So happy!

(we heart it)

I am so excited I can hardly stand it! In less than an hour I'll be boarding a plane with one of my college roommates to head to Houston to spend the weekend with our other college roommate! I.CAN'T.WAIT! Gotta fly (pun intended ;)).

See you when I get back!

9 weeks and 99 lbs.

Well--I've finally found some down time. I've been DYING to blog these past few weeks, and every time I get ready to sit down and do it, something eats up my free time. You know the drill. So, I'll stop complaining and get on with it!

This past Thursday we received a record breaking 12.5 inches of snow! Can you believe it?! (A. Farmer, are you jealous?) Even though the weather was tough to drive in, I loved every inch of it! And I have to thank the snow for freezing over Thursday night, because it allowed me to work from home on Friday. Here's a pic I took Thursday night while the snow was still falling.

Cooper and Daisy loved the snow, too. Here's a typical snapshot of them...she's trying to pull on his collar and he's totally over it.



More of the winter wonderland around our neighborhood.

However, Friday was more than just a "work from home" day for me. It was also the day that our little Daisy celebrated her 9 week birthday, and had her first trip to the vet! Coincidentally, Cooper needed to go to the vet to get another vaccination, so I had the job of taking my 9 week old and my 14 month old to the vet at the same time. Lucky me.


You should have seen us. It was quite a sight. I had Daisy in my arms (along with my purse and puppy vaccination information), and Cooper by the leash. Thanks to the snow on the ground, I was sliding all across the parking lot trying to pull Cooper inside. By the time we actually got inside I was sweating. So much for bundling up to avoid the cold. But, I couldn't take my jacket off because I couldn't put Daisy on the ground without her running away. She hadn't had a leash on yet and she wasn't having ANYTHING to do with the leash the nurse gave me to use. Cooper was in heaven. He was trying to pull me across the foyer while I was trying to check us in. Life is definitely more interesting with two.


Once the nurse checked us in, the assistant took Cooper to the back to weigh him. ("Thank the Lord!," I thought to myself. I'm dying here lady. Can't you see I need some help!) I was able to wiggle the leash around Daisy's neck in just enough time for the assistant to bring Cooper right back to me, announcing to the world, "Cooper's a big boy. He weighs 99 lbs." (Did I hear her right? 99 lbs.? Ninety NINE pounds? One pound shy of 100? Goodness! I mean, I'm fully aware that my one year, two month old pup is the size of a small horse, but she just confirmed any doubt I had in my mind that he's all grown up.) "OK, thanks." I replied.

Next it was Daisy's turn. But she didn't want to go anywhere without Cooper, so the three of us and the assistant went over to the scales to get her weight. Much better, 13.2 lbs. (Even though she's practically doubled in weight since we brought her home three weeks ago!) After we were finished, I scooped Daisy up and headed into the examination room to wait for the Doctor.


Apparently it was still obvious that I was sweating because the assistant asked me if I needed anything to drink.


The examination went well--Coop got his vaccine, Daisy got hers, and we were done in no time. Now it was time to check out. Seriously?! I took me longer to load them into the car than it did to see the Doctor.


We skidded to the reception desk, but not before Cooper scoped out the other examination rooms (one in particular that must have had an injured animal in it just moments before because there was blood splattered all over the ground). As the front desk clerk began to rattle off some sort of instruction on when I need to come back, I was totally distracted by the two families waiting to go back into their examination rooms. One was a father/daughter duo. While I'm arm wrestling my 99 lbs pup, the dad says to his daughter, "See that puppy Melissa? Isn't she so cute!" That stirs Daisy into a frenzy, trying her hardest to wiggle out of my arms. So, I put Daisy down so the dad and daughter can pet her. I throw my debit card at the clerk hoping she would stop talking about when I'm coming back and check me out so I can get my dogs and get out of this place.


And that's when he broke loose. I was holding Cooper's leash by my foot, and when I wasn't paying attention to what he was doing, he yanked the leash out from under my foot and took off, wandering aimlessly throughout the building. Leaving my purse and my puppy at the front of the office, I took off after Cooper, catching him just before he headed into "the back" where they do surgery prep.


We made it back to the front, I signed my receipt, and was ready to get the hell outta dodge, when the second "onlooker" asked, "Is he her sire?" (What? Speak english. I don't have the patience to break down "puppy talk.") "No, he's her big brother." I replied. "He's 14 months and she's 9 weeks."


"Wow, he's HUGE for 14 months." (Thanks, captain obvious.)


"Ya, he weighs 99 lbs." chimed the assistant. (Really, lady? Don't you have something else to do?)


"I know! And he's not even the biggest one in his litter." I replied.


And just like that we were on our way out the door :)


Puppy Visit: 1
Natalie: 0


Here's my 99 pound bundle of LOVE!! (Please note that Cooper is standing on Daisy's leash.)



And here's my 9 week old princess :)



Next post: Pics from when we brought Daisy home.

Happy (Belated) Birthday!

The past two weeks have been a blur around our house! But before I update you on bringing Daisy home, or brag about dancing with Ellen, or try to explain my love for Glee, there's one thing I need to do...I need to wish my Dad a Happy (belated) Birthday! So, without further ado...

Happy Birthday to the most loving, organized, prompt, won't let you forget a deadline, biggest fan and #1 supporter, caring, protective, amazing father in the world!

Happy (belated) Birthday, Dad! I love you and hope you know how much you mean to me!!

Another Happy New Year

I got this email from my cousin today, and I couldn't help but share it here.

Twas the month after Christmas,

and all through the house,

Nothing would fit me,

not even a blouse.

The cookies I'd nibbled,

the chocolate I'd taste

At the holiday parties

had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales

there arose such a number!

When I walked to the store

(less a walk than a lumber),

I'd remember the marvellous meals I'd prepared;

The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,

The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese

And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please."

As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt

And prepared once again to do battle with dirt...

I said to myself, as I only can,

"You can't spend a Summer, disguised as a man!"

So, away with the last of the sour cream dip.

Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.

Every last bit of food that I like must be banished

Till all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won't have a cookie, not even a lick.

I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick.

I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie.

I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore...

But isn't that what January is for?

Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.

Happy New Year to all, and to all a good diet.

Quote of the Day

"One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation." -- Arthur Ashe

And organization--just kidding ;)

I ♥ Organization!

I love being organized (although my life might not always stay that way!). I don't think there are too many people out there that don't like being organized--so I guess I should say--I love organizing. The act of organizing something is therapeutic for me. I feel refreshed and have a sense of accomplishment when I'm finished! (I mean, who doesn't?!)

I can remember back to the second grade when I proclaimed myself as the room librarian, positioning my desk close to the bookcase so I could organize all the books (and then monitor who checked them out!).

When I was in the fourth grade I would stay after school to help Mrs. Taylor organize her classroom. No project was too small as I redecorated her walls with butcher paper (I LOVED pulling that stuff off the role), filed papers, helped her with the grading book, etc. I think in my second life I want to be a teacher--just so I can organize everything!

For my 21st birthday I didn't ask for an iPod or new designer jeans. I didn't want a new purse (I'll wait while some of you catch your breath), or the latest craze among college students. Instead, I asked for a Palm Pilot. Seriously. And I got it. I was in HEAVEN! I wanted to organize my contacts and streamline them with my calendar. NERD ALERT!

However, I never fully caught on to the electronic calendar thing. Much like this girl, I just couldn't shake my paper calendar, and I still carry a paper calendar with me. I think it had something to do with checking things off my list. Another great feeling and sense of accomplishment.

So, with all of that organizing hype, I wanted to share with you my gift wrapping closet organization tips!

I ran across Create Studio's amazing blog post about her Gift Wrapping Station and I knew I had to do something similar with my stuff. I already had a similar system in place under my stairs. My mom and I call it "the under stair storage." Original. I know. You see, I live in a two story house and had to find a "work around" for that awkward closet builders put under the stairway. All too often it can become a junk hole, home to all things that need a home but don't have one. We repurposed the under stair closet into a more useful "under stair storage" area.

Then it hit me. After reading Create Studio's blog post of course.

I could do that with my gift wrapping stuff, using some of the same drawers from downstairs. Genius.

So, back to the basics.

I like to use these drawers because they're so durable. I found mine at Target--but wait til they go on sale to buy them, which is like every 3-4 weeks.

Here's a glimpse into my upstairs guest bedroom closet. Nice and neat. There's a place for everything, and everything's in it's place.

Let me break it down for you. The box on top of my drawers is home to my fragile bow Christmas tree topper. To the right of my drawers, in the useless, waste of space section between the wall and the drawers, I have secrectly stashed my rolls of wrapping paper.

In the first drawer I have all things craft related. In there you can find Modge Podge, paint brushes, scissors, rolls of ribbon, paint pens, tape, scraps of wrapping paper too small to use (but don't throw it away!), buttons, sequins, and the list goes on. (Did I mention that I use to have my own crafting business...well, sort of.)

In the second drawer I have tissue paper, tiny boxes, and tins. As my love for Brighton has progressed, so has my stash of their jewelry tins. The tissue paper is folded nicely, with easy access when in a wrapping rush.

The third drawer has bags of all shapes and sizes (and that one random box.)

The fourth drawer has boxes of all shapes and sizes!

This system worked seamlessly for me for quite some time! However, since I took these pictures, I've added two more drawers (another reason I love this particular drawer system--easy to add to it). The fifth drawer is for those pesky pamphles, manuals, instructions, guides, etc. to all the electronic equipment around our house. Not necessarily wrapping related, but needed just the same.

The sixth (and final) drawer is home to all things Christmas. I just couldn't help myself. I needed a drawer for just Christmas stuff--gift tags, labels, bows, ribbon, cards, etc.

So, are you ready to go organize you gift wrapping station now?