May the FOURTH Be With You!

Happy Star Wars Day Everyone!!

Lets just say, in my past, I have been called "Queen of the Nerds."
Yup.
I played Magic.
I collected Marvel cards.
I was really into Star Wars.
I dated nerdy boys.
I took Japanese and was into anime.
I was a geek. And proud of it.
(Still am too!)

Here is some geekery for you to enjoy.

Now, have a nice cold drink.

Prop up your feet and pop in a DVD.

Preferably from the original trilogy.

(Its the only one worth watching.)

This scene is pretty bad ass.

I'll give Lucas that.

AND MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU!

*photo source - WeHeartIt*

Product Placement Thursday!! Beauty Review.

Yes, I know its not Thursday yet.

Deal with it. 

Cordially, KelsyC

Recently, I've become slightly obsessed with nail polish.  

Never in my life have I ever been this diligent with making sure they are painted.

I'm just way to lazy AND I never really cared.

But now my philosophy is

short, trimmed, and changed often.  

I don't care if its expensive polish or the $.99 stuff! I just love color.

And lots of it! Matching or not.  Whatever fits my mood.

And I discovered a product that has become INDISPENSABLE during my nail polish adventures.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-chip Top Coat.

Let me tell you, this stuff is AH-mazing!!! It's a little on the expensive side but worth every penny.

One quick coat makes ANY nail polish virtually indestructible.

Even the cheap stuff.  

And it dries ANY polish in 2 minutes or under!

That means I can go almost a full 7 days (okay, really more like 5) with a next to perfect manicure.

Which for me, is great.  

10-15 minutes to remove the old coat and put on a new one.

Add the top coat.

Wait two minutes.

Dry.

You can even go to bed within 30 minutes of painting, and with the top-coat, 

NO smudging!!!

So for a lazy, unmotivated, time-crunched mom, this stuff is perfect.

It also works nicely for wiggly toddlers who want their toes painted

BUT don't want to sit still long enough for them to dry!

**I am not paid for any product reviews!**

Any product opinions are based on my true feelings.

I am not paid or compensated in anyway.

However

Should anyone want to send me products to review, I will do so gladly.

And I will make sure to notify my readers as such.

Craft Remission

So my plan today was to be lazy.

Just do nothing. I busted my butt yesterday cleaning and today I wanted to relax.

Last night we lost power and Goose woke up in the middle of the night scared so I brought her to bed with Hubs and I. Which means that I got no sleep. But Goose slept until almost 11!! I got up at 9, did some Wii Fit and went back to bed for a bit.

Then Goose got up and we watched cartoons. Well, she watched cartoons and I fell back asleep on the couch. I woke up around lunch time-ish, whenever that was. Made some lil smokies for lunch and then watched "Too Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar." Oh, its one of my favorite movies. Miss Vida Boehm, Noxema Jackson, and Chichi Rodriguez. Definately one of my top 5 favorite movies EVER!

Then I sorted Gooses clothes and got a big box of things that were too small. I'll either give it to a friend or donate it to Goodwill. Now her clothes fit in her dresser again. HA!

And that was the extent of what I did today.

And really, it was more than I wanted to do.

BUT, while digging though the GW box,

I found a couple pairs of maternity jeans I was going to get rid of.

I decided I could make better use of the fabric...

I chopped up one of the legs.

The flower I'll be showing you requires 5 petals cut as shown above.

(Mine are roughly 1in tall and 2in wide)

Size according to the size of your finished flower.

Stitch them together using a running/gathering stitch. Shape and secure petals in place. Add a center. I used beads on these flowers, but you can use buttons or earrings (ya know, the ones that have lost their mate) or glue rhinestones on them... whatever suits your fancy.

>

To finish the flower off, I cut a small heart out of felt and attached it to the back of my flower with fabric glue (hot glue would work too, or you could stitch it in place). Not only does this cover the stitching but it also adds a sturdy foundation if you chose to make a brooch or hair clip.

Personally, I just attach my blooms with a plain old safety pin. Then you can wear it like a brooch or attach it to a hair tie or bobby pin it in your hair. The safety pin goes through the felt much easier than the flower fabric which is al bunched and sewn.

I like adding blooms to hats.

It can completely change the WHOLE look!

(You may remember this hat from my last Wardrobe Remix post...)

And a few more styles:

Hope you like them!

I have "grown" quite the garden recently!

Oh, how I love fleurs!

Mommy's Artiste!

Saturday was one month since Molly passed

and it has still hit us all pretty hard.

The other day, I cried when we got home and I didn't smell the stench of dog. My heart breaks a little every time I see the gate to the back yard open or when I leave a plate on the counter knowing it won't get doggy-napped.

And of course, none of this has been lost on Goose. She misses Molly too. Lately, all of the "family" pictures she has drawn include Molly. They didn't really when Molly was alive. Like the picture below...

Mommy, Daddy, Goose and Molly.

See the "blob" in the top left?

The one with the "halo?"

That's Molly.

In heaven.

Watching over our family.

And today she was talking to her Unca Micha (my brother) on the phone. She told him that our new dog's name is Mimi. (Note: Mimi is a combination of "Kiki" and "Molly", Goose came up with this all on her own!) He must have asked her if we were getting a new dog because she told him "No, my mommy's heart is still broken."

I teared up a little. But it's true, and that's what I told her. That Molly was really special to me and I'm just not ready for another dog yet. At least not until we buy a house (and we are contemplating some major changes that are not suited for pet ownership.)

It gets easier, not having a dog around. I must say though... I haven't had to go to bed with out Hubs yet. Molly was my security alarm. When Hubs was gone, I let her sleep on the bed. Right as my feet. And her ears would perk up and a growl would start in her throat...

Okay, I can't talk about it any more without crying like a fool and today has been a good day so far.

I may be back later with another crafty post.

Depends on if I can get it all done after dinner and before the...

JACK BAUER (TWO?) HOUR(S?) OF POWER!!!

ETA - Yes, it WAS 2 hours of Jack Bauer.

I'm really happy that they brought Rene back.

And she is all BAD ASS!

And Freddy Prinze Jr. is still HOT!

Even if he IS a pretty boy.

And what's up with Dana/Jenny? Scandalous!

I love 24!

Thursday. Thursday.

It's Thursday, the week is almost over and I am itching for the weekend to get here. It's supposed to be sunny which means we don't have to stay inside all weekend. Yippee!

I love NBC's Thursday niht line up, although I am feeling especially creative today. I have to balance TV time with scrappin' time to keep Hubs happy. And since The Office is one of our shows, I really make an effort not to stay in my scrap-lair all night.

There are three nights a week that are TV nights with Hubs and I, where we cuddle on the couch. Or more likely, I cuddle on the couch with the cat and Hubs f*cks around on his ATV forums. I really should give more credit though. He makes a point that during 24 and The Office to sit with me (actually, I whine until he gets off the computer) and we cuddle and sometimes have popcord.

It's Wednesday nights that I especially make a point to watch TV with Hubs though. He absoulutely hates/loves LOST. Hates, in that he wouldn't watch it if not for me and loves, because its just an entertaining show. I make him watch it because I find it actually keeps his bitching about the show to a minimum. He likes to complain about this show and its worse when he doesn't watch or misses an episode. But I find if I make him stay up to date he complains less. Secretly, I know he likes this show.

Believe me, I understand the love/hate relationship one can have with LOST. I have been a loyal follower since the begining and every episode leaves me saying "HUH?" or screaming "Nooooooo!" at the TV because I'm not ready for the show to end. And that there is the difference between Hubs and my love of this show. He hates that every show leaves more questions than it answers and I love that about this show. That and I have supreme faith in "Darlton" (true Lost-ies will know what I'm talking about) that when the show ends next season that it will blow up out of the water.

Did anyone watch LOST last night? OMG! OMG! OMG! I won't say anything but the previews have me SUPER excited for next week's episode. Looks to be a good one and I can't wait.

And in Office news it's a re-run tonight. I'll probably still be watching. I can't get enough of The Office and besides, Office re-runs are still better than whatever else is on, for sure! So maybe I will get some crafting in tonight after all!

Happy Thursday to you!

To lighten the mood... The Office Humor

Today, thanks to Patti at Vintage Mafia, I found the most amazing thing! They are called Anti-Theft Lunch Bags! Made of reusable and recyclable plastic and are designed with big green splotches on either side, made to look like mold. (And right now they are on sale with a 5% donation to Freedom From Hunger.)

And as I sit here looking at my "I love Jim" coffee mug (yes, I am that much of an Office dork and YES, I DO have the whole set!) I am inspired to think of Jim playing (a) hilarious prank(s) on Dwight using these bags as his set up.

Let us reflect on some of Jim's more memorable pranks... from this season, my favorite so far is Jim attaching the red wire to Dwight's desk and running it through the parking and up a telephone pole. And then of course, (from season 3 I think) when Jim gradually added nickels to Dwights phone then removed them one day, thus making the phone so much lighter, Dwight smacks himself in the face with it. How could I not add the classic, from the pilot episode, when Jim put all of Dwight's office supplies in jello.

My personal favorite, I must say though, was the cold open in which Jim came in dressing and acting like Dwight... in fact... I already blogged it and you can view the clip ---> here.

Anyway, I can just imagine Jim buying these then replacing Dwight's sandwich bag every day and then give him some ruse about how the fridge is haunted or something like that. That is, if Dwight brings something other than Beet salad for lunch.

Or perhaps Jim would eat his (tuna) sandwich out of the bag therefore freaking Dwight out. Because, although it's never really been addressed on the show (unless you count the "Survivor Man" episode from last season, in which Dwight saved Michael from eating the poisonous mushrooms), I would be willing to bet everything that Dwight has a vast knowledge of all things fungi. Or at least he thinks he does... Dwight is a little "endearing" in that way.

So, The Office producers, if you happen to be reading this, remember where you saw it. I don't require any monetary compensation if you wish to feature my ideas on your show, a small reoccurring guest role would be fine with me. Or even just a one episode spot? Or even just lunch with Jim and Pam?!? I mean... John and Jenna! Okay?



PS - I'm serious about the compensation... no, really... I'm serious.

Peace for Caylee

As some of you know, I have been following the Caylee Marie Anthony case since I first learned about it in August.

For a bit of a recap, Caylee went missing on June 16th. Her young mother, Casey (22), never reported her missing. Casey lived her life for a month with not a care in the world, partying, stealing from her best friend (she is also currently facing check fraud charges) all the while telling everyone she knew that Caylee was with the "nanny" (who never even existed) or with her parents. When Casey's mom/Caylee's grandmother, Cindy, finally confronted Casey on July 15, all hell broke loose. Cindy and George (Casey's parents) had picked up Casey's car from the impound, where it had been for nearly 3 weeks, reeking of death.

Casey was arrested, then let out, then rearrested, then let out, then after a Grand Jury hearing, she was arrested again for Caylee's murder. George, a former law enforcement officer, had to testify against his own daughter at the hearing. And the Grand Jury came back with an indictment against Casey for Caylee's murder.

The more documentation that come out in the case (check Investigation Discovery for all the details!), the guiltier Casey looks. She has shown little remorse and literally every word that has come from her mouth has been confirmed to be a lie. Her attorney, Jose Baez (who seems to be of a questionable nature himself), claims that once Casey has had a chance to tell her story we will all understand. I find that hard to believe...

Then in early December remains of a small child were found not more than 3 miles from the Anthony home. And then after weeks of anxiously waiting, the remains were confirmed to be Caylee's. More information came out and we learned that the skull was wrapped in duct tape covering the mouth and had a heart sticker placed on the mouth area. The tape had to be cut from the child's hair to be removed. There is only one reason I can think of for taping up a child's mouth and it's absolutely heart-breaking.

And finally today, the Anthony family has laid Caylee to rest. Her public memorial was shown live on CNN. I watched the last half of it online once I got to work and cried most of the time. I don't know what it is about that little girl from Orlando, Florida (a whole world away, it seems) that has captured my heart in such a way. And of couse, her selfish mother released a statement saying she was against the public memorial.

Maybe it's because I can see so much of my daughter in her. Goose is the same age now that Caylee was when she went missing. Maybe, its because, in some weird way, I identify with Casey. We are both young mothers, have friends who are out partying. I understand the frustrations of toddler-dom and the demands that it makes on your sanity. Granted, that is, thankfully where the similarities end. Or maybe, its just that this case has been so damn bizarre from the get go that the Forensic Scientist (oh.... my dream job...) in me couldn't help but be drawn to it.

In a few months, or perhaps longer if the Prosecution is granted their motion to change the trial date (currently set for March, I believe) or if the Defense is granted their motion for change of venue, Caylee will get real justice. Because I have faith in the American Justice system, and law enforcement officers, and the forensic investigators, and the prosecutors to give her that justice. And because I have faith that the Jury will see the strong physical and circumstantial evidence for what it is and come back with a one word verdict... GUILTY.

But for now, I will take peace that Caylee has been brought home. Caylee has finally been given the farewell that she deserves, but that no two year old (or family of a two year old) should ever have to go through. I'm not much of a praying person, but I will say a prayer for Caylee today, and I see none more fitting than the Child's Prayer.

Now I lay me down to sleep;
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
Amen

Caylee, I'm sorry your mother didn't love you enough. I'm sorry you were raised by a sociopath. I want you (and your family) to know that there are many people who have been just as touched by your story as I have been. You will always have a special place in my heart.



I'll make sure and give Goose an extra hug for you tonight and every night.
You will not be forgotten!

Mustard, eggplant and a Goose.

Its time for Friday Favorites!!!

My two favorite colors right now are:


Mustard yellow and an eggplant-y dark purple.

Remember the YELLOW shoes and the PURPLE scarf?

I don't know what it is about those colors, but I can't get enough. A while ago I ordered a mustard yellow scarf (I know... another scarf...) from StellaCrafts on Etsy (it was $10 with a free hat) and it came yesterday. I'm in love. *swoon* They match my yellow shoes perfectly but I'm not a matchy-matchy person. I like to "coordinate" there is a difference!

And of course my Goose. How could I forget. She was with my mom and the Gruesome Twosome (Emmy-monster and Harley-beast) yesterday and the girls played dress up and had makeovers. Gooses' finger and toe nails are purple and you can still see some of the purple eyeshadow on her eyes. I hate to think of how bad it must have looked BEFORE my mom wiped most of it off!

Just thought this picture was fitting for my Friday Favs though, since I'm wearing my *new* yellow hat and scarf and she is decked from head to toe (literally!) in purple!


She loves my kisses, really! Her mouth was full of peas.

What can I say, my kid loves her veggies!

Well, thats all for now.

Oh! Actually I forgot... I am going to be updating my Etsy store tonight, so check it out later this weekend for some brand new pretties!

PS - Did you catch The Office last night! My favorite thing was that Pam was still making Michael sit in the back seat (any Dunderhead will surely remember the incident from the Diwalii episode in Season 3), brilliant! And I love that Pam was able to make her peace with Karen, I always kinda liked her and thought they would be good friends if not for Jim.... anyway, thats all for my Office comentary 'till next week!

Feeding Frenzy...

First off let me say that Jessica Simpson is a very beautiful woman. She looked smokin' when she did car washing video in the red bikini. Yes, she has gained some weight, not much... 20 pounds at most... but she is still an extremely pretty (and famous and rich and her BF is super hot, even if I'm not a Cowgirls fan) girl. Personally, I like her better this way, rather than all twiggy.



That said, WTF is she wearing? Who told her she looked good in mom jeans and a boob-fat squishing tank top... tucked in... with an 80's-ed out belt (or two?). If her stylist put her in that... she should be fired. If J-Simp put that outfit together all on her own, she should be slapped... hard. No really... it's terrible and she looks terrible in it.

So her little (and less famous) sis Ashlee needs to shut the F*CK up and realize that if her Jess had better fashion sense no one would be having this conversation in the first place.

Why I love Dear Abby...

...because of sweet little gems like this from today's edition:

"DEAR ABBY: I vote thongs up. My manicurist's mother -- a woman in her 80s -- recently moved in with her. While doing her mother's laundry, she came across a thong. Shocked, she said, "Mom!" Her mother replied, "I'm not dead yet." -- CAROL IN BURLINGTON, VT. "

Personally, I wear thongs for fashion over comfort. Nothing looks worse than a panty line. Eweee... My undie of choice tends to be a boy-short type. (Sorry if TMI!) But hey, it's not like I wear 4 inch heels for comfort either! LOL!

I tried... I really did.

I tried not to buy you, but I was in love. When you were first listed on Monday, I knew I wanted you immediately. ButI need another scarf like I need a hole in the head... but it was SO pretty. And PURPLE! But I restrained myself (well, the empty checking account helped alot too). I checked on you every day, making sure you weren't sold. No, still there, as if saying "Buy me Kelsy, you deserve it!" And yet STILL I restrained myself.

Then last night, inside my half of the fortune cookie that came with our Chinese food (the other half was graciously shared with Goose), the deal was sealed. My fortune read...

"You will find power with the color purple this week."

Huh?

Who know what that means, but it was enough for me. It was out of my hands, fate sealed the deal. I mean, c'mon... it was written in a fricken FORTUNE COOKIE for sh*ts sake. That scarf was supposed to belong to me!

So today, after depositing my paycheck, I checked DreamsOfMay's Etsy Store one. more. time. And it was still there. See, meant to be. I told ya.

Now, its on its way to my door and will be warming my neck very soon.

My dilemma...

Do I fold socks... YES... that is ALL socks (told you it was about 3 feet high) LOL!



Or do I play with the new felt I got. It was on sale at J's 6 for $0.96 so I bought way too much (yet still spent under $20, its a RECORD!)



First I need to eat dinner, Hubs brought home pizza. Then I will decide (my guess is the felt will win, I'm feeling creative tonight!)

Fancy Hats

This isn't really a fancy hat, just a plain black knit cap. But it sure looks fancy with that flower pin on it, huh?

I bought a bunch of crocheted flowers and leaves from a seller on Etsy ages ago, and I apologize for not being able to remember/figure out who you are, but I finally did something with them. They were a little larger than I thought they would be so I didn't know what to do with them.



I decided to make a pin, actually for Goose, to put on a cheap knit hat I picked up for her. It was just plain and I wanted it to be fancy so I made this. I stitched the flowers to a piece of felt, right now it just held on my a safety pin, still need to sew the pin part on.

Well, I liked it too much to give to Goose. And I am justifying keeping it for myself because it ended up being too big for a child's hat. I have to make her one with just one flower and leaf. I'll post a pic once I get around to that, but don't hold your breath, it might be a while!

MIA

I know I've been missing for a while. I've still been scrappin' and craftin' and I'd like to say I've been super busy but I really haven't. To be honest I have been completely obsessed with the Caylee Anthony case. Scouring the internet for every last possible bit of info. I even joined a message board so that I could be "in the know" with the latest information.

Now, I have always been a true crime junkie. I even went to college with the intention of working in Forensics. That hasn't quite panned out, you know how life gets in the way... Anyway, I have always been into this sort of thing, but there is something about this case that has me completely immersed. At first there was something that made me identify with Caylee's mother, Casey. We are a similar age, our daughters are the same age. I wanted to believe that there was no way she could hurt her baby. But yesterday the Orange County Sheriffs Department released 400 pages of information pertaining to the case and its shocking to say the least.

When Casey's 3 year old allegedly disappeared, she did nothing. Waited 30 days until her parents confronted her. She has stolen from friends and family. Lied to everyone she has ever known and yet her little girl is out there someone. I want so much for Caylee to be found, but I know the sad reality here as in many cases similar. What you have is a selfish young woman who cared so much more for herself than her child.

It just rocks me to the core. This whole case. Every time I read something new on this case, I just want to hug my daughter a little tighter. I think of Caylee and the hugs her mother didn't give her and I give Goose an extra one. As if, some where, Caylee is being comforted by it.

If you want to learn more about Caylee Anthony, I've posted a link below.
http://investigation.discovery.com/blogs/criminal-report/casey_anthony_full_coverage/caylee_anthony.html

The Office - Future Dwight Schrute Fax

It never gets old.

Angela has one too...

a blog that is! And she is really very sweet, much unlike her character on the show. But oh how I love her character on the show! Anway, you can find her blog here. Jenna (Pam) has a blog too. When she posts a new one, I'll give you the link!

Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica.

For your viewing pleasure.

From the desk of Kevin

Yes, that Kevin. He blogs too. He wrote a blog today. Here it is!

The Office is BACK!

My all time favorite show is returning to NBC tonight after months of being off the air due to the writer's strike. I love this show. I feel personally invested in each and every one of the unique characters in this ensemble. The Office is finally back on the air. My Thursday nights have purpose once again. Sorry American Idol, I won't be watching the results show tonight. But I don't usually watch it anyway. I can only handle so much of Ryan Fucking Seacrest (more on that later) anyway. Being on the west coast I have the opportunity to go online (at about 7pm) and find the results early. I would much rather spend my time watching My Name is Earl, 30 Rock, The Office (of course) and Scrubs. Its a wonderful thing, really. If you have never watched, you should. I'm not going to try to convince you, you just need to figure it out on your own. And if you need a little push, watch the clip I posted below. I think its one of my favorite scenes, or at least in the top 5. I seriously love this show and picking a favorite scene would be damn near impossible.

Is she wearing a shirt for pants?

UM... yeah, I thought so... just checking.