bluehighlights.com - 2006 archives

christmas for alicia

2006-12-30T03:41:00.000-06:00

while my blog may have sat silent for the past month, i've been pretty busy getting things made for Christmas. for my niece alicia it was a felt photo album. she loves looking at books, and she loves looking at the family pictures hanging in our kitchen. so now she has her own photo album filled with family photos. yay for family photos!

the pages are made of felt, and there's a sheet of vinyl protecting the photos from possible baby slobber. i left the inside edge of each photo-holder open so they can swap out pictures with something more recent if they want. it holds photos that are approximately 4"x6" ... i had to trim a little off the 4" side to get them to fit. the front holds a 5h" square photo, also left open on one side for updating the family picture.

of course, i used a box that was bigger than i needed to wrap it up. so i filled in the extra space with small strips of leftover felt ... and alicia had a lot more fun playing with the little strips than looking at the album. but that's okay. now that the packing material's been thrown away, she'll just have to enjoy the album instead. :)

larger images at craftster.

happy holidays

2006-12-28T03:40:00.000-06:00

ninja ned and chicky wish you peace and celebration in the coming year.

princess cupcakes

2006-11-29T03:39:00.000-06:00

thanksgiving in virginia also included a mini birthday celebration. mom & alyssa made princess cupcakes, which emily grace was more than happy to help devour.

do you realize that friday is december 1? december 1. crazy.

second thanksgiving

2006-11-28T03:39:00.000-06:00

i got home today from my second thanksgiving. my first thanksgiving was here at home. then on friday morning mom & i drove to virginia for thanksgiving #2. it was a good time, complete with brand new baby wrigley. plus i got a new book to read (the aquariums of pyongyang).

i finished jesus land last night. i originally couldn't decide if i really wanted to read it or not... but once i started i didn't want to put it down. turns out i'm a real sucker for a memoir. if it had been a novel, i don't know that i would have been as drawn to it... but knowing it's a true story, events that someone lived through, circumstances that shaped someone's life - i jump in and can't wait to finish a chapter just so i can see what happens next. about.com review of the book - “Woody Allen once said 'If Jesus Christ came back today and saw what was being done in his name, he'd never stop throwing up.' He was right. Jesus Land is the story of Christianity gone horribly awry, of children entrusted to unfit parents, and of siblings united against terrible odds. Scheeres' is a heart-breaking memoir, a compelling read that will hold you fast from start to finish and leave you in tears.”

i may not reach my goal of reading 6 new books before my next birthday, but i'm getting there. this reading thing isn't half bad.

happy thanksgiving

2006-11-23T03:37:00.000-06:00

this week's creation in jewelry class.

i had to re-string it last night because i had originally made it a little short. plus i added the beads between the center danglies to keep them from bunching up. you may not be able to tell in the photo (turns out i'm not so good with jewelry photography. i think it'd be easier if i had one of those neck form things they display jewelry on at jewelry stores), but the dandlies are little wooden skulls. i love my little skulls. i may wear it for thanksgiving dinner.

speaking of thanksgiving dinner, i'm off to make the peanut butter pie. mmmmm.

bead class

2006-11-14T03:37:00.000-06:00

i'm taking a beaded jewelry class with a few friends. last night was our second class and this is what i made. it's actually two separate necklaces, but i plan to wear them together. they looked fantastic with my outfit today. :) and i've got plenty of beads leftover, so i think i'm going to made a multi-strand bracelet to match.

i've got the rest of the week off work. i'm going to spend a lot of time working on Christmas goodies. in fact, i may start right now and just Christmas the whole night through.

or maybe i'll catch up on other folks' blogs and then go to bed...

addition: i also plan to catch up on all my emails during my long weekend. so if you're waiting on an e-mail from me... and don't hear from me in the next 48 hours... you're more than welcome to leave nasty comments about how disappointing i am. :)

good morning

2006-11-09T03:36:00.000-06:00

i'm not usually a morning blogger, but i turned on my computer this morning to renew my subscription to chicago public radio so i figured i'd give you this cute photo, too.

side note: i was told at work that my haircut makes me look younger. i disagree.

before & after

2006-11-07T03:35:00.000-06:00

i did my best to get my face about the same size in both photos for the full effect. i like it alot. and, as an added bonus, it looks really cute with a wide head band. yay!

what do you think?

for my next trick, i may ditch the glasses and go back to contacts.

new 'do?

2006-11-03T03:34:00.000-06:00

so i'm getting my hair cut tomorrow morning. i'm undecided on what style to go for. i just know i want it different/shorter than the past couple of times.

i think the first option here show off how much i look like my mother.

old photo

2006-11-01T03:33:00.000-06:00

so i'm working on going through all my boxes of stuff. and two of those boxes are photos & negatives (thank goodness for digital!). and inside one of those boxes i found this photo of erin & myself. we can't be more than sophomores in high school. cropped out of the photo is a can of dr. pepper and my looney tunes mini backpack purse. it was during my watch phase... i believe that's marvin the martian on my wrist. and of course a newsboys hat. i actually think if i cut bangs into my hair again, i'd look just like this photo.

and don't you just love the home-made picture frame? give me construction paper & stickers and i'm good to go!

don't we look completely innocent?

chinese monday

2006-10-30T03:33:00.000-06:00

today's fortune cookies held...

"You are one of the people who 'goes places in life.'" and "You have inexhaustible wisdom and power."

the quotes around "goes places in life" make me wonder...

weekend wrap-up

2006-10-29T02:32:00.000-06:00

friday: motivation found in a black t-shirt that's a little snug, but fits a lot better than i expected.

saturday: ladies night! i enjoy the preparation for ladies night almost as much as i love the actual evening with the gals. i did my first stovetop veggie roasting for this one. made a fabulous chicken tortilla soup (though i think the "natural" tortilla chips were a bad idea. i think the fried chips would have held up better in the soup, with their layer of oil to protect them from getting soggy.). and just had a wonderful time. plus, i dressed up at a hockey player and painted on my black eye with water colors. and a dream i had the night before came half true. i did get a phone call during the evening, but not from the person i expected.

sunday: got my new mattress set, some funky sheets and a super-soft blanket. my goal is to be completely done moving back into the bedroom by the end of this week because i have GOT to start making Christmas goodies!

quick look ahead...
monday: i need to finish my costume for work. i can't very well go to lunch on halloween dressed as a graphic designer. we all know how lame graphic designers are.

tag

2006-10-26T03:31:00.000-05:00

i have been tagged... (thanks holly!)

List seven songs you are into right now. No matter what the genre, whether or not they have words, or even if they’re not any good, but they must be songs you’re really enjoying now. Post these instructions in your LiveJournal/blog along with your seven songs. Then tag seven other people to see what they’re listening to.

1. the best is yet to come - frank sinatra
2. what a wonderful world - louis armstrong
3. gotta be - des'ree
4. i will survive - gloria gaynor
5. remedy - miranda stone
6. fresh off the boat - nelly furtado
7. sleigh ride - mitchell parish/leroy anderson

the chances of me tagging seven people? let's say i have two friends and their names are Slim and None. now let's say i'm standing between them. :)

video

2006-10-20T03:20:00.000-05:00

i haven't the energy to copy & paste erin's survey today. but here's an itty bitty video (itty bitty viddy?) of alicia. she was either saying my name, asking for her bottle, wanting to play with bubbles, saying bye-bye to her bedroom or being a sheep. you decide. i need to learn more about editing/posting videos. it's not really my camera... and i don't have any software to edit the video & keep it in .mov format. i don't know if it's necessary to keep it in .mov format. like i said, i need to learn more.

okay... maybe a few select questions...

2. Name a part of your body you detest: my big toe nails. they get all ingrown every time i cut them.

7. What's the highest your credit card debt has ever been? when i bought my computer.

8. Name something you've done to sabotage a friend, family member, or co-worker: Do pranks count? And if they do, I still can’t say. [i'm with erin on this one.]

15. When was the last time you voted and who did you vote for? the soup cook-off at work. i think i voted for danielle's southwest chicken soup. no, wait... the essay contest. i voted for the three winners.

1. What bills do you hate paying the most? car insurance. i pay it twice a year, so i always forget that it's coming.

5. Name of your first grade teacher? mrs. dodge.

6. What do you really want to be doing right now? sleeping.

7. What did you want to be when you were growing up? a veterinarian.

8. How many colleges did you attend? one.

9. Why did you wear the shirt that you have on right now? it's comfy & i like changing into comfy clothes when i get home from work. for work i chose my green cami because it looks great with my gray sweater & my new green glassbead necklace.

12. First thought when the alarm went off this morning? bah...

17. If you didn't have to work, would you volunteer at an art gallery? i think i'd be more likely to lead arts/crafts classes.

18. Get up early or sleep in? sleep in.

26. Beach or lake? beach.

30. Favorite flower? maybe daisies? or lilacs? or tulips? i don't think i have a favorite. but i think roses are close to my least favorite.

35. What's for lunch? we went to the new boston's gourmet pizza. we split a sampler appetizer (they have cheese sticks breaded in pretzel crumbs. pretzel crumbs!) and shared a veggie pizza (artichoke hearts, sundried tomatos, maybe spinich?) a tropical pizza (spicy chicken, bacon, pineapple, alfredo sauce) and a bbq chicken (no onions). i love pizza.

36. Last big purchase you made? does my california vacation count? if not... i guess my computer last year.

38. Who from high school would you like to run into? a lot of people, actually. but if i had to choose one... someone who i'd be completely surprised to run into... either joe grgic or kevin jamrosz.

39. What radio station is your car radio tuned to right now? 91.5 wbez chicago - chicago public radio

45. Do you like the person who sits directly across from you at work? yes.

49. Have you ever had to use a fire extinguisher for its intended purpose? nope.

50. Last book you read for real? i think bluebeard may have been the last one i finished. or maybe lord of the flies. i'm not sure in which order i read them.

51. Do you have a teddy bear? yes.

53. Somewhere in California you've never been and would like to go? the redwood forest

55. At this point in your life would you rather start a new career or relationship? if i had to choose, a new relationship.

57. pencil or pen? pen. the finer the tip, the better.

just one more ...

2006-10-19T03:19:00.000-05:00

unless erin posts another one tomorrow and i just can't resist. :)

51 PREFERENCES ... Fill these out according to you.

1. Pierce your nose or tongue? nose, i guess. i think about getting my hand re-pierced sometimes.
2. Be serious or be funny? funny.
3. Boxers or briefs? boxers.
4. Whole or skim milk? i don't drink milk.
5. Single or Taken? single.
6. Simple or complicated? complicated.
7. Law or anarchy? law.
8. Flowers or angels? flowers.
9. Grey or gray? gray
10. Read or write? read.
11. Color or black-and-white photos? b/w.
12. Sunrise or sunset? sunset.
13. M&M's or Skittles? m&ms (especially peanutbutter m&ms!)
14. Rap or rock? rock.
15. Stay up late or wake up late? both.
16. TV or Radio? tv (i'm a very visual person), but i do love 'this american life' on npr.
17. Is it POP or SODA? soda.
18. X or O in Tic-tac-toe? x.
20. Eat an apple or an orange? apple.
21. What came first the chicken or the egg? chicken.
22. Hot or Cold? cold.
23. tea or coffee? neither, though i did have really good chocolate-covered espresso beans today... and that's like chewble coffee.
24. Tall members of the opposite sex or short? tall.
25. Sun or moon? moon.
28. Left or right? right.
29. 10 acquaintances or 1 best friend? 1 best friend.
30. Vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream? vanilla
31. High or Drunk? high.
32. Green beans or carrots? green beans.
33. Low fat or fat free? low fat.
34. What is your biggest fear in the world? being attacked.
35.new kids on the block or backstreet boys? i've never listened to either.
36. Kids or no kids? no kids.
37. Cat or dog? dog.
38. Half empty or half full? half full.
39. Mustard or ketchup? mustard.
40. Hard cover books or soft cover books? hard cover
41. Newspaper or magazine? newspaper (it pays the bills).
42. Sandals or sneakers? sneakers.
43. Wonder or amazement? wonder.
44. Red car or white car? red.
45. Happy and poor or sad and rich? happy & poor.
46. Singing or dancing? singing.
47. Hugging or Kissing? hugging.
48. Corduroy or plaid? corduroy.
49. Happy or sad? happy.
50. Purple or green? green.
51. A year of hot sex or a lifetime of friendship? lifetime of friendship.

it's true ...

2006-10-18T03:18:00.000-05:00

i am a sucker for these things. the funniest part is, i get all excited about filling them out... and then halfway through i get mad because i don't like the questions.

inspiration, again, from erin. she started at number 8, so i made up questions 1-7.

1. What's something strange you collect? i have two... playing cards (seriously, about 30 decks) and the new garbage pail kids cards (i'm going to make a journal cover out of some of those... the rest are going out in Christmas cards).

2. What was your favorite '90's Christian concert? hmmm... this one's a toughie. i'm gonna say the one at the united center, where we danced around on the floor between acts singing "yellow trampoline". but i don't remember the main act that night... is that a bad thing? maybe it was the newsboys? i know cor was one of the openers. and i'm pretty sure that was the same concert that we sat around the lobby singing after the concert & some girl took her bra off and gave it to george.

3. Would you rather deliver pizzas or babies? pizzas

4. Would you rather watch Friends of Seinfeld? i never liked seinfeld, but i own 8 seasons of friends on dvd.

5. What's your favorite font? i'm currently diggin' Interstate, which works out well since it's one of our identity fonts at work.

6. Did the last question make you look like a design geek? yes, i believe it did.

7. Are you going to make up any more questions to this survey? yes. #18 was omitted, so i'll be filling in that blank.

8. What is your most embarrassing CD? i'm not embarassed by my cd collection. but i did just toss out a whitney houston cassette.

9. If you were another person, would YOU be friends with you? i don't know.

10. Are you a daredevil? not usually.

11. What is your favorite cartoon character? do wallace & grommit count? they're claymation. amazing claymation.

12. Do looks matter? somewhat. i mean, do you buy the banged up can of soup or the not-banged up can of soup?

13. How do you release anger? singing at the top of my lungs on the way home

14. Where is your second home? i used to joke about changing my mailing address to my desk at work... but that doesn't really qualify it as "home"

15. Do you trust others easily? no

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? i don't know...

17. What class in high school do you think was totally useless? calculus. we studied for the first month or two, and then spent the rest of the year playing cards.

18. Is it harder to make up questions or answer them? make up questions

19. What color is your bedroom? green on green, with some paneling

20. Dirty Dancing or Footloose? i've never seen either

21. first movie you saw in a theatre? American Tale (Tail?) with Feivel. my aunt kim took us.

22. first album you recall owning? i remember getting my first CD. it was like my 13th birthday & i got a michael w. smith CD.

23. who was your first date? joe

24. Favorite Valentine's Day date? probably some year when i was too young to realize valentine's day was crummy.

25. the first opposite sex privates you ever saw? there were military men who came to my elementary school... some of them may have been privates.

26. first skinny dip? never

27. first true love? define "true love" and i might answer

28. First true heartbreak? blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah

29. what got you though that heartbreak?

30. What color pants and shoes are you wearing? black with white stripes down the sides

31. What are you listening to right now? "the best is yet to come" by frank sinatra

32. Last thing you ate? garlic bread

33. If you were a color what would you be? acid green

34. What is the weather like right now? warmer than last week. high 50s maybe?

35. The last person you talked to on the phone? april

36. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? i think too much

37. Do you like the person who sent this to you? i copied it from erin's blog. and yes, i like erin very much.

38. what kind of perfume do you wear? none.

39. what is your favorite shampoo? head & shoulders... they have a variety that makes my scalp all cool & tingly. it's lovely.

40. Hair Color? brown

41. Eye Color? blue

42. do you like your teeth? pretty much.

43. do you pluck your eyebrows or wax? pluck

44. Last Movie You Watched? i caught the seconf half of Charlie & the Chocolate Factory the othe night.

45. Favorite Day of the Year? the first day of my vacation

46. are you a dog person or a cat person? dog

47. do you like amphibians? not as much as i like humans

48. Hugs, nice words or a gift? nice words from most people. hugs from my family & friends.

49. your favorite gift ever? that michael w. smith CD? :)

50. Who Is Most Likely To Respond? probably no one.

51. what friend would you call first if you found out you're pregnant? probably the doctor for a re-test

52. Living Arrangements? God provides oxygen, i breath it.

53. What Books Are You Reading? i'm supposed to be reading Catch 22... but i'll have to start over, again.

54. What’s On Your Mouse Pad? i'm not using one.

55. What Did You Watch Last night on TV? "what you get for the money" or something like that. last night they were showing $2million homes in various cities.

56. Favorite Smells? freshly mown grass. freshly baked cookies.

57. who was your biggest role model as a child? my mom

58. Rolling Stones or Beatles? i don't really listen to either.

59. Do you believe in Evolution or Creation? yes

60. What’s the furthest you’ve been from home? san diego, i think.

what? no photo?

2006-10-17T03:17:00.000-05:00

this post brought to you by my real computer, sitting on it's new computer desk. that's right, i can almost use my bedroom as a real bedroom now. it's just missing a bed... :) so for today, you get plenty of words. inspiration compliments of the wonderful erin.

Part 1:
The Birth of You
Were you a planned baby?: i don't know about "planned", but i wasn't a total surprise
Were you the first?: no
Who was present at your birth?: my parents... a doctor... a nurse?
Were your parents married when you were born?: yes
What is your birthdate? january 24

Part 2:
The Family
Are you parents married or divorced? married
An only child?: no
If you have siblings are you oldest, middle, or youngest?: youngest
What are your siblings' names?: holly, jonathan
Which parent do you get along with best?: my mother is my best friend and i love my father dearly.
What do you fight about?: not much
Do you have step parents?: no

Part 3:
The Friends
Do you have more than one best friend? no
What do you like to do when you are together? anything. shop, talk, watch movies, eat ice cream, take road trips...
Do you share the same interests?: some. i agree with erin - it would be boring if we shared everything.
Which friend can you tell anything to?: i don't know that i tell anyone everything... but my mom definitely hears the most

Part 4:
Your Personality
How high/low is your self esteem?: a little higher today than it was 6 months ago. is that an answer? :)
Do you get depressed about things easily?: no
Are you an extrovert (outgoing) or an introvert (reserved)?: i try being more introverted... but it usually doesn't work
Are you happy?: usually
Do you live life to the fullest?: i'm working on it

Part 5:
Appearance
Are you comfortable with the way you look?: comfortable enough to not hate my appearance, uncomfortable enough to change it
Describe your hair?: in need of a hair cut. :)
How do you dress?: comfortably. it's just turning to jacket-season here... so i'm pretty pumped about that.

Part 6:
The Past
Were you a strange child?: why is this past tense?
What did you used to love that you no longer do?: make "iced tea" out of muddy water in the backyard
Do you have the same friends?: not really. although i think there's a lot of friendships that would be easily rekindled if we had the opportunity or took the time.
Was there anything in your past that was traumatizing?: i don't know about trauma... but junior high was a lot of drama, if that counts.

Part 7:
The Future
What is your ambition?: to enjoy the life ahead of me.
Are you scared of growing old?: nah. i mean, who really wants to be 20-something forever? besides, who says i'm ever going to be "old"?
Do you want to get married?: the desire has crossed my mind. but i'm currently very undecided on the matter.

Part 8:
The Outdoors
Do you prefer indoors or outdoors?: depends on the weather
Favorite Season: fall
Do you like walking in the rain?: sometimes

Part 9:
Food
Are you a vegetarian?: no. i mean, have you tasted chicken?
What is your favorite food?: pizza. you can dress up that crust so many ways.
What food makes you want to gag?: chicken livers
What is your favorite dessert?: flourless chocolate cake
What is your favorite restaurant?: island cow. locally? chili's. although moe's is a close second right now.
Are you a fussy eater?: no

Part 10:
Relationships and Love
Are you single or taken?: single. there is only one of me.
If taken who is the lucky guy/girl?:
Do you think love is the best feeling in the world?: yes
Do you believe in love at first sight?: i've never had it happen to me

Part 11:
Experiences
What was one of your greatest experiences?: traveling solo
What was one of the worst?: well, there was that night with the trip-lines attached to firecrackers. or was that one of the great experiences? :)
Have you ever done drugs?: i take my medicine every day
Have you ever thought you were going to die?: yes. i have issues on airplanes that get stuck circling the airport

beaded beauty

2006-10-13T03:16:00.000-05:00

there's nothing like playing dress-up at grandma's.

baking apples

2006-10-09T03:15:00.000-05:00

tonight was my first experience baking apples. i used this recipe, and they were delicious! holly suggested substituting the honey with maple syrup. i think that sounds pretty good, and i've got enough topping left over to give it a try later this week.

on the subject of baking, laure made some fabulous cookies this weekend that i plan to try. very soon. oatmeal & chocolate chips. with ganache filling. yumm-o.

closet door flowers

2006-10-07T03:14:00.000-05:00

i did two coats on the closet door flowers tonight. i think they're done, but i'll check in the morning to see if they need an extra coat. they're the opposite of the walls - dark background, light flowers. if all is well, i can clear off the floor tomorrow & get two coats on it. then, it's done. if i hadn't chosen the busiest week at work to try & do it, it wouldn't have taken as long. but it's close... and that's good enough for me. :)

wall flowers

2006-10-03T03:12:00.000-05:00

i got the second coat on the wall flowers. except for a little touch up on them tomorrow night, they should be done. the little photo is the inspiration fabric.

i think i'll wait until thursday or friday night to paint the floor. i want to be sure the concrete is dry before i paint it.

worked late

2006-10-02T03:10:00.000-05:00

i ended up working late tonight, so i didn't get as much done as i wanted. but i got half the tape pulled off [tape ball!] and most of the flowers have a first coat on them. i stopped when i needed to get more paint out the can... i didn't feel like prying the top off again. :) so tomorrow will be a second coat for the flowers on the wall - and then the walls are done! - and at least the first coat on the closet door flowers. the maybe wednesday i can do the floor. and then i'm done. yay!

or at least i'm done with the painting. then i have move everything back in. and make a quilt. and some curtains. and pillows. and stuff. yay!

side note: i'm re-doing the bedroom because of water damage... and it's storming like CRAZY outside right now.

redecorating

2006-09-30T03:00:00.000-05:00

i've been spending a chunk of time this weekend painting. the walls are a bit further around right now, but here's a before & an in-progress photo. the flower pattern is from one of the fabrics i picked up for the quilt i'm going to make for the bed. speaking of the quilt, i picked up three new fabrics for it this weekend - a brown with embroidery, a green silky, and a brocade that's green or brown depending on the light.

touring chicago

2006-09-10T02:59:00.000-05:00

mom & i spent a day downtown last week. my dad was working second shift, so we rode into the city with him and spent the day being tourists. we took part of a double-decker bus tour, had lunch on the 95th floor of the hancock building and ice cream at ghirardelli. then we ambled our way south on michigan avenue to millennium park - our first time there since its completion. so, of course, taking pictures of/in 'the bean' was necessary. the night photo is part of the crown fountain at millenium. water pours down the sides of two glass-brick towers and occasionally shoots out fire-hose style.

a fantastic day.

bay cruise #2

2006-08-28T02:57:00.000-05:00

i know that photos of the golden gate bridge probably all start to look alike after awhile, but if you look at the second one here you can see how the fog breaks once you're inland from the bridge.

and that last one's the closest thing i got to sunset photo the entire trip.