I have cleansed my soul...

or at least my inbox.

I just did a major cleaning of my gmail inbox. I had over 500 messages in there! I've started to streamline everything since next week it becomes my main lifeline to work.

I will start work at the print shop around the 4 or 5th of Jan. Meanwhile, I'm working on getting everything worked out to make it as easy as possible to work from home when the need arises. This means clearing off the laptop, streamlining and forwarding my email accounts to one account. I created a new account for my design company (name - Zenbot Design) and I'm working on figuring out what exactly it is that I need. I'm currently salivating over this little gem, but it's not something I need right now... but damn I do want it. Okay, so it's somewhat expensive... but I do get student discounts! (And here's hoping I can write off at least part of it at the end of the year.)

I'm in a cleansing mood, actually. I don't know if it's because of my inner-mom kicking in due to Rob being sick, or what... but I'm not arguing! I'm looking forward to working at home on learning my new software and getting everything ready for my new job.

Wish me luck!

Hey interwebz!

Opinions needed - Do you think that these are full size brushes? I love the brand, the price is right, but I don't like using travel sized brushes.

I've been busy!

Since Monday, I haven't eaten all that much because I haven't been feeling well. Oddly enough, while the thought of ingesting food made me queasy, the thought of making/baking it made me happy. So during the time when I couldn't eat what I was making, I did a great deal of baking... and other things that rhyme as well!

These are the chocolate crinkles I made. Not to toot my own horn, but they're a favorite of just about everyone who tries them. This year, I made a double batch, and after spending a number of hours by my oven, I'm still only halfway done. More for later, I suppose.



Then we have the fiberglass chair that Peekaboo is modeling. This was picked up during our weekend of hitting the antique stores. While not a pedigree, it's still a great addition to our house. Peek, if you can't tell, is sporting her new haircut. Every time we shave her down we realize how tiny she actually is! She's a 7 year old cat!

Finally, we have the bag I added a design to for my sister-in-law. Rob's stepsister, Sara, has been wanting to learn how to knit, so I decided to give her a skein of yarn, some needles and this nifty bag to carry it all in. I'm pleased with the design, but was disappointed with the transfer. My iron sucks, apparently.

I'm leaving work today at 4pm so Rob and I can load up my car and head for Fisher. This weekend will be a flurry of activity including Lammle Family Christmas (with cookie decorating!), new haircut for moi, and hosting Christmas dinner with my mom & brother.

Somehow during all of this, I also need to finish shopping for my mom & dad, as well as wrap everything that is going to be given this weekend.

I suck, btw. Sorry to everyone for the lack of Christmas cards. This semester was brutal.

Everyone travel safe and have a great holiday weekend!

C is for cookie... that's good enough for me.

Growing up, my grandparents would visit from Arizona every Christmas and stay for a month. I'd come home from school each day and help her bake cookies for the rest of the afternoon. Now that I'm older, it seems that the first snowfall or cold days of the winter season triggers something inside of me and I'm compelled to bake. I love baking. It relaxes me.

This year, our first Christmas in the condo, I have a large selection of cookies I plan on making. I now have the space to do so and an oven that is worth a damn. I am planning on making chocolate crinkles, chocolate chip cookies, spritz cookies, peanut butter cookies, gingerbread men, and cut-out sugar cookies.

The last two are for decorating with Rob's family. Last year, I brought dough back with me and baked the cookies at his Grandparents' house. We spend the evening portion of Christmas Day decorating the cookies with the kids. We figured it'd be a good tradition to start, so this year, I'll be better prepared.

Baking cookies during the holidays will allow me to still feel very connected to my grandma. This is the first Christmas that she won't be around and I know that it's going to be difficult for myself, my brother, and my mom.

At least we can drown our sorrows in cookies. It's what Grandma would have wanted.

I think my head is going to explode.

List format. Deal with it.

1. Missed work Fri, Mon & Tues.

2. Rocked my Math Final on Monday. Passing grade, please.

3. Purchased a few of our spice jars. They're so cute in person, I can't stand it.

4. Borrowed the West Wing Season1 from Jason. Loving it.

5. Wood for our home-made platform bed has been purchased and is currently awaiting sanding at home. Rob says that the air in his workroom got pretty darn thick while he was sanding, and he worries about me having breathing issues if I start to sand. My head hurts so bad that I'm agreeing with him currently and going to let him work on it. (But prepping and staining are all mine!)

6. Went to Dr. today to ask about my headaches I've been waking up with. Have to have an xray of my face, or more specifically, my sinuses. My head hurts right now, infact.

7. Ordered Rob's Christmas presents today. I certainly hope he likes them.

8. I have eleventy-billion thank-you cards to write. And then I get to start on Christmas cards.

9. My house is a mess.

10. I also have eleventy-billion dozen cookies to bake, but that's the fun stuff.

11. I really want to go home, put my head down, and weep because my face hurts.

12. Instead I will do laundry while in my pjs and watch The West Wing.

I hope you have a relaxing evening as well.

"Say it! Say it!"

Words can't really begin to describe the love I have for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip...Last night's episode was so wonderful! I love when I can get fully engrossed in a character and his or her development, and with this show, there's a whole cast of characters that I'm completely enamored with. If you haven't started watching this show, you're missing out. Head over to iTunes and start downloading.

Yesterday I left work early to get some financial aid stuff worked out. I'm very happy to report that everything has gone smoothly and I'll be taking Intermediate Algebra and Drawing I next semester. I did, unfortunately, discover that I have 55 hours left before getting my degree. At my current schedule, I take 12 hours a year (6 hours each spring & summer). This means in 4.5 years, I'll be done with my 2 year degree... Can I get a phooey? Phooey!

Needless to say, I'll be stepping things up a little and trying to take a summer course or two and maybe take 9 hours next fall. Anything to get finished a little quicker and move on to a different college and get myself one step closer to fulfilling my dream of working from home while taking care of my children-to-be-conceived-later.

After taking care of my school obligations, I headed to a nearby plaza and had a yummy mexican gumbo at Qdoba then wandered around Barnes & Noble. I have discovered many new crafty/arty projects that I'd like to work on, so look for photos in the near future as I try to up my creative time.

Hit the knit!

I spent most of the weekend with my face leaking in various ways. I seem to have a cold that I simply can not shake.

I finished Rob's new scarf this weekend (or so I thought) using up one skein of Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Charcoal. After completing it, I'm looking at it and have decided to add some length. As in, I've decided to almost double the length.

I've decided that I really like working with thicker yarns, and may try to order something nicer (or finally head to my local yarn shop) and try my hand at a blanket. (more flat things...) I plan on hitting the knitting pretty hard and figuring out how to make something that isn't flat. A hat perhaps! And other things that rhyme as well!

I only have 15 days left at my current job. 15 days! You have no idea how happy this makes me. The light at the end of the tunnel is shining brighter and brighter each day. I had a training session this past weekend, with another scheduled for this Sunday. Customized apparel will soon own my wardrobe. I even ordered a kick ass track jacket which will soon be customized with either a smx logo or a robot drawn by yours truly. I'll post pictures of it when it's done.

I'm really excited about this job. I feel like I'm picking up on the digitizing fairly well, and I'm looking forward to learning more.