Happy New Year!

Obviously I have to make a New Year's post, but I've been debating on what to write. If I made resolutions, I'd post those, but I've never really made a resolution and have no reason to start that tradition now. (Maybe I should?)

I must say, though, this is going to be one heck of a year. Why? Because I'm getting married!!! We're almost at the 5 month mark and I couldn't be more excited/nervous/anxious. The house will be done in a couple of months, and I can finally move all of the things I've been collecting for it out of my parents' basement. It seems I get more and more everyday and find less and less space to put it.... By the way, thanks to my Grandparents and Aunt Liz for the decorations, shelving, and other misc. items that will come in very handy!

The house is coming along quite nicely. I haven't posted pictures in a while because, quite frankly, it doesn't look any different. They have just finished pouring the basement floor, garage floor, and front porch as well as started wiring for electric and running the plumbing. My shower and tub are sitting in their respective bathrooms! We will have a pre-drywall walk-through soon. It's going so fast! I hate this feeling I have of desperately wanting the house to be done, but at the same time wanting them to take as long as possible... I want to see the completed product, but don't want to start paying for it yet!!

We also registered this weekend. We spent 4 hours armed and dangerous at Bed, Bath, and Beyond and I'm not sure Rob ever wants to go back. That was just for the kitchen! I didn't realize just how much we needed. We are also going to register at Sears and Macy's, but I think I should give Rob a little rest... :) It was great fun though! I loved finding everything and thinking about where I am going to put it and when I'm going to use it. I'm so excited to cook a meal in my own pots and pans on my own stove! Hopefully, I don't burn it. I'm going to have to learn how to cook again with electric as I've grown up on gas. Rob's a good sport though :)

I'm also looking at another semester of school. Or, I should say, dreading another semester of school. Actually, I'm not dreading school itself, I'm dreading the bill that comes monthly. I am so grateful for my scholarship situation and as stressful as it is paying for what little I pay every semester, I can't imagine paying full tuition and room and board.

Subbing will be starting up again next week also. I feel a little irked at myself because I'm dreading going back. I really love subbing and it's an awesome job, but the not knowing where I am or what I'm doing, if anything, gets really old. Is it selfish of me to see the posters for bridal showers for employees at the schools and to think that I wish I had a job where I was at the same place with the same people everyday so I could get one? Yeah, it probably is, but deep down, I'm kinda bummed. It's not even just because I'm not getting a shower (those are great though!) but I'd love to have a place where I'm there enough to make friends with coworkers and actually know the names of the people I work with. Every job has it's downsides...

I suppose I'll call this a miscellaneous Monday post. I've kind of rambled a bit, but I've had a lot on my mind and it's nice to let it all out. Thanks for listening! Good night and happy new year!

Christmas Scrapbook Page

Just wanted to post the Christmas Scrapbook page for my Oliver/Dudley scrapbook. Enjoy!

I'm Ready!

I am so ready for the house to be done and the wedding to be over. It's all so exciting, but quite frankly I'm just ready. I've been engaged for almost a year and a half, and been talking about getting married with Rob since we had been dating for 6 months. I'm ready to stop talking about being married and actually be married. I'm ready to get all of the stuff out of my parents basement and actually put it to use in my own home. Though I know I will get sick of it, I'm ready to clean my own house and to do Rob's laundry. I'm ready to go grocery shopping for the first time and have our first party. I'm ready to cook Rob dinner and pack his lunch in the morning. I'm ready to finally get to wake up next to the person I love most in the world (and my puppies) and park my car in my garage. I'm ready to wear that dress that we spent so much money on, and to let Rob finally have his wedding band that he loves so much. I'm ready to plant a garden in my yard and make my house into a home. I am soooo ready. For everything.

However, I just read Julia's blog, and it served as a little reminder - thank's Julia! - that as much as I want to be married and live in my house and establish my new life with my new family, it is ever so important to live my life now. As I know, much to well, we are not guaranteed tomorrow and I need to cherish every moment God has blessed me with in this world. The best part? Even if I were to die tomorrow, I would never change a thing in my life. I have lived, I have loved, and that is all I will ever need. Purely. Simply.

Rant

A couple of years ago (April '06, I believe) I started getting laser hair removal. Now, I was the perfect candidate. I'm fair-skinned with really dark hair. I paid $1500 to get my legs, bikini line (TMI, I know), underarms, and upper lip done. I didn't really like going to the sessions, but it seemed to be working fine and in the end I was pretty happy. Well, in January - about 3-4 months after my last treatment - I noticed it starting to grow back. They gave me a free treatment in July and, again, it was okay. Well, now it's grown back again. It's like I never had anything done. And, the best part, they won't do anything for me. Apparently, I signed a consent form (when I was 19 and stupid) and now I'm screwed. I asked for a full refund, and when they said no I asked for a partial refund. They are refusing to do anything. I'm so upset. I'm literally out $1500 (most of the debt I carry - which is really stressing me out) and have nothing to show for it. I thought about going to the Better Business Bureau, but I don't know what they can do. Lesson learned, right? Well, that 's not how I feel right now. But, to all you unsuspecting readers, don't go to St. Peters Family Medicine, LLC to get laser hair removal, they'll screw you over. End of story.

My Solution

I think I've come up with a working solution for my previous "Blog Etiquette" question. I'm letting everyone know in this post that if you ask me a question in a comment, I will answer it by making comment reply. So, I will be commenting on my own blog to answer questions. Hmmm... it still seems kinda weird.

Chronicling Christmas

Here is a chronicle of the Scott Family Christmas... We had a blast! It was so much fun to watch James open his presents and it felt so good to spend some quality time with family. I love Christmas so much and am so sad it's over! For a little visual on our Christmas morning, I've included a slide show (I hate uploading pictures to Blogger, it takes forever and they are annoying to move around). Just picture - James' reaction on every gift, :::Gasp::: "WOW!!" It was too cute!

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas!!!

Merry Christmas from the family! I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday! Just wanted to share a few family pictures!

Yes, all of these people live in my house - except Rob of course...

I'll be back tomorrow with more pictures and, possibly, a new "New Year's" look!

LookPink.com

I just got an e-mail from a Facebook application I have called Pink Ribbon. I wanted to let everyone know about a campaign to raise money for Breast Cancer research. They have partnered with the Yahoo! search engine and created LookPink.com. Here's what the e-mail said:

"The Pink Ribbon has great news--we've partnered with Yahoo! Search to create LookPink.com--a search engine with world-class search results that contributes its revenue to Breast Cancer Research.

Every time, you search with LookPink.com, you help fight against breast cancer!

We have a fantastic opportunity here--if over 1,000,000 people (only 1 / 3 of the people in the Pink Ribbon Application getting this email) search with LookPink on any day before the New Year arrives, then over $100,000 will be generated by LookPink Search to help prevent breast cancer."


I just wanted to pass this on because it is such a small, easy way to contribute to the efforts for finding a cure. This disease has touched everyone I know in some way, and with everyone's help, we can find a cure!

I'm not sure if it's only until New Year's or if it is ongoing (hopefully the latter), but pass it on!

Christmas Traditions

I LOVE Christmas and a big part of it is the traditions, of course! You know, those things that only come once a year, but it's soooo worth it? For example:

• Pull-Apart Cake (A.K.A. Monkey Bread) - We get this once a year on Christmas morning and I LOVE it! It's absolutely, hands down one of my most favorite things about Christmas!
• Getting new PJ's - This sounds ridiculous, but I love getting new PJ's every Christmas. I've always gotten them and it was so exciting to me! Check out this years...

In this material:

• I also love sitting around the house in my brand new PJ's all day until it's time to go see family. It's the one day a year I allow myself to do this!
• Another one of my favorite traditions is decorating the tree. We are Hallmark ornament fanatics (you should see our basement...) and, call me cliche, but I enjoy putting them on the tree and remembering what the ornament is for and when we got it. It's such a great time!

I could go on and on, but you get the idea. I love Christmas! I hope everyone has a happy and safe Christmas!

Welcome our newest member of the family...

Sadie came home today! She is a doll and is already making a name for herself. She's a chewer and a player, and can be a bit of a bully with Dudley at times... but she's learning! Needless to say, Oliver isn't happy... he's being very protective of his house and James. Anytime Sadie comes near James, he goes nuts! It's kind of funny really.

So, let the chaos begin!

Sadie and Daddy

Sadie checking out her new home

This picture describes perfectly Oliver's feelings about the past week... in Oliver talk: "I HATE you right now."

On the bright side however, I think Oliver has taken on a bit of a protective role with little Dudley. I may actually venture to say he's warming up to him... knock on wood.




Another little bit of good news... Clary just e-mailed me and our photo book is in the mail!!! Woo-hoo!

Just Curious...

Blogging is a whole new thing to me. I'm getting the hang of it, but there is one thing that has been bugging me for weeks! I LURVE when I get comments on my posts - it makes me feel loved! But a lot of times people ask questions about posts in their comments which, obviously, deserve answering. My question is, how do I answer it? Do I reply with a comment on my own blog? That seems a little, um... weird to me. Is there some sort of etiquette rule for this? I should ask Emily Post. She knows everything.

This is my random thought for the day...

Phew...

What a weekend. It was absolutely crazy! Between Dudley and Dad, we've been running everywhere. Dudley has been doing great though. He slept with Oliver and I in my bed last night and did great. Potty training is going, well... slow. But we went to the vet tonight and found out that he has a little Bronchitis. It's contagious, so hopefully Oliver doesn't catch it. We had to get an antibiotic for him.

Dad, on the other hand went back in the hospital yesterday. He almost passed out again yesterday and we recorded his heart on a little device they gave us. The device showed that his heart didn't beat for nearly 4 seconds. Wow. Hearing that was a little scary. After every test under the sun, they couldn't come up with anything that could be causing it and narrowed it down to an electrical misfiring in his heart. So, he got a pacemaker today. Honestly, I'm relieved. I was so afraid it would be something worse! Just say a prayer for us as Dad won't be working for another week. With Christmas coming around, finances are going to be tight! But, hey, God always provides.

In my down time today while waiting for Dad during surgery, I got started on a couple of things for the wedding. I made a couple of "prototypes" that will need a little adjusting, but it's a start!
And, since I have a hard time making a post without including a picture, I'll share a couple of them...

I'd like to get some nice frames for these signs and hang them with ribbon from the doors...

Sign for the Bride's room at the church (I think I'm going to change the colors...)

Sign for the Groom's room at the church

Cover for the programs - the colors will need adjusting, but you get the idea.

Modeled after these...

Favor cards for the reception

I'm also starting my search for a company to print my digital scrapbook... any suggestions are welcome!

Hair trial

Deanna did my hair for Rob's company Christmas party/trial run for the wedding today. I really love it! There are a couple of things we are going to change.... It will be a little higher and not as far out in the back and it will also be "cleaner." I'm very excited! I also did my make up. I'm not sure if I will do my own or have it done... but, I wanted to at least look okay for the pictures!

Our house is up!

We stopped by the house today. Last time I saw it (which was Monday...) there was only a floor. So, I was in for a bit of a shock when we drive up and see this:

This is me standing in the kitchen!

Our front door!

Our windows!

It's going so fast!!! But, it look fantastic!

And, while I'm on here, I had to share a couple of adorable pictures of Dudley...

I just realized...

I'm getting married in 6 months!!! Yay! I had to change it on my "About Me" paragraph. That's pretty exciting. Now, I'm going to bed.

He's Home!

Dudley came home yesterday! Nothing like being jerked back into puppyhood! Oliver was, and still is, a little jealous that I brought home another dog.... but he's warming up to him quite nicely. Little Dudley is settling in nicely as well! We've already started the rigorous process of potty training and, if I should say so myself, he's doing quite well. I'm so excited to have him home, and at the same time I'm exhausted! So, with that, I leave you with a family scrapbook page featuring our newest member, Dudley:



Oh, and by the way, I should have some great pictures of the house tomorrow! I haven't gotten out to see it in a few days (they didn't do anything because of the weather, anyway). But, in a matter of two days, they almost have it under roof. AAAHHHH!!! It's going so fast! Pictures to come tomorrow!

I want this poster

I need to get this poster for my math classroom! It's too funny! (Well, at least for us math nerds...).

A couple more pages...

Just wanted to share a couple more digi-scrapbook pages I made tonight. Enjoy!

Coming Back Down

I haven't posted in a couple of days... I just feel like I have nothing to write about! I'm still on my way down from this incessant flow of stress and stuff to do that I feel at a loss as to what I should be doing with my time. This is a good thing! I'm still feeling the effects of the stress though. I'm tired and get cranky easily. Hopefully I'll be in a better mood!

I also neglected to post about my dad. He went back in the hospital on Friday because he formed a blood clot in his left arm that goes from his wrist to his elbow from the IV. Yeah, we were all slightly upset. So he's been there since trying to get that cleared up. They still don't know for sure why he fainted, but right now we're more concerned about the blood clot. It isn't in a major vein/artery but it still worries me!

Oh, and another thing... we're getting another puppy! Okay, this is not necessarily the ideal thing, but, what can I say? Dad got a little upset that I got Dudley without really getting his permission first... (oops!) and after he got over being upset, he decided he wanted a dog. He's wanted one since Sam (our Chocolate lab) died in 2005, but I got Oliver and we just pushed it off. We said we wouldn't get another dog until I moved out. Well, plans change, and now dad is getting a dog that will stay here after I move out with Rob, Oliver, and Dudley. Phew! She is a little Bloodhound (well, if you consider 20 lbs. at 6 weeks little) and her name will be either Sadie or Maddie. He's super excited, and we're all just along for the ride! Ahhh, the joys of my house! No worries though, we love to pamper our pets!!!

Here's a picture...


Our little Dudders comes home on Wednesday! The little darling above will be home next week!

Ahhh... leaving you with thoughts of adorable babies!

Dudley!

I got to meet Dudley today!! He is so precious! I will now share tons of pictures...









He comes home on Wednesday! Yay!

Rob's New Toy

Rob got a new toy this week. It's a Wacom Digital Art Tablet. It uses programs on the computer and special pens to create hand drawn or "painted" art on your computer.

When he first mentioned it, I was like, "What? What are you going to do with that?" Well, ultimately he would like to sell his work on a website for a little extra money. So I said okay. Besides he was using his reward from Reuter's for being the top tech support team member in the country (I know! I'm so proud of him!).

Well, his new toy came, and I've lost him to it for the past few days. Today, however, he revealed his first piece of art. It's not finished yet, but, um... WOW!!! I'm so impressed.

Check it out, this is "Valley of the Sun" By Rob Lutostanski

Small disclaimer: This image is copyrighted. Please do not copy it or use it with out my or Rob's consent. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of it, let me know. And we'll discuss what we can do.

It's official...

I, Stephanie, am addicted to digital scrapbooking.

Check out the new page I made tonight! It doesn't take very long at all! No glue, no scissors! Just me and my mouse hanging out on Photoshop for an hour or two and, "VOILA!" A scrapbook page! And best of all, if I mess up the undo button is always waiting there for me!

Check it out!