recovering...

My gall bladder surgery went just fine yesterday...I am feeling pretty sore today but Cory has been a fantastic & attentive nurse!!!  I have been taking it very easy, snuggling up with the pups & watching movies...Grey Gardens, Girl Interrupted and the House of Yes.  Thank goodness for Netflix.

three generations...

source & article

There was a really cool article in today's local newspaper about the 3 generations of my family that played in the same county basketball tournament in 1952, 1972, 2002 and 2004).  Above, from left to right: my brother Nick, my grandfather Bumps (real name William), my dad Rick and my other brother Michael.  Another interesting tidbit, the yearly tournament is held at my (and my father's) alma mater - IWU!

oishi = delicious

My mom got me this amazing cookbook for Christmas this year - I LOVE IT!!!!!  We have only made a handful of recipes from it but each & every one of them is crazy authentic & makes me miss Japan.  But I am so happy to be able to recreate my favorite meals and also to share them with Cory.  My stomach has been a bit of a drag lately.  Today I received news that I will have my gall bladder out next Tuesday.  I think it's pretty common & I've never had any trouble with anesthesia so I'm not worried or nervous; I'm just looking forward to getting it over with and tackling more recipes from this awesome cookbook!

Baby belly laughs always make me smile, Conan usually does too :)

tgif...

my favorite type of tea in my very favorite cup

I have now seen 3 doctors in 2 weeks and up next is a surgeon who will decide whether or not a scope is needed to look at my gall bladder.  And subsequently if it will need to come out.  Stupid gall bladder.  The GI specialist I saw today says it sure sounds like the gall bladder but that it is sort of smushed in there with lots of your other digestive organs & can be tricky sometimes.  Tricky gall bladder.  I am jumping through the HMO hoops as we speak.  Hoping I feel better & can get a few things done this weekend; here's my list:

• new blog header & shop banner
• finish up latest mini-books
• clean the house & do laundry
• take product photos
• organize the craft room & shop supplies
• visit with my sister 
• mail a package to my BFF in Montana
• go to the market & make a nice dinner
• discuss wedding plans with Cory

updates...

It is really too bad that Jason Schwartzman is married & just had his first baby....and that I just got engaged!  Because, dang, you just gotta love him.  I think a record collection for a baby is just perfection.  I just wanted to pop in here & share this video I saw over on Tara Whitney's blog.  I have been having upper GI problems for the last few weeks so I have not been around here very much.  Yesterday while in the process of getting a CT scan, I had my second arm vein blown out in 2 days (the other was during some lab work the day before) and then they put an IV in through my wrist.  When they began to pump the saline & dye into my arm, we discovered the IV was not actually in my vein.  I ended up having the tissue on my wrist pumped full of dye; it swelled up huge & hurt really, really bad (imagine burning then the feeling your hand/arm may explode).  Ugh.  Definitely ready for my medical dramas over here to be over.

guess what?!?

I got a pretty fantastic gift this year on Christmas Eve....Cory proposed and gave me this dazzling ring!!!!!!  I cannot stop staring down at my finger, it's almost embarrassing.  I have to say being engaged to Cory & having a rock on my left hand has made me pretty giddy indeed ♥

warm wishes....

Lulu Claus

Bella the Reindeer

our tree - minus tree skirt

sparkly tree collection

bowl of ornaments

our holiday cards - love my Gocco!!

I haven't been around here much lately and I really hope to change that soon.  We are still hurting computer-wise around here and that makes blogging tough + I have been feeling really under the weather.  Actually, the last few months have not been so great in the health department...another thing I'd really like to see change in 2011.  Anyway, I just wanted to drop in this space and send some Season's Greetings out into blog land!  While I may not know any of my favorite bloggers personally, their blogs have truly inspired & enriched my life...hopefully someday, this blog can be that place for someone else....♥

so sweet...

Thought of You from Ryan J Woodward on Vimeo.

I just had to share this beautiful video I saw over on Rockstar Diaries today.  I worked this past weekend and had a replacement day to use this week - I decided that day was today!  I have a long holiday to-do list...but the sun is shining & I had bowl of hearty oatmeal for breakfast, along with some earl grey tea.  I am ready to rock this to-do list!  I will be back later today to share some photos of my accomplishments ;)

please stand by....

*estate sale necklace - sneak peak at my shop*

I'm having technical difficulties.....
My laptop has been knocked around a bit and finally, the worst of the worst happened - dead hard drive.  And worst of all to say, not backed up.  It's a pretty major loss.  Only days before that, the screen on my cell phone went out completely & had to be replaced (18 days before I was due for an upgrade, of course).  And the heater in my car is blowing out cold air...not kidding.  Why when it rains must it pour?
I am so thankful for the photos I put up on flickr and here on the old blog as well.  To think about all the inspiration I had gathered and was saving...all the awesome downloads & tutorials....my mind reels.  But I guess a fresh start is necessary every once in a while, so I'm trying to make the best of it.  It will be just a little while before my hard drive is replaced so I will be pretty scarce around here.
But I did want to share something lovely that has been happening around here lately...my preparations to open my very own etsy shop!!!  I decided that I would sell only things that I love and would buy myself and that I would try to support as many other etsy sellers as possible in building my business.  That means buying supplies from various etsy sellers; everything from product packaging to charms and what's in between (like felt and fabric and beautiful beads)!  And my suppliers come from all over - some within the state and some across oceans!  I'm working on building a (rather small) inventory and am having a total blast!  So stay tuned for more...I'll be back! ♥