Lucky Toes!

There's only about another month of sandal wearing weather here in Ohio. I was feeling a little silly tonight when I went for my pedi and here's what happened. Chi is a stunningly beautiful little Vietnamese girl who's been doing my nails for years. She said this was her first request for ladybug nail art. I think she did a wonderful job!

Oh... and you're probably wondering about the tattoo. I guess I can say that was my first red thread to Mia. I got that on my 30th birthday. Long before I knew my future was in China. It says "courage and passion" cuz I like to think of myself as a courageous and passionate kinda chick.

Here's a close up. Cute dontcha think! Does this count as a lucky ladybug sighting?

Babies, Babies & More Babies!

A big fat super giant CONGRATULATIONS to Mary-Mia & Rod from the "Do They Have Salsa In China?" blog on the referral of

TWINS!!

This month's batch of referrals are coming in. Congratulations to all the families! Click here to see all the beautiful babies. Or here to see the gorgeous twins.

Blogger Parade Of Homes: Living Room

I posted all three of these posts on the same day so scroll down to my kitchen and start there. Okay here it is. My home. This is my front door. I took the photo while standing in the doorway between my kitchen and living room. Remember when I said I like pink and green? And there's Griffey in his favorite spot trying to figure out what the hell I'm doing.

Another angle. I love my couches. They're so comfy. Oh, there's Griffey again. This is how he looks when he stalks the mailman. The horses on the wall are a metal sculpture. They're a leftover from my old house when I had a southwestern decorating theme going on. I stuck them on that wall when I first moved in just to take up space until I came up with something else. But then decided I liked them. The wall color brings out all the different shades of rose and pink in the horses.

My fireplace is purely for decorative purposes. It doesn't work anymore. But I have it filled with about 20 pillar candles. When I'm in the mood to light them all, they kind of give the illusion of a fire. I love to surround myself with photos of my favorite people and good memories of times I've had..... so there are picture frames everywhere.

Okay... let me explain about the TV. When I was married, my husband insisted on a big screen. It's such a guy thing, you know. Well, I gave it to him in the divorce. But then realized that I was ruined forever because once you have a big screen TV you can never go back to a normal size. So I went out and bought another one. Griffey insisted on being in every shot as you can see. Oh, if you look close you'll see some of my current China influenced reads on the end table. They are "Wanting a Daughter, Needing a Son", which I highly recommend to fellow China adopters, and an 800 page book on the history of China. Hey, it's actually interesting. But yes, I'm doing it for my daughter. It may take me the entire wait to referral to get through it.

Did I mention that pink and green are my favorite colors? I love color period. There are no completely white walls in my house. All the different shades of pinks, mauve, rose, fuschia and sage, ivy, etc all seem to work together. At least, I think they do.... and that's all that matters in my queen-dom.

Whose brilliant idea was this? Oh yeah... mine. Let me tell you how much painting this sucked. My neck was killing me for several days afterwards. I'd have to get down and lay on the floor to see if I was painting it even or not. What a pain in the ass! All of the ivy was done with stamps which made it much easier than if it'd been a stencil. Hope you like it, but if you don't... well I really don't care. :P

BPOH: Kitchen Decor

As promised here are a few of my favorite kitchen decor items. I love this little bowl. I'm crazy for all things ladybug these days so I couldn't resist this when I saw it. My one little apple looks lonely.

Next are a couple of favorite photos. My beautiful niece Tatum in a really pretty sepia print. And me and my sister, Carla, on our famous Route 66 road trip. She had just graduated from high school and was on the way to the Navy so we decided to jump in the car and drive. We weren't even legal drinking age but we drove halfway across the country and back. The rule was we had to take old Route 66 unless there was just no other way. Sometimes it would just dead-end so we'd back track to get on the highway. Awesome time! You can barely see my little fortune from a cookie next to the frames. I put it there to remind me of what it says "Time heals all wounds. Keep your chin up."

This is a cute little iron stand with pretty little glass jars. Since I don't cook (unless you count punching holes in the top and deciding how many minutes to set as cooking) I wasn't sure what to put in here. Can you see what it is? Yep... fortune cookies. I thought it was a unique decorating idea. Oh, there's some pasta in there too.

This is a funny little print my mom gave me a few years ago. She thinks she's comical. A glimpse into why I'm single maybe? The real ones can never measure up to the imaginary ones.

This is my favorite. I found this artist who did Chinese calligraphy and had him do a custom print for me. It says "Mother and Daughter" and then has Mia's name and my name spelled out. I had it framed which turned out to be more expensive than the print itself. But I love it!

But Connie had the link on her blog about finding out what your name looked like in Chinese so I tried it. What I got was not this. So now I'm a little worried about what it says. I mean maybe I was naive but I trusted the artist to know that he was writing what I was asking. Uhh... anybody know Chinese? Unless I find out otherwise (let's hope I don't cuz you don't want to know how much I paid to have this framed!) I'm going to continue believing that these are mine and my future daughter's names.

Blogger Parade Of Homes: Kitchen

Since it's a gloomy, stormy weather day here and I'm bored, I decided to jump into the Bloggy Parade of Homes started by Shannon. This is the fourth week so I'm getting in on this a little late. Today will be kitchen and living room for me. Then I'll add front entrance/foyer on a day when it's not pouring down rain cuz I'm not about to go stand outside to snap a pic. Oh, forgot the dining room. That I'll try to add next week since presently it looks like a fabric/scrapbooking bomb went off in there. But in the interest of catching up, here's the kitchen. Notice through the doorway Griffey's little head on the back of the couch in the living room. His favorite spot.
I'm a single gal who loves the colors pink and green. Luckily, I don't have to compromise on my decorating style so I do whatever I want. I've also lived in my built in 1929 house for 9 yrs and probably will continue to until I retire (unless I hit the lottery) so I've almost got it where I want it. The renovations I've done have not been in the interest of re-sale value but have catered to the kind of house that I want to live in. Maybe someday when I'm ready to sell I'll find someone else who loves my style. The baby gates are not for Mia. They're for Griffey. He hangs out in the kitchen while I'm at work.
I just recently finished painting in here. Well, almost. I still need to do the trim around the glass in the back door and replace the outlets and switchplates. I painted the cabinets, walls, trim and did the ivy stencil around the top. Yes.... the Corian countertop is pink. Oh, pay no attention to the dirty dishes in the sink. One of the downfalls of living in an older home. No dishwasher.
You can see a little glimpse of the dining room. Notice the fabric draped over the chair. That's for all you bloggers that I'm doing quilt squares for. The other door is my downstairs half bath. Most of the older houses in this neighborhood only have one bath. Thank goodness for the previous owners who made the breakfast nook into a half bath. I chose these colors to go with the new ceramic tile floor I had done last summer. It's a very bold color but I love it. The pic doesn't do it justice. It's a beautiful marbled mix of burgundy, mauve and rose colors.
So that's it for the kitchen. Check out the next post, I'll elaborate on some of my favorite kitchen decor.

Fave Foto Friday

This week's fave foto is one of me and my favorite niece, Tatum. Okay ..... so she's my only niece. Whatever. She's still my favorite little girl. But she'll have to share that title with Mia when she gets home. I can't remember when this was taken. I think last Fall maybe. I just love her little one dimple smile. And not sure what possessed her to flash the belly button. This is how you'll find me on a lot of weekends. I can't live without my ballcap on days when I'm feeling lazy about the hair-do. Oh ... check out the sweatshirt. Can you make it out behind Tatum's belly button? That's right. It must've been football season. For more pics of my sister's gorgeous kids check out her blog Tales of the T's.

Who Dey!!

I couldn't resist this. Mia's first Bengals Jersey! Who knew they made these in an 18 month size?! For those who know me, my love for the Cincinnati Bengals is no secret. I can't wait for football season. One of my most favoritest things to do is go down to a game and tailgate with my crew. I used to have season tickets but with Mia on the way, I had to trim the budget. So this year there's only ONE game that will be blessed with my presence. Talk about self control. Well, I guess I'd better get used to cheering from my couch. Won't be much tailgating after my girl gets here. I think Mia will be a bit too young for jello shots :) It'd sure be nice if my little Bengal-ette would be cheering with me next season.

How Much Fun Is This?!

Thursday night I went to hang out at my best bud's house. Lisa has a 12 yr old daughter, Peyton, whom I adore. Peyton's buds, Maggie and Kelly, were there. I know these two girls from many school functions and slumber parties over the years. In fact, Maggie went on vacation with us in spring '02 when we went to NYC. I tagged along cuz I wanted to see the World Trade Center site before they were finished with the clean up and she tagged along to keep Peyton company. She's a lot of fun. (I've got to give a quick shout out to Jimmy, Lisa's husband. How many guys would let their wife's friend be the third wheel on the family vacation? He's awesome!) Anyway, Maggie moved to Maryland a couple years ago. She was in town to spend the week with Peyton. We decided to go to the craft store and get supplies so the girls could contribute to Mia's quilt project. They were all excited and picked out their own fabric. They're very creative. All three made beautiful wish cards for Mia. Peyton was also babysitting her older sister's son, Jazz. He's only four but wanted to be in on the crafting, too. He's going through a phase where he's infatuated with firefighters. He was wearing his bright yellow plastic fireman jacket when we were ready to leave for the store but had to leave it behind because he ripped the shoulder out. He somehow managed to find firefighter stickers and fabric at the store. Peyton helped him write his name on the wish card. Check out the quilt blog in my sidebar for more detailed photos of their wishes. They're amazing! In the photo, from the left, is Kelly, Peyton, Jazz and Maggie. It was a fun night of crafting, pizza, pedicures, and 12 yr old girl talk (with some 4 yr old wit thrown in). Thanks girls... and Jazz, too.

Fave Foto Friday

This picture cracks me up! This was taken over the 4th of July weekend. Griffey and I went camping with my sister, her husband and the four T's. I captured this while we were all hanging out in the RV. Teagan has decided that he likes getting Griffey kisses. The only problem is that not only does he open his mouth but he also sticks out his tongue! Yuck! But he thinks it's hilarious. That's Tatum in the background watching the make-out session.

The Man Of My Dreams

He's short and squat with long blonde hair. Not exactly what I pictured myself with. I normally go for the tall, dark and handsome type.

He's very mellow and laid back. Completely loyal to me. Follows me everywhere. And would fight to the death to defend my honor.

He spoons me at night when we sleep. He loves me unconditionally and shows his affection by constantly licking me.

Geez.... what's the matter with you?! Get your mind out of the gutter... I'm talking about my dog! LOL!

He's a 6 yr old Pomeranian named Griffey. My ex-husband was a huge Cincinnati Reds fan and thought it'd be cute to name him after one of their ballplayers. Luckily, I got custody in the divorce.

This little furball is the man of my dreams. The funny thing is that I didn't even want him when we got him. Well, let me explain. My ex and I went to the mall so I could buy a pair of running shoes. I was training to run as part of a relay team in the Air Force Marathon. It was the first and last time that I will ever voluntarily run 6.5 miles, but it was for a good cause. I digress....

As we're walking by the pet store on the way to the shoe store, he decides to go in. I protest ....but it's too late. He's already inside. The next thing I know some pet store employee is shoving this cute little ball of fur at me asking if I want to hold him. I think they're trained to spot a sucker a mile away.

Anyway, long story short.... I ended up with Griffey instead of running shoes. Now don't flame me. I know that you're never supposed to buy a dog from the mall pet store. It wasn't like I set out to do that. He was completely an impulse buy on my ex-husband's part. We weren't even in the market for a dog and knew nothing about this particular breed.

Call it fate. Call it destiny. Whatever the case may be. But 6 yrs later, he is the love of my life and the best dog I've ever owned. Our personalities are completely in sync. He's my doggy soul mate.

I joke about how I asked God to send me the perfect man......... and he did. But I forgot to mention to send him in human form. So the joke's on me. But I think I got the better end of the deal. :)

I just hope he adjusts to his mei-mei when she comes home because he's been the top dog for quite awhile. Pardon the pun. Only time will tell.

The second pic is what Griffey does while I'm blogging my life away on the computer. When I'm here, without fail he's in his favorite spot at the top of the stairs usually snoring. Literally.I love this spoiled rotten dog with all my heart and soul!

I've Brainwashed Another To Join Our Cult

My sister,Carla, has joined us in the blogosphere! She has started a blog called Tales of the T's to document her crazy, chaotic life as the mother of four. These are my four most favorite kids in the world. At least until Mia comes home, then there will be five! Stop over and check it out.

The LID has landed.... finally!!

My agency is one of those that can take a couple of months to give your LID and boy, did they take every single day of that 2 months and then some. My dossier went to China on June 5, 2006. For those of you unfamiliar with LID, it is an abbreviation for "Log In Date". This is the day that your paperwork is officially logged in by the Chinese government. In essence, it's when my clock officially started ticking until my referral and the day that I'm officially "in line". So do you want to know when it is? Oh, the suspense is killing me.

My Log In Date is June 14th, 2006!!!!!

I'm so excited!! That's only a day later than Jen. Maybe we'll travel together. So now I'm already 2 months into my wait. Time is really flying. I can't believe it's been 2 months already. I have so much to do! Woohoo!!!! I have a LID!!!!

Tagged again....

Ok Joannah, this all seems a bit high school to me. I guess that's why I love it! Maybe I'm not that old after all. I'll play along. These are my Four's.......

4 jobs I've had
* telephone researcher- I was the one that called and interrupted your dinner to know if you would "Agree, somewhat agree, disagree, or somewhat disagree". Boy I hated that one.
* slopped chili as a teenager at a Skyline Chili restaurant until I got robbed at gunpoint.
* meter maid- yeah I was the b!tch who wrote the parking tickets.
* my current job- sorry that's all ya get.

4 movies I could watch over & over
* Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (the original... not the creepy re-make. Sorry JD fans)
* The Color Purple
* St Elmo's Fire
* anything with Julia Roberts (love her)

4 places I've lived
* Dayton, Ohio
* uh.. well yeah that's it.

4 TV shows I love to watch (thanks to DVR... great invention!)
* Grey's Anatomy ........ McDreamy... need I say more?
* The Closer (where does Brenda Lee hide her gun?)
* Rescue Me ...hilarious!!
* As the World Turns ...OMG! Did I just publicly admit that? Okay everyone's allowed a little guilty pleasure.

4 places I've been on vacation
* a couple of Carribean cruises
* Cancun..... awesome girls trip!
* NYC...... spring '02 to visit WTC site
* Miami

4 websites I visit daily
* way too many blogs
* Single Adopt China
* Ebay
* my DTC yahoo group

4 fave foods
* ice cream
* just about anything Mexican
* pizza
* margaritas (whaddya mean it's not a food?!)

4 places I'd like to be right now
* in a size 8
* on a beach with a frozen umbrella drink and a hot waiter to fetch it :)
* sitting out by the fire, in my comfy clothes, on a cool night, looking at the stars, drinking & gabbing with my girls (uh, Connie?)
* but most of all ... in China getting my Mia!

Okay now it's my turn to pass the torch to Jen & Stephe. Consider yourselves tagged!

Pistol Packin' Mamas!

For those of you who don't know me, a little explanation may be in order here. In my line of work, I'm required to carry a gun and am expected to know how to use it. A couple of times a year we have to qualify with our firearms. This is basically like a test where you're given specific instructions of how to shoot.... such as how many rounds, which position (standing, kneeling, left handed, one handed, etc). You have to maintain a certain score or...... well, I guess I'd be working at McDonald's or something.

Before our actual qual session I like to get in a little practice. So I mention this to Connie and she says she's never handled a gun before. I ask if she'd like to tag along and offer to teach her. She was a little scared at first so I shot a bit to get her used to the noise and to show her the proper position and grip.



But she worked through her jitters and was an excellent student. Except that I kept having to yell at her like a drill sergeant to "stick her butt out" because she kept leaning back and bouncing on her toes with her first few shots. Like this photo shows.


But she got the hang of it. In fact, she did extremely well. As you can see by the looks of her target, she must have some pent up hostility towards blue men.


We had a great time, in spite of the fact that it was about 110 degrees in there. Grabbed dinner (and margaritas, of course) after target practice and spent some time gabbing. That's what I call a great night! Girlfriends, guns, and tequila.


Oh.. and by the way. I shot a 98. Only missed one shot. We did a moving and shooting course. If you have trouble walking and chewing gum, as they say, this course would be difficult. You're basically walking and shooting at the same time for most of the course. I threw my shot on a section where I had to walk towards the target cuz I was walking too fast and my gun was bouncing. Connie, remember how you asked me about the shotgun? Well, my shoulder is sore and I have a little bruise. I hate that monster! I know some people are uncomfortable with the idea of guns, but my personal opinion is that all women should learn how to handle a weapon. It is very empowering!

Fave Foto Friday

Most of my favorite photos involve my niece and nephews. These are my sister's kids. Until Mia arrives home, they are my mother and father's only grandchildren. Tanner is 9. Travis is 6. Tatum is 3 1/2. And our baby boy Teagan is 16 mths. Notice a name theme here? It's a tongue twister sometimes.

I love this photo. It was taken last Christmas at my house in front of my tree. As you might be able to notice from the pic, I collect penguins. The entire tree is filled with penguin ornaments. ONLY penguin ornaments. Nothing else is allowed on the tree. They all got penguin pajamas as gifts from me. Except the baby, his are actually a hand me down that I bought for Travis when he was a baby. So I thought... wouldn't it be adorable to take our pic in our penguin pj's in front of the tree? (Because I have about 10 pair of penguin pj's myself. I know ....I'm a little odd) Of course it would, however, with 4 squirming kids and a dog (who also wanted to join in even though he didn't have any pj's) it took about 20 takes to get a good shot. But here it is. Tanner looks a bit bored. Travis is trying to give his best fake smile but now his face is just tired from holding it for 20 takes so he looks like he's gritting his teeth. We captured a good smile with Tatum but she's not looking at the camera. Teagan looks like he's wishing this was over. And my dog just wants me to put the baby down so I can focus all of my attention on him. But I love the pic anyway. And I adore these kids! Oh.... and the spoiled rotten dog, too.