It's been awhile!!

Wow...over 4 months since I updated.

WELL I've since had surgery, yesterday to be exact. Sinus surgery and I am trying to recover. It's loads of fun. I cannot wait until the packing material comes out on Monday. I am obsessed with the movie Borat, and I'm still a scrapbookin fool.

Right now I am trying to plan Christmas Cards for a workshop I am doing.

Planning a X-Mas list, and just trying to BREATHE.

Fun stuff.

Look at one of my Christmas presents...Alan found this last night.

That's about it skippy!

What I've been working on...

I've been working on Croppy's book! I have 6 pages done now. I need to scan the one so you can read the journaling.
I rather like how this page turned out.
The two I just finished are adorable I think. I just put them in the album though so I don't know how the pictures will come out.

I'm really excited to get Croppy on his journey. For those of you who don't know who or what Croppy is, he is a beanie baby that is now the mascot for Scrappintology!
He is going to travel the country and have his picture taken all over the US. My fellow Scrappintologists are going to complete pages in his album and send him along on his journey.

I still have quite a bit of photos to scrap. I hope to get him postal soon!

Here's one page:
Here's another page...quality of photo NOT SO GOOD. Sorry!

Some recent photos

(From the last 3 weeks)

Me, Croppy and the Dam! Sooo cute.

These were my cow friends...met them on our road trip through manure-filled CALIFORNIA!


This is Alan, me and Croppy the frog in Friant, CA. We were next to Millerton Dam. I set the camera on a ledge and I guess it was facing into the sun. This would have been a cute picture. I still like it though.


The recent additions to my frog collection! And CROPPY of course!


HAPPY 4th of JULY! Self portrait baby.


My results after messing with the fireworks setting on my camera!

Music or movies while SCRAPPIN?

DEFINITELY music! I pretty much always BLAST my music while in my scraproom. I like to listen to AOL Radio's Top Alternative, or XM Radio's Ethel. KROQ-y type of music!

For you So. CAL bloggers, check out KROQ.com, you can almost guarantee I'm rocking out to one of the most requested/most played songs.

Lately I've been loving:
Taking Back Sunday
Rise Against
Angels and Airwaves

and my fave song: BAD DAY!

Wow, very productive day today! Got lots accomplished with Close To My Heart! Check out my Close To My Heart site, I've updated things. Even added some artwork and changed "My Story". Worked a lot on building my customer base too.
I'm very excited!

TGIF & 2Peas Blog Challenge

Whew! What a week. 2 twelve-hour days in a row, and to top it all off I go and injure myself at work. I was doing the job of three people, and raced to get some filing done. I was working in these HUGE filing cabinets that each hold 200 files per drawer. Each one is full of papers, so I have to push them aside to get in the correct one to file, well I guess the strain was too much. SO I'm in pain. I don't know if the hernia is POPPED out or what, but the incision area feels really weird and hard to the touch. SO I'm going to the doctor Tuesday. My sergeant wanted to fill out an injury report and I told him to wait. I'm really hoping I didn't do something bad.

OH WELL, at least it's Friday. I'm going to work some OT tomorrow, but it's just boring data entry. I won't have to do anything but sit there, although sitting is what hurts most. MAYBE I SHOULD GET OFF THE COMPUTER!

Going to a stamp convention Sunday. I have lots of scrappin to do, and hopefully we can catch Pirates of the Caribbean! Hmmm Johnny Depp here I come.

Oh and for the 2Peas Challenge...I wouldn't call it my ALL-TIME favorite SUMMER movie, but it's definitely my favorite so far THIS summer: CLICK with Adam Sandler. IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY SEEN IT, GO NOW, RIGHT NOW! Even before Pirates!!! I really really enjoyed this movie.

Three weeks ago today...

...this was me.

BUT NOW, I'm all healed. Bandages are off, stitches have disolved and I'm pretty much pain free.

WOO HOO!

Still no heavy lifting though.
I made the mistake of doing way too much today and now I'm paying the price. PAIN.
Oh well that's what the good drugs are for.

I just cleaned my scrap area, so now I can actually sit down and work. I MIGHT EVEN FINISH CHRISELDA'S CJ! What a concept. Then I have to get started on my frog's book. Then then then...50 million things to do. I still need to make thank you cards for my surgeon and the hospital staff.

NEVER ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY!

THEY WON!

My Hurricanes won! They did it! They did it!

And my Cam Ward won MVP! Too bad he's not saving himself for me. During his press conference he announced his wedding date as July 22. How rude. HA I crack myself up.

I am so excited for NORTH CAROLINA, the Hurricanes and TERESE! HAHAHA And Terese, I meant that I'm excited to torture you, with more talk of the Canes! :)

Nothing else exciting going on. Worked 12 hours today. Was in major pain by the time I left. I had to unbutton my jeans just to drive. Fun stuff. Had some yummy lasanga leftovers and peas for dinner. YES peas!

Now I'm going to eat ice cream. Just in case you care...it's CHOCOLATE CHIP.

Here's some pictures of my men:



Cam making a save! :)



Awe...he's cute even with the playoff beard.



Captain Rod Brindamour...can you tell he was excited? HA that's the understatement of the year. I love when they first hoist the CUP over their head.

Love the next shot too...although YICK can you imagine the germs? Bleh!

Happy Father's Day

:)

Just called my dad to wish him a happy one. Did you?

Days like this make me wish I was closer to my dad. At least I had a decent conversation with him. The last few times I've talked to him have been nice. :)

Well this was a busy weekend. Next weekend we are going out of town and celebrating Alan's birthday. I can't wait!

I have 500 pictures to upload...including the ones from my hospital visit. I'll have to post some here too.

Until next time...

BUTTON IT!

Woo hoo! My fave show is back on! So glad Alan got me hooked on this last year. I love Chef Ramsey. He is bloody amazing. The things he says blow me away man. I can't believe he goes off like that. Looks like a crap bunch of contestants though. I'd send the whole lot home. Especially the ones sweating in the food. GROSS!

In case you watch the show and still haven't checked your TIVO for the evening, I won't ruin anything for you, but GO WATCH! Now. It was a 2-hour special. COME ON ALREADY!

On another TV note, did ya'll catch Windfall? My mom called me just as it was starting so I turned it on. Didn't get my attention till the end, but I rather like it. I think I'll give it another shot on Thursday. Man this being laid up in bed is really bad, I'm getting addicted to television.

Oh and speaking of TV, the new season of Simple Life is keeping me entertained as well. I about died on the first episode when they pulled up to West Hills Hospital! That's where I was Wednesday, RIGHT THERE, having surgery. Too funny. Small world. And Chapter 8, the club they go to in the 2nd episode, that place is off the hook. My deputies arrest people there all the time. Oh and it's not in Hollywood, it's in the city of Agoura, CA.

Ok I'm off to bed, I need my beauty sleep considering that Alan is back in town tomorrow! ;)

One week...

since he's been gone. Every day he calls when he opens my cards...and to see how I'm feeling.

Tomorrow I crack myself up...

This is one of the cheesiest cards...the rest were rather intricate, but I don't feel like sharing those with you all.

I'm glad Alan will be home. I need someone to help sweep the floors. HA He'll love that!

On another note, I actually was able to get some emails answered today. EVEN SOME SCRAPPIN! I sat at the computer without major pain for long periods of time. I'm HEALING!

Off to watch hockey.

*Sorry Chriselda, this whole post will probably make you sick*

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY ALAN!

Happy Birthday Babe!
I know you're up in Portland right now, but you have to be enjoying some part of the mini-vacation. You keep telling me how much you like the place and the hotel! Consider that part of your birthday present, the other half will be ME when you get home.

I hope you have a great birthday dinner tonight!

I miss you birthday boy!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

GUESS WHO IS HAVING SURGERY TOMORROW?

ME!
I have a epigastric hernia that needs repairing!
FUN FUN FUN!
I moved a lot of crap this weekend, lifted boxes and furniture I never should have and totally irritated my hernia. I've had it since I was like 5 years old. It's bugged me on and off for years, but I've always just put up with it. Well the last couple of days I've really been whining about it, so Alan said THAT'S IT, you're going to the emergency room! I said NO WAY, he said FINE you're taking tomorrow off and going to the doctor.
So I find an internist who can see me today, and schedule an appointment. In the meantime, I also get a referral for a surgeon who specializes in hernia repair. I scheduled an appointment with him for tomorrow.

I sat around all day waiting for my appointment, spent 5 minutes with the guy while he poked and prodded me. I about died...seriously. I was almost in tears it hurt so bad. Ok, so in case you don't know, I'm pretty dramatic. It's hard to outdo my drama-queen-ness. WELL, this doctor FLIPPED OUT. He said OMG you have to go to the hospital RIGHT AWAY! You need to see a surgeon. I'm scheduling you. I said well I have an appointment for a consultation tomorrow isn't that good enough.
Doctor says NO, you must go NOW. RIGHT NOW. TONIGHT! GO!
I start to freak out at this point...
Doctor gets on the phone with the surgeon to make sure I'll be seen right away! I am then hardly breathing...go downstairs to my mom's office (she works in the same medical building) and I am going nuts crying and flipping out. The office manager is so BLAH, could care less, I call my mom and am hysterical. Then my mom is flipping...

WELL to make a long story short, the surgeon saw me and says I'll live...until TOMORROW. Soooo that's what I'll be doing tomorrow @ 10:30!
HAVING FREAKING HERNIA REPAIR SURGERY.

I cannot believe it.
And Alan is leaving town too...for a week. And his birthday is Sunday. This is just nuts. Poor thing DOES NOT want to even go on this business trip in the first place, and now he really doesn't. He's so sweet. I love him dearly. I just feel bad for the guy!

AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS!?
Good thing I'm not having surgery tonight.

Oh and for all of you scrapbookers, don't worry, I'll be scrapbooking this event!

:)
Wish me luck

My fingers smell like...

BBQ sauce. YUM! YA RIGHT. It's starting to make me sick. Pretty good dinner though. At least Alan was trying for one. He ordered a whole bunch of italian food...and ribs? How is that Italian? Oh and some CARROT CAKE TOO.
YUM Anyway...thanks to Alan I came home to a lovely dinner. Oh and I had me some pepperoni pizza. Worked freakin 12 hours today. SO MUCH FUN.

Then my sister came over with her pot for me. I mean POTS. HAHA She is in a ceramics class and she made me a bunch of cool stuff. Quite the talented kid. I'll have to post pictures.

Looking forward to the 3-day weekend. :)

WHOO! TAYLOR HICKS STYLE!

GO TAYLOR!
I couldn't be happier right now.

I screamed outloud when Ryan announced it. WICKED WICKED!
I am so happy for him.

And boy oh boy. All of those Chris moments tonight. ESPECIALLY THE MALE BONDING DEAL WITH CHRIS AND ACE! GOOD LORD. BREAK ME OFF A PIECE OF THAT!

I was drooling!

GOING TO SLEEP WITH A HUGE SMILE ON MY FACE!

:)

SOUL PATROL! SOUL PATROL!

VOTE FOR TAYLOR BABY!

TAYLOR HICKS rocked the house tonight!
So much better than that witch.

I have voted 30 times...still voting.

YA'LL BETTER HAVE VOTED FOR HIM!

I am so glad he got the better song.

SOUL PATROL SOUL PATROL!
WHOO!

Don't forget to sign up...

for the Close To My Heart Scrapbook Sweepstakes! You've still got a couple days left! You could win a Scrapbook kit in the daily drawings, or the grand pize Scrapbook/Stamp kit worth over $250!!!

Click here to sign up! Don't forget to put my name in the blanks: Kara Dowling

The link for the contest is in the lower left-hand corner of my site.

For those of you who have already signed up...and Chriselda, HERE I GO NOT TALKING ABOUT HOCKEY...or SPORTS. Ya happy!? Wait actually no, I take that back. I might be going to the NBA Conference Finals! That is if the Clippers win tonight. Ok enough sports. I am hungry. What about that!? ISN'T THAT JUST THE SINGLE MOST INTERESTING THING EVER!? I just got home from work. Gotta get dinner started. I think I'll make a lasanga. Ya'll should try my lasanga. It's the best.

Ok there, I talked about something else. The other thing that happened today was RAIN. It was great. All 5 drops of it. I don't get why people flip out over rain. I love the rain. Too bad it's already gone and now it's going to be 1000 degrees for three months. Loving the fact that it's a holiday weekend coming up. Too bad I have no money to do anything fun...how rude.

YA'LL NEED TO PLACE SOME ORDERS WITH ME, give me some income.

HHAHA
The pressure is on!

They're not smiling anymore...

Here's the Devils yesterday after they managed a win...


I thought maybe they had a chance today... but they let me down.

I am now cheering for this guy...Cam Ward. Total hottie of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Waiting for tomorrow when the picture of Cam meeting his childhood idol, Martin Brodeur is posted. That was the cutest thing I'd ever seen.

Well Happy Mother's Day everyone! I hope you all had a fab day. Even though I haven't given birth to anyone, Alan helped make it a nice day for me too. Made me breakfast, and then we went and I got a mani/pedi. Saw Keeping Up With the Steins, which was actually really cute. And then we went to Stonefire Grill for a YUMMY lunch. YOU SHOULD SEE THE PIECE OF CARROT CAKE I GOT! I could eat on it for a week. That will be breakfast tomorrow.

We just hung out the rest of the day and watched hockey. Alan taught me to play some different versions of poker. Started playing with real money and I wooped his ass. Won all $16 of his dollars. (Played in quarters and dimes, don't get excited!)

Ok well tomorrow I am home ALL DAY, watching some-young-guy install a new shower/bathtub. Hopefully I'll get a lot done.

He's still my AMERICAN IDOL...

NO MATTER WHAT ALL OF YOU PEOPLE THAT DIDN'T VOTE FOR HIM SAY...I LOVE CHRIS DAUGHTRY!

Now that it's been an hour since I heard the devastating news I have calmed down a bit. Thanks to Chriselda and 2Peas. Chris is better off without Idol. He will shine being away from the "Idol bubble" and I can't wait for that. I will be first in line to buy his cd, and I'll support his career in whatever way that I can. I think he's great, and I am sad to see him go. Now who will I drool over on Tuesday and Wednesday night?!?

Here is my initial reaction (emailed to Terese)...THANKS TERESE FOR NOT BEING THERE. Grr...I can't believe you left me, as an East Coaster, you should have been here to comfort me!

I am ready to cry.
I could spit I am so angry.
I don't get it.
I don't understand.
It's rigged.
It has to be.
This isn't fair.
Chris is my second love.
(Alan being the first of course.)
This just isn't right.
Something happened with the voting.
I voted 25 times for him.
THIS IS NOT FAIR.


You didn't say anything, but I knew. I JUST GOT FINISHED SAYING "If they do to me what they did last year with my Constantine, I am NOT watching anymore." And Alan laughed and said yeah but Kara, Constantine wasn't that good. It's ok, don't worry. Chris is safe.
THEN THAT **expletiveS (yes plural) deleted** RYAN HAD TO GO AND BREAK MY HEART!

Ya'll should vote for a recount of Chris' votes.
I know it was rigged. But actually I don't want him back on the show. Much to my dismay, he doesn't need Idol. He will do better without it!

http://www.petitiononline.com/ChrisD06/petition.html (Oh and there were 459 votes when I voted, now there are 718!)


**NEWS UPDATE**
They are offering $100,000 to Ace Young for something dirty? Hell I'd pay $200,000 to Chris for the same offer. HEHE Wait maybe I should hear what it is first!

*I know what you're thinking Chriselda*

ANYWAY...I think this was totally rigged. And a certain female contestant has something to do with it. But I can't say what I really think. Too many people will not agree with my conspiracy theory. (LMAO Chriselda!)

Going to go cry in the other room until the 11 o'clock news comes on.

I HEART CHRIS.

Best Response of the Year Award

One of my sergeants sent to this me today, I think this is a great comeback:

If you ever testify in court, you might wish you could have been as sharp as this policeman. He was being cross-examined by a defense attorney during a felony trial. The lawyer was trying to undermine the policeman's credibility....

Q: "Officer -- did you see my client fleeing the scene?"

A: "No sir. But I subsequently observed a person matching the description of the offender, running several blocks away."

Q: "Officer -- who provided this description?"

A: "The officer who responded to the scene."

Q: "A fellow officer provided the description of this so-called offender. Do you trust your fellow officers?"

A: "Yes, sir. With my life."

Q: "With your life? Let me ask you this then officer. Do you have a room where you change your clothes in preparation for your daily duties?"

A: "Yes sir, we do!"

Q: "And do you have a locker in the room?"

A: "Yes sir, I do."

Q: "And do you have a lock on your locker?"

A: "Yes sir."

Q: "Now why is it, officer, if you trust your fellow officers with your life, you find it necessary to lock your locker in a room you share with these same officers?"

A: "You see, sir -- we share the building with the court complex, and sometimes lawyers have been known to walk through that room."

The courtroom erupted in laughter, and a prompt recess was called. The officer on the stand has been nominated for this year's "Best Comeback" line -- and we think he'll win.

Scrapbook Sweepstakes!

Don't forget that May is National Scrapbooking Month! Close To My Heart is having a great sweepstakes. Sign up to win a basket worth $250 of supplies! You could be the lucky winner!

Click here and SIGN UP today!

:)

I'm a DEFENSIVE DRIVER...

Really I am! Ask the deputies who just trained me! I just got back from a Defensive Driver Training course at the Sheriff's Academy. It was the most wicked training I've ever attended. If only they would have given me that class when I was 15... today wouldn't be the first time I could truthfully say I PARALLEL PARKED A CAR PERFECTLY! (And a BLACK AND WHITE, REAL-LIFE Police car at that!) HAHA And I mean textbook style...I could have trained ya'll it was such a flawless performance! We did all kinds of crazy maneuvers in obstacle courses too. It was awesome. I had a blast. The deputies were pretty funny too. Only bad thing was that I had to wake up at 3:45 AM to get there this morning. At least my day was finished early. Got 10.5 hours in, and I'm home at 4:30, so I'm not complaining!

Ok time for a nap...I'll prolly dream about parallel parking!

:)

LAZY Sunday!

This is how I feel today...
Well minus the Bud Light anyway. I'll be replacing that with a Smirnoff Ice! It's so bloody hot and it's not even May 1st yet! I can't believe it. This summer is going to be the death of me.

I wish I could live in a hockey rink!

Whew! Well I've actually been rather productive today. I did 2 loads of laundry, cleaned the counter/table off, sorted all of my mail and junk for the week, responded to all of my emails, put away all of my clothes, and I watched 2 hockey games. PLAYOFF HOCKEY is the best! GO DEVILS GO! Wait, Go Devils and GO Avs! The Colorado Avs just knocked out Dallas. Totally wicked!

Here are some great pictures from this weekend's action (thanks NHL.com!) The one with Edmonton's Winchester and the octopus is classic. Oh and normally I wouldn't have anything to do with the DUCKS, but I do love Sean O'Donnell and this is a cool picture, anything to do with PAIN and Iginla is good in my book. Then the last picture is my Jamie Langenbrunner congratulating Patrick Elias after he scored his second goal of the game. Devils won 4-2 and ended up SWEEPING the Rangers! GO DEVILS!

Thursday Blogger Challenge...

Complete these statements:

1. My current favorite song: Bad Day, Daniel Powter
2. The last book I read: Wicked, Gregory Maguire
3. What I'm wearing right now: Flannel PJs
4. The last cd I bought: Fall Out Boy
5. The last gift I bought for someone: Brighton Business Card holder

On another note, wow what a day! Called in sick yesterday, and woke up feeling nasty again this morning. (Sinus and allergy issues!) Call my Sergeant and he says NOooo you HAVE TO come in today. Yesterday was Administrative Professionals Day and you missed it, you HAVE TO come in sometime today. I said ok fine and got in the shower. Went into work with a massive headache and on my desk is a beautiful boquet of roses and a GIANT box. AWE! I was so touched. Big note that said Thank You too. I tear into the box and it's that Colorbok Kit that was on QVC a few weeks back. The scrapbooking special that Lisa Bearnson hosted. How cute is that? My Sergeant actually watched the show and ordered it for me. I couldn't have been more surprised. Heck of a lot better than chocolate ya know? I think he's a great man! Too cute that he got me scrapbookin' stuff!

Ok well I am off to watch more PLAYOFF hockey!

:)

2Peas Challenge: Most beautiful person I WISH I knew...

ANGELINA JOLIE!
She is flippin gorgeous. I have loved her for years. Not only is she a very attractive lady, she is quite the humanitarian. Don't get me started with the whole Brangelina Jennifer Aniston thing. I'm so over that. But if you want to play that game, I'm on TEAM JOLIE!

BESTILL MY HEART CHRIS!

WHEW! Ya'll best be sending me some napkins to wipe the drool. I have never enjoyed watching American Idol more than I did tonight. Chris Daughtry was HOT. I don't know if it's the bald head, his hot voice, the facial hair, or all three combined, but MAN OH MAN do I love him. He is my IDOL. Paula cried tonight, well Kara's heart melted. Go Chris Go!


Oh and I don't know whose blog I was reading, but someone had an American Idol drinking game posted. I only skimmed through it, but I noticed the deal for Ryan clasping his hands together. He sure does that a lot. I would love to find that again.

Truly funny!

Introducing ME!

Close To My Heart's newest consultant! I'm official now, just received my consultant kit today. I am so excited to get started. Really not trying to sound like a salesman here, but I do love their product. They have the cutest stamps and the MyAcrylix idea is brilliant. I love that the stamps are clear and you can see EXACTLY where you are stamping!

Now I'm off to read my manual and get my website up! Soon I'll have a 24-hour store!

WOo hoo!

SHARPIE Charlie!!

OMG, if only ya'll could have been here to experience this in person. I'm in my back room and in comes Alan and Jenna LAUGHING hysterically, carrying Sharpies in their hands. I know they had to have tortured Charlie yet again...(he has a thing about Sharpies, can't stand the smell, so Alan always tries to get the markers close to his nose, DRIVES ME UP THE WALL!) so I said WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY POOR DOG NOW!? Well I look at him and he has BLACK SHARPIE BETWEEN HIS EYES! I flipped out. THEN Alan says WAIT let me finish drawing his HARRY POTTER glasses. And I said NO! It turned into this hysterical event. I went after Alan to SHARPIE him, and he gets me right back because he's a lot stronger. Of course I'm wearing a WHITE sweater, so I said FINE, surrended and fell in my chair practically peeing myself. Quite the comedy...Here's Charlie: (Oh and don't worry, it was easily removed and Charlie gave Alan a great big kiss!)

Happy Easter Ya'll!

I hope the Easter bunny is good to you! Enjoy your day :)
Kara

Love me my...

"Jew Dogs!" **Please know that this is strictly a joke and is not meant to offend anyone!** I just recently started eating meat again...first thing I ate was a Hebrew National hot dog. I quickly took to calling these wonderful things "Jew dogs." Don't ask, the name has just stuck! Even marked it on my calendar this way. I'm such a brat. I reckon this is another reason to visit Costco, as they serve these. Yum!

Ok, I'm officially a BLOGGER now!

I've been reading blogs for months now, and I keep MEANING to create one. WELL I was just threatened with the end of a friendship if I didn't create one. SO here ya go Chriselda!