Honey, I need your help....

Hello Bloggy Friends,
Thank Goodness I have all of you in my life. I have a huge confession to make, and this was the first place I could think to share. I have a problem, a huge problem...I have severe depression, and when I get into "funks" I spend WAY too much money. I am recently married, and just learning to live in WE-ville, the first step was learning about money. I have no respect for it, never have... and I am pretty sure it will be a long time before I ever will.
Since we lost the baby, I have spent over $500 on books, knitting supplies, scrapping supplies... and lots of other crap... Since we lost the baby I have spent almost every dime I have made, not to mention a little extra of his income... which becomes a problem since we are behind on utillities since I "forgot" to pay them in November and December.
Last night I finally admitted to my husband what I have been doing, and let him know that I needed help. I make pretty good money, but you would never know it since by the time I get paid again, I have already spent it all on books, yarn, scrappy supplies, and in general crap! His income was being stretched to cover all of our house expenses, and then yesterday I realized that WE need to work together, if this (US) is going to work.
We had a long talk last night.. he was loving, and understanding, and I feel very reasonable. I will still be taking my knitting class, but when I buy the supplies he will go with, to make sure their are not too many impulse extras. We discussed the reasons I spend, and the ways to help limit it
and my new spending rules are as follows.
I get $100/week to save/spend/or build oragami with (no questions asked).
The balance of my paycheck is to go to family bills, and to make sure this happens we are having it Direct Depositied into an account I can not get into. After Six months we will re-evaluate.
This is a big step for me, not to mention how hard it is going to be... I am going to need all teh support i can get. Please pray for us, as I learn to control this dangerous addiction, and repair my brandnew marriage.

*my other blog*

hey friends, just got home from the family stuff...
quick posted on my other blog and so decided to leave a note here.

hope you all had a very merry christmas!

It takes a village....

Now, I am not sure how this is going to come out, but I am going to try and explain this without it coming out wrong. I grew up alone, I have three siblings, and two parents that always seemed to love each other...but just the same I grew up alone.
I never had friends over, and there were not many aunts and uncles in my life... sure I have aunts and uncles but they lived far away, and I am sure that if I was not always the one to call then I would never hear from any of them. In other words No Village!!!

I hate being alone, I have never enjoyed it... I do not have a lot of friends but the ones that I do have I treasure immensely, and would do anything for.
The reason that I am writing this blog is because I realized something the other day. I live with my husband, and I live with my husbands best friend (Joe).... lately their has been a lot of conversation about us living without him, but honestly more often then not I like him there. (sorta) I always joke that we need a granny unit for him, because he is my brother and friend, and I can not imagine my life without him.

I love the saying "it takes a village..." Imagine a property of multiple houses and then everyone shares common areas in a separate house, with a huge kitchen, and dining area.... Then maybe one house would have us and our future children... and the other houses would have the families of my friends and their children... My children would grow up with real Aunts and Uncles, and cousins as a part of their everyday lives....standing in place when I was not there.. in doing so we would create our own village. My children would NOT grow up alone.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas bloggy friends, this is our first Christmas Card as Mr&Mrs B.
Hope the holidays find you safe, warm, healthy and surrounded by those you love.
Please do not forget the real reason for this holiday season.
Happy Birthday Jesus!

Christmas Spirit, and a cameo by Dreamy Tim!

Hello friends, finally I found my Christmas Spirit it was hiding in my icing box... j/k but it did seem to come out when I started planning to decorate Gingerbread Houses with my niece Lexis.
This morning I woke up really early, cracked up the Christmas Carols, lit the Christmas Tree, and started a fire...then pulled out my glue gun..last year the construction process required multiple hands, extra icing and a blow dryer. This year I pre-assembled the house before Lexi arrived. All the decorations were staged, and the icing mixed and bagged with icing tips.

(I learned from last year which you can read about here).
When Lexi was 3/4 Tim decided to explain to her the importance of the incandescent light bulb... and due to his infinite patience, and understanding he has a life long friend, Lexi has informed me that Tim is more dreamy then Troy!
Last year we had a cameo from my husbands friend "Dreamy Tim". So this year he was invited by special request. We had a great time, decorating the house, constructing the chimneys, and in general just getting into the Christmas Spirit. Thank you Tim for joining us for today in our project. Not many of Babe's friends would have been willing. The pictures below are lacking Babe as he was on Camera duty... not to mention he was busy laughing at Tim's continuing questions to Lexi as to how the house was heated, and her perplexed looks...Hey Secret Santa, I even wore my awesome holiday shirt you sent me, we love how it lights up.
OK everyone, enjoy the pictures!



Look at the detail work, I know I told him to NOT take pictures of me.... he never listens!
There are some great pictures of Lexi and Tim though... They both seemed to have a really great time... too bad Tim bailed as soon as it was time for Clean UP!

I should be sleeping....

Confession: I pushed Mark All Read on the Reader, since I did not want to try and read through 97 new blogs (sorry)

I am super tired, but I have yet to make it upstairs... Babe is crashed, and so I wanted to blog a little, and then crawl under the covers. First though, let me catch you up on my life this week.

MM-Christmas Party... and I have to share my exciting White Elephant Gift that Babe and I received.... Thank you to the other H&M in this world... the justice though is that the year we graduated college, is the same year they got married... that means they are old (j/k)
I am so looking forward to getting to know then both, especially H, who is a book lover just like me :)

SS-Swap...today I got a box, a pretty white and red and blue box. Inside were wonderful gifts, and best of all a bag of yummy goldfish...MMMM Goldfish, I actually opened them, and I am munching while I type. I am not even going to begin to guess, as I am so new to the blog world...and so I am just getting to know each of you, but Secret Santa, thank you for the yummy scents, and the cozy socks... I am wearing the light up shirt to church on Sunday, you hear that Lisa P. my shirt lights up....pretty kewl huh?

I am so excited that I have found
someone to ship me books over the pond.
Yay for new bloggy friends.

84 Charing Cross Road...you know that book you read as a kid, and that you have to re-read as an adult? When I was young I use to pilfer my mothers books. This was always one of my favorites, so on my last Amazon spree I purchased both the book and the movie, and so when I got home tonight I read the book cover to cover, while simultaneously watching the movie....


Knitting an Afghan...I am making progress, slow progress but progress just the same.
I will try and take pictures tomorrow of the blanket, of course after I spend all night watching Potter movies and knitting, then I will post my progress, because tomorrow night is Potter-ific night with Carter :0)

OK that was a lot of jumbled ramblings... so I wish you dear friends Good Night!

The Giving Tree/ and our Tree

So this year I decided to take on a BIG project, and I only have until December 19th.
At work we have a giving tree, that features red hearts with names of people and what they want for Christmas. I picked my heart based on the first letter of the persons name.
The Heart that I got was for Hildelisa, Age74-F. I have decided to modify the pictured afghan for her. I really hope she ends up liking it.
Of course I just learned to knit, so hopefully she will also be forgiving of my efforts.

Today Max and I spent the day running around to different craft stores to find the required colors in required quantities, for this pattern.
I will try to keep you all updated on my efforts, of course worse case senario their is a backup plan... Bed Bath and Beyond, have beautiful lap blankets on sale...but I really do want to make this one from my heart. Merry Christmas Hildelisa, I am going to try to make you something very special.

If you want the pattern: Click Here

My Heart from the tree:



















The yarn I purchased today, all spread out:



















A picture of what my blanket should look like when finished:













__________________

In other news:

The Christmas tree is all decorated, we picked it up on 11/28 but because of my surgery it had to wait a few extra days to get beautified, then last Thursday when Max was working late, Joe and I decided to make it all Christmasy around the house.. in search of our Christmas Spirit.
Below are pictures of our efforts...Oh and a cute candid of Edison, one of my feline roommates.




























So does anyone else have their tree up yet???

Random Facts... that you may not want to know....

Here are the rules:

1. Link to the person that tagged you (SASKIA)

2. Post the rules on your blog

3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself

4. Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs

5. Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

6. Let your tagger know when your entry is up.

*The Written Word, oatmeal packets, books, magazines, newspapers....any subject, any genre it does not matter, I just Love to read! (TMI) I will even read the instructions to tampons when sitting on the toilet, just because it has words... and after 10years of this fun, trust me I know how they work.

*My IPod features over 50 Christmas Albums: I love Christmas Carols- anytime of year I can listen to Christmas Carols.... I love nothing more then Christmas in July.

*Alphabets: There is just something about the seeing things in alphabetical order, every movie in our house is alphabetized, my book shelves are alphabetized by Genre and author, my music is alphabetized. When things are in alphabetical order, I find peace.

*I lay out my clothes: Ever since I was a little girl I have had to lay my clothes out the night before, as an adult I plan my outfit and set it on my dresser before I go to bed at night.

*I can not write X-mas (this blog is the exception, only as an explanation) no matter how much time it saves, someone once said to me that X-mas was crossing out Christ, and ever since then I have written out Christmas... even when its a small space, like on a calendar I write Christmas out in full.

*Kicks: I get on kicks.... I love cupcakes, so I collect random cupcake paraphernalia... Davinci Code caused me to read every book written on the Holy Grail (my current goal is to own a copy of DC in every language it was translated into), The Left Behind Books caused me to read multiple translations of the bible, Pink, when my mother was diagnosed with cancer last year, I saturated my wardrobe and accessories with the color pink. I get obsessive... I have to read and research every book ever written on the subject, own every item even similar, and discuss it with everyone I come into contact with... case in point.

Blogs Taggs:
It says to tag six people, and so the people that I chose for this challenge were my IRL bloggy friends, three of which are new to blogging because of my new obsession.
Without further ado, my taggs go to. Please visit their blogs and give them a little love, so they learn to love this as much as all of us.

the newbies:
VIVALY
GI JOE
PEACHYKATH
ANGELA

the veterans:
LISA P
TASRA

Happy blogging friends.

Bad day turns good, thanks to a little TLC

Well friends my bad day has certainly taken a turn for the better.

All thanks to my friend APRIL, she designed this awesome new layout for me.

Whatcha think?

Your Elf Name Is: Trixie Candy Cane Lips

Hey friends, I

have not been feeling very Chirstmasy this year.

Not sure why, we have the tree, but its as bare as it was when hubby brought it home.

Wish I could find my Christmas spirit soon, maybe at the Tea Party this weekend.

Please tell me if you see my Christmas Spirit, I am starting to miss it.

PS: even my elf name feels off...