HELP!!!!!!!!!!!

okay my local friends, I NEED your help? You know how my daughter is getting married in December? Well, they moved the date to October 3, 2009....yep, that's right ladies and gents...2 months from now...good thing we only need to do invitations, buy the dress, get the cake topper, do the flowers, do the decorations, order the tuxes, find the caterer....so not much.

of course, I also need to finish moving in and unpack, go to Colorado to work for a few days, get my convention ready for registration, go to Utah to work for a few days, have my convention...oh and lets not forget that I'm going to South Africa at the end of October...

ANYWAY, the HELP I need is finding a caterer...the kids want Italian food....if you have any recommendations, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE let me know

Thanks....MOTHER OF THE BRIDE (ZILLA)

My Scrapbook Studio-Part 4

This is where I am at. I'm going to put up shelves today and start unpacking...so here is your basic before pictures.

My Scrapbook Studio-Part 3 THE DESK

You know how you have these great ideas...and that in your mind, they should only take a few hours to complete....then reality sets in and you realize you have NO JUDGMENT on how much time it ACTUALLY takes...Thus is the story of building my desk.

The plan:
Buy Counter Tops and add legs to them to put on three walls in the room. Time to make 4 hours.

What actually happened:
1. Measure the walls to determine the counter top sizes I would need.
2. Go to buy counter tops, only to find out that they don't make all the sizes I want with mitered corners and that it would be a special order and quite costly.
3. After 3 trips back and forth (over a 2 day period) with measuring, etc decide to not use mitered corners, so buy the counters I will need 2-6 foot ones, 1-4 foot one and 1-8 foot one.
4. Go home and realize I forgot the legs
5. Back to the store
6. Go to lumber department to find 'legs'
7. Found them, purchase them and have them cut out the 12 legs cut so each counter has 4 legs (you may want to do the math at this point...4 counter pieces with 4 legs each...I KNOW, I wish I had done the math too)
8. Take my 12 legs home, sand and stain them.
9. Realize that 4 counter pieces that with 4 legs each is 16...NOT 12.
10. Back to the store
11. Go to lumber department to find more legs
12. Find them, have the last 4 cut.
13. Take them home and stain them.
14. Let legs dry overnight.
15. Go double check my measurements one more time to make sure the counters will fit right. Realize that I need 3-6 foot counters and 1-8 foot counter.
16. Take 4 ft counter back, get the 6 foot counter
17. Realize my math is still 'slightly' off.
18. Take 8 foot counter back and get the 4 ft counter.
at this point, it has been 3 days and about 7 trips to the store...so much for my 4 hour project...Ugh
19. Determine the bolt size and other pieces I need.
20. Go to store to get them (I have NO clue why I didn't get them with the lumber)
21. Get home and realize, this is NOT what I wanted.
22. Go to store and get some screws.
23. Get home and realize I got the wrong ones.
24. Go to the store and the the CORRECT ones
25. Get home and realize I should probably have some washers to make sure they don't go all the way through.
26. Go to store and get washers
27. Go home and measure once again. I need to saw off 6 inches off of 2 of the 6 foot counters so they fit the way I want.
28. Get out my saw...won't cut all the way through, because it is wrong kind.
29. Go to store and get right kind of saw blade
30. Go home and saw them....wooo hooo time to assemble
31. Get out level and measuring tape and put my shelves together and attach to wall, with Elora's help it only took me an additional hour over the 50 zillion hours prior.
32. Realize, I should probably put on center supports.
33. Back to the store (no there's a SHOCKER) get the brackets
34. Go home and install them. TA DONE

So here are some pictures of the process and the counters with stuff piled on them...I'm pretty darn proud of the way the look and that have 21 feet of counter space in my Studio...it is definitely taking shape.

My Scrapbook Studio-Part 2

Here are the pictures of the painted walls...it started out that I was going to paint just the wall with the closet...but I liked it so much, that I had all of them painted.

My Scrapbook Studio-Part 1

I am going to start working on my scrapbook studio today, but I wanted to share some pictures of what it looked like before we moved in.

The Garage Door Opener

Okay, so we now have a GARAGE....and a GARAGE DOOR OPENER. This is the kind you get to push a button with, not get out and have to open it manually.

You would think there could not be any problems with something like this...right? Well, I USED to think that, but "not anymore"

Jeff and I had just rounded the corner to our house and I pushed the button for the garage to open. Jeff makes the comment that he would definitely pay to have the garage fixed if we ever lost that, because we really like that feature...MISTAKE #1.

So I pull into the garage...and I should NOTE HERE, I really wasn't planning on testing Jeff's words so quickly. After I pull in the garage, I close the door...wait...I 'attempted' to close the garage door, but it was stopped by the back of my van, isn't that fortunate...*dripping sarcasm here*

Somehow or another...and this is still kind of fuzzy, but I got the door off the van and pulled back out of the garage. Luckily, the door was still attached and not really mangled, and appeared to be fixable by two amateur homeowners...

Well, my door is fixed now, Jeff and I did it and there is now a TENNIS BALL hanging from the ceiling and I will always know when it hits the windshield that I'm there.

Moving Update #2

Did you know that when you buy a house and start actually living in it with your family and dog, that you are going find out there are some little things that don't work quite right or are just different than the old place and that moving has it's own issues?

For instance:
1. Little old ladies that lived in the house before, probably only took baths, so the shower 'switcher doo hickey' won't work, BUT, vinegar, a hammer, a pipe wrench and a little elbow grease will fix it.
2. Drains don't always drain quickly and will cause a puddle in your husbands new office?
3. Garage door openers only work when you USE them.
4. Getting your dh to agree on curtains is a BIG CHALLENGE....I've decided it is easier to ask for forgiveness than permission for the remainder of the decorating time.
5. If you make an appointment for furniture/appliances to be delivered, that even if you set them up to not be there at the same time, that they all show up within 5 minutes of each other?
6. That refrigerators can get damaged during shipment, so you have to wait for another week for it to be delivered.
7. That washing machine hook ups that haven't been used in a while can have hard water build up and cause a small leak for an hour or so, but that an ugly towel will keep it from dripping?
8. When buying a dryer, you really should order the vent portion, as well as a plug in?
9. That moving EXHAUSTS puppies?
10. That puppies like to explore new neighborhoods EVERY FREAKING TIME someone forgets to CLOSE THE STUPID DOOR. AND puppies 'all of a sudden' don't remember how to obey?

So, I'm LEARNING alot...*grin. Still have stuff at the old house, but will be having a garage sale over there, so most of that will never need to be packed and moved to the new house, because if it doesn't sale, then it goes to charity.

I'm making my new counter top desk TODAY for my Studio (doesn't that sound 'professional') It is going to go around 3 walls of my room. I will take photos. In fact, I have some, and will at some point post them.

Closing on the house and moving day #1

I went to bed at midnight the night before closing, so I could wake bright eyed and bushy tailed (kind of like a SQUIRREL...as opposed to a SWIRL....{that's for you Roxanne} *grin) So finally, at 3 am I fell asleep, only to wake up at 5 am for a potty break. Of course, I went right back to bed and finally decided at 7 am, I might as well get up and do some packing. Yep, that's right, I got a GRAND TOTAL of 2 hours of sleep the night before our closing. I actually think that may have been a little more than I thought I would get since I was just a 'little bit' excited.

Anyway, Jeff and I decide we are going to run to the store and get some cleaning supplies, so that we can leave the closing and go straight to the house and wipe out the cupboards and a few areas before the move starts. Apparently, excitement, no sleep and just plain old 'something', is not a good combination, because we got to the store (one hour before closing). We jumped out of the car and started to walk to the doors of the store. I realized about 3 steps away from the car that I had forgotten the keys (thank heavens I lock the car with the automatic key ring), so I go back to grab them and the doors are LOCKED. THEN I realize the car is still RUNNING. Yep, I had gotten out of the car without turning it off. Jeff rolls his eyes at me, makes some comment on me settling down...yada yada yada (at least that is what I heard in my head)

DILEMMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No problem, I'll just call Steph...oh wait, she is in NEW YORK. Hmmmmmm, oh I'll call my daughter Heather.......ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring "please leave a message"....hang up, try again....ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring "please leave a message"....hmmmmmmmm, maybe she'll answer a text message..."call me please, asap, it's an emergency"....while I wait for the response, I will call Scott, her OFFICIAL fiance, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring, ring "weird sound, leave a message". Five minutes of calling both phones and nothing. Oh, I KNOW, JOHN (Steph's husband), ring, ring, ring, ring...no answer, oh ya, he had to work late last night and won't be up for a few more hours.....HMMMMMMMMMMM, who can I call...STACY, (she is doing the painting in our new house) ring, ring...(answered groggily, after OBVIOUSLY being woke up) "Hello" CRISIS ADVERTED...
"Stacy, I locked my keys in the car and need you to go to the old house and get the spare and bring it to me"
"ok, let me get up and get dressed"
"one thing Stacy, the house is locked, so you are going to have to wake Jared up aka MR. GROUCHY in the morning"
"OK"
"Now you will have to knock on his bedroom window and..."
"Let me call you when I get there"
"Ok"
So Jeff and I wait next to our running vehicle and look towards the skies as a vortex of RAIN CLOUDS gather directly above us...(the sun was shining on the car next to us) Confession time from Jeff after I have mentioned more than once that I always lock the door with the keys and don't even REMEMBER locking them from the door. "You know, I think I locked the doors" YEPPERS, you heard right, apparently Jeff uses the automatic locks on the door to lock the car. Of course, Jeff has just ONE MORE thing to say..."Of course, I didn't leave the keys in the ignition with the car running" ***eye roll*** Then of course, we start laughing because we are dumb asses.
Call from Stacy:
"Okay, which window is Jared's room"
"Back one on the left side"
I hear Stacy climb over the stuff that is next to the house in preparation for moving. Knocks on window, Jared growls and Stacy goes, "okay, got it"
So I run into store while Stacy is at the house.
Phone rings, it's Stacy...laughing,
"Jared slammed the door in my face" more laughter, "OMG, it was the funniest thing"
"I told you he was a grump in the morning and that he growls"
More laughter..."okay, where are the keys?" WOOF, WOOF, WOOF...'vicious puppy barking in background'
"They are hanging in the kitchen, btw, elora won't bite you, BUT she might lick you to death" more laughter
"okay, got them, be there in a minute"

In the meantime, Jeff has taken shelter from the downpour in the front of the store while I get cleaning supplies.

Okay, we have the keys and it is time to head to the closing (15 minutes a way...woo hoo).

Off we go and start signing papers, writers cramp ensues, but we carry on...THEN Jeff realizes that they have spelled his name wrong on some of the pages...well, these are legal documents, so they have to get out an ammendment to show that Jeffery and Jeffrey are the same person, another crisis adverted and we CLOSE.

WE ARE HOME OWNERS........

Off we go to our NEW HOME, where we have Stacy and her husband meet us, so they can start painting.

It is such a beautiful day, Jeff decides to open the windows and turn off the A/C. We start moving and unpacking and the day goes great, about 4 pm, Jeff decides we should turn the A/C on, since it is getting warm and if we are going to sleep here tonight, we don't want it to be hot. A/C back on...hmmmm, is it working? (it is, but apparently not fast enough for Jeff) He starts looking and messing with vents, finally admits it is getting cooler, goes to basement to make sure those vents are on and DISCOVERS, we have NO A/C in the basement and NO vents...gosh, we are so observant.
So off to buy a portable A/C so we can sleep down there...we find one, figure out how it will work, go to pay....DECLINED.........WHAT???? I have over $2000 in that account...hmmm, try again...nothing...well, the bank is closed, I guess we will figure it out in the morning.
Back to the NEW house. Jeff decides he is not sleeping over here, it is TOO HOT, so I make him drag the mattress for the twin bed upstairs for ME, because I AM NOT sleeping at the OLD house EVER AGAIN.
So I sleep IN THE KITCHEN at my NEW house....yes, that is correct...I slept IN THE KITCHEN, with my puppy stealing most of the 'bed'.
Well, it is the next morning (today) I'm up, the bed is back downstairs, Jeff is going to be here at 8 am (oh wait, it is 20 til 9 right now...maybe he'll be late...LOL). I just tried to call him on his phone and ring, ring, ring
"Hello?"
"Oh, hi Jared" (he is here at the new house with me.)

Well, I guess the adventure for today has already started...furniture and appliances are being delivered.
I hope to share some pictures later today (have to find the camera...I took pictures of the closing, but I'm not sure where I put it...probably locked inside my running vehicle...*grin)

Vertical Title Tutorial

Here is a quick tutorial to show you how to create a vertical word and weld it. (I know, I'm supposed to be packing, but I needed a break...*grin)

Creating a Teardrop Tutorial

Connie asked me how I did created a teardrop. This is the quickest and easiest way I know.