enhanced blonde's, it's not easy!! I decided to try being a blond and, so far, I only dread going to the salon. Every time I have gone in they have turned my hair purple...then I spend 4 hours in the chair as they try and fix it. I don't get upset with them...I get upset with myself because I'm the idiot that keeps going back!

I found a new stylist that I am hoping will be great. She is the one who managed to fix the purple due last time. We shall see. I just better not be in the chair for 4 hours because I have a ton of things to do today. I have a custom order to finish, need to make salsa (mmmmmm), take my oldest son for his senior grad pictures AND still find time for myself. Yes, I know, many of you are probably saying, "You have time for yourself at the salon.." Um, have you met the people who have worked on my hair?? Actually, they are all very nice...they just stress me out!

Now that I think of it, I don't think I have any pics of me as a blond on my blogs!! Huh! It's nothing impressive...it's still me just with different hair color. I think I changed the color because I was needing some sort of a change in my life. When I told him I was going to go blond, he crinkled his nose a little. When I explained I wanted a change and that I could either change my hair or change him, wouldn't you know he was quite supportive of the blond ;-) hee hee. The power of WIFE!

So, this are the plans for my Friday. I shall enjoy the moments, except for being purple headed. Have a wonderful day!

Laura

Look Out...

2008-08-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

My sister beats me with jelly filled doghnuts!

OOOUUUUCCHHH!!

2008-08-12T09:13:00.001-07:00

My sister got braces and now her mouth hurts :-(