My next project...

I just saw this on a really neat craft site and I thought it might be a good thing to put together for my next project. Maybe Laura would help me find some cool material? Since I am now working from home and not in an office I would like to try to spend more time learning to sew and make things... perhaps more love monsters, too!

oops wrong house!!!!!!!

Here it is!

My new house

So we've got a place to live. You can see it here. We're right next to the RR trax but we're already used to that, aren't we?

It's hard to see the house, but you can back up and see how close it is to the interstate and to the illustrious Bellview Mall! We actually had my (wonderful, helpful, lovely) mother meet the landlady to seal the deal this morning.

I will be working from home for NSN doing everything I currently do, while wearing my bunny slippers! (see my Avatar!)

By the way- yes, Labradoodles can be expensive. Sadly, our new place does not allow pets. My dreams have been dashed. Josh has no choice but to get me a baby. Knowing Josh, this is what it will look like...

FHU's server thinks this baby is porn.

Oh well.

Chara

change...

Well, life changes quickly, doesn't it?

I've decided to continue working at NSN from home- it has some advantages that another job (however well paying it might be) just couldn't offer. We're leaving tonight (yes, Friday the 17th!!) to go to Nashville to see if we can't find a place to live. We're moving next weekend. It's a huge transition!

Well, I almost don't know what to say. I'm trying not to be sad. I hate moving because you leave so many good relationships behind, and inevitably you lose touch.

On the up-side- Josh promised me that he would buy me a puppy!! I want to get a Labradoodle but right now I'm not that picky.

Chara

I'm showing people in my office how my blog works---
this is us!!

I've got a secret....

Can you guess what it is???


And NO I'm not pregnant!!!

Actually, Josh and I are moving to Nashville. I finally talked to Karen about it, but now I'm trying to straighten out the job situation. I currently have the option of continuing to work at NSN (Telecommuting in my bunny slippers) or I can work at NHC Place with Tara. Both have really excellent benefits in different areas, so please keep this in your prayers as I have no idea what to do.

Happy Valentine's Day to Josh!

I have been really interested in doing "crafty" things lately. Laura's website has all these great links of all these crafty people who do really interesting things and I wanted to do some too. So this year for Valentine's Day I decided to make a love monster. I saw one that this guy makes on another site, but I didn't really like it and I thought it would be more fun to make my own pattern anyway.
This is the love monster. Sorry the pictures are so bad- my $15 wal-mart digital camera isn't exactly high quality.

I sewed the mouthin a jagged line and it has button eyes and a felt heart sewn on it's chest. I was going to put our initials on it's butt, but I got distracted last night.

Then there is the other project... Since Josh is such an environmentalist I decided to make him some personalized hankies (Notice I didn't mention that he always needs one because he's constantly picking his nose... a disgusting, but strangely endearing quality). The one shown here (I made two and forgot the picture of the other one) has a full border with our initials in the corner. The other one just has a lowercase j in every corner with dots going out from the sides. I need to work on my sewing skills.

Kacey and Chara

Can you pick me out in this picture? My long-ago friend Kacey (now Hovarter) Henson sent this to me today. I got a huge kick out of it. Kacey is two seats from my left.

I started e-mailing Kacey a few weeks ago and I am really glad to get to know her again. It's weird how we've both grown up, but we're both so eager to talk to one another- hungry for a time when we were both more easily shocked, as you can see from the picture below.

Calvinball

So probably other people know about this, but having just learned, I am fascinated.

Have you ever heard of Calvinball? I think it's something that a lot of organizations (Or should I say, disorganizations?) play. See below for details.

"The only permanent rule in calvinball is that you can't play the same way twice!"

No Sport is less organized than Calvinball!

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

Several funny things have come to my attention lately- I must share.

This is from John Wilson- my funny brother-in-law. All you Freedies will love it!

http://faculty.fhu.edu/jwilson/story.htm

Hickies! So clever!

This is something my boss sent me as part of an e-mail forward- If women ran the world:

Aren't women clever!

Hmmm... temporary tattoos and other clipart

Well, I'm having a nice day. I thought there was something wrong with my car, but my husband says it's okay now. It was probably just a little water in the gas tank. Also I found much cute clip art. I had an employee evaluation today- completely painless and highly productive! However, I have to teach class tonight and I have no idea what I am going to do with the girls!

Crafty-

I've had a little crafty bug from looking at links on Laura's blog, lately.
I have especially enjoyed a website called Mypapercrane.com which is the main web page for this awesome women who makes stuffed food. My favorite is the Caluiflower.
My other favorite things are the giant stuffed tampons. They make me laugh. There aren't any pictures of them on her website currently, but this is the toilet paper roll:
I was thinking that when I have kids (someday) I would liekt hem to have toys that are handmade. I hate all the silly plastic gadgets people get thier kids. It seems like a waste to have so much stuff (on the other hand, there is nothing I like more than watching my niece play in her kitchen). I read this book called "Creature comforts" and it was one of thoose coffee table books that doesn't take half an hour to read, but it was interesting to see all the different kinds of blankets and handmade dolls that these people had hung on to for years and years. I liket he idea of being able to make somethig and endow it with my love so my kids have some tangible thing to hold that proves my love for them.

And now- random cuteness:

Can anything be better than my niece? Haydn and I took a nap when I was at home last time. Is there any other child on earth who just goes to sleep when you tell them to? I think not. This only goes to prove that Haydn is indeed completely perfect.

This is ultimately very encouraging. Think how perfect a child coming from Josh and me will be!



Chara

just so you know..

Just so you all know, I survived the removal of my wisdom teeth (special thanks to millie who advised me to put ice on my face right away- I have almost no swelling.)

Josh tells me that as I was coming out of my loopy state I asked him to shut the door of the recovery room so we could get it on. I told him no one would know.
Needless to say, Josh (being the upstanding and halfway intelligent guy he is) turned me down.

Strange side effects: Oxycodine makes me itchy- particularly my nose.

Hope you all had as much fun this weekend as I did!

Chara