hunker down!

Run to the store, get gallons of water and cans of spam—we’re in for a snow storm!!!!!!!!!!! Alright alright, I’ve never eaten spam in my life and never plan to, and I have plenty of bottled water at home……..but nevertheless, we are in for a snow storm, and in the words of a co-worker “UFDA Louie, it’s gonna be a big one!” They’re saying a possibility of 18 inches when it’s all said and done by Sunday night—I’m guessing about 8-10 though. Enough to make driving a pain in the behind, but not enough to keep me trapped and eating canned meat.

Oh, and a new layout of my little sister and me----picture taken a couple weeks ago in Cali.

The House of Ugly Shoes

Well, I went to the podiatrist. It was like some orthotic wearing cult in there I tell you--not a heeled shoe to be found--except the pretty ones on my feet--and I tell you, they gave me the look of sheer disgust when I walked in, as if a city slicker had just walked into their country bumpkin watering hole--and the music suddenly stopped. As I sat there on the vintage waiting room furniture, circa 1965, I was afraid they were going to try to lure me into their comfort wearing cult.............but alas I made it out safely with my heels...........oh, and bandaids on my toes.

Still working on my album for Erik from my trip to California recently. Here's a couple new ones. The Drag show one holds a special place in my heart, lol---that was such a fun night--and I love Miss Kitty!

This little piggy went to the poediatrist

Let’s talk about my feet today—I know, you’ve all been DYING TO! LOL
My dad says I have little dwarf feet, my husband says they’re cube—same length and width……my good friend Allison says I’m like Barbie in that it’s a wonder I can stand upright without falling over “you’ve got these tiny little pegs for feet, and lets be honest, you’re kind of top heavy” (gee, thanks)………it’s true though—most girls who are 5 foot 8 wear bigger than a size 6 ½ gym shoe, but not me……….but when it comes to dress shoes I have to wear a 7 ½, because I have wide feet—we’re talking broad side of a barn wide here—and as much as I’d like to wear those cute little pointy toed (“pizza slice” as Jason says) shoes in my normal size—I just can’t—and I have to go up nearly a whole size to compensate for said fat toes and feet.
So, I get blisters and corns and I just deal with it, because in the words of my good friend Tracie, “fashion over function”…………..but alas, function was sitting on my shoulder smoking a cigar and laughing at the CHA show, as I wore my matching little pink shoes. Damn you fashion! So, my toes were hurting at night and after the show—I figured, “eh, it will go away in a couple days” then my toenails seemed to be turning another color—with no help of polish---just decided to turn…and then I realized there were blisters and some blood underneath my toenails (EW!!!)-------and “smart” Chelsea decides home surgery is always a wise solution………………I’ll skip the really gruesome parts now (you can thank me later)—and just say I was left with a good 1/3 inch separation between my toe and the nail—like I could see under it! Oh dear god, what has fashion done to me? I’ll tell you—now 2 ½ weeks after CHA, it has left me nail-less, that’s right, yours truly, miss “I love open toed shoes” will have to hide her piggies for a few months or camouflage them under paint-to-skin treatment because she no longer has nails on her big toes. You know, you never really appreciate your toe nails, until you don’t have them anymore. I admit, I took one little piggy, well-2 little piggies for granted……..and for god sakes, I’ve already come to accept that I’ll never have real toenails on my pinky toes (it’s hereditary), but just a clump of sorts, I really only have 6 little piggies left!
Damn you fashion, Damn you.

he's a keeper!

I wasn't home for most of Valentines Day. I had flown down to Chicago the day before for a business meeting and wasn't expected home until early evening on Wednesday. Jason, being "ever so romantic" text messaged me on Wednesday morning asking if I wanted a heart shaped take and bake pizza for dinner--------gee, how romantic------------cuz he has a coupon-----oh, cheap and romantic, even better. That being said, I wasn't expecting much.

I was wrong.

This is the first site I saw when I walked in the house.

That's right, not only a dozen roses but the appropriate red labeled Molsen for my drinking pleasure. (mmm, my favorite beer)....and Dove chocolates, and he baked me cookies!

But that's not all! I went up stairs to find these.

Three Dozen More Roses!

................................................and lets not forget the take and bake pizza, lol. :)

yeah, he's a keeper!

Jozzie's blog challenge

It's been a while since I've done a Joz challenge--and I have to get back into it........so here's her challenge today.

Complete this sentence for your Blog Challenge today...."If I had __________, I would __________".

oh, the possibilities!

If I had MORE TIME, I would GET MORE SCRAPPING DONE!

If I had A MILLION DOLLARS, I would TRAVEL MORE (I mean, like NOT FOR WORK)

If I had ANOTHER DAY WITH MY GRANDMA, I would TAKE ANOTHER WALK AMONGST THE WILD FLOWERS WITH HER

If I had AVOCADOS AT HOME, I would MAKE SOME AWESOME GUACAMOLE

If I had MAGIC ELVES, I would MAKE THEM CLEAN UP MY STUDIO

IF I had 2 PLANE TICKETS TO VANCOUVER, I would TAKE MY BEST FRIEND ERIK

There's so many more possibilities, but those are the first things that came to mind.

now, a few recent layouts. :)

my sister Irene "the bean" (saw her in California the week before last)

my best friend in the whole world, Erik. :) (again, also saw him in Cali the week before last)

and me at sunset beach in Cali, picture taken by Erik. :)

If I had MORE ENERGY, I would SCRAP THE REST OF MY CALIFORNIA TRIP TONIGHT! :)

GOOD TIMES MAYNARD!

CHA was a blast, no doubt, but when it comes to California, there’s nothing more fun than spending time with my best friend in the whole world, Erik. So, on Wednesday night through Saturday afternoon I spent down in the LBC (that’s how we ghetto fabulous people say Long Beach. :))
Wednesday we were both exhausted and grabbed a quick bite to eat and headed back to Erik’s place to play cards. (Our obsession with beating each other at Rummy 500 goes back for years—and we take it very seriously)
Thursday morning, we had every intention of waking up early and getting a jump start on the day—good intentions, but totally not realistic. After finally getting adorable (cuz we are), we headed out to Starbucks for 11 word drinks. Erik’s was “Vente Soy Triple Shot hazelnut iced latte, extra ice, no whip……I knew I couldn’t follow up that performance so I simply had an iced Chai………..after all, I’m no California girl.
We went to the Coast Hotel, Long Beach, where Erik works…he showed me around---and did his managerial face for me in his office.

After that we headed down PCH, (that’s local speak for Pacific Coast Highway—I’m so with the in crowd)….and stopped for lunch at Sushi Studio---yummer, me loves some sushi!

While at lunch I called my lil’ sis on the phone and told her we’d be picking her up @ 4:00 at School. She goes to FIDM, (fashion institute of design and merchandising) in Los Angeles…………so we headed out and hit the 405 freeway towards the city of angels.

There’s a great little shop on the corner at FIDM, where all the proceeds go to support scholarships….it had some great fun clothes and what-nots in there—and who am I do resist the what nots?!?!!

And guess what I found---bags of buttons for a buck each—and my ever so growing addiction to buttons got a much needed fix……….here Erik is trying to hold all the bags-o-buttons I’d be buying.

Off to get Irene’s ID in the valley then (where she lives with my other sister)….. (Side note---why didn’t she HAVE HER ID WITH HER!?!?!?) so, we’re on our way back to the LBC, and Irene is insistent that she is “very hungry” and we need to bring all this leftover pizza in the car with us---even though it’s only a 35 minute drive---but there’s no arguing with “the bean” (Erik’s official name for my reenie beanie sister Irene).
Once back in the LBC we beautify ourselves—Irene even let me do her hair and makeup—but then she told me I made her look like a Ho….I think she’s pretty pretty—you be the judge.Our friend Melissa joined us and then we all headed out to get some good eats. We went to a great little Taqueria on Broadway—where I learned that the nickname I’d been calling my sister HER WHOLE LIFE was not appropriate in the taqueria—apparently it’s a racial slur…….oopsie doopsie---so not intended that way. (she’s still be Beaner to me—just not in public I guess)
Then we’re off again for the real fun to begin—(oh PUHLEEZE, everyone knows where ever Erik and I there’s FUN!!!) So, we get to Mick and Mac’s for the Thursday night Drag Show—which turns out to be a Drag Show/Talent Contest---and it was fabulous.

Here we are after the show....me and Erik and the bean with our friends Matt and Mike---Matt is our favorite Barrista at the LBC starbucks. Him and Mike are too cute for their own good. :)

Okay--then we drove the bean all the way back to the valley--she was none-to-happy when I picked her up out of the car--hey, she was sleeping--I was trying to be a good big sister!

The next day, started off as any good day should--an 11 word drink at Starbucks, and a helluva sandwich at TOGO's---then off to Sunset beach!

and why were we in Sunset Beach? Well, we had to go to Sharky's to get some new ink!!

my Grandpa's always said "here comes trouble" when I come in the room, and my Grandma always said I was her favorite little trouble maker---so why not get it permanently tattooed on me!

Here's Erik's new Ankle band--it matches a ring he had for years.

That night we went to a few local watering holes and met up with Melissa again and ended up at O'Connels to have a few and celebrate my last night in the LBC. Both her and Erik got phone #'s, so it was a good night. :)

The next day, sadly I had to leave--of course we hit starbucks again for an 11 word drink--and then to Hole Mole, because I can't resist a good fish taco!

Then Erik took me to LAX, and my trip came to an end. It was great times--can't wait to get back there! Because as we'd say, GOOD TIMES MAYNARD!

Life is just a Chair of Bowlies.

A quick 4 hour flight back from LAX to MSP...but you'd think I flew around the world!---it was 82 when I left LA and negative 10 when I landed in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. I was not exactly chipper about getting off the plane in that weather, especially after a lovely week in California. I got home late Saturday night--it's Tuesday now, and the temp still hasn't cracked the O mark---someone please remind me why I live here!?!?!?!?!

So, "how was the show Chels?" ........it was GRRRREAT! (as Tony the Tiger would say)...unfortunately it was so great (busy) at our booth, that I never got a chance to go out and walk the show--so, I'm a bit sad and pouty about that---so I'll be reading blogs and recaps with the rest of ya, because between work and teaching, I didn't see squat.....although I did see some fun stuff in retailers hands as they came in and visited me at the booth...............like the "Bind-It-All".........it's a must have..can't wait to get my hands on that! Marah's new paper with CI is so darn pretty...love it. Crystal and the gang at Magistical Memories have some great new Chip, including my friend Cheryl Mezzetti's new line--which rocks.

So, what was the highlight of the show for me---well, let me tell you! Okay, so Terri from StoneCreek Creations (The krafters purse), was invited to a Mary Engelbreit book signing because she advertises with ME's Home Companion Magazine. So, she casually mentions this one night when I stopped to say hello to her and Kim at dinner. Okay, anyone who knows me knows you DON'T CASUALLY mention that you're going to meet Mary Engelbreit--that's like saying, "I was thinking of having cocktails with God tonight, what do you think?" Needless to say when she offered to bring me as her guest, I turned into a blubbering pile.....so, 2 days later Terri shows up at the booth with the good news that for sure it's on, and to meet her at 5:00......so for the next 3 hours I was bouncing off the walls in the booth telling everyone that would listen "I'm going to meet Mary Engelbreit tonight!!" 5:00 finally came, I met up with Terri and Kim and we stopped by the hotel to change first...I had to make myself beautiful before meeting my hero! So, fast forward....we're in the little reception (and we're talking little--like maybe 40 people, so it was all comfy cozy with Mary!) and suddenly Mary enters the room--Kim is getting food at the appetizer buffet--I must tell her that Mary has entered the room, and I'm about to wet myself with excitement---so I'm doing the whisper yell--which isn't working...so I do the smile gritted teeth yell--which isn't working either--and I'm about to lose it when finally Kim returns to the table with the "what's up with you?!?!" look....and I say "mary in the room, mary in the room".....I think I needed a paper bag at this point--seriously I thought I was going to hyperventilate--I mean, we're talking Mary freaking Engelbreit here! You could have introduced me to Brad Pitt just then and told me he wanted to make out with me, and I would have shooed him away because he was blocking my view of Mary--that's how excited I was!

so, here I am in line--waiting to meet Mary and have her sign her newest book.

here I am about to explode with excitement and leave chunks of happiness all over Mary.

here I am deciding that I really should show Mary the tattoo I have on my back of her cherry design. (by the way, her response was "you're insane"...I'm sure she meant it with love)


I was on cloud 9 for the rest of the night. Seriously, I think I owe Terri my first born child (if I don't have kids Terri, I'll buy you something better).....you are so a rock star--and an absolute sweetheart--Love ya! Love ya!

Okay--more pics from my trip tomorrow---but for now I have to venture out into the artic blast again and run some errands. :)