Checking In...

Yes... just making a quick check in.  Are you aware it is already Thursday this week?  Exactly HOW did that happen?  Life has been kind of non-stop, high speed fast forward since Sunday morning so Monogirl hasn't had the time... and certainly not the energy to blog this week.  Hope for life to calm down a bit by the weekend so hope to be back then to catch up.   You will check in  then won't you?  Hopefully I will be ready to share my March planner pages!  Can't wait to show you.  Until then... Blessings!

Thankful Throwback Catch Up Thursday

We may as well start with something cute am I right?  Have I mentioned how much I love Miss Sophie? Yes?  Just making sure.  What's not to love?  I mean look how cute she is.  Here I am sitting in my recliner, cozy under my new favorite throw and along comes Miss Sophie to root under the blanket and settle herself down in the little cave she created.  She sees a pile of pillows or a blanket and she is immediately drawn to it to make herself a little happy place.  On this particular day I was happy to discover I got to be a part of it.  Did we mention how cute she is?  Quite entertaining too.  Sometime I will have to video the movements happening under the blanket as she is creating her spot.  CRACKS me up!

And speaking of Miss Sophie.... check out her new pretty pink collar!

Found that at the pet store during a recent trip to the Big City on date night... and of course Miss Sophie had to have it because of course she loves PINK.  She lives here doesn't she?  I think its a requirement.  Just ask Darrel. 

So yes... I disappeared for a bit.  Did you miss me?  Or OK.. should I ask if you noticed?  ha. Kidding.  Last week was busy with work and meetings and other things that are escaping my memory at the moment.  Planned to get back on track this week only to have No Internet for like 11+ hours on Tuesday.  Was beginning to wonder if Frontier was recreating it from scratch before they got it up and running again.  Goodness.  I am guessing there won't be a 1/2 day credit on my bill when it comes either ya think?  Sounds fair to me. 

Now of course I can't remember what we need to catch up on?  Perhaps date night?  Let's see...  Two weeks ago on Date Night we headed out to the Big City.  Yes.... we actually left the house.  I got dressed up for the occasion and everything.  We had gift cards from Christmas for dinner and a movie (thanks to my sister and family) so we went to Longhorn for dinner and then saw the movie Non Stop (with Liam Neeson) at the theater afterwards.  Dinner was SO good.  I had my usual fillet and shrimp entree' and we also had their spicy shrimp appetizer that we LOVE.  Such a nice evening although I did have to have a small rant about restaurants and their compulsion to make up cutesy names for the men's and women's restrooms.  I mean lambs?  Really?  When you gotta go, who has time or the desire to stand there and figure out which one is theirs?  Are all lambs girls?  Do I have to remember my High School biology just to go to the rest room?  Or might I suggest if we insist on the cute names could we also PLEASE go with the little image of a boy or girl on the door?  I am thinking this would help tremendously.  I mean at Longhorn the girls were lambs and the guys?  Bulls.  Now I thought the opposite of a bull was a cow... or a a heifer... but then I am thinking perhaps they thought that might not be the best choice of what they wanted to call the women.  Bwa ha ha ha! 

OK... ranting over... for the moment at least.  Where were we?  Oh yes, Date Night.  We had a bit of time to kill between dinner and the movie so we took a drive.  We stopped at the pet store to visit the puppies and bought miss Sophie a collar.  We also stopped at Office Depot because I needed to look at important things like washi tape... and other various fun office and scrapbooking supplies.  During our visit I was trying to reach a pretty pink notebook... on the top shelf and managed to knock down the front of the rack which caused a whole shelf of notebooks to fall on me... and the floor.  I tried to clean up after myself... but the employee that came to see what all the commotion was about assured me she and the reinforcements she called had it covered.  I was thankful they were kind about it and did not make me feel like the total idiot I was already sure I was. 

Recently received this very fun order from jetpens.com.  Have you visited jet pens?  LOVE.They have THE coolest stuff.  Here we have some very fun washi tape (which was actually from Office Depot the night before), Some cool "soft" highlighters, an adhesive "stamper" which I am liking a lot and a very fun set of GLITTER zig markers.  Which I thought would be very useful while I am working on my Heidi Planner.  OK.. who am I kidding.  I always have been, and always will be the "I gotta have the big box of crayons" kind of girl which means a new marker set at any point for any reason is always a good idea.  The same goes for pens.. markers... shoes... purses... oops...getting a bit off track.. but I am thinking you get the idea.  There is also a fun little pack of notebook papers there that I thought would be useful in my planner and other scrapping.  Speaking of pens... well we were a minute ago.... yesterday jetpens advertised these sets of Copic Doodle pens... of course by the time I saw and got there.  Sold Out.  I am thinking that is a thankful thing for my debit card...

During the busy week last week there was one evening where Darrel had errands after work, and I had a meeting after work, and we just weren't able to meet at home for dinner.  I hate that... .but while trying to get away from work for a bit before the meeting and find a bit of peace... I found myself at Applebees because their Oriental Chicken Salad and my book was sounding like a good idea.  In the sense that I enjoyed my salad and the excellent waiter who brought me no less than 3 diet Pepsi's and getting to read my book it was good... of course... it was a bit depressing to look across the table and see the empty spot where my husband always is.  Yes..  I felt sorry for myself for a second or too.... then I counted my blessings that I would see him at home later and dived back into my book.  And yes... that was several books ago at this point! 

Also last week I had the dreaded yearly Mammogram appointment.  OK. It's not that bad... not that dreaded.. .just a bit uncomfortable kind of appointment.  I mean here... lets take your breast.. place it on this table and then smash it down into as thin a layer as we can manage and while we are doing that please remove the rest of your body as far away from your breast as possible... Right. Not to mention that while all of the above is happening you are trying to hold a conversation with the tech and look her in the eye and act like we both don't know that things are quite um intimate at the moment as she picks up my breast and shuffles and slides it around on this little ledge that trust me has NO slide to it.  And of course... lets not forget the stickers.  You get up close and personal real quick when they are putting the little round stickers on you while they are telling you hello...... So after all of that fun I was sure since I was in town I deserved a trip to the new location (which I had not visited yet) of my LSS.  Apparently I also deserved a reward from the LSS to make up for the earlier discomfort as you can plainly see.... How could I help it.  They had new Tim inks in little cubes! Tim ink in little cubes!  Have you seen those?!  SO cool.  They also had PL stuff and little wooden words and frames and SC stuff and Tim journaling tickets and um CHEVRON washi tape... cause you know I just don't have enough washi tape.... Ok... and on the earlier topic.... is it a bad thing that I considered putting my um "stickers" in my planner..... bwa ha ha ha ha.... True story.

This past Saturday Darrel took me out in the yard to meet our neighbor Homer.  Darrel and Homer are already buds... but I hadn't had a personal meeting yet.  OK... I know he's a bull.. or a steer... or one of those two.. I need to look it up again.. but he is so cute! And sweet!  I can see why the neighbor decided he was a pet... and not dinner.  He has beautiful gentle eyes and he came when Darrel called him and then proceeded to eat an apple from our hands.  He slobbered worse than Hooch... remember him from Turner and Hooch... and you pretty much got "slimmed" if he licked you... but I liked him and definitely plan to visit again, of course with an apple on hand. 

And for the Throwback part of our Thursday we have my favorite pic of me and my Dad.  I  believe Dad had this picture taken as a gift to my Mom.  I was like 2 or 3 years old I think? I know we aren't smiling.  But for me... that is part of what makes it a good picture.  And trust me, we did lots of smiling.  Dad was/is usually smiling and teasing and playing.  Aren't we cute? 

If you've stuck with me this long.... are you still here?  Perhaps you'd linger for a moment longer while we close with a thankful list?  I mean... wouldn't be thankful Thursday without it am I right?

• books!  I just finished this series... Daughters of the Promise and then finished the first 2 books in this series.... and need to go pick up #3 from the library! Loving both of those series, and they are related with the same family/people in both.  I am also about to read this one... which is a new release.
• cuddling up next to my husband in bed when I am cold... cause he is a heater.
• getting the Capri's and crop pants back out which means sandals aren't far behind either.
• date night
• Hilton Head... such good memories and hoping we will be making more
• Saturday pancakes
• my scrapbooks.  Fun to look back at them.
• working on my planner.  Been enjoying it!
• spring weather starting
• prayer and answers to prayer
• progress on the living room.  Ceiling work has started.
• my iPhone. Great when walking to have less stuff.. like not needing my phone and my ipod and my nike plus... now its all in one.  Very cool
• having my anniversary band back.  It was at the jeweler for a prong needing fixed and I hate not having it on my finger with my wedding rings
• that my husband, after nearly 27 years still is the one to put those rings back on my finger.  LOVE that.
• riding with the sunroof open!
• being up to date and on track for the reading challenge! yay me!
• working watches.  I own like um 7.... and 5 had dead batteries
• safety for my husband when he was working on the roof
• being able to print photos from my iPhone
• singing at church
• my husband taking my hand as we walk down the aisle at church
• the sound of Sophie purring
• a new cookbook from my Mom
• good friends
• finding a carton of Haagen Dasz chocolate chocolate chip...which is not an easy task...

And... if you have hung in there this long?  Thanks for sticking around.  Hopefully you found a smile or two and your visit wasn't akin to being forced to watch my vacation slides or something.  Blessings!

Thankful Throwback Thursday....

So who was it that decided that there was such a thing as "Throwback Thursday" ??  Each week on Facebook on Thursday I see all my FB buds posting old pics of them or their kids, etc.  So of course I had to hop on that wagon and show you (and Facebook) one of us!

Have I shown you this pic before?  It was taken in September 1985.  Darrel worked at the mall in Bergners Dept. store in a Big & Tall Men's Shop that was in the store.  Yes, a Tall Men's shop... appropriate for my 6'2" guy am I right?  While he was working there, there was a photographer set up there for a few days offering specials on photos and because my then boyfriend was an employee, he also got a discount.  So here we are.... our first "official professional" photo.  Yes... there is pink.  Although, back then?  I had not yet discovered the wonders of pink.  I think my fav at the time was purple? 

Darrel proposed to me about 3 months later and we ended up using this as sort of an engagement picture.  It was in the local paper for that purpose anyway.

Looking at our young selves there it's kind of unreal to realize how much time has passed.  In 85 I would have been 19.  Darrel was 22.  I was so in love with this guy..... and so amazed that he wanted to be with me.... still am.... and still SO in love and so thankful for the amazing blessing of him. 

More thankfulness would have to include...

•  a comment on facebook from Heidi Swapp yesterday saying that my planner "totally rocks!"  Yes.. after that my day was complete. 
• the mostaciolli I made for dinner.  YUM. 
• the impromptu 3 day weekend Darrel and I had snowed in together.  Definitely a reason to also be thankful for the bad weather. 
• Darrel's safety when he was working on the roof last weekend.
• heat and shelter and no power outage during the ice and snow storm
• reading!  Barreling thru the books as fast as I can.  Just finished this one and LOVED it.  It is book 2 in the Daughters of the Promise series by Beth Wiseman that I am working my way thru.
• having my planner up to date and scrapping more again!
• date night and sharing a carton of Baskin Robbins ice cream together.  Mint Chocolate Chip.
• a hint of spring in the air
• that the thick layer of ice on the driveway melted today!
• Siri.... she was helping me find my way around town the other day
• fresh hair trim
• still loving my iPhone and its pretty pink pearly case
• pink planners
• my job and co workers
• church!  It was canceled last week due to ice which was a first I think in the 12 years I've been there.  Missed going!
• Saturday pancakes x3 this week.... due to the 3 day weekend. 
• chocolate chip cookies
• OK and thin mints too
• the time change this weekend so there is more light after work so Monogirl can walk!
• my new pretty pink stylus.  Never used a stylus on my touch screens and now I think I am a total convert.
• feeling a little better from this cold/lung thing I've had and still loving my DR
• CVS online for my meds... which Monogirl finds way less stressful for refills
• the library... always
• watching Survivor together
• Kids Hope day
• Having a room to scrap in and store my stuff

Hope you've had a good week too!  Since I am caught up on my planner I am hoping to start a Christmas book I wanted to do or maybe a layout or two... hope you'll stick around to share with me!  But for now.... Blessings!

Hello Today Planner

Yes.... it's supposed to be 10 on Tuesday but SURPRISE... Instead I decided to share with you my Heidi Swapp Hello Today Planner... in progress.  I love this planner!  It is like doing Project Life... but on a much smaller scale AND it's a planner.... you know like a calendar and office supplies and organizing and scrapbooking.... all rolled up into one.  You know how Monogirl feels about Planners...and organizing... and scrapbooking.... What more could we ask for right?   Having so much fun putting this together, especially since my BFF is also doing one.. matter of fact, it was her idea and yes I blame her for the fact that I had to run right off to the store and get me one.  So here we have the beginning of the book.  Each month has a right side kind of fill in whatever you want page, a pocket photo/memorabilia page and then a calendar on Kraft page.  Kraft.  Monogirl loves Kraft.  Where were we?  Oh yes... beginning of the planner.  Here is what it looks like when you open it and then here....

Is a closer shot of the left side.  I still need to finish up here.  I am going to add my goals for this year and some thoughts about my word for the year (which is Restore) as well as a few other things about Jan.  So far I have notes on the books I read in January, and a small spread about Kids hope.  My little friend and I did these photo strips during one of our visits in January.  And yes... her face is covered to protect her privacy.  You should see how cute she is though... seriously. 

Here is a closer view of the right which is the front side of the pocket photo page.  Used some favorite pics from the month, the PL overlays that I bought off of HSN and the papers are from the Hello Today paper pad, which you can get at M's. 

Here is the flip side of the pocket page with pics and journaling for January and then the January calendar. 

I added the snow flake border at the top from my Silhouette.  The snowflake is a Martha Stewart punch from M's.  The number rubons, the pointing finger rubon and then other stickers are all Heidi Swapp.

Here is the fill in page and front side of the pocket page for Feb.  And then a closer view of left and right

 

I cut Valentine and the little people figures with the silhouette.  Added notes about books and things we did this month and our friend Homer.  Added my very first self generated QR code to the page.  Have you done those before?  I've seen them on other people's pages but never knew how to do one.  There is a video online for Darrel's Uncle GG's funeral and I thought how cool it would be to save the link to the video.  So I googled how to generate a code and um like 3.2 minutes later I was printing one and it works! SO COOL.  I just have the bottom middle box to finish on this one and I have a quote to go there. 

















The kraft card was cut with Silhouette.  Labels were added with my brother label maker... and yes.. it's pink. 

Here is the flip side and a page protector I added to hold our Valentines card and other memorabilia.  Die cuts were done with the silhouette.  Journal card is from Amy Tangerine Project Life.  I also added a twine tie and an old MM charm to the top of my added page to hold the cards in.  They kept sliding out.  Actually this is my second twine tie.... Miss Sophie got hold of the first one and ate half of it.... or carried if off somewhere .... who knows. 

Here is the back of added insert one and front of added insert two.  Back has more cards and bits and pieces I saved from our gifts.  Other insert was to add Darrel's Uncle's picture and then his obituary on the back. 

Then here is Feb. Calendar.  All dies cuts are from Silhouette files. 

The wood veneers are from Studio Calico.  Snowflake punch is Martha Stewart.  Been using a variety of Copic, Zig, and slick writer pens. 

And lastly... here is the beginnings of March!  More silhouette die cuts and a few quick notes... but rest will be completed as the month progresses. 

And there you have it... January and February all nice and documented in my planner.  Really having fun with this and already eager to see the completed book at the end of the year. 

Hope to drop in tomorrow to share some of the randomness I had planned for today.... so check back if you get a minute.  Otherwise... see you Thursday!  Blessings!

Monogirl's Musings...

I love date night.  Often here lately date night isn't any more than getting a pizza, cuddling up on the couch and watching some movies off of Amazon Prime.  It's still perfection.  I love that focused, we both look forward to it, time together.  This week was no different.  I've been sick.  Was at the DR on Thursday and he says my lungs sound like "Rice Krispies".... not the sound we were going for.  So I am on meds, but as I've said, add an additional illness to CFS and Monogirl is pretty tired and very low energy.  Because of this, we stayed in this week.  Darrel ran to the big city for some pizza and we enjoyed ourselves some Turonis.... we watched a move called "Open Grave" which yes... was a bit creepy.... and we had us a shared carton of Baskin Robbins ice cream.  We cuddle.  We hold hands.  We hug.... yes.. we are nothing if not mushy.  We talked.  We snuggled with Miss Sophie... and we had a wonderful evening.  I love date night... had I mentioned that? 

This came in the mail yesterday.  It's not pink.  It was called Violet.  It is violet... I am pretending its more pink.  It has a pink quality.  I know because I am the pink expert.  Either way, it's pretty.  Saw this on Becky Higgins blog the other day.  She had a post about "What's in  your bag?" and was showing her current bag and its contents.  She mentioned this Hobo brand, which I had not heard of, but liked her pics.  She also mentioned using a wristlet as her wallet because a) it also fit her iPhone and b) when you don't want the whole purse, you pop in the iPhone, grab the wristlet and you are off!  Good idea right?  And yes, I am aware it is not an original idea.  Just Becky's advice caught my eye on this particular day.  So I got to looking at her wristlet and noticed first that the one she linked... this one... is not the one she shows in her pics.  However?  I liked the one linked, and the one in the picture doesn't even show up on Hobo's web site these days so perhaps its an old design?  Then I notice that on most sites these babys are $88 but on Amazon it's currently $26...in Violet anyway.... and you know what Monogirl said next?  Sold.  Now let's just hope it fits all of Monogirl's wallet type necessity type stuff. 

My BFF Lisa emailed me this morning and said..... as much as we are loving our HS planners, you have to go to Pinterest and search on the word "Filofax."  Well I of course obeyed immediately and you know what I found?  OH. MY. GOODNESS!  Pages and pages of beautiful, colorful, planner heaven.  ESPECIALLY for a planner kind of girl like me!  I could look for hours.  It has stuff like this and this and these pens and oh my pages and pages of more Filofax and planner and calendar and journal goodness... I could spend days looking and never get bored.  The downside?  I now NEED those pens... and I am sure I will find an abundance of other things I need to add to my crafty to do list... which is already bottomless.  But how could that be a bad thing? 

 

On a related topic I received an email this morning from Freckled Fawn announcing their release of the March kit.  They just happen to do an embellishment kit that would be perfect for my planner and other project life and scrapping projects.  I made the mistake of looking.... so of course now I am a happy new subscriber waiting for my March kit as well as a few added things like wood pieces, and washi and cork.... just fell into my cart when I wasn't looking.  Honest. Sort of.  I mean did you see those wooden word thingys and the days of the week clips?  Plus that kite sticker totally needs to go at the top of my March calendar.  It just does. 

And since I missed my thankful list for Thursday.... I am thinking we shall end with one today.  

Feeling thankful this week for....

• my new hobo.... and that would be the wristlet... not a person.  Although I was one for Halloween when I was very little...the person...not the wristlet.....  But I digress....
• BOOKS.  There was a book fair at school this week and it just reminded me all over again how much I love books.... and no of course... I probably did not NEED a reminder. 
• date night
• diet Pepsi
• My DR.  LOVE my DR.  He is good.  He is kind.  He listens.  He "gets" me.  LOVE him. 
• danskos. 
• watching a new season of Survivor together this week and that we both look forward to that!
• Miss Sophie... even if she did try to redecorate one of my planner pages this week. 
• Baskin Robbins and their ice cream expertise
• the upcoming time change so I can get back outside for a walk
• fresh new notebooks... its part of that planner sickness
• warm blankets and cuddling on the couch
• the new dishwasher which is so quiet and is working well!
• shelter from the impending snow storm... yes again. 
• This quote God sent direct to me this week:  "Accept what is, let go of what was, have faith in what will be."  
• kids hope
• my iPhone case.  It makes me smile.
• This study we've been doing in Sunday School.  Good stuff!
• Saturday pancakes
• my husband.  LOVE him. 
• my iPhone
• naps
• Sophie cuddles
• heated seats
• getting asked to be an IRCA judge again this year.  LOVE
• some time this Saturday afternoon to read or work on my planner... or maybe even both!

Hope you have a great weekend.  Stay safe and warm if you are in our neck of the woods!  Blessings!