cutting back

So we did the math, and it turns out we're gonna owe the IRS $1,800 this year. Combine that with the $1,500 we spent at the Doggie Emergency Room over the weekend because our dogs got into a pack of dog-toxic chewing gum, and you get a bucketful of budget. Budgets equal a whole lotta ramen noodle dinners. But hey, in times like these you can exercise your creativity. Like, what can I add to my 25 cent noodles tonight to make them taste different than they did yesterday? 98 cent frozen veggies, that's what.

yay me!

happy thoughts

I've got to have a break from all the dreariness that is Ohio winter. Or at least, I need something to plan that hints at an escape, no matter how brief, from the cloudiness. So I'm preparing my annual best-friend-escape-to-Austin-vacation. April is what we aim for. I'm already suppressing inaudible squeals of delight every time I think about it. Here are some shots from my last two trips to the live music capitol of the U.S.A. (maybe I'll actually see some live music this time around).

the BIG day

Take away all the outlandish expectations. Take away the parades, the tacky decorations, the oversized Constitution float. Ignore Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers and U2 and Mary J. Blige. Forget about the whole circus that does nothing but cheapen it. Wash all that crap away, and you have one man who did a very profound thing today. 

I sat in a crowded lunch room and watched as history was made. Some people cried. Some people made snarky comments about George W. Bush. But mostly we all sat there, frozen in the enormity of it all. It doesn't matter who you wanted to be standing there, in front of all those people, making that speech. Barack Obama is standing there, in front of all those people, making his speech. You can't ignore the significance. 

This is an important day for America, and I'm proud to be around to witness it.

stuff i get paid for...

So. How many people do you know that can say they've designed a Tweety Bird calendar? I'm guessing just me. Try to contain your jealousy. In addition to Tweety, I've designed such heavy hitters as; Roosters, Secret Live of Presidents & Their First Ladies, Pug Shots & Horses (mini calendar). 

Also, here's some Five Star stickers that I did for your notebook customizing pleasure. Yes, I did manage to sneak a little pug into the animal sheet. You can have my autograph if you like.

(for the record, I have some super awesome stuff to show off. They haven't reached the shelves yet, and I'm not sure when I can legally post such things on the internet for the whole world to see)

feeling like a shut-in

It's cold outside. I mean it. It's the kind of cold that burns your lungs the second you draw breath. As a result, I'm hunkered down on the couch watching Mrs. Doubtfire with the pugs. Even though the heater is chugging along, an old house has lots of drafts, and it fails to reach "cozy", let alone passably warm, in here. The term "Cabin Fever" comes to mind.

So to quell the boredom I did another room tour, this time the living room. I should note that though I'm bored and cold, I've been seriously procrastinating on the housework. So the living room might look extra "lived in".

Paper cut-out love

I found this beautiful cut-out today while I was doing a little trend research. I thought it was so precious, I actually teared up a little (but I blame that on the seasonal depression and lack of Vitamin D :). I absolutely had to share this. It's by UK based illustrator Mister Rob Ryan. I hope it brings you a little bit of joy on this dreary January day (that is, if it's dreary where you are).

a tour of my kitchen (after I've had a few glasses of wine).

i. want. this.

Let's talk, for a moment, about this adorably awesome little owl antique. It's my Grandma's and her father gave it to her. I'm pretty sure she's not giving it up any time soon. I guess I'll have to suffice with something similar. This will be my new Etsy search. Wish me luck!

Auld Lang Syne!

I called my dad yesterday afternoon to wish him "Happy New Year". I told him I was going to be DD for the night—which was fine with me following the after-party experience that was last Saturday. Read: worst. hangover. ever. He said "Well, hey, maybe you'll hit a check-point. They might give you some sort of community service award." My response was "Yes, and maybe I can wow them with my powers of staggering sobriety!" What makes the whole situation even more impressive is that I am the daughter of a bar owner. Can we say complimentary drinks?

Sober or not, we rang in 2009 with a bang. Mom bought glow sticks this year, which was an awesome addition to the party hats, confetti poppers and sound makers. Coupling drunks with glowing things = instant hilarity. So I spent my night being a leaning pole for the inebriated, taking lots of pictures (with the gold 'ol point and shoot), dispensing water, and mediating drunken disputes. Wouldn't have had it any other way.

Happy New Year!