Me, Myself, & Michelle

Blast from the Past

Oh no she didn't!  My good friend from high school just posted some pictures from way back in the day.  Here's me and Stef circa 1991 - 17 yrs old.

 

"Youth is wasted on the young." 

Enjoyed the Day

Thanks to the freedoms afforded me by the sacrifice of others, I was able to enjoy my blessed day off from work, school & cheer practice any way I pleased.  So how did I spend it?  Well, I got the cleaning bug and super-scrubbed my kitchen.  Now that may not be the ideal way to spend a holiday for most, but I tell ya what- when I get into the cleaning mood I have to go with it!  Waking up this morning to a shiny kitchen counter and hot cup of coffee set my day off right.  :)

I was even able to get some furniture moved and my scrap space picked up yesterday.  whoa!-I know.  I better be careful or I'll set some kinda standard here for what can be accomplished when I have an entire day without appointments, car pools or obligations to other people.

In the morning, I had the kids help me straighten the rest of the house for an hour or two, which is the best way to get them to play outside the rest of the day and not come back in until it's dark.  (Write that one down if you are a mother of young children.  It works every time!)  My husband had freshly mowed the lawn (after cooking a scrumptous breakfast -so he gets major brownie points).  The kids were soon covered in loose grass clippings begging for the slight rain sprinkles to turn into full-fledged rain.  They ran around in the backyard playing most of the day.  Zeus, our 100lb rottie, watched from in the house, running from window to window to sliding glass door trying to keep up.  (There was no way I was letting himm outside in that mess.)

Overall, it was a glorious day I truely give thanks for.  In addition to the random moments of silence and short prayers throughout this weekend, I pledge to remember our lost veterans always and to instill that value in my children.  That's one big way every parent can honor our soldiers the other 364 days of the year.

 

Funny story...

Tuesday night the girls and I get home from cheer practice and I start bragging about Zoe-13 hitting her backhandspring by herself.  Very proud mama here! (I also have to mention that Zadie-7 was throwing it without a spot for the first time that night!)  Very, very proud mama!

So anyway, my son Zane-10 decides he wants to be a little sh**t and starts chanting that Zoe's backhandspring is terrible.  She is totally just ignoring him, but I butted in... "Well, your tackling's horrible."  Let me of course mention that he knows that I am his #1 Fan and totally believe that he's the best defensive tackle ever to play the game.  Zane responded "Well, your parenting's horrible."

WHAT?!!!  I almost peed my pants laughing so hard before promptly bopping him repeatedly over the head with my potholder.  "Oh yeah? How d'ya like my bad parenting now?" 

I tell you what, I love that my family can joke with each other.  Humor is such an important part of living a happy life.  I was surprised, though, to realize that Zane (10 yrs old) already knows how important being a good parent is to me.  It's incredible how much kids observe and absorb and how fast they mature.  I'm relieved to know, too, that Zane understands I love him unconditionally and that he can tease me back.  It's really a turning point in a parent/child relationship when that happens.  I just didn't expect it so soon.

 

A piece of inspiration

Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor each morning the devil says - oh crap, she's up.

:)  Lots going on here @ TPH.  I'll send an e-mail out soon, but the jist is that we're in a kind of limbo right now.  I'm going back to school in the Fall.  Is Mom going to take over the store, or is she not?  Are we selling or are we expanding?  (so yeah... it looks like we might finally get the other side of our building - shhhhh!  Don't tell anyone just yet, but yesterday my landlord asked if we wanted the whole place.  ummmm.... YES!) 

Much love to you all - Michelle

Feed your funny bone

Got these in an e-mail today.  Made me smile, so I thought I'd pass 'em on. 

Paradoxes of Life

If money doesn't grow on trees, why do banks have branches? Since bread is square, why is sandwich meat round? What did cured ham actually have? Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up every two hours? Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? Why do we choose from just two people for President and 50 for Miss America?

Crazy Hours @ TPH

Many Many Many apologies if you have come by the store only to find our door closed.  Mom and I both are amidst major life transitions.  She is finally retiring from Prudential Financial.  Yeah!! and I'm finally going back to school.  Yeah!!  So, of course each of these changes requires us to do things and be places during the day.  Our wonderful staff is no longer available to us either...  Shere is moving to D.C. and Lisa is getting a fulltime job.  So, again - many apologies if we've been out when you dropped by.

Here's what we DO have going on this weekend:

• Thursday - Cricut Intermediate 6:30pm  $20

• Friday  - Midnight crop 6pm  $6

• Saturday - Shere's last classes before she moves!!  $38

(Class fee includes LUNCH!)

• Paperbag Album  10:30am

• Three 2 pg Layouts  2:00pm 

Heads up

* We'll be closed this Sunday and Monday  (May 17-18)

* Ladies Night BUNCO has been changed from Thursdays to Tuesdays...  So this month we're getting together on May 19th.  Tues 7:00pm.  Bring a small snack to share.  :)

CSU

 

I've been meaning to get back to school for 5 years now, and I'm finally doing it!  I've sent my application, requested my transcripts/SAT scores, etc and I have an appointment next Monday to meet w/ an enrollment counselor.  CSU offers Bachelors degrees in Math & Chemistry (no Physics-waaah!) and a teaching degree in Math, too.  SO I'm starting there this Fall, if not earlier.  I'd love to start this summer, but I don't see any courses listed that I need.  Wish me luck!

I know. I know... where does that leave The Pink House?  Well, I'm not sure yet.  Mom officially retires from Prudential at the end of May, so she might take over.  But she and I both have busy lives, so that leaves room for an interested entrepreneur.  Is it you?

No worries.  Mom and I are staying in the industry no matter what we decide to do. So there will always be a place for our crafty friends to Crop & Shop.  We're keeping our options open for a little while and will let you know more as we make decisions. 

NSD Friday Crop

OH GIRL LET ME TELL YOU - WHAT A FREAKY EVENTFUL DAY!!

Friday started off with a car wreck right in front of our store.  Broken glass and bent metal everywhere.  One of our customers was pulling in and got rear ended.  BAM!  Both cars were pretty mangled, hers had to be towed.  Thankfully no one was hurt.

Our Friday Crop was extra special in honor of National Scrapbook Day... We maxed our classroom capacity and built a sweet mini-album.  I even finished my project before the night was over.

Part way thru, we had a super stupid dispute with the not-so-ladies next door over parking.  Let's just say the police had to be called (again) and I don't recommend anyone ever having their hair done at that salon. 

The Crop Night continued well into Saturday.  We all expected Yvonne to be our last woman standing, but Brandy and Holly were the croppers that lasted the longest.  The three of us finally headed out at 7:30am!  I went home to my house full of kiddoes, but Brandy and Holly went straight out to hit the Saturday morning yardsale action.  I am sooo jealous! 

Well, it's Saturday and we're on Day 2.  Mom and her Cricuteers are going at it like cuttin' fools.  :)