road trip

I'm almost home from my crazy cross country tour. I'm all moved into my apartment and MOSTLY unpacked. I'm currently in Ohio and we should be back in Florida on Tuesday.

In two weeks we went to Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas (twice), New Mexico (twice), Arizona (twice), California, Oklahoma, Kanasas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and now Ohio. When we leave Ohio we will go through West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. That's 20 states in two weeks.

Two weeks in the car with my parents and 15 year old neice, and we are all still alive. It's a small miracle. Additionally I have been sick the whole trip, and have to go in for testing when I get home.

We did a lot of Route 66 on the way home so we saw some crazy things.

I will write with details when I get home and I'm not working on this laptop - also including pictures.

Updates

I have spent most of the week packing, yet I’m still not done. I hope to be finished before the holiday weekend is over. I’m done to just a few boxes and odds and ends, so I’m hopeful.

I have a million things to do before I leave, and I just can’t seem to get them all in. I really need to take my sewing machine in to be repaired, because I have a feeling it will be more expensive where I’m moving. I just don’t see that getting done in time. In between packing and errands I’m trying to spend as much time as possible with my friends, family, and those people that are important to me.

My mom was making me crazy earlier in the week. I was ready to snap. Then she left for appointments, and I went to run errands, and it kind of started to sink in that pretty soon I’m not going to see my mom every day. Not every week. Not every month. I will be lucky to get back home once a year. On one hand, I know it will be really good for me to get that kind of independence. On the other hand, it terrifies me to be so far away from everyone I know and love. So far away from my safety net.

“Go go go go now
Out of the nest
It's time
Go go go now
Circus girl without a safety net
Here here now
Don't cry
You raised your hand for the assignment” ~ Tori Amos

Mom and I have been watching movies at night while we work on packing. We watched PS I Love You. It was a really good movie. My mom is in love with Gerald Butler since he was in Phantom of the Opera. It was really romantic, what his character did in the movie. I want to be loved like that. All the sexy Irish accents weren’t bad either. Another night we watched 27 Dresses. It was cute. I’m not usually into chick flicks but it wasn’t bad. Lastly we watched The Golden Compass. I haven’t finished the book yet. It’s hard for me to get into, but the movie strayed from the part of the book I have read. I hate when movies do that. I also don’t see what all the fuss was about. Maybe it’s in the next movie, but she didn’t kill God. But I could see the from some of the things said where Christians would upset.

I finished the green baby blanket that I have been making for my sister. I started on a second one. This one is a new pattern – the zig zag. I really like doing this one, and I can’t tell if it’s the pattern that’s fun or if I’m just so bored with the old one. My mom is also supposed to teach me the shell pattern before I leave.

I have bought a ton of yarn recently. I’m kind of soaped out, until my niece comes, so I’ve been using the Michael’s and Joann’s coupons for yarn. That and there have been some really amazing sales. How can you not buy yarn when it’s marked down from $5.99 to $1.97 and even $0.99? I’m not buying just anything, but if it looks like something I could use I pick it up.

I didn't buy this because I don't know what I want to do with it yet, but I like it - and the one below.

These were on sale for $1.97. I can either make a scarf from each or make some kind of blanket.

These are for scarves.

I'm going to make a throw blanket out of these. Rotating colors. Probably a shell pattern.

The dark ones were on sale for $1.97 and I'm making a scarf out of them. They are fuzzy. The angel hair one I'm making a scarf from too.

These are for scarves.

Scarves for my two future stepdaughters

Wednesday night I went out for Thai with Emily. We had a really nice time. We got desert too, which is something I don’t usually do. Afterwards we went for a walk on the beach. We took my car so we could ride with the top down. The Scrabble title charms that I had ordered from Pieces of Me Pendants came in, so I gave her the one I bought for her, and Helen’s as well. She surprised me with a bath tea that she had picked up a tearoom. I’m really going to miss Emily when I go. It sucks that we didn’t start getting so close until now.

We are going to make these now. I have a ton of Scrabble tiles and Helen said she can figure out the rest.

Friday I whipped up 3 dozen cupcakes for mom’s bookstudy group. I made a dozen each of cookies and cream, chocolate mint, and chocolate orange. All are adaptations of the chocolate cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. I had wanted to make the rose pistachio cupcakes but quickly changed my mind after I saw that cardamom costs $11.99 a bottle. Ouch! The rose water isn’t cheap either, but I already have that. I’m pretty sure pistachios aren’t cheap either. I guess I won’t be making those any time soon. Not unless one of the health food stores sells cardamom bulk and I can buy just the small amount I need.

I spent the rest of Friday with Steve’s grandma. We went out for Thai, and then spent the rest of the afternoon and evening talking. I really love her. I don’t usually talk a lot but she is so easy to talk to. We really have a nice time together. I’m going to miss her when I move.

John took off last week for vacation at Disney. It was hell answering the phone, the door, and doing both our jobs - but it's paybacks when I go out west for two weeks. And he brought me back this cute coffee mug.

Saturday I went out with Josh for a little bit. We went to Target where I got these cute crab salt and pepper shakers. I couldn't resist. They are just so happy and friendly and bright. They have Dinosaurs and Fraggle Rock on DVD! I'd love to watch them. I used to love those shows. "Not the Mama!" And now I have the Fraggle Rock theme song stuck in my head on repeat...

Look how cute they are!

I finally used the last of my Revolution Money bonus. I ordered a lilac candle and solid perfume for Steve's grandma. I gave her that with a lavender eye pillow I made, a lilac soap I made, a lilac soap from Magic Hands Workshop that came in grab bag, and some breast cancer awareness charms and pins. Oh and hand cream from Bathed and Infused. I used the rest of my RME at Daisy Cake Soap. I ordered violet soap (my favorite flower scent) and since I had extra money to use in the account I made an arrangment with her and she sent me expresso soap and mint soap as well.

I finally finished reading Lolita. I hated it when I started, and it’s taken me over a year to finish it – reading a little at a time. But in the end I kind of liked it. Liked the remorse felt.

Today I'm taking a break from packing to go to the beach with my parents. It is a holiday weekend and beautiful outside afterall. And I am really going to miss the ocean. But tonight it will be back to packing again. I'm almost there, so I'm not too worried.

Jazz Hams

more cat pictures

I love the LoL cats and other cute animals. I saw this one and couldn't stop laughing. After years and years of hearing this in dance class it was hysterical to see it in this context. It probably helps that I got only a few hours sleep and I'm slightly delerious.

If you love the LoL cats and friends - post your favorite one in the comment section.

Spring Giveaway - Bath and Beauty Products

The Scent Addict (a sister company to Magical Omaha) is giving away a huge basket of bath and body goodies. They are willing to ship anywhere, and the winner will be chosen June 15th.

The items included are:

Haunt Soap- Carpathian Lore
Arcana Murder Ballad Blues Scrub
Villainess Jai Mahal Whipped
Possets Junie Perfume
Cobalt Blends Gunslinger Perfume
Attar Bazaar Sudanese Black Rose Attar
Nocturne Alchemy Cobra Venom Perfume Oil
Hot Sex Bubble Bar by Elixir
Julphia Lotion in Sandalwood Vanilla
Magic Hands Workshop Turkish Mocha Soap
Silk Road Trading Co. Clear Wind Rice Soap
Gudonya Salty DAWG Creme Shampoo in Wild Strawberry
Gudonya Salty Conditioner in Wild Strawberry Fields
Pixie Potions Black Cat Perfume Oil
Althaea Iced Black Keemun Tea Soap
Love Potion® RED Perfume
Sensual Woman Pheromone Oil By Earth and Spirit
Warm Sugar Cookie Votive Candle By Tyler Candles
Body Systems Wasabi Mint Foot Soak

To enter, go here. Please don't forget to give them my email when they asked who referred you (rasberryswrlgirl @ hotmail.com). If someone you refer wins, you win a basket too!

Good luck!

More trips to the doctor

I went to the doctor again yesterday. This time I saw Dr. Chris instead of Dr. Fitz. She is worried that I may be having problems with my gall bladder. She gave me some medicine because my sinuses are infact infected (she actually looked). If I'm not better in a week she wants me to come in and have an ultrasound. I really hope it's not my gall bladder. I don't like going to the doctor and I really don't like having major procedures done. The freaky thing is that my stepsister just had hers removed. That's why my parents were in Ohio.

Hopefully it's just the sinus infection making me throw up. She flushed my ears, said I have major drainage in my throat and my left sinus cavity is red and swollen. I'm taking Allegra, Veramyst, Amoxicillin, Pepcid AC, and Compazine (for the nausea). I hate pills! and now I'm taking 7 a day. She told me to lay off my supplements til I feel better so that's 15 less pills a day for a while. I talked to my sister about her sypmtops when she got diagnosed. A few of them I have but they could be related to other things. For example, I have pain in my shoulders, but I have since I was 14. I was in a bad accidents and got whiplash so bad that it reversed the curvature of my neck. Today I feel more of the symptoms but I think I'm just manifesting them because I'm so worried about having to have my gall bladder removed. I get like that, obcessive.

Today has been better than yesterday. Even though I've been queasy and having hot flashes all day, I haven't tossed my cookies. Last night I was pretty queasy too. I went with mom to show a house, because the guy that wanted to see it asked for her to make sure the home owner wasn't there. He turned out not to be a weirdo, but one of those people that flaunts his money and thinks he is better than everyone else. He just put the house down the whole time he was there. He thinks he's going to get a better price that way.

Afterwards we ran to Big Lots to get plastic storage bins and then to Joann Fabrics. They had the yarn I'm using to make my sister's baby blanket on sale 2/$5 but they were out of stock on the colors I need. Pooh! I did get a nice pink yarn on clearance for $1.97. I'm going to make some crochet elephants out of it. The FIMO is also on sale for 50% off this week. I got some blue FIMO and the last pack of purple glittery for Isaac. He still needs one more, but he'll have to get it by his house. After I picked up my prescription Isaac came over and we watched Hackers. I worked on my blanket a lot. I'm going to be finished with this one soon. It's good because my mom is teaching me a new pattern, the zig zag. I really want to make one like the one seen here It's the coolest crochet blanket I think I've ever seen.

Steve has to go to a specialist today. He has had this horrible cough and his doctor can't seem to figure it out. He's already been through antibiotics, allergy medicines (though I've never heard of allergies giving you a cough) and a chest x-ray. I really hope it's nothing serious. I just found him again - I need him to be around for a long time.

Work today was hellacious. John took off today and tomorrow. The phones rang off the hook, the doorbell kept ringing. I could never complete anything because I had two phone lines going at once, and extra work since John wasn't here. I ended up putting in a 10 hour day and there is still a lot I could do.

On a positive note, my Sephora order came in today. I had been saving My Coke Rewards for over a year. They have Sephora gift cards off and on. That's really what I wanted. When I saw that mine were about to expire, I noticed the Sephora cards were back and I got one. Yay! Here is my treasures:




I got Sephora brand mascara, Hard Candy eyeshadow quads in Sushi and Bronze (just in time too because the site has Sushi on it's last chance list), 3 free fragrance samples, and with a promotion code a free Sephora jumbo lip liner.

I love Hard Candy. My favorite eyeshadow ever was made by them. It was called Exploited and it had the coolest shimmery white, bright pink and chartreuse shadows in it. It was stolen when my house was broken into. It's been discontinued and I haven't found any colors as nice.

Finally here is a picture of Miss Luna doing what she does best (being lazy).

101 Adjectives that Describe Me

This was a hard list for me to make. We had to do something like this for my speech class, and it was hard enough coming up with the ten adjectives describing myself. It's hard to even think of 101 adjectives once you sit down to make the list. As part of the speech class assignement we had to ask someone else to describe us in ten words without looking at our list. So if anyone wants to list adjectives they think describe me, they are welcome too. I like seeing what other people think of me - even the bad. It gives me something to work on.

1 accidental (yeah I know, a weird one, but I wasn't planned).
2 amused
3 anxious
4 armed
5 average
6 aware
7 balanced
8 blushing
9 breakable
10 bruised
11 capable
12 chaotic
13 chunky
14 clean
15 clumsy
16 content
17 crafty
18 cuddly
19 cultured
20 curvy
21 dark
22 descriptive
23 determined
24 distracted
25 dizzy
26 dreamy - Given to daydreams or reverie.
27 educated
28 empathic
29 empirical
30 encouraging
31 enthusiastic
32 ethical
33 fair
34 feminine
35 flexible
36 friendly
37 family-oriented
38 giddy
39 giving
40 green-eyed
41 guarded
42 gullible
43 harmonious
44 helpful
45 honorable
46 humorous
47 hungry
48 imaginary
49 imaginative
50 imperfect
51 impulsive
52 inquizative
53 intuitive
54 jittery
55 kind
56 liberal
57 literate
58 loved & loving
59 loyal
60 maddening
61 moody
62 naughty
63 nostalgic
64 obcessive
65 open-minded
66 optimist
67 forgiving
68 overwhelmed
69 pale
70 peaceful
71 personable
72 philosophical
73 polite
74 productive
75 protective
76 real
77 rebellious
78 receptive
79 romantic
80 sassy
81 sensual
82 short
83 sincere
84 soft
85 spirited
86 spiritual
87 strange
88 thankful
89 thoughtful
90 ticklish
91 tolerant
92 upbeat
93 whimsical
94 wide-eyed
95 wisftul
96 youthful
97 zealous
98 stressed
99 passionate
100 playful
101 enduring

Pixie Potions

Last August I won a $20 gift certificate to Pixie Potions. I ended up spending an additional $25 the website. I love all things Faery, so it was hard to resist.

Pixie Potions offers a wide variety of beautifully made and scented bath and body items and faery themed gifts. Amber makes custom scented perfume blends. They are very unique and all that I've smelled are lovely.

She has a wide variety of soaps, all beautifully packaged. I several soaps in Hummingbird, Pixie Dust and Tramp - all wrapped up in mini feather boas. The scents are strong and long lasting and lather nicely.

Pixie Dust Soap (image borrowed from her etsy site)

I ordered six of her bath bombs (I love bath bombs!). They are nice sized, disintigrate nicely without leaving chalky stuff at the bottom of the tub. I also like that her colors are beautiful and most of all, they don't stain my tub.

The tub truffles are one of my favorite items. I ordered them in the orange chocolate truffle scent. They come six to a box and are wrapped up like chocolates. As they melt they release fragrances and moisturize your skin. When I get out of the tub I feel moisturized but not oily, which is a problem that I find with a lot of bath melts. The best thing is that she doesn't actually coat these babies in real chocolate. Bliss Bath does, and my tub is so gross afterwards. It's also makes me a little queasy to see little brown blobs floating in my bath. But you find none of that with Pixie Potions.

Tub Truffles (image borrowed from her etsy site).

I also love the Rose Petal Salve. I have been using Bigelow Rose Balm, but the Pixie Petal's salve quickly replaced the Bigelow balm. It isn't thick and gooey. Instead it's thin and goes on smooth. I feel the salve, but it's smooth and flat and not at all sticky. I use this on my lips and the skin around my mouth. I get dry skin there due to allergies, the sun, and a reaction I have to tooth paste and this salve helps immensely.

My most favorite item, Goat Milk & Honey Lotion, isn't something I ordered. She included it as a free gift because I ordered so much. The scent is called Fairy Candy and it is one of the best things I've ever smelled. I absolutely love it. She describes the scent as, "A whimsical, cotton candy & vanilla scent with notes of fresh berries, bergamot, tangerine & white musk." It smells sweet without being sickeningly sweet. I'm not usually a cotton candy person, but I'm hooked on this. I keep it by my bed and use it regularly. It's definately something I will reorder when I run out. It has a nice consistency and goes on smooth.

I also ordered bath tea and Phoenix tears. I have not used either yet, but only because I have so many bath and body items I haven't gotten to them yet. She also included several soap samples in my order, and a limited edition Halloween gift set that was free with orders over a certain amount. I was very happy with everything that I ordered and I'm confident that you will be too.

Check out her Website or her Etsy site
She is offering a free 4 oz. sugar scrub with all website purchase of $20 or more. Orders over $40 always ship free.

And don't forget to enter her monthly contest by sending an email to contests@pixiepotions.com including your name, address, and how you found her.

I have had several communications with Amber. She is very friendly, helpful and has excellent customer service. I hope you will check out her site.

Crafts & Books

This has not been a good day for me. I was able to squeeze into the doctor this morning. I threw up two Wednesdays ago, then again Friday, then Monday. He checked to make sure I wasn't pregnant (I'm not but he made an unwelcome joke about twins). Next he handed me a sheet on gastrointestinitus. I told him this isn't what I have - I am definately not experiencing loss of appetite (I'm ravenous) and I only had one out of the seven or so symptoms listed. Finally he decided that it was a sinus infection since I have a history of them. He didn't even look at my sinuses to see if that was the problem. He gave me a bunch of Alegra and more nasal spray and sent me on my way with a pass to come back if I haven't stopped throwing up in a week. After leaving the doctor's office, I am worse today than I have been. I have been sick off an on all day while trying to work. It hurts my chest, my arms, and my head afterwards. I really want to curl up in bed in the fetal position and just sleep for a week - but I can't do that. Too much to do, and so little time.

I called the doctor back and I have to go back in tomorrow - but they aren't going to charge me this time. I'm meeting with another doctor instead, so maybe this time they will at least look at my sinuses to make sure that's what the problem is. I have been throwing up so hard that I burst blood vessels all around my eyes. Not pretty.

But enough complaining. Saturday night I hosted craft night at my house. The girls decided to allow Isaac to be involved this one time. Isaac came early so we could go to the craft store. We were in there forever. Longer than when I go with the girls. It was fun though. Afterwards we came home and I cut of veggies for a veggie tray and Isaac baked cupcakes. He made chocolate and I frosted those with vanilla and sprinkles, and butter pecan frosted with cream cheese frosting.

Here are some shots of Isaac baking. I should have put my mom's apron on him.



We mostly worked on making soap again. Here is a bar I made for my brother. I'm made him two bars of soap and I'm sending them along with a My Lip Stuff Mystery Balm, and two body butters from Scentsational Soaps. I'm putting it in a cute little take out box. He doesn't read my blog, so I'm not worried about ruining the surprise.

Emily making soap.

I also made another Lilac bar for Steve's grandma, which I'm putting into a gift basket with a lavender eye pillow, a Bathed and Infused hand cream, and a Magic Hand's Workshop lilac soap. She loves lilac. I'm going to try to get to Great American to get her a dram of lilac oil too before I give her the basket.

Elaine's pillow is the blue one and Steve's grandma's is in pink.

And, since I'm lax in mailing off a letter to Amber that I wrote in December along with a book, I made her a bar of soap. She said I had sent her one before that smelled like jellybeans. Helen, Emily and I all sniffed a bunch and we all agreed on Strawberry Jam as being the one that smells like jelly beans. And I had bought some presents for Isabelle back in December but haven't seen Tina since then, so I'm going to mail them along with the cherry vanilla soap that I made for her.

Jelly bean soap for Amber

We also worked on eye pillows. As I mentioned, I made one for Steve's grandma. I actually sat atthe sewing machine and did the sewing myself. I'm not very good at it. It kept coming unthreaded. What a mess. I also sew a little crooked. I'm going to see if Steve's mom can teach me when I get to Arizona since I have a sewing machine (just have to get it fixed). By the end of the night I was exhausted so Emily helped me finish the one for Elaine (the winner of my Bloggy Giveaway). I wanted it to be perfect.

Helen sewing.

Sunday I spent a big chunk of the day making soap to take with me to Arizona. I've been buying chunks of glycerin every week with the 40% and 50% off coupons to Micheals and Joann Fabrics. I'm still doing that so when Nikki comes we can teach her to make soap. We're also going to make hoops for hoop dancing when she is here.

We didn't end up making horns, so we will have to do that another night. In the meantime, FIMO is half price at Joann's until the 17th. Also the yarn I'm using to make baby blankets for my sister are on sale $2-$5. I might use my 40% off coupon this week on fabric instead of soap. There is this cute premade fabric to make baby doll dresses. It only requires one seem. Emily made one and it came out cute, and with the coupon it was really cheap.

Baby blankets for my sister

Yesterday I got another Lush charm bracelet in the mail. This one was made by Kranberryjam over at Etsy. Her charms are a lot smaller, but she is good with detail. I also like that her clasp is one that actually closes instead of a toggle. I'll be less likely to lose it.

The charms are Big Blue, Creamy Candy, Sex Bomb, Karma Komba, Bathos and Think Pink.

I finished reading Dean Koontz's "The Darkest Evening of the Year." It was a nice story, but kind of a let down. Lately his books are less with the creepy and supernatural and more with the good of humanity. I kind of miss the sci-fi/horror books he wrote. "The Good Guy" and "The Husband" just weren't what his writing used to be. The fourth book in the Odd Thomas series, "Odd Hours" comes out this month. I hope that it's as good as the first two were. I was disappointed in the third.

Also recently released or coming in the next couples months are three books by Francesca Lia Block (one of my favorite authors), "Blood Roses," "How to (Un)cage a Girl," and "Quakeland." The latest Anita Blake book, "Blood Noir," comes out this month. I'm a sucker for Laurell K. Hamilton's books. The next in her Meredith Gentry series, "Swallowing Darkness" comes out in November. I can hardly wait. Fairies and Vampires are my guilty pleasures.

In the meantime, I'm reading "Coyote Blue" by Christopher Moore. It's not as funny as most of his books, but it's still a good read, and well written. I'm also reading "Wicked" so I can give it back to Emily.

Free $25

I found this site through another blogger, I joined, and it works. This site is the new competition to Paypal, and it's completely free. I joined several weeks ago, got my $25 sign up bonus and already spent it on a bracelet on etsy. A lot of Etsy users are taking Revolution money. There is a $25 free sign on bonus until May 15th. Hurry!

Find out more/Join here

$100 Target Card

Bloggedin Bounty is giving away a $100 Target Card. For details go here

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Don't forget to give them my info when you enter so we both get entries.