Spots?

The last few days I've noticed these spots on Dudley's head. I thought they were Sadie slobber or he got something dripped on him from somewhere (Oliver has this issue when we're BBQing). I gave him a bath yesterday and scrubbed extra hard on his head (not too hard though!) to see if I could get whatever it is out.

It's still there! But the more I look at it, the more it looks like it is part of his fur! I'm beginning to think Dudley has spots emerging!

If you look really closely at the top of his head, you can see three little spots by his right ear, and a big on by his left... hmm. I'm not sure.






I've never heard of a Dachshund getting spots after not being born with them. It could be his fur changing I guess. Interesting...

I WANT ONE!!!

NOW!!! If I had $550 I would purchase it online, right now, no questions asked. I have been obsessing about it since the moment I saw it and I know I will one day break down if I don't get some serious help, people.

There has been one big thing I've wanted for the house since the very beginning. It ranks above brand new furniture, decorations, even a KitchenAid Mixer. It is an Oreck vacuum cleaner. I LOVE my mom's Oreck and I desperately want one of my own! This 9 lb. beauty (only the base model is 8 lbs. but heck, compared to some of the 50 lb. suckers out there, I'll take it) is amazing! I love how light it is and easy to vacuum with. I tried the infamous Dyson once and let me tell you, I don't want one. Too heavy, too bulky. Second, I'm probably the only one on the planet who doesn't want a canister vacuum. Why? Because of Oreck's amazing system for changing the bag! When you pull the full bag off, it seals the hole so you don't get dust everywhere like you do when you carry the canister out to the trash to shake it out. Yuck!

Also, they have an amazing warranty. Every year for up to 21 years (depends on which model) they will do a tune-up. Change the belts, put a new bag on for free, clean the thing inside out, oil it, etc. It's like getting a brand new vacuum every year!

But, when I saw this, I went over the edge. Drum roll, please... it's a PINK Oreck vacuum cleaner!!!

As in Breast Cancer Awareness Pink!

For those of you who don't know me, my maternal grandmother died from Breast Cancer before I was born, my paternal grandmother is a survivor, as well as my aunt. I'm a Pink freak. If it's pink (and I can afford it) I buy it. I have a Pink apron, Pink spatulas, Pink chip clips, Pink cookie sheet liners, Pink socks, Pink shoes, Pink everywhere!! Rob hates it, but hey, it all goes to a good and worthy cause. But now, I HAVE to have this. Not only is it my beloved Oreck, but it's PINK!!! Okay, enough said. I will own this at some point if it has to break me. Well, even more...

Good night!!

Progress!!

Now the inside of my house is looking like a real house! Rob, Andy, and Dad all spent day yesterday screwing our subfloor down to keep it from squeaking. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of the boys working because mom and I were too busy touring the houses going up around us and talking to our sales lady, Brooke. But, I did remember to get pictures of the drywall that is now up inside and the front of the house (which I don't believe has changed much since the last picture I posted). Anywho, on to the important part!

The front - the driveway is formed and ready to pour

Our front porch and door

Looking into the breakfast room standing in the great room (with my beloved breakfast bar - can you imagine if it wasn't there? Yuck!)

The kitchen standing on the other side of the great room looking over the breakfast bar again

The great room standing in the breakfast room (I LOVE our nine foot vaulted ceilings!)

Looking into the master bedroom

The master closet (left) and master bath (right) standing in the master bedroom

Looking down the entryway at the front door from the great room (the door on the right in the hall is the second bathroom)

Now it's really starting to get exciting! I am so nervous about seeing our color choices come together. I'm really not good at seeing the finished product and I really hope they work! They are going to start siding this week so we'll begin to see the outside come together and the cabinets should be here this week too (or was it next week?). I'm just ready to see the finished product!

So Excited!

Okay, my creative juices are totally flowing right now, but I'm not starting anything tonight (or this weekend for that matter). Mom and I took advantage of our trip to Home Depot and Lowe's this afternoon to escape the chaos of my house for the entire afternoon. It was great fun, especially since we did some wedding shopping! I spent WAY too much money, but hey, how many times do you get married? Once, that's right. I'm spending money I don't have for my once-in-a-lifetime wedding and nobody's gonna stop me. (Does anybody sense my need for justification here for spending - I hope Rob's not reading this - over $150 on my wedding today? Ahem...).

But, enough wallowing in my vat of self-pity and on to the fun part! I will certainly post pictures of my projects as they come along, but today I came home with 20 yards of gorgeous green and purple ribbon which I will be jazzing up my new guest book, pen, ring bearer pillow, flower girl baskets, cake cutting set, and unity candle with. I also got a great start on my gifts for the BM's and, call me corny but these adorable pins to wear at the shower and rehearsal dinner... are they cute, or is it just me? Because if it's just me, I'll take them back and spare my amazing bridesmaid's my horrible taste...


I plan on doing a great before and after post including all of my DIY projects later. Don't get too excited, I can be creative on a computer, but when it comes to the real thing... well, epic fail.

And, breaking out of my mold a little bit, yay me! I will share a bit of my weekend plans, just in case I don't get around to posting and you start wondering... we will be spending this weekend screwing the subfloor down at my house (I will have new pics for sure!), registering at Sears, ordering our invitations, getting some more shelving and a treadmill (woo-hoo!) from my Grandparents, and hopefully tasting some cake for the reception. It'll be fun! Then, it's back to work... ;)

Also, I have exciting news to share... Oliver, is finally letting Dudley sleep within 3 feet of him! In fact, he actually let Dudley crawl into his pet bed and curl up next to him last night while I was catching up on Las Vegas online.... I didn't want to ruin that, so there isn't a picture, but this will at least give you an idea...

Check out Oliver's expression. He's all, "Okay, just breathe. He's here to stay and I need to accept that. Do it for mom, do it for mom." Granted, two minutes later he jumped off the couch and ran for his life, it was a moment of mommy glory! My babies are finally getting along!

Valentine's Day Design

I created next month's title image for the blog. I am pretty excited to be able to use some of my pink scrapping kits for Valentine's Day. Most of what I digi-scrap is about my dogs (both boys) and my house, so pink doesn't get used very much. Enjoy!


The paper and embellishments used are from Shabby Princess and it is the "Sprinkles" kit! I love this website!

My Veil

I dropped off my veil today at Bridal Veils Etc. to have it put on a comb and fixed. I'm using my mom's veil from her wedding. It is beautiful! It was originally on a headpiece, so we took it off and whitened it using Biz (I think). The whitening worked great, however in the process two of the flower embellishments came off. So the nice lady at the shop is putting it on a comb and putting the embellishments back on (as well as taking one off that sits right in front of my face). I can't wait to see it done!


In the mean time, I have made a list of things I need to do for the wedding in the next month or so.

1. Order Bridesmaid Dresses
2. Cake Tasting
3. Order Invitations
4. Talk to Fran (my cousin) about flowers
5. Finish Registering
6. Decide on hair pins or a comb

As for number 6, I'm trying to decide whether to use a comb for decoration in my hair,


Or hair pins


I'm leaning toward the pins. I think they are very elegant and pretty and I plan on taking my veil off for the reception. So they will be seen then. We'll see though! I've changed my mind so much on things with the wedding!

My Biggest Vice

Everyone has something that they find irresistible. Something that they love. Their comfort food per se. For me, I wish what my vice is, wasn't my vice. Make sense? Can you guess?

Chocolate? Nope.

Ice Cream? Nope.

Coffee? Nope.

Keep guessing...

Okay, it's really not that exciting. I've kind of built it up now, haven't I? Okay. It's Pepsi. Good old carbonated, teeth-rotting Pepsi.


I, Stephanie Scott, big pink puffy heart Pepsi. Give me a chocolate bar, and can I say no? Of course. But hand me a cold, Pepsi in a glass with exactly 3 ice cubes and can I then say no? Absolutely not. Oh, and don't get me started on fountain Pepsi. I rarely get fountain Pepsi. I don't mean from restaurants. Granted, that's fountain Pepsi, but I'm talking about the good gas station fountain Pepsi, with crushed ice. Mmmm... it's heaven. I thought about making my first New Year's resolution to stop my obsession with Pepsi, but, I'm not sure I have the will power. It's that guilty pleasure, you know?

Well, I've heard all the news on Soda. It's terrible for you. Bad in all aspects. In fact, I thought I'd include some of the articles outlining the horrible drink I consume at least 3 times a week.

• The Truth About Soda: Is Soda Bad for You?
• Soda Pop - Dental Health
• Soda or Pop? It's Teeth Trouble by Any Name
  
• Report: Soda May Seriously Harm Your Health

Yet, I still drink it. Why? Because it is so good!! Sometime in the near future, I will quit. Maybe when Rob and I move in and I have to purchase my own groceries. But, and this is directed mainly at Rob, let me drink my cancer-causing, bone-decaying, teeth-rotting soft drink to my heart's content.

Election Year

I hate election year. I hate elections. I hate politics. It's like planning a wedding, everything's all fine and dandy until you get engaged (or election year comes around) and then you see the worst in everyone. I hate listening to all the negative ads and statistics from random "experts" who - and it's unfortunate that I've started to think like this - were probably payed off to make American's lean toward one candidate or another.

As an United States citizen, however, it is my civil duty to pay attention to this comic banter (yes, that was sarcastic) and vote. And, as with all other Americans, I have my early favorite.

Introduce: Mike Huckabee


I'd never heard of this guy until a few months ago. But the more I hear, the more I like. Though I would probably consider myself a Republican, I truly try to take an unbiased stance when voting for our future president, or other leaders for that matter. Huckabee has really struck a chord with me. One of the biggest things that sort of speaks to me is the fact that he has not (as of yet) released any negative attacks against his opponents. Also, he has not placed a ton of emphasis on raising, and spending, money on his campaign. The list could go on and on, but I won't continue at the risk of getting my facts mixed up or the possibility of having been misinformed.

To check out Mike's stance on the issues go here. Directly from the website, however, I'll go ahead and share a few of the things I really like...

• Faith and Politics

  My faith is my life - it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them. For example, when it comes to the environment, I believe in being a good steward of the earth. I don't separate my faith from my personal and professional lives.

• Sanctity of Life

  I support and have always supported passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the right to life. My convictions regarding the sanctity of life have always been clear and consistent, without equivocation or wavering. I believe that Roe v. Wade should be over-turned.

• Education And The Arts

  I believe that every child should have the opportunity for a quality education that teaches the fundamental skills needed to compete in a global economy. As I traveled the country and the world over the last decade bringing jobs to Arkansas, the business leaders I met weren't worried about creating jobs, they were worried about finding skilled and professional workers to fill those jobs.

• Marriage

  I support and have always supported passage of a federal constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. As President, I will fight for passage of this amendment. My personal belief is that marriage is between one man and one woman, for life.

• Energy Independence

  The first thing I will do as President is send Congress my comprehensive plan for energy independence. We will achieve energy independence by the end of my second term.

• Immigration

  My number one priority is to secure America's border. I opposed the amnesty bill that was defeated by the Senate in June.

• Vertical Politics

  Vertical Day is here and I want you to be a part of it.

The vertical politics is so true!

Since I just realized that it is nearly midnight and I have to get up early, I'm gonna stop. Like I said earlier, I hate politics and I hate election years, so you won't be hearing much more on this subject. Good night!

I feel the need to blog...

There's a funny thing that happened to me (and I'm sure others have felt this too) when I started blogging. I get these random urges to post. Every time a random event happens in my life, large or small, I feel the need to document it. It's like a diary, for all the world to see (ironic, huh?). I run into an issue, however. You see, I've got this half Type-A personality which involves random episodes displaying my extremely anal retentive side.

See, I'm the type of person that enjoys organization, but if you looked at my basement where all of the things I've collected for my house and future classroom are, you'd never guess it. But, stick a place setting in front of me and you can bet a million bucks that those forks, knives, and spoons will be perfectly straight in their etiquette-appropriate places. It's like a selective obsessive compulsion. Am I making sense? Let me give another example. When I do any type of paper work, it must be in my best handwriting with no mistakes (I'm the freak who re-writes my entire math paper because I had to erase something - don't laugh). However, once I'm done with that paper, have turned it in crisp and clean with no wrinkles or erasure marks, it gets jammed into my pile of school stuff in any open place I can find. I don't get it either.

Well, as with everything, I have this Jekyll and Hyde personality with blogging. I love to blog things, however, I have this impulse for every topic to have a single subject. Miscellaneous Monday? That was a difficult post. But you see, it truly had a topic - Miscellany. Ahh... the loop hole. Another thing, yes, you will see posts without pictures, but it's only because I searched high and low for 45 minutes and couldn't find one that fit - perfectly. So, I will try my hardest to find a picture for this post, but if I fail - don't come after me, I've already felt the guilt.

In addition, as I mentioned earlier, I often type something out, like this post and think, "Do I really want the entire world to be able to read that?" I feel very exposed. Liberated, yet exposed. It's a weird feeling, let me tell you.

So, with that, I'm going to try harder to not be so concerned with little things, and make my blog a little more interesting.... I can't help it if I lead a boring life...

Sorry, I'm at a loss for a picture...

Keep your eyes peeled!

I sent our engagement announcement to the paper today! It will be posted in the St. Peters and St. Charles Journals. So, if you see it, let me know! I don't know when they will post it, but I'm pretty excited to see it! I included one of our engagement pictures from Clary with it:

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!