Doh...

I can't count...I only posted 5 of 7 random things.

6. I watch a fair amount of tv. Grey's Anatomy, Amazing Race, CSI(the original), Law and Order(any and all), ER, Medium, Gilmore Girls, Arrested Developement, the Office(I was very slow to like this one), Simpsons, Heroes, Lost, and when I am scrapping I have soaps on, Bold and the Beautiful, Y and R, Days, Passions(so stupid), I only really listen to them, I don't watch the whole thing.

7. When I was hired at PL's scrapbooking store to teach stamping and cardmaking I actually said "I don't do scrapbooking". And a bunch of other teachers did the collective "what?" What I meant was not that I didn't "do" it, like get it or approve of it, but that it wasn't something I had done. Who knew? Not only do I get it, do it and totally approve of it, but it rules our lives.

Tagged

Yolanda was kind enough to tag me. Now I have to post 7 random things about myself. Then I have to tag 7 more people that I think read my blog or that have a blog. Hmmm...I really have to think about this.


1. I won't eat canned chicken noodle soup. I had it as a kid and remember that the chicken pieces were like chunks of fat, so I won't eat it or buy it as an adult.

2. I took ballet lessons for one season when I was about 5, hated it. Got lost back stage at Kelowna Community Theatre, only I thought my memory of that was actually a reacuring nightmare. I figured it out as a teen when we went to the KCTheatre for a fieldtrip and it all came back to me.

3. I took organ lessons, my mom wanted an organ, got one and then punished me with it by making me take lessons. Hated it.

4. Kerry and my parents bowled together in the same league when we were kids. My dad kept newspaper clippings from those days and some of them actually have Kerry's dad name in them too. My mom and dad's team was called Kelli's Heroes.

5. I have a hidden sushi making talent. I was the first grandchild to get the recipe and learn to make it, might have been first out of all of my relatives, except grandpa. I have been asked by numerous people if I would make it to sell because it's better than the store bought, or so they say. Me, I'm tired of it, when you can make it any day and eat it at weddings, funerals and New Years, showers, reunions and any other major event, you really get tired of it. So I don't buy it, because it doen't measure up to the real thing. And I don't do sashimi.

Tagging Fern, Tara, Audrey, whom I know have a blog, and Marg S. and Sue R. (I know you are reading this), same with Nancy B.

My name is Kelli and I'm a HOARDER!

I am trying to make room in our storage under the stairs. When we made my new craft space, we lost a huge amount of storage space. Everything got moved to Kerry's bike room and now he can hardly move in there. So, I'm under the stairs checking out the situation and lo and behold I have struck the motherlode. Really, I have found...
3 containers of mustard(we are not huge mustard eaters)
1 container of ketchup
2 partial boxes of microwave popcorn
1 bag of goldfish crackers
1 bag of cherrios
1 pyrex measuring cup, new
12 bowls of ramen noodles
2 bags of raisins(gotta love Costco)
1 package caramel rice cakes
1 box icecream cones
1 2l bottle of V8
1 bottle bbq sauce
2 bottles of lemon juice
1 box graham cracker crumbs
1 box breton crackers
8 tetra boxes of apple juice(who knew?)
1 box of kleenex
wine to last us 2 more months if we drink a bottle every 4 days
pickles to last about the same amount of time
chutney to last a year(must toss that)
pickle relish
peaches, canned
1 can of cherries
plum jam to last till September

So why do I need to go grocery shopping?

Because in all that, I didn't find one single cake mix!

11 YEARS today

My baby is 11 today!!! She's not a baby anymore, she's a young lady now!!!

When asked what she wants to do for her birthday she always wants a party at home, running around the yard, hanging out. But this year she said "I want to take my best friends to Ozeki's". We started out with 6 kids in total and by party time, ended up with 4. Shaun had to work so he missed the excitement and sushi. We think the fact we were going for Japanese food scared the other kids off. But those that braved the meal seemed to really enjoy it and I'm glad we gave them the experience. 3 girls and 1 boy can get awfully noisy and I think that's why we were fed ASAP. I ordered, went to the ladies room and when I got back our food was on the table. I love that place!!!
Only one kid other than Emily had tried sushi before and it was in the last month or so, so she was eager to try new things. We did point out that none of the sushi we were ordering would have raw fish. Part of my raw meat phobia keeps me from eating sashimi without thinking about puking it up after, and if I'm going to spend the money on a great meal, I don't want to puke it up after so why go there!?!
The 2 that hadn't had sushi before tried a piece and I thought 1 was going to puke, she had the gag reflex and face to match. But the 1 lonely boy, he loved it, he couldn't stop raving about how gross he thought it would be and how good it really was. He was so funny, he's a huge Pokemon fan and thought that the restaurant looked a lot like the restaurants on Pokemon, same with the sushi, if I understood him right, some Pokemon with a big tongue(?) loves to eat something that looks like sushi. And Naruto eats noodle soup and one of the girls ordered Udon and I didn't know little boys could talk so much.
So after the 6 of us ate and ordered more sushi, and ate some more, our bill came and this is what I love about Ozeki's...You can eat and eat and not feel grossly full and then get the bill and you think that the server forgot to list a bunch of items, when really she didn't and you realize you just fed 6 people a huge meal for $87. We had appies, we had pop, we all had our own meals, we ordered extra sushi 1/2 way through the meal, we had green tea, we were shocked. I honestly thought it would be closer to $200, I don't know why.

So today is the real birthday. We are having great grandpa, grandparents, k & h for cake tonight. Normally birthdays at our house go on for a week or more, you know the kind, kids party one weekend, grownups and family another weekend, but this time, 2 days, that's it, that's all.
Because next weekend, I'm cropping till I drop.
Oh, and Kerry's birthday is Thursday, and our anniversary is Sunday. Whatever! I'm outta here!!! Fend for yourself, make your own cake, buy your own present. Ha Ha Ha, like I would do that...I'll make him something pretty at the crop.

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

I've found these on many blogs lately and I have to admit, I'm a bit slow. I didn't get it.
Really, it's simple, you pick a bunch of pictures that best describe what your likes and dislikes are and from that the magic of the computer tells you who you are.


AND...
this is funny...
http://weirdbabe.typepad.com/threadbared/


AND...
I found this idea on Jenn Sizemore's blog. Very talented. Anyway, go google your name + needs (ei.kelli needs), just for fun, see what comes up.
So if you're making my birthday wish list, you can start here...

Kelli needs folks to put their heads together and maybe volunteer a little of their time by doing any number of things.
Kelli needs some nookie. (not really)
Kelli needs all our prayers, and support. (I think she needs a kidney transplant)
Kelli needs to be enlightened. (most likely)
Kelli needs him. (only if he’s clean-shaven)
Kelli needs a kidney transplant. ( I hope she gets one)
Kelli needs to go back to her original roots. (only if she wants to look older than she is)
Kelli needs to clear some space in that crazy schedule though; she's going to lose her mind if she keeps staying so busy!(very true)
Kelly needs to come to Chicago.(no she doesn’t)
Kelli needs to either hire some professional songwriters or join a gutsy real band.(and maybe get some singing lessons)
Kelli needs information.(always)

Makes me think some Kellis have similar lifestyles to mine...the ones that can't sing, are busy, etc. and that there are some people out there with my name that need help. I hope they get it, whether it's kidney transplants, gutsy bands or nookie.

Here's to all the KELLIs and getting what they need.

Linus gets some tail...

...and a few teeth too.


Silly puppy.

How I spend my days

About a year ago, I borrowed a Wacom tablet from my aunt. I thought Emily might enjoy it because she spends 1/2 her waking hours drawing. I was wrong, it's really hard to use and takes hours to master a straight line. So it's been collecting dust pretty much the whole year. Until today, after I downloaded our weekend pictures.
We took Linus and Sally to the end of Cadder and despite the sign, we took them off leash for all of 10 minutes to jump in the lake for a quick dip before a strenuous walk. Which was great for Sally, she ran in right away, she loves bodies of water. Linus, not so much. He ran after her only to realize he was quickly being swallowed up by some cold invasive fluid. He ran out and managed to get sand coated in a timely fashion. And he found a stick. So for the second time in about a week, Linus has not taken well to water.

The pictures are Sally's How-to-get-dry-and-get-your-little-brother-wet-at-the-same-time tutorial.(they showcase my Wacom skills also.)

Happy Birthday Good FRIEND!

29 years ago today, Heather P.W. made her entrance into the world. Probably with a coffee in one hand and a paintbrush in the other!
Happy Birthday almost BF!

And not to leave anyone else out...
Happy Belated Birthday to...
Dawn K.
Nancy B.
Doreen W.
and
Mr. Turdis Wallman!

I can't believe how many birthdays there are in April!!!
Emily's is coming and we are making plans for it. She wants to take a group of friends to Ozekis. I told her to be prepared for the "I'm not going, I don't like raw fish" comments. Good thing I have Linus or else I would be all depressed that my baby is 11.

What Kelli Means

K is for Keen E is for Emotional L is for Lucky L is for Luxurious I is for Industrious

What Does Your Name Mean?

Keen, sure.
Emotional, yup.
Lucky, ?
Luxurious, I wish.
Industrious, not sure I know what that means.

Shhhh...he's sleeping

Now that Linus is sleeping, albeit in Sally's bed, I can get something done. I think after all the attention yesterday during Kerry's mom's 70th birthday party, he expected the same thing today. Boy, was he wrong... kind of.

If he lives long enough to write in his journal tonight, this is what it would say...

After a very busy day yesterday, I had an uneventful sleep. Dad woke me up to go out before his bike ride, stupid Dad.

Mom got up on the wrong side of the bed because I wouldn't go back to sleep after my morning pee and poo. I tried to wrestle with Sally, I don't think her eyes were even open, so she wasn't too cooperative. Then I had to go out for another poo. Eat breakfast, wrestle, bark, get shushed because Shaun worked graveyard and is sleeping all day, stupid kid, I need someone else to bite and he always tastes like beef, bark again, get tossed outside again, dug a hole while Mom blinked, tried to eat a beer bottle cap, got it taken away, got a treat instead, psyched Mom out by pretending to nap.

Then I decided to try for round 2 of wrestling, barked a few really high pitched barks that Mom now recognizes as "I HAVE TO PEE!" Too bad she's a slow learner so I had climb into my nice clean bed and pee in it. Got tossed outside again because pee flows downhill, who knew, and my feet got wet. I didn't see what the big deal was but Mom looked disgusted. Pooped again. What are those people feeding me? Then I got called inside again, I think Mom is trying to get stuff done. I tried to help her load the dishwasher and lick everything clean to help preserve water but she didn't like that. Sally decided it was time to go out again and so I went too. Then Mom decided it was nap time and brought us both down to her craft room, where I promptly emptied my bladder under the table. I honestly don't know how my feet got wet.

So outside again, to help Mom move a shrub from the front of the house to the back. I tried to help by trimming the shrub with my teeth, boy, Mom must not have had her coffee today, she sure yells lots. Then I figured I would help her dig the shrub back up because it looked like she had fun doing it the first time. Then Mom yelled something like "THANK GOODNESS YOUR DAD'S HOME!" and she packed me to the gate and dropped me there infront of Dad. And she ran in the house and I haven't seen her since. I wonder if she's upset that all this took place before noon today.

Duh...

Your Career Type: Artistic

You are expressive, original, and independent.Your talents lie in your artistic abilities: creative writing, drama, crafts, music, or art. You would make an excellent: Actor - Art Teacher - Book Editor Clothes Designer - Comedian - Composer Dancer - DJ - Graphic DesignerIllustrator - Musician - Sculptor The worst career options for your are conventional careers, like bank teller or secretary.

What's" Your Ideal Career?

Yes, I needed a Quiz to tell me that.

Cards in abundance

I finally got around to taking a picture of my 60 cards from an SU Simply Scrappin' kit. They are pretty plain, I think I will add embellishments and sentiments as I need the cards. I'm going to start a second one using a different kit. I am so loving the fact I have my larger printer for things like this. You need to print the templates on all the 12 x 12 paper in the kit and I think it would be pretty hard to hand draw them, at least for me it would be.

Although, I could have had it done in the time it took me to remember where I saved all my templates.

And so I said yes.

E: Mom, will you look after my Tamagotchi today?

Me: Do I have to?

E: Yes, it's new and I want it to grow.

Me: If I really have to, but I can't promise anything. (In my head: I will probably forget, as I'm known to do and it will die.)

E: Here's the instructions, here's how to feed it, here's the bathroom, here's how to play jump rope with it.

Me: Okay, just leave it there. What time does it wake up?

E: 9, and don't forget about it.

Me: (In my head: Darn, now I will get nothing done. Puppy sleeps again at 9-9:30, if Sally isn't bugging him, Tamagotchi wakes up at 9, I'll get no peace! I have to go mail some stuff and get a few groceries, is it cool to attach this thing to my key chain? Did I put enough good food in Emily's lunch? I have to call and make an imunization appt. for Shaun.)

And then I left it on the counter and walked away. But don't worry, it makes a beeping noise when it wakes up, again when it needs to be fed, when it gets mail, when it needs the bathroom. So it's been fed, played with, mail answered, points earned(don't ask me how but I got 400 p. for opening a letter, wish I could get real mail like that, but right now I'd settle for my CK mag that seems to be taking forever), and I did some other button pushing that doesn't seem to have any long term effects. And I took a picture to show Momma Emily that Nanny Me didn't let the thing die, all though it is only 10:30 am. (4.5 hours to go!)

Now this remind me of a Vinyl Cafe story...Marly finds a Tamagotchi that she forgot to give her son for Christmas and somehow winds up secretly caring for it and if I remember right it dies and she ends up mourning it. Which then reminds me of Dave and his pedicure. I love those two!

Sally is teasing Linus on a regular basis. She shakes the toys in his face and then trots off, he's too slow to catch her, so he gets frustrated and bites things like the dining room table, chairs or my legs. Then he gets in trouble and I think that is what Sally was after to begin with.

I think the honeymoon is almost over. Puppy WWE is no longer all fun and games, it starts out all fake and safe and then Sally gets a bit too agressive and Linus has to find a place to hide. Which is a whole new game, he runs like crazy and tries to fit under things, like the couch, that he could fit under last week only to discover that he's too big, all while Sally is trying to chew off his legs. And when Linus wants to play and Sally doesn't she will come to us and 'ask' us to get him off of her. Sibling rivalry at it's finest.

I look away for a few minutes and the Tamagotchi crapped.

Shaun says he's ready to get immunized. He has been working with a dr. and they think he's ready, so I'm making the appointment. But I am specifying that I want the nicest nurse, no one is to hold him down or touch him or degrade him by saying a "big boy like you should be able to do this". I slipped and let that happen a few years ago and you can bet I won't be letting that happen again.

Done!

It took me awhile but it's finally finished. Now to teach Linus to read so that he can fully appreciate all my efforts.
The papers are KI Memories, Pebbles Inc., and Bazzills. The stickers are Pebbles Inc. The brown and orange flowers (and metal tag) are from Yolanda so I don't know exactly where they came from. Other flowers are Prima. Brads are Doodlebug. Stamps and ink are SU. 14 coasters in all. I think covering them and rounding the corners by hand took longer than putting everything else together.
I usually make mini albums with no pictures in them. But they are much better to look at with pictures so I am going to try to make it a habbit to put the pics in.

Somethings I just don't share...

Like my favourite sweater.
It's dark grey with a purple and white stripe across the front. You've seen it, I wear it all the time. I am picky about my sweaters, they must be cotton, not tight and they must be very comfy. I actually found this beauty at VV Boutique years ago, like more than 5 but less than 10. It's a Roots sweater, maybe even a man's sweater. I know it's getting thinner, it doesn't keep me as warm as it used to and it's becoming see-through, which would make it okay to wear with a white bra if I was 16.
Anyway, it's still a good sweater. I think it has years, okay, maybe months of wear in it. When summer gets here, I am sure I will no longer need it and may be persuaded to part with it. Maybe.
But not now... no matter how cute the new owner might be, or how sweet he looks after he pilfered it and stuck it in SALLY'S bed, as if to say "it was already here when I got here". I've been working on finishing my ABC's of Puppyhood album. I should have it done before noon if I get off the computer. It's pretty cute, I think Linus will cherish it forever. Just as Sally does her Basic Grey album.

Sweet!

Emily was too young to remember Sally as a puppy so she's become quite attached to Linus. She calls him 'her' dog. She mothers him to death, packs him up and down the stairs, gives him treats on his dinner, and wraps him up after he gets wet. She'll only be able to carry him for a few more weeks, if she's lucky. He's growing so fast. This is Sally sneaking up on the camera.
Linus's first trip to the dog park. We stopped taking Sally because sh'e too protective and some people don't look after their dogs. But we found a park behind Home Depot and the car lots, and it was empty so we took the dogs for a stroll.

And a dip, which didn't go over very well with Linus, but Sally loved it.
We found the Easter Bunny digging in the garden. And because he's so tipsy still, he will lay down on his side and keep digging. The Lazy dig.After a day of walking, creek dipping and mud wrestling, this pup needed a bath. He wasn't too happy about it either.

Linus likes to crawl under things, but now that's he's sooo big, he can't fit under the foot stool, so he lays beside it and pretends. He also likes to pretend he's a frog. Gotta love the 'no-tail' bum.

I thought the little stinker crawled under the fence again, and I was calling him and calling him and then he came running from the far side of the yard, with a flower in his mouth. How could you not love that!?! It's a dandelion and he pulls the heads off. Another pro for getting a second dog! That's my weekend in a nutshell.

Did you know...

I have a nice little piece of paper that says I graduated with honours from computerized accounting?

Did you know I loved math in school, A's all around, teacher's pet kind of student?

Did you know I worked for an electrician after I finished school, did the accounting/bookkeeping/dogwalking?

Did you know when I got married I shut off that part of my brain?

I like to take Kerry with me to the store just so he can figure out whether buying 3 of an item for $4 is cheaper than buying 1 for $1.30. I don't do it to make him feel smart either, I just don't like to do it period. I've been asked to do people's books, taxes, office stuff and I won't do it. Okay, sorry Yolanda, I should have told you this before I helped you with your stuff.

What am I getting at? I am admitting that I don't do my own taxes. I won't do my own taxes. I can't even get them organized until the very last minute. And to make it worse, I have to not only get our personal stuff together, but I file as a business too, I have for years because of my woodcraft business.

The only fun thing about taxes this year is the fact we got a paper shredder. We have not had one for a few reasons, one being that we had kids and a dog and I watched 20/20 or something like that and kids and dogs get stuck in the shredder. Really. A dog stuck his tongue in and it got shredded, which bothered me more than the child that stuck his hand in. But now that shredders have safety switches and all kinds of other protective features, I allowed one in the house. So while sorting tax crap we come across bank statements and other irrelevant paperwork from 1996 or earlier and I get to shred it. It's white noise for me and it calms me. And it's instant gratification, I get piles and piles of shredded paper.

This is what getting along looks like...

I love this one, even though it's blurry.

Linus has flattened my zebra grass into a nice little puppy nest. It's his timeout/hiding spot when things get too scary. He stores his pinecones, roots, sticks, poop and other goodies in the nest. I don't think the grass will get a chance to grow this year.

If you want something decadent to eat this weekend, because chocolate bunnies and marshmallow chicks are so everyday, try a DQ caramel chip cheesequake blizzard. Probably more than 15 pts. for a small if you counting, which I wasn't. And besides I had to eat it standing up so it didn't have any calories.

Extra Long WEEKEND!!!

We have a running joke that I need another baby so that I can take better baby pictures to scrapbook. A lame reason, and never going to happen for so many reasons. We can't fit another person in our house, I only have 2 hands to hold and whack 2 kids with (just kidding, they're both too big to hold), 2 bench seats in the van, one kid gradding this year, the other turning 11 and oh, the big one, Kerry's fixed. And not to mention the obvious, I really love babies and kids, but I really don't want anymore. We know our limits.
Sooooo...not only is Linus great because he's tailless and won't knock anything over with his tail, but he's like a baby. He's a new subject to photograph and scrapbook. He's not sick of me and the camera yet. And so much like a baby is he that he can't be left alone for more than 2 minutes, he knows when he's doing something bad and runs like a drunk to an open bar to eat Sally's food( no offence to drunks meant), we have to baby proof everything, he cries, he poops, he pees. We have become creative with our time, eat while he's sleeping because he comes at you like a dog with rabies if he gets a whiff of people food, I have to shower when he's sleeping, scrapbook when he's sleeping, sleep when he's sleeping.
But the funniest thing that has happened is that Kerry has a whole new side to him, uptight puppy daddy. We joke and say Linus is full of P&V, piss and vinegar, usually 3 times a day, only when home alone with us. He bites us, the furniture, the walls, tables, Sally, etc. but the worst is when he's left alone with Kerry. He chews the power cords, tries to get into cardboard boxes by digging through the carpet, chews his bed, and just won't let Kerry get to the safe house in Gran Tourismo. I feel for him. NOT!!!
Linus, Sally and I had a little photo shoot yesterday. I have about a pound of makeup on, I figured that after blowing a small fortune on moisturizer and all kinds of MK goodies, I should use it. So what if everyone gets jealous because I'm so hot!

Almost forgot...HaPpY eAsTeR!!!
Eat good food!
Be with good people!
Think good thoughts!
Scream "Oh, goodness!" when you get on the scale next week and it's not what you think it should be!!!

I should have another diet Pepsi.
I have not accomplished much on my list of things to do.
So I'll make a new one...

post on blog - done
buy Sally food - done
deposit cheques - done
buy mini eggs for myself for Easter - done
shower - done
forget to let dogs out - done
wipe up pee because I forgot to let dogs out - done
play with PS7 - done
print pictures for Costco frames that have been in the box in the dining room for 2 month - done
use up last of photo magenta, photo cyan and cyan ink in printer - done
curse the cost of ink - done
clean out makeup cupboard - done

Old list...
Vacuum for like the 4th time this week(darn dogs)
Wash floors
Find all paperwork pertaining to taxes
Make class schedule
Fertilize grass(but if I do this, what will I do with the dogs?)

Kids are home, must look busy.

SU teaser

I have just come from the SU site and I have to say WOWZERS!!!
They have a promo on where you can earn Hostess sets from the upcoming idea book and catalogue for recruiting a new demo, and new demos get free sets too. Win-Win!!!
Well, none of the current hostess sets turn my crank but the new ones...Please sign up to be a demo, I want 8 out of 11. Please!!!
SU is trying very hard to keep up with current trends and I think they are doing pretty darn well this time. Floral stamps that match the American Craft rub-ons that I bought and have since misplaced, long stemmed flowers, like poppies and some berry bearing plant, a set to match the circle tab punch, which makes me think it will be in the new cattie, and a set that has dotted circles around bold images like flowers and whatnot, obviously, I saw dots and thought 7 Gypsies-like, and then moved on.
Check the site out, www.stampinup.com, I'm not actually sure if as a customer you can view the samples but it's worth a try.

loving the coasters

I am ordering a huge amount of coasters because I love them!!!
This is for a class...It's all in the name album.

Perfecting the Roll Over

I'm sure right about now, Linus is so impressed that we taught Sally how to 'roll over'. We don't know why we did this, it is not typical dog training and I don't recall it being part of puppy school. She can roll over, shake one paw, and then the other one, if you ask her to.

So Linus jumps on Sally and now instead of her growling at him and him playing dead, Sally steam rolls him. Poor thing. He also gets sat on and pushed up against the furniture to be squished. I'm sure this is her idea of playing nice with the pup, and I know if she didn't like him biting her, she'd stop him and that if he didn't like her slobbering on the top of his head and the choke hold, he'd come running to me. Sally is definitely seeing the advantage to having a 'little brother', as I did, but as I had to learn, so will she... those 'little brothers' grow up into 'big brothers'.

So right now, as they are both sleeping, I am glad we decided to get Linus. He's brought out the puppy in all of us.

Did I mention that we have been walking the dogs every night since we got Linus and that I lost 3 lbs. last week? Could be the excersise, could be the major yard work that gets done because a certain pup can't be left alone outside yet, or it could be the meals eaten fast and in secret with a bit of acrobatism because a crazy lunatic comes out at dinner time to try to climb up us and steal the food out of our mouths. Or it might be that I figured if I average out how much I have spent at WW and how much I have lost, it works out to $31.20 a freakin' pound. Slap me!