Who won? and Cornbelly's

I'd like to say we did.... and so far so good. There is a random Gnat every once in a while. So, what did the trick? I would say with all we tried it was a combination, the vinegar bowls didn't do jack squat though. The (black flag , mosquito, gnats flies) Spray def worked to get the obnoxious ones, the granuals seemed to work with the larve and ammonia down the drain took care of that as far as I can tell. We will keep a vigilant eye for the next few weeks and hopefully have the prob done once and for all....

Also, I am getting ready to start design work on more wedding announcements (not for myself silly) and am thrilled about it. It's been a while since I did wedding annoucements. They are just fun. I get to do all the stuff I love, design, typography, photo editing and end up with a printed project.

In the meantime I am working on redesigning my husband's resume.

Last Tuesday we went to Cornbelly's which we realize that we have gone to for three years now. Super fun. Last year it put me into preterm labor. No problems with that this year. :) Here are some highlights...We so were not all in this pic... it's 3 combined. It was pretty cold too, so if I look fat.... I had on 2 jackets and a coat. :) get over it.







I was laughing too hard and couldn't get up on the thing

It's WAR...

Did I mention that we have gnats? We have like 16 house plants in our bedroom. We have tried to get rid of them before. We had lots of plants in our other place and no problem... so what's different? I think we got some cheap dirt and lucky us.... gnats. This last problem, or shall I say breed is DRIVING ME CRAZY. They fly up my nose at night... and buzz around all day. We have put nursery grade pesticide in the plants, put up fly strips etc. Today I will pour ammonia down the drains and put apple cider vinegar traps out. Gary also found some gnat spray, fumigate type (which made our room stink for a week, windows open and all). What really got me going though, as annoying as they are was not the flying up my nose or buzzing around my head and landing me... well it certainly added but more recently one of the plumeria that Gary brought me from Hawaii that was flourishing started to go black and die... The larvae had completely eaten the thing all up. I lie not, I was near to tears... I was so angry. Gary of course tried to comfort me, it was just a plant and we can get another plumeria... true, but this one had sentimental value. I am all about sentiment it seems. Besides the little Dung lovers KILLED it. It's WAR! We've looked on line for how to get rid of them, talked to nurseries etc. We'll get them this time....I hope.

Case of the Exploding pants

So I've had this pair of Capris for over a year or two. I rather liked them... The other day I was wearing them. They have pockets with pleats on them and they often catch on things, cupboard knobs, my license plate, and other random assortment of things. They have fared just fine till Saturday. Gary was calling his parents and mentioned something I was supposed to Email to them, I got up from my compy to go get the camera and my pants caught on the knob of the compy desk and the capris EXPLODED! It ripped a clean rip from crotch hight to below the knee. I couldn't believe it. So Gary starts laughing as I stare in utter disbelief at my beloved comfy capris. May they rest in peace. I mined the buttons and the ties off them since I do random sewing projects and those things are nice to have on hand. Gary thought this was rather smart of me. I like to think I am smart too. ps
tired of my bg not stretching all the way to the edge of the screen... so I picked a new one. I am sure you all are proud of me.

Sports Junkies

Gary and Olea, at least he watched the baby and the TV at the same time.Recently my little sis got engaged. She told me her engagement story, at one point she was relating how she was telling her fiance during a game they were playing that she loved him so much that she would let him watch football, and even let him teach her the rules so she could watch it with him. My response: OH! you got yourself in trouble there! eheheh but that's me.

My husband played football in High School. So generally one would suspect he would be a sports watching fanatic. However, I lucked out. He's not against watching sports, he'll do that with friends, but he's not going to leave me hanging out in the kitchen by myself to run off and couch potato the rest of the evening, usually. I appreciate this SOOOO much. It's not that he doesn't like watching TV, he does. Everywhere we have lived previous to this house had cable as part of the rent. Currently, we don't get any TV at all so he does a lot of reading. Not a bad thing. However, it looks like that may change. We got our Digital TV converter coupon so we will be getting one of those and I hear all we need to get local channels out here is a Digital receiver after that. So we probably will. I say it should be a family Christmas present, becasue I am the type of person who gets more joy out of prolonged anticipation than instant gratification. However, Gary is not. He told me last night he is vetoing my decision to wait till Christmas for using the converter. :P He was going to go pick it up today. I wanted to do some research first, brand, cost etc. Since there are options...

So back to sports... even when we do get some form of TV I don't expect him to fall into sports addiction, becasue if that was going to happen it would have during the first 4 years of marriage when we had cable. This is at least comforting. :) He watched his fair share of TV, don't get me wrong.

So you can gather from this post that if I had married a guy who was a sports junkie, I would be severely regretting my decision. Thankfully, my Gary and I are made for eachother and he's not a sports junkie. I know there are women who have no problem with men like such, and good for them... I'm just not one of them. I'm also not the type of woman who watches soaps or talkshows. I've really enjoyed not having TV. The only thing I miss about it is the kid shows. Because sometimes I need something new for Olea to watch so I can, oh I don't know, Shower.

It's funny though how people are so appalled that I don't watch TV... or that I don't watch news etc. They seriously act like I'm deprived. Self deprivation is a choice.

I shop because I have to

I heart Costco.
I also heart Harmons...
but I don't shop there any more because the closest location... is not close.

I don't love shopping. My feet and back get tired, I hate watching the $ decrease so quickly, I have kids to tow along, and I hate trying on 800 things to find the two or three things that are keepers... and here we come back to decision making... which I hate doing esp with a price tag attached. So I hang on to things as long as I can. The most shopping I do is for necessities. You know Food.

But I do like the office supplies, paper, stickers, scrapbook, sewing and needlework, craftyand such isles. :)

Kids page update Videos

Olea rides her bike

Olea with her ChainSaw (a piece of wood) while camping, this was not her original piece of wood which hand handles and such like a chainsaw, she was pretty upset when she realized it had been put in the fire. I thought this was so cute though, too bad I didn't get video of the best chain saw log.

Zurich learning to sign... not scream.

Zurich tickles

and Zurich and his push cart

because I need a new purse

My handle to my purse broke off when I was frantically trying to get in the car and leave our house guests with what they needed and my baby boy and make it to the hospital where my daughter (4years) and my husband were after she'd been rushed there in an ambulance for emergency surgery back in May... I still don't have a new purse. For women who love their purses, this is a tragedy, for me it's also really really frustrating! So a new site is being started, can't say I love ALL their purses, (can't please everyone on EVERY purse, that's why there are lots right?) but some really look like something fun... http://www.handbagplanet.com/ Check it out so you can register to win a handbag, as they are giving 24 away in 24 hours on their Oct 15th launch.

blowing off steam

today I thought about having a link list on the side called, "People who piss me off..." but decided that didn't sound nice and it might traffic more people to their site. The whole reason for this negativity is because, well, some people routinely do upset me... but more recently I looked up a site of a photographer that took my brother's wedding pictures. I did their announcements... and now on her site is a "revisited" version of the announcement design I did, being claimed as her own. It's just too much alike... and done after their announcements were sent out which she got one, because she is the bride's friend. My husband says to take it as a compliment that she is copying my design (over and over) but it pisses me off, I can see what he is saying, but I don't have to like it. I guess the reason I am bothered by it the most is because she is copying it and making it look like she was the one who did their announcements, among others and is now selling invitation "design" as a service bundled with her photography. The end.

Opinions NEEDED

Ok friends and neighbors, readers...
I need opinions. I do photo editing. I have some examples on my other site corettadeesign.blogspot.com but I need to know what is a reasonable charge for normal people who have a picture that they wanted fixed. Here are some examples of fixes I have done... Just so you know, I actually can fix them, not like some people who say they can and it looks like they cut scraps out of magazine and glued them together. No offense.

For these kinds of fixes: What would you pay? What would be a reasonable asking price? What would it be worth to have a picture fixed?

#1 This one the bride wanted her slip not to be in the picture... Left is original right is fixed. #2 This one was two family pictures (top and middle inset) which had good and bad of everyone between the two. She liked the top picture best but a few people had eyes closed (me) and kids had funny faces. She wanted the best of the two put together. Also the first one had warmer tones and looked better overall. The one on the bottom is the edit. The little snips to the side are the major issues she wanted fixed in the picture. Click for larger view.
#3 Vingnette and contrast fix. This one was to match a stylized photo that the photographer had originally done, but she wanted one to match with her and her daughter too. #4 Engagement photos, no one wants a pole growing out of their head... and come to find out they wore the wrong colors... so they wanted an after the fact wardrobe change to match the invitations (which I did)These are all from the same batch because they were currently the easiest ones to find on my computer. I do this kind of fix all the time though. But I can't keep doing everything for free, as much as I would like to. Help me know what is fair.

girls, boys, contests

Yesterday we hung out with some friends for the evening. We always have such a good time and everyone gets along so well. Olea has oodles of girls to hang out with and Zurich has his buddy McCord who is two months younger. Love the American flag waving Olea. We had the two mobile boys corralled in the living room so we could chat without having to run after them. Gary thought this was so funny.Zurich likes to swing. No, he loves it.

I just finished submitting a piece to the International Art Competition for the LDS church. Why do I do that? Why do I ever enter any contests? I'm used to disappointment. I guess part of my need to enter this contest is something a friend's dad said to me once. He was waiting for the day he'd open up the Ensign and see my name on an art credit. This is likely YEARS if not eternities off... but I still feel the need to shoot for it everyonce in a while. I had hoped to make a more recent piece but nothing came and so I entered the one I had originally planned on. I'm not even bothering to cross my fingers to be on the online exhibit. I don't even want to count how many contests I have entered with my photography, poetry, painting, drawing etc. Granted, I have won some awards, some are pretty cool. But more often than not, I'm just not spectacular enough. I can handle that it's a fact of life. But I've been given tallents, and I'm supposed to share those right?

Zurich

Ok so my Zurich is a mischievous little boy. I am sure this is a totally new idea to 99% of mothers out there who have perfect children. ;)
So we have a LARGE collection of plants in our bedroom. Like 16 or something. Zurich is a mobile guy and so he will dash off to that end of our room and grab a fist full of dirt, at first he tried to eat it, but just got a bunch of bark and that wasn't so great, so now he just likes to dump fistfuls on the carpet. The other day Gary and I were lounging in our room and Zurich abandons his pile of toys and takes off over there halfway there he turns back and looks at me, I tell him "No" and he smiles and raises his eyebrows and takes off in a dash. I grab him and put him back in front of the toys before he can get there. This happens quite a few times, he thinks it is a game, and he's so cute about it. Eventually he gets closer and closer...So he sneaks over again and waits with his hand raised just a few inches above a pot and looks at me. At "No" he smiles again and grabs a fist full and giggles. The little stinker.

He has sooo much personality. He is a momma's boy though, so I am trying to work on that. He is full of smiles and mischief. He also likes to open the cupboards in the kitchen and empty the tupperware, dishes etc. I have decided I will not "babyproof" my cabinets. Nothing will make me swear faster. Our first apt had everything babyproofed and it irritated me to no end, one handed trying to get things done and having to drop everything to open the dumb cupboard catch or lock to put in one measly towel or whatnot. I just can't stand it... so I will repeatedly pull Zurich away from my kitchen and set him infront of the play kitchen where he can open/shut/bang/fill/empty the cupboards to his hear's content... and then dash back to mine.

The other day Zurich was being a pooper about eating dinner. Gary decided to go to the next level and put Zee's mashed potatoes all over Zurich. Zurich wasn't in good humor. Save me Mommy!Afterward we realized why... he had some sort of stomach bug and just layed around on my chest the rest of the day and the day after, and then puked volumes. Yay. But it was so cute to have him so cuddly. This picture is misleading, he was really wiggly with Dad.
Then Gary and I got sick. Olea had already had it earlier in the week. It hit me really hard. I was out for two days. Ick. It's always worst when Gary and I are sick at the same time, the kids really suffer.

Zurich can climb stairs and has done so without real incident until today when he decided to come back down them. Thankfully Gary was sitting on the landing and was able to catch him before he really started going. I heard it and jumped, this is really scary for me becuase when I was very pregnant with Zurich my neice who was almost 4 at the time fell down the stairs and I was at the bottom and caught her before she landed on the concrete. The memory of watching her fall and only being able to catch her before last dreadful impact has really stayed with me. Esp knowing what actually hitting the concrete would do headfirst after a fall of cartwheels. So we need to teach Zurich about coming down, more seriously than we have been. He wasn't hurt just shook up and just wanted Mommy.I pulled out the squirrel costume thinking I would have to make major modifications on it since Zurich is quite a bit bigger than Olea was... I went so far as to take off the false legs, but couldn't hack away at it knowing what a perfect peice it is... and so I just undid the arm holes thinking maybe his arms were just too long and that is what put the strain on it last time I tried it on.... That is mostly it. I think we can pull it off. So I will put the false legs back on. It looks much better with it. Here are some pics Today... and the first time I tried it on him before taking off false legs and opening armholes.Oh but we have our fun. And a lot of it. Zurich fish. Olea takes Zurich for a ride on her fourwheeler. Zurich before the attack on mommy.

ventures

Ok, I had Morgan on the brain this week since she teaches preschool for real... and I don't. But we are doing a neighborhood preschool for Olea. Five kids and us mom's each take turns teaching. This is my first week. We do Tuesday and Thursday. It was fun, it went well, we ran out of time, so I figure that's better than twiddling my thumbs. So to make sure we get to the fun part tomorrow I have a plan. I have to surpress my pride though in my little Olea. She was super motivated and task oriented and listened really well. (This is surprising since we were in her own house with her own mom...) Most of the other kids are at a similar level, but one must play video games all day. The kid didn't do anything unless you sat by him and kept him on task and practically traced the letters for him. It blows my mind. I am so used to Olea who can follow instructions (though of course she doesn't always) and is excited about paper and pencil or coloring activities.

We did the letter K and the number 9. I explained that the number nine was like a helium balloon on a stick that lost it's helium. the kids thought that was SO funny. It helped them imagine it and they did a good job writng it because of this image. If I'd had an endless supply of money and time I would have got ballons fresh and wilted on a stick so they could see but they have good imaginations. It worked out. I found out that there are a lot of online worksheets for preschoolers and that has been nice. A friend also told me about starfall.com. Olea loves to play on that site and it's good learning stuff. It's cute and has worksheet download area too.

So I feel some success especially after last week, the mom whose kid doesn't do anything (mean, I know) taught and none of the kids wanted to go back to school on Thursday becuase they were so bored on Tuesday. I was worried the bad attitude would last and I would have very difficult kids, but I didn't take the excuse they used with her (My hands are tired). Hands don't get tired unless you are milking a cow, I told them. I used to milk a cow by hand. I know. And then you keep working and they get strong.