I 'Make Things'

What is the difference between a craft room & man cave? Let's have a comparison.

Craft Room = organized space of all things crafty, room to spread said crafts out, creative headquarters for artsy types, colorful 'things' for projects as yet unknown, cat haven

Man Cave = foolish nonsense abounds, testosterone corral, dog shananigans area, poker palace, masculine movie theater

And, yes, it's true. I make things. I have a whole craft room for making things. To be honest, it's not the WHOLE room. There is a guest bed & furniture in there in case we might have an overnight visitor. It's also a good place for (literal) cat naps!

Cop'er likes to complain about all the 'things' in the room. I believe I have heard him refer to these 'things' as... junk. Some of that 'junk' is from my college days (art major!) and very expensive to replace in case i decide to take up pastels & pen & ink drawing again!

(I know you are laughing about that!)

Needless to say, I like to go into the man cave & point out his 'junk'... the paddle from your fraternity days? Really? The strange smoking frog your brother gave you???

Seriously??

You wanna talk about JUNK?

But to make my point, I do make things in the craft room. Just the other day, I assisted AriCaVa in putting together invitations. She came over to use the (very organized & labeled) supplies & low & behold - I had everything she needed! Just think of how much money I might have saved her!

I'm doing watercolors now as well, but I don't do them in the craft/guest room... There's no DVR in there...

100 Things about Me (that you did or didn't know)

1. I’m the oldest of 3 girls.
2. My parents are still married—celebrating 40 years this year!
3. I’m 2.5 years away from the big 4-0 myself! But… in birthday years.
4. I’m married to a cop.
5. I have 3 dogs (I usually only claim one of them & the others in the generic “our” sense).
6. I have 2 cats—all are completely mine!
7. I love the autumn; ‘tis my favorite season! I was born in the fall!
8. I’m a Libra—highlights of that sign are charming, balanced (emotionally and mentally), artistic, romantic. Sounds just like me!
9. I’ve lived in the Mechanicsville/Richmond area all my life.
10. I’m a graduate of VCU with a degree in Communication Arts & Design; minor in photography.
11. I was a commuter student.
12. I like getting flowers, but not roses. They are so ‘everyday’.
13. I think a hammock is a great place to waste time and take a nap.
14. I have a pool at my house and I like it, but I wish the water stayed warmer longer.
15. I have a job that I really like.
16. I love all things Scottish and Celtic.
17. I have been to Scotland, Spain and many places in the Caribbean.
18. I love to travel, even for work.
19. I love cruising, but even I sometimes want a land vacation.
20. I finally saw a Broadway play last year—The Lion King. It was magical!
21. I have 2 nephews on my side of the family & 2 nieces, 1 nephew on Cop’er’s side.
22. My sister, KidEduc8r, lives 1 mile from me; my parents, 4 miles.
23. My favorite food is Mexican—chips & salsa at the top of the list.
24. My favorite color is orange—that bright, fiery orange color that runs rampant in the middle of autumn!
25. My pup, Lil Guy, sleeps right next to me at night with his FrogDog (toy) & I love it!
26. I have been watching “All My Children” & “General Hospital” since I was just a flicker of life; thanks, Mom.
27. I watched “Days of Our Lives” when I was a teenager, but couldn’t keep up.
28. I have a Pontiac G6; I think I could very well be the reason they went out of business!
29. I am addicted to blankets, bags, purses, pens, paper and lip gloss. Contrary to what some people think, I don’t have that many coats or shoes!
30. I can put furniture together (by myself) & I do read the directions.
31. I have my own craft room (also doubles for the guest room) and Cop’er has a Man Cave (I try not to step foot in there).
32. I like big piles of money, but never did I say it was the way to making one happy.
33. I enjoy a walk to the mailbox to find something other than bills. A card & letter are wonderful surprises!
34. I don’t like how the dryer shrinks things… especially my sweatpants!
35. I love photography and wish I was a landscape photographer for National Geographic.
36. I also wish I could live off my writing skills.
37. I like grammar rules.
38. I miss having a fire in the fireplace, but hear it’s not good for those with allergies.
39. I have allergies.
40. I get allergy shots 2x a month.
41. Our dog, Jake, snores; so does Roxy, my cat.
42. I have headaches frequently & they think it’s from the changes in the barometric pressure.
43. I have dated a police officer; doctor; lawyer; men from the Navy and the Army; graphic designers…
44. I met Greg Grunberg (“Heroes”, “Felicity”) at a tradeshow in Chicago last year. I got my picture taken with him.
45. I ‘stalked’ the cast of “Dawson’s Creek,” with my camera, when they were in town for a shoot at the University of Richmond many years ago.
46. I love a good chick flick, but also like mysteries and dramas; however, I am very picky about my comedy.
47. I can make jewelry… I like to give it away.
48. My favorite authors are Nora Roberts & Patricia Cornwell (she writes about things in VA & I think it’s cool to read about things I know).
49. I like frogs and have a collection of them in my house.
50. I also have birdhouses in my kitchen.
51. My favorite candle scents are citrus varieties and cinnamon.
52. I don’t have a favorite book.
53. My favorite movies are Titanic, Beauty & the Beast, Man on Fire, National Treasure (1 & 2).
54. This blog has been ‘alive’ since 2007.
55. I love to write. I have kept a journal since I was a freshman in college (if you are doing the math, that’s 20 yrs).
56. I’m not a computer genius, but I can find my way around one.
57. My desk at work is very organized; my house is not except for the closets & cabinets.
58. I like it when women are strong role models – especially when up against men.
59. I think it’s ok if a woman just isn’t meant to be a stay-at-home-mother.
60. I voted for Obama and I’m not ashamed of it. I still think the guy needs a chance to make things happen. If I have to, I will re-evaluate in 4 years. All I know—it’s not as bad as a Bush!
61. I used to like watching the Olympics. I can’t get into it now.
62. My favorite shows on TV are: House, Bones, American Idol, Paranormal State.
63. I love all things paranormal: ghosts, spirits, hauntings, etc.
64. I have been to quite a few NASCAR races. They are actually quite fun.
65. I’ve been to Loch Ness, Scotland. I didn’t see the monster.
66. I have been to the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
67. I wished I was an exercise junkie, but I’m not.
68. My given name was originally spelled with a ‘y’; it’s now spelled with ‘ie’ & it’s a legal change.
69. My dad is a pharmacist and my mom is a ‘retired’ nurse. Together they make a doctor!
70. I love sunsets, sunrises (though I don’t see many of them), and long walks on the beach.
71. I also like short walks on the beach.
72. I just like anything about the beach.
73. I had a convertible for a while (someone wrecked it for me) and I loved it! And I miss it!
74. I’ve fallen off a horse (don’t ask Cop’er to repeat that story).
75. I have a collection of over 250 DVDs.
76. I only wear silver and silver-toned jewelry.
77. I like shirt with collars or v-necks the best.
78. I hate when my socks won’t stay in place and I have to fidget with them all day.
79. I think cat and dog hair is just another thing to wear.
80. Sharpie markers with the fine tip rock!
81. We have a Florida/Sun room in our house & it’s completely opposite of Florida temperatures in the winter. I think is should change to the Alaska room then.
82. My favorite color to wear is aqua/teal/blue.
83. I’m a night person; hate mornings.
84. I like to save my change, count it and roll it into big money!
85. I think naps are wonderful ways to waste time.
86. Text messaging is a great invention.
87. I used to use Macs, now it’s PC all the time.
88. I have a Wii, but it’s not as much fun as one-player.
89. I haven’t had a soda in 6+ weeks.
90. I haven’t had (the bad kind of) fast food in 6+ weeks.
91. I wish I had a week off to catch up on my leisure reading.
92. I like “So You Think You Can Dance”… I wish I was a dancer.
93. I love my new camera. I wish I was able to experiment in farway places with it.
94. I like to get dressed up with fancy clothes and makeup… once in a while.
95. I enjoy hosting parties but not the clean up or prep work.
96. I think the invention of the DVR has totally changed the way I watch TV.
97. I like to support breast cancer and wear the pink ribbon. I know there are other cancers, but this one is the closest to my heart & my family.
98. I would like to see Josh Groban in concert several times a year.
99. I love summer thunderstorms.
100. I want to see all of the states in the US before I die.

The Truth about "Cabin Fever"

Cop'er & i were discussing the whole concept of "cabin fever" after he came downstairs & loudly proclaimed to be "bored." Okay, for one thing, it was 10:15pm... a little late to be worried about that. I mean, what's the likelihood he's going to find something to do & not go to bed in a few hours???

But the most interesting thought was... why are we victims of 'cabin fever' when we KNOW we can't get away (technically, we could, but we don't want to bother with all it entails); on the flip side, days when we don't have to go anyway and CHOOSE to stay inside all day is something different.

Obviously, my scientific explanation is going to be --- it’s all in our heads.

As mi padre liked to say many times when I was younger—there’s nothing wrong with you. It’s all in your head.

I have suffered from the same problem today though. I have been happy staying in & not having to strap on all the warm weather gear one could wear and still move (think Michelin man). Not to mention, it’s always more than that—you have to take those cold wet clothes off & put them somewhere, all the while not tracking snow in the house, causing additional work of cleaning up the melted snow puddles. If you ask me, it’s much better to look than to participate in dealing with it.

We have 3 small dogs & they HATE going out in the rain, so you can imagine what they think of snow. With rain it’s just that wet stuff falling on top of them, stepping in puddles & that smell that emanates from them (wait, maybe that’s MY dislike). With the snow, especially at these depths (10-12”), they get lost—literally. Our smallest, O-town, he’s hidden in this snow. Not only does he shiver like a leaf on a tree, but it’s like he’s in a whiteout. Poor guy.

Before the last big snow we got (around 14-16” in December), I had the brilliant idea to make a ‘pee hut.’ Sure, laugh all you want, but it worked! We pulled an outside table up close to the garage door & covered it with a tarp. It created a cover on the ground with no snow & a shield so the snow wouldn’t blow in. Odd as it looked and as picky as these dogs are, I was thrilled to see the first introduction to it was a success! They went in without any problem, did their business & were ready to come back in & warm up.

With news of this impending snow on the horizon, we decided to replicate the pee hut for another round. Unfortunately, though they are still using the hut, they aren’t as inclined to go outside… I think it has something to do with the 19-degrees it is outside. Hey, can’t say that I blame them. Not sure I want to leave my warm home, go outside with no shoes, coat or hat & squat near the cold ground in 19-degrees either!

If Your Dog Pees...

I am sure that my dog, Jake, could out pee yours! In the kitchen, in the sun room, in the den, inside, outside, upside down... you name it. Jake does not discriminate on places to pee. He's an equal opportunity pee-er.


In all reality, it's not a good sign when he's peeing everywhere. He's got an infection. So Jake went to the vet this afternoon. All of the sudden, I am Jake's favorite person in the world. I can tell you at home that's not the case! But today, i was "mama". Never seen the little guy with so much love for me.


Jake got his weight taken, peed on the floor in the lobby & had his temp taken (hehe). He wasn't too keen on the Doc. He made a classic cat move to get away - jumped right off the exam table! Now, for any other dog I might have done a 2nd look, but since Jake is like the 3rd cat in the house... nothing new.


Even with an infection, Jake acts the same. He's eating, drinking, sleeping, annoying his sister, Sydney, just as if he were 100% perfect. It's just the peeing. According to the vet, we need to switch to a special prescription diet for him (he's had this several times) & start giving him bottled water. Who knew the little guy was going to cost a small fortune!


Right now Jake's outside hooting it up with his sis, chasing invisible demons & barking at anything that moves. I don't know for sure, but I think he's on his way to being cured! I hope so... or I am going to have to break out the doggy diapers!