Day 34 -- What Would You Do With These?

These are leftover from our Valentine's Day Chinese take-out meal. I have quite an accumulation of these because I hate to toss them, but the recycling center won't take them (they only takes "1's" and "2s" -- these are "5's".

I've been trying to think of something to do with them. Things to store in them, ways to alter them into something else...anything.

Suggestions? (Other than to 'take-out' less -- we're already doing that LOL).

Not a P365 Pic -- Just An Amusing Video

If you're not into stockpiling food, then you may or may not find this as funny and cute as I do. LOL

Day 33 -- Obi and Ralph

This is my son, Ralph and his girlfriend's iguana, Obi. The gf is in the pic, too, but she was already planning her escape from the camera! LOL

Day 32 -- Al Mowing

Even in February the grass needs to be mowed! Not every week, but every once in awhile.

Day 31 -- Yes, Spring Is On the Way!

That's my loquat tree with fruit on it already! Looks like it's gonna be a bumper crop again this year!

Day 30 -- First Sign of Spring!

Still haven't found that budding Dogwood tree I dreamed about last week --- but the Arizona Ash tree in my front yard is covered with new, young, pretty green leaves! Whoot!

Day 29 -- The Garage Sale Pile

Over the years I have accumulated so much STUFF that it is really time to let some of it go! Some of it I inherited from my MIL's house when she sold it a couple years back and some of it I have just grown tired of and want it to go to good homes.

This photo shows just a portion of what I'm putting in my garage sale tomorrow. There are three silk trees aka dust catchers! Several sets of king sized sheets (does anyone really need more than two sets? I don't think so)! Various kitchen appliances, a vacuum cleaner, some baskets, candles, artificial flowers and other household items going in this sale. Plus one entertainment center.

This is just phase one of my garage sale 'project'. There will be at least two more sales. One will feature homeschool stuff and the other craft materials and Christmas decorations! (Plus whatever Hubs pulls out of the garage and outbuildings that he wants to sell).

Wish me luck on Phase One of the Garage Sale Project. LOL

Thanks for reading.

EDIT: Made 70 dollars and change today! What a thrill to make money AND rid my home of some of the suffocating clutter!

I sold all four sets of sheets, the vacuum cleaner, a floor cleaner that I'd forgotten I wanted to get rid of, one of the silk trees, a chair and a bunch of little stuff. Still have quite a bit left though. What I don't sell will be donated to Good Will -- it is NOT coming back into the house.

Here is a pic of the sale at the end of the day -- hope I have another good day tomorrow.

EDIT 2/14 -- Grand total is about $105!!! Not bad for a bunch of stuff that I didn't want or need! Sold almost everything! What is left is loaded in the car and I'm about to leave for Goodwill. Funny thing is though -- just as I put the last box in the car, two cars came up the drive and they both bought something. Not a lot, but it put another $2.50 in my pocket. LOL

Day 28 -- Another Valentine's Day Card

Forgot to post this last night...

I think this is the card my oldest son will be giving to his girlfriend. Hope so, because I don't know if I'll have a chance to make another one before Saturday!

I used a sketch in a Cafemom group for this and I heat embossed the hearts, for a couple different challenges in myspace groups. I used a Stampin' Up stamp from the "Priceless" stamp set -- LOVE that set! The stamping was for another challenge in another myspace group.

The paper is from the DCWV black and cream mat stack. I want to get the big 12x12 of that same stack. ALL the papers fabulous!

TFL

Day 27 -- Laundry UGH!

Been doing laundry all day today and I'm STILL not finished! Okay, so I let it build up a bit -- so it's my own fault -- but I just have to say that I really hate doing the laundry! If my washer was working properly, I wouldn't mind so much, but it requires constant tending to just get through a load.

The washer gives an error message whenever it is filling with water and I have to push the pause button and the start button several times before it 'kicks' in and does what it's supposed to do. Wash cycle AND rinse cycle and sometimes on spin this is required. Lately, it has problems staying balanced. I do my best to load the clothes in there in a way that they are balanced around the tub. I take them out during the spin cycle when it sounds unbalanced and again, place them in the tub in as balanced a manner as possible, but it sounds awful!

I guess I'm going to have to resort to calling a repairman....UGH!

Day 26 -- What a Piece of Junk! UPDATED 12/19/09

I bought this other day at JoAnn's. It is supposed to be a corner rounder that does two different sized corner rounds. Well, I have yet to get a single rounded corner of ANY size out of this thing! It seems simple enough to use, so I don't really think I am doing anything wrong. I'm taking it back to the store tomorrow and either they are going to teach me how to use it so that I can get nice rounded corners in two sizes or they are giving me my money AND my coupon back! UGH! I hate it when I buy stuff that doesn't work like it's supposed to! Grrrrrr!

UPDATE 12/19/09: Okay, I've been using this for a few months now and am having better luck with it. I have been told that there was a bad batch that went out and I may have one of them. I haven't called Fiskars about it though, because MOST of the time I can get good corners now. I just have to be sure the paper doesn't move away from the guide. The tiniest little slip and my corners will come out funky. Also, I tap the rounder on the table after rounding a corner to make sure the scrap falls out. It seems like if I let them build up inside it will mess up my corners. So, would I recommend this tool? Maybe...I love that it makes two sizes of corners, so less tools on my table, but I do wish it weren't so finicky and more reliable.

Day 25 -- Hub's Valentine's Day Card

I scraplifted this design from several scrappers over on sb.com! When I saw it I laughed out loud and I knew I had to make one for Hubs for V-Day! He will get such a kick out of this. Shhhhhh! Don't tell him -- I want it to be a surprise! ;p

Oh, yeah, I made this using mostly supplies received in the kit I posted for Day 23.

Day 24 -- Blackbirds

Last night I had the most vivid dream. I dreamed that the dogwoods were in bloom and I was excited because I had gotten the most amazing photo of a dogwood bloom. LOL I don't always put much stock into dreams, and it the dogwoods probably won't start blooming for a couple more weeks, but just because this dream was so darned vivid I made sure to take my camera with me when I ran errands today.

Well, I didn't see any blooming dogwoods trees, but I did see the migrating blackbirds, also know as grackles -- or so I'm told, gathering on the trees and power lines at many intersections. I snapped this shot while waiting for the traffic light to change.

Day 23 -- Lookie what the Postman Brought Me Today

What is it, you might ask? Why, it is a card kit for a swap I am in on Myspace. LOL I sent some card 'ingredients' to another swapper and yet another swapper sent me this kit with all different 'ingredients'. It is a fun way to end up trying new things.

Last year I was in a monthly layout kit swap and it was a lot of fun, but also challenging because almost always there were papers or some 'ingredient' in the kit that I just wasn't comfortable with for whatever reason. I really feel like the kit swaps helped me stretch a bit as a scrapper.

There are some fun things in this kit and I can't wait to dig in and start playing with it all! In fact, I think I'll do just that soon after I publish this post. :)

Day 22 -- What I'm Reading

As a scrapbooker I am fascinated by doodling! It seems like a great way to jazz up your layouts at little expense. I think doodling can add a fun element to layouts and cards and I really want to improve my doodling skills.

I can't draw for beans! Seriously! I suck! But this book is teaching me some tricks for how to overcome that lack. It's a great little book and I highly recommend it to anyone else interested in improving their doodling skills.

Day 21 -- What I'm Drinking

Yes, yes, I know I'm a couple days behind. I DID take this pic on the 4th, but didn't get around to downloading it from the camera until today. Anyway, on with the story...

One of my ongoing goals is to drink less Diet Dr. Pepper and more water. Well, I've been doing lousy at both! So, I have renewed my resolve to work harder at this goal. It is plain to me that I'm not quite ready to give up my DDP just yet, but I definitely need to drink more water....so, for now, I'm going to concentrate on the drinking more water part.

This is the plan:

• No more than 3 cans of DDP a day -- hope to cut that back to 2 in a couple weeks...
• Drink at least one bottle of water before drinking the first can of DDP.
• Drink another bottle of water between each can of DDP
• Drink at least 2 more bottles of water during the day.
  

This is the third day of this new plan and so far, so good.

Cutting back on the DDP is going to take a little more time and resolve, but I'll get there.

Day 20 -- Smile! You're On Candid Camera!

It just isn't fair! My son's girlfriend does not like having her picture taken! What's a scrapbooker to do? It just ain't fair, I tell ya! I really don't want to upset her or offend her, but part of being a scrapper is taking photos! I hope that as time goes on she will become more tolerant of the camera and my need to have pix to scrap. LOL It's either that or every picture of her in the albums will look like this one!

Day 19 -- C'est Moi

Yep, it's me!

Some other 365 bloggers have taken pix of themselves to kick of the beginning off their 365 blogging. Even though I've already been at this a couple weeks I think it is a good idea...so here is is -- my self-portrait. :)

Thanks for visiting.

Day 18 -- Wow! That was fast!

I think I made the last payment on the Durango on Monday and the title was in our mailbox on Saturday. I decided to wait and post it today. I am so excited to get this car paid off! See, my hubs promised the car to our oldest son a couple years ago. It is really HIS car, but we share it because I have no other wheels. So, this means I am a little closer to having my own car. My son is excited about that, too! LOL

It'll be awhile yet before I get my car, but at least we are one step closer! Whoo hoo!

Day 17 -- Mely

This is Mely. We've had her for, oh, I don't know, 8 years or so maybe? She can be so sweet when she wants to be, but much of the time she is just a PITA! LOL If she wasn't so sweet I probably would have gotten rid of her a long time ago. She pees on throw rugs and towels. She scratches on furniture. And she does this weird psycho thing where she just tears off running through the house like she is chasing something -- only there is nothing there! Spooky! She gets moody and doesn't want anyone to touch her or to even get near her, and then the next day she will be all over you wanting to be held and petted for hours on end. For a year and half or so she was terrified to go outside. We don't know why, but if you put her outside she would FREAK out trying to get back inside. It wasn't until Hurricane Ike and we left the windows and doors open pretty much 24/7 while the power was out that she started spending time outside again. She even ASKS to go outside a couple times a day now!

So that's Mely. She has her own personality -- that's for sure. She is a sweetheart -- a bit weird and disobedient at times, but a sweetheart all the same.