Writing my name in the dust–part 1

It’s been a while, hasn’t it?   About as long as it has been since I dusted the top of my TV cabinet.  I could write my name there, too. 

In the interest of catching up as soon as possible, I’ll give the “short, short version” of the happenings here at Chez Schauer.

October brought the end of kids sports.  While we love watching them play, juggling baseball, soccer and cheerleading was practically an event of its own.  It was refreshing to be able to take a breath without having to run off somewhere armed with chairs, coolers, and gear.   I can’t imagine what it will be like when kid #3 starts playing too.

Thanks to my Mom, the kids were outfitted well for Halloween once again.   She spent hours creating costumes and the kids loved them!  We had an Annakin, a Darth Vader, and a Sleeping Beauty.

And this little number was lots of fun.  I’m the Swine Flu.  Plus, any costume that lets me wear long johns, a pink sweat suit and fuzzy crocs is a hit in my book!

Only a week later, we had a new addition to the family.  We went from thinking about getting a puppy next spring, to bringing home Kona in a very short three weeks!  Just when we thought diapers and babyproofing were behind us, we moved into house training and puppy proofing.  We must have been insane!  She’s a doll though, and a great puppy.

Here’s a shot right after bringing her home:

She’s now up to a whopping 4.5 lbs.

I’m also gearing up for my first major showing at the CHA winter show in January.  I’ve committed to sharing a booth for the entire show with a fellow designer along with my usual showcase table.  I’ll be in the License and Design Section, booth # 2639.  More on that coming soon.

Did the puppy destroy the house? …Did the Schauers get the real swine flu?  Is Carla ready for the January show?  Tune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion… 

Until next time,
Carla

Random Photo Share Wednesday

Here are a few more photos from the memory cards I downloaded a couple days ago.  Technically, they’re not perfect, but I love them anyway.

Here’s another from the race.  The headsets with the microphones were a big hit.  That’s my mom wearing the other ultra-fashionable head accessory.

Yes, this is a photo from last year’s family beach vacation.  Yes, I just downloaded it.  No, I have no excuse.   The boys still let me dress them alike, and this was just post-hair-donation.

And the last just cracks me up.  Covered with sand, running full-tilt, giant grin on his face.  That’s my boy!

That’s all for today, I’m swamped!

Until next time…
C.

Creative Mess

And by mess, I truly mean MESS.   That’s right, all caps.

For the last few weeks I’ve been knee-deep in the craziness that happens when a home-remodeling project coincides with a big deadline.    So there is mess in the construction zone, mess in the craft cave, and a big mess in my brain.

Our new floors are finally installed.  (Hooray!)  We took out all the carpet and 20 yr old parquet flooring on our main floor and replaced it with a stranded bamboo plank.   I love it!    It updates our ’80s house tremendously.    However, everything that used to be in the toy, china, and crystal cabinets (and anything else that was small enough to be carried) now resides in our master bedroom.  Who knows when it will return to its proper home.    What a mess!

I’ve also been working on some projects for Clearsnap, a fabulous company whose products I’ve been using for years.   I had the opportunity to be introduced to them at the winter CHA show, and they are as wonderful as their products.   With all the construction and those wild steroid side effects, I was a manic stamper.  The result?  Utter destruction of the Craft Cave.

I’m not one of those highly efficient people who must return each and every craft supply to its proper home and wipe all traces of the current project from my desk before beginning a new project.   Instead, I toss all craft debris off to the side or onto the most convenient, least cluttered surface, leaving me a progressively smaller workspace in which to create.   At the end of the creative streak, I triumphantly cross off the last project on my list, take a deep satisfied breath, and lift my head.

Then I make a face not unlike that of the kid from “Home Alone”.    What a mess!

As for my brain, well, it’s always a mess.

What I could really use is a magic lamp, a genie, and 3 wishes.   Ahh, all my mess problems solved.

Until next time…
C.

Hoping the “flitting” is gone.

Poor neglected blog!

I’ve been bouncing around like a gnat on caffeine these last few weeks, flitting here and there doing everything and nothing all at once.    I’ve been on a 2 week steroid pack for poison oak I managed to find while geocaching, despite looking carefully.

I realized, while taking the pack, that my brain functions in slow, methodical processes.   I like to take my time and make sure a task is completed thoroughly before I move to the next one.   While this method has it’s imperfections (ie.  the long list of uncompleted tasks always waiting their turns), I can be sure that my current task will be completed well.

But for the last 2 weeks, I have been experiencing life as a “flitter”.   From a land somewhere beyond my comprehension, this “flitting” took over my brain, and turned me into a mess of random chaos.

Put away glass…see water spot…water…laundry…add load to washer…see random toy, take to kid’s bedroom…notice stray shoe, take to closet…”hey, how did that get here”…”I should take down the shelf in the dining room”…walk through the kitchen, see the dishwasher still open and full…

Definitely NOT my usual nature, and it drove me crazy.  I’m glad it’s done and my regular brain has returned to it’s plodding, sedate pace.   Welcome back sanity!

Until next time…
C.

Totally Random Monday Afternoon

I’m still trying to catch up around here.  It’s amazing that 3 weeks of being sick can mean almost double that in catch-up time.   My “to-do” list is out of control.   Since the last time I made it here:

• I finished a magazine assignment
• “Mount Laundry” is no smaller than when I started washing it.   (How do all these clothes get so dirty this fast, anyway?)
• We went to our hometown for Easter to do some family visiting.
• The kids participated in no less than 3 egg hunts while we were there.   We will still have candy left next Easter.
• I have not yet stooped to secretly stealing my favorites from the kids’ baskets.  My own stash is still being carefully rationed.
• I’m steadily planning our Disney vacation, even though it’s not for months.    I’ll be going non-stop leading up to the departure, so it’s now or never for the planning stage.
• Kid 3 has successfully stayed dry since awakening this morning.
• I’ve been changing diapers for almost 9 years straight.
• Our old dinosaur computer finally gave up while I was sick.   PSA:  automatic backups only work if the old pc transmits the info to the backup hard drive.   Lesson learned.  Pictures were recovered, but emails from the end of Jan. to mid-March are gone.
• Cool file of my work to be seen in stores soon has disappeared because of the aforementioned crash.    Luckly the Clearsnap folks are top-notch, so I think I can get another copy.  I’ll post when I get it again
• No fewer than 3 people ran by my window this morning in the drizzly rain.   Since my Chiari 1 malformation diagnosis in September, I now understand it doesn’t hurt everyone else to run.  But seriously, I can’t understand the pleasure of getting soaking wet while I exercise.
• Rain has broken for a bit, so I’m taking the kids on a walk.  I should have started my 30 Day Shred workout today, but I’m feeling too lazy.   At least I’m getting outside, right?  And I won’t be wet.

Until next time…
C.

I missed it?

It appears I have completely missed Spring.

When I got sick 3 weeks ago, the trees outside still had bare branches and the tiny tips of green leaves were just popping through the ground.   Skies were overcast, and the midday temperatures were barely hitting 50.   If we were lucky, we could wear our light jackets in the afternoon instead of the heavy winter parkas.

While I was in quarantine (NO ONE wanted to be anywhere near my germs!), time froze.   The blinds were pulled down to accomodate my 20 hr./day sleep schedule, and the weather outside was none of my concern.    After my two weeks of solitary confinement, I spent another week trying to shake the residual exhaustion and wacky Chiari side effects.

By the time I finally made it out of the house and shook my head to clear the cobwebs, what did I find?    Blossoms falling off the backyard pear trees, droopy daffodils, and a forecast of snow!    Here in Ohio, that means that spring is over and we have moved on to the least popular of our seasons, “Mud”, which has already caused the cancellation of 3 baseball practices last week alone.  “Mud Season” isn’t nearly as pretty as the flowers.   I feel cheated.

On a side note, I’m coming up on the 12 month mark of this incident that seemed to start the plague of lousy health I’ve gotten stuck with this year.    I’ve decided that upon reaching this noteable milestone, I’m passing off the black cloud to someone else.   The dratted thing wore out it’s welcome rather early into it’s stay with me, and has rather impolitely refused to leave.  I’ve had quite enough thank-you-very-much.   Time to go.

Now, I’m off to enjoy mud season and all it has to offer.    Good times.

Until next time…
C.

Brief Update

Not just sick.   Really sick.

Turns out I have Influenza A and Strep.

Family in town turned right around and left.  We canceled the birthday party we were hosting.   I’m currently quarantined, as no one wants to be anywhere near me.

Fun.

C.

I lost.

I lost the war against sickness yesterday.    The kids were finally successful at passing along their crud, and I’m down for the count.    Fantastic.    Thanks kids!

We also have 4 birthday parties in the next 3 days, 2 baseball practices, and 5 bonus people and a new puppy staying with us this weekend.

I shake my head at the comedy that is my life.

Have a great weekend, and Happy First Day of Spring!

C.

Rough week, smooth hands

That pebble tile we started installing last weekend?   We’re still installing it.   Whoever thought of this should be flogged.  (Oh, wait.   That was me.   Halt the flogging.)    This tile is brutal.   The setting has to be meticulous or the lines between the tile sheets will be obvious.   It took us (mostly me, since I’m the possesser of the anal-retentive, obsessive, need for perfection) 16 hours to trim and set the sheets.   Then it has to dry 24 hours and be sealed.    The designated sealer (*waves hello to husband*) used a 1″ sponge brush to seal the rocks since I forgot to mention the great tip I read about using a paint roller to accomplish that task.  (OOPS!)   I’m glad I was at Bunko when that happened.

After the sealing comes the grouting.   Grouting those pebbles is a nightmare that I might reasonably compare to repeatedly poking myself in the eye with a dinner fork.   It’s near impossible to scrape off the extra grout when the heights of the individual pebbles are so random.   So, to get the rocks clean, we needed to:

1. sponge.   *poke*
2. sponge again.  *poke*
3. Let the tile set a bit,  scrub with a wire brush,  Shop-Vac the pieces, then wipe the rocks again.  *poke*
4. wipe off each rock individually to get the last bits of grout from around the edges.  *poke *poke* poke *poke *poke*…

Yesterday, I scoured the internet and discovered the best way to get rid of the last of the grout haze was to polish each rock individually with cheesecloth.  I think the neighbors could probably have heard my maniacal laughter from next door as I realized how the day would be spent.

I collapsed on the couch at 3am, too tired to even walk upstairs, with raw hands and a hole in my sock from the rough grout.   This morning in sleep deprived idiocy, I almost caused two kitchen fires making breakfast and steam-burned my thumb.

But my part in the floor construction is done.  D-O-N-E.  done.    Aside from needing resealed on Sunday, the job is complete.   I have already passed on the tip about the roller, so my reponsibility is finished.   If I wasn’t so exhausted, I’d do a happy dance in the hallway.  Photos will be forthcoming when the floor is finshed.

On a side note, in tribute to the taste of spring Mother Nature both giveth and taketh away this week, here’s a project I made last year that brings a bit of spring indoors.  Full instructions and supplies can be found on the Today’s Creative HomeArts website.

Come back spring!

May your weekend be happy and not filled with tedious home improvement!

Until next time…
C.

Friday Fragments

I’m trying something new this week, just for fun, and because none of the topics I have thoughts about this week really equal an entire post.  It’s “a whole lot about not much” today.   For more people posting Friday Fragments check out Mrs. 4444’s blog.

• Yesterday, I took down the last of the winter decorations.  Yes, I said the winter decorations, and yes, it’s March 6th.  In my defense, it was my snowman collection and it was still 14 degrees two days ago.    I draw the line at 55 degrees in March, though (which it was yesterday), so down they came.    I’m ready for spring.
• I am anxiously waiting for the time change to happen this weekend.  My kids have been up insanely early this week, and I’m downright tired of it.  Switch the light to the evening already!
• What’s up with canceling “Life on Mars”?   Shows like “The Bachelor” stay, and the real meaty shows go.   I just don’t understand it.
• My wrist seems to unfortunately be back to where it was before my Dr. appointment.  All those needles for nothing.   It looks like I have a phone call to make this morning.  I guess I better clear my calendar.  Fantastic.
• Ever since I posted this post, I have gotten hits all over the place from people searching for Leprechaun traps.   Who knew so many people were looking for ideas.   HI EVERYONE!   We still haven’t made one yet, sorry!
• Last week, I started planning out our meals for the week again.   We use the Grocery Game (and have for about a year), because I’m too lazy to match up the coupons to the circulars and too cheap to pay full price.   We’ve been slacking on the planning front since I got sick last fall, and it feels good to get back to it.   No last minute trips to the store this week and we saved 47%.  Yay us!
• We’re laying the river rock pebble tile this weekend in the half-bath.   Heaven help us.
• And because I haven’t posted a project all week, here’s a quick bit of craftiness for the weekend.   These made an appearance in the Sept./Oct. issue of Today’s Creative Home Arts, and were made with random scraps of whatever products I had laying around.    I thought it fit with the “random scraps from my brain” theme today.    love them.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Until next time…
C.