Happy Day for the Hights!

My honey made MSgt! WOOHOOOO! I am sooo excited for him:) Anyone who knows Billy knows he studies his arse off, he was studying 6 months before he took the test...3 or 4 hours a night...every night. Sometimes I would get upset because I wouldn't see him all day, then he'd go in the office and study all night. It was selfish of me though, cause I know he did it for us:) After he took the test, he didn't think he made it! He was actually positive that he DIDN'T make it, so he's ALREADY been studying again to re-take the test next March! When he called yesterday, he wasn't wanting the list to come out because he didn't want to see people around him getting stripes, and him not get anything; well...I guess it didn't work out that way:) My baby got one too! It was also his first year testing for MSgt, and anyone who knows how the military promotion system works, you know that making a stripe on your first try is amazing. Billy is so amazing, he just puts his mind to it, and does it. I *love* him:)

Now he can buy momma a 52" plasma and a cruise! w00t!

<-----HaWt MaN!

<-----HaWt MaN's NeW sTrIpE!

I have had a productive weekend!

If you call lots of scrapbooking productive:) Actually, I made two accordian albums for two friends who are having babies! My friend Jasmine is having a lil boy, and my friend AJ is having a girl (well, his woman is anyways)! I had soo much fun making these, all CTMH stuff, its the greatest stuff to work with!










So, that was my weekend:) Did the little boy album at the crop last night at Lauras, then the girl album I did today! I have like 6 more pics to do layouts for, so I'm hoping the creative mojo will stick with me through the week!

Talked to Billy yesterday, he's doing well in Kuwait...one more week there then he's off to Iraq for 6 months! I'm starting to finally get into my groove now, its still hard, but sadly...I'm getting used to it! I guess thats good too though, I'll just be freaking glad when he's home again:) Well, gotta go let the dogs back inside, the poor little critters have been outside for a whole 5 mins *gasp*! LMBO! Okay, hopefully I'll have something interesting to blog about tomorrow, if not, you'll get more of my whining:) Either way, see ya later!

Turning over a new leaf

THats right, I'm turning over a new leaf! Meaning, I'm going to quit being lazy with my blog:D Okay, so its been almost 2 months since my last post...so much going on, yet it doesn't seem like much to post about, lol!

I've pretty much just been wallowing in my self-pity with Billy being gone, its been a whole month and he JUST NOW got to the desert. At least time can start counting now. Billy said it was 115 degrees in Kuwait, wow. Once it hits 100, I think hot is hot. It all feels the same after that; however, I still feel so bad for him having to work in that heat:( Construction work too, the real manual labor! My poor baby...at least he's makin some big bucks so he can come home and buy momma a 52" plasma tv:) Yeah baby!

Not too much goin on in my scrap room, I managed to crank out one lo for the Croppers Cottage Newsletter Sketch contest!


Isn't Jesse just the cutest little man ever? I *heart* this picture of him:)

K, so I've been getting lots of AWESOME CTMH goodies too, I'm soo lovin the new Solo stamps! Here is a card I did with the Solo "T"



Here are a couple fathers day cards I made using the new Rustic Trails paper from CTMH!





And last picture, the cute Embelly organizer I altered out of a spice rack! I used CTMH Laid Back paper pack!





Okay, so maybe the scrap room has been getting some action, it just doesn't feel like it! Okay, so I promise to post more, its my hope to post everyday, not like I have a whole lot goin on right now, lol!

Stay crazy~
Amber

Awww...I had to post another picture of Luke, I have been neglecting him in my pictures! HE's so purdy, isn't he? I think this is such a groovy picture too:D

Tuesday blogging! I'm sooo tired today, kind of angry also. Thats no way to live! I have to learn to let things slide off my back, life goes on. Okay, so anyways. I tried to come up with another blog challenge for the cottage bloggers, this is what I came up with:)

If you weren't scrapping in your free time, what would you do?

I love to work with crafts so much, that I believe it would still be crafty! I used to enjoy cross-stitching. My mom taught me how, and I loved it! Its just not so satisfying as scrapping because it takes FOREVER to see the end results! I have also always wanted to get into ceramics and pottery! I think I'd also try to make alot more time to get in the gym and be serious with the lifting! Its just a little tough right now, but when Billy leaves, I'll have alot more free time to get in the gym and stay for as long as I need too. I plan on knockin his socks off when he returns from the desert in January!
I soo enjoy scrapping though, and don't see myself giving it up anytime soon:)

~~Amber~~

New blogger topic for Monday!


Top 5 must-haves (ever changing of course)

in my fridge
1. Milk
2. Veggies
3. Vanilla Chai Spice coffee creamer
4. Unsweetened Ice Tea
5. White Zin or Beer (I'm only human)

in my closet
1. JEANS
2. SHOES (lots of em!)
3. Purses of every size and color
4. My laundry basket (so clothes don't get piled in the corner!)
5. Shirts (I know, so obvious)

in my purse
1. wallet
2. Gum
3. Pens
4. My weekly calender (for appts and such, you know I'm important!)
5. Extra house keys

in my car
1. Gym bag
2. CD player and CD's
3. sunglasses
4. Gum
5. My CTMH idea books

on my TiVo (assuming we had TiVo which we don't, but I can dream!)
1. American Idol
2. 24
3. Lost
4. Days of Our Lives (shut up)
5. 30 Minute Meals (Rachel Ray)

Tag, you're IT!!!

Oh yeah! I love today!

BeAuTIfUL FRIDAY!!! WOOHOOO! I love fridays:) We have been doing absoultely NOTHING all day today in the office! Just hangin out, chewin the fat! Then we went to the Slow n' Low BBQ place for a birthday lunch for Marie, it was so good! Plus, this place is right off the beach so we got teh nice ocean breeze out on the deck, all I needed was my man, my bathing suit, and a margarita and I would have been in heaven:) Its 86 degrees today, pretty warm out there! I can't wait for Sunday! Billy got us a boat and we're taking the dogs out for some water fun! Betcha I can find a layout out of all the pictures I'll be taking;) I feel the urge to go spend money at Scrapbook Cottage...I love that place *sigh*

Okay, well I gotta research some chemicals now, sounds fun eh? :) Have a great afternoon!

~~Amber~~

JACKPOT!!!

Okay, I told you I was gonna post these pictures of Jesse sucking on his bed, its so absurd, lol!



Okay, look at my loot! I had such a great mail day today! I got my new Rhonna Farrer clear stamps, AND my Carolee's clear stamps, along with some fab paper! LOVE IT!

Man, I get so happy when I look at those:)

So, the blog challenge on Croppers Cottage was to tell something that you want everyone to know about you. Well, I guess that would have to be that I am sooo needy! I NEEEED to be around people, I love to hang out with friends (IRL ones and my online buddies)! I think this is one reason I get so depressed when Billy leaves, its just me and the dogs! I totally miss the human interaction all the time. I only have 3 good friends here in Melbourne (only been here a year and its so hard to meet new people around here!) and all of them are leaving within the month. Getting stationed in San Antonio and Korea. So, I'll be completely and utterly alone. So look out, I'm such a whiner too when I'm sad! LOL!

Okay, Survivor is coming on so I must go! My Nick got voted off last week, so sad:( So now I'm going for Austin I think. Can't wait to see Shane go...he works on my last freakin nerve! Goodbye for now!

~~Amber~~

Every day I can't stand my office even more! I just found out that I'm on the Hurricane Recovery Team(from here on out I'll refer to it as HRT), right? Well...I was thinking today. Yeah, can you imagine that? Anyways, I remembered that its just going to be me and the dogs this year (since Billy is going to be gone all year). Well, on the HRT we have to evacuate to a specific place and wait till the damage is done, then go out and fix the base up! Well, my problem is that I have dogs, and no one to watch them while I'm gone! Originally this wouldn't be a problem, I'd just evacuate with them. But I can't bring them with me to this place where I have to evacuate to now. Well, I ask my supervisor what should I do, and in his normal supervisory wisdom he's like, "I dunno, that sux." Gee, thanks for the help. So I go to our NCOIC (the head enlisted guy in our shop) and ask him. He don't give a rats a$s either! He's like, "oh, well people with kids have to make arrangements so you should have to too." Yeah, I get that, not saying thats wrong, but dude. Have a heart and try to be a little more helpful, eh? See, its this little crap that gets me all worked up into a tissy and feel like I need to pinch his head off! Well, he's retiring in 2 months, so I must keep my cool and remember to "move along". Speaking of "Move Along" thats a great new song by All American Rejects. I so love that song!
So now I'm in much need of an evening of scrapping, to calm my nerves from one thing, and focus my anger on the layout I can't get right, lol! Awww...I'm so pitiful, huh?
So I'll post more later cause I have the CUTEST picture of Jesse and his little habit. He sucks on his dog bed, its the weirdest thing and I don't know why he does it! Its kind of creepy but kind of cute in the same way, lol! You'll see...~~Stay Crazy!~~

One more layout using all my CTMH stuff, the pp was created using the "dainty" stamp set! This set is sooo versatile, I love it! See my website for more info;)
Isn't Jesse the bomb? He's soo cute, my little guy!

Couple layouts I've done the past week or so! The first one is my honey! I was so sad last ngiht when I made it, only a couple more weeks till he leaves:(

The second one is my cutie patootie niece Brittani! I love these pics of her, Got them from your blog Heather, thought you'd get a kick out of these;)

The last one is a layout about me! My first one about me actually! It was so much fun, prolly my fave lo so far, I just love the colors! I don't get to use pink very often;)

Hope everyone has a fantastic wednesday morning, I'll be back later (I have to at least ACT like I'm doing work today:)

Like whoa. I totally suck at this blog thing! I'm going to try super hard to post every day! I s'pose it don't matter too much since I don't get alot of traffic, lol! Anyhoo, not much to chat about today, going through the same ole' crap at work, I do hate my office! People just don't care about each other in my office. But, I won't whine...could be worse, it can ALWAYS be worse.
Like my honey leaving, for instance:( Less than a month and I lose him for 7 whole months! It makes me so horribly sad to think about it! So I won't...for now!
Well, I gotta finish making dinner, the pork chops are smellin mighty fine! Got some rice going too, and some veggies...mmmmmmm mmmm good! I'll post more later~~Stay Crazy!

Picture Time!!!

Baby Jesse! Don't you just love this face?:)
Baby Luke, not such a baby anymore:(
Baby Luke:) This was taken the day we brought him home!
I was going through some old pictures of my babies...awwwwww!!!!

The landlords inspection

I guess it went well! I was at the store when they came so i didn't get to meet them:( Apparently he wasn't too shocked at the linoleum so that's awesome! He didn't mind the yard either, yeah!!! He did, however, go into the bathrooms and take pics of the tubs (he and his wife tiled them before we moved in) and wouldn't you know thats the only part of the house I didn't clean? ARRGHH! How embaressing! LOL! I guess they weren't toooo bad, but still embaressing. Then Luke walks into our shower and gets doggy foot prints all in there cause he had dirt on his paws from outside. Dogs. What can you do? Also, they didn't mind us having the two dogs, HUGE relief that they finally know about both of them! We were only supposed to have one, but with both of us working all the time, we had to get Luke a friend, enter Jesse:) So anyways...inspection went well, we didn't get kicked out...life goes on afterall! Have a happy Sunday:)

What would you do?

Over at twopeas, they have a random blogger challenge everyday. I don't do them all but I thought this one was cool!

What would you do if you won a million dollars? If I had a million dollars I'd want to buy a house! Thats about the only way we could afford to buy in this area!
What would you do if you have no children? (for those who doesn't, just think reverse) Since I don't have children, I don't know what I'd do if I did have them. I guess I'd have to be less selfish! I like to go out and do what I want, when I want. That would definately have to change!
What would you do if you are the president of the United States? If I were president of the US I'd find a way to make all the people who bad mouth the president have to leave the country! Nothing makes me more upset than when people talk crap and have no idea how they would handle the situation...lets not get on this subject!
What would you do if you skip a meal? I usually skip breakfast (baaaaD I know!) and i'm usually starving by the time I get to work! I need to eat bfast more:)
What would you do if you are in your ideal weight? (let's face it, who ever is?) I'd still workout and try to make myself even better! Ideal weight doesn't necessarily mean your healthy ya know:)
What would you do if you could meet anyone you want and who would that be? There are so many people I'd love to meet, but right now it would be Jennifer Aniston. I think she has gotten so incredibly strong during what she's going through, yet she's still maintaining class! I think she seems like a totally fun person:)
What would you do if you are famous? As if! I don't know, seriously! I guess I'd try to stay true to myself and not change much just because I'm famous, but I somehow doubt thats possible!
What would you do if you are a "scrapbooking celebrity"? I'd try to find new products to bust the industry wide open!
What would you do if you could change anything in the world? If I could change anything in the world...I would find a new way to fuel cars...seriously, I'm scared for what will happen when we run out of oil!
What would you do if you don't scrapbook? I don't know! I try to remember what i did before I did scrapbook and even though I just really started last year, I don't remember what i did! I suppose I'd read alot and be a huge couch potato:)

BAD BLOGGER!

BAD! I have been forgetting to update my blog, then when I think about it, I'd rather be doin something else! LOL!
Not alot of excitement in my life right now, just waiting for our landlord to do his dumb walkthrough of the house today to make sure we haven't completely destroyed anything. Well, we havent', but I can't say the same for the dogs! I'm nervous about what this guy is gonna say when he sees the kitchen floor! The dogs have torn most of the linoleum up and it looks like crap! We put a big ole' rug over most of it, but wouldn't you know the dogs have to attack that too! GRRR! Then there are the holes in the backyard, yeah it looks bad! Plus, just last week a big patch of grass decided to go brown, great timing, huh? I guess I shouldn't stress much, not alot he can do about it rightnow since we just signed another lease. All the problems are really cosmetic anyways, good thing my hottie hubby is a carpenter and can fix anything! Wish us luck today!

Watcha watchin tonite?

I'm watchin 24, babie! This is the first season I've watched it. I gotta tell you it sucked me right in! I so love the fast paced, attention grabbing, non-stop action! Plus, Keifer Sutherland? Please, he'd make any show watchable!

5 Strengths and 5 Weaknesses in Scrapbooking

I saw this challenge on Two Peas and thought I'd play along!

~Five Strengths~
1. Not afraid to be "me" when I'm scrapping. Meaning, I don't try to "keep up with the Jones"
2. I keep ALL scraps, paper, ribbon, you name it and I probably have a box for it, lol!
3. I scrap in all sizes, I'm an equal opportunity scrapper, babie!
4. I journal on almost every page, and if I don't journal it, its probably an unforgettable even anyways!
5. I'm not afraid to take a break when I need one. I've learned that if I'm burnt out, no amount of sitting in front of my table, racking my brain will bring ideas! I just push away and come back later, refreshed!

~Five Weaknesses~
1. Sometimes I think my pages are too boring, I know I shouldn't care but I do! Its not to impress others, but more for myself...
2. I don't scrap about myself very much...I feel so silly when I do!
3. I tend to stay with the same colors all the time, blues...greens...browns...
4. I don't have much patience, I never want to spend more than 30 mins on a page...if it's ugly and its been 31 minutes, its gonna be ugly forever, lol!
5. I spend too much on supplies and still have loads of stuff I haven't even opened!!

That was alot harder than it looked! Very theraputic though, if you haven't blogged today, I challenge you to try this one;)

I've been tagged!

Awww...my first tag! Thanks Christi!

The rules for this particular tagging are as follows:Remove the blog name in the top spot from the following list and bump everyone up one place. The add yourself to the bottom slot.

Gretchen
Paula
Lynne
Christi
Amber

Then you get to select five people to pass this on to. I pick:

I think everyone I know has already been tagged:(


Here are the Questions:

What were you doing ten years ago?

Wow, its hard to pull stuff that long ago out of the memory bank! I was 15, I believe we were getting ready to move from Pensacola Florida to Montana for a job change for my dad!

What were you doing one year ago?

We had just been stationed down here in Melbourne, and I was finishing up the last month I had on base up in Montana! I couldn't wait to get back here though, because Billy had just been gone for a whole year in Korea and here we were seperated again!

Five snacks that you enjoy (in no particular order, as all snacks are created equal):

1. Flamin Hot Cheetos
2. Wheat Thins
3. M&Ms
4. Apple Sauce
5. Ranch Rice Cakes

Five songs to which you know all the lyrics:

1. Animals by Nickelback
2. Photograph by Nickelback
3. The Dance by Garth Brooks
and a bunch of other songs I can't think of right off the top of my head;)

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire:

1. Pay off all my bills and Billy's bills
2. Buy a fabulous huge house wiht an indoor driving range for Billy and a huge scrabooking studio for me!
3. Go on a cruise every month!
4. Go to Egypt and Australia
5. Buy myself a Denali!

Five bad habits:

1. biting my fingernails
2. overspending and not saving!
3. Driving fast!
4. I have horrible road rage!
5. procrastination

Five things you like doing:

1. Scrapbooking
2. Reading
3. Shopping
4. Laying out at the beach
5. Spending time with my dogs and hubby

Five things you would never buy, wear, or get again:

1. Greenies for my doggies, I hear that they're bad for animals!
2. Blonde hair color, I don't make a good blonde!
3. Coulots (sp?) i used to have to wear those for church functions when I was little...they're dreadful!
4. Scrunchies
5. Anything yellow...

Five Favorite Toys

1. Scrappin room
2. iPod
3. Computer
4. My sudoku book
5. ??

Quote of the Day--26 January 2006

Inspired by my decision to finally declare my Major!

An education isn't how much you have committed to memory, or even how much you know. It's being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you don't.
--Anatole France

I finally know what I want to be when I grow up!

LOL! Seriously though, for the longest time, I have always wanted to be an exercise physiologist. I still wish I could! I have just been thinking about it for awhile, and when I look at it logically, it just can't happen for me. I would have to be at the actual university and be in the labs and have to be a full time student for like at least a year. Well, being in the military, I can't exactly pick and choose where I want to live! And even though I can decide where to go to school, I'm kind of limited to those that offer online degrees. So, today I went and applied to Embry Riddle, where I'll be studying to get my B.S. in Technical Management for Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA). This is exactly what my job in the Air Force is, so it shouldn't be tooo awful difficult since I already know most of what I'll be studying. I really feel good about my decision though, I'm not uneasy about it at all, thats how I know I made the right choice! I'm so glad I know what I want to be when I grow up!!!

Little Bro is now in Iraq

Mom called me a couple days ago and told me that Danny made it safely in Iraq. We're waiting (not so patiently) for him to call us again with his address and to let us know how he's doing over there! He was so excited to get over there, I just know he's having a blast! So, if you are a prayer type of person, please keep Danny in your prayers, he needs all he can get!

Here is one of my latest layouts that I'm quite fond of, its nothing much, not too artistic, but I feel like it conveys alot of what I was feeling when I found out I finally made Staff this past October! Good grief, it took forever, lol!

Well, everybody's doin it! Thought I should jump on the bandwagon! Hopefully I can keep up with this, it'd be a great way to keep in touch with the friends and family and let them all know what's goin on in my world!
Well, not an awful lot lately, Just found out that Billy is going to be deployed in July. But he'll be leaving sometime in the beginning of June for 3 weeks of training before he enters theater. You would think I'd get used to him being gone for extended periods of time, but I don't. Ever since we started dating he was always being deployed for 3 months here, 6 months there, and even he was even gone for a year in 2004. It never gets easier, no matter what anyone says! At least I have Luke and Jesse to keep me company this time!!