Heads or Tails

Today's theme for Heads or Tails is "tool." So, I went over to dictionary.com and looked up the definitions, as there are many.

The first one I related to was definition #6:

(noun) a person manipulated by another for the latter's own ends

But, as it turns out, I wrote about that in this post on Sunday, just by a different name.

So, the next defnition that struck me was #13:

(verb) to drive (a vehicle)

I tooled around town in my car last night trying to find some empty boxes and looking at apartment complexes and neighborhoods. Not very exciting.

Then there is definition number #1:

(noun) an implement, esp. one held in the hand, as a hammer, saw, or file, for performing or facilitating mechanical operations.

I used tools today, a drill and a screwdriver, in preparing one of the bedrooms for painting. I need to purchase more tools for this project including painter's tape, paintbrushes, paint rollers, and the paint itself. I'm hoping to start the actual painting this Thursday or Friday. I'll be sharing before and after pictures of my room makeovers.

And that is all I have for the topic "tool" this week.

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Sunday Scrappin'

Please join us for Sunday Scrappin! Traditional scrapbooking, digital scrapbooking, and paper crafts of any kind are welcome. Just post your Ta-Da's (with pix, if possible), your To-Do's, and you can participate in an optional challenge to keep you motivated.

Ta-Da's
This week I did six digital pages and 4 cards. Pix of the cards will come next week. I also started on a traditional scrapbooking 2 page layout, and I'm almost finished. Pix of that next week, too.

To-Do's
Participate in the optional Sunday Scrappin' challenge.
Finish the layout I started this week.
Complete at least one more 2 page layout.
Complete at least four more digital pages.
I do the digital pages for recent photos so I can use them as gifts for grandparents.

Challenge
Last week, we were supposed to show off Dad in one of our projects since last week was Father's Day. My traditional layout has my dad in it, but I don't have the photo ready. This week's challenge is to be inspired by summer. Not necessarily a layout of summer activities... though that would work... but maybe something inspired by the color of your neighborhood pool, or something that reminds you of your garden. Get creative with summer inspirations!

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I am a Toy

I am just a toy, someone’s form of amusement. What toy? I’m a marionette. Pull my strings, and I will smile, or frown, or laugh, or cry. I may dance, hide, sit down, or fly. Someone else controls my every move, my every emotion, my every action. And it’s not always the same person at the controls. I’m a community-property toy. Today it may be my husband, tomorrow my mother, and the next day, my step-daughter could be holding the strings. I must be great entertainment!

Oh, I make plans. I try to carry out those plans, but I’m only a toy on whom others place limitations. A puppeteer shows up and throws a wrench into my plans, twists my strings, turns me upside down. I’m at the mercy of the almighty puppeteer’s will.

I’d like to cut these strings and control my own life. But, I’m just a toy. I don’t have scissors. I have no power. I have no influence. I’m forever waiting for someone to pick up my strings and move me in a certain direction. If only someone could breathe real life into this marionette like the Blue Fairy did for Pinocchio. But fairies only exist in dreams, and wishes only come true in fairy tales.

The Sunday Scribblings prompt was “toys” in hopes we could all use something light this week. Unfortunately, the prompt didn’t work out light for me, but it felt good to get this off my chest.

Camera Critters

Sorry folks! I keep posting pictures of my cat because I just can't get enough of her! Here's another picture of Lacy, taking a nap in my lap with the laptop as her pillow. My son took this photo.

Catch more Camera Critters here!

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13 Years Ago Today...

...the most precious miracle happened, through the power or prayer. After losing several pregnancies and going through tests and surgeries, I gave birth to twins, 7 weeks premature. They were small, but healthy, and came home after less than two weeks in the hospital.

Today, they are officially teenagers, sweet when they want to be and sour when they don't! And they won't be spending the day with me, so I took them out to eat last night. Today and tomorrow, they will be at the lake house with our church youth group, because that's what teens do: They hang out with friends. But I decided to send a cake with them.

They will always be my babies, no matter how old they are. I am blessed. Happy birthday!

RIP Michael Jackson

I grew up listening to the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson. The words to express his impact on the music industry, my own adolescence, my coming of age, pop culture, the world... those words aren't coming to me. So I will leave the verbage to those who can better express it, and I'll leave you with this video, one I believe truly expresses Michael Jackson's philosophy. May he rest in peace.

Tackle it Tuesday

Over at 5 Minutes for Mom, one of my favorite websites, they feature Tackle it Tuesday. I haven't posted on this feature in a long time, but I did tackle something this week. I put my cute gardening gloves on and pulled weeds. Look at this pile of weeds! My husband will plant, but he does not pull weeds. I offered my son $5 to do it, but after a few days, they were still there, so I tackled it myself.

This Texas sun is baking my plants! So, I watered. But I think I'm going to have to replace some of them and also add a few. It looks a little bare. Plus, I cleaned out the area in front of the porch, on the left side of the photo, so I can plant some summer flowers there. I'll post pics when I actually get the energy to do that. And yup, someone's watching me out the window instead of coming to help!

If you tackled a project of any kind, post it and let us see!

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Voting Begins Today

Hi all! Voting for photos begins today at Company Girl. The winners will have their photos published in a beautiful coffee table style book about friendship. I have two photos I'd love you to vote for: one of my daughter and her two friends waiting to get makeovers and one of three of my blog/facebook/real life friends when we met for the first time. (D, Kris, and Bubba's Sis are in that picture.) They are numbers 310 and 311. I'd love to get a vote from you!

Sunday Scrappin'

Please join us for Sunday Scrappin' - a weekly meme for paper crafters, traditional scrapbookers, and digital scrapbookers.

My Ta-Da's for this week:
1. Organizing all of my scrapbook paper by color, both solids and patterns.
2. 12 pages in 6 2-page layouts. Ten of those were done at my sister's Monday and Tuesday. The other two I did at home yesterday. And here they are:

My To-Do's:
1. Take part in the Sunday Scrappin' optional challenge.
2. Look up some sketches on PagesMaps.
3. Complete as many pages as I can, but no less than six.

Optional Challenge:
1. Last week we were supposed to name our favorite color then create a layout using the opposite color of our favorite using a color wheel. Since my favorite color is pink, I chose shades of green to use in some Easter pages.
2. This week's challenge is to show off a card you made or a scrapbook page you completed featuring dear ole Dad or someone who is like a dad to you.

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More Blog Candy

Here's another great blog candy giveaway of stamping/scrapping supplies. Take a look!
Stamps, Paper, Scissors, and Donkey Smiles. Cute blog, too!

And one more super fabulous giveaway from Going Buggy!

Camera Critters

Please join us for Camera Critters - a weekly meme of photos of all kinds of animals.

I can't get enough of That Darn Cat! (Oldies, do you remember that movie? The original was made the year I was born. Click the link if you want to know how old I am... or if you want to read about the movie.)

This is Lacy right after a bath being comforted in my daughter's arms. (No, she's not usually so calm and mild-mannered!)

Please check out my RW&B swap partner's new kitten! Six Flower Mom

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Friday Fill-in

Since our regular host is recovering from surgery, Tamy at 3 Sides of Crazy provided today's questions. Thanks, Tamy. You can play, too, by clicking here.

1, All children alarm their parents, if only because you are forever expecting something bad to happen.

2. Show me a good loser and I will show you a figment of your imagination.

3. Spontaneous hugs from my children is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs at one time.

4. Too bad that all the people who know how to run the country are busy working their butts off every day and struggling to pay their bills and taxes.

5. I have yet to hear a man ask for advice on how to combine anything and everything.

6. It is impossible to think of any good meal, no matter how plain or elegant, without oil or butter in it.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to some time alone, tomorrow my plans include going to the mall and Sunday, I want to show off my scrapbooking progress!

Scrapbook/Stamping Giveaway

This is a fabulous blog candy giveaway of tons of adorable scrapbooking and stamping supplies. Go check it out! Or not, cuz I wanna win. LOL Here's the link.

Wordless Wednesday

I replaced my Slideshow in the sidebar.

Visit Wordless Wednesday!

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What a Weekend!

My twins celebrate their birthday this month, and although it's not until the 26th, we always have their parties early in the summer before everyone is gone on vacation or just too busy or tired to care. So... without further ado...

Angela's 13th! Girls Night Out!

Angela and 2 of her friends went to the mall for some major retail therapy, dinner, more shopping, then on to the movies. They came home about midnight and had some cookie cake. ~talk, talk~ *giggle, giggle* and finally, sleep. Early next morning, they're up for some free makeovers and more shopping! Angela received Jonas Brothers concert tickets and a GREEN digital camera. What a great birthday!

David's 13th! Pool Party!

David and 3 friends(it was supposed to be 4, but one of them was grounded - rats) went to my in-laws house for some swimming and a cookout (thanks to my husband for being the official griller). Look out for the Superman slide! Swim, eat, swim, eat, swim! David received an iPod Touch. Another great birthday!

Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, I'm pooped!

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Christmas in July Swap

Angie's Spot is hosting a Christmas in July Swap. If you like swaps, go check it out!

Sunday Scrappin'

Sunday Scrappin' is a weekly meme for all paper crafters, traditional and digital scrapbookers, and/or card-makers. Won't you join us?

I actually have Ta-Da's this week! I made two birthday cards. The pictures didn't come out great, though. The stamp on the blue star doesn't even show up in the picture. I need a new camera! I bought one from Target, and I had to return it. Anyone want to recommend a good one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg? My twins are almost 13. I know! I can't believe it, either! I wrote each of them a poem for the inside of their card. The cards are nothing fancy, but they fit their personalities.

I'm goign to scrapbook with my sister this week, so that's my whole to-do list.

Each week, our hosts give an optional challenge. I didn't particpate this week since I was planning birthday parties (post on that tomorrow). I should be able to this week, though. Amy wants us to think about our favorite color. Mine is pink. Now, think about what's on the opposite side of the color wheel... and use those two colors in your project! That will be something in the green family for me. I can do that!

Happy scrappin' everyone!

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Say it Forward

Say it Forward is a relatively new Carnival of Loyal Commenters hosted by 5 Minutes for Mom where bloggers feature a loyal commenter each week.

This week, I want to feature Lucy from LuLu's Petals. She has been a loyal commenter on my blog for a while now. And I just love her blog! I hope you'll go visit her, and Lucy, this badge is for you to display on your blog.

Lucy is a wife, mother, and hairstylist who enjoys reading, watching movies, blogging, and spending time with her family and friends. I would love to meet her in real life someday, and I'm so glad we found each other's blogs and Facebook pages. Lucy has a great sense of humor, and she's a fabulous poet and writer.

Lucy, thank you for being a loyal commenter here at Forgetfulone! I love ya!

Thursday 13

To participate in Thursday 13 or view more participants, click here!

13 Reasons to Love Summer

1. No school! One of the FEW perks we teachers have, although many of us teach summer school for financial reasons. I choose not to.

2. My twins’ birthday. Number 13 coming up! Last year’s birthdays were chronicled here and here.

3. Swimming at the neighborhood pool or Grandma’s house.

4. Waterparks like Palm Beach at Moody Gardens or Schlitterbahn.

5. Sleeping in. I never get enough sleep.

6. Vacation. Where will we go? We went to Arizona last year. We’re thinking of a cruise or Cozumel (or a cruise to Cozumel).

7. Time to spend with friends.

8. Catching up on TV and movies. Lost, Prison Break, Grey’s Anatomy are my favorite TV shows. Movies I’ve seen recently: The Spiderwick Chronicles, Slumdog Millionaire, Night at the Museum 2, and Angels and Demons. Next movie on the list is Prince Caspian. And I can't WAIT for the upcoming Harry Potter movie!

9. Picnics in the park. (Did you ever read my post Blindfolded at the Park?)

10. Catching up on unfinished projects around the house. I want to paint the kids’ bedrooms this summer.

11. More time to READ!

12. Sunny, warm weather.

13. Summer fruits and flowers.

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It's All Good!

I have had an incredible start of summer! Friday was my last workday for 2 1/2 months, and I only had to be there for two hours.

Sunday, I attended my awesome nephew's graduation ceremony. He graduated with honors on the Distinguished Achievement Program, received several scholarships, and will attend Texas A&M in College Station this fall.

Also on Sunday, my son got to go to a paintball party. He had so much fun! Monday, my daughter attended a swim party and also had a blast. My son and I also went swimming.

The best part of my Monday, though, was lunch with three special women I met through blogging: Kris from It's My Life, D. from My Life is Based on a True Story, and Bubba's Sis from Mother, Daughter, Sister, Friend... Me and Magical Getaways. That was the highlight of my day, actually of my summer so far. We had a terrific lunch at Gringo's. Good food, good fun, and good friends! Here's a photo from the first time we met for lunch.

Tuesday, I took the twins to Palm Beach at Moody Gardens. Other than sunburn, the day was just plain fantastic!

Later this week, my "babies" are having their 13th birthday parties (even though their actual birthday is toward the end of the month). My daughter is taking two friends shopping, out to eat, and to get makeovers. My son is having a pool party. And, my daughter leaves for Summer Excitement Sunday. She will attend six days of youth leadership training and super-fun activities at Lubbock Christian University.

Side note: My mom was in the hospital for two days with pneumonia (she recently had surgery and chemo for lung cancer), but she came home yesterday. Thank goodness! And my oldest step-daughter fainted while she was running, but a Good Samaritan stopped to help her, and I'm happy to report that she was released from the hospital after a few hours and is home and doing well.

So, even though there were two scary incidents, it's all good now.

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Mamarazzi's Red, White, and Blue Swap

Mamarazzi at Dandelion Wishes is hosting another swap! I've participated in two of her previous swaps (you can read all about them here and here), and they are loads of fun. They fill up fast, so I'm off to RSVP now!

Camera Critters

Gotta clean up!

Visit Camera Critters and play along with us!

Company Girl Coffee

Grab a cup of coffee or a soda, and come on in! Last year, I was a regular participant in Home Sanctuary's Small Things, but the beginning of 2009 brought many changes and uncertainties in my life. Since school is out (half day Friday for teachers), I have started focusing on Rachel Anne's daily Small Things challenges. I am back in the swing of things, finally!

This week, we have tackled laundry, summer reading, picking up the floor, and cleaning up our computer desktops. All really easy tasks that when put together, help to create some peace and order in our lives. If you've never checked out Home Sanctuary, I hope you will. Whether you do the small things or not, there is wisdom to be had on Rachel Anne's blog.

My favorite thing this week by far was getting a start on summer reading. I have so many books to read! I recently finished The Other Boelyn Girl by Phillipa Gregory (which I highly recommend) and I read The Beach by Alex Garland in a matter of days. Next on my list is Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, followed by The 8th Confession by James Patterson. Oh, there are so many more I want to read! You can check out my Goodreads page to see my to-be-read page. Also, you can check out the online book club I belong to, Readers Anonymous.

Click over to Home Sanctuary and check out some other participants who are having Company Girl Coffee!

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Lose Weight with Celebrate Chocolates - Giveaway

Huguette is the winner! Congratulations! Less Hunger. More Energy.

Expose your taste buds to something new!

Eat chocolate and lose weight? Actually, yes. With Celebrate Premium, 100% all natural Chocolates. How does it work? Celebrate's website states, "Joining the chocolate melting across your tongue are Celebrate Chocolate's unique trio of natural plant oils. We add just the right amount of our special blend of Avocado, Macadamia nut, and Hemp seed oils. "

"When you savor one or two Celebrate Chocolates about 20 minutes before a meal - when your stomach is not full - it passes more quickly into your intestinal tract. There, as it is digested, along with the natural cocoa oils, it begins to tell your body you are beginning to get full.
Somewhere in the middle of your meal you will notice your appetite fading away. As a result, you eat less. Meal after meal, eating less means less weight, greatly aided by the trio of natural oils."

I say they taste great! I even let my 13 year old daughter try one. She liked it, too. When I ate a chocolate 20 minutes before mealtime, I did notice that I felt fuller faster, so I ate less. And if I got hungry later, I ate a chocolate, and I soon felt satisfied.

What I really love about them is they contain concentrated nutrients from 59 whole foods. They boost your Omega 3/DHA and anti-oxidants. They are also low glycemic for people who need to watch their blood sugar.

They have so many products available, you really need to have a look at their site!

The sponsor, Celebrate LifeNutrition, is giving one lucky reader two sample boxes of Celebrate Chocolates. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment on this post. For extra entries, do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each entry. Make sure I have a way to contact you. This giveaway will end at midnight on June 12, 2009.

Extra Entries:

• Follow my blog.



• Subscribe to my feed.



• Tweet this giveaway.



• Stumble this post.



• Blog about this giveaway.
  
  Make sure to leave your link in your comment.
  

The winner will be required to give their name and address at the sponsor's website. The winner will add the product to their cart and put in a coupon code. There will be absolutely NO COST to the winner. Details will be sent to the winner when the giveaway ends.

This review was brought to you by Family Review Network.

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Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap

What a great swap! This is my third swap and my second time to particpate in Mamarazzi's Favorite Things Swap. The concept is simple: She partnered everyone, and we purchased a box of our favorite things to send to our partner. I was lucky to get a great partner that I was already quite familiar with, Tamy of 3 Sides of Crazy. I have followed her blog for a long time, and I know a lot of you that read my blog (if there is a lot) also follow here.

Here's what she sent me!

2 Journals - one lined and one handmade by her

Spice seasoner

Cinnamon candle (mmmmm!)

Disney train ornament set and 2 ball ornaments (cute, cute! And I didn't already have them.)

Bath soak, foot soak, aqua leaves, a bath sponge, and 2 handmade soaps

A copy of The Notebook (I loved the movie, and I bet the book is better!)

Notecards

Crystal necklace and earrings

Pink ribbon, fabric, and Jolee's stickers for scrapbooking

Hand-knitted cozy

Mini picture frame

This was so much fun! Turns out her favorite things are also some of mine. And since I know she's received her package, here is a photo of the gifts I sent her.
It included Bath and Body Works Sea Island Cotton bubble bath, Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea candle, a notebook with a kitten on it, a Martha Stewart scrapbook kit, the current Women's Day magazine, and a 3 Musketeers candy bar. I also made a poem/song lyrics for her that you can see on her website.

Thank you for all of my goodies, Tamy! And thank you to Mamarazzi for organizing the swap! I will definitely participate in more swaps in the future.

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