I got it all fixed

Boy was that a pain. I had to go out to the garage, take the bolts (which were on super tight) out of a wall panel, balance it on my head while talking to a technician on my cell phone, and unplug some stuff and put it back in. I then had to come inside and reboot everything..TV, laptop, and PC. Darn it, it made me miss The Bonnie Hunt Show! LOL

So, with that said, I should get any emails or messages. I am going out to lunch today with some friends from church, and will then go back to painting some ceramic beads this afternoon. Have a happy weekend!

Techincal Difficulties...

For who knows what reason, out electricity went out around 9:30 last night for about 3 seconds. Since then, our cable TV isn't working and neither is our cable internet. I am on Rob's laptop right now, but I am pretty sure he is picking his signal up from someone nearby who has another type of wireless internet. Who knows how long that will last. I called the cable company and got a message to leave my name and number due to a high call volume, so I don't know if they will get it fixed today. If you don't hear from me, we may not have internet this weekend. As far as computer-y junk goes, this has been a horrible week for it. Hopefully the weekend will be a pick me up. Take care!

HP...I loathe you.

I just wasted 1.5 hours of my day on the phone with them again, only to have them tell me something completely different than the last guy. They are sending me a "refurbished" printer of the same model. Who knows if it will work. The other guy said there was a problem with the 901 printer cartridges in general. I got two more guys from India whom I couldn't understand. They kept putting me on hold for 5 minutes at a time. Finally, I told them after an hour that I simply couldn't wait any longer to use the bathroom and put THEM on hold. I have never done that, but when you gotta go, you gotta go. I will keep my fingers crossed that this somehow works out, but this will definitely be the last HP printer I buy. Any suggestions?

Up in the air..

That's my life right now. I am waiting on whatever is supposed to happen next. I applied for a part time job at the Pier One Imports store down the road today. I called and they magically had 3 part time positions open, which surprised me with the way the economy is. It is a 3 minute drive from my house, and I love home decor, so it would probably be a good fit. I also have an interview/meeting with Keiser college over on the other side of town on Monday to get info about their Computer Art/Graphic Design program. I am assuming the next start time for their classes would be summer though. The thought of going back to school actually doesn't frighten me at all, but working retail does! LOL. I think I am more afraid of the New Yorkers living in FL that might come into the store and yell at me. It happens often around here. I have witnessed it. It's not pretty.
So, who knows what will happen. If I could just get a job making cupcakes, I would be super happy...and probably about 50 lbs heavier! At least home decor won't make me fat.

HP J4580 Officejet All in One printer. Don't buy one!

We bought one back in July of 2008 when our old HP bit the dust. It worked for a few months, then we started having printer cartridge problems. I would put a new black cartridge in, and after a few printouts (under 10) it would inform me that only half of the ink remained. I would then get another warning and after about 15-20 printouts, it totally stops printing at all and says it is empty. I called after the second cartridge did this and the stupid tech guy insisted he didn't think it was the printer, but the cartridge. He then told me to clean it once I week. What the heck?! Who cleans their printer once a week? Absolute crap. So, I got a case number and called back this week and said it is still happening and I want a refund or new printer, since it is still under warranty. Some guy in India then informs me that HP knew there was a problem with this model and the cartridges and said his options were to send me a new model of the same, which eventually will have the same problem (apparently they are working on fixing it...whatever...they should have been recalled) OR pay him 69.99 to have another model sent to me. I am NOT paying more money when my original printer was 100.00! I called Office Max and they said HP was trying to sell me a downgraded model with different features that was cheaper. They suggested I ask for the upgraded model and it should be free because of all the ink we have wasted and the warranty. So, this guy from India is calling back tonight. I am going to have Rob talk to him because I am about ready to reach through the phone and choke someone. HP, that is a sorry excuse for customer service and a crappy warranty plan. The printer is faulty, and is known by the company. They are getting numerous complaints. Recall the dang thing and give me my money or a better printer. Spread the word folks. This is ridiculous. Okay...end of rant...I am stepping down off of my soapbox now.

Movie review: New in Town

Rob and I went to Vero Beach and saw the movie "New in Town" today. I don't think it got rave reviews and wasn't a huge money maker, but being that it is about a big city corporate girl from Miami who ends up overseeing a food processing plant in New Ulm, MN, we found it highly amusing. I loved the exaggerated Minnesota accents, the tapioca references (my mother in Wisconsin makes the BEST), the actress who played Blanche (who was also the wife of Edgar in Men in Black), and all the silly things she encounters up north. I think Rob and I found it a little more funny than some of the other people in the theater because we are from Minnesota. It was a cute, funny movie with a nice story line. I am not a huge Renee Z. fan, but love Harry Connick Jr. My dad works in the meat processing industry, and I think he and my mother would find the movie pretty funny.
I have started to look into taking some classes in town for graphic design/computer art. The college that offers it is clear on the other side of town ( about a half hour away) and I have no idea what the cost is, but he and I both agree that since I can't seem to find a job right now, it would be a good idea to look into increasing my skills. The same university is in Orlando, so if we move, I can finish it up there. With no children on the way yet, and hitting a brick wall with my artwork in this economy, I feel the need to do something. Gaining more knowledge is always a good thing.
So, that's about it for now. I will keep you updated. I am off to bed so I can be well rested for church tomorrow. Hope everyone had a nice weekend!

The one and only thing I finished this week...a gemstone lariat necklace

Here's the pic of the lariat necklace I finished this week. It is the first lariat I have made. I love warm browns, so I played with the leftover smoky quartz I had from my last bead show trip. Hope you like it! It's in my Etsy store waiting to find a home now. ( :

Is it really Friday, or are you just kidding me?

Seriously?
I am not ready for it to be the weekend yet. I haven't even had time to think of what to do with my Saturday. I decided against the ice cream cone cupcakes for now. I have no idea how to transport them. Church isn't exactly close for us, and Rob goes earlier in our other car, so I don't have anyone to hold onto them so they don't tip over and get ruined on the way there.
I didn't make anything yesterday. I did finish a necklace the day before and will take a pic this afternoon. My muse ran off somewhere and took all my energy with her. Well, speaking of energy, I am off to eat some lunch. The kitties' food bowl is empty and the natives are getting restless. I will check back in later.

Please visit and / or comment on the treasury I am in!

Pretty, pretty please? My new painting set has been featured in a "treasury" on Etsy, and has the possibility of making it to the front page. The administration often picks from the most viewed and commented on treasuries. Can you help? Click on the link and take a peek! Comment if you have an Etsy ID. It would totally make my week!
CLICK HERE!!!

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

I have been trying to decide when to make these, and I think this week may be perfect. I have seen pics online and they look pretty easy. You make your cupcake batter as usual, pour it into flat bottom ice cream cones, and bake. When cooled, you frost them and add ice cream sprinkles on top, so they look like cute little ice cream cones. I am thinking of making them for my CTR 7 kids. I have no idea how to get them to church though. This usually the problem. If i put them in the kitchen, I honestly think they will disappear. Teen age boys and non-patrolled food items are not a good combination. I need a hiding place. Well, I will post pics of them when they are finished, of course. Have a lovely Wednesday! I am soooo ready to watch a new episode of Lost tonight!

Another Sterling Silver Pea Pod Necklace

Just a quick shout out to say I am having a rather boring day, so rather than sharing any thoughts and leaving you bored, I will just post some eye candy. Here's a necklace I finished today. These usually go fast, so if you have been waiting for me to list one, better snag it! M'bye!

My new Retro Circles Painting Set on Etsy

Here's the finished set! I love painting on circle shaped canvas. I get tired of squares and rectangles. Hope you like them!

Happy Monday!

I woke up today, and the first thing an announcer on the news said was, "It looks like pea soup outside today." Not exactly what you want to hear on a Monday. Was it raining green goo? Was there a strange green fog in the air? It was the single weirdest weather comment I have ever heard on the news. I looked outside. It was a little cloudy. I am beginning to think she had one of those moments where something completely odd and nonsensical comes out of your mouth, and you think, "what the heck did I say that for?" Then you want to hide in a hole.

Well, I should get on with my day, which includes my despised Monday trip to the grocery store. I did finish my set of paintings and hope to get some good pics of them today. I will share them later.

Too....much.....chocolate.....

If it is actually possible for someone to have too much chocolate in one day, I think I may have reached my limit. My visiting teachers dropped some off yesterday, and I had a few this morning. Then, Rob gave me some for V-day. I ate some of those. Tonight, I fixed us chocolate chip pancakes (very heavy on the chips) and I am on the brink of chocolate barf-dom.

Hope you had a nice Valentine's Day and can manage to keep all of your chocolate down. Now, that's something you'll never see as a message in a Valentine's Day card!

Hair Extensions from Ulta...you can be a rock star for a day!

The last time I highlighted my hair, it damaged it horribly. I still long for uber blonde-ness though, so I bought this cool hair extension at Ulta today. They come in all different colors. Here are the pics. They are made with real human hair, so you can even use a curling or flat iron on them. Just thought I would share my moment of rock star-ness with you. LOL

Thanks goodness that's over with...

Yesterday was a total waste. I have no idea what set it off, but around 11 am my allergies flared up. I took a Zyrtec (which usually works like a charm) and by 12:30, it still wasn't helping. I went to lunch with a friend and proceeded to have sneezing fits through out the meal. I came home and by now was super miserable. I took a Benadryl. No help. I tried some of Rob's Flonase. Nothing helped. All it did was make me really sleepy. I slept for the rest of the afternoon and still felt horrible when I woke up. Sleeping last night was not very easy since I slept in the afternoon, so I kept waking up and laying there with my eyes wide open. At one point I woke up screaming.

The good news is that I am feeling better this morning. I took a Zyrtec right away to stave off any more problems. Today I plan on finishing my paintings and looking for a V-day gift for Rob. I have no idea what to get him. Men are so difficult to shop for. He usually just buys what he wants, too. For Christmas, I bought him the Radiohead CD he had mentioned wanting. A week later, he comes home with it. I had to take mine back.

Well, have a nice weekend. I will check in again soon.

Valentine's Day Cupcakes with Chocolate Hearts

Here are the promised pics of the cupcakes I made yesterday. The large, king size ones are 5 1/2 inches tall and filled with icing!

Thursday already?

I think when you hit your 30's, time goes by much faster than it did in your 20's. I can hardly believe the week is almost over. Yesterday was a busy one. I cleaned the whole house which took about 3.5 hours, then ran errands, made cupcakes, frosted them, painted, made a large supper, and had guests over. They left around 9:10. Today, I am having lunch with one of my best friends who was out of the country for a month. I am glad she's back. It is a beautiful day, although the skies were filled yet again with smoke when I got up. We are in fire season here, and that happens often in the morning. You think it's fog until you open up your door and take a deep breath and gag. I hope to post some pics of the cupcakes I made yesterday. They are pretty adorable if I do say so myself. I made regular sized ones and those huge ones. The huge ones got a cream filling this time. Mmmmm. Rob tackled one and it was a mess. I wish I had taken a pic. Well, off to officially start my day. Have a nice one!

Crazy day...

Yesterday was kind of odd. I ended up painting for 6 hours, and am nearly finished with my 6 canvases. At 11pm, right when I was ready to go to bed, my kitty Tiny started running from window to window and acting all freaked out. That usually means there's another cat outside. Except when I looked, it was a dog instead. The same Mini-Pin that had showed up months ago. Only this time, he didn't have his tags on. He was headed for the pond behind our house, and in FL, many a dog has met its end in the jaws of a hungry gator this way. I had to do something, so I went out in my jammies and called to him (I remembered his name from last time) and he came running to me and immediately plopped himself in my lap. I had no idea what to do. It was very late and since he had no tags, I couldn't call the lady this time. After some thinking, I decided to take him for a ride around the housing edition over by where I thought he lived and look for lights on in any houses. I saw one person and asked if they knew who he belonged to. They knew his name and the street his owner lived on, so after heading there, I found another neighbor who said she would take him for the night and find the owner in the morning. We have the two cats and aren't supposed to have any other animals in the house, so I was glad she offered.
This morning, I baked some cupcakes and am now off to start the house cleaning. We are having guests for supper tonight and I have a lot of preparation to do. I am in a better mood today thank goodness. Hope everyone has a good day.

I need to get out of my funk...

I have been in a serious funk lately, and need to get out of it. I don't really feel like creating anything. With the tanking of Etsy and the economy, I feel like giving up. I have been looking for a part time job, but so are a million other people. There are days when I really wish I had just gone to school for cosmetology. There are tons of job openings around here for hair stylists. I think I would have been good. I can't go to school for it because there isn't one close enough, and I have no idea how long we will be in this town. We haven't been able to have kids yet, and that process doesn't seem to be going anywhere. I am at a point where I really feel like I have no idea what the heck I am supposed to do with my life. I am very much stuck in limbo and feel some days like I am the main character in Ground Hog Day, where I wake up to the same thing every morning. One of my personality quirks is that if I am not being successful at something, it is really easy for me to get down and discouraged. I need to actively be involved in something, and have had the entreprenurial bug since I was a little girl. It is in my blood. I get one life here, and I want to make the best of it. That bad part is that creativity is very linked to mood and emotions, so it is even harder to push yourself to do anything when you feel like this. Anything you do won't turn out right and you won't be happy with it. I sure hope something changes soon...for all of us.
Thanks for listening to me rant. I had to write it out and get it off of my chest. If I tried to talk to someone in person about it, I would probably become a weeping, slobbery mess.

Donuts I love you...

Donuts, I love you
Really I do.
Covered with icing,
Or filled up with goo.
Sprinkles on top
I need help, I can't Stop.
Your sweet yummy goodness
Is my weakness, it's true.

Just got back from the grocery store and had my one donut I allow myself each month. It just wasn't big enough. LOL. There is usually this guy at the grocery store that sweeps the floors. He wasn't there today. He always follows me around the store and makes jokes that he is going to "sweep the pretty lady away." Sometimes he takes stuff from my cart and pretends he is going to walk off with it. He has a special method of removing scuff marks from the floor with a tennis ball on a stick. He shows me this new trick EVERY week. I was spared today.

I am currently dealing with a painter's block. I have 4 more circle canvases to finish, and no idea what to do with them. My black kitty has been following me around ALL morning meowing at me and trying to climb my legs because she wants me to pick her up and hold her like a baby. I swear, this cat does not keep normal kitty napping hours. She is up all day long and in my business. Well, off to eat lunch. Need to top off that donut. Nothing will compare now. ( :

For all the cat owners out there....

I have but one thing to say today.

I HATE WEARING SKIRTS.

Chicken Wings...

I used to hate chicken wings, but for some odd reason, I came to like them about a month ago. Now I crave them all the time. It is my turn to pick where we eat tonight, and it is always a tough decision. I really want some wings though. Mmmmmmm

I started working on a 6 piece round canvas set of paintings yesterday, and of course the original idea I had went out the window. It didn't go the way I wanted it to, so I opted for something else. That seems to always happen when I paint. It is frustrating. I got mad and yelled at the paint a bit, then just let it have its way. Now I need to head to Michaels and see if they have the color of blue that I ran out of. Who knows when I will finish the set, but I plan on listing it when it is finished. Have a happy Saturday!

Facebook is soooo cool!

I am totally behind the times on joining Facebook, and I wish I would have earlier. I just joined last night, and I can't believe how many people I have found that I had lost track of. I even found my very first best friend from Kindergarten whom I had always wondered about. I moved away in 2nd grade and lost track of her. It is so hard to find women, since our last names change. I heard from her this morning and it was just so neat. I have been so busy with my jewelry business, church stuff, and moving over the past few years and keeping up with all the social websites will be a challenge. I joined Twitter yesterday....still don't quite "get" that, but will give it a try. Well, off to officially start my day. Hope everyone has a nice weekend!

Brrrrr!

My toes are froze! It is super cold out for Florida today. It got into the mid 20's last night, and you could feel it whenever you got close to a wall or window. Keep in mind that most houses in FL have tile floors, and not the best insulation and you can guess why I am cold. At least we have heat. I am grateful for that. As usual for FL though...the sun is shining.
Not much to say today. I am still in my jammies and need to get around and run some errands. Then it's paintin' time! Of course, our printer is being all spazzy again, so I need to call HP and possibly switch it out at Office Max. I hate calling HP. I usually get someone who acts and talks like a robot and calls me Ma'm. I feel too young to be called Ma'm. Maybe I will fight back by repeatedly calling the guy Sir. I will say it over and over till it gets on his nerves. Or maybe Dude would be funnier. LOL! Stay warm, and stay tuned...

New Rain Cloud necklace and earrings in my Artfire store..

Every cloud as a silver lining.
That can mean a few things. It is a reminder that when we are having hard times, they won't last forever. It can also mean that from difficult trials in our lives, we become stronger and more wise.
Here's my ode to silver lined clouds...a necklace and earrings made of sterling silver and dreamy pale aqua crystal rain drop beads.

On another note...the yucky 50% less sugar icing/frosting got to me. I have been ill the rest of the night. The silver lining in this is that at least I learned ahead of time that it could have a "laxative effect if eaten in large amounts." I could have made cupcakes with it and gave it to someone. Nothing like giving the gift of bowel problems. Maybe I could crush some Immodium AD tablets and sprinkle it on top of the frosting to combat the problem. Hey....they ARE mint flavored. ( :

Today I really wanted to paint. Tomorrow I am seriously going to. Seriously. No...really...I am. I have these super cool 10 inch circle canvases and I am going to go to work on those. Well, off to bed. "Lost" just ended and now my mind is tired from trying to figure out the newest episode. G'night!

Ruh Roh!

(said in Scooby Doo voice)

So, I am sitting here listing some new jewelry in my Artfire store (you can click on the link over in the right hand column) and got a bad sugar craving. There's nothing in the house....except a jar of icing hiding in the cupboard. I don't do this very often, but it does happen. I decided to eat some straight from the jar. I purchased a new Pillsbury reduced sugar vanilla kind and decided to give it a try. It tastes fine....but the texture is kind of yucky. It isn't as creamy as the regular kind and kind of feels like runny taffy in your mouth. It grossed me out (I have texture issues) but I kept eating it anyway. Then, I look at the label after a few spoonfuls and realize it says, "Excess consumption may have a laxative effect." Ummm....how much is excess? I may be in trouble....
Off to list some more jewelry. I am not eating anymore yucky icing, that's for sure!

Twilight Inspired Earrings: Team Edward!

Okay Twilight fans, here is the sneak peak at my new sterling silver stamped earrings that will be available in my new Artfire store tomorrow. I didn't get a chance to list anything new today, as I was getting an order of jewelry labeled, packaged, and shipped out to Pink Cloud, a "hand-made boutique" in New York. My jewelry will soon be displayed and available for purchase, so stop in and check it out if you are in the area of Harriman, NY!
Alright, you can tell I am a big Edward Cullen fan. Here's the goods...

Find me on Artfire.com

I will be adding items to my Artfire store this week. Here is a link for now, but once I get things listed, I will be adding either a linked button to the store, or a small clickable gallery (similar to the Etsy one to the right ). If things go well there, I will probably use Artfire instead of Etsy. To me, Etsy is broken, and until it is fixed, it just isn't worth using. I have continued to follow the forums there, and nothing much has changed over the weekend. If you don't know what I am talking about, please read my previous post entitled "Contemplating."
http://TheRoyalBead.artfire.com

Where am I?

Lately, it has felt more like MN here than FL. I woke up again today to really cool temperatures and drizzly rain. I like the cooler temps, but am not so crazy about the rain. Every time I have tried to take pics of my new jewelry lately, it starts raining.
We went to Orlando this weekend because Rob wanted to go to a certain restaurant there called Texas De Brazil. Cari and Brandon told us about it. It is basically all you can eat meat. Right up Rob's alley. He ate steak till he was sick. Then he had a piece of chocolate mousse and was even sicker. I am not a huge fan of meat and it was an expensive restaurant, so I just had a huge piece of the chocolate mousse. I didn't eat anything else the rest of the night. I used my unspent "meat" money to buy some shirts at a nearby outlet store instead. The shopping in Port St. Lucie isn't that great, so it is nice to head to Orlando for that.
We stopped by Cocoa and Merritt Island on the way to Orlando to look at a practice that is for sale. After driving around the area, I informed Rob I would rather gauge my eyes out than live there for the next 20 yrs. When we were using our GPS to find Merritt Island, it accidentally led us to the restricted area owned by Nasa. We were quickly and sternly told to turn around...we were definitely not going the right way. We saw some shuttles, so that was cool.
Well, off to eat some breakfast and get the day officially started. Lots to do, so it is going to be another "manic Monday." Take care! ~Lori