He was right, I admit it.

So the last couple days, I've been a bit depressed. No, nothing happened to me or my family. It's just .... my laptop crashed. And I'm upset, mad and sad, all at the same time. I'm mad at myself for not listening to my husband. He's been telling me for months to get stuff off my laptop and get onto my new computer. He kept saying something's going to happen. I'd shoo him away like an old fly. I've been plugging away at my old laptop, not wanting to take the time to move all my files over, especially dreading the recreating of my complete e-mail address book and all my saved e-mails .... my lifeline at times. At first my excuses for legit. Let me get through the school carnival, I've got everything on there, I don't have the time to switch. Okay, carnival came and went. Next was let me get through baseball, I've got everything on there, including the team's e-mail addresses. Baseball is now over. Okay, let me get my ebay auctions up and going, and then I promise I'll switch over. I'm great at excuses. His eyes say to me "you'll be sorry."

Here I am. Crashed. No documents, no e-mails, no updated photographs. My husband did save photos back in January, so anything new since January, I've lost. I had started to take ebay photos of Sophie's clothes, 2 or 3 hours worth of work gone, just gone.

He couldn't save my laptop. The hard drive is shot. He had to format the entire computer. My laptop is going to Brock now. I have my "new" computer. The one that's been sitting behind my laptop on my desk for too many months to count. Why did I not switch over? It's a lovely computer with a ginormous monitor. I will fall in love again, I just know it. My new computer has been so patient. But like any relationship, it takes time to work into that comfort level. I have no choice, I will get there, but I dread the journey this next week while I slowly start to realize how many things I've lost. I start to e-mail people to resend me documents. I try to remember what wholesale places I need to bill for July work. I retake ebay photos.

He was right, I admit it, my husband was right.

Oh My - Owl Bedding

Have you seen this bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. Look at those OWLS!! Aren't they so cute? This is new in the PBK catalogue. Sophie has two PBK quilts already, she does not need this one, but I love looking at the site for inspiration.

what have I been doing?

Haven't written for a number of days and why, because we've been busy getting our basement completed. Here is my studio, so far. My husband had to paint the entire basement ceilings which took a while, and lots of Aleve. These are my before photos, the blue and green tape. I found a color paint I loved, but it wasn't Behr Paint by Home Depot. It was another brand. We are pretty much tried and true Behr fans now. Well, Home Depot wouldn't custom blend the color I like into a Behr paint because the color I liked was a competitor sold in Home Depot. So I went with the Glidden brand. Let me tell you, we hated it. It went on the wall horribly. We're just used to nice and smooth and good coverage Behr. Luckily everything else we bought was Behr brand. Never again.

After photos. Floors still need laid, but we have to paint the bathroom and the rest of the basement first. Then the flooring and then I can MOVE IN!!!

tweet ... I mean sweet cardinal tassel

I've been wanting to make one of these tassels for a while and finally found a cardinal cute enough to do it with. So what do you think? I may make some to sell on Etsy, but this one is going to a swap person. I will definitely have to make some of these to hang around my door knobs, cabinet pulls and armoires.

Japanese bathrooms .... interesting

So I love reading this one blog from japan with love. It is basically a Canadian who has married a Japanese man and is living (and working) in Japan. It really is an interesting look into the Japanese culture and how living there is so different than living over here. One of her recent blogs was about Japanese public restrooms. Sounds silly but I tell you, it's interesting. When I traveled to Europe, one of my biggest stresses was worrying about and figuring out public restrooms, first of all finding out what they were called in each country (restroom/bathroom/toilet/loo), where they were located (strange places), how they worked (every one different), do they cost money (yes, some do). And maybe this interests me, not only because my husband works for a Japanese company, but because I have an acquintance living in China and she writes fabulous e-mails about their daily life, struggles and all, and I find it fascinating.

more going to Etsy

well, since my foot has stitches (from my dumb accident) and I'm supposed to keep it elevated (which I'm not doing a very good job of), I thought I might as well sit and make stuff. Here's a few things going today. I'll be adding more this evening.

On Etsy now

Jumbo paperclips, push pins, magnets. You need these, right?

Swiss Cheese Apple Dip

Want an absolutely FABULOUS new dip for sweet apples and crackers? This is it!! This makes about an 8x8 dish, so you may want to double it. From my cousin's wife, Cherie.

1 8 oz. philly cream cheese (soft at room temp)
1 1/2 # shredded swiss cheese
1 pkg Oscar Mayer Bacon (precooked) pieces (chopped up)
1/2 cup Hellman's mayonaise
2 rounded tsp. Dijon mustard
4-5 green onions chopped
1/2 cup chopped smoked almonds (use most in dip and save some whole for serving)

Mix all ingredients together, put in a dish (sprayed with Pam) and bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes and the broil 2-3 minutes until brown.

Serve with sliced Granny Smith apples and wheat thins or triscuts.

Mike Vrabel Football Camp

Okay, I admit it. I don't know much about football, except this big guy is Mike Vrabel (and the little guy is my oldest son, and he really isn't all that little. Vrabel won three Superbowls I think with the Patriots. Other than that, I can't tell you much, except Cole LOVED this camp that he puts on with current and former OSU players. It was lots of fun and Cole wanted me to be sure to put it on the blog. Anything for my bear.