When Life Hands You Lemons...

Buy some vodka!

Seriously, why do bad things always come in patches? We have had a ton of stress running through my house lately. That results in pointless arguments with my old man, and my depression trying to advantage of the situation! So I need to remind myself of the positives I have. First I have them:

They drive me crazy and make me laugh and I am so thankful I have them!

Right now the two oldest are in Tennessee visiting Dollywood with my parents. The remaining three have been taking advantage of the situation by hosting sleepovers. My youngest son had a gameover, the 14 year old boy version of a sleepover. It's called a gameover because you play games all night, or at least try to.


I'm also lucky enough to have these gals:

These beautiful ladies are my BFFs. I love them both so much and am so grateful they are in my life!


Of course I also have this guy:

Although he can be a major Ass when he wants to, I love the heck of out him. He drives me crazy too but is also my love...


So I guess I am lucky, I have a lot of people who care about me... There I feel better now, thanks for listening....

Part 2! Yes, finally!

Excuse me getting a bit redneck here. At the Sweet Dreams festival my youngest son won some tickets. He won tickets to a monster truck show! I was born in Georgia, and raised in Virginia most of my life. I think of myself as a Southern gal, but I have NEVER been to a monster truck show! My youngest son also had never been to one. So, since the price was right we attended our first ever monster truck show!
The crowd was HUGE!

I knew it was popular but I had no idea just how popular it really was! My son was a little unsure of what the show would be like

These folks come prepared! The bleachers were full before we even got there. Luckily I had a blanket in my car that we sat on. I think we got pretty good seats. The hill facing us was called Redneck Hill, no joke!

They did have several food trucks around. We went for the awesome funnel cake!

It was very loud when the trucks took off. Basically they raced each other then had a crazy wild run section. We also saw Megasuarus, a tank like thing that a dinosaur unfolds out of and eats cars. It got a lot of cheering.

Over all it was fun time, not sure I'll ever go to another one but I am glad I went!

Weekend O' Fun part 1

This past weekend I hade such a good time with my family. We went to my parent's house and went here: http://www.sweetdreamsday.com/ This was our second year going and we had a fantastic time again! This time we participated in some of the contests including:
The Little Debbie look-alike contest

The Cherry pie eating contest:

We also had fun doing arts and crafts

Playing games

Climbing the Rock wall

The Sweet Dreams festival did not disappoint us this year. The only bad thing was I forgot to put on sunscreen and got a horrible sunburn

This was the worst sunburn I've gotten in a long time, but it was worth it!

Womanifesto Challenge

MAN-I-FES-TO
NOUN \,\ˌma-nə-ˈfes-(ˌ)tō\ a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer


WO·MAN·I·FES·TO
NOUN \ˌWO-MA-NƏ-ˈFES-(ˌ)TŌ\

A written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, and views of its female author. May include themes of empowerment, independence, self love, consciousness, affirmation, and individual acceptance; your positive beliefs about yourself. Created to give self-described definition in regards to the innate beauty inside of every woman. Yes, even you.

Thanks to Rachele from http://www.nearsightedowl.com/ I found out about Jes' Womanifesto Challenege, http://www.themilitantbaker.com/2012/07/new-link-upthe-womanifesto-challenge.html I love this so very much! It is something I need right about now. Here is mine:


My Womanifesto:


I am Christina.
I love my family unabashedly
I let my Mama Bear out when it is necessary
I am beautiful, all of me
I am stronger than you think, even stronger than I think
I am creative and artistic
I am proud of me

I will trust humanity more
I will keep growing
I will learn more from life
I will accept myself, flaws and all
I will believe compliments
I will fight my depression, no matter how dirty it fights me
I will live in the moment

I believe that love carries us through life
I believe in giving and getting hugs and kisses, daily
I believe in God and Rock-N-Roll
I believe in fun and being silly
I believe my value is not based on my weight, finances, or status in society
I believe I am an amazing woman
I believe in myself.

Yo' Blog, you still there?

I don't want to jinx anything but it seems like we might have finally gotten our internet provider problem fixed. It took four different crews, three independent repairmen, and numerous phone calls. All in all, it was a serious pain in the ass.

Provider problems aside I have had a hell of a time. First, my father-in-law and some of my many nieces and nephews came for a short visit. It's so nice to see them, I wish we could get together more often but they live four states away. At least we can keep up on facebook.

Speaking of facebook, I love the digital age! My oldest girl went off to camp on Monday. My first experience as a Mom sending her kid off for a week, with no contact, argh! Then today I get an email about liking the camp on facebook. So I go over to FB and like the camp and there I get to see pictures of my baby girl looking like she is having a blast! So my mind was eased seeing her smile...

I am so talented that I have managed to get bronchitis, again. Last time I had it wound up in the hospital for three days. It sucked but I quit smoking then. So why did I get it now? I've been good, no smoking since May of 2011! So I've been hacking away and feverish. I slept for 16 hours straight. So I'm on day 3 of antibiotics and finally feel like I'm making the turn back towards health. Thankfully I had the husband home to take care of me, aww, so sweet...

SO I should be off to rest but first I must fill my pinterest addiction, speaking of check out some of my latest pins:


I want this house:

Source: auntpeaches.com via Christina on Pinterest

Check this amazing upcycle:

Source: sarahontheblog.blogspot.com via Christina on Pinterest

Ahh Pinterest, how I love thee....

My vida....

While not being able to keep up with my blog as much as I'd like I've been doing some thinking....I feel like I'm still newish to blogging and finding my voice. I decided to be more open about my life and the fun it brings along with it. Meaning I want to share more than just crafting. So here goes!
My youngest son has been sick for 2 weeks now. I think the doctor has no idea what's wrong with him. My guess is he has mono and then caught a chest cold on top of it. The latest diagnosis is bronchiolitis. So he is on some super steroids, yeah! He's 14 years old and has been coughing like crazy, minor fever, and massive FATIGUE. Normally he's non-stop so this is a major change for him. I'm hoping the steroids will "pump him up!"

Baby girl number 1 is getting psyched up for camp. It will be her first time going to an overnight camp and she is so excited! She has made a list of all of the supplies she'll need and carries it around the house with her. Any suggestions on some really protective yet easy to insert ear plugs? She gets swimmer's ear very easily and will be swimming 2 to 4 times a day. I know she is going to have such a blast!

As for me? I'm trying to make it through life one minute at a time. I have been super stressed out lately and this makes my depression rear it's ugly head. My anxiety is growing and am having to fight my monster. Urgh! Why is it when I need my depression symptoms the least they show up strong?I like to think of my major depressive disorder as a separate entity in me. My monster likes to make my mind think things that aren't true. My monster likes to make my brain think things are only going to get worse and worse. My monster can go fuck itself. I am too busy and stressed right now to deal with my monster!

On a more positive note, I got to spend some time with my BFFs last night. Just the three of us, coffee, and some chocolate cake... I love those ladies so much!

Shout Out to my PunkyMoms!!

In case you missed my little link over there----->

I belong to a great community of like minded Moms ( and Dads and even some childless folks too!) It's called Punkymoms. I found it one day shortly after joining my local roller derby league. I was feeling left out of the "normal" mom groups. I had tattoos and did roller derby and had no goal of ever becoming the typical soccer mom. So after entering the words "punk" and "mom" into the google machine I found Punkymoms.
I joined way back in December of 2006. I found an open community of mostly Moms that talked openly and honestly about the great and not-so-great things about being a parent. I could curse openly and no one judged me. I started sharing and getting to know everyone. Over the years I have slacked a bit from posting but I ALWAYS come home to PunkyMoms. I have written about good times and bad times. I have always found support and some great advice. I just wanted to spread the word about Punkymoms for anyone whose interested.

Link is here: http://punkymoms.com/

PS I do not get paid for Punkymoms or anything like that I just really love the community and wanted to share!

Oh Boy!

Summer is officially started in our house! Yea!!! Graduation ceremonies have been held, final exams are finished, and the kids are so excited! I always loved the beginning of summer feeling, so many possibilities await! So now for some pics!
I am going to be in so much trouble, just look how beautiful my girlies are:




On another note, I want to join some sort of blog challenge or link party but I haven't decided which one to go for. I like the idea of challenging myself daily. Are there any out there you like to do?

I also want to really stock up my etsy store. I have a tendency to give away my crafts, but I'd really like to sell some too! Maybe I should challenge myself to some sort of craft challenge. Also, what is the deal with this new t.v. show?


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How did I miss this? My BFF Dede and I MUST get on this show! I will definitely be glued to the t.v.!

Ketchup!

What a busy few days it's been! I have had a bit of extra stress on me and that has made my anxiety act up and that's just so much fun to battle. Tomorrow is my 2nd oldest spawn's last day of school the others are pretty much done on Thursday. My baby girl had her 9th birthday yesterday:


She's growing up so fast! After Thursday she will be my last kid in elementary school...

I have also been working on teacher's gifts. So far my best is a cute little embroidered sun glass case:


Hopefully things will calm down or at least could hopefully be slightly less stressful. Luckily I was able to hang out with my BFFs this past weekend and that always recharges me




What recharges you?

Color explosion!

I'm a bit late to the party but I started my spring cleaning and now I am inspired to redo parts of my home decor. I love bright colors and my house is currently not too colorful. Lots of beige and off white. Yuck! So here is my big idea of a new t.v./ family room. I own some cargo style furniture, perfect for a family with tons of kids. I want to paint my sofa something like this:

I'm not sure what color I could make the sofa cushions but I kind of like that orange.

I have a standard pressure board t.v. stand that I want to paint this color:

The walls will be white, except for the wall with the sofa. I want to paint one accent wall and bright yellow.
The biggest project will be the floors. We currently have a nasty beige carpet that is too stained and smelly and needs to go. However we really can't afford too many floor options to replace the carpet. So I have been looking at the idea of painted floors. Here are some examples:

http://www.designsponge.com/2009/07/before-after-loris-painted-floor.html

http://twiceremembered-faq.blogspot.com/2009/03/painted-subfloors.html

http://www.thenateshow.com/photos/print/share-with-nate-diy-projects/?layout=print


So I am getting a little excited! I might a few more weeks until my kids get out of school so I can use the free labor!

Argh! My Babies are getting too big!

This weekend was a busy one around here. My oldest daughter decided she wanted to raise some money so she had a bake sale at a local convience store. I left pretty much everything in her charge. She got permission from the store owner, helped me bake a shit ton of goodies, and sold her little heart out! I am so proud of my girlie!

So sweet right?
As for my oldest baby, he went to PROM!!!!!! I can't believe it! He looked so amazing and his girlfriend was stunning!

What a surreal experience it is to have your kid go to prom. The rented tux, the corsage, the fancy dinner, etc... For my own prom I went with some guy from work and had a blast with my BFF. I can't wait to hear all about it. I don't know all the details yet because at 10:30 a.m. my son is still out! He went to an after party at a friends' house and I pick him up in about an hour.

It's Oh So Quiet.....

I work at a local university. I only work during the school year so my time at work is coming to an end until August. I love not having to working but I hate not getting paychecks... So this week, after an insane weekend at work I have been home. When the spawn head off to school and my only company are my two crazy dogs I can take a few minutes to chill and catch up with life in my mind. I have been doing some much needed deep cleaning, like our fridge that should have been condemned. So now I'd like to catch you, my blog, in what's up in my life.

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6hEDQt1XxXWOaYV6OBXwWfap1eXnCT4lD0NZLHjbZNps851JhV19D_KvXOjU1FRS_x_WWPw1hCkFcJM7TbVSm0h96_5-WZlU4ozydUPnWVbRBAV27zTzvzXkVX2P_7-zRgswAFEvBYcg/s1600-h/womanbroom%25255B2%25255D.jpg My oldest son is going to PROM!!!! I can't believe I am old enough to have a kid going to PROM! I also can't believe how expensive the accouterments for PROM are! Luckily my son is riding with a friend, so no limo cost. However that still leaves: corsage, dinner, dance tickets, tux rental, etc. and etc. Ouch. That will hurt our pocket but will be well worth it! Now that I am no longer working during the weekdays I can finally schedule a ton of doctor's appointments I have needed to make. Plus my whole family needs to see the dentist. I have been terrified of the dentist for a while and would LOVE to see one of those sedation dentistry places if I could afford it! The Old Man found out he has sleep apnea, which I knew. So he has to go back in one more night then he will be getting a machine. I don't mean to sound sickeningly sweet but I wonder if he will still be able to snuggle with me at night? The youngest spawn was filled with joy on report card day. I could hear her calling me from the bus stop! Thanks to her hard work and her special ed reading class her reading grade went from a F to a C!!! You should have heard the house cheering! It was so adorable!!! Yes, Virginia I am still crafting! I recently finished a rooster embroidery but am not happy with the way it came out. It looks like a country chicken. I'll post pictures as soon as I can find the camera! I am also working on a Asian dragon embroidery. I like it so far! Ditto on the pictures. That should catch you up for now! Adois!

It's Friday all ready?

Damn. You see I work every day except Wednesdays and Thursdays. So the "beginning" of my work week starts on Fridays. Ugh, back to work I go....
Before I go though, how about a quick life update? I am working on my first tutorial but having a lot more mistakes than anticipated so hopefully it won't take me too long. My older daughter is getting glasses and is SO excited about them. I think she'll look fabulous!
I am trying to get healthier one tiny step at a time. My first step was to drink my required water every day. I took care of that by lugging around a 50 oz bottle of smart water that I refill daily. So far I've noticed my skin seems a bit more hydrated and my sinus' seem clearer, and of course I have pee a ton. I also bought a pedometer but I have to fix mine. It registers every time I move my hips as a step. I do a lot of dancing in place. So I want to see if I can fix it or if I need to get a better pedometer. Next week I am adding walking my dogs around my neighborhood once a week. My insane dogs will love that and believe me it's a workout! My husband wants to buy the P90X system but I say let's start with smaller, more realistic steps first.
As for my depression I am definitely on an upswing. I feel so normal and hopeful! It's just so great to feel normal again... I'm loving life right now!
So off to work I go, but crafts run 'round my mind the whole time! So I carry a little notebook with me to jot down or sketch any crafty ideas that pop up. Plus if I hit a blank on what to make next I just look into my ideas book and viola! Have a great weekend!


http://www.patinastores.com/catalog/home/decor/wall-art/imperfections-plaque.html

I confess, I have been lacking lately on the craft thing. I've been so busy with fixing up my yard and garden, among other life issues. So I have decided tomorrow I am going to craft something. I am not going to allow myself to buy anything. That's fairly easy because we don't have any money right now. But I want to craft something. Maybe I can paint my tiny bathroom. Maybe I can make up some garden stakes and tomato cages. I plan on letting it come to me tomorrow.
The Hubs is working late again. Good for money, but bad for missing him. Hopefully he won't be too late.
How is it that every time I come sit here to update my blog one of my spawn must interrupt me? Ugh! It's worse than when I'm on the phone. I'd better go check out the latest injury....

The Last Day! (Sort-of)

Today is my last day of work! At least until September. I work at a local university so I am off for the summer. It works out well for me to be off those months. With the spawn in summer I am running around constantly. They all go to camps and visit the grandparents individually and we go to Busch Gardens, the beach, and local spots. The kids are already begging me to take them to the Riva' so we can climb on the rocks. We'll have to wait for the stinking water to go down a lot until we can do that.



On a side note, we are getting a dumptruck load of dirt delivered on Wednesday! When we moved into this house, 2 years ago, there was an above ground pool here. I got rid of it immediately. I did not want to deal with the upkeep, repair, and my kids are very adventerous. So we have had a big hole in yard. We lovingly refer to it as the sand pit. When it rains it makes a nice disgusting pond, perfect for mosquito breeding. So finally we are getting topsoil! I plan on putting my garden there. I can't wait to not have that hole there!